How JR Transformed Paris’s Oldest Bridge Into a Massive Grotto

French artist JR has transformed Paris's Pont Neuf, the city's oldest bridge, into a massive inflatable grotto titled *La Caverne du Pont Neuf* (2026). The installation measures 120 meters long, 20 meters wide, and up to 18 meters tall, and will be open to the public from June 6 to June 28. It incorporates sound design by Thomas Bangalter of Daft Punk, augmented reality via Snap Inc., and a Bloomberg Connect guide. Over 800 people helped realize the project, which was fabricated from 18,900 square meters of fabric and 20,000 cubic meters of pressurized air by French firm Air Toiles Concept. The work concludes a five-year series of large-scale trompe l'oeil pieces by JR and pays homage to Christo and Jeanne-Claude's *The Pont Neuf Wrapped, Paris* (1975–85), with the blessing of their foundation.

Untitled Art will launch four new prizes at Houston fair's second edition

Untitled Art Houston, returning for its second edition from October 2 to 4 at the George R. Brown Convention Center, has announced four new prizes for exhibitors and artists, bringing the total potential prize value to $113,200. New sponsors include the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center ($20,000 acquisition prize), Public Art of the University of Houston System ($25,000 acquisition prize), Hotel Daphne ($30,000–$50,000 for up to three works), and the Houston Grand Opera ($7,500–$10,000 plus a commission and residency). Two residency prizes from the fair’s debut—PAC Art Residency and Casa Santa Ana Residency—will continue.

Bharti Kher Commissioned by Powerhouse Parramatta, Australia’s New Cultural Center Opening Later This Year

British-Indian sculptor Bharti Kher has been commissioned to create a monumental sculpture titled 'Tree of Life' for the entrance of Powerhouse Parramatta, a major new cultural center opening later this year in Parramatta, west of Sydney, Australia. The work, made of four stacked bronze and clay heads, is part of Kher's ongoing 'Intermediaries' series, which began in 2016 after she found a collection of broken clay figurines in her Delhi studio. The commission was reported by Art Asia Pacific, and Kher previously installed related public works in Central Park and at Harvard Business School.

Kick off summer with these 10 must-see NYC art exhibitions

A roundup article highlights ten must-see museum and gallery exhibitions in New York City for the summer season. Featured shows include Carol Bove's interactive installation at the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, a dual exhibition of Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera at MoMA, Sarah Lucas's public sculpture "VENUS VICTORIA" at the New Museum, and Andreas Schulze's "Cake" at Sprüth Magers Gallery New York. Other notable exhibitions include "Revolutionary Women" at The New York Historical and "Another Wonderland" at the Museum of the City of New York, which presents a restored 1930s Alice in Wonderland mural.

Billie Holiday Comes to Queens

A shortlist of artists including Thomas J Price and Tavares Strachan is competing to design a new public monument honoring jazz legend Billie Holiday in Queens, New York. The New York City Department of Cultural Affairs has revealed six commission proposals for the project, which aims to celebrate Holiday's groundbreaking legacy as a vocalist and cultural icon. Separately, the Museum of the City of New York is opening the Puffin Foundation Center for Social Activism, dedicated to civic engagement and social justice.

Opinion: In galleries across Canada, too much art is being hidden away

Don LePan, a novelist, book publisher, and painter, argues that public art galleries across Canada are failing to display their permanent collections, using the MacKenzie Art Gallery in Regina as a prime example. During a visit in early March, LePan found that none of the gallery's extensive permanent collection—which includes works by Group of Seven artists, European masters like Picasso and Gauguin, and modernists such as Agnes Martin—was on view. Instead, the entire exhibition space was devoted to three special shows: a photographic and conceptual art exhibition by Plains Cree artist Joi T. Arcand, a selection of works by 2025 Governor General’s Awards in Visual and Media Arts recipients, and an Indigenous art exhibition. LePan praises these exhibits but criticizes the gallery's decision to completely exclude its permanent collection.

JR: 'Reflecting on the cave is to look at our deep humanity, our origins, art in general'

JR : « Réfléchir à la caverne, c’est se pencher sur notre humanité profonde, sur nos origines, sur l’art en général »

French artist JR is transforming the Pont-Neuf in Paris into a giant inflatable cave structure, titled "La Caverne du Pont-Neuf," set to debut on May 23, 2026. The project, conceived with producer Vladimir Yavachev, pays homage to Christo and Jeanne-Claude's 1985 wrapped Pont-Neuf, using inflatable techniques inspired by Christo's unrealized designs. JR's team built a prototype in a hangar at Orly, and the work involves complex permissions from the French president, the Paris mayor, and local authorities.

Fairfield University Art Museum invites readers to private tour

Fairfield University Art Museum is offering an exclusive private tour to readers, as reported by the Westport Journal. The event provides a behind-the-scenes look at the museum's collections and exhibitions, allowing attendees to engage directly with curators and artworks in an intimate setting.

Get a taste of the beautiful game through art at exhibits across LA

The article highlights several art exhibitions and installations across Los Angeles that celebrate soccer and sports culture in anticipation of the World Cup. Featured works include Lyndon J. Barrois Sr.'s "Fútbol is Life" at LACMA, featuring miniature sculptures made from chewing gum wrappers depicting historic soccer moments; Pelle Cass's "Play!" at Union Station's Metro Art Passageway Gallery, showing densely layered timelapse photographs of athletes; and Mark Dean Veca's mural "Miracle of La Brea" at the new Wilshire/La Brea Metro Station, which traces the history of the Miracle Mile. The piece also notes the recent opening of the David Geffen Galleries at LACMA and upcoming museums like Refik Anadol's Dataland and the Lucas Museum of Narrative Art.

Check out these art exhibits on display in Boulder, Longmont

A comprehensive roundup lists dozens of art exhibitions currently on view in Boulder, Longmont, and Lafayette, Colorado, spanning venues from commercial galleries and nonprofit art centers to libraries and museums. Featured shows include "Tres Voces, Un Corazón" at the Boulder Museum of Contemporary Art, featuring three members of one family—Sylvia Montero, Tony Ortega, and Cipriano Ortega; "We Choose Earth" by Jorge Vinent at Ana’s Art Gallery; and "Black Futures in Art – Genome Speaks What Erasure Cannot Silence" at the Collective Community Arts Center. Other highlights include "Threaded Narratives" by the Colorado South Asian Artist Group, "Unfinished" by Lewis TallBull at the Dairy Arts Center, and "Boulder Eats! Traditions Along the Front Range" at the Museum of Boulder.

VARINIA BRODSKY ZIMMERMANN: “ENTIENDO AL MUSEO COMO UN CAMPO DE REVERBERACIÓN”

Varinia Brodsky Zimmermann, director of the Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes de Chile, is interviewed as part of a series on contemporary museums in Latin America. She describes the museum as a "field of reverberation" that amplifies social, cultural, and political questions without reacting mechanically to demands. The conversation covers structural challenges facing public museums in Chile, including budget precarity and suspended exhibition projects, and Brodsky advocates for more permeable, horizontal, and sustainable institutions that maintain critical depth while engaging diverse communities.

From a waterfall cube to a field of mushrooms: Vivid Sydney 2026 – in pictures

Vivid Sydney 2026 has launched, transforming the city with bold light installations, projections, and digital art. The festival features a 6.5km light walk from Barangaroo to Darling Harbour, along with live music, panel discussions, and pop-up dining. Highlights include works like 'Vaiola' by Sāmoan/Australian artist Angela Tiatia, projected onto the Museum of Contemporary Art. The event runs until 13 June.

Final proposals for Billie Holiday monument in New York City revealed

The New York City Department of Cultural Affairs has selected six finalist proposals for a monument to jazz singer Billie Holiday in Queens, where she once lived and performed. The finalists—all Black artists from around the world—include Tavares Strachan, La Vaughn Belle, Tanda Francis, Nikesha Breeze, Thomas J Price, and Nekisha Durrett. Their designs range from realistic to abstract, with some focusing on Holiday's expressive face, her signature gardenia, or symbolic forms. The winning project will be announced this summer and installed near the Jamaica Performing Arts Center (JPAC).

For the Obama Center, Mark Bradford Paints a Fierce and Luminous Chicago

Mark Bradford has completed "City of the Big Shoulders," a monumental painting for the Obama Presidential Center in Chicago. The work, which took five years to create, maps migration patterns and structural racism, reflecting the city's strength and complexity through Bradford's signature abstract, layered style.

Thomas J. Price and Tavares Strachan Make Shortlist for Billie Holiday Monument Designs

The New York City Department of Cultural Affairs has announced a shortlist of six finalists for a public monument honoring jazz singer Billie Holiday, to be installed outside the Jamaica Performing Arts Center in Queens. Among the top contenders are British sculptor Thomas J. Price and Bahamian conceptual artist Tavares Strachan, whose proposals include abstract bronze forms and a mirrored column, respectively. Other finalists are La Vaughn Belle, Nikesha Breeze, Nekisha Durrett, and Tanda Francis, all of whom consulted with Holiday scholars and family members to develop their designs.

Newcastle Art Gallery unveils three new exhibitions

Newcastle Art Gallery in New South Wales, Australia, will open three new exhibitions on May 23, 2026, following its major expansion and reopening in February. The shows include the largest solo exhibition to date by Torres Strait Islander artist Brian Robinson, titled "Multiverse"; the first institutional solo show by Tiyan Baker, "Mouth Mnemonica"; and "The Mordant Family Gift," featuring 25 works donated by philanthropists Simon Mordant AO and Catriona Mordant AM. The gallery has already attracted over 80,000 visitors, surpassing its previous annual record.

A burned Altadena lot becomes an art exhibit, sourced from remnants and sounds of Eaton fire

Artist Kelly Akashi, whose Altadena home and studio were destroyed in the January 2025 Eaton fire, has transformed the burned lot at 2650 Highview Ave. into a two-day art exhibition titled "Field Set," held May 23–24, 2026. The exhibit features Akashi's sculptural works made from fire remnants and a sound installation by collaborator Phil Peters, who used custom microphones to record the ongoing demolition and rebuilding sounds. Visitors were invited to sit on speakers and feel the low-frequency vibrations, creating an immersive experience that blends art with the physical memory of the disaster.

The Kiran Nadar Museum of Art and Christie's Unveil 'The Meeting Ground: Scenes from the KNMA Collection' - Christie's

The Kiran Nadar Museum of Art (KNMA) in New Delhi and Christie's London have announced a major institutional exhibition titled 'The Meeting Ground: Scenes from the KNMA Collection,' running from 16 July to 21 August 2026 at Christie's King Street. The show brings together modern and contemporary works alongside folk and indigenous art from South Asia, curated by Akansha Rastogi with a team of curators. It features artists such as M.F. Husain, S.H. Raza, Zarina Hashmi, and Jangarh Singh Shyam, and is part of KNMA's ongoing international programme.

Christie's presents SLG Forever a special selling exhibition in partnership with the South London Gallery raising vital funds in its 135th anniversary - Christie's

Christie's is partnering with the South London Gallery (SLG) for a special selling exhibition titled 'SLG Forever,' running at Christie's London from 5 to 25 June 2026 and online until 30 September. Over 25 renowned artists—including Firelei Báez, Tracey Emin, Frank Bowling, Antony Gormley, and Yinka Shonibare—have donated works to raise funds for the SLG's 135th anniversary campaign, which aims to collect £2 million. The exhibition coincides with London Gallery Weekend and features artists with strong ties to the SLG, many of whom have had solo shows or studios nearby.

Isamu Noguchi was never a designer, affirms High Museum of Art, Atlanta

The High Museum of Art in Atlanta presents "Isamu Noguchi: 'I am not a designer'," the first design retrospective of the Japanese-American sculptor in 25 years. Co-curated by Monica Obniski and Marin R. Sullivan, the exhibition features nearly 200 objects, including sculptural models, furniture for Herman Miller and Knoll, Akari light fixtures, and large-scale installations like Martha Graham's stage set for "Seraphic Dialogue" (1955). The show challenges Noguchi's own resistance to categorization by framing his multidisciplinary practice—spanning sculpture, design, architecture, and public art—through a design lens.

“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.

Who Should Design NYC’s New Billie Holiday Monument?

The New York City Department of Cultural Affairs (DCLA) has revealed six commission proposals for a monument honoring legendary jazz vocalist Billie Holiday, to be installed outside the Jamaica Performing Arts Center in Queens through the Percent for the Art program. The artists in the running are Thomas J Price, Tanda Francis, Nekisha Durrett, La Vaughn Belle, Tavares Strachan, and Nikesha Breeze, and the public is invited to share input on the conceptual designs before the final selection. The monument emerged from the 2018 She Built NYC initiative, which aimed to address the lack of historical monuments dedicated to influential women in the city, and was revitalized in 2024 after delays caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

MANUEL SEGADE: “PRESERVAR LA COMPLEJIDAD DEL MUNDO ES UNA DE LAS TAREAS FUNDAMENTALES DEL MUSEO”

Manuel Segade, director of the Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofía, is interviewed as part of a series for International Museum Day. He discusses the museum's role as a space historically tied to critique, conflict, and negotiation with tradition, emphasizing the need to preserve the world's complexity. Segade advocates for institutions that can speak on multiple levels, from introductory lectures to para-academic research, and stresses transforming internal structures toward more horizontal and interdependent models.

Bharti Kher Commissioned by Powerhouse Parramatta for Major Public Artwork

British Indian artist Bharti Kher has been commissioned by Powerhouse Parramatta to create a large-scale public artwork for the museum, which is set to open later this year in Parramatta, Western Sydney. Titled *Tree of Life*, the seven-meter-tall bronze sculpture features four stacked heads and incorporates clay fragments from figurines found in Indian secondhand markets, drawing on themes of ancestral memory, interconnectedness, and community.

Giant inflatable artworks have taken over The Hague

A monthlong open-air exhibition called BlowUp Jubilee has taken over The Hague, featuring 24 giant inflatable artworks installed in parks, on buildings, and even in a train station. Highlights include a 7-meter-tall stew pot floating in front of the Mauritshuis museum, home to "Girl with a Pearl Earring," and works by artists such as Eugenie Boon, who created a piece inspired by Curaçaoan culture, and British artist Steve Messam, whose red spiked sculpture Crested sits atop a parking garage entrance. The exhibition is curated by Mary Hessing and runs until June 21.

From soccer opera to British pubs, here are thrilling ways to celebrate World Cup

The article lists various ways to celebrate the 2026 FIFA World Cup in Tarrant County, Texas, including watch parties at sports bars like The Londoner and Malone's Pub, outdoor screenings at Sundance Square, and themed events at hotels and backyards. It also highlights several art-related activities, such as the "More Than a Match" exhibition at the Arlington Museum of Art featuring World Cup memorabilia and contemporary art, a painting by Jess Collins at the Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth, and a "Summer of Soccer" installation of painted soccer balls by local artists in downtown Fort Worth.

Take a Sneak Peek at Nick Cave and Marie Watt’s Obama Presidential Center Commission

Nick Cave and Marie Watt have collaborated on a multimedia textile installation commissioned for the Obama Presidential Center in Chicago's Jackson Park, set to open on Juneteenth. The piece, assembled in February, will be installed in the Center's lobby alongside works by Jenny Holzer, Jack Pierson, Kiki Smith, and Idris Khan. Virginia Shore, an independent advisor and curator, spearheaded the commissions, and Louise Bernard serves as the founding director of the Center's museum.

JR transforms the Pont-Neuf into an immense immersive cave

JR métamorphose le Pont-Neuf en immense caverne immersive

French artist JR has transformed the Pont-Neuf in Paris into a massive immersive cave installation titled "La Caverne du Pont-Neuf," unveiled in May 2026. The work pays homage to Christo and Jeanne-Claude's 1985 wrapping of the same bridge, using an inflatable double-wall structure covered with printed fabric to simulate rock formations and a prehistoric cave. The 120-meter-long installation is free and open to the public day and night, featuring augmented reality experiences via mobile devices and VR glasses, with a soundscape by a former Daft Punk member. The project, budgeted at €10.9 million funded by private sources, marks the first time JR has invited the public inside one of his works.

Meet the artists behind the women’s Western art exhibition at Southwest Art Gallery and Science Center

The Southwest Art Gallery and Science Center in Dickinson, North Dakota, hosted a public artist reception on May 14 for its women’s Western art exhibition, featuring regional female artists whose work depicts the landscapes, wildlife, and culture of the Northern Plains and American West. The exhibition includes paintings, sculptures, and mixed-media works centered on ranching, farming, and rural life, and will remain on display through June 12. Featured artists include Daphne Clark, Afton Ray Rossol, Barb Kalenze Kraft, Oksana Zvyagelskiy, Trish Stevenson, and Kelsey Jacobson, each sharing personal stories of how art became a creative outlet and source of healing.

Eight London Underground Restrooms Get Vibrant Refurbs with Illustrated Tiles

Eight London Underground stations in the City of Westminster are receiving restroom upgrades designed by Hugh Broughton Architects, featuring illustrated tiles by artist James Lambert. The refurbishments, which began in February 2025, cover locations including Victoria Embankment, Parliament Street, Piccadilly Circus, Green Park, Carnaby Street, Westminster Pier, Covent Garden, and Leicester Square. The tiles incorporate historical motifs and iconography unique to each site, such as the King's Guards and George John Vulliamy's sphinxes guarding Cleopatra's Needle.