Blockbuster show on ancient Egyptian pharaoh Ramses II opens in London

The blockbuster exhibition "Ramses the Great and the Gold of the Pharaohs" has opened in London near Battersea Power Station, featuring over 180 ancient Egyptian treasures. Produced by Neon Global in collaboration with Egypt’s Supreme Council of Antiquities, the show includes the coffin of Ramses II, animal mummies, and a VR experience. The tour has already visited cities like Paris and Sydney, serving as a major international cultural ambassador for Egypt.

Western Exhibitions’ New Show Maps Cities, Bodies and the Spaces Between

Western Exhibitions in Chicago presents “Spaces for People, Systems for Spaces,” a group exhibition featuring fifteen artists who explore the intersection of architecture, urban infrastructure, and the human body. The show includes diverse approaches to mapping and structural representation, ranging from Kim Beck’s hand-woven asphalt photographs and Courttney Cooper’s massive ink-on-receipt Cincinnati maps to Brian Petrone’s basswood and limestone tectonic sculptures.

Netherlands will return stolen ancient statue—featured at Tefaf art fair in 2022—to Egypt

The Netherlands will return a 3,500-year-old stolen Ancient Egyptian statue to Egypt after it was spotted at the Tefaf Maastricht art fair in 2022 by an eagle-eyed visitor. The stone statue, believed to depict a high official from the dynasty of Pharaoh Thutmose III, was flagged via an anonymous tip, leading the dealer to voluntarily surrender it. An investigation by Dutch police and the Information and Heritage Inspectorate confirmed it was likely plundered unlawfully and illegally exported. The statue will be handed to the Egyptian ambassador in The Hague later this year, in line with the 1970 Unesco convention against trafficking cultural property.

Absa L’Atelier ambassador opens Solo Exhibition in Uganda, challenges hair bias

Absa Group has announced that Eric Joe Gayi, an Absa L’Atelier 2023 Ambassador, will open his solo exhibition *Breaking the Norm* on November 1, 2025, at The Summit Residences in Naguru, Kampala, in collaboration with Amasaka Gallery. The show features intricate ballpoint pen drawings exploring Afro hair as a symbol of identity, resistance, and cultural pride, using blue figures to represent conformity and black figures with honeycomb textures to symbolize authenticity and resilience against Eurocentric beauty standards.

Artist Eric Joe Gayi challenges beauty standards in new exhibition

Ugandan artist Eric Joe Gayi, an Absa L’Atelier 2023 Ambassador, is presenting his solo exhibition "Breaking the Norm" at The Summit Residences in Naguru, in collaboration with Amasaka Gallery. The show features intricate ballpoint pen drawings in blue and black ink, exploring Afro hair as a symbol of identity, resistance, and cultural pride, while challenging colonial and Eurocentric beauty standards. Blue figures represent conformity, while black figures with honeycomb-textured faces symbolize authenticity and resilience.

Participants withdraw from Chicago Architecture Biennial over sponsor’s investment in weapons manufacturer

Nine participants in the Chicago Architecture Biennial (CAB), which opened on September 19, have withdrawn in protest over exhibition sponsor Crown Family Philanthropies' investment in General Dynamics, a military contractor supplying weapons to the Israeli military. A letter signed by 22 individuals, collectives, and firms—nearly half of whom also withdrew—argues that the sponsorship contradicts the biennial's mission of addressing architecture's role in shaping a collective future. The biennial's sixth edition, titled SHIFT: Architecture in Times of Radical Change, is led by artistic director Florencia Rodriguez. Participants had raised concerns last month, and organizers clarified that Crown Family funds support education programming, not the exhibition itself, which the letter calls "even more painful" given the destruction of schools in Gaza.

Artist Flees Thailand After China Exerts Influence on Museum Exhibition

A Myanmar artist, Sai, has fled to the U.K. and is seeking asylum after Chinese officials pressured the Bangkok Art and Culture Centre to censor an exhibition on authoritarianism. The show, titled "Constellation of Complicity: Visualizing the Global Machine of Authoritarian Solidarity," included works by Tibetan, Uyghur, and Hong Kong artists. Following demands from the Chinese embassy, transmitted through Thai authorities, the center removed sensitive artworks, obscured artists' names, and covered flags and references to Tibet, Hong Kong, and Xinjiang. Sai and his wife, who co-curated the exhibition, were allegedly told Thai police were looking for them, though police denied this.

Thai Art Center Censors Exhibition After “Pressure” From China

The Bangkok Art and Culture Center (BACC) censored an exhibition titled 'Constellation of Complicity: Visualising the Global Machinery of Authoritarian Solidarity' after pressure from the Chinese Embassy in Thailand. Works by artists from Hong Kong, Tibet, and the Uyghur diaspora were blacked out or removed to avoid 'diplomatic tensions between Thailand and China.' The curators fled the country after Chinese officials and Thai police visited the museum. Affected artists include Doc Tenzin, Mukaddas Mijit, Clara Cheung, and Gun Cheng Yee Man, whose names were blacked out, along with Tibetan and Uyghur flags and a graphic comparing China to Israel.

52 Artists Selected for Annual Artspace111 Juried Exhibition

Artspace111 in Fort Worth has announced the 52 artists selected for its 2025 Texas Juried Exhibition, the gallery's 12th annual showcase. Texas artist Jon Flaming served as juror, choosing 55 artworks from across the state. The exhibition opens July 26 and runs through August 23, with $15,000 in prizes awarded, including the $10,000 Edmund Craig Memorial Award, which offers a future exhibition opportunity at the gallery.

Italy-based Chinese artist shares cross-cultural art journey in Beijing

The Italian Cultural Institute in Beijing hosted a lecture on May 12, 2026, featuring Zhou Zhiwei, a Chinese painter based in Italy, who shared his four-decade artistic journey. Zhou, born in Shanghai in 1954, studied under renowned oil painters Yu Yunjie and Liu Kemin before entering the Academy of Fine Arts in Venice in 1980, where he learned from masters like Bruno Saetti and Emilio Vedova. He also trained with Pietro Annigoni and Riccardo Tommasi Ferroni, mastering fresco and tempera grassa techniques. The event was chaired by Federico Antonelli, cultural counselor of the Italian Embassy in China, who recalled Zhou's first exhibition at the institute in 1984. Zhou discussed his solo exhibition 'Notes along the Way,' which explores the Mediterranean through an Eastern lens, blending classical Italian painting with Chinese tradition.

A Francis Bacon self-portrait and a Surrealist avian painting: our pick of the March auctions

Major auction houses in London are preparing for a series of high-profile sales in March, featuring significant works by Francis Bacon, René Magritte, and Osman Hamdi Bey. Highlights include a 1972 Bacon self-portrait gifted to his doctor following a studio injury, a rare Magritte "leaf-bird" painting appearing at auction for the first time in 25 years, and a monumental 19th-century work by Turkish artist Osman Hamdi Bey being sold by the Penn Museum.

21c Museum Hotel Louisville hosting public opening for next exhibition

21c Museum Hotel Louisville is hosting a free public opening reception on January 17, 2026, for its new contemporary art exhibition, "Revival: Digging Into Yesterday, Planting Tomorrow." Curated by 21c Museum Director and Chief Curator Alice Gray Stites, the exhibition features 70 works by 47 international artists, including Isaac Julien, Yinka Shonibare, Myrlande Constant, Hew Locke, and Kehinde Wiley. The show explores how examining the past can clarify the present and reimagine the future, with themes of imperial legacies, colonialism, diaspora, and personal memory. It remains on view through December 2026, open 24/7 year-round.

Multilevel Anselm Kiefer amphitheatre unveiled at Mona museum in Tasmania

David Walsh, the billionaire owner of the Museum of Old and New Art (Mona) in Tasmania, announced the opening of a major extension housing 'Elektra', a multilevel concrete amphitheatre by German artist Anselm Kiefer. The project, which cost over AUS$100 million, opened on December 19 with a performance featuring dancers Juliet Burnett and Cecilia Martin, bassist Nick Tsiavos, and vocalist Deborah Kayser. Kiefer, Walsh, and Walsh's wife Kirsha Kaechele attended the unveiling. Elektra is Kiefer's second permanent installation at Mona, joining his 2007 work 'Sternenfall/ Shevirath ha Kelim'.

Art Museum and Galleries at W&L: Winter 2026 Programs and Exhibitions

Washington and Lee University's Art Museum and Galleries is hosting five temporary exhibitions through Winter Term 2026, including "Edward Burtynsky: Taking Place" at the Reeves Museum of Ceramics, "Moffat Takadiwa: Recoded Memories" at the Watson Galleries, and "Luminous Layers: Glazed Surfaces and the Art of Reflection" alongside "Points of Exchange: Asian Ceramics in the Reeves Collection" at the Reeves Museum, plus "Expressions of Color: Paintings by Evelyn Dawson" at the McCarthy Gallery. The museum is also offering free public programming such as Artful Yoga sessions and an MLK Week Open House featuring artworks connected to the Civil Rights movement.

This Is What Happens When an Art Auction Bidder Changes Their Mind

Auction houses are grappling with a rise in bidders attempting to back out of winning bids, often citing flimsy excuses like cats jumping on keyboards. Richard Wright, CEO of Rago/Wright, describes a 'cat button' on their website that locks the bid button to prevent accidental clicks, but some buyers still renege by blaming spouses or pets. The problem has worsened with online bidding, as remote participants may not grasp the binding nature of a winning bid. Houses like Freeman | Hindman and Eldred's require deposits and registration to mitigate risks, but defaults persist, with Wright estimating 1% of sales become problematic.

Remembering Sebastião Salgado, world builder, photographer of collective humanity and prophet of possibility

Sebastião Salgado, the legendary Brazilian photographer known for his monumental documentary projects capturing collective humanity and environmental activism, has died. Born in 1944 in Aimorés, Brazil, Salgado studied economics at the University of São Paulo and was exiled to France for political activism before turning to photography in the 1970s. He joined Magnum Photos in 1979 and went on to create epic, multi-year projects such as "Workers" (1986-93), "Migrations" (1993-99), "Genesis" (2005-13), and "Amazônia" (2011-19), which redefined documentary practice through total immersion and scale. His work earned him the Peace Prize of the German Book Trade, a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador role, and numerous awards including the W. Eugene Smith Grant and the Royal Photographic Society’s Centenary Medal.

Christie’s Spring Marquee Week Totals $693 Million 123% Over Low Estimate - Christie's

Christie's Spring Marquee Week, held May 12–15, 2025 in New York, generated $693 million in total sales, exceeding the low estimate by 123% and surpassing the auction house's totals from both May and November 2024. The week featured six evening and day sales, led by the $272 million Leonard & Louise Riggio: Collected Works sale, with the top lot being Piet Mondrian's *Composition with Large Red Plane, Bluish Gray, Yellow, Black and Blue* (1922) selling for $47.6 million. Marlene Dumas' *Miss January* set a new auction record for a living female artist at $13.6 million, and additional records were set for Simone Leigh, Emma McIntyre, Louis Fratino, Dorothea Tanning, and Remedios Varo. The overall sell-through rate was 88% by lot, with strong bidding across all price bands.

Record-breaking female Surrealists spice up underwhelming Christie’s New York sales

Christie’s New York spring sales brought in a combined $489 million across two evening auctions, including the Leonard and Louise Riggio collection ($272 million) and a 20th-century evening sale ($216 million). While sell-through rates were high at 94%, bidding was shallow and several high-profile lots underperformed: a Mondrian estimated at $50 million sold for $47.6 million, a Magritte from the Empire of Light series matched its 2023 price at $34.9 million, and a Lucio Fontana canvas that sold for $14 million in 2017 fetched just $7.5 million. Andy Warhol’s Big Electric Chair was withdrawn last minute amid a reported $10 million gap between seller and buyer expectations. The sales were bolstered by third-party guarantees and came hours after news of a temporary US-China tariff détente.

UK Heritage Department feared ‘mass restitutions’ when Stone of Scone was returned to Scotland

Newly released UK government files reveal that in 1996, the Department of National Heritage strongly opposed Prime Minister John Major's decision to return the 13th-century Stone of Scone to Scotland. The department's cultural property unit head, Lynn Gates, warned that the return would set a 'precedent to mass restitution,' triggering claims from Greece for the Parthenon Marbles, Egypt for the Rosetta Stone and Sphinx's Beard fragment, and Nigeria for the Benin Bronzes, with fears of further demands from Ethiopia, India, Pakistan, and other nations. The internal memo criticized Major for failing to consult the department before agreeing to the transfer from Westminster Abbey.

Reba Hore’s centenary exhibition in Kolkata spotlights her art of dizziness of the daily

The Waypoint café in Kolkata is hosting "Spring Time," a centenary exhibition dedicated to the late artist Reba Hore, in association with Seagull. The show features Hore's vibrant, abstract canvases that capture what is described as the 'dizziness of the daily'—scenes of ordinary life rendered with hurried, furious strokes and deep emotion. The exhibition runs until May 24, offering visitors a chance to view her work in a relaxed café setting.

Explore Luxembourg’s open-air urban galleries

The article explores the street art scene in Luxembourg, highlighting cities and towns like Esch-sur-Alzette, Leudelange, Koler, and Ettelbruck where murals and graffiti adorn buildings, schools, and even waste bins. It traces the movement's origins to the 1980s hip-hop-inspired rebellion, when graffiti was illegal and artists like Sumo, Spike, Stick, Dan Sinnes, and Alain Tshinza emerged. Today, urban art is embraced as a tool for social cohesion and expression, with projects like Kufa's Urban Art Esch in Esch-sur-Alzette featuring over fifty murals by international artists. The article also notes techniques such as grid systems, projections, and reverse graffiti, exemplified by Klaus Dauven's 2023 tribute on the Vianden dam.

Mexico faces sales of pre-Columbian art

Le Mexique face aux ventes d’art précolombien

The Mexican government is facing ongoing legal and diplomatic hurdles in its attempts to halt the sale of pre-Columbian artifacts in Paris. Despite formal protests from the Mexican embassy citing national heritage laws from 1827, auction houses like Millon continue to proceed with sales, generating millions in revenue. French authorities and legal experts maintain that Mexican national laws do not supersede French jurisdiction, which largely adheres to the 1970 UNESCO Convention regarding the illicit import and export of cultural property.

parties peoples art panel salon afterparty

CULTURED magazine hosted a panel and cocktail reception at People's, an art salon and evening club in New York's Greenwich Village, on Tuesday evening. The event featured a discussion on the state of the art world, including social media's role in market movements and art education, moderated by advisor Anne Parke, with panelists including New Art Dealers Alliance Executive Director Heather Hubbs, AWG Art Advisory Founder Alex Glauber, artist Aglaé Bassens, and CULTURED Editor-in-Chief Sarah Harrelson. The gathering attracted a crowd of artists, advisors, writers, and patrons, and guests received a copy of the CULTURED at Home design issue and a custom tote bag by artist Jay Miriam.

Students Worked on Exhibit of Gowns Worn at La Scala by Maria Callas

Six opera gowns worn by Maria Callas onstage at La Scala in Milan are on display at the Luther W. Brady Art Gallery in Washington, D.C., as part of the exhibition “Callas at La Scala.” The exhibition, located within the Corcoran School of the Arts and Design, features costumes from roles including Anna Bolena and Ifigenia, alongside costume sketches by designers Nicola Benois and Piero Tosi and photographs of Callas. Students from the Corcoran School, guided by assistant professor Tanya Wetenhall, contributed by researching, writing labels, and installing the show, while ambassadors from Greece and Italy spoke at the opening.

Phillip Island exhibitions start small but it's a big summer

The Phillip Island Contemporary Exhibition Space Inc (PICES) has launched its 2025-26 Summer Art Exhibitions at the Berninneit Art Gallery in Cowes, Australia. The first of three exhibitions, 'Small Works,' features 50 affordable and unique pieces by artists from Bass Coast and beyond, including local painters Joe La Pira and Peter Walker. The program continues with 'Contempora 1' and 'Contempora 2,' showcasing 64 emerging and established artists across various media through February 1, 2026.

How Myanmar's art community rallied after a deadly earthquake

Following the devastating 7.7 earthquake on 28 March in Myanmar, the country's art community—both at home and in exile—has mobilized fundraising efforts to support relief and rebuilding, deliberately bypassing the ruling Tatmadaw junta. Curator Kyel Sin Lin is auctioning a work by prominent artist Htein Lin depicting the epicenter Sagaing and the collapsed Ava Bridge, while galleries in Yangon such as The Collector Art Gallery, Sar Ga Gallery, and Nawaday Tharlar Gallery are holding earthquake relief sales. In Hong Kong, 10 Chancery Lane raised $13,000 through a fundraising night and online sale of works by Moe Satt and Htein Lin, and Karin Weber Gallery is selling a painting by Burmese Modernist San Win to benefit the educational non-profit Prospect Burma.

A Glimpse of Summer Exhibitions in the Panhandle

Three exhibitions in the Texas Panhandle and Concho Valley showcased the work of artists Cody Arnall, Daryl Meador, and Ezra Tucker. At the Charles Adams Studio Project (CASP) Satellite Gallery in Lubbock, Arnall's show "Boredom and Failure (v.II)" featured sculptures and videos exploring imperfection, including an awning projecting a mirrored sky. In the same city, Daryl Meador's "Big Empty Blues" at Co-Opt Research + Projects presented textile art and quilts addressing labor, incorporating text from musicians and materials like waffle knit. The San Angelo Museum of Fine Arts hosted "The Art of Ezra Tucker," a survey of the artist's transition from illustration to fine art, focusing on wildlife paintings with masterful light and color.

Belfast’s murals are an open-air gallery of history and art

Belfast's murals, long used as tools of political expression and territorial marking during the Troubles, are gradually changing. Research shows that three-quarters of the most intimidatory murals in the loyalist Shankill area have disappeared since 1998. Newer murals commemorate figures like Queen Elizabeth II and King Charles III, while non-sectarian artistic murals—including tributes to murdered journalist Lyra McKee—are appearing across the city. However, some paramilitary-linked murals persist, and a 2024 incident saw a wall in north Belfast rebuilt and its threatening imagery repainted, reflecting ongoing tensions and the complex politics of 'conflict transformation' funding.

parties salon 21 east hampton alex bass

Salon 21 by Alex Bass hosted an intimate garden dinner at the Maidstone Hotel in East Hampton, celebrating its summer exhibition “La Dolce Vita” and previewing the gallery’s fall reopening in a new WSA space. The event brought together art world insiders, design leaders, and creative peers, including curator Sharon Coplan Hurowitz, Watermill Center Managing Director Elise Herget, and lifestyle expert Katie Sands Bochner, for an Italian coast-inspired evening of seafood, rosé, and conversation.

portugal returns looted mexican antiquities

Portugal has repatriated three pre-Columbian artifacts to Mexico, marking the first time the country has returned unlawfully acquired antiquities to the Mexican government. The returned items include a Shaft Tomb Culture female figure, a Maya painted vessel, and a Zapotec funerary urn representing the deity Cocijo. The objects were recovered through the cooperation of Portuguese judicial authorities and the Mexican embassy after being flagged at auctions and in various cities including Lisbon, Guimarães, and Évora.