Kim Gordon Nixes Noise Show, Lucien Smith and Jens Hoffmann Mount Comebacks, and More Juicy Art-World Gossip

Kim Gordon canceled her noise show at Lonti Ebers's Amant nonprofit in East Williamsburg at the last minute due to illness, leaving her Body/Head bandmate Bill Nace to improvise with Aaron Dilloway. The concert marked the closing of 'Folded Group,' a group exhibition curated by Gordon and Nace, and featured opening sets by MV Carbon and Jeff Hartford, with audio bleeding into Amant's upscale restaurant Zoli.

Celia Paul, Edward Hopper, Saif Azzuz

Pace Gallery has cut 50 artists from its roster and laid off 50 staff members, with CEO Marc Glimcher calling it a "model correction" for the gallery business. This comes shortly after the gallery opened a $100 million flagship in Manhattan's Chelsea neighborhood. In other news, Marjane Satrapi has died at 56, over 100 participants threaten legal action against the Venice Biennale over award withdrawals, and Lucian Freud's painting "Sleeping by the Lion Carpet" could fetch up to $47 million at Sotheby's. The newsletter also highlights an opinion piece by Laura Raicovich arguing for reintegrating art with everyday life, and mentions exhibitions featuring Saif Azzuz, Ali Eyal, Edward Hopper, and Celia Paul.

Comment | Farewell, Los Angeles’s ‘punk’ Box gallery

Mara McCarthy, founder of the Box gallery in Los Angeles, announced the closure of the boundary-pushing commercial space on April 24 after 19 years. The gallery, which opened in 2007 in LA's Chinatown and later moved to the Arts District in 2012, was known for spotlighting under-recognized post-war and contemporary artists, including performance pioneers Barbara T. Smith and Simone Forti, moving-image artist Stan Vanderbeek, and political artist Wally Hedrick. McCarthy described the gallery as a "punk version" of New York spaces, grounded in humanity and community. The closure was driven by declining sales of her father Paul McCarthy's work, collectors turning away from experimental art during the pandemic, and the devastating Eaton Fire in 2025 that destroyed Mara's home and her parents' home in Altadena.

Art Movements: Meet MoMA's New Photo Chief

Makeda Best has been appointed as the new chief curator of Photography at New York's Museum of Modern Art (MoMA), starting in September. She comes from the Oakland Museum of California, where she served as deputy director of curatorial affairs, and previously held the role of photography curator at the Harvard Art Museums. The Asian Cultural Council awarded over $1.6 million in grants to 70 grantees across four fellowship categories. Additionally, Pace Gallery cut 50 artists and laid off 50 workers in what CEO Marc Glimcher called a "model correction," and a painting attributed to a follower of Hieronymus Bosch sold for $537,600 at Sotheby's, more than ten times its high estimate.

Inside Chicago’s Obama Center

The article reports on the upcoming opening of the Obama Presidential Center in Chicago's Jackson Park, a new $850 million campus designed to embody the legacy of Barack and Michelle Obama. It features artworks by Idris Khan, Maya Lin, and others, and is set to open to the public later this month. The piece also covers a planned nationwide strike by Italian cultural workers on June 12, demanding better working conditions and solidarity with Palestine, and notes controversial renderings of a Penn Station redesign that prominently display Trump's name.

We prefer to be better-doers than know-it-alls

"Wir sind lieber Bessermacher als Besserwisser"

German cultural policy official Wolfram Weimer calls the rise of the far-right AfD a 'defining moment' for the republic, urging the democratic center to reclaim cultural symbols like the German flag. In Vienna, the Mumok museum introduces temporary free admission under new director Fatima Hellberg, sparking debate over transparency and anonymous private funding. A new museum called Dataland opens in Los Angeles, dedicated exclusively to AI artist Refik Anadol. Meanwhile, critic Christine Lemke-Matwey in Die Zeit condemns filmmaker Wim Wenders for failing to properly apologize for a nude scene involving a 13-year-old Nastassja Kinski in his 1975 film 'Falsche Bewegung'.

Artists & Mothers Announces 2026 Recipients of Childcare Grants

New York City nonprofit Artists & Mothers has named the 2026 recipients of its $25,000 childcare grant for artists who identify as mothers. The four awardees—Sara Cwynar, Nickola Pottinger, Trisha Baga, and Mimi Ọnụọha—work across photography, sculpture, collage, video, and multimedia installation. The grant covers nine months of childcare for emerging and mid-career artists raising a child under three, and this is the program's third cycle.

Win a Tate membership, Tracey Emin merch and more

The Guardian is running a competition in partnership with Tate to promote the exhibition "Tracey Emin: A Second Life" at Tate Modern. The prize includes a special-edition one-year Tate Membership for the winner and a friend, lunch for two at Tate Modern, a Tracey Emin Teacup and Pancake blanket (worth £200), an exhibition catalogue, a tote bag, and a cap. Entrants must answer a question before 11:59pm on Sunday 5 July 2026, and the competition is open to UK residents aged 18 and over.

Cello belonging to artist John Constable to be played for first time in 100 years

John Constable's personal cello, commissioned by the artist in 1802, will be played in public for the first time in a century after a restoration funded by the Friends of Ipswich Museum. The instrument, made by Constable's neighbor and mentor John Dunthorne Sr., had been unplayable since a botched repair in 1926. Restorers James and Sylvie Fawcett, along with cellist Melanie Woodcock, have revived the cello, which is believed to have been played by Constable in a local band in East Bergholt, Suffolk.

New digital archive reconstructs Leonardo da Vinci manuscripts for the first time in four centuries

A new digital archive called Leonardotheka has launched, reuniting thousands of pages from Leonardo da Vinci's manuscripts that were cut apart and separated over 400 years ago. The project merges the Codex Atlanticus, held at the Veneranda Biblioteca Ambrosiana in Milan, with around 550 sheets from the Royal Collection at Windsor, UK. Overseen by Museo Galileo in Florence over ten years, it includes 50 confirmed page reconstructions, such as reuniting a drawing of a horse with text about the Regisole monument. The initiative involved the Royal Collection Trust, the Veneranda Biblioteca Ambrosiana, and the Biblioteca Leonardiana.

AI cultural companion Artlas expands pilots as founder argues institutions need trusted AI tools

Artlas, an AI-powered cultural companion launched in 2025 by former Google engineer Grace Yao, is expanding its pilot programs at institutions including the Mori Art Museum in Tokyo, Dib Bangkok, and the Institute of Contemporary Art Miami. The platform generates personalized audio guides, artwork recognition, navigation, and conversational tools that adapt to visitors' interests, language, time, and knowledge level, supporting over 20 languages. Since December 2025, it has produced more than 25,000 personalized audio guides, offering tailored interpretations of artworks—such as Georges Seurat's *A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte*—for different audiences, from children to specialists.

Leonardo’s ‘Codex Atlanticus’ Is Complete for the First Time in 400 Years

Florence's Galileo Museum has digitally reunited Leonardo da Vinci's Codex Atlanticus with over 500 pages that were cut from it in the late 16th century, completing the full manuscript for the first time in 400 years. The museum launched Leonardotheka 2.0, adding pages excised by sculptor Pompeo Leoni—now held by the U.K.'s Royal Collection Trust—to the 1,119-page tome owned by Milan's Veneranda Biblioteca Ambrosiana. The reconstruction, which matches dimensions, materials, and watermarks, includes notable reunions such as a drawing of a horse returned to Leonardo's notes on the Regisole monument.

Yemen heritage, US flags at the National Gallery in Washington, Felix Gonzalez-Torres—podcast

This podcast episode from The Art Newspaper covers three distinct topics. First, Ben Luke speaks with reporter Melissa Gronlund about the devastating impact of Yemen's civil war on its heritage, including damaged buildings and looted antiquities, alongside ongoing efforts to protect and restore historical landmarks. Second, the episode previews the exhibition "American Icon: The US Flag in Art" opening at the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., featuring a conversation with chief curatorial and conservation officer E. Carmen Ramos. Third, the Work of the Week segment focuses on Felix Gonzalez-Torres's "Untitled (Revenge)" (1991), a candy sculpture currently on view in the survey show "Felix Gonzalez-Torres: Sweet Revenge" at the Museo Reina Sofía in Madrid, where curators Alejandro Cesarco and Nancy Spector discuss the work.

JR's Caverne: No Reopening Date

Caverne de JR : pas de date de réouverture

The article reports that the reopening date for JR's "Caverne" installation remains undetermined. The piece is part of a broader issue of Le Journal des Arts (n°796, June 1, 2026) that also covers tensions at Venice pavilions, avant-garde scenes in Barcelona, the restored Musée des Augustins, and features on Hilma af Klint, Leonardo Cremonini, and Monet in Le Havre.

Da Vinci’s ‘Codex Atlanticus’ is Brought Back Together With New Online Archive

A new online platform called Leonardotheka launched on Monday, reuniting for the first time in over 400 years two major collections of Leonardo da Vinci's writings and drawings: the Codex Atlanticus, held by the Veneranda Biblioteca Ambrosiana in Milan, and around 550 sheets from the Royal Collection Trust in Windsor Castle. The manuscripts were originally part of the same group created between the mid-1470s and 1519, but were separated shortly after da Vinci's death by sculptor Pompeo Leoni, who divided the folios into empirical and artistic categories. The digital archive, the result of a decade-long collaboration among the Royal Collection Trust, the Veneranda Biblioteca Ambrosiana, and the Biblioteca Leonardiana in Vinci, includes fifty confirmed page reconstructions and digitally restored pages.

French Artists Denounce Centre Pompidou and Hanwha Partnership in Open Letter

More than 100 prominent French artists have signed an open letter demanding the termination of the partnership between the Centre Pompidou and South Korean conglomerate Hanwha Group, which was set to open the new “Centre Pompidou Hanwha” museum in Seoul. The protest stems from Hanwha Group’s ties to the Israel Defense Forces through its affiliate Hanwha Systems, which signed deals with Israeli defense firms Elbit Systems and Elta Systems. The artists accuse the partnership of being an “art-washing” operation that masks profits from armed conflicts linked to the Palestinian genocide, and they criticize the commodification of culture through corporate alliances.

"Man biegt die Röhren wie Makkaroni"

This roundup of art news covers several stories: Sotheby's failed private auction of Jackson Pollock's "Number 19, 1951" from Arne Glimcher's collection; a restitution lawsuit filed in New York for Gustav Klimt's "Fräulein Lieser" against the Austrian owner and auction house im Kinsky; a critical reflection on the purpose of Gallery Weekends amid market pressure; a tribute to the late Hilde Lynn Helphenstein, creator of the Instagram account "Jerry Gogosian"; and a feature on the 100-year anniversary of Marcel Breuer's Wassily Chair and the Bauhaus tubular steel furniture revolution.

Alma Allen Doubles Down on Accusations Against Publicist David Resnicow of Working Against His Venice Biennale Pavilion

Artist Alma Allen has publicly accused veteran art publicist David Resnicow of working against his U.S. Pavilion at the 2026 Venice Biennale. In an Instagram post, Allen claimed that two of three galleries that withdrew their support did so on Resnicow's advice, and that Resnicow warned arts writers, museum directors, funders, and curators not to support the pavilion. Resnicow denied the allegations, calling them "baffling" and stating he never told anyone not to work with Allen. This marks the second time Allen has named Resnicow, following a New York Times article in March.

Louvre Heist Investigation Reaches Belgium

Nearly eight months after four thieves stole eight French crown jewels valued at €88 million from the Louvre, French authorities have traced new leads to Belgium. Investigators discovered photos of the Louvre's Galerie d'Apollon, geographical records, and contacts pointing to Belgium on suspects' cell phones, which also contained evidence from dating sites and call logs. At least 11 suspects have been arrested and five charged, but the jewels remain missing. French investigators are now collaborating with Belgian authorities, though officials have declined to confirm the partnership.

Ines Rotermund-Reynard : « La recherche de provenance des œuvres spoliées pendant la guerre est devenue une urgence »

Ines Rotermund-Reynard, provenance researcher at the Musée d'Orsay, discusses her role investigating the origins of artworks looted during World War II. She explains the category of "MNR" (Musées nationaux récupération) works—some 2,200 pieces recovered from Germany after the war that were never claimed by their rightful owners and remain under the care of French national museums. The museum has opened a permanent gallery titled "À qui appartiennent ces œuvres ?" (Who Do These Works Belong To?) displaying 13 such works, including a disputed fake Cézanne, to share ongoing research with the public.

The Guardian view on the UK’s first centre for illustration: visual literacy, and the sheer joy of images, matter | Editorial

The Guardian editorial announces the opening of the UK's first permanent centre for illustration, the Quentin Blake Centre for Illustration, housed in a repurposed 17th-century waterworks in London's Clerkenwell. The centre is the largest of its kind in the world and is the brainchild of 93-year-old Sir Quentin Blake, who is donating his archive of 40,000 drawings. Inaugural exhibitions include "Queer as Comics," tracing the mainstreaming of once-marginalised voices in illustration, from Tove Jansson's Moomin to Alice Oseman's Heartstopper.

New School Lays Off 15 Percent of Staff and Faculty As It Attemps to Plug $48 M. Deficit

The New School, a New York university, has laid off approximately 15 percent of its staff and faculty, including 19 full-time faculty members (10 of whom were tenured), as part of a major restructuring to address a $48 million annual deficit. The school is consolidating from four colleges to two, discontinuing over a dozen academic programs (including its master's in Arts Management and Entrepreneurship), pausing most doctoral admissions, and offering early retirement or buyout packages. The layoffs were first reported by the Chronicle of Higher Education, and the New School chapter of the American Association of University Professors has called them a "major gutting" and alleged some were politically motivated, a claim denied by Provost Richard Kessler.

The Largest Art Museums in the United States

The article ranks the largest art museums in the United States by gallery space, with the Metropolitan Museum of Art leading at 633,000 square feet, more than double its nearest competitor. It lists the top five: the Met, the Art Institute of Chicago (280,000 sq ft), the National Gallery of Art (271,000 sq ft), MASS MoCA (250,000 sq ft), and the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston (221,000 sq ft), noting recent expansions in cities like Houston and Los Angeles have shifted rankings.

High-End Art Market Not Exclusive Enough For You? Now There’s an Art Show Aboard a 236-Foot Yacht Featuring Marina Abramović and Shirin Neshat

A new hyper-exclusive art experience called the Floating Art Hotel has launched aboard a 236-foot superyacht anchored in Monaco Bay during the Formula 1 Grand Prix. The vessel features a curated exhibition titled "States of Motion" with works by Marina Abramović, Pier Paolo Calzolari, Shirin Neshat, and Tomás Saraceno, alongside 14 private suites for a strictly vetted guest list of collectors and cultural figures. The project, conceived as a "traveling private members' club at sea," will later travel to Miami, Hong Kong, and Abu Dhabi.

Artists Threaten Lawsuit as Venice Biennale Award Crisis Deepens

Nearly 100 artists participating in the 2024 Venice Biennale have threatened legal action after their requests to be removed from consideration for a visitors' choice award were ignored. The artists, including Alfredo Jaar, Zoe Leonard, and Laurie Anderson, expressed shock that their names remained on the ballot despite repeated demands. The award, called the Visitors' Lions Award, was introduced as a last-minute replacement after the Biennale's traditional Golden and Silver Lion Awards were canceled when the jury resigned en masse. The jury stepped down following its decision to disqualify artists from countries accused of crimes against humanity, effectively barring Israel and Russia's pavilions, which led to legal threats from Israel's artist.

More than 100 artists threaten legal action against Venice Biennale

More than 100 artists participating in the Venice Biennale have threatened legal action against the organizers for ignoring their repeated requests to be removed from the visitor-voted Visitors' Lions awards. In a statement posted on e-flux on 3 June, artists from the Biennale's In Minor Keys exhibition and various national pavilions expressed disappointment that the Biennale failed to act on their demands, calling the lack of responsiveness disrespectful and the voting process lacking transparency. The signatories, including Walid Raad, Laurie Anderson, and Pio Abad, said they would begin next steps toward legal action, following a 20 May letter demanding their names be removed and votes disqualified. The Biennale responded on 28 May, stating artists would remain listed to guarantee visitors' freedom of expression but that votes for signatories would not be counted.

Venice Biennale Artists Threaten Legal Action Against Organizers For Disregarding Requests to Be Withdrawn from ‘Visitors’ Lions’ Awards

Over 100 artists are threatening legal action against the Venice Biennale Foundation for ignoring their requests to be removed from consideration for the new "Visitors' Lion" awards. The artists, including prominent figures like Laurie Anderson, Alfredo Jaar, and Lubaina Himid, signed a letter published on e-flux demanding their names be withdrawn from the ballot due to the inclusion of national pavilions by Israel and Russia. The dispute follows the resignation of the original Golden Lion jury, which had refused to consider pavilions of countries charged with crimes against humanity, leading the foundation to replace the prize with an audience-voted award. The artists say the foundation has not officially replied to their demands, and they now seek legal recourse.

Venice Biennale artists to pursue legal actions over their inclusion in the Lions competitions against their wishes

Venice Biennale Faces Legal Action After Including 100+ Artists in Prize Competition Against Their Wishes

Over one hundred artists participating in the 2026 Venice Biennale are threatening legal action unless their names are removed from the ballot for the newly created Visitors’ Lions awards. The awards were established after the entire Golden and Silver Lions jury resigned en masse earlier this spring, citing a refusal to consider artists and pavilions from countries whose leaders have been accused of crimes against humanity by the International Criminal Court. Despite a formal request from 52 artists, collectives, and estates on May 9 to be excluded, Biennale organizers included their names in an email to ticketed visitors inviting them to vote, prompting a broader protest now involving 67 main exhibition participants and 39 national representatives.

Opening of JR's La Caverne du Pont-Neuf, Damaged by Bad Weather, Postponed

L’ouverture de La Caverne du Pont-Neuf de JR, victime des intempéries, est reportée

The opening of JR's monumental installation 'La Caverne du Pont-Neuf' on Paris's oldest bridge, scheduled for June 6, has been postponed after severe weather damaged the inflatable structure on June 2. Strong winds tore sections of the printed polyester canvas covering the 120-meter-long, 20-meter-wide, and 18-meter-high grotto-like artwork, exposing the air bladders that give it volume. No injuries were reported. The project, a tribute to Christo and Jeanne-Claude's 1985 'The Pont Neuf Wrapped,' was to be free and accessible 24/7 until June 28. Technical experts are assessing the damage, and a new opening date will be announced after repairs.