Ecuador's Bienal de Cuenca marks 40th anniversary with a playful theme but a serious tone

The 17th Bienal de Cuenca, titled "The Game," opened on 24 October in Cuenca, Ecuador, marking its 40th anniversary. The biennial features 51 artists selected by 17 international curators, with works displayed across multiple venues including museums, gardens, and the airport. The event highlights artists and curators from the Global South, focusing on social and political concerns rather than market priorities. It opened just two days after political protests ended, with a ceremony featuring an Andean ritual led by artist Carmen Vicente, whose installation "Infinite Steps" won the acquisition prize.

Man Ray: When Objects Dream

The article presents an extensive list of artworks by the avant-garde artist Man Ray, spanning from 1914 to the mid-1940s. It includes paintings, sculptures, photographs, and readymades such as "Cadeau (Gift)" (1921), "The Rope Dancer Accompanies Herself with Her Shadows" (1916), and "L’énigme d’Isidore Ducasse" (1920). Many entries are marked "Returned to lender," indicating these works were part of a loan exhibition that has now concluded, with pieces being sent back to their respective owners.

In 'Football City, Art United,' Artists and Athletes Reimagine the Beautiful Game

A new group exhibition titled 'Football City, Art United' has opened at Aviva Studios in Manchester, pairing 11 legendary footballers with 11 contemporary artists to create original artworks inspired by the sport. Co-curated by footballer Juan Mata, curator Hans Ulrich Obrist, and filmmaker Josh Wilding, the show features painting, video, performance, architectural interventions, and playable installations, including highlights such as Stefano Boeri's immersive arena 'The Playmaker' and Paul Pfeiffer and Edgar Davids' sound-light installation 'Crowds and Power.' The exhibition runs through August 24, 2025.

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.

CULTIVATING A VIRTUAL GARDEN LEO CASTANEDA'S NEW INTERACTIVE DIGITAL WORK

CULTIVATING A VIRTUAL GARDEN LEO CASTANEDA S NEW INTERACTIVE DIGITAL WORK

The Whitney Museum of American Art has launched a new interactive digital artwork titled 'Camoflux Recall Grotto' by artist Leo Castañeda. Commissioned for the Whitney Biennial 2026, the web-based game invites players to cultivate a garden within a surreal, primordial landscape inspired by the Amazon and the Everglades, blending organic and technical infrastructures.

Animated Bodies

Animierte Körper

Latefa Wiersch presents her exhibition "Atlas Studios" at the Istituto Svizzero in Rome, featuring unsettling, puppet-like sculptures that resemble film sets. The works explore themes of bodily helplessness, imperfection, and geopolitical displacement, drawing on her earlier project "Hannibal" at the Dortmunder Kunstverein, which addressed post-migrant German realities and the demolition of a housing complex. The new installation references the Atlas Studios in Ouarzazate, Morocco, and the history of cinema, with figures made from rags and nylon stockings that appear as actors or set workers.

Commentary: This year's Met Gala proved one thing: The real devil who wears Prada is Jeff Bezos

Jeff Bezos and his wife Lauren Sánchez Bezos served as honorary co-chairs and sponsors of this year's Met Gala, sparking widespread protests and calls for boycotts. Guerrilla activist group Everyone Hates Elon plastered New York with anti-Bezos signage, and activists placed 300 bottles filled with fake urine inside the Metropolitan Museum of Art to highlight Amazon workers' bathroom break complaints. New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani declined his invitation, and the absence of celebrities like Meryl Streep and Zendaya fueled speculation about a boycott, though representatives denied any coordinated protest. Despite the controversy, the gala proceeded with many attendees and is expected to raise more than last year's $31 million for the Costume Institute.

Holocaust Museum LA will reopen as part of the new $70-million Goldrich Cultural Center

Holocaust Museum LA, the first survivor-founded and oldest Holocaust museum in the United States, will reopen after a 10-month closure as part of the new $70-million Goldrich Cultural Center in Pan Pacific Park. The 70,000-square-foot campus, debuting June 14, doubles the museum's original footprint and includes three pavilions, a 200-seat theater, exhibition galleries, a rooftop garden, and a Holocaust-era boxcar. The center is named after the late Jona Goldrich, a Holocaust survivor and co-founder of the museum, and was designed by architect Hagy Belzberg.

Participatory Design or Processual Formalism? Frei Otto, the Ökohaus, and the Ökohäusler by Matthew Kennedy

The Ökohaus (Eco-House) project in Berlin stands as a radical experiment in participatory architecture, born from the 1987 Internationale Bauausstellung (IBA) urban renewal program. Designed by Frei Otto, the complex features three residential buildings characterized by a 'double informality' where dense foliage and a patchwork of diverse cladding materials—ranging from timber and metallic shingles to exposed concrete—create a ruin-like yet meticulously resolved aesthetic. The project challenged traditional housing models by allowing residents, or 'Ökohäusler,' to engage in a collective and individualized construction process.

Alphabet of bread and love for animals. Uri Aran's exhibition at the Museo Madre in Naples

Alfabeto di pane e amore per gli animali. La mostra di Uri Aran al Museo Madre di Napoli

Uri Aran's solo exhibition at the Museo Madre in Naples, curated by director Eva Fabbris, explores language, communication, and connection through a range of works including video, sculpture, and an edible alphabet made of bread. The show, titled "Untitled (I love love)" after a video work, invites viewers into a space where meaning is fluid and inclusive, challenging rigid linguistic structures. Key pieces include the video "Untitled (I love you)" (2012), where Aran addresses plastic animals, and "Untitled (Bread Library)" (2025), a bread alphabet that visitors can rearrange to create new messages.

Two American artists have invented a pedal-powered basketball court that now arrives in Milan to regenerate the suburbs

Due artisti americani hanno inventato un campo da basket a pedali che ora arriva a Milano per rigenerare le periferie

Artists Marisa Morán Jahn and Rafi Segal, both faculty members at MIT, have brought their 'HOOPCycle' project to Milan for Design Week. The installation consists of a mobile basketball hoop mounted on a cargo bike, designed to transform urban spaces into spontaneous playgrounds and community hubs. This Italian iteration features backboards made from recycled plastic by the design collective IlVespaio and includes a vertical hoop inspired by the ancient Mesoamerican game of pok-ta-pok.

Dice Are 6,000 Years Older Than Previously Believed, Study Says

Archaeologist Robert J. Madden has published a groundbreaking study in the journal American Antiquity identifying over 600 prehistoric objects as two-sided dice. These artifacts, found across 57 sites in the American West, date back more than 12,000 years to the Late Pleistocene era. By applying criteria from historic Native American gaming traditions to these bone and wood fragments, Madden argues that dice-based games of chance existed 6,000 years earlier than previously recorded in the archaeological record.

Otis College’s Annual O-Launch Exhibition Weekend Showcased Work by Graduating Artists and Designers

Otis College of Art and Design held its annual O-Launch Exhibition Weekend on May 15 and 16, 2026, in Los Angeles. The event featured a campus-wide exhibition of graduating student work across all majors, including Animation, Environmental Design, Fashion Design, Fine Arts, Game and Entertainment Design, Graphic Design, Illustration, Product Design, and Toy Design. Highlights included an industry preview for employers, an alumni reception, and the Fashion Design program's runway show, which showcased collections from junior and senior students along with mentor projects from brands such as St. John, Vince, Activision, Nike, Vuori, and Wilson Sporting Goods.

A-LISTERS | New art gallery goes the whole Nine Yards

A new contemporary art gallery, kumalo | turpin, has opened in Johannesburg's Parktown North neighborhood, housed within the Nine Yards precinct. The gallery launched with an exhibition titled "gender/genre," featuring works by women artists across sculpture, painting, and photography. Co-founders Zanele Kumalo and MJ Turpin, the latter formerly co-director of the Kalashnikovv Gallery, aim to showcase emerging artists from the global majority. The opening attracted a crowd of local art-world figures, collectors, and creatives, including Marc Lubner, Niki Judelman, and photographer Trevor Stuurman.

Marvel at Manabu Kosaka’s Hyperrealistic Paper Sculptures of Retro Objects

Japanese artist Manabu Kosaka creates hyperrealistic, scale replicas of everyday and retro objects using only paper. His meticulously crafted sculptures—ranging from 35mm film cameras and vintage transistor radios to luxury wristwatches and fast food—feature functional internal components like gears, levers, and moving hatches that mimic the mechanics of the original items.

Nikima Jagudajev “Like” at Scuola Piccola Zattere, Venice

Artist and choreographer Nikima Jagudajev presents "Like", a new commission and exhibition at Scuola Piccola Zattere in Venice, running from 7 May to 18 October 2026. The work merges film and video game into a playable experimental piece, housed in the nonprofit's palazzo in Dorsoduro.

New Exhibition: The Gallery of Impossible Dreams

Chauvet Arts in downtown Nashville has opened a new exhibition titled "The Gallery of Impossible Dreams," running from December 13, 2025, to January 23, 2026. The show features works by new artists Andy Llanes Busto and Lisyanet Rodriguez, alongside long-time gallery artists Carlos Gamez de Francisco, Brandon Jones, Greer Wilkins, and Jorge Yances, with a special collection of photography, field and audio recordings by Philip Holsinger.

Playable exhibition ‘The Art of Mini Golf’ at Battersea Arts Centre announces ninth hole artist - Danielle Brathwaite-Shirley

Rising Melbourne and Battersea Arts Centre (BAC) have announced that British artist and game designer Danielle Brathwaite-Shirley will design the ninth hole artwork for the playable exhibition 'The Art of Mini Golf' when it travels to London this summer. The exhibition, formerly known as 'Swingers', will take over BAC from 17 June to 26 July, featuring nine interactive golf hole artworks by leading women artists including Miranda July, Kaylene Whiskey, Saeborg, Delaine Le Bas, Natasha Tontey, BKTHERULA, Soda Jerk, and Pat Brassington. Brathwaite-Shirley's new commission, 'Enough Is Enough', uses video game language to critique technology's impact on society, addressing issues like surveillance, censorship, and wealth inequality.

New works by oil painters Betz Green and Jim Green at Stover Mill Gallery

Oil painters Betz Green and Jim Green will showcase their work at the Stover Mill Gallery in Erwinna, Pennsylvania, on weekends from May 9 through May 31, with an opening reception on May 9. Betz Green creates representational, portrait-oriented still lifes with whimsical narratives, while Jim Green works in an impressionistic and expressionistic style with vibrant colors and exaggerated forms. Both artists have won top awards at local venues such as Phillips Mill and Stover Mill.

Dodgers-themed art exhibit titled DOUBLEPLAY opens at Eastern Projects Gallery in Chinatown

A new art exhibit titled DOUBLEPLAY has opened at Eastern Projects Gallery in Los Angeles' Chinatown, featuring Dodgers-themed works by artists Billy Kheel and Pat Riot. The show includes Riot's bubble-gum portraits and Kheel's hand-sewn felt tapestries, celebrating Dodgers culture and sports history. The exhibition runs through November 22, 2025, timed to coincide with the World Series.

An Interactive Archive Celebrates the Wide Ranging Projects Inviting ‘Unruly Play’

Amsterdam-based studio Imagination of Things, co-founded by Vitor Freire and Monique Grimord, has launched "Unruly Play," an interactive digital archive featuring 169 artworks, designs, games, and participatory projects. The repository includes notable works such as Rael San Fratello's "Teeter-Totter Wall" and the Wind Phone project, alongside a 12-foot puppet that travels the world. The archive is searchable by theme or through a shuffle feature, aiming to showcase projects that invite surprise, camaraderie, and unexpected encounters with imagination and joy.

Play ‘Liminal Bingo,’ Pat Perry’s Participatory Photo Treasure Hunt

Detroit-based artist Pat Perry has launched "Liminal Bingo," a participatory photo treasure hunt open to anyone with an internet connection. Participants are encouraged to go outside, gather friends, and photograph a series of illustrated prompts—such as capturing a handshake with a stranger while both wear sunglasses—using a camera or phone. When five prompts are completed in a row, players have a bingo and submit their images via Instagram or email. Photos submitted by August will be considered for a fall exhibition at Hashimoto Contemporary in New York and a potential book.

Australia’s best photos of the month – March 2026

The article presents a collection of notable Australian cultural events and announcements from March 2026. It highlights the addition of the viral 'Succulent Chinese Meal' speech to the National Film and Sound Archive, a profile of 'Squid Game' composer Jung Jae-il, pianist Jayson Gillham's announced tour with a Palestinian-Jordanian musician ahead of a court case, and Kylie Minogue's scheduled performance at the AFL Grand Final.

Eid al-Fitr at Lakemba mosque in south-western Sydney – in pictures

Thousands of worshippers gathered at Lakemba Mosque in south-western Sydney to celebrate Eid al-Fitr, marking the end of Ramadan. The event, one of Australia's largest Eid gatherings, saw families and individuals congregating at dawn for prayers and community festivities.

glow nanshan shenzhen 2025 26

Glow Nanshan, a light-art festival in Shenzhen's Nanshan district, has transformed the city's coastline into an outdoor museum of light art through installations, projections, and interactive works. The event, which serves as the heart of the larger Glow Shenzhen festival, coincides with the 45th anniversary of the Shenzhen Special Economic Zone and the 15th Five-Year Plan. Highlights include 'Island of Light' by Even Space, 'Anooki: Les Complices' by French studio Inook, and 'COSMOS' by Heyl & Van Dam Studio, alongside works by SKGPLUS in collaboration with Epson. The festival runs through March 3, 2026.

new mural at chicago rate field pope leo xiv white sox

A new mural at Chicago's Rate Field commemorates Pope Leo XIV (formerly Robert Prevost, known as "Father Bob") attending Game 1 of the 2005 World Series as a White Sox fan. The mural, located near Section 140, features the pope in regalia with hands raised, above a screenshot from the Fox broadcast showing him in White Sox gear alongside his friend Ed Schmit. The artwork honors both the papal election and Schmit, a lifelong Sox fan who died in 2020 and had predicted Prevost would become pope.

Danielle Brathwaite-Shirley Expands THE DELUSION Beyond the Gallery with New Interactive Online Game

Serpentine has launched "I DIDNT REALISE YOU THOUGHT LIKE THAT," a new online game and critical thinking tool by artist and game designer Danielle Brathwaite-Shirley. Available from May 21, 2026, on web and mobile platforms, the project extends the world of Brathwaite-Shirley's acclaimed "THE DELUSION" and explores polarization, identity, and social connection beyond the gallery. Developed with nonprofit Beyond Code Collective and supported by Glass Castle Foundation, the game places players in a post-apocalyptic universe where they encounter fictional characters and make decisions that shape narratives and determine multiple endings, drawing on real-world materials from news cycles, social media, and community testimonies.

Arts Council News – Fine Art Exhibition Awards

Turner Center for the Arts honors regional artists at the 39th Annual Spring Into Art Exhibition Gala

The Annette Howell Turner Center for the Arts in Valdosta hosted its 39th Annual Spring Into Art Gala on April 13, drawing hundreds of attendees. Over 150 regional artists submitted more than 300 original works for the region's most prominent art exhibition, which remains on display through June 10. Cash prizes totaling $6,000 were awarded across four categories, with Joe Morgan winning Best of Show for his painting "Lobster Lottery." The exhibition was curated by Madison Caldwell, and admission to the galleries is free.