Art News. Vasari Codex

person people schedule May 20, 2026 source 5 sources visibility 8 link 3 artists

Art Basel Qatar Taps Former Mathaf Director Wassan Al-Khudhairi to Shape 2027 Fair

Art Basel has appointed Iraqi curator Wassan Al-Khudhairi as artistic director for the 2027 edition of Art Basel Qatar, succeeding Egyptian artist Wael Shawky who shaped the inaugural edition. The fair will take place January 28–30, 2027, with preview days on January 26–27, at Doha Design District and M7 in Msheireb Downtown Doha. Al-Khudhairi, former founding director of Mathaf: Arab Museum of Modern Art, brings deep ties to Qatar and international curatorial experience from biennials including Gwangju and the Asian Art Biennial.

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person people schedule May 26, 2026 source 2 sources visibility 1 link 2 artists

Ho Tzu Nyen Wins 2026 Fukuoka Grand Prize

Ho Tzu Nyen has been named the 2026 Grand Prize laureate of the Fukuoka Prize, becoming the first Singaporean artist to receive the JPY five million (USD 31,500) award. The prize, announced on May 22 by the Fukuoka Prize Committee, honors individuals who have made significant contributions to Asian studies and arts and culture. Ho, born in 1976 in Singapore, creates films, performances, and video installations that explore Southeast Asian history and the legacy of Japanese imperialism, often blending folklore with reality. He has represented Singapore at the 54th Venice Biennale and participated in major exhibitions including the Shanghai Biennale, Aichi Triennale, and Sharjah Biennial. He co-curated the Asian Art Biennial in Taiwan and is currently artistic director of the 16th Gwangju Biennale.

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person people schedule May 22, 2026 visibility 7 link 4 artists

The Interview: Amar Kanwar

ArtReview interviews Amar Kanwar, a New Delhi-based artist known for films and multimedia installations that blend poetry, activism, and documentary to explore power, conflict, and social justice. Kanwar discusses his career trajectory from documentary filmmaking to occupational health research in a coal mining region, and back to filmmaking on his own terms. His best-known work, *The Sovereign Forest* (2012), addresses government-corporate collusion in Odisha, while his latest, *The Peacock's Graveyard* (2023), is a seven-channel film installation currently paired with *The Torn First Pages* (2004–08) at Palazzo Grassi in Venice under the heading "Co-Travellers." Kanwar has participated in four consecutive editions of Documenta (2002–2017) and was a curator of the 2022 Istanbul Biennial.

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person people schedule May 22, 2026 visibility 9 link 38 artists

Serralves museum director steps down

Philippe Vergne, the French curator who has served as director of the Serralves Museum of Contemporary Art in Porto since 2019, will step down at the end of July 2026 at his own request. The Serralves Foundation announced that Vergne will continue contributing to exhibition curation until his departure, and the search for a new director will begin immediately. During his tenure, the museum presented major exhibitions of artists including Alexander Calder, Joan Miró, Cindy Sherman, Mark Bradford, and Maurizio Cattelan, and expanded its space with the Álvaro Siza Wing.

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person people schedule May 21, 2026 visibility 8 link 8 artists, 1 gallery

Maddy Inez’s Mystic Ceramics Tell the Hidden Stories of Ancestral Plants

Ceramist Maddy Inez, daughter of artist Alison Saar and granddaughter of assemblage pioneer Betye Saar, creates hand-built biomorphic ceramic sculptures inspired by mysticism and ancestral knowledge. Her works have recently grown in scale, reflecting a deepening exploration of hidden stories tied to ancestral plants.

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person people schedule May 25, 2026 visibility 4 link 7 artists

“A Milano Fondazione Elpis sarà luogo di sorpresa e di comunità”. Intervista alla nuova direttrice Marcella Ferrari

Fondazione Elpis in Milan has appointed Marcella Ferrari as its new director, effective April 2026, marking a new phase for the foundation founded by Marina Nissim in 2020. Ferrari plans to expand the foundation's spaces in Porta Romana with the addition of Villa and Atelier Elpis alongside the existing Lavanderia, creating a constellation of venues for residencies, production, education, and public programs. She emphasizes listening to staff, artists, curators, and the local community, while strengthening international relations and developing projects that connect artistic production with public space and contemporary research.

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person people schedule May 21, 2026 visibility 8 link 3 artists, 1 gallery

Meet the New Boss of the Steven Spielberg-Endorsed Sag Harbor Cinema

Mark Lubell has been appointed as the new executive director of the Sag Harbor Cinema, a historic theater in the Hamptons endorsed by Steven Spielberg. Lubell previously served as executive director of the International Center of Photography (ICP), where he oversaw the opening of its new campus on Ludlow Street in 2020. He brings experience from Magnum Photos and a background in fine art photography, and he aims to foster community connection through the cinema experience.

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person people schedule May 23, 2026 visibility 6 link 1 artist

Ibrahim Mahama, one of today's most influential artists

Ibrahim Mahama, a Ghanaian artist known for his large-scale installations using jute sacks and other materials, is profiled as one of today's most influential artists. The article highlights his rise from Tamale to international prominence, his work addressing themes of labor, migration, and globalization, and his recent projects including the Savannah Centre for Contemporary Art in Ghana.

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person people schedule May 22, 2026 visibility 7 link 16 artists

Photographer Walter Pfeiffer: ‘Everyone else my age is already in an asylum’

Swiss photographer and artist Walter Pfeiffer, now in his late 70s, is the subject of a profile in which he discusses his daily life, his love for Marlene Dietrich, his disdain for rude people, and his habit of wearing the same clothes every day. The article offers an intimate glimpse into his personality and creative philosophy.

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person people schedule May 26, 2026 link 2 artists

Marcos López: art, Latin pop, and Mundo López

Marcos López, a photographer and artist known for his pop and deeply Latin American aesthetic, discusses his evolving practice in an interview with Time Out. Born in Santa Fe and based in Buenos Aires for four decades, López reflects on his career marked by saturated colors, kitsch, humor, and critique, transforming everyday scenes into exaggerated, baroque images. He is set to serve as the guest artist of honor at the Arte Pequeño Formato fair in June, a venue that emphasizes accessible works up to 50 x 50 centimeters.

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person people schedule May 22, 2026 visibility 6 link 1 artist

Paul Noth Named MOWA’s Inaugural Cartoonist Laureate

Paul Noth has been named the inaugural Cartoonist Laureate by the Museum of Wisconsin Art (MOWA) in West Bend, making him Wisconsin's first holder of the title. The appointment, announced ahead of the October 13 publication of his debut cartoon collection *I Am Going to Eat You … and Other Awkward Truths*, comes with a three-year term, a cash award, a solo exhibition at MOWA, and recognition at the Wisconsin State Capitol. Noth, a *New Yorker* cartoonist with over 400 published cartoons, will serve as an ambassador for cartoon art, teaching workshops and promoting comics literacy.

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