Art Dubai has announced a significantly scaled-back "special edition" of its 20th-anniversary fair, set for May 14–17 at the Madinat Jumeirah venue. The fair was postponed and reformatted due to the US-Israel war in Iran, which caused major logistical disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz and spiked oil prices, hampering air travel in the UAE. It will now feature only 50 exhibitors, a reduction of nearly 60% from the originally planned 120.
I 10 migliori padiglioni da vedere alla Biennale d’Arte di Venezia 2026. La top ten di Artribune
Artribune presents its top ten must-see national pavilions at the 2026 Venice Biennale, which features a record 100 participating countries. The article highlights standout projects including Greece's escape room by Andreas Angelidakis critiquing nationalist populism, Belgium's participatory dance installation by Miet Warloop, and Canada's greenhouse-like pavilion by Abbas Akhavan exploring colonial botany. The Biennale, curated by Koyo Kouoh under the theme "In Minor Keys," is marked by last-minute jury resignations leading to public voting for the Golden Lions, as well as protests over the participation of Russia and Israel.
Italian photographer Armando Perna (born 1981 in Reggio Calabria) has documented Dahiye, a southern suburb of Beirut known as Hezbollah's stronghold, using a digital camera hidden inside a car and controlled remotely via Bluetooth. His project, initiated in 2013 and exhibited in 2017 at the Fondazione Pino Pascali in Polignano a Mare (Bari), creates a street-view-style mapping of a neighborhood that has been heavily bombed by Israeli forces, most recently in the past weeks. The work was promoted by Planar gallery, founded by Antonio Ottomanelli, with Perna and Anna Vasta as part of the #showcase project.
The Canadian Museum for Human Rights in Winnipeg has been threatened with legal action by Shurat HaDin – Israel Law Center over an upcoming exhibition titled "Palestine Uprooted: Nakba Past and Present," scheduled to open June 27. The exhibition focuses on the 1948 expulsion of approximately 750,000 Palestinians, known as the Nakba, and features video testimonies, photography, visual art, and text exploring human rights violations and forced displacement. Shurat HaDin's letter, sent to the museum's board and senior leadership, argues the exhibition omits Jewish historical ties to the region, politicizes history, and could fuel hostility against the Jewish community. The organization demands the museum halt work on the show, commission an independent review, and retract statements about Israeli human rights violations, threatening litigation if the museum does not respond within 14 days. The museum has confirmed the letter is under review but stated the exhibition is still expected to open as scheduled.
The US-Israeli bombardment of Iran, beginning in late February, has severely disrupted the country's cultural life and art scene. The typically busy Nowruz (Persian New Year) period was marked by fear, travel restrictions, and internet blackouts, leading to the evacuation of museum collections, the closure of galleries, and artists being unable to work in their studios.
The Lebanese Culture Ministry has placed distinctive blue shields at 34 archaeological sites across the country. This action formally designates the sites as protected cultural property under the 1954 Hague Convention, aiming to shield them from destruction during the ongoing armed conflict involving Israel and Hezbollah.
art market minute mar 9
The Gulf region’s art market is navigating a period of significant instability as escalating geopolitical tensions between the U.S., Israel, and Iran threaten the upcoming Art Dubai fair. Long considered a safe haven for global culture and commerce, the United Arab Emirates now faces questions regarding its perceived insulation from regional conflict just weeks before its major international art event.
Two historic Bauhaus-style buildings within Tel Aviv’s UNESCO-listed White City were damaged during a series of missile strikes involving Iran, the US, and Israel. Among the affected structures is the Froma Gurvitz house, a privately owned residence that had undergone restoration a decade ago. The Bauhaus Center Tel Aviv released images of the destruction, emphasizing that these buildings represented symbols of modernity and refuge for German Jewish architects who fled to the region in the 1930s.
YouTube star Rachel Accurso, known as Ms. Rachel, announced an exhibition and fundraiser titled "Colors That Survived" featuring artworks created by children in Gaza. The show opens Tuesday at Caelum Gallery in New York's Chelsea neighborhood, with limited-edition prints priced at $200 each available through January 30 via the nonprofit Artists Support. All proceeds will go to young Palestinian artists. Accurso, who has over 18 million YouTube subscribers, became an advocate for children in Gaza after participating in a Save the Children fundraiser in May 2024, and has faced backlash from Zionist groups including StopAntisemitism, which falsely accused her of receiving funds from Hamas.
Peggy Ahwesh's solo exhibition "The Wayfinders," recently on view at New York's Microscope Gallery, marks a new direction for the experimental filmmaker. For the first time, she incorporates footage from an early-2000s flight simulator alongside original video and animation to create a large-scale installation. The work serves as an elegy for the abandoned Qalandia/Atarot airport, situated between Qalandia and Jerusalem, which operated as a civilian airport from 1948 to 1967 before Israel annexed the site. Through poetic voiceover and imagery of travel and navigation, Ahwesh reflects on Palestine's thwarted right to the sky, the history of wayfinding by the stars, and the porous borders of the past contrasted with today's restrictions.
French museums are alarmed that the Trump administration may eliminate a key tax deduction mechanism known as the “equivalency determination,” which allows foreign organizations to receive tax-deductible donations from American patrons. The status is critical for museum-affiliated “American Friends” groups, such as the American Friends of the Musée d’Orsay and the American Friends of the Louvre, the latter of which raised $10 million last year. Lionel Sauvage, president of the Museum of Decorative Arts in Paris, noted that about one-third of his museum’s annual donations—over $2 million—come from American donors. While no concrete action has been taken, Bloomberg reported in April that the administration was considering the move as part of a broader crackdown on tax-exempt nonprofits. Jewish philanthropic organizations have also expressed concern, with the Jewish Funders Network advising compliance amid uncertainty.
On Tuesday, Israel carried out a missile strike in Doha, Qatar, targeting senior Hamas leaders, with explosions reported in the Leqtaifiya neighborhood and smoke visible over the Katara cultural district. The strike comes as a shock to Qatar, which has built a reputation for stability and is home to major art institutions operated by Qatar Museums, including Mathaf: Arab Museum of Modern Art, the National Museum of Qatar, and the Museum of Islamic Art. Art Basel, which announced in May a partnership with Qatar Sports Investments and QC+ to launch Art Basel Doha in February 2026, said it is closely monitoring developments and remains committed to the fair's inaugural edition.
The Centre for Contemporary Arts (CCA) in Glasgow, Scotland, closed for the rest of the week after a pro-Palestine protest organized by Art Workers for Palestine Scotland escalated into a confrontation. The group staged a sit-in at the CCA courtyard, demanding the institution support the Palestinian Campaign for the Academic and Cultural Boycott of Israel. Police were called to clear the protest, leading to arrests and allegations of excessive force. The CCA board cited security concerns and a forced entry as reasons for the closure.
A United Nations Independent International Commission of Inquiry has concluded that Israeli attacks on cultural and religious sites in occupied Palestinian territory constitute war crimes and the crime against humanity of extermination. The report focuses on ten specific sites in Gaza, including the Greek Orthodox Church of St. Porphyrius, the Great Omari mosque, Al Mat'haf Museum, and the Pasha Palace Museum, which were destroyed, looted, or severely damaged between October and December 2023. The commission found that Israeli security forces should have known the locations and significance of these sites and that their attacks violated international law, including intentionally directing attacks against religious and historic monuments and causing excessive damage to civilian objects.
The Grand Egyptian Museum (GEM) has postponed its official grand opening, originally scheduled for July 3, until the final quarter of this year. Egyptian Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly cited "current regional developments" in a press conference, referencing recent conflict between Israel and Iran. The museum issued a statement explaining the delay stems from a sense of national responsibility, aiming to hold the event at a more auspicious time. This is not the first delay for the project, which has faced setbacks since its announcement in 1992 due to political unrest, the Covid-19 pandemic, and economic struggles. The GEM has partially opened, with 12 main galleries accessible since late October 2024.
Staff at the British Museum have criticized the institution for allowing the Israeli embassy in London to host a party on its premises celebrating the 77th anniversary of Israel's founding. An internal petition signed by 250 staff members demands an end to relations with Israeli cultural institutions, citing concerns over perceived political bias and potential damage to curatorial partnerships. The event, held on May 13, featured Israeli ambassador Tzipi Hotovely and other political figures, and was not publicly advertised. The museum defended the event as a commercial rental handled on a non-political basis, but former curator Venetia Porter and others argue it undermines impartiality amid the ongoing conflict.
The Countway Library at Harvard Medical School is hosting a closing ceremony for the art exhibition "Call and Response: A Narrative of Reverence to our Foremothers in Gynecology" on January 21. Developed by the Resilient Sisterhood Project, the multimedia exhibition highlights the exploitation of enslaved Black women—Anarcha, Betsey, and Lucy—in the origins of modern gynecology, focusing on experiments by Dr. J. Marion Sims in the 1840s. The event will feature speakers including artists Jules Arthur, Dr. Michele David, Michelle Hartney, and others, along with community organizers.
An exhibition at the National Museum of Contemporary Art in Bucharest (MNAC) features three purportedly long-lost paintings by Kazimir Malevich, valued between $160 million and $190 million. The works, loaned by Israeli businessman Yaniv Cohen, were allegedly stored under the mattress of his grandmother-in-law, Eva Levando, for decades. However, Ukrainian-American art historian Konstantin Akinsha has publicly questioned their authenticity, citing incomplete provenance and a lack of consensus from international experts. The museum has faced criticism for including the paintings without additional scholarly analysis in the show "Kazimir Malevich: Outliving History," curated by Mariana Dragu and sponsored by a dental clinic owned by Cohen.
The United States' participation in the 2026 Venice Biennale is in jeopardy due to the Trump administration's campaign to defund the arts. According to a Vanity Fair report by Nate Freeman, the US government's preparation is behind schedule, with the typical 18-month planning timeline now reduced to just 12 months before the opening. The National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) faces funding cuts, staff reductions, and a vacant position for coordinating biennale affairs, while the application process has been altered to emphasize "American values" and remove references to diversity, equity, and inclusion.
Iran will not participate in the 61st Venice Biennale, which opens for previews this week, the Biennale Foundation announced on May 4. The decision comes two months after the United States and Israel launched strikes across Iran, and amid renewed tensions along the Strait of Hormuz. The Iranian pavilion was to be commissioned by Aydin Mehdizadeh Tehrani, director general of the visual arts office in the Iranian Ministry of Culture. Iran has had inconsistent attendance at the Biennale since 1958, with a long absence between the 1960s and 2003, but has participated semi-consistently over the last two decades, most recently in 2024.
La Biennale di Venezia più pazza di sempre: a una settimana dall’apertura si dimette la giuria (I Leoni li deciderà il pubblico!)
The entire international jury of the 61st Venice Biennale has resigned en masse just one week before the opening. The jury, chaired by Solange Oliveira Farkas and including Zoe Butt, Elvira Dyangani Ose, Marta Kuzma, and Giovanna Zapperi, had publicly announced they would not consider countries whose leaders are accused of crimes against humanity by the International Criminal Court—effectively excluding Russia and Israel from the Golden Lion competition. This decision came amid ongoing tensions between Italian Culture Minister Alessandro Giuli and Biennale President Pietrangelo Buttafuoco over Russia's participation, as well as controversy surrounding Israel's presence. After a meeting with Buttafuoco, the jury resigned, leaving the Biennale without a key body to award its top prizes.
Cultural workers and participants at the Venice Biennale plan to strike on 8 May during the opening week of the 61st edition, protesting Israel’s participation in the event. The strike, organized by the Art Not Genocide Alliance (ANGA) and supported by Italian trade unions, includes a rally near the Arsenale site. ANGA previously sent a letter signed by over 230 artists and curators demanding the cancellation of the Israeli pavilion, citing opposition to "genocide normalisation in culture" and precarious labor conditions. Israel is represented this year by sculptor Belu-Simion Fainaru, who opposes cultural boycotts.
The entire jury of the Venice Biennale resigned just days before the 61st international art exhibition's opening on May 9, following a dispute over the decision to allow Russia to participate. The five-member panel, led by Solange Farkas and including Zoe Butt, Elvira Dyangani Ose, Marta Kuzma, and Giovanna Zapperi, had previously stated it would not award prizes to artists from countries whose leaders face charges of crimes against humanity, a move seen as targeting Russia and Israel. The Biennale responded by postponing the award ceremony to November 22 and announcing it would give two awards, including one that could go to any national participation, citing its founding principles of openness and rejection of censorship.
C’è un padiglione assente alla Biennale d’Arte di Venezia 2026 di cui nessuno ha parlato: il Venezuela
The Venezuelan pavilion at the 2026 Venice Art Biennale remains closed, an absence that has gone largely unnoticed amid other controversies surrounding the Russian, Israeli, South African, and Iranian pavilions. Designed by architect Carlo Scarpa and built between 1953 and 1956, the pavilion now displays a trilingual sign stating it will "rise again soon," reflecting the country's collapse after the kidnapping and imprisonment of President Nicolás Maduro by the United States and the installation of a fragile pro-American interim government.
Alla Biennale di Venezia 2026 serrata dei padiglioni per sciopero pro Palestina. La mappa delle proteste
On May 8, 2026, the third VIP preview day of the 61st Venice Biennale, a massive strike shut down numerous national pavilions and disrupted the exhibition. Led by the Art Not Genocide Alliance (Anga), the protest demands Israel's exclusion from the Biennale over allegations of genocide in Palestine, and also targets poor labor conditions in the cultural sector. Pavilions closed one after another due to staff shortages, and protest posters appeared around artworks at the Giardini and Arsenale. The strike involved the Biennale Foundation itself, along with about twenty contractors managing services and national pavilions, with unions Adl Cobas, USB Lavoro privato, and Cub supporting the action. Tensions rose when the UK Pavilion reportedly replaced striking staff to remain open, and the Foundation issued a statement falsely denying that its employees were covered by the strike.
Arte e politica: bisogna esporsi o no? Rispondono in 9 tra artisti e curatori
Nove tra artisti e curatori italiani rispondono alla domanda se l'arte debba esporsi politicamente, in un articolo pubblicato su Artribune. Marco Trulli, responsabile Cultura Arci e curatore, sostiene che l'arte non possa prescindere dal contesto storico e geopolitico, e che il mondo dell'arte debba mettere in discussione le connessioni tra istituzioni culturali, guerre e violenze sistemiche. Gabi Scardi, curatrice, rifiuta la categoria di 'arte politica' e invita gli artisti ad agire politicamente, citando esempi di padiglioni nazionali alla Biennale di Venezia (Turchia 2017, Israele 2015) come modelli di critica radicale dall'interno. Un altro contributo, legato al progetto 'Francesco 2026' per il Padiglione Internet a Venezia, propone una regola etica: l'arte deve minimizzare il danno alle persone più vulnerabili.
At the 61st Venice Biennale, protests and controversies have overshadowed the art itself. The Art Not Genocide Alliance (ANGA) demonstrated against the inclusion of Israel and Russia, while the Israeli Pavilion became a flashpoint. Artist Belu-Simion Fainaru, presenting his installation "Rose of Nothingness" in a temporary space, complained that he was forced to defend his art's right to exist amid questions about politics rather than his work. The Biennale also saw barricades, strikes, the resignation of the Golden Lion jury, Iran's last-minute withdrawal, and anger directed at the American pavilion over Trump administration policies. The central exhibition, "In Minor Keys," curated by the late Koyo Kouoh, was eclipsed by these events.
The article recounts the 1968 protests at the Venice Biennale, where artists, students, and activists clashed with police over the event's perceived ties to bourgeois power and capitalist commodification. It draws parallels to the 2024 Biennale, where groups like Art Not Genocide Alliance, Pussy Riot, and Femen demonstrated against the participation of Russia and Israel, while artists staged strikes and performances like the Solidarity Drone Chorus to highlight the Gaza conflict.
A new book titled *Jewish Country Houses*, edited by Juliet Carey and Abigail Green, explores the history of approximately 1,000 country estates built or remodeled by wealthy Jewish families across Great Britain and Continental Europe from the French Revolution until World War II. These houses, such as Waddesdon Manor and Château de Champs-sur-Marne, served as symbols of social arrival and assimilation, blending eclectic architectural styles with art collections from European auction houses. The volume, published by Profile and Brandeis University Press in association with the National Trust, features contributions from an international team of historians and curators, with photographs by Hélène Binet, and includes case studies of a dozen houses now open to the public.
Tehran's art community is grappling with the aftermath of the 12-day war between Israel and Iran in June 2025, which has battered the economy, driven up inflation, and slowed art sales as collectors tighten spending. Despite these challenges, galleries like 8Cube and O Gallery are showing resilience: 8Cube's group show "Expectant," curated by sculptor Bita Fayyazi and featuring 28 emerging artists, drew 1,500 visitors on its opening night in August, signaling a tentative return to cultural life. Gallery founders report that sales have plummeted, with collectors shifting to gold or foreign currency, and that rising costs, electricity outages, and water shortages add pressure.