Event: Hammad Nasar and Billy Tang, Off the Record

ArtReview and Ursula magazine have announced a collaborative talk featuring curators Hammad Nasar and Billy Tang as part of their "Off the Record" series in London. The event, held at the Farm Shop in Mayfair, is designed as an intimate, live conversation focused on the working methods and inspirations of creative visionaries. Nasar, a veteran curator and MBE recipient, will join Tang, the Artistic Director of the new Yan Du Project, to discuss their respective practices and the evolution of creative thinking.

10 Exhibitions to See in Upstate New York This May

Hyperallergic's guide highlights 10 exhibitions opening in Upstate New York this May, including the Hessel Museum of Art's annual showcase of thesis exhibitions by graduates of the Center for Curatorial Studies at Bard College, featuring works by Alice Aycock, Arthur Jafa, Mike Kelley, and Ana Mendieta. Other notable shows include Daniele Frazier's camera-less photography at September Gallery, Onnis Luque's investigation into resource exploitation at Art Omi, and Japanese woodblock prints at the Frances Lehman Loeb Art Center. The guide also covers Lukaza Branfman-Verissimo's mixed-media works and Maria Auxiliadora da Silva's paintings.

George Herms, Titan of West Coast Assemblage, Dies at 90

George Herms, a pioneering figure in the West Coast Assemblage movement, died on April 24 at age 90. Known for transforming found materials, rusted metal, and debris into poetic sculptures and collages, Herms emerged from the Beat scene in Topanga Canyon and was influenced by artist Wallace Berman. His first assemblage show, Secret Exhibition (1957), was held in a vacant lot, and he was later included in MoMA's landmark 1961 exhibition The Art of Assemblage. Over seven decades, he exhibited widely, including at the Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles, and Morán Morán, and created public artworks in LA such as 'Portals to Poetry' and 'Clocktower: Monument to the Unknown.'

Remembering Desmond Morris, James Hayward, and Flo Oy Wong

This week's obituaries mark the passing of several significant figures in the visual arts. They include British surrealist painter and zoologist Desmond Morris, known for his 'biomorph' paintings and experiments with chimpanzee art; West Coast monochrome abstractionist James Hayward, who developed a cult following for his thickly painted canvases; and Chinese American artist Flo Oy Wong, a foundational storyteller of Oakland's Chinatown and the Asian American experience. Also remembered are assemblage artist Aldwyth, Ethiopian painter and educator Behailu Bezabih, Anglo-Irish conservator and designer Alec Cobbe, Bangladeshi art director Tarun Ghosh, and New Mexico painter Michael Hurd.

Embracing Friction in the Art World

A small non-commercial gallery in Brooklyn, Subtitled NYC, is hosting an exhibition by artists Pap Souleye Fall and Char Jeré that intentionally embraces "friction"—the slow, bumpy, and human experience—as a rejection of optimization culture in the art world. In other news, the Pentagon has reportedly banned press photographers after Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth complained about unflattering images, and over 200 artists, including Brian Eno, have petitioned the British Museum to stop altering texts related to Palestine.

10 Ausstellungen, die Sie zum Gallery Weekend nicht verpassen sollten

The article highlights ten must-see exhibitions during Berlin's Gallery Weekend, curated by the editorial team of Monopol magazine. Featured shows include Jiyoon Chung's installation "Dead End" at Anton Janizewski, which explores perception and anxiety through subtle triggers; Giorgio Griffa's retrospective at Walter Storms Galerie, showcasing his poetic abstract paintings on un-stretched linen; Walid Raad's "Like a Rubber Rung on a Ladder" at Galerie Thomas Schulte, referencing the Lebanese Civil War with a crashed VW Beetle and graffiti; and Thomas Demand's exhibition at Sprüth Magers, where his photographs printed on copper plates reflect on current events like the Gaza war and climate change.

10 exhibitions you can still see after Berlin's Gallery Weekend

10 Ausstellungen, die Sie auch nach dem Gallery Weekend in Berlin sehen können

The Monopol editorial team highlights ten standout exhibitions from Berlin's Gallery Weekend, including Jiyoon Chung's installation "Dead End" at Anton Janizewski, which uses subtle triggers to explore perception and anxiety; Giorgio Griffa's retrospective at Walter Storms Galerie, featuring his poetic abstract paintings on raw linen; Walid Raad's narrative-driven show at Galerie Thomas Schulte, referencing the Lebanese civil war with a crashed VW Beetle and bomb graffiti; and Thomas Demand's new works at Sprüth Magers, printed on copper plates to create a shimmering aura. The article provides a curated tour of these shows, many of which remain open after the weekend.

Difficult search for new culture senator in Berlin

Schwierige Suche nach neuem Kultursenator in Berlin

Berlin's culture senator Sarah Wedl-Wilson resigned on Friday after a state audit found that her allocation of anti-Semitism prevention funds was unlawful. The CDU politician is being succeeded by former justice senator and Bundestag member Thomas Heilmann (CDU), who is reportedly the favorite for the post. Heilmann, 61, studied law, ran a successful advertising firm, and served as Berlin's justice senator from 2012 to 2016 before sitting in the Bundestag from 2017 to 2025. Governing Mayor Kai Wegner has not yet made a final decision, but transport senator Ute Bonde publicly endorsed Heilmann, citing his experience with Berlin's administration.

Eyecatchers and Discoveries

Eyecatcher und Entdeckungen

The 42nd edition of Art Brussels has scaled down to 138 exhibitors from 165 in 2025, responding to a sluggish contemporary art market and economic uncertainty. The fair introduces a new section called 'Horizonte,' curated by Devrim Bayar of Kanal Centre Pompidou, featuring six large-scale installations including Pao Hui Kao's delicate paper-and-lacquer refuge and Oswald Oberhuber's €380,000 panoramic painting 'Paradiesgarten.' Galleries are now consolidated into one hall, with fewer blue-chip participants but a continued focus on living artists (95% of the 500 shown). Notable presentations include Xavier Hufkens' solo show of Cassi Namoda, Krinziger's works by Marina Abramović and Monica Bonvicini, and Richard Saltoun's historical mix of Fernand Khnopff, Everlyn Nicodemus, and Suzanne Van Damme.

The North Can Do More Than Design

Der Norden kann mehr als Design

During Stockholm Art Week, the Swedish capital showcases itself as a leading Nordic art destination. Highlights include textile sculptures by Diana Orving at Millesgården Museum, two concurrent art fairs—the independent Supermarket and the 20th edition of Market Art Fair—and numerous gallery exhibitions, artist talks, and studio visits. The Market Art Fair features 54 booths and over 150 artists, with a focus on Nordic positions, including works by Ólafur Elíasson and the duo Inka & Niclas. The city's art scene is growing, with many new galleries opening and strong private institutions like Bonniers Konsthall and Fotografiska participating.

In Paris, Highly Mobile Gallerists

À Paris, des galeristes très mobiles

The Parisian art scene is experiencing a significant wave of gallery expansions and relocations across both the Right and Left Banks. Major developments include Kamel Mennour acquiring the former Malingue gallery space on Avenue Matignon for secondary market masterpieces, and Christophe Person moving from the Marais to a redesigned space on Rue du Bac with the backing of collector Jean Claude Gandur. Other notable moves include London-based Waddington Custot opening a Parisian branch, Singapore's Cuturi Gallery settling in the Palais-Royal, and Vincent Sator inaugurating a new space in the David Chipperfield-designed Morland Mixité Capitale complex.

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A cyberattack targeted the Dresden State Art Collections (SKD), a network of 15 museums in eastern Germany, on Wednesday. The attack disrupted large parts of the digital infrastructure, including the online shop and visitor services, but the museums remain open and physical security is intact. IT specialists and forensic experts are working to clean up and rebuild systems, with no timeline yet for full restoration. The SKD is cooperating with the Dresden Police and State Criminal Police Office, as confirmed by the Saxon State Minister for Culture and Tourism.

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The Institute of Contemporary Art San Francisco (ICA SF) will leave its current home at The Cube in December 2025 to adopt a fully nomadic, citywide model, presenting exhibitions and programs at various sites across the Bay Area starting in early 2026. Its final shows at The Cube are solo exhibitions for Masako Miki and David Antonio Cruz, on view through December 7. The museum has already secured support from the Office of the Mayor of San Francisco and lined up programs for the next year, including exhibitions at the Transamerica Pyramid Center featuring Tara Donovan and Lily Kwong, and a two-person show for Dominique Fung and Heidi Lau at Pier 24 in 2026, with a partnership planned for 2027.

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The Museum of Contemporary Art Los Angeles (MOCA) has extended the closure of its Geffen Contemporary space through the weekend as National Guard troops continue to confront anti-ICE protesters nearby. The museum cited safety concerns for staff and visitors, and also halted Pussy Riot member Nadya Tolokonnikova's durational performance 'POLICE STATE,' which had continued even after the initial shutdown on June 8. In other news, two Frenchmen—expert Bill Pallot and carpenter Bruno Desnous—were sentenced to suspended prison sentences and fines for selling fake 18th-century furniture, including chairs falsely attributed to Queen Marie Antoinette, duping the Château de Versailles and a Qatari prince. Meanwhile, President Donald Trump was booed by the audience at a Kennedy Center performance of Les Misérables, and Tamara de Lempicka's painting 'La Belle Rafaëla' (1927) is headed to auction at Sotheby's London with a high estimate of £9 million.

"A Radical Change": Art Brussels Reinvents Itself for Its Collectors

« Un changement radical » : Art Brussels se réinvente pour ses collectionneurs

Art Brussels, the Belgian art fair, is implementing a significant strategic overhaul for its 42nd edition. The fair is reducing its size by 18%, featuring 136 galleries, and consolidating into a more compact layout to prioritize visitor experience and quality over quantity. It is introducing a new artistic advisory desk to guide collectors and launching a curated section for monumental works.

At the Grand Palais, the Art Paris 2026 Fair is Rich with Great Promise

Au Grand Palais, la foire Art Paris 2026 riche de belles promesses

The Art Paris 2026 fair is set to return to the Grand Palais, solidifying its reputation as a vibrant, French-focused alternative to the more elite Art Basel Paris. Under the long-term leadership of artistic director Guillaume Piens, the edition will feature 165 exhibitors, with a deliberate 60% representation of French galleries. The fair's structure includes the "Promesses" sector for emerging galleries curated by Marc Donnadieu, alongside two major thematic paths: "Babel – Art and Language in France" curated by Loïc Le Gall, and "Reparation" curated by Alexia Fabre.

Works by Renoir, Cézanne, and Matisse Snatched in Major Italian Art Heist

Four hooded thieves stole three valuable paintings from the Magnani-Rocca Foundation in Parma, Italy, in a swift nighttime heist. The stolen works include Paul Cézanne's 'Still Life with Cherries,' Henri Matisse's 'Odalisque on the Terrace, 1922,' and Pierre-Auguste Renoir's 'Les Poissons (Fish), 1917,' collectively worth millions of euros. The operation, described as highly structured and organized, took less than three minutes.

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Ki Smith Gallery in New York is hosting "50 years of PUNK," an exhibition honoring the seminal punk magazine that launched in 1975. Running through January 11, the show features ephemera, new artworks, and issues 24 and 25 of the magazine, which famously covered bands like the Ramones and Lou Reed. The exhibition opened on November 28, marking 50 years since PUNK interviewed Reed and the Ramones at CBGB's. Co-curated by gallery founder Ki Smith and PUNK co-founder John Holmstrom, the show celebrates the magazine's DIY spirit and its role in shaping punk culture.

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León Gallery's Spectacular Mid Year Auction 2025 will feature a rare egg tempera painting by pioneering Filipina modernist Anita Magsaysay-Ho titled *Water Carriers / Taga-igib* (1947). The work is expected to draw strong market interest, following the artist's previous egg tempera sales at the same auction house—*Tinapa (Fish) Vendors* (1975) and *Fruit Market* (1957)—which fetched $1.52 million and $1.56 million respectively. Only about 20 works by Magsaysay-Ho exist in this delicate medium, making this lot exceptionally scarce. The sale also includes three works by Spanish Filipino artist Fernando Zóbel, whose market has recently surged after exhibitions at the Prado Museum, Ayala Museum, and National Gallery Singapore.

Sculptor Thaddeus Mosley dies at 99.

Sculptor Thaddeus Mosley dies at 99.

Sculptor Thaddeus Mosley, a self-taught artist renowned for his monumental abstract wood sculptures, has died at the age of 99. Working for decades in his Pittsburgh basement, Mosley used locally sourced felled trees and traditional hand tools to create dynamic, asymmetrical forms that channeled both modernist principles and African artistic traditions. His prolific career, which began in his 30s, gained significant institutional recognition only in his later decades, culminating in a major 2022 solo exhibition at the Baltimore Museum of Art.

Ed Ruscha | Billy (1968) | Art & Prints

Ed Ruscha's 1968 exhibition catalogue 'Billy', designed for a show of works by his friend Billy Al Bengston, is being offered for sale. The catalogue features a flocked sandpaper cover, satin ribbon bookmark, and machine screw and hex nut binding, and was published by the Los Angeles County Museum of Art for an exhibition that traveled to the Corcoran Gallery of Art and the Vancouver Art Gallery. The work is listed on an art marketplace platform with a price of €62,600, and the listing includes details about its condition, provenance, and the artist's broader career.

Katherine El-Salahi, anti-apartheid activist, anthropologist and publisher, 1945–2026

Katherine El-Salahi, an anti-apartheid activist, anthropologist, and publisher, has died at age 81. Born Katherine Levine, she studied at Cambridge and SOAS before joining the clandestine group London Recruits in 1970, carrying out leaflet bomb propaganda and running guns into South Africa. She later became instrumental in the career of her husband, Sudanese painter Ibrahim El-Salahi, organizing his landmark 2013 retrospective at Tate Modern, building his archive, and securing gallery representation with Vigo Gallery.

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Nine jewels stolen from the Louvre are valued at $102 million, according to Paris prosecutor Laure Beccuau, contradicting earlier French claims that they were of “incalculable” value. The stolen items include a diadem worn by Queen Marie-Amélie and Queen Hortense, an emerald necklace of Empress Marie-Louise, and a diadem once held by Empress Eugénie, the latter containing nearly 2,000 diamonds. One crown belonging to Empress Eugénie was recovered after being dropped by the thieves, but the rest remain missing. The robbers entered through windows using small chainsaws and exited in under eight minutes. The Louvre has been closed since the heist, and cultural minister Rachida Dati defended the museum’s security systems before the National Assembly, calling the theft “a wound for all of us.”

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Artist Lucy Raven has completed her film trilogy, "The Drumfire," with the release of Murderers Bar (2025). The 42-minute film documents the historic removal of four dams along the Klamath River, capturing the dramatic release of water and the restoration of a river system flowing from Oregon through Northern California. The work is currently on view at the Power Plant in Toronto and is scheduled to travel to the Institute of Contemporary Art Boston in May.

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Expo Chicago has announced the list of over 130 exhibitors for its 2026 edition, taking place April 9–12 at Navy Pier. The fair has been reduced by nearly 25 percent compared to 2025, with a smaller floor plan designed to foster deeper engagement. New features include a partnership with the Obama Presidential Center, whose museum director Louise Bernard will curate two sections, and the rebranding of the Exposure section as Focus, curated by Katie A. Pfohl. The Profile section will be curated by Essence Harden, and a continued partnership with the Galleries Association of Korea will bring 12 Korean galleries.

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Spielzeug Gallery, a nomadic curatorial project founded by Evan Karas, opened a temporary brick-and-mortar space at 131 Chrystie Street in New York through a collaboration with 1 Day at a Time, an enterprise that helps nomadic creatives secure footholds in the city. The inaugural exhibition, “TOYS! TOYS! TOYS!”, featured works by Thomas Liu Le Lann, Josh Rabineau, and Michelle Im, exploring themes of control, psychosexuality, and the interplay of objects and space. The gallery’s model, described as an “itinerant fantasy,” has previously staged shows in venues including a Czech bunker, a party bus, and a Bushwick apartment.

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Post-Fair will return to Santa Monica from February 26–28 for its second edition, bringing 30 galleries and 31 total exhibitors to the Art Deco former post office that helped define its identity. Founded by Los Angeles dealer Chris Sharp, the fair debuted last year as a low-cost alternative to Los Angeles's expensive fair scene, offering single-artist presentations at a flat fee. This year's edition expands internationally with new participants from Europe and Asia, including Edouard Montassut (Paris), Lovay Fine Arts (Geneva), MISAKO&ROSEN (Tokyo), and P21 (Seoul), alongside additions like Anton Kern (New York), Eli Kerr (Montreal), and White Columns.

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Frieze Seoul returns for its fourth edition from September 3 to 6, 2025, coinciding with South Korea's premier art fair Kiaf. Fair director Patrick Lee highlights the event's role in fostering collaboration among local institutions and its integration with Seoul's cultural ecosystem. Meanwhile, The Armory Show in New York expands its 'Focus' section this year to spotlight artists and galleries from the American South, curated by Jessica Bell Brown, as the fair runs under the full leadership of director Kyla McMillan for the first time since its acquisition by Frieze.

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Brittany Nelson, a Brooklyn-based artist, explores the intersection of space exploration, queer identity, and early photochemistry in her work. Her 2024 show "I Can't Make You Love Me" at PATRON Gallery in Chicago featured bromoil prints of images from NASA's Mars rover Opportunity, which she describes as a "lesbian icon." She also creates works like a programmed typewriter that types the word "Starbear," inspired by letters between sci-fi writers Ursula K. Le Guin and Alice B. Sheldon. Nelson is currently developing new work focused on telescope arrays, following a residency at the SETI Institute and a two-person exhibition at Luhring Augustine in New York.

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Galleries across Tehran have begun closing their doors indefinitely following Israel's Friday air strike on the Iranian capital's nuclear and military facilities. Iran retaliated with dozens of missiles toward Israeli territory, calling the strikes a 'declaration of war.' Shirin Gallery postponed two exhibitions, including 'Uncollective Memories' by Leila Yaghoubi and 'Endless Joy' by Mazyar Tahouri. Laleh Gallery postponed its group show 'New Saghakhaneh,' while Moshen Gallery, Hoor Gallery, and Bavan Gallery announced closures until further notice. Ab-Anbar, a Tehran-rooted gallery now based in London, instead opened its doors for a community lunch. The Israel Museum in Jerusalem and the Tel Aviv Museum of Art also closed indefinitely citing national security guidelines.