The Journal des Arts issue of May 15, 2026, covers multiple art-world stories: the Venice Biennale opening amid controversy, France's final adoption of a law on restitution of colonial-era looted cultural property, the new V&A East museum targeting younger audiences, tensions in Giverny where Monet's legacy does not benefit all, and the structuring of the Nabis art market.
Controversy has erupted at the Kazakhstan pavilion of the Venice Biennale after artist Äsel Kadyrhanova's multimedia installation *Machine* (2013), which addresses Stalin-era repression in Kazakhstan, was dismantled before the exhibition opened. An open letter published on e-flux, signed by prominent Kazakhstani art community members, alleges the work was removed on May 5 on orders from the nation's Ministry of Culture or pavilion organizers. The pavilion's curator, Syrlybek Bekbota, claims he personally made the decision to dismantle the work after negotiations with the artist failed, citing contractual restrictions from the venue, the Museo Storico Navale di Venezia, which prohibits "political, ideological," or "propagandistic" content. The venue's management company, D'Uva, denies any role in the removal, while the project's co-commissioner, Danagul Tolepbay, disputes the accuracy of the open letter's claims.