Calendar — 205 Hudson Gallery

The 205 Hudson Gallery at Hunter College has announced its 2026 MFA Thesis Exhibitions, a series of five rotating showcases running from February 12 to May 19, 2026. Featuring 35 graduating artists, the exhibitions represent the culmination of three years of intensive studio practice and research. The series is divided into thematic segments—Brackish Water, body bureau bunker, To The Bite, Sundarpreis, and Midnight Town—each accompanied by a public opening reception at the college's Tribeca campus.

The Balloon Museum's inaugural Tin Building exhibition features a major work by Marina Abramović

The Balloon Museum is opening its first permanent U.S. location in New York City's Tin Building at the Seaport, formerly a Jean-Georges Vongerichten food market. The inaugural exhibition, titled "DAYDREAM: AIR BECOMES ART," opens July 15 and features large-scale immersive installations by international artists, including a centerpiece work by Marina Abramović called "Snowy/Windy/Spring on Planet Z." Other participating artists include Turner Prize winner Martin Creed, Karina Smigla-Bobinski, Thom Kubli, and Valerio Berruti. The exhibition is curated by Valentino Catricalà.

The Balloon Museum Unveils Inaugural Exhibition at First US Flagship

The Balloon Museum will open its first permanent U.S. flagship location inside Manhattan's Tin Building on July 15, 2026, with an inaugural exhibition titled "DAYDREAM—Air Becomes Art." The show features site-specific inflatable works by Marina Abramović, Martin Creed, Alex Schweder, Thom Kubli, and others, including Abramović's immersive installation "Snowy/Windy/Spring on Planet Z" and Creed's "Work No. 3883: Half the air in a given space." The exhibition is curated by Valentino Catricalá and explores air and inflatables as a contemporary artistic medium.

Bounty of Frida Kahlo Art Emerges in Mexico’s Restored Museum

A trove of previously unseen artworks, clothing, and personal belongings by Frida Kahlo has been uncovered during the restoration of her iconic blue house museum, the Museo Frida Kahlo, in Mexico City. The discovery includes drawings, unfinished paintings, and intimate items that had been sealed in storage for decades, offering new insight into the artist's life and creative process.

SIU Sharp Museum textile exhibition highlights sustainability

Textile artist Dawn Murtaugh opens an 18-piece exhibition titled “Steamboat Springs” on June 9, 2026, at Southern Illinois University Carbondale’s Sharp Museum. The works are created entirely from recycled and reclaimed fabrics—including old jeans, wedding gowns, upholstery scraps, and costume remnants—and depict scenes of the universe, ocean, and trees. Murtaugh, who earned a degree in art from St. Xavier College and lives in Evansville, Indiana, began quilting later in life using fabrics inherited from her mother. The exhibition runs through August 28 and includes an artist talk and reception.

Forgotten Women Revered at Grace Hudson Museum exhibit

Grace Hudson Museum in Ukiah, California, has opened 'Look Again: Portraits of Daring Women,' an exhibit featuring woodcut and collage portraits by artist Julie Lapping Rivera. Inspired by The New York Times' 'Overlooked' series, the project highlights historically unsung women from around the world. The exhibit includes a local component with works by 15 Mendocino County artists honoring influential women in their lives. A special virtual program with Lapping Rivera and Times editor Amisha Padnani is scheduled for June 18.

WATCH | Award-winning curator brings striking women-centred exhibition to Mbombela

Curator Samkela Stamper has organized "LABASIKATI: This Woman's Work," a homecoming exhibition at the Mbombela Art Gallery in Mbombela, South Africa. The mixed-media showcase features photography, film, sound, sculpture, printmaking, performance, music, and textile art, celebrating African women's stories of resistance, resilience, and creative power. Inspired by the 1956 Women's March, the exhibition runs from May 30 to June 19 and includes contributions from director Nontokozo Phiri, Lethabo Mashego, and assistant curator Surprise Thabethe, while paying tribute to pioneering artists Esther Mahlangu, Gladys Mgudlandlu, and Noria Mabasa.

Seoul Auction vs. K Auction: May Major Auctions Through Modern Masters, Contemporary Installation, and Antique Art

In the final week of May 2026, South Korea's two leading auction houses, K Auction and Seoul Auction, will hold major sales one day apart. K Auction's May sale on May 27 features 83 works with an estimated value of KRW 10.4 billion, including Park Soo-keun's 'On the Way Home' (1964) and Do Ho Suh's large-scale installation 'Cause & Effect'. Seoul Auction's 192nd Art Auction on May 28 offers 145 works with a combined low estimate of KRW 10.3 billion. Both sales focus on proven artists and rare works rather than large-scale expansion, highlighting Korean modern masters like Kim Whanki and Yoo Youngkuk alongside contemporary international names.

Auctions of the week: ancient art, design and antiques

A busy week of auctions is scheduled for May 21-27, 2026, spanning Milan, New York, and other global hubs. Italian auction houses including FarsettiArte, Wannenes, Gonnelli, Finarte, Capitolium AuctionHouse, Pananti, Aste Bolaffi, Il Ponte, Maison Bibelot, Babuino Fine Art Auctions, and Pandolfini will offer paintings, drawings, sculptures, antiques, design, jewelry, and vintage fashion. International houses Christie’s, Sotheby’s, Bonhams - Cornette de Saint-Cyr, and Dorotheum also hold sales in New York, Zurich, Paris, and Vienna, covering post-war and contemporary art, handbags, fine wine, and antiques.

Gallery 1882 bringing work of contemporary artists from around the country to Chesterton

Gallery 1882, located in Chesterton, Indiana, is hosting a new exhibition featuring contemporary artists from across the United States. The show brings together a diverse range of works, highlighting emerging and established talents in a local gallery setting.

James Welling’s “Cento” exhibit brings ancient art and color to Fairfield University

James Welling's exhibition "Cento" has opened at Fairfield University, showcasing the artist's exploration of ancient art and color through a series of photographic works. The exhibit draws on classical sculpture and architectural fragments, reimagining them with vibrant, abstract color treatments that blend historical references with contemporary photographic techniques.

Celebrity artists support Oxford primary school art exhibition

An Oxford primary school is hosting an art exhibition on 16-17 and 23-25 May as part of Oxford Art Weeks, featuring works by celebrity artists to raise funds for improving the school's deteriorating adventure playground and restoring a community green space. The exhibition, themed 'inspired by birds,' is accompanied by talks from historian Mark Davies on how Jericho and Oxford inspired figures like Lewis Carroll and the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood.

New art exhibit highlights women’s role in democracy in Springfield

The Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum in Springfield will host a new art exhibition titled “Pillars of Democracy,” opening May 15. The show features mixed-media portraits by artist Niki Johnson that highlight women’s contributions to democracy, depicting allegorical figures like Liberty and Justice as voters. The exhibition includes an opening talk, a guided discussion, and a hands-on workshop during the Old Capitol Art Fair, with materials incorporating remnants from Shepard Fairey’s 2020 mural “Voting Rights are Human Rights.”

FEDERICO CANTINI. EL ARTESANO QUE TALLA LA FE EN MADERA

Federico Cantini, a Rosario-based artist born in 1991, works across drawing, carving, and modeling on leaves, wood, and clay. He travels between Rosario and Buenos Aires, collecting urban pruning materials to "carve faith" with others. Cantini runs his own space, Jamaica ATR, and is represented by Galería Pasto in Buenos Aires. His recent exhibition "Hoy" at PASTO featured bas-reliefs in cypress, ficus, and poplar wood, exploring the impossibility of the present through autobiographical yet transcendent scenes. He emphasizes the patient, meditative craft of carving, contrasting it with purely conceptual art production.

In Milan there is an exhibition where color fascinates because it is mystical and changeable

A Milano c’è una mostra dove il colore affascina perché è mistico e mutevole

The article reports on Jason Martin's second solo exhibition at Christian Stein gallery in Milan, titled "Vertex," curated by Sergio Risaliti. Eight new large-scale works fill the Palazzo Cicogna space, showcasing Martin's signature thick oil paint surfaces that shift in color and texture, evoking the changing appearance of a wheat field. The exhibition runs until May 23, 2025.

Film and Documentary Planned About Louvre Art Heist

Film und Doku zum Kunstraub im Louvre geplant

A heist at the Louvre in October 2025, in which four masked thieves stole crown jewels worth an estimated €88 million, is being turned into a film and documentary series. The projects are based on the investigative book "Main basse sur le Louvre" by journalists Jean-Michel Décugis, Jérémie Pham-Lê, and Nicolas Torrent. The feature film will be directed by Romain Gavras, with production by Iconoclast, while a documentary series will be produced by Misfits of the Mediawan Group. The book was published on Wednesday by Flammarion, though no title, release date, or cast for the film has been announced yet.

Why is contemporary art afraid of the present?

Warum fürchtet sich die Gegenwartskunst vor der Gegenwart?

The article critiques the 2024 Whitney Biennial, which emphasizes themes of compassion, vulnerability, and community. It argues that the exhibition feels like a capitulation to reality, failing to confront the rise of contemporary fascism and the political urgency of the present moment.

What the renovation of the Pergamon Museum costs

Was die Sanierung des Pergamonmuseums kostet

The Pergamon Museum in Berlin is undergoing a major renovation with a total budget of €1.5 billion for both construction phases, including cost risks. The Federal Office for Building and Regional Planning (BBR) has announced that current projections indicate the overall costs will not be exceeded. Phase A, which includes the hall housing the famous Pergamon Altar, is expected to open on June 4, 2027, with a potential cost increase of up to 5% over the originally approved €489 million. Phase B, covering the Ishtar Gate and Babylonian Processional Way, has seen its cost forecast reduced by €27 million to €722.4 million, with an additional €295.6 million set aside for risks and price increases. The museum will fully reopen only in 2037.

Berlin Institutions Join Together to Form Museum Quarter

Berliner Institutionen schließen sich zu Museumsquartier zusammen

Several museums in Berlin are joining forces to form a new "MuseumsMeileMitte" (Museum Mile Mitte) district. The participating institutions are the Museum für Naturkunde, the Hamburger Bahnhof, the Futurium, and the Medizinhistorisches Museum der Charité. The initiative will launch on June 13 with a neighborhood festival offering free admission to all four venues, which are located within a 10-15 minute walk of each other near the Hauptbahnhof.

Orsay expose les œuvres de la spoliation

The Musée d'Orsay has opened a new permanent gallery dedicated to MNR (Musées Nationaux Récupération) works—art looted during the Nazi occupation of France and recovered after World War II. Approximately 225 pieces, held by the museum pending identification of their rightful owners, are now displayed with a scenographic device that asks visitors directly: "To whom do these works belong?" The exhibition highlights the policies of Aryanization and spoliation under the Nazi regime, as well as the role of French institutions in postwar management of these contested artworks.

American museum buildings in a worrying state

Les bâtiments des musées américains dans un état préoccupant

A March 2025 report from the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) reveals that 77% of American museums—roughly 12,300 institutions—believe their building or HVAC systems pose a risk to their collections. 73% report health or safety hazards for visitors and staff. The report highlights widespread deferred maintenance: 85% of museums have a maintenance backlog, with 49% estimating it exceeds $100,000. Many buildings are aging—53% were built before 1923—and 59% face accessibility issues. Storage spaces are inadequate in 74% of museums, with some works kept in bathrooms or flood-prone basements. Additionally, 41% of museums are in areas hit by natural disasters between 2020 and 2024, and 41% lack a disaster preparedness plan with trained staff.

Marie Lavandier défend le CMN face au risque d’un divorce avec le Mont-Saint-Michel

Marie Lavandier, president of the Centre des monuments nationaux (CMN), appeared before the French Senate's Culture Committee on May 27, 2026, to present her "CMN 2030" roadmap focused on visitor services, preventive monument maintenance, and citizen engagement. However, the hearing was dominated by the future of Mont-Saint-Michel abbey, as the Établissement public industriel et commercial (Epic) du Mont-Saint-Michel—created in 2019 to manage access and infrastructure—seeks expanded governance, supported by Norman elected officials and the Cour des comptes. Lavandier did not confirm an imminent state arbitration but noted the CMN-Epic convention was extended to June 30, signaling a pending high-level decision.

Cosmos, un médiateur inédit

The Musée Anne-de-Beaujeu in Moulins, France, has introduced Cosmos, a young Australian shepherd, as the first-ever canine mediator in a cultural institution. Since April 2025, Cosmos has been working alongside mediators Julie Courtinat and Émilie Boudet to facilitate guided tours and cultural workshops for visitors with disabilities, behavioral disorders, or other challenges, helping them feel more at ease in the museum setting.

Byblos dans le fracas du monde

The article reviews an immersive exhibition at the Institut du monde arabe in Paris titled "Byblos, cité millénaire du Liban," which presents over 470 archaeological artifacts from the ancient Phoenician city of Byblos in present-day Lebanon. The show features national treasures rarely or never before exhibited outside Lebanon, including stone anchors, statuettes, engraved stelae, gold and silver vessels, and a Roman mosaic depicting the abduction of Europa. The scenography plunges visitors into underwater and subterranean environments, evoking the city's 9,000-year history as a Mediterranean trade and diplomatic hub, its ties with Egyptian pharaohs through cedar wood, and its role in spreading the Phoenician alphabet.

Au Royaume-Uni les contraintes budgétaires des musées pèsent sur les effectifs

A survey of 329 museum directors in the UK, published in the Art Fund's Museum Directors Research 2026 report, reveals that staff shortages have overtaken building maintenance as the top concern for cultural institutions. Conducted by Wafer Hadley between January and March 2026, the study shows that 85% of directors cite team size and capacity as the main barrier to programming, ahead of budget constraints (67%) and lack of specialized expertise (23%). The National Gallery in London launched a voluntary redundancy plan in February 2026 to address a projected deficit of £8.2 million, while the Museum of Cambridge cut a third of its staff and reduced opening hours. Local authority grants have decreased or ceased for 45% of institutions between 2024-2025 and 2025-2026, and over a third of museums have reduced or plan to reduce opening hours and annual exhibitions.

In Rome, the extension of the Galleria Borghese provokes a revolt

À Rome, l’extension de la Galerie Borghèse provoque une fronde

The Galleria Borghese in Rome has sparked controversy by initiating a feasibility study for a new building attached to its 17th-century villa. Museum director Francesca Cappelletti, in office since 2020, cites the need to increase visitor capacity, improve security, and create spaces for mediation, conferences, and temporary exhibitions. The museum, which saw nearly 630,000 visitors in 2025, operates with strict two-hour time slots capped at 180 people, often sold out in high season. Engineering firm Proger has offered to fund the study for €875,750 in exchange for institutional visibility, and Rome's mayor Roberto Gualtieri has declared the project of public interest.

Kanal-Centre Pompidou sans tête

Yves Goldstein, the general director of the Brussels branch of the Centre Pompidou, has announced his departure just before the scheduled opening of Kanal-Centre Pompidou on November 28. Goldstein stated that his mission is nearly complete and that the museum's daily management phase requires a different leader. A call for applications will be launched by the board of directors, with the selection made by the board of the Fondation Kanal based on profiles proposed by a jury led by president Michèle Sioen. The new director will face immediate challenges, including negotiating a new management contract with the Brussels Region for 2029-2033 and securing an increased annual subsidy, currently set at €10 million, which is deemed insufficient.

Maximilien Durand reconduit au Louvre

Maximilien Durand, aged 50, has been reappointed for a three-year term as head of the Department of Byzantine and Eastern Christian Arts at the Louvre Museum in Paris. He has been preparing the department's opening since 2022. Durand previously served as director of the Musée des Tissus in Lyon and deputy director of collections at Paris Musées. His role includes overseeing collections, acquisitions, loans, and exhibitions, as well as a national expertise mission. Separately, Sophie Jugie moved to the Musées de France service after her non-renewal as head of the Sculptures department.

Un agent du Louvre devant le juge

A Louvre agent appeared before a judge. The article, published in Le Journal des Arts on May 2, 2026, covers multiple art world stories including the Whitney Biennial's perceived neutrality, the increasing complexity of art taxation in 2025, a resized project for Bourges 2028 by Yann Galut, a new contemporary gallery at Angers Cathedral, the abandonment of the Frigos artist site in Paris, and auctioneer Hubert L'Huillier's emergency sales.

Condemned by Francoism, a writer rehabilitated by the Spanish Congress

Condamné par le franquisme, un écrivain réhabilité par le Congrès espagnol

The Spanish Congress has officially rehabilitated Cipriano Salvador (1894-1975), a Republican intellectual wrongly accused by the Franco regime of stealing a Renaissance painting he actually saved. During the Spanish Civil War, Salvador hid Fernando Yáñez's "La Santa Generación" (c. 1525-1532) from destruction. After Franco's victory, a priest sold the work to the Prado Museum for 15,000 pesetas, while Salvador was arrested, sentenced to death (later commuted to 30 years), and spent seven years in prison. He died in 1975 without exoneration. The rehabilitation motion passed with 32 votes in favor, 3 against, and 1 abstention, with only far-right party Vox opposing.