Christo's posthumous exhibition "Air" at Gagosian in London finally realizes a 1960s concept to contain air within a room, using a massive polyethylene sack suspended from the ceiling that forces visitors to physically engage with the space. The show also includes early wrapped bubble works and a preserved wrapped Volvo, tracing the artist's lifelong fascination with making the invisible tangible.
The third edition of the Roma Gallery Weekend has concluded, with around thirty galleries forming an official association with legal status and a dedicated budget. The event featured a VIP program of breakfasts, guided tours, and performances, aiming to attract collectors, curators, and local audiences. While the quality of exhibitions was high—28 out of 33 shows were reviewed—logistical challenges remain, including Rome's sprawling layout, limited public transport, and taxi availability. The article highlights 10 standout shows, such as Petra Feriancová's archaeological-inspired installation at Gilda Lavia and Elisa Montessori's exhibition at Monitor.
Sur l’île Seguin, le nouveau centre d’art Large dévoile son bâtiment spectaculaire et une première expo tournée vers l’histoire de Renault
On Île Seguin, the new contemporary art center Large unveiled its spectacular building designed by Catalan firm RCR Arquitectes during a press preview on May 21. The center, backed by real estate developer Emerige and its president Laurent Dumas, will open to the public on October 17. Its inaugural exhibition, curated by Cecilia Alemani, explores the history of the automobile and the island's industrial past as the site of Renault factories from 1929 to 1992, featuring works by 55 contemporary artists including Julio Le Parc, Nina Beier, Thomas Bayrle, Mohamed El Khatib, and Giulia Andreani.
The XXIX edition of the Compasso d'Oro award, founded in 1954 by Gio Ponti and Rinascente, concluded at the ADI Design Museum in Milan. The jury awarded 3 Compassi d'Oro Young, 10 student project recognitions, 38 honorable mentions, and 20 Compasso d'Oro ADI prizes. Winning projects include Array sofa by Snøhetta for MDF Italia, Bilboquet lamp by Philippe Malouin for Flos, D'Antan armchair by Raffaella Mangiarotti for De Padova, and the Salone del Mobile.Milano Annual Report 2024. Career awards were given to nine figures including Giovanni Arvedi, Paola Lenti, and Alberto Meda, while three iconic products—Sedia '64 by AG Fronzoni, Tavolo Eros by Angelo Mangiarotti, and Tavolo con ruote by Gae Aulenti—received career Compassi d'Oro. The exhibition of all nominated projects runs until June 4, 2026.
Matt Browning's exhibition "All Woodcarvings Remain Slow Motion Mobiles" at Kunstverein München presents a decade of his carved Douglas fir sculptures. Each piece is a chain-link form cut from a single block of wood, revealing interior voids and grids without any assembly, showcasing his meticulous technique since 2013.
JR métamorphose le Pont-Neuf en immense caverne immersive
French artist JR has transformed the Pont-Neuf in Paris into a massive immersive cave installation titled "La Caverne du Pont-Neuf," unveiled in May 2026. The work pays homage to Christo and Jeanne-Claude's 1985 wrapping of the same bridge, using an inflatable double-wall structure covered with printed fabric to simulate rock formations and a prehistoric cave. The 120-meter-long installation is free and open to the public day and night, featuring augmented reality experiences via mobile devices and VR glasses, with a soundscape by a former Daft Punk member. The project, budgeted at €10.9 million funded by private sources, marks the first time JR has invited the public inside one of his works.
Phoenix Art Museum will debut 'Modern Treads: The Discount Tire Poster Collection' in June 2025, featuring over a dozen oversized vintage automotive posters from Discount Tire's collection, dating from 1900 to 1930. The collection, started by founder Bruce Halle in the 1980s and now comprising over 500 posters, highlights developments in the automobile and tire industries at the turn of the 20th century. The exhibition also includes two period fashion ensembles from the museum's collection, showing how early drivers dressed for protection. Co-curated by Susan Driver of the Discount Tire Collection, the show runs through January 2027 in the Lower-Level Katz Wing.
Serpentine has launched "I DIDNT REALISE YOU THOUGHT LIKE THAT," a new online game and critical thinking tool by artist and game designer Danielle Brathwaite-Shirley. Available from May 21, 2026, on web and mobile platforms, the project extends the world of Brathwaite-Shirley's acclaimed "THE DELUSION" and explores polarization, identity, and social connection beyond the gallery. Developed with nonprofit Beyond Code Collective and supported by Glass Castle Foundation, the game places players in a post-apocalyptic universe where they encounter fictional characters and make decisions that shape narratives and determine multiple endings, drawing on real-world materials from news cycles, social media, and community testimonies.
The first edition of Olfacta Art Fair, a provocative art fair dedicated to scent, will take place from September 18 to 20, 2026, at EDIT Garden in Turin, Italy. Conceived by artist and herbalist Francesca Casale (born 1990) and her association Olfacta, the fair features ten artists and independent spaces under the curatorial direction of Gianluigi Ricuperati, with exhibition design by Maurizio Cilli. The event transforms the venue into an immersive environment where smells, emanations, and olfactory traces interact with installations, performances, scientific research, and sensory design, challenging traditional notions of art as a collectible object.