8 Books We’re Looking Forward to in April

ARTnews previews eight notable art and culture books scheduled for release in April 2026. The list includes Ben Lerner's novel "Transcription," a dual biography of artists Peter Hujar and Paul Thek by Andrew Durbin, Luke Goebel's art-world satire "Kill Dick," and an academic study of Alberto Giacometti's 1930s work by Joanna Fiduccia. Also featured are a memoir by curator Hans Ulrich Obrist, a book on Dorothea Tanning, and Julia Langbein's unconventional book about Monica Lewinsky.

art 2026 whitney biennial review artists

The 2026 Whitney Biennial, curated by Marcela Guerrero and Drew Sawyer, features 56 artists and collectives without a unifying theme or title. The review describes the exhibition as intentionally incoherent, reflecting America's current state of irrationality and violence. Notable works include Oswaldo Maciá's scent-based 'Requiem for the Insects', Zach Blas's apocalyptic AI installation, Emilie Louise Gossiaux's sculptures honoring her guide dog, Ash Arder's multimedia works exploring ecology and infrastructure, and Enzo Camacho and Ami Lien's politically charged diorama 'For a Just War Against America'. The show's atmosphere is dominated by clanging percussion, ominous drones, and discordant sounds, with a general tenor of unease.

The Wonderful World that Almost Was by Andrew Durbin review – the queer artists who shaped New York cool

Andrew Durbin's new book, 'The Wonderful World that Almost Was,' is a double biography of painter and sculptor Paul Thek and photographer Peter Hujar. It chronicles their artistic maturation, their open and unapologetic gay relationship, and their central role in defining the 'cool' of the New York creative scene from the 1950s to the mid-1970s, before their deaths from AIDS.

Queer Saints, Big Egos

Queere Heilige, große Egos

Andrew Durbin's new biography examines the intertwined lives of artists Peter Hujar and Paul Thek, focusing on their art, desire, and self-staging. The review notes that while the book covers their creative circles—including figures like David Wojnarowicz, Divine, John Waters, and Susan Sontag—it loses sight of the urgent political and social context that animated their work, particularly the AIDS crisis and Reagan-era repression.