A reader named Elke Bachler writes a letter to The Guardian challenging a sentence in a review of Thomas Laqueur's book *The Dog's Gaze*. The review described a prehistoric scene as showing "a boy and a dog" standing together in wonder before cave art. Bachler argues there is no evidence the child was a boy, noting that archaeology has historically been dominated by men who interpreted evidence through contemporary gender roles.
Ali Zolghadri, a Tehran-born fine art photographer, captured a composite image of the central atrium of the Iran Mall in Tehran—the world's largest shopping mall—which was shortlisted in the creative category of the 2026 Sony World Photography Awards. The photograph, taken four months before the US and Israel launched their war on Iran, depicts the mall's futuristic architecture with sweeping curved lines, metallic surfaces, and massive skylights, and includes a lone passerby to emphasize scale. Zolghadri emphasizes that his process involves manual editing in Photoshop without AI, blending three frames and removing unnecessary elements to construct meaning.
Christie’s will hold a special evening sale in May featuring 16 artworks from the collection of the late Condé Nast chief S.I. Newhouse Jr., valued at a combined $450 million. The works are considered museum-quality trophies from one of the most significant private collections assembled in recent decades.
A set of bronze mirrors by French sculptor Claude Lalanne sold for $33.5 million with fees at Sotheby’s in New York, smashing multiple auction records. The Ensemble of Fifteen Mirrors from 1974 more than doubled its high estimate of $15 million after a 10-minute bidding war between five collectors.
An exhibition titled "Resisting Death: Glitches and Ornaments" is on view at CASTLE in Los Angeles from March 21 to May 2, 2026. Curated by Oriane Durand, the show features works by artists Ull Hohn, Bod Mellor, and Bruno Pélassy, presenting 22 images and no videos in the documentation.
King's Leap gallery in New York presents "There were gardens," a group exhibition running from April 3 to May 9, 2026, featuring works by Dara Birnbaum, Gina Folly, Collin Leitch, Chris Marker, Jeff Preiss, Julia Scher, Jason Simon, and Mira M. Yang. The show includes 37 images documented in the Contemporary Art Library, with photography by Stephen Faught.
Amoureuse des arbres, la sculptrice Lélia Demoisy sublime la nature par l’hybridation
Lélia Demoisy, a French sculptor born in 1991, creates hybrid works that blend wood with animal elements, such as a yew wood sculpture covered in fox fur or a suspended skeleton made from naturally curved thuya branches. She lives in a small village in the Yvelines region, where she works with wood and metal herself, often sourcing materials locally, and recently participated in the Maif pour le vivant committee as the only artist on the jury.
Il giardino di Julie Hamisky, l’artista che fissa l’effimero nel tempo è in mostra in una casa d’aste di Milano
French artist and designer Julie Hamisky presents 'Giardino Alchemico' (Alchemical Garden) at Pandolfini Auction House in Milan during Fuorisalone. The exhibition, organized in collaboration with Galerie Mitterrand of Paris, features around twenty works including monumental sculptures like 'La Géante' (a giant poppy), jewelry, and a chandelier titled 'Aqua'. Hamisky uses electroplating—a 19th-century technique she learned from her father-in-law—to preserve fresh plants and flowers by coating them in metal, freezing them at their peak of beauty before decay. The process involves immersing botanicals in a galvanic bath with electric current, creating unpredictable color variations from deep greens and electric blues to lilacs and warm copper tones.
Il giardino di Julie Hamisky, l’artista che fissa l’effimero nel tempo è in mostra in una casa d’aste di Milano
French artist and designer Julie Hamisky presents 'Giardino Alchemico' (Alchemical Garden) at Pandolfini Auction House in Milan during Fuorisalone 2025. The exhibition, organized in collaboration with Galerie Mitterrand of Paris, features around twenty works including monumental sculptures like 'La Géante' (a giant poppy), jewelry, and a chandelier titled 'Aqua'. Hamisky uses electroplating—a 19th-century technique she learned from her father-in-law—to preserve fresh flowers and botanical forms by coating them in metal, freezing them at the peak of their beauty before decay begins.
Italian artist Tullio Brunone died on April 21. Born in 1946 in Alexandria, Egypt, to an Italian family, he trained at the Accademia di Brera in Milan. A pioneer of video art and new media, Brunone was a key figure in the Laboratorio di Comunicazione Militante (1976-1978) and later co-founded the Scuola di Nuove Tecnologie at Brera in the 1990s. His work explored interaction, temporality, and the selfie phenomenon, anticipating contemporary digital culture. He was represented by Galleria Clivio in Milan, which dedicated part of its stand to him at the most recent miart fair.
Kurdish artist Ahmet Güneştekin has opened a new foundation in Venice at Palazzo Gradenigo, a 16th-century building in the Castello district. The foundation's inaugural exhibition, titled "Sessizlik/Silenzio/Silence," will open on May 6 during the Venice Biennale. The show features 11 new bronze sculptures and 11 oil paintings. The palace, closed to the public for 17 years, was purchased by the artist and is undergoing a conservative restoration led by architects Alberto Torsello and Elisa Santoro, set to complete by late 2026. The foundation, entirely self-funded through sales of Güneştekin's works and royalties, aims to provide exhibition and training opportunities for young artists, especially from Turkey, in an international context.
The iconic Rocky statue, a symbol of Philadelphia and the beloved film franchise, is now the subject of its own dedicated exhibition at a museum after years of tension between the city, the film's creators, and local institutions. The statue, originally created as a prop for the 1976 film 'Rocky' starring Sylvester Stallone, has had a complicated history, moving from the Philadelphia Museum of Art steps to the Spectrum arena and back, with debates over its artistic merit and placement.
The iconic bronze statue of Rocky Balboa, the fictional boxer portrayed by Sylvester Stallone, is moving inside the Philadelphia Museum of Art for the first time starting Saturday, as part of the museum's new exhibition "Rising Up: Rocky and the Making of Monuments." The exhibition, which marks the 50th anniversary of the original film, features over 150 artworks and ancient artifacts, and explores how monuments are created and reinterpreted by artists and communities. The statue had stood outside the museum for more than 20 years and was originally a prop from the 1982 film "Rocky III."
The Philadelphia Museum of Art previewed a new exhibition titled "Rising Up: Rocky and the Making of Monuments," timed to coincide with the nation's 250th anniversary and the 50th anniversary of the "Rocky" film. The exhibition focuses on the iconic Rocky statue at the base of the museum's steps, and a talk featured guest curator Paul Farber and Jacqui Frazier-Lyde, daughter of boxing legend Joe Frazier. A statue of Joe Frazier will be moved to the base of the Art Museum steps, where the Rocky statue once stood. The exhibit opens to the public on April 25, 2026.
Lucio Santiago's bronze sculpture "LA ESPERA" (2015) is listed for sale at US$3,400 through Bernardini Art Gallery & Auction House. The work measures 23 × 19 × 19 cm, is unique, and signed. Lucio Santiago, born in 1987 in Oaxaca de Juárez, is the son of artist Alejandro Santiago. His artistic training includes workshops in photography at the Manuel Álvarez Bravo center and with Katy McFadden, as well as graphic art at Gráfica Bambú and a three-year residency at La Ceiba in Xalapa. His first solo exhibition was in 2007, and he has since shown in Europe and the US. His work explores themes of life and death, incorporating wings, skeletons, mutilated bodies, and animals like eagles, fish, and coyotes.
Fernando Botero (1932–2023) returns to Seoul with his largest retrospective in Asia, opening this Friday at the Hangaram Art Museum, Seoul Arts Center. Curated by Lina Botero and organized with the Fernando Botero Foundation, the exhibition features over 112 works, several never before exhibited. The show, titled "Fernando Botero: The Triumph of Form," runs through August 30, 2026, and highlights the Colombian master's signature visual language of volume, sensuality, irony, and humanity.
Ngununggula, the Southern Highlands regional art gallery, has opened a major all-women exhibition titled *Old Days, New Days | Arlta-imankinya, Arlta-errama*, featuring artists from Tangentyere and Yarrenyty Arltere alongside Arrernte and Kalkadoon artist Thea Anamara Perkins. The show includes painting, sculpture, textiles, video, and works on paper, with a focus on women's roles in sustaining family and community life through care, gathering, and storytelling. Key works include Perkins' portrait series from The Slattery Collection and an immersive installation by Marjorie 'Nunga' Williams. The exhibition runs until 14 June 2026.
Western Washington University’s art department has opened its 2026 biennial exhibition, featuring 20 faculty and staff artists with works spanning painting, photography, sculpture, video, and installation. The show runs through May 2 in the Fine Arts Building, with free admission and interactive pieces that invite viewer participation. New gallery director Kelly Lindner curated the exhibit, which includes works such as Jennifer Anable’s “Tulip Vase (Hell Fire)” and collaborative pieces by multiple artists.
Western Washington University’s art department has opened its 2026 faculty and staff biennial, featuring 20 artists with works spanning painting, photography, sculpture, video, and installation. The exhibition is held in the Fine Arts Building, room 124, and runs Monday through Saturday until May 2, with free admission. New gallery director Kelly Lindner curated the show, which includes interactive pieces and collaborative works. Featured artist Jennifer Anable contributed three works inspired by Skagit Valley and dark humor, emphasizing the importance of students seeing their teachers’ professional practice.
Claudia Keep's solo exhibition "Water, Water, Everywhere" is now on view at Parker Gallery in Los Angeles, featuring oil paintings that focus on water in everyday settings such as pools, beaches, cafes, and car windows splattered with rain. The show includes multi-panel panoramic works like "River swimmer" and "Pool swimmer," which depict swimmers in dynamic, distorted forms, and frames that extend each painting's color palette. The exhibition runs through May 30, 2026.
The Philadelphia Museum of Art has opened a new exhibition centered on the Rocky statue, exploring themes of boxing, celebrity, and the meaning of monuments. The show investigates why millions of visitors from around the world flock to the iconic statue, which sits at the museum's steps, and examines its cultural significance beyond its cinematic origins.
Japanese contemporary artist Mari Ito has opened her first solo exhibition in India, titled 'Origin of Desire,' at Bikaner House in New Delhi. The show features recent paintings and a large-scale installation created between 2024 and the present, exploring themes of identity, resistance, and the human body. Ito's practice is rooted in Nihonga, a classical Japanese painting technique using mineral pigments and sumi ink on washi paper or silk, which she blends with contemporary subject matter. A highlight is the installation 'Flowers Blooming in Defiance of the Bombs,' previously shown in Spain and reimagined for the Indian context. The exhibition is supported by Galerie Geek Art, which aims to connect Asian contemporary artists with Indian audiences.
The article is a promotional piece for an art advisory platform that partners with leading galleries to showcase artists, artworks, and exhibitions. It highlights a curated membership model vetted by industry peers, offering access to influential galleries, collectors, and auction houses. The featured image is Matt Connors' painting "A Bird Flying Through a Tunnel" (2019), an acrylic on canvas work measuring 304.8 x 244.5 x 3.2 cm.
During the Milwaukee Art Museum’s annual Art in Bloom event, the Journal Sentinel gathered feedback from hundreds of attendees and digital survey respondents about what they want from arts coverage. The new arts and culture reporter, who wrote the article, outlines the key requests: more advance event coverage (especially free, family-friendly, and hands-on activities), support for smaller and underground art scenes, profiles of local artists including youth, coverage of overlooked art forms like graffiti and fabric arts, and diverse representation of Latino, women, LGBTQ+, and immigrant artists.
A new international group exhibition titled "Safe Traps" opened at Tütar Gallery in Tallinn, exploring the dual nature of control as both a source of safety and a restrictive cage. Curated by Maria Helen Känd, the show features works by French artist Anaïs Goupy, Latvian artist Līga Spunde, and Estonian artists Ruudu Ulas and Madlen Hirtentreu, examining how contemporary Western society's pursuit of control can become a trap that confines rather than liberates.
Amherst Arts Night Plus returned on April 23 after a six-year hiatus, with 20 venues across downtown opening their doors and over 20 local artists exhibiting their work. Several pieces were sold during the evening, and most venues offered free refreshments and the chance to speak directly with artists. Katie Streater of the Amherst Business Improvement District estimated attendance at about 125 people, and the Amherst Center Cultural District is now exploring a recurring version of the event, possibly quarterly or monthly.
Chester County, Pennsylvania, is home to a vibrant community of artists working across mediums like acrylic paint, watercolors, sculpture, and furniture. The article highlights five local art galleries—Church Street Gallery, Diving Cat Studio Gallery, Square Pear Fine Art Gallery, Sugartown Art and Antiques, and Werring Contemporary—each offering unique exhibitions, classes, and opportunities to purchase original works. It also promotes the upcoming Chester County Studio Tour, an annual event taking place May 16, where artists open their studios to the public.
The Cobre Valley Center for the Arts in Arizona is hosting a month-long Desert Art Show through April, featuring hand-painted items, paintings, and photography from local and international artists including Debbie Yerkovich, Amanda Moore, Jessica Goodwin, Ivan Macarambon, and Wanda Mitchell-Tucker. During the same period, the Center celebrated the 'Week of the Young Child' with a special elementary student display titled 'A Joyful World,' showcasing artwork by local schoolchildren that explores themes of joy, family, and community. The children's exhibit also serves as a tribute to Carolyn Haro, a former key figure at the Center who had long envisioned such a display.
LewAllen Galleries in Santa Fe presents 'Primal field / Interval,' an exhibition of new paintings and monotypes by San Francisco-based artist Henry Jackson, running from May 15 to June 20, 2026. Jackson’s work blends Bay Area Figuration with Abstract Expressionism, using masonry trowels and scrapers to build and excavate layers of oil paint and cold wax, creating elemental fields where the human figure emerges from abstraction. The show also includes oil-based monotypes derived from spontaneous material happenings on the plate.
Yelena Popova's solo exhibition 'Moments of Grace' opens at Osnova gallery's new space in Valencia, Spain, marking a decade of collaboration between the artist and the gallery. The show brings together works from several of Popova's major series, including 'Painting Installations' (2012-2017), 'Evaporating Paintings', 'Post-Petrochemical Paintings', and three jacquard-woven tapestries, tracing her practice over the past fifteen years. Popova approaches each project as part of an interconnected body of work, comparing her logic to garden cultivation—a layered, cyclical process. Her cross-disciplinary research focuses on the material conditions of painting, exploring temporal transformations like evaporation, oxidation, and decay, as well as the dynamics between image, surface, and space.