Chernobyl 40 years on, Paula Rego at Munch in Oslo, Gluck’s flower painting—podcast

This episode of The Art Newspaper's podcast 'The Week in Art' covers three distinct exhibitions. Host Ben Luke discusses the 40th anniversary of the Chernobyl nuclear disaster with organizer Olha Kovalevska, whose exhibition at Nikolaikirche in Potsdam runs until 27 April. He also explores a new show at Munch in Oslo, 'Paula Rego: Dance Among Thorns', with curator Kari J. Brandtzæg, focusing on Rego's engagement with Edvard Munch. Finally, the episode features 'Convolvulus' (1940) by Gluck as the Work of the Week, part of the group exhibition 'Handpicked: Painting Flowers from 1900 to Today' at Kettle's Yard in Cambridge, discussed with co-curator Naomi Polonsky.

Flowers, Figures & Fantastical Frames at the 2026 Dallas Art Fair

Jessica Fuentes and Brandon Zech, returning to the 2026 Dallas Art Fair, found the event familiar rather than surprising. Fuentes noted that after attending major fairs like Frieze, NADA, and the Armory Show, many works by Texas galleries felt recognizable. Zech observed an overarching theme of flora and fauna, with flower paintings dominating both the art and attendees' fashion. Fuentes, however, was drawn to figurative pieces, influenced by her recent visit to Mexico City Art Week. Standout works included Jessica Vollrath's painting "A thousand hills" at Erin Cluley Gallery, which marked a stylistic shift in color and composition.

Lee Mingwei at Perrotin Gallery in Paris: an exhibition exploring connection, gesture, and ritual

Perrotin Gallery in Paris is presenting "When Beauty Appears," a solo exhibition by Taiwanese artist Lee Mingwei, running from April 25 to May 30, 2026. The show features seven interactive works created between 1995 and 2025, including pieces like "The Moving Garden," where visitors take a flower to give to a stranger, and "The Mending Project," which invites participants to repair garments with colored threads. The exhibition emphasizes ritual, exchange, and lived experience over passive observation.

Pandolfini presents Julie Hamisky's "Alchemical Garden" at Design Week 2026

Pandolfini Auction House is hosting a solo exhibition titled "Giardino Alchemico" (Alchemical Garden) by French artist Julie Hamisky at its Milan office during Design Week 2026, from April 22 to 26. The exhibition, created in collaboration with Mitterrand gallery, features sculptures and botanical jewelry made through electroplating—a process that preserves organic matter like flowers and leaves in metal. Key works include "La Géante" (2024), an enlarged poppy sculpture, and "Aqua" (2024), a chandelier of galvanized plant elements, alongside wearable jewelry pieces.

Susumu Kamijo exhibits at the Perrotin Gallery in Paris: a gentle interlude between flowers and animals.

Perrotin Gallery in Paris is presenting a new exhibition titled "When I Think of You in Spring" by Japanese-born artist Susumu Kamijo, running from April 25 to May 30, 2026. This is the artist's second solo show at the venue, following "The Sun Inside" in 2023. The exhibition features a series of paintings populated by large flowers, fruits, birds, butterflies, and animals such as parrots and a sailfish, set against backgrounds of clouds, horizon lines, and hills. Kamijo's work balances abstraction with recognizable forms, focusing on composition, color, and balance rather than narrative.

The Los Angeles County Museum of Art's new central building is a 'machine of discovery'

The Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) has opened its new central building, the David Geffen Galleries, to the public. Designed by Swiss architect Peter Zumthor at a cost of $724 million, the 347,600-square-foot structure reorients the museum with a single, flowing second-story floor plan, eschewing a traditional main entrance or atrium to encourage wandering and serendipitous encounters with art. The galleries are named for major oceans and are designed to blend cultures and artworks from different eras.

Jean Katambayi Mukendi “RATIO” at KW Institute for Contemporary Art, Berlin

Congolese artist Jean Katambayi Mukendi has opened a solo exhibition titled "RATIO" at the KW Institute for Contemporary Art in Berlin. The show features works that interrogate fundamental dualities such as the natural versus the artificial, growth versus destruction, and the dynamics between resources and power.

National Museum of Bucovina to host Stefan Luchian painting exhibition as first

The National Museum of Bucovina in Suceava will open a major exhibition of works by Romanian painter Ștefan Luchian, marking 110 years since the artist's death. The exhibition, titled 'Ștefan Luchian - a universal artist,' will feature 42 works showcasing his flowers, landscapes, portraits, and still lifes, and is presented by gallerist and curator Damian Florea.

Jean Shin’s Living Memorial to the Trees of Green-Wood Cemetery

Artist Jean Shin unveiled a new site-specific earthwork titled "Offering" (2026) at Brooklyn's Green-Wood Cemetery on April 18. The installation, situated in a meadow facing the cemetery's gates, consists of a long, oval-shaped mound of soil covering two felled oak trees. The work was inspired by traditional Korean tumulus burial mounds and involved a community ritual led by a Korean shaman, with volunteers planting wildflowers and shrubs on the mound.

Exhibition | Claudia Keep, 'Waggle Dance' at Marguo, Paris, France

American artist Claudia Keep presents a new solo exhibition, 'Waggle Dance,' at the Marguo gallery in Paris. The exhibition features a poignant body of paintings that depict bees, flowers, and insects at a larger-than-life scale, conceived as records of an ever-changing world and imbued with an awareness of fragile ecological timelines.

Art by Graphic Rewilding Blooms at Brookfield Place in New York City

British artist duo Graphic Rewilding has installed a large-scale, immersive floral artwork titled 'Fleeting Opulence' at Brookfield Place in Lower Manhattan. The work, which transforms the Winter Garden with vibrant, larger-than-life flowers and cherry blossoms, will be on view through October 2026.

Colour, movement and emotion: Fleetwood artist Kate Ferris presents fluid art exhibition

Artist Kate Ferris is presenting her solo exhibition "Flow & Form" from April 16 to May 3 at Tea Amantes – Tearoom & Gallery in Fleetwood. The show features her fluid art paintings, created using acrylic pour techniques that embrace unpredictability and spontaneity, alongside a selection of handmade jewelry.

Perspectives on a collection: why you should explore New Asian Art at the National Gallery of Australia

The National Gallery of Australia in Canberra is currently presenting 'New Asian Art,' a permanent collection display featuring recent acquisitions and highlights from across Asia. The exhibition includes a significant suite of works by Thai-born artist Korakrit Arunanondchai, featuring video and sculptural elements, as well as pieces by Japanese fashion designer Issey Miyake, the artist collective teamLab, and painter Yoshitomo Nara, exploring themes of globalization and cultural exchange.

Between setbacks and uncertain collectors, how did the miart 2026 fair go for the galleries?

Tra intoppi di percorso e collezionisti incerti, come è andata la fiera miart 2026 per le gallerie?

The 2026 edition of the miart fair in Milan faced significant logistical challenges following its move to the South Wing of the Allianz MiCo. While the 'Emergent' section thrived with ample space and natural light, the 'Established' and 'Anthology' sections suffered from a confusing multi-level layout, poor signage, and oppressive lighting. Many galleries, including Alfonso Artiaco, reported that the lack of clear directions turned high-quality exhibition spaces into "cathedrals in the desert," making it difficult for collectors to locate booths.

At Milan Design Week, Function and Form Take on New Meanings

Milan Design Week has transformed the Italian city into a sprawling showcase of avant-garde furniture and experimental objects. This year's highlights include whimsical, kinetic installations such as a spinning Christmas tree and sculptural tables designed to mimic the organic forms of flowers, pushing the boundaries between utilitarian furniture and fine art.