At the Venice Biennale, the Thrill of Victory, the Agony of Defeat

The article reports on the opening of the 61st Venice Biennale, highlighting the central exhibition "In Minor Keys" conceived by the late Koyo Kouoh, along with national pavilions and collateral events. It notes standout contributions from artists such as Alvaro Barrington, Kaloki Nyamai, Florentina Holzinger, Ei Arakawa-Nash, Li Yi-Fan, and Dries Verhoeven, while describing the American pavilion as lackluster and the overall commercial offerings as uneven. The text also covers performances and exhibitions featuring nudity and body horror, including Tino Sehgal's "The Kiss" and Maja Malou Lyse's video with the collective DIS.

The 5 Best Booths at Frieze New York 2026

Frieze New York 2026 opened its VIP day at The Shed on May 13, following the Venice Biennale's opening week. Now in its 15th edition, the fair anchors New York Art Week, a series of concurrent fairs, gallery openings, auctions, and parties that take over the city each May. The article highlights the five best booths at the fair, curated by Artsy Editorial.

A Major Martin Puryear Retrospective Reveals an Artist Who Has Never Stopped Evolving

The Cleveland Museum of Art has opened "Nexus," a major retrospective of Martin Puryear featuring over 50 works, the first comprehensive survey of the artist's career in some time. The exhibition includes rarely displayed early pieces from Puryear's personal collection alongside recent works, organized in consultation with the 84-year-old artist. Highlights include the titular 1979 piece "Nexus" made of Alaskan yellow cedar, and other works like "Night and Day" and "Alien Huddle" that showcase his mastery of wood and cold-molding techniques.

A Contemporary Art Haven Just a PATH Ride Away

Luis Emilio Romero, a Jersey City native, moved from Bushwick to the Monira Foundation's residency at Mana Contemporary in Jersey City, where he now paints intricate, textile-influenced patterns in a calm basement studio. Mana Contemporary, a 2 million-square-foot former tobacco warehouse converted in 2011 by Moishe Mana, Eugene Lemay, and Yigal Ozeri, hosted its Spring Open Studios on May 17, with over one-third of its 300 artists participating—the largest turnout in years. The event featured installations by TLaloC, sculptures by John Chamberlain, and an exhibition of artist books, "Open Book(s): Observations," presented by Pierogi Gallery, Mana, and the Monira Foundation. Pierogi co-owners Joe Amrhein and Susan Swenson also brought their Flat Files containing nearly 4,000 works to Mana for six months to a year.

The Langmatt Museum in Baden Reopens Its Doors

Le Musée Langmatt de Baden rouvre ses portes

The Langmatt Museum in Baden, Switzerland, has reopened after a two-year, €21 million renovation of its Art Nouveau villa, which required urgent structural intervention. The project was co-financed by the city of Baden and the canton of Aargau, with the city contributing CHF 10 million. To secure the museum's endowment fund, the Langmatt Foundation controversially sold three Paul Cézanne masterpieces at Christie's New York in November 2023 for a total of CHF 40.32 million, sparking ethical debate in museum circles. The renovation covered all 75 rooms, including new fire protection, an elevator, accessibility upgrades, a glass pavilion, and restoration of the historic park, while preserving the villa's character.

Artist Debuts and Inspired Duos Define the Can’t-Miss Booths at Independent

The article highlights standout booths at the Independent Art Fair, newly relocated to Pier 36 in Manhattan's Lower East Side. With 76 exhibitors, 26 of whom are presenting an artist's New York debut, the fair features notable presentations including Sprüth Magers' restaging of Gretchen Bender's 'TV Text & Image (PEOPLE WITH AIDS)', Omar Mismar's debut with abstract paintings on salvaged PVC banners referencing Lebanese protests, Carrie Schneider's large-format photographs from the Venice Biennale, and works by Kim Stolz and Raphael Egil at YveYANG. The fair runs through Sunday and aims for greater attendance and institutional influence.

Art Basel Hong Kong 2026: Where The World Comes To See

Art Basel Hong Kong 2026 returned to the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre from March 25–27, featuring 240 galleries from 42 countries and territories. The 13th edition introduced new sectors including Echoes, dedicated to works made within the past five years, and Zero 10, a digital art initiative making its Asia debut. The fair also transformed its Encounters sector with a collective curatorial framework based on the Five Elements, led by Mami Kataoka and three other Asia-based curators. Robb Report India covered the event through the perspectives of Indian artists Siddharth Kerkar and Jayesh Sachdev.

America the Artful: U.S. 250th anniversary exhibits bring revolt and revolution to The Wadsworth

The Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art in Hartford, Connecticut, has launched a series of exhibitions under the collective title "Framing American Democracy" to commemorate the 250th anniversary of the United States. The exhibits include "Radical Roots," which explores 18th-century America through historical artifacts like the Charter Oak; "Contemporary Artists Reflect," featuring protest works by Sam Durant and the Guerilla Girls; and "Rebel/Revolt/Resist," which examines Black civil rights struggles with pieces by Jacob Lawrence and Sonya Clark. The shows run through various dates in 2025, 2026, and 2027.

Frieze New York Diary: celeb sightings and a swag-filled party

Frieze New York's VIP preview at the Shed drew celebrities including CNN anchor Anderson Cooper, actor Leonardo DiCaprio, artist and REM singer Michael Stipe, and actress Sharon Stone. A party in Tribeca celebrated the upcoming Counterpublic Triennial in St. Louis, featuring a custom scent by artist Emma McCormick Goodhart. Highlights include a musical performance by Oglála Lakȟóta artist Kite and a special Look Book photo studio capturing art-world figures like collector Beth Rudin DeWoody and Frieze London director Eva Langret.

British Museum Unveils Elaborate Display for Bayeux Tapestry

The British Museum has revealed its plans for displaying the nearly 1,000-year-old Bayeux Tapestry when it arrives on loan from France later this year. For the first time in recent history, the 230-foot-long embroidered narrative of the Norman Conquest will be laid flat in a bespoke case, allowing visitors to view all 58 scenes in a single unbroken display. The exhibition, supported by a £5 million pledge from WorldQuant CEO Igor Tulchinsky, will also feature loans including the Junius II manuscript from Oxford's Bodleian Libraries and silver coins from the Chew Valley Hoard. Tickets for the ten-month show, opening September 10, cost £25–£33.

Bharti Kher Commissioned by Powerhouse Parramatta for Major Public Artwork

British Indian artist Bharti Kher has been commissioned by Powerhouse Parramatta to create a large-scale public artwork for the museum, which is set to open later this year in Parramatta, Western Sydney. Titled *Tree of Life*, the seven-meter-tall bronze sculpture features four stacked heads and incorporates clay fragments from figurines found in Indian secondhand markets, drawing on themes of ancestral memory, interconnectedness, and community.

The LA Art World’s New Obsession Is a Theater Where Artists Run the Show

Calla Henkel and Max Pitegoff, former artistic directors of Berlin's Grüner Salon, launched New Theater Hollywood in 2024 as a nonprofit venue on Santa Monica Boulevard. The 49-seat theater specializes in genre-defying, multidisciplinary collaborations, staging works like Sophie Becker's ventriloquist act *Ronnie's Big Idea* and Diamond Stingily's *The Driver*. Every performance sells out, attracting a cult following of literary, art world, and pop culture figures who often linger to discuss shows.

Exhibition | Tang Maohong, 'Simplified' at ShanghART, Singapore

ShanghART Singapore presents 'Simplified', a solo exhibition by Chinese artist Tang Maohong opening on 16 May 2026. The show features paintings developed over the past two years since his relocation to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, and marks his return to Singapore after a 2019 solo exhibition and twenty years since his participation in the first Singapore Biennale. Tang's new works explore a technique of mixing colors directly on the painting surface rather than using a palette, collapsing the image and the palette into a single pictorial space.

The Contemporary Lore: Sojourn of Styles and Generations Unfurled

The exhibition "The Contemporary Lore: Sojourn of Styles and Generations Unfurled" brings together 23 artists at various career stages, from senior practitioners to emerging voices, in a non-chronological display of paintings, sculptures, and mixed media. Curated by Kiran K. Mohan with a critical essay by art historian Johny ML, the show rejects linear art historical narratives in favor of a living conversation across generations, materials, and conceptual concerns. Featured artists include Anil Gaekwad, Ashok Bhowmick, Asit Patnaik, Bharti Prajapati, Bipin Kumar, Charudatt, Dilip Sharma, Haren Thakur, Harshwardhan Devtale, Hemraj, Jaikrishna Agarwal, Manoj Kumar Agarwal, Milan Das, Meenakshi Jha Banerjee, Mukesh Bijole, Nilisha Phad, Pandurang Thate, Prem Singh, Rakhi Kumar, Sanjay K. Srivastava, Sekhar Kar, Shaji Apukuttan, and Yusuf.

Proof of life — Curator’s Choice celebrates Nelson Mandela Bay’s creative pulse

The Curator’s Choice exhibition at Art on Target in Nelson Mandela Bay showcases 10 selected artists, ranging from emerging talents to established practitioners, including an octogenarian and recent graduates. The show, now in its third year, is an offshoot of the annual Same Size-Same Price-No Signature exhibition and was curated by Art on Target director Bretten-Anne Moolman. Artists were chosen by a diverse panel of over 20 local professionals, educators, and art lovers, and were given eight months to prepare new works for the exhibition, which opened on 13 May.

Provincetown art exhibit celebrates 50 years of coastal studies

A new art exhibition titled "Persistent Curiosity: Charting the Rippled Fabric of the Sea" has opened at the Provincetown Art Association and Museum (PAAM) to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Center for Coastal Studies. The show runs from May 15 through July 19, with an opening reception on May 22.

Mattatuck Museum in Waterbury to host Mystic Dead show tied to gig poster exhibit

The Mattatuck Museum in Waterbury, Connecticut, will host a live performance by the Grateful Dead tribute band Mystic Dead on June 11, 2026, as a fundraiser for the museum's education and public programs. The event is tied to the upcoming exhibition "Psychedelic Splendor: The Concert Art of AJ Masthay & Helen Kennedy," which runs from June 13 to September 26 and features over 20 gig posters created for bands including Black Sabbath, Dave Matthews Band, and The Grateful Dead. The exhibit marks the first museum show for both Connecticut-based artists, who are known for their screen-printed concert posters.

Fifty artists explore resilience in powerful new art exhibition

A new exhibition titled "Resilience" has opened at the Hartlepool Art Gallery, featuring works by 50 artists selected through an open call for individuals with ties to the town. Inspired by the 100th anniversary of the General Strike, the show explores themes of personal survival, psychological recovery, community bonds, and overcoming barriers. Five artists have been shortlisted by an independent panel, and visitors can vote for their favorite artwork, with the winner earning a solo exhibition at the gallery. A companion display, "Hartlepool’s Resilience," curated by local museum volunteers, presents objects and artworks from the borough council’s collection.