A rare, clamshell-shaped VOLU Dining Pavilion designed by architect Zaha Hadid and Patrick Schumacher is heading to auction at Hermitage Fine Art in Monaco. The prefabricated outdoor structure, originally created for the 2015 Design Miami fair, is expected to fetch between €900,000 and €1.1 million. This marks only the second time a completed edition of this pavilion has been offered at auction.
Icelandic-Danish artist Olafur Eliasson presented 'A symphony of disappearing sounds for the Great Salt Lake,' a large-scale multimedia installation in Salt Lake City’s Memory Grove Park. The work featured a three-story luminous sphere projecting visuals of wind currents and geothermal light, accompanied by a soundscape of migratory birds, brine flies, and frogs. Commissioned by the Salt Lake City Arts Council and Bloomberg Philanthropies, the ten-day public event served as a creative wake for the rapidly receding lake.
The article examines the exhibition 'Narrative Threads' and related artistic projects that explore the profound significance of Palestinian textile traditions, particularly the cross-stitch embroidery known as tatreez. It highlights how 24 contemporary Palestinian artists, including Joanna Barakat and Sliman Mansour, are using this heritage to create new artistic meanings and address themes of displacement, identity, and cultural preservation.
A mysterious new art fair called "The Island" is generating intrigue with plans for a super-secretive inaugural edition in the US Virgin Islands this May. Promotional materials suggest an exclusive event for mega-collectors, featuring special water sports activities and rumors of commissions from artists like Andres Serrano and Jeff Koons, with the unusual claim that all sales will be "redacted after the fact."
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) used a painting by Japanese artist Hiroshi Nagai in a social media post without his permission. The agency cropped his 2017 untitled beach scene and overlaid it with the text "America After 100 Million Deportations," accompanied by a caption about national peace. Nagai, 78, expressed being "at a loss" and disappointed that a government agency would use his work to promote a political message he does not endorse.
Croissant, pigeon… À la galerie Nothing Serious, l’artiste Paa Joe transforme les clichés parisiens en cercueils pop
Ghanaian artist Paa Joe has transformed iconic Parisian symbols into vibrant "fantasy coffins" for his solo exhibition, "From Paa Joe to Paaris," at Galerie Nothing Serious. The show features 25 large-scale sculptures, including a Café de Flore cup, a croissant, a Renault 4L, and a bottle of Pouilly-Fumé, all handcrafted in the tradition of Ga burial customs. Created alongside his son Jacob Tetteh-Ashong, these works reinterpret French clichés through a playful yet surreal lens, marking the gallery's return after a four-year hiatus.
Photographer Paul Tulett has captured the stark, concrete landscapes of South Korea in his new book, *Brutalist Korea*, published by Prestel. The photo series highlights a range of architectural landmarks, from Tadao Ando’s minimalist Jeju Glass House and Zaha Hadid’s futuristic Dongdaemun Design Plaza to the playful geometry of the Paju Kindergarten. Tulett’s work documents how the raw, monumental aesthetic of Brutalism has evolved from the country’s postwar industrialization into a sophisticated tool for modern urban experimentation.
Gilles Bloch : « Le Muséum a besoin de 1,1 milliard d’euros »
Gilles Bloch, president of the Muséum national d’histoire naturelle in Paris, has issued an urgent call for €1.1 billion in funding to address the critical state of the institution's infrastructure. Ahead of its 400th anniversary in 2026, a diagnostic report reveals that 74% of the museum's 120 buildings are in poor condition, with several galleries currently closed to the public or suffering from inadequate climate control. The requested funds would cover €500 million in emergency repairs to stabilize decaying structures and a further €600 million for long-term modernization and energy efficiency upgrades.
Italian artist Giuditta Branconi has unveiled her first institutional solo exhibition, titled "Cannon Fodder," at the Collezione Maramotti in Reggio Emilia. The exhibition features a series of new large-scale paintings and a site-specific installation characterized by dense, chaotic compositions where multiple narratives unfold simultaneously. Branconi describes her approach as fostering an "anarchic gaze," intentionally refusing to guide the viewer through her crowded, vibrant visual landscapes.
Art historians and curators are re-evaluating the legacy of Frederic Church, arguing that his contributions extend far beyond his traditional classification as a Hudson River School landscape painter. New research highlights his sophisticated engagement with 19th-century science, his architectural achievements at his estate, Olana, and his role as a global traveler who captured the spirit of the Andes and the Arctic.
Linda Dresner, the influential fashion retailer known for her minimalist, gallery-like boutiques, has died at the age of 88. Operating high-end spaces on New York’s Park Avenue and in Birmingham, Michigan, Dresner was a pioneer in treating avant-garde fashion as fine art, curating collections from designers like Comme des Garçons, Yohji Yamamoto, and Maison Margiela long before they became household names.
Artist Manon Awst and curator Dylan Huw will represent Wales at the 61st Venice Biennale with a project titled "Sownd." The exhibition, located at the Istituto Santa Maria della Pietà, features a sculptural environment inspired by the peatlands of North Wales. Central to the installation is a wooden boardwalk that mirrors both the boggy terrain of the Welsh landscape and the flood-prone pathways of Venice, integrating material samples, oral poetic traditions, and the ancient Welsh craft of cynghanedd.
Was uns Hans Memlings Jüngstes Gericht noch sagt
Hans Memling's 15th-century triptych "The Last Judgment" is currently undergoing restoration at the National Museum in Gdańsk, Poland, and is expected to be off view until the end of the year. The artwork, painted before 1465, has a dramatic provenance, having been captured at sea by a privateer en route from Bruges to Florence and eventually finding a permanent home in Gdańsk after various displacements.
The Museum Rietberg in Zurich is transferring ownership of 11 Benin Bronzes to the Republic of Nigeria. The transfer includes a significant commemorative bronze head from around 1850 and an 18th-century ivory tusk, both looted during the British raid on Benin City in 1897, which will be physically returned to Nigeria this summer.
Mexico's Ministry of Culture has identified 195 pre-Hispanic archaeological objects listed for sale on eBay by a US-based seller and has formally demanded the platform halt the sales and return the items. The ministry, through Secretary Claudia Curiel de Icaza, argues the sale is illegal as the export of such cultural heritage has been prohibited since 1827, and their presence abroad results from illicit extraction. Legal action has been initiated with Mexican and international authorities, including Interpol and US Homeland Security Investigations, to secure repatriation.
Gallery Applications Open for Frieze Abu Dhabi
Milan's art scene is currently anchored by several high-profile exhibitions coinciding with the Miart fair. Key highlights include Cao Fei’s exploration of global farming and technology at Pirelli HangarBicocca, alongside Anselm Kiefer’s monumental tributes to female alchemists. Other notable shows feature historical and contemporary dialogues, ranging from Italian post-war masters to experimental multimedia installations.
Mei Lanfang Was Famous for His Masterful Performances as Female Leads. In the 1930s, He Introduced American Audiences to the World of Chinese Opera
Mei Lanfang, one of China's most celebrated Peking opera stars famed for his masterful performances of female *dan* roles, embarked on a groundbreaking seven-month tour of the United States in 1930. His performances, which introduced American audiences to the elaborate art of Chinese opera for the first time, were met with critical acclaim and packed houses, earning him honorary doctorates from American universities and adulation from both Chinese American communities and the wider public.
The Michelson Museum of Art in Marshall, Texas, recently debuted 'Postcards from Home,' a collaborative exhibition featuring the works of regional artists Don Brown and Max Cole. The opening reception drew a significant local crowd, including three generations of Cole’s descendants, to celebrate the legacy of two figures who captured the landscapes and history of East Texas. The show, which runs through July 4, was organized in partnership with the Harrison County Historical Museum and the Meadows Museum of Art.
The Metropolitan Museum of Art has unveiled its extensive exhibition schedule through June 2026, headlined by the first comprehensive U.S. retrospective of the Renaissance master Raphael. This landmark show will feature over 200 works, including rare loans and masterpieces. Other major highlights include the spring Costume Institute exhibition, "Costume Art," which will inaugurate a new 12,000-square-foot gallery suite, and "Musical Bodies," an interdisciplinary look at the relationship between instruments and the human form.
A new group exhibition, "That Lovely Land of Might-Have-Been," opened at The Falstaff Project in El Paso, featuring works by over twenty artists including Haydee Alonso, Diamond Stingily, and Edward Thomasson. Curated by artist Miguel Bendaña, the show presents a diverse range of media, from video installations to other contemporary forms, and will run from January 29 through March 8, 2026.
Art21 will premiere a new documentary film, "Trey Abdella's Miserable Dream," online on December 10, 2025. The film, directed by Andrew Nadkarni, follows the artist as he draws inspiration from Coney Island and American middle-class aesthetics to create mixed-media paintings that blend skilled representation with unconventional materials.
The Cleveland Museum of Art has opened "Epic of the Northwest Himalayas: Pahari Paintings from the ‘Shangri’ Ramayana," an exhibition featuring 40 rare paintings from a 1700s royal commission. These works, which depict the life of the Hindu deity Rama, have been reunited from 12 different lenders after being dispersed globally for centuries. The display is augmented by digital stations that animate over 100 additional paintings to illustrate the narrative's themes of virtue and heroism.
Artist Megan Jenkinson presents her latest body of work, 'Secateur / Sequitur', at Two Rooms in Auckland. The exhibition features intricate photocollages that blend botanical elements with man-made materials like wire, drawing inspiration from classical philosophy and the Japanese art of ikebana. Jenkinson’s meticulously structured compositions explore the tension between the natural world and human systems of order.
Memphis is undergoing a significant transformation of its cultural landscape as the city's major art institutions evolve to meet modern community needs. The Memphis Brooks Museum of Art is preparing for a landmark move to a new riverfront location where it will be renamed the Memphis Art Museum, offering 50 percent more gallery space. This expansion follows decades of growth for the city's "big three" institutions—the Brooks, the Dixon Gallery & Gardens, and the Metal Museum—which have anchored the local scene since the mid-1970s.
Edinburgh’s Dovecot Studios is launching a major exhibition titled "Elizabeth Blackadder: Her Life in Colour" to celebrate the late artist’s 50-year collaboration with the tapestry studio. The show features over 30 tapestries and hand-tufted rugs, headlined by the debut of a newly created rug based on Blackadder’s 1975 painting, "The Red Bouquet." The exhibition also incorporates works from the Royal Scottish Academy’s collection to provide a comprehensive look at her legacy.
The Everhart Museum in Scranton has unveiled its spring and summer programming, featuring a diverse lineup of exhibitions and community events. Highlights include a NASA-developed immersive exhibition on the Hubble Space Telescope, a long-term installation of Don Clark’s miniature recreations of Scranton landmarks, and a first-of-its-kind exhibition dedicated to the television series "The Office." The season also features collaborative events such as Scranton’s 160th Birthday Block Party and the Electric City Flower Show weekend.
The Newport Art Museum is set to host "Voices of Springboard" on April 16, a moderated panel discussion featuring four artists from its current members' juried exhibition. Led by juror and art consultant Julie Keyes, the event features artists Karin Gielen, Tas Mahr, Saberah S. Malik, and Janice Smyth. The discussion will explore the transition from emerging to professional status, the impact of branding on artistic careers, and how contemporary practices engage with historical museum collections.
The Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine is launching a dual exhibition featuring "From These Hills" and "Making it in America," opening April 14 in Roanoke. "From These Hills," on loan from the William King Museum of Art and curated by Kathy Foley, showcases contemporary Appalachian art across various media that explore regional identity and memory. Complementing this, photojournalist Heather Rousseau’s "Making it in America" documents the lived experiences of immigrants and refugees in Southwest Virginia, capturing the resilience of Afghan, Ukrainian, and Latino newcomers through five years of visual storytelling.
The Nelson Mandela Metropolitan Art Museum in Gqeberha is facing a catastrophic institutional collapse due to years of municipal neglect and a 64% staff vacancy rate. A recent report reveals that the museum’s priceless collection—which includes works by George Pemba, Gladys Mgudlandlu, and LS Lowry—is being threatened by leaking roofs, spreading mold, and failing fire and security systems. While the galleries have been closed to the public for over a year, the facility currently lacks a qualified conservator to address the mounting damage to its historical and contemporary holdings.
A historic section of the original Eiffel Tower staircase is set to be auctioned by Artcurial in Paris on May 21. The nearly nine-foot-tall segment consists of 14 spiral steps that once connected the monument's second and third levels before being dismantled in 1983 to make way for elevators. Estimated to fetch between $140,000 and $175,000, the piece has been held in a private collection for over forty years.