From Normal to Ania Magliano: your complete entertainment guide to the week ahead

The Guardian's weekly entertainment guide includes a section on art exhibitions, highlighting two shows opening in the UK. Godfried Donkor's solo exhibition at Firstsite in Colchester runs from 22 May to 30 August, weaving stories of resistance from Boudicca to Yaa Asantewaa through collage, painting, and textile. Delcy Morelos's installation at the Barbican in London, running until 31 July, fills the space with huge mounds of earth, clay, and spices to create immersive environments based on Andean and Amazonian knowledge. The guide also mentions Phantasmagoria at the Henry Moore Institute in Leeds, exploring video games and digital art.

While the world is ending outside

Während draußen die Welt untergeht

The ninth edition of the art festival "Various Others" opened in Munich amid rain, with galleries, institutions, and off-spaces presenting their exhibitions. Highlights include Jana Schröder's large-format paintings at Jahn und Jahn, juxtaposed with Willem de Kooning's works on newspaper; André Butzer's solo show at Galerie Christine Mayer, featuring his transition from monochrome 'N-Bilder' back to color; and Anselm Reyle's solo exhibition at Walter Storms in collaboration with Galerie Dirimart. Two standout shows are inspired by Persian miniature painting: Elif Saydam's 'Glory' at Galerie Rüdiger Schöttle, where silver and gold leaf works will oxidize over centuries, and another exhibition exploring bodies in transitional states—pupating, oxidizing, and escaping fixed forms.

In Venice, the Monumental Farewell of Georg Baselitz at the Cini Foundation

À Venise, l’adieu monumental de Georg Baselitz à la fondation Cini

The Fondazione Giorgio Cini on Venice's San Giorgio Maggiore island has opened "Georg Baselitz. Eroi d'Oro," an exhibition of the late German artist's final works, just one week after his death in 2026. The show, presented alongside the Venice Biennale, features monumental self-portraits and portraits of his wife Elke, painted over gold-leaf backgrounds. Created in the last two years of his life, these works represent Baselitz's ultimate creative gesture, synthesizing six decades of experimentation with his signature inverted figures and expressionist color, supported by Galerie Thaddaeus Ropac.

‘America’s Mona Lisa’: how chance, genius and cheap paint made the masterpiece Whistler’s Mother

James Abbott McNeill Whistler's iconic painting of his mother, Anna, known as 'Whistler’s Mother' or 'Arrangement in Grey and Black No 1', is returning to London for the first time in nearly two generations as part of a Tate Britain exhibition. The article recounts how the portrait was painted in 1871 in Whistler's Chelsea studio during a low point in his career, using cheap paint and a used canvas after a young sitter canceled. The author, who restored the painting for the Musée d'Orsay, details the work's accidental genesis, Whistler's radical minimalist aesthetic, and the initial critical confusion it caused.

Emerging Zambian Artists Take the Spotlight at Imvelo Studios

Imvelo Studios, a Zambian gallery, has opened a group exhibition titled "Rise and Shine" featuring emerging Zambian artists across diverse mediums, including painting, sculpture, and printmaking. Curated by gallery founder Ng’onga Silupya, the show highlights artists such as Jeremiah Ludaka, Boyd Bishonga, Kaluba B. Chilawa, Hassan Yasini, Clare Chilemu, and Hezroth Simanda, whose works employ abstraction, Neo-Expressionism, and traditional techniques to explore themes of youth, cultural identity, and social commentary.

Horst Antes at 90: Major Shows Celebrate German New Figuration Pioneer

German artist Horst Antes, born in 1936, is being celebrated with two major exhibitions timed to his 90th birthday. Galerie Koch in Hannover presents a solo show titled “Horst Antes: Exhibition Marking the Artist’s 90th Birthday,” while the Sprengel Museum Hannover concurrently mounts “A Collection,” featuring roughly 80 works from its holdings. The shows highlight Antes’s pioneering role in New Figuration, particularly his iconic “Kopffüßler” (Head-Footer) character, which appears across paintings, sculptures, and works on paper from 1969 to 2014. The Galerie Koch exhibition also foregrounds his “House Pictures,” which explore architecture through non-hierarchical color planes and ambiguous perspective.

Emma and Chloe Fineman Talk Prosthetic Boobs, Bible Sluts, and Late-Life Lesbianism

Emma Fineman, a visual artist based in London, is presenting her first solo show at Alexander Berggruen gallery in New York, on view through June 24. The exhibition features 18 paintings that explore her queer identity and self-acceptance, drawing from Christian mythology and the Book of Genesis to celebrate female desire. In a conversation with her sister Chloe Fineman, a cast member on SNL, the two discuss their creative processes, the overlap between comedy and painting, and how they support each other through artistic blocks.

The New Costume Institute Show Gets Under the Skin

The Costume Institute at the Metropolitan Museum of Art has opened its 2026 spring exhibition, “Costume Art,” which explores the relationship between clothing and the human body through pairings of couture with artworks spanning 5,000 years. Curated by Andrew Bolton, the show is divided into thematic chapters such as “Nude Body,” “Disabled Body,” “Aging Body,” and “Anatomical Body,” featuring pieces from designers like Dior, John Galliano for Maison Margiela, and Renata Buzzo alongside historical artifacts and contemporary art.

Whitney Gala Honors Julie Mehretu, Benefactor of Museum’s ‘Free Under 25’ Initiative

The Whitney Museum of American Art hosted its annual gala, honoring artist Julie Mehretu, board chair Fern Kaye Tessler, and former director Adam D. Weinberg. Mehretu, who donated $2.25 million in 2024 to fund the museum's 'Free Under 25' initiative, delivered a speech emphasizing that free admission for young people is a statement of values, not a privilege. The gala raised $6.3 million, with attendees including artists Rashid Johnson, Glenn Ligon, Anicka Yi, and Fred Wilson, as well as collector Beth Rudin DeWoody.

Willem de Kooning’s Rarely Seen Drawings Come Into Focus in Chicago Show

A forthcoming exhibition at the Art Institute of Chicago (AIC), titled "Willem de Kooning Drawing," will showcase over 200 rarely seen drawings by the Abstract Expressionist master, opening in June. The show, organized in partnership with the Rijksmuseum, includes works from across de Kooning's career—from early charcoal studies like *Dish with Jugs* (1919–1921) to experimental pieces from the 1960s where he drew with his eyes closed or with both hands. Curated by Kevin Salatino, the exhibition positions drawing as central to de Kooning's practice, challenging the perception that his paintings were purely spontaneous.

Printmaking skills of Manet, Van Gogh and more celebrated in Bath show

An exhibition titled *Beyond Impressionism* at the Holburne Museum in Bath showcases over 50 prints by artists such as Édouard Manet, Vincent van Gogh, Paul Gauguin, James McNeill Whistler, Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec, and Pablo Picasso. The show, running from 23 May to 13 September, highlights how impressionist, post-impressionist, and cubist painters revived printmaking in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, elevating it from commercial reproduction to a respected artistic medium. Works are drawn from public collections including the Courtauld Gallery and Ashmolean, as well as private collections.

Inside TEFAF New York’s Annual Wealth Pageant

The 12th annual TEFAF New York fair took place at the Park Avenue Armory from May 15 to 19, attracting wealthy collectors with a mix of blue-chip art, design objects, and jewelry. Highlights included Kathleen Ryan's bejeweled 'Bad Fruit' sculptures at Gagosian, Cai Guo-Qiang's gunpowder paintings at White Cube (which sold 11 of 12 works), Sheila Hicks's textiles at Demisch Danant, and a new David Hockney painting at Annely Juda Fine Art. The fair featured 88 galleries from 14 countries, with VIP previews drawing art advisors and high-net-worth clients.

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.

Still in Sound

The Clyfford Still Museum in Denver, Colorado, has opened a new exhibition titled "Still in Sound," which pairs abstract paintings by Clyfford Still with original sonic interpretations by contemporary sound artists. Co-curated by Bailey Placzek, the museum's curator of collections, and British multidisciplinary artist Ben Coleman, the exhibition features works by artists Maria Chávez, Maya Dunietz, Kalyn Heffernan, Matana Roberts, and Michael Schumacher. Each artist selected a Still painting and composed a sound piece in response, with the compositions playing in shuffled order to create a non-linear, immersive experience. A digital guide offers full recordings, and Denver artist Phillip David Stearns designed an interactive component based on Still's pastel drawings. The exhibition runs through February 2027.

Julie Mehretu and John Jasperse Find Common Ground

Julie Mehretu, the celebrated abstract painter, and John Jasperse, a noted choreographer, are collaborating on a joint project at Marian Goodman Gallery in New York. The article explores how the two artists are working together to merge visual art and dance, asking how they can bring something productive to each other’s creative practices.

Alexander James Dissects Painting’s Most Enduring Shape in Hong Kong Exhibition

British artist Alexander James presents *Dissecting the Square*, a new exhibition at Phillips Gallery in Hong Kong, running until 31 May 2026. The show features a series of paintings, sculptures, and installations that explore the square as a geometric form, inspired by a moment when sunlight dissected an empty canvas in his studio. James divides canvases into quadrants, creating works that balance order and disruption. The exhibition also includes Josef Albers’ *Homage to the Square: In Time* (1967) and a sculpture by Sean Scully, placing James’s practice in dialogue with art historical precedents.

Amy Sherald Comes Home: “American Sublime” Opens at the High Museum

The High Museum of Art in Atlanta opens "Amy Sherald: American Sublime" on May 15, a mid-career retrospective featuring over 35 paintings from 2007 to 2024. The exhibition was originally scheduled to conclude at the National Portrait Gallery in Washington, D.C., but Sherald canceled that stop after a Trump administration executive order directed Smithsonian institutions to remove so-called "un-American content." The High Museum secured the final slot after the Baltimore Museum of Art, following months of coordination with SFMOMA, Sherald's studio, and Hauser & Wirth. The show includes Sherald's portrait of Breonna Taylor and her iconic Michelle Obama portrait, organized into five thematic sections.

In Her First Solo Museum Show, Jordan Casteel’s Humanizing Portraits Get Even Closer An interview with the artist

Jordan Casteel is preparing for her first solo museum exhibition, "Jordan Casteel: Returning the Gaze," a 29-painting survey opening at the Denver Art Museum. The article traces her journey from a Yale School of Art graduate, where she painted nude black men with a focus on individuality and humanity, to a rising star in contemporary portraiture. Her career was launched by a 2014 solo show at Sargent's Daughters gallery, leading to a residency at the Studio Museum in Harlem and representation by gallerist Casey Kaplan.

Discover the quietly affecting artworks of Poppy Jones, a fashion-world favourite

Poppy Jones, a British artist known for her quietly affecting works on textiles like suede and silk, has opened her first institutional solo exhibition, 'Frozen Sun', at Towner Eastbourne (until 31 May 2026). The show follows her 2024 presentation 'Solid Objects' at Herald St gallery in London and a sold-out monograph with Zolo Press in 2025. Jones, who was commissioned by Bottega Veneta's Louise Trotter for two works that became the house's A/W 2026 show invitation, creates intimate pieces featuring eggs, flowers, glasses of water, and vintage apparel details, often framed in sleek aluminium. Her practice, which blends photography, lithography, and watercolour, was shaped by the birth of her first child in 2019 and the Covid-19 lockdowns, leading her to focus on domestic subjects and small-scale works.

An old hat gets a new show: ‘Matisse’s Femme au chapeau’ opens at SFMOMA

SFMOMA has opened "Matisse's Femme au chapeau: A Modern Scandal," a new exhibition centered on Henri Matisse's iconic 1905 painting "Femme au chapeau" (Woman with a Hat). The show recreates the atmosphere of the 1905 Salon d'Automne in Paris, where the painting first caused a scandal for its bold, fauvist colors. It reunites the work with three other Matisse paintings from that debut, alongside pieces by contemporaries like André Derain, Albert Marquet, and Jelka Rosen, and later artists inspired by the painting, such as Mickalene Thomas. The exhibition also includes a gallery dedicated to the Haas bequest, which brought the painting to SFMOMA in 1991.

Discover 5 Standout Talents at New York’s Satellite Art Fairs

Galerie magazine highlights five standout satellite art fairs running concurrently with Frieze New York and TEFAF New York: Independent, NADA New York, Esther III, 1-54 Contemporary African Art Fair, and Future Fair. The article profiles emerging and rediscovered artists such as Julia Maiuri (presented by 12.26 at Independent), Shangfeng Zhang (LATITUDE Gallery at NADA New York), and others, noting that more than a third of Independent's booths feature artists making their New York solo debuts.

Christie's and the Arts Council Collection to present Close Encounters celebrating 80 years of the Arts Council Collection - Christie's

Christie's London will host 'Close Encounters: Figuration, Painting and Landscape in the Arts Council Collection' from 3 to 23 June 2026, in partnership with the Arts Council Collection to mark its 80th anniversary. The exhibition brings together historical works by artists such as David Hockney, Sonia Boyce, Peter Doig, Lynette Yiadom-Boakye, Michael Armitage, and Claudette Johnson alongside new acquisitions by Christina Kimeze and Vanessa Raw, exploring themes of gender, sexuality, landscape, and Black British women's representation.

Wem die Glocke schlägt

The Kunsthalle Wien has revived its recurring exhibition format "Lebt und arbeitet in Wien" (Lives and Works in Vienna) for the fifth time since 2000, presenting 56 artists selected from a pool of 700 local practitioners. Curated by Daniel Baumann, Monika Georgieva, and Michelle Cotton, the show spans two venues—the Museumsquartier and Karlsplatz—featuring works in painting, sculpture, installation, film, and video that reflect the city's diverse artistic landscape. The exhibition marks a return after a decade-long hiatus, filling gaps left since the previous edition under the curatorial collective WHW.

The Pain Behind the Colors

Der Schmerz hinter den Farben

Henry Taylor is the subject of a major exhibition at the Musée Picasso in Paris, where his monumental paintings addressing racism, poverty, hope, and pain are displayed in dialogue with art history. The article describes a key work featuring Martin Luther King Jr. in a park scene, with small adult-faced figures and a limousine of white men watching, highlighting Taylor's narrative style.

Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera at MoMA in New York in a Passionate Theatrical Dialogue

Frida Kahlo et Diego Rivera au MoMA de New York dans un dialogue théâtral plein d’ardeur

The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York has opened a theatrical exhibition titled "Frida and Diego: The Last Dream," curated by Beverly Adams, the museum's curator of Latin American art. The show features around twenty paintings and drawings by Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera from MoMA's collection, alongside photographic portraits. The exhibition's dramatic staging, designed by British set designer Jon Bausor—who also worked on the Metropolitan Opera's concurrent production of "El Último Sueño de Frida y Diego"—creates a tense dialogue between the artists' contrasting styles: Rivera's political murals and Kahlo's intimate, colorful self-portraits. Highlights include Kahlo's "Self-Portrait with Cropped Hair" (1940) and Rivera's "Zapata, Agricultural Leader" (1931).

In Basel, a Dive into the Great Bath of Colors of Helen Frankenthaler

À Bâle, plongée dans le grand bain de couleurs d’Helen Frankenthaler

The Kunstmuseum Basel has opened a major retrospective of American painter Helen Frankenthaler (1928–2011), a key figure in Color Field painting who is less known in Europe than her contemporaries Jackson Pollock and Mark Rothko. The exhibition was sparked by a 2024 donation of Frankenthaler's 1963 painting "Riverhead" from the Helen Frankenthaler Foundation, and features around fifty works showcasing her signature soak-stain technique, in which she applied thinned paint to unprimed canvas using sponges, brooms, and scrapers. The show traces her career chronologically, highlighting influences from Old Masters and her physical approach to painting on the floor.

New Art Center and Hidden Gems: A Weekend Full of Surprises in Bruges

Nouveau centre d’art et pépites cachées : un week-end plein de surprises à Bruges

Bruges, the Flemish city known for its medieval charm and UNESCO World Heritage status, has inaugurated a new art center called BRUSK in spring 2026. Located in the museum district, the building designed by Robbrecht en Daem and Olivier Salens features a monumental 350-square-meter fresco by French artist Laure Prouvost titled "The Whispering Walls Rêve," which references the city's past and present. The center also includes a conservation and research facility, with free access to the ground floor. The article proposes a weekend itinerary starting at the Grand-Place (Markt) and highlights Bruges as a hub for contemporary creation alongside its historic treasures.

The fate of 'Guernica', a political icon born under bombs, traced in virtual reality at the Musée Picasso

Le destin de « Guernica », icône politique née sous les bombes, retracé en réalité virtuelle au musée Picasso

The Musée Picasso-Paris is launching a virtual reality experience that traces the epic journey of Pablo Picasso's "Guernica," one of the most iconic political paintings of the 20th century. Guided by the voices of writer Juan Larrea and photographer Dora Maar, visitors are transported to Picasso's Paris studio and the bombed ruins of Gernika, reliving the creation of the masterpiece commissioned for the Spanish Republic's pavilion at the 1937 International Exposition in Paris. The VR experience covers the painting's genesis, its global tour, and its eventual exile at MoMA in New York until 1981.

Eric N. Mack “A Whole New Thing” at Wexner Center for the Arts, Columbus

Eric N. Mack has created a site-responsive installation titled "A Whole New Thing" for the lobby commission at the Wexner Center for the Arts in Columbus. The work continues his exploration of abstraction, foregrounding fabric as an expressive, atmospheric, structural, and social medium that reveals a painterly sensibility.

Venice show brings together two leading figures from the Polish avant-garde

A collateral exhibition at the 2024 Venice Biennale, titled "Tadeusz Kantor (1915-1990) Emballage Cricotage and Madame Jarema," brings together two towering figures of the Polish avant-garde: Tadeusz Kantor and Maria Jarema. Organized by the Starak Family Foundation at the Procuratie Vecchie, the show features over 60 works spanning paintings, monotypes, sculptures, theatre props, and costumes, culminating in a room dedicated to Kantor's seminal theatre piece "The Dead Class" (1975). Jarema's work was shown at the 1958 Venice Biennale, and Kantor exhibited in the Polish pavilion in 1960; the exhibition highlights their intertwined, interdisciplinary practice and their foundational role in post-war Polish avant-garde art.