‘I am very decisive’: designer Jennifer Gilbert on what she collects and why

Designer, entrepreneur, and philanthropist Jennifer Gilbert, based in Detroit, is selling select works from her contemporary art and design collections at Sotheby's in New York this spring to fund the opening of her own cultural space, Lumana, in Detroit's Little Village neighborhood. Highlights include Joan Mitchell's 1976 canvas *Loom II* (est. $5m-$7m) and Kenneth Noland's 1958 *Circle* (est. $4m-$6m), with proceeds supporting new generations of artists and institutions. Gilbert, who serves on the boards of Cranbrook Academy of Art and BasBlue, recently featured works from her collection in the exhibition *Seen/Scene* at the Shepherd art space.

Who Went to Venice Last Week? Jenny Saville, Glenn Lowry, Jewel, and Many Other Power Players

Artnet News reporter Katya Kazakina recounts her experience at the opening week of the 61st Venice Biennale, describing a whirlwind of art, parties, and chance encounters. Notable figures spotted include former MoMA director Glenn Lowry, singer-songwriter Jewel (who debuted her visual art show "Matriclysm: An Archaeology of Connections Lost"), and Japanese Nintendo heir and collector Banjo Yamauchi. High-profile events included Thaddaeus Ropac gallery's reception for Georg Baselitz's final paintings (priced up to $1.5 million) and François Pinault's annual party at Fondazione Giorgio Cini, attended by Selma Hayek, Lorna Simpson, and JR. The article also highlights the social dynamics of the biennale, where dealers, curators, and collectors network across historic palazzos and hotels.

No Attitude, Nowhere: Conviction, Zero Meaning

Keine Haltung, nirgends Gesinnung, null Bedeutung

The article critiques the current state of the art world and broader culture, arguing that right-wing calls for depoliticized art are intensifying while the progressive art establishment silently tolerates a culture war that restricts free expression. It uses the 2025 Met Gala as a prime example, describing the event as a heartless display of wealth and power aligned with Trump-era capitalism, where celebrities and artists perform progressive values while participating in a spectacle sponsored by anti-union figures like Jeff Bezos. The author draws on Hannah Arendt's ethics lectures to suggest that moral norms have collapsed overnight, and that the commercial art world now legitimizes anti-democratic tendencies through its silence.

Seoul’s new Centre Pompidou Hanwha museum opens next month—can it live up to expectations?

Seoul's new Centre Pompidou Hanwha museum will open to the public on June 4, 2025, marking the Pompidou's second Asian branch after its collaboration with Shanghai's West Bund Museum. The four-year partnership between the Hanwha Foundation of Culture and the Centre Pompidou will feature two exhibitions per year from the Pompidou collection, starting with "The Cubists: Inventing Modern Vision." The museum occupies 11,000 square meters over four floors of Hanwha Group's 63 Building, with one gallery dedicated to early 20th-century European art and another to global contemporary art with a Korean focus, curated in-house. The inaugural Korea Focus section includes local artists such as Kim Whanki and Yoo Youngkuk.

Art Dubai’s 20th edition rallies its local art community amid regional tensions.

Art Dubai, the UAE's premier art fair, opened its 20th edition as a scaled-down "Special Edition" from May 14–17 at Madinat Jumeirah, after being postponed due to the Iran–Israel war. For the first time, entry was free, and the lineup was pared to 50 galleries, most from the region, including Abu Dhabi, Beirut, Jeddah, Ramallah, and Dubai.

Think you have strong opinions about the 2026 Archibald prize? Check out the portraits that didn’t make the cut | Dee Jefferson

The article explores the annual ritual of the Archibald Prize, Australia's most famous portrait competition, through the lens of the 2026 edition. The author, Dee Jefferson, describes the predictable cycle of public enthusiasm, critical disdain, and media coverage that surrounds the prize, noting recurring trends like brown suits, oversized heads, and the dominance of male artists painting male subjects. The piece highlights specific works in this year's exhibition, including a portrait of musician Keli Holiday by Sindy Sinn that the author finds disorienting, and contrasts the main exhibition with the Salon des Refusés, the showcase of rejected entries, which includes a provocative portrait of Patricia Piccinini by Wendy Sharpe featuring exaggerated anatomy.

The Broad Los Angeles: Inside the Museum’s Quiet Pull

The Broad in Los Angeles offers visitors a polished yet intimate contemporary art experience, housed in a distinctive honeycomb-like building on Grand Avenue designed by Diller Scofidio + Renfro with Gensler. Opened in 2015, the museum displays the postwar and contemporary art collection assembled by philanthropists Eli and Edythe Broad, featuring free general admission and a tightly edited selection of works that makes it approachable for first-time museumgoers. The museum is a key anchor in downtown LA's Grand Avenue arts corridor, alongside Walt Disney Concert Hall.

‘America’s Mona Lisa’: how chance, genius and cheap paint made the masterpiece Whistler’s Mother

James Abbott McNeill Whistler's iconic painting of his mother, Anna, known as 'Whistler’s Mother' or 'Arrangement in Grey and Black No 1', is returning to London for the first time in nearly two generations as part of a Tate Britain exhibition. The article recounts how the portrait was painted in 1871 in Whistler's Chelsea studio during a low point in his career, using cheap paint and a used canvas after a young sitter canceled. The author, who restored the painting for the Musée d'Orsay, details the work's accidental genesis, Whistler's radical minimalist aesthetic, and the initial critical confusion it caused.

Un’isoletta tutta dedicata all’arte nel mezzo della Laguna di Venezia. Va avanti il progetto della Fondazione Sandretto Re Rebaudengo sull’Isola di San Giacomo

The Fondazione Sandretto Re Rebaudengo has opened a new art space on the island of San Giacomo in the northern Venetian lagoon, acquired in 2018 by Patrizia Sandretto Re Rebaudengo and Agostino Re Rebaudengo. The island, previously abandoned, has been transformed into a laboratory for art and sustainability, with a gradual opening plan that initially aligns with the Venice Biennale. The inaugural program launched on May 7, 2026, includes a solo exhibition by Matt Copson curated by Hans Ulrich Obrist, a group show titled 'Don’t have hope, be hope!', and a photographic documentation of the restoration process by Giovanna Silva and Antonio Fortugno.

art venice faustin linyekula the galeazze project dance

Congolese choreographer Faustin Linyekula is staging "The Galeazze Project," a performance commissioned by the Venice-based nonprofit Scuola Piccola Zattere (SPZ) in the 16th-century Galeazze shipyard complex, which has been inaccessible since World War II and never open to the public. The performance, a collateral event of the 2026 Venice Biennale, brings up to 500 people into the 32,291-square-foot open-air ruin for two nights, featuring local students, musicians from the Venetian label Cosmogram, and trumpeter Heru Shabaka-Ra, with a soundtrack composed collaboratively.

Chanel Expands Support for Centre Pompidou Amid $535 Million Renovation

Chanel has announced a new five-year partnership with the Centre Pompidou in Paris, expanding its support for the museum during its landmark €460 million ($535 million) renovation. The fashion house, which has backed the Pompidou since 2019, will help preserve access to modern and contemporary art while the museum is closed to the public until its scheduled reopening in 2030. This follows a separate three-year deal in 2025 to grow the museum's collection of contemporary Chinese art by 30 percent, with a focus on women artists, and a 2024 acquisition of 21 works by 15 Chinese artists tied to an exhibition co-organized with Shanghai's West Bund Museum.

Let’s dress like a Mark Rothko! How gen Z fell for the king of colour field paintings

Mark Rothko, the abstract expressionist known for his color field paintings, is experiencing a cultural resurgence among Generation Z on social media platforms like TikTok and Instagram. Videos inspired by his work amass hundreds of thousands of views, with creators styling outfits based on his canvases, assigning his paintings to personality archetypes, and comparing his palettes to dream pop bands like the Cocteau Twins. The Rothko Chapel in Houston, Texas, has also seen a wave of curious young visitors drawn to the meditative, confrontational experience of his art.

Major Greek contemporary art non-profit Neon to close after 14 years

Neon, a major Greek contemporary art non-profit founded by businessman and patron Dimitris Daskalopoulos, is closing after 14 years, stating it has fulfilled its cultural and social mission. Between 2012 and 2026, the organization presented 44 exhibitions across museums, historical sites, and public spaces, commissioning 105 works by Greek and international artists. Notable projects include donating Antony Gormley's sculpture 'RULE II' (2019) to the island of Delos—the first contemporary work permanently installed at an ancient site—and funding the €1.4m renovation of the Lenorman Street Tobacco Factory in Athens into a cultural center. Neon will present its final exhibition, the third installment of 'Michael Rakowitz & Ancient Cultures,' later this year at the Old Acropolis Museum.

The Best Art Exhibitions to See in Miami in May

The article lists the best art exhibitions opening in Miami in May, including group shows at Voloshyn Gallery featuring musicians Brian Eno and Malibu, solo debuts at ICA Miami for Manoucher Yektai and Manuel Chavajay, a survey of Afro-Cuban art at Lowe Art Museum, a photography show at Dale Zine by Juanita Richards, and a landscape exhibition at NSU Art Museum Fort Lauderdale. Other highlights include a World Cup-themed video installation at The Bass and Japanese woodblock prints at the Morikami.

UAE art guide: 11 museum and gallery exhibitions to see, from Picasso to the Baghdad Modern Art Group

The article presents a guide to 11 current museum and gallery exhibitions across the UAE, following the conclusion of Art Dubai 2026. Highlights include "Picasso, The Figure" at Louvre Abu Dhabi, which examines Pablo Picasso's reinvention of the human body through works from the Musée National Picasso–Paris; "From the Perspective of Language" at The Third Line, featuring Sara Naim's paintings and video work; and "Move, pause, return" at Gallery Isabelle, marking its 20th anniversary with daily unveilings by artists including Hassan Sharif and Mohammed Kazem. Other notable shows include "Reflections: Modern and Contemporary Art from the Villain Collection" at Bassam Freiha Art Foundation.

The Frist Art Museum opens new exhibitions this summer

The Frist Art Museum in Nashville is opening three new exhibitions this summer. 'International Surrealism from Tate: Fifty Years of Dreams' (May 22–Aug. 30) features surrealist works from the Tate collection, including pieces by Salvador Dalí, René Magritte, and Joan Miró, marking 100 years since the first surrealist exhibition in Paris. 'Anila Quayyum Agha: Interwoven' (May 22–Aug. 30) is a mid-career retrospective of the Pakistani American artist's immersive light installations and beaded drawings. 'An Indigenous Present' (June 26–Sept. 27) showcases works by fifteen Indigenous artists, curated by artist Jeffrey Gibson and curator Jenelle Porter.

Is the US about to be humiliated on the world’s most prestigious cultural stage?

More than 70 prominent international artists have signed an open letter demanding the exclusion of the United States, Israel, and Russia from the 2026 Venice Biennale, accusing those governments of committing war crimes and atrocities. The controversy centers on the US pavilion, which will feature Mexico-based American artist Alma Allen, whose abstract, anodyne sculptures were chosen by a last-minute commissioner with no art-world experience—a luxury pet food store owner from Florida who reportedly gained the role through connections at Mar-a-Lago. The Biennale's five-person jury has already resigned amid the furor, and Russia is returning to the event for the first time since its 2022 invasion of Ukraine.

Ancient Gaza artefacts meet contemporary Palestinian stories in Turin exhibition

A new exhibition in Turin, Italy, titled "Gaza, The Future Has an Ancient Heart," brings together over 80 ancient artefacts from Palestine with contemporary works by Levantine artists. Organized by Fondazione Merz in collaboration with the Egizio archaeology museum and the MAH – Museum of Art and History Geneva, the show features objects dating from the Bronze Age to the Ottoman period, originally intended for a museum in Palestine but held in Geneva since 2007 due to conflict. Contemporary artists including Mirna Bamieh, Samaa Emad, Khalil Rabah, Vivien Sansour, Wael Shawky, Dima Srouji, and Akram Zaatari contribute works that explore archaeology, history, and memory, with Emad's "Genocide Kitchen" documenting recipes created amid war and shortages in Gaza.

Free tickets now available for temporary exhibition at Bellevue Palace

Ab sofort kostenlose Karten für temporäre Schau im Schloss Bellevue

Berlin's Bellevue Palace, the official residence of German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier, will transform into a pop-up gallery for two weeks from June 13 to 28. Free timed-entry tickets become available from 3:00 PM on the website of the Akademie der Künste. The exhibition will feature works by artists including Katharina Grosse, Wolfgang Tillmans, and Monica Bonvicini, displayed in rooms emptied ahead of a multi-year renovation.

Schloss Bellevue wird temporär Ausstellungshaus

Schloss Bellevue, the official residence of German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier in Berlin, will be transformed into a temporary pop-up gallery for two weeks from June 13 to 28, before undergoing a major renovation expected to last around eight years. The exhibition, organized in cooperation with the Akademie der Künste, will feature works by artists including Katharina Grosse, Wolfgang Tillmans, and Monica Bonvicini, taking advantage of the emptied rooms ahead of the president's move-out before the summer break. Free timed-entry tickets will be available from May 18 via the Akademie's website.

On Île Seguin, the new art center Large unveils its spectacular building and a first exhibition focused on Renault's history

Sur l’île Seguin, le nouveau centre d’art Large dévoile son bâtiment spectaculaire et une première expo tournée vers l’histoire de Renault

On Île Seguin, the new contemporary art center Large unveiled its spectacular building designed by Catalan firm RCR Arquitectes during a press preview on May 21. The center, backed by real estate developer Emerige and its president Laurent Dumas, will open to the public on October 17. Its inaugural exhibition, curated by Cecilia Alemani, explores the history of the automobile and the island's industrial past as the site of Renault factories from 1929 to 1992, featuring works by 55 contemporary artists including Julio Le Parc, Nina Beier, Thomas Bayrle, Mohamed El Khatib, and Giulia Andreani.

« À qui appartiennent ces œuvres ? » : le destin des biens culturels spoliés par les nazis au cœur d’un nouvel espace au musée d’Orsay

On May 5, the Musée d'Orsay in Paris inaugurated a new dedicated space in the Pavillon Amont for artworks looted during World War II that remain unclaimed by their owners or heirs. The room, titled "À qui appartiennent ces œuvres ?" ("Who owns these works?"), features thirteen pieces including sculptures by Auguste Rodin and paintings by Auguste Renoir, Edgar Degas, and Eugène Boudin. These represent a fraction of the museum's 225 MNR (Musées nationaux récupération) holdings, part of a national legacy of approximately 2,000 looted works still held in French museums.

The invisible worlds of Hilma af Klint, pioneer of abstraction, finally revealed at the Grand Palais

Les mondes invisibles d’Hilma af Klint, pionnière de l’abstraction, enfin révélés au Grand Palais

The article reveals the long-overlooked story of Hilma af Klint (1862–1944), the Swedish artist who created abstract paintings years before Kandinsky, Mondrian, and Malevich, yet kept her work secret until 20 years after her death. Her monumental output—1,600 abstract paintings and 124 notebooks—was first publicly shown in 1986 at the Los Angeles exhibition 'The Spiritual in Art, Abstract Painting, 1890–1985'. A 2019 retrospective at the Guggenheim Museum in New York drew 600,000 visitors, a museum record. Now, the Grand Palais in Paris presents the first-ever French exhibition of her work, focusing on her 'Paintings for the Temple' cycle (1906–1915), a series of 193 works that synthesize her spiritual quest.

Orsay inaugure une salle destinée aux œuvres « MNR »

The Musée d'Orsay in Paris has opened a new dedicated gallery, Room 10b, to display works from its MNR (Musées nationaux Récupération) collection—artworks looted or acquired under dubious circumstances during the Nazi era. The room features detailed labels and educational texts, with some works shown verso to reveal provenance labels. The initiative is funded by the American Friends of the Musée d'Orsay and the Musée de l'Orangerie with €1 million over four years, and includes a fake Monet, a Degas subject to a restitution claim, a Rodin sculpture, and a debated Cézanne. The museum's provenance research team, led by Inès Rotermund-Reynard, collaborates with the French Ministry of Culture's M2RS mission.

A Culture Lover’s Guide to Northwest Arkansas, a Land of Contradictions

This travel guide explores the cultural landscape of Northwest Arkansas, focusing on the upcoming 114,000-square-foot expansion of the Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art in Bentonville, set to open June 6, 2026. The author recounts a road trip from Little Rock to the Ozarks, visiting the Arkansas Museum of Fine Arts (with its new Studio Gang-designed building), dining at Coursey's Smoked Meats, and encountering a white supremacist billboard in Harrison, while also highlighting Thorncrown Chapel by E. Fay Jones as a transcendent architectural stop.

Rio’s Museum of Image and Sound finally opens after 16 years in development

The Museum of Image and Sound (MIS-RJ) on Rio de Janeiro's waterfront opens to the public on May 8 after 16 years of development. The 10,000-sq.-m building, designed by Diller Scofidio + Renfro, features eight floors with panoramic views of Copacabana Beach and a façade honoring Roberto Burle Marx. The project faced multiple delays, funding suspensions, and controversy over urban redevelopment, including backlash when a nightclub on the site was demolished in 2010. Work resumed in 2021, and the $62.5 million museum was completed with public and private funds from donors like Itaú, Vale, and Rede Globo.

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.

“Melting Glaciers, Water Futures from the Alps to the Nile” photo exhibition by Swiss photographer Pierre Jeanneret and Egyptian documentary photographer Roger Anis is a must see - Exhibitions - Al-Ahram Weekly

The article announces a photo exhibition titled "Melting Glaciers, Water Futures from the Alps to the Nile" at the Goethe Institute in Cairo, featuring Swiss photographer Pierre Jeanneret and Egyptian documentary photographer Roger Anis. Jeanneret's work documents the rapid melting of Swiss glaciers and its impacts on hydroelectric dams, tourism, and new landscapes, while Anis explores water, climate, and human resilience along the Nile. The exhibition is part of SABBART, a cultural initiative by EUNIC Cluster Egypt focusing on climate and environmental issues, and runs from 17 May to 4 June.

Kevin Troyano Cuturi On Building A Singapore Art Gallery With Global Reach

Kevin Troyano Cuturi, raised on museum visits across Europe and trained in physics and finance, founded Cuturi Gallery in Singapore after co-founding Mazel Gallery in 2017. The gallery now operates a Paris outpost in the former Didier Ludot boutique and runs a discoveries platform for emerging artists, a residency program hosting over 20 artists, and has nurtured Singaporean talents like Aisha Rosli and Faris Heizer.

The Broad: Yoko Ono Exhibition Draws Spring Crowds in 2026

As of March 2026, The Broad in Los Angeles is hosting Yoko Ono's first major solo museum show in Southern California, titled 'Music of the Mind.' The exhibition traces Ono's career from her 1950s Fluxus experiments to large-scale conceptual works, featuring interactive installations such as 'Wish Trees for Los Angeles' on the museum's East West Bank Plaza. The show opened on March 5, 2026, and has drawn record crowds to the free museum, which offers timed tickets for entry. The article also highlights other permanent attractions at The Broad, including Yayoi Kusama's Infinity Mirrored Room and galleries dedicated to Cy Twombly and Jeff Koons.