London's Royal Society of Arts launches new annual summer exhibition

The Royal Society of Arts (RSA) and AOAP Projects (formerly Art on a Postcard) are launching a new annual summer exhibition in London titled "Illuminated." Running from 10-24 June at the RSA's headquarters on John Adam Street, the show features over 100 artists including Caroline Coon, Susie Hamilton, and Helen Beard, with all works limited to seven inches by seven inches. Artists receive 50% of sales proceeds, with the remainder funding the RSA's social impact programs. The exhibition marks AOAP Projects' strategic shift from its long-running postcard auction format toward curated exhibitions and broader fundraising initiatives.

Julius von Bismarck “This is not the storm” at Australian Centre for Contemporary Art, Melbourne

Julius von Bismarck's first Australian solo exhibition, "This is not the storm," opens at the Australian Centre for Contemporary Art (ACCA) in Melbourne on Friday, 17 April. The Berlin-based artist blends art, science, and environmental themes to challenge conventional perceptions of nature as a social construct.

Stanley Donwood on his show with Thom Yorke in Venice: ‘These drawings… they’re not planned’

Stanley Donwood, the artist and longtime collaborator of Radiohead's Thom Yorke, discusses his recent and upcoming projects in an interview. These include the conclusion of 'This Is What You Get', a retrospective at Oxford's Ashmolean Museum; the 'Motion Picture House' installation based on Radiohead's albums Kid A and Amnesiac; and his first exhibition outside the UK with Yorke, titled 'No Go Elevator (not without no keycard)', staged in Venice during the 2026 Biennale. The Venice show, presented with Tin Man Art, features 15 ink-on-paper works combining drawings and text from Yorke's notebooks.

Shenzhen International Museum of Art to open Saturday

The Shenzhen International Museum of Art (SIMoA) will officially open to the public on Saturday in the Guangming Science City district. The museum, covering approximately 135,000 square meters, features two hull-shaped structures symbolizing Eastern and Western cultures. Its opening day presents seven themed exhibitions, including 'Return of National Treasures' showcasing bronze animal heads from the Old Summer Palace, 'Realm of Masters' with European paintings from Budapest, and 'Neo Link — The Future of Art' featuring works by Anish Kapoor and Olafur Eliasson. Other exhibitions include a Xu Bing interactive space, the first Shenzhen Art and Technology Biennale, and selections from the CAFA Art Museum.

Hole in one: artist-designed mini golf course heads to London

A playable exhibition titled 'The Art of Mini Golf' will open at Battersea Arts Centre in London from 17 June to 26 July, featuring nine interactive golf hole artworks. The show includes contributions from Turner Prize nominee Delaine Le Bas, US filmmaker Miranda July, Japanese artist Saeborg, and Berlin-based artist Danielle Brathwaite-Shirley, who created the ninth hole artwork 'Enough is Enough'. The UK iteration of the touring show, originally organized by the Rising festival in Melbourne, offers playful twists such as a square ball in Le Bas' hole and a strap-on latex animal tail in Saeborg's 'Animal Golf'.

Take a Sneak Peek at Nick Cave and Marie Watt’s Obama Presidential Center Commission

Nick Cave and Marie Watt have collaborated on a multimedia textile installation commissioned for the Obama Presidential Center in Chicago's Jackson Park, set to open on Juneteenth. The piece, assembled in February, will be installed in the Center's lobby alongside works by Jenny Holzer, Jack Pierson, Kiki Smith, and Idris Khan. Virginia Shore, an independent advisor and curator, spearheaded the commissions, and Louise Bernard serves as the founding director of the Center's museum.

Ali Banisadr talks alchemy at MFA St. Petersburg exhibition

The Museum of Fine Arts St. Petersburg has opened a new exhibition titled "Ali Banisadr: The Alchemist," featuring two decades of work by the artist Ali Banisadr. The show runs through July 12, 2026, and includes recurring figures drawn from ancient Egyptian tarot cards and other historical symbols, as well as references to artificial intelligence and a dinosaur-headed self-portrait. Senior curator Stanton Thomas, who typically works with Old Masters, collaborated directly with Banisadr on the exhibition.

Tra i mosaici di Ravenna parte una grande festa dedicata al fumetto

Ravenna is hosting the fifth edition of the Coconino Fest, a major Italian festival dedicated to contemporary graphic novels, running from May 30 to June 2, 2026, with a preview on May 29. The festival's headquarters will be the MAR – Museo d’Arte della città di Ravenna, featuring exhibitions by international artists including David Prudhomme, Olivier Schrauwen, Miguel Vila, and Japanese manga artist Yamamoto Miki. The Biblioteca Classense will host an exhibition by Lebanese artist and performer Mazen Kerbaj. The program includes talks, book signings, and interdisciplinary events blending comics with music, theater, and performance, such as a dialogue between Vinicio Capossela and David Prudhomme on Greek Rebetiko music, and a tribute to Miles Davis by trumpeter Paolo Fresu and cartoonist Paolo Parisi. A collaboration with the Ravenna Festival will present a theatrical adaptation of a graphic novel by Chiara Lagani and Mara Cerri.

‘Garden of Life’: immersive Monaco exhibition blends eastern wellness with mixed-media art

An immersive exhibition titled 'Garden of Life – A Wellness Journey Through Art' has opened in Monaco, blending the mixed-media artwork of international artist Fiona Tan with the serene environment of L&L Wellbeing, a luxury Japanese-inspired head spa. The exhibition, running until July, transforms the holistic wellness space into a living gallery, featuring Tan's complex works that combine digital techniques with traditional craftsmanship, including velvet, silk, gold leaf, and diamond dust. Tan, also a certified holistic health coach, creates pieces intended to serve as therapeutic tools, engaging viewers through neuro-aesthetics to promote mental peace and reflection.

Interview on the Great Exhibition at the Colosseum Dedicated to Troy: 'Aeneas Is the Bridge Between Our Cultures'

Intervista sulla grande mostra al Colosseo dedicata a Troia: “Enea è il ponte tra le nostre culture”

A major exhibition titled "Troia e Roma. Miti, leggende, storie del Mediterraneo antico" will open at the Parco Archeologico del Colosseo in Rome on June 12, 2026, featuring over 220 artifacts from 19 Turkish museums, including 50 works never before seen by the Italian public. The show is curated with Sinem Düzgören, the new director of the Museo di Troia in Çanakkale, who arranged the loan of 100 works from her museum. The exhibition includes a monumental replica of the Trojan Horse and highlights the mythological and historical ties between Troy and Rome, with key pieces such as the Head of Augustus and a marble copy of the Aphrodite of Cnidus.