Art News. Vasari Codex

museum exhibitions schedule May 8, 2026 visibility 4 link 1 artist, 1 gallery

‘This is an opportunity that will never happen again’: Syrian artist Sara Shamma on rebuilding her country

Syrian artist Sara Shamma has been selected to represent Syria at the 2026 Venice Biennale, marking the country's return to the event with a single-artist national pavilion for the first time. Her immersive installation, 'The Tower Tomb of Palmyra,' curated by Yuko Hasegawa and commissioned by Syria's ministry of culture, combines painting, architecture, light, sound, and scent. It draws on the ancient funerary towers of Palmyra destroyed by Islamic State in 2015, addressing cultural loss and the possibility of reconstruction. Shamma, who returned to Syria in September 2024 after eight years abroad, describes living through the fall of the Assad regime and the country's rebirth as a transformative personal and national moment.

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museum exhibitions schedule May 8, 2026 source 4 sources visibility 3 link 3 artists

An Iranian museum holds a rare exhibit of American art, reflecting on war

The Tehran Museum of Contemporary Art is hosting a rare exhibition of American art, featuring works from its collection that were acquired before the 1979 Islamic Revolution. The show includes pieces by artists such as Andy Warhol, Jackson Pollock, and Mark Rothko, and is presented as a reflection on the complex history of U.S.-Iran relations, including themes of war and cultural exchange.

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museum exhibitions schedule May 8, 2026 visibility 4 link 6 artists, 1 gallery

Realms of the Dharma

The Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) has opened "Realms of the Dharma: Buddhist Art Across Asia," an exhibition on view through July 12, 2026, that brings together approximately 180 Buddhist artworks from its permanent collection for the first time in a single space. Curated by Stephen Little and Tushara Bindu Gude, the show features paintings, sculptures, ritual objects, and sacred texts spanning Asia, including a notable gray schist bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara from Gandhara (c. 200 CE). The exhibition highlights the transformative work of curator Pratapaditya Pal, who from 1970 built LACMA's Indian, Himalayan, and Islamic collections into one of the nation's premier repositories.

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museum exhibitions schedule May 5, 2026 visibility 8 link 3 artists

With Nearly 30,000 Clay Earth Bricks, Dana Awartani Remakes History in the Saudi Arabia Pavilion

Dana Awartani, a Jeddah- and New York-based artist of mixed Palestinian, Saudi, Jordanian, and Syrian descent, has created the Saudi Arabia Pavilion at the Venice Biennale using nearly 30,000 clay earth bricks. The installation, titled "May your tears never dry, you who weep over stones," replicates traditional mosaic motifs sourced from over 20 cultural heritage sites across the Arab world that have been destroyed by human conflict. Awartani emphasizes collaboration, crediting numerous skilled craftsmen—economic migrants to Saudi Arabia—who worked alongside her, and her practice blends formal training at Central St. Martins with Islamic geometry and illumination studies in Turkey.

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museum exhibitions schedule May 9, 2026 visibility 2 link 10 artists

Indian High Commission celebrated Rabindra Jayanti, inaugurating art exhibition

The Indira Gandhi Cultural Centre (IGCC) of the Indian High Commission in Dhaka inaugurated a ten-day art exhibition titled “Sampriti” on May 7, 2026, coinciding with the 165th birth anniversary of Rabindranath Tagore. The exhibition features works created during a two-day art camp by 33 eminent Bangladeshi artists, including Rafiqun Nabi, Monirul Islam, and Farida Zaman, and was curated by Professor Sanjoy Chakraborty of Dhaka University. High Commissioner Pranay Verma opened the event, highlighting the shared artistic traditions between India and Bangladesh, and paid tribute to the late Bangladeshi artist Tarun Ghosh, whose work is included in the show.

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museum exhibitions schedule May 8, 2026 visibility 2 link 11 artists

‘Sampriti’: Dhaka exhibition celebrates artistic ties between Bangladesh and India

The Indira Gandhi Cultural Centre (IGCC) in Dhaka inaugurated the art exhibition “Sampriti” on May 7, bringing together artists, scholars, and diplomats from Bangladesh and India. The exhibition, which follows a two-day art camp held in April, features works by 33 contemporary Bangladeshi artists and ICCR scholars, and was curated by Prof Sanjoy Chakraborty. The opening coincided with the 165th birth anniversary of Rabindranath Tagore and included a lamp-lighting ceremony, speeches by High Commissioner Pranay Verma, and a performance of Rabindra Sangeet by Prof Shahnaz Nasrin Ila.

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museum exhibitions schedule May 7, 2026 visibility 3 link 2 artists

Saudi pavilion at Venice Biennale turns fractured heritage into monumental art installation

Saudi Arabia has unveiled a large-scale installation by artist Dana Awartani at the 61st Venice Biennale, held at the Arsenale. Titled "May your tears never dry, you who weep over stones," the work covers the entire floor of the Saudi national pavilion and incorporates over 29,000 sunbaked clay bricks and mosaic patterns inspired by Islamic geometric art. The installation references 23 heritage sites across the Arab world that have been damaged or destroyed by conflict, and was produced over nearly 30,000 artisan hours with 32 craftspeople at a studio outside Riyadh. Curated by Antonia Carver with assistant curator Hafsa Alkhudairi, the piece emphasizes traditional craftsmanship and collective skill-sharing.

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museum exhibitions schedule May 8, 2026 visibility 2 link 3 artists, 1 gallery

‘Master Artist AA Raiba: A Unilateral Eclectic’: An art exhibition

An exhibition titled 'Master Artist AA Raiba: A Unilateral Eclectic' is currently on view at Thapar Gallery in New Delhi, showcasing works by Abdul Aziz Raiba from the 1950s and 1960s. The retrospective highlights Raiba’s diverse practice, including murals, paintings on jute, reverse glass paintings, serigraphs, calligraphy, and sketches, and features landscape works from his Kashmir sojourn between 1957 and 1959.

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museum exhibitions schedule May 3, 2026 visibility 7

Museum of Islamic Art Hosts Empire of Light Exhibit Through May 2026

The Museum of Islamic Art in Doha, Qatar, is hosting the 'Empire of Light: Visions and Voices of Afghanistan' exhibition, running through May 30, 2026. The show features rare Afghan artifacts, illuminated manuscripts, and contemporary works, curated by Nicoletta Fazio, and is partnered with the Aga Khan Trust for Culture. The museum, designed by I.M. Pei and opened in 2008, also offers weekend bazaars at MIA Park, enhancing the visitor experience with local crafts and jewelry.

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museum exhibitions schedule May 4, 2026 visibility 4 link 2 artists

Sadequain Art Exhibition opens in Mississauga, celebrates Pakistan's cultural heritage

The Sadequain Art Exhibition opened on Monday in Mississauga, Canada, for a three-day event celebrating Pakistan’s cultural heritage. Organized by the Sadequain Foundation USA in collaboration with media partners, the exhibition was inaugurated by Muhammad Saleem Khan and features Islamic calligraphy, drawings, paintings, Urdu poetry, and wall carvings by the renowned artist Syed Sadequain Ahmed Naqvi. Attendees included Ontario MPP Sheref Sabawy and participants from the Aga Khan Academy Toronto.

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