As Kazakhstan cautiously strengthens ties with western Europe, new art venues herald a change of direction

Two wealthy Kazakh entrepreneurs, Kairat Boranbayev and Nurlan Smagulov, are opening private art institutions in Almaty this year: the Tselinny Center of Contemporary Culture and the Almaty Museum of Arts. The Tselinny Center, designed by British architect Asif Khan, will open in September in a repurposed Soviet-era cinema, while the Almaty Museum of Arts, a 10,000 sq. m building by Chapman Taylor, aims to open the same month. These developments come as Kazakhstan cautiously strengthens ties with western Europe to reduce dependence on Russia, following the 2022 invasion of Ukraine, and positions itself as an energy supplier to Europe and a logistical hub for China's Belt and Road Initiative.

japanese sculptor kunimasa aoki wins 2025 loewe craft prize

Japanese sculptor Kunimasa Aoki won the 2025 Loewe Craft Prize on Thursday evening in Madrid, receiving a €50,000 cash prize. His anamorphic terracotta sculpture “Realm of Living Things 19” was selected by a 12-member jury from 30 shortlisted works on display at the Thyssen-Bornemisza National Museum. The jury praised the work's honest expression of the ancestral coil process and the raw, unfinished form of the material. Two special mentions were awarded: Nigerian artist Nifemi Marcus-Bello for “TM Bench with Bowl” and Studio Sumakshi Singh from India for “Monument.”

norman rockwell antifa department of homeland security

Daisy Rockwell, granddaughter of Norman Rockwell, stated in an interview with the Bulwark that her grandfather was "antifa," pushing back against recent uses of his paintings by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). Over the summer, DHS posted cropped and edited versions of Rockwell's works, including "Salute the Flag" (1971) and "Working on the Statue of Liberty" (1946), with captions urging readers to "protect your homeland" and "defend your culture." The Rockwell family had already publicly rebutted these posts in a USA Today op-ed, arguing that Rockwell would have been "devastated" to see his art used to promote persecution of immigrant communities and people of color.

Virginia Museum Of Contemporary Art Opening New Building In Virginia Beach

The Virginia Museum of Contemporary Art (Virginia MOCA) has announced plans to relocate from its longtime home to a new, state-of-the-art facility in Virginia Beach. This move marks a significant expansion for the institution, aiming to modernize its exhibition spaces and enhance its capacity for community engagement and educational programming.

The Pope Asks You to Write Music

"Der Papst bittet Sie, Musik zu schreiben"

This press roundup covers several art-world stories. Musician FKA Twigs discusses her contribution to the Vatican Pavilion at the Venice Biennale, describing how she was asked by the Pope to write music, blending her club and sacred practices. Artist Trevor Paglen speaks about the 'end of enlightenment' in an interview, arguing that AI-generated images and social media are destroying shared empirical reality. Critic Dean Kissick interviews documentary filmmaker Adam Curtis about the crisis of the self and the exhaustion of contemporary culture. Additionally, a review of the 61st Venice Biennale highlights political tensions, protests, and a carnivalesque trend in the artworks.

Controversial art show canceled at NY archdiocese venue finds home at Jesuit parish

Jesuit artist Nicholas Leeper's solo exhibition "Twilight of the Idols," which blends Byzantine iconography with pop art and advertising imagery, was abruptly canceled by the Sheen Center for Thought and Culture in New York about two weeks before its scheduled opening in May 2026. The center, founded by the New York Archdiocese, cited phone calls and emails expressing concern about the work, which includes pieces like "Madonna and Child (Tomatokos)" depicting Mary as a Campbell's soup housewife and "The Visitation" reimagining Mary and Elizabeth in a cigarette ad. Within a day, the exhibition found a new venue at the Mary Chapel of St. Francis Xavier Church, organized in partnership with Xavier High School, where Leeper teaches.