A big moment for a city that loves art

Geelong Gallery in Australia is preparing to host "Discovering the Impressionists: Paul Durand-Ruel, art dealer among the artists," its most ambitious international exhibition ever, running from 20 June to 11 October. The show features over 70 paintings by Claude Monet, Pierre-Auguste Renoir, Berthe Morisot, Camille Pissarro, and second-generation Impressionists, with most works from a private French collection never before seen in Australia. The exhibition marks the gallery's 130th anniversary and is supported by the Geelong Major Events committee. Separately, the genU artX Regional 2026 exhibition at Rachinger Gallery showcases over 130 works by artists with disabilities or mental illness, on view until 22 May.

Photography, a rapidly growing market: global auctions up 19% and increasing space for contemporary art.

The global photography market experienced a significant surge in 2025, with auction turnover at major houses like Christie's, Sotheby's, and Phillips rising 19.1% to $40.4 million. A key trend identified in the Deloitte Private report is the shift away from specialized photography-only auctions toward the integration of high-value photographic works into broader modern and contemporary art sales. This transition has helped drive the average hammer price up by nearly 39%, as seen with million-dollar results for artists like Man Ray, Cindy Sherman, and William Eggleston.

New documentary provides an inside look at the Harlem Renaissance

A new documentary, *Once Upon a Time in Harlem*, is screening at the Sundance Film Festival in Utah, offering an intimate look at the Harlem Renaissance. The film is assembled from 28 hours of 16mm footage shot in 1972 by the late filmmaker William Greaves at Duke Ellington's home in Harlem, capturing a gathering of key figures from the movement. Greaves's son David, who was one of the original cameramen, completed the film after his father's death. The footage includes interviews and reflections from artists, writers, musicians, and activists such as Romare Bearden, Aaron Douglas, James Van Der Zee, Eubie Blake, and Arna Bontemps.

21c Museum Hotel Louisville hosting public opening for next exhibition

21c Museum Hotel Louisville is hosting a free public opening reception on January 17, 2026, for its new contemporary art exhibition, "Revival: Digging Into Yesterday, Planting Tomorrow." Curated by 21c Museum Director and Chief Curator Alice Gray Stites, the exhibition features 70 works by 47 international artists, including Isaac Julien, Yinka Shonibare, Myrlande Constant, Hew Locke, and Kehinde Wiley. The show explores how examining the past can clarify the present and reimagine the future, with themes of imperial legacies, colonialism, diaspora, and personal memory. It remains on view through December 2026, open 24/7 year-round.

This Garden of Weeds Review: V. Sanjay Kumar Maps the Art World

V. Sanjay Kumar's novel *This Garden of Weeds* explores the Indian art world through a murder mystery centered on the death of a mythic artist, Maya. The story follows her daughter Tara as she uncovers Maya's past through flashbacks involving former art-school classmates—an art critic, a reporter, and a performance artist—while also weaving in subplots about a wealthy family's entry into art collecting, a gallerist's shady dealings, and a reality show for artists. The novel satirizes the fusion of gossip, celebrity, and commerce that defines contemporary art culture.

Persian miniatures and mermaids: Hiba Schahbaz’s garden of delights at the Museum of Contemporary Art North Miami

The Museum of Contemporary Art North Miami has opened "Hiba Schahbaz: The Garden," the first major retrospective of Karachi-born, Brooklyn-based artist Hiba Schahbaz. Curated by Jasmine Wahi, the exhibition spans 15 years of Schahbaz's practice, including loans from private collections, studio works, and new commissions. Anchored by the concept of the jannat (Paradise Garden) rooted in Islamic tradition and Sufi poetry, the show is organized around the elements of earth, water, fire, and air. Schahbaz, trained in the Indo-Persian miniature tradition, works with water-based pigments and tea on handmade paper, and her practice has evolved from small formats to large-scale works, including a 45-foot-by-14-foot mermaid painting commissioned for the Miami show.

Opening of Museum of West African Art in Nigeria delayed after protests

The official preview weekend of the Museum of West African Art (MOWAA) in Benin City, Nigeria, was disrupted on Sunday when a group of protestors broke into the main building. Over 250 invited guests, including donors and diplomats, had gathered for a cultural program featuring the exhibition "Nigeria Imaginary: Homecoming," which was an expanded presentation of the Nigerian Pavilion at the 2024 Venice Biennale. The protestors, wearing red hats, blocked access, shouted accusations about former governor Godwin Obaseki, and forced their way inside, leading to the indefinite cancellation of remaining events. MOWAA subsequently announced a postponement of public opening events, citing the protests and misconceptions about its role, while welcoming a presidential committee to resolve related matters.

The sixth Aichi Triennale seeks to encompass destruction and renewal

The sixth edition of the Aichi Triennale, Japan's largest recurring contemporary art exhibition, opens under the title "A Time Between Ashes and Roses," featuring around 60 artists from 22 countries across venues in Nagoya. Artistic director Hoor Al Qasimi, president of the Sharjah Art Foundation, has curated a program that addresses themes of destruction and renewal, drawing on a poem by Syrian poet Adonis written after the 1967 Six-Day War. The exhibition references both the ongoing conflict in Gaza and the 80th anniversary of the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, with participating artists including John Akomfrah, Simone Leigh, Wangechi Mutu, Michael Rakowitz, and Hiroshi Sugimoto.

Four years on from the Taliban takeover, Afghan women are asserting themselves through art

Four years after the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan in 2021, Afghan women are using art as a means of expression and resistance. The article profiles artist Alina Gawhary, who fled to study art in Belfast, and highlights the work of the UK-based NGO Turquoise Mountain, which collaborates with women carpet weavers in Bamiyan. Afghan-British artist Maryam Omar collected poetry from illiterate weavers and designed watercolor patterns that were woven into carpets, displayed in the selling exhibition "Weaving Poems" at Sotheby's in London. The exhibition foregrounds the women's creative voices and returns profits to the weavers.

The rise of contemporary African art in a global market

The article reports on the rapid growth of the contemporary African art market, which has more than doubled in value since 2016 to an estimated annual combined value of $72 million. Sales of ultra-contemporary works by African-born artists under 45 surged from $16.2 million in 2020 to $40.6 million in 2021, and the market could reach $1.5 billion this year. Aspire Art, a South African auction house, has set records for artists like Joseph Ntensibe, whose painting *Forest Scene* sold for R924,200, and Nicholas Hlobo, whose work *Intlambo yochulumanco* fetched R1,479,400.

Animated Bodies

Animierte Körper

Latefa Wiersch presents her exhibition "Atlas Studios" at the Istituto Svizzero in Rome, featuring unsettling, puppet-like sculptures that resemble film sets. The works explore themes of bodily helplessness, imperfection, and geopolitical displacement, drawing on her earlier project "Hannibal" at the Dortmunder Kunstverein, which addressed post-migrant German realities and the demolition of a housing complex. The new installation references the Atlas Studios in Ouarzazate, Morocco, and the history of cinema, with figures made from rags and nylon stockings that appear as actors or set workers.

GARAICOA AND IBARRA FEATURED IN CAAM S INAUGURAL GROUP SHOW

The Centro Atlántico de Arte Moderno (CAAM) in Gran Canaria has opened a new group exhibition titled 'Construyendo Colección. Últimas adquisiciones,' featuring five recently acquired works. The show highlights pieces by artists Carlos Garaicoa and Karlo Andrei Ibarra, as well as Canarian artists Esther Aldaz, Teresa Arozena, and Yapci Ramos, presenting a mix of photography, sculpture, and site-specific installation.

Participatory Design or Processual Formalism? Frei Otto, the Ökohaus, and the Ökohäusler by Matthew Kennedy

The Ökohaus (Eco-House) project in Berlin stands as a radical experiment in participatory architecture, born from the 1987 Internationale Bauausstellung (IBA) urban renewal program. Designed by Frei Otto, the complex features three residential buildings characterized by a 'double informality' where dense foliage and a patchwork of diverse cladding materials—ranging from timber and metallic shingles to exposed concrete—create a ruin-like yet meticulously resolved aesthetic. The project challenged traditional housing models by allowing residents, or 'Ökohäusler,' to engage in a collective and individualized construction process.

First solo U.S. exhibition for Columbia-based artist to open at Gallery Blue Door

Temi Wynston Edun, a Columbia-based artist originally from Ibadan, Nigeria, will open his first solo U.S. exhibition, “Within Reach of Silence,” at Gallery Blue Door in Baltimore on January 17, 2026. The show features 18 oil-stick-on-canvas works that explore themes of stillness, restraint, and layered meaning through figurative painting, with the exhibition running through April 18, 2026.

Gabrielle Goliath to Show Work Banned from Venice Biennale Outside Main Exhibition

South African artist Gabrielle Goliath will present her work 'Elegy' at the Chiesa di Sant’Antonin in Venice, after her government-appointed exhibition for the South African pavilion at the 61st Venice Biennale was abruptly canceled. The pavilion will remain empty for the event's duration, while Goliath's project, sponsored by the Bertha Foundation and London's Ibraaz, will be shown nearby from May to July.

Curiosities at the 2026 Venice Biennale: the Tanzania Pavilion is full of Italian artists

Curiosità alla Biennale di Venezia 2026: il Padiglione della Tanzania è pieno di artisti italiani

The Tanzania Pavilion at the 2026 Venice Biennale, titled "Minor Frequencies: The Inner Life of a Nation," features a significant number of Italian artists alongside Tanzanian voices. Curated by Lorna Benedict Mashiba and Martina Cavallarin, the exhibition is housed across the Gervasuti Foundation, Palazzo Canova, and Supernova in Cannaregio. It includes works by 14 Italian artists such as Alice Andreoli, Christian Balzano, and Silvia Canton, as well as artists from Europe and Asia, while centering the practices of Tanzanian artists like Turakella Editha Gyindo, Lazaro Samuel, Valerie Asiimwe Amani, and Amani Abeid.

Scandal in Florence's Skyline? After the Black Cube and the White Cylinder, the Prism That Impales Santa Croce Appears

Scandalo nello skyline di Firenze? Dopo il cubo nero e il cilindro bianco spunta il prisma che impalla Santa Croce

A cylindrical antenna installed by the telecom company Iliad in Florence has sparked controversy after it was reported that, from certain angles, it visually overlaps with iconic landmarks such as Brunelleschi's Dome and Giotto's Campanile. The article traces a pattern of periodic scandals in Florence, including a previous uproar over the so-called "Cubo Nero" (a new building replacing a decaying theater), and notes that the antenna has actually been in place since 2023 without earlier outcry. Local artist Giacomo Costa recently photographed another white prismatic antenna in Via Ghibellina, within the UNESCO zone, that obstructs the view of Santa Croce, fueling further debate.

‘Good for the soul’: Local art show opens at Oshawa art gallery tonight

The Oshawa Art Association (OAA) is hosting the opening reception and awards night for its 58th annual juried art exhibition tonight at The Robert McLaughlin Gallery in Oshawa, Ontario. The free event runs from 6 to 9 p.m., featuring live music by local singer David Saliba, attendance from local politicians, and a cash bar. The exhibition, which includes over 100 artworks selected from nearly 300 submissions, will remain on display until May 10. Categories include wildlife, people, abstracts, sculptures, and a youth category for artists aged 12 to 18, with $3,000 in total prize money awarded by jurors Hi-Sook Barker and Lucy Manley.

Nigerian art, culture returns to Atlanta in historic international exhibition

Fulton County Arts & Culture in Atlanta has announced "Threads of Heritage: A Cultural Confluence Connecting Africa to Atlanta," a major Nigerian-American cultural exchange initiative running from May to June 2026. The program, led by Nigerian textile icon Nike Monica Okundaye and involving Nike Art & Culture Foundation, Nike Art USA, and UniSpectrum Inc., will feature Nigerian artists, cultural practitioners, bata dancers, and tradition bearers in visual arts, textile traditions, muralism, sculpture, storytelling, workshops, and youth education at the Fulton County Arts & Culture Downtown Exhibition Space.

Exhibitions on view in July at Southwest Florida art centers

Southwest Florida is home to over a dozen art centers, and in July 2025, 24 exhibitions are on view across venues from Sarasota to Marco Island. Highlights include Art Center Sarasota's 'Vice and Virtue: Annual Juried Regional Show,' juried by curator Jessica Todd, exploring morality and duality; Venice Art Center's solo shows by Karen Weih and Cosette Kosiba; the 'Over the Bridge' exhibition at Visual Arts Center in Punta Gorda featuring B.A. Wikoff and Lily Obsitnik; and the 'Member’s Showcase Exhibit' at the same venue. Satellite shows and the DeSoto Arts Center's annual art show round out the month's offerings.

Anne-Claire Legendre: 'Restoring serenity and transparency to the institution'

Anne-Claire Legendre : « Redonner de la sérénité et de la transparence à l’institution »

Anne-Claire Legendre has been appointed to succeed Jack Lang as president of the Institut du Monde Arabe (IMA) in Paris. A French diplomat, Legendre aims to restore confidence in the institution through governance reform, increased transparency, and a new strategic plan following an external financial audit.

The Journal of Antiquarians and Galleries No. 10 Has Just Been Published

Le Journal des Antiquaires et Galeries n°10 vient de paraître

The tenth issue of Le Journal des Antiquaires et Galeries has been released, focusing on the resilience of the art market amidst geopolitical and economic headwinds. The publication highlights major spring events including Art Paris, Art Brussels, and the Paris Gallery Weekend, while introducing the newly formed Federation of Art Market Actors (FAM’Art).

“100% L’Expo”: 5 Young Talents Shaping Today’s Art at La Villette

« 100 % L’Expo » : 5 jeunes talents qui font l’art d’aujourd’hui à La Villette

The Grande Halle de La Villette in Paris is hosting "100% L’Expo," a major showcase featuring emerging talents from art schools across France. Curated by Inès Geoffroy, this year’s edition highlights a diverse range of multidisciplinary installations focusing on themes of living ecosystems, diasporic memories, and new spiritualities. Notable participants include Zoé Saudrais, whose work blends activism with ceramics and textiles, and Joséphine Berthou, who presents a tense, two-screen video installation exploring social aggression.

Nomad Artist Explores the Meaning of Home Through a London Exhibition

Illustrator Molly Maine, who has been traveling the world since 2016 while running her remote design studio, is opening her first solo exhibition in London. Titled "Nomad: Perspectives on Home in a Changing Japan," the show grew out of her experiences at the Colive Fukuoka conference and an artist residency in Kanazawa. During her time in Japan, Maine interviewed both earthquake evacuees from the Noto Peninsula and digital nomads who had relocated there, exploring contrasting experiences of displacement and belonging. The exhibition weaves together these voices through illustration commissions that examine what defines home.

Exhibition: Living Here

The Marjorie Barrick Museum of Art in Las Vegas will present 'Living Here,' an exhibition running from June 20 to December 20, 2025, featuring 26 artists from the East and Southeast Asian diasporas. The show explores how food, clothing, movies, and everyday objects carry the sensory and emotional weight of diaspora, with works ranging from painting and sculpture to video and installation. Artists include Eliza O. Barrios, Ching Ching Cheng, Jiha Moon, Stephanie Shih, TT Takemoto, and Christine Wong Yap, among others. The exhibition incorporates oral histories from the Reflections: The Las Vegas Asian American and Pacific Islander Oral History Project at UNLV Libraries.

Art exhibitions in Chiang Mai this April

Chiang Mai’s art scene is hosting a diverse range of exhibitions this April, anchored by a major retrospective of Araya Rasdjarmrearnsook at the MAIIAM Contemporary Art Museum. The survey, curated by Kittima Chareeprasit and Roger Nelson, spans four decades of the artist's provocative video and installation works. Other highlights include Myrtille Tibayrenc’s installation of 108 Buddha paintings at the Museum of Something (MOS), Chatchai Notananda’s process-oriented solo show at Haan Studio, and Houda Bakkali’s digital compositions at Alliance Française.

‘Master Artist AA Raiba: A Unilateral Eclectic’: An art exhibition

An exhibition titled 'Master Artist AA Raiba: A Unilateral Eclectic' is currently on view at Thapar Gallery in New Delhi, showcasing works by Abdul Aziz Raiba from the 1950s and 1960s. The retrospective highlights Raiba’s diverse practice, including murals, paintings on jute, reverse glass paintings, serigraphs, calligraphy, and sketches, and features landscape works from his Kashmir sojourn between 1957 and 1959.

Pond Gallery in Fayetteville, Arkansas

Pond Gallery, a new artist-run exhibition space, has opened in the basement of a former flower shop on the downtown square in Fayetteville, Arkansas. Founded in May 2024 by artist-friends Taylor Loftin, Ty Barnes, and Christian Schultz, the gallery operates on a DIY model, with the founders handling construction, curation, and rent. Its programming, including recent shows by Akeylah Imani Wellington and Natalie Conway, focuses on creating a communal hub for local artists.

sicily roman villa flip flop mosaic 1234749639

Archaeologists at the Villa Romana del Casale in Sicily have uncovered a mosaic in the frigidarium (cold bath) of the southern baths featuring a pair of flip-flops and the inscription "Treptona bibas," likely referencing a woman involved in managing the complex. The discovery was made during the University of Bologna's Summer School ArchLABS program, which trains students from 11 countries in modern excavation techniques. The flip-flop motif, known from other Late Roman bath decorations across Spain, Cyprus, Jordan, and Asia Minor, signals the aristocratic and cosmopolitan character of the baths.

Minnesota Marine Art Museum celebrates two new collections with weekend events

The Minnesota Marine Art Museum in Winona is hosting a "Spring New Look Weekend" from Friday through Sunday to celebrate two new collections. The first, "Myths & Legends of Minnesota: An Exhibition of the Minnesota Plein Air Collective," features 43 paintings by 32 artists created outdoors across the state, focusing on folklore, oral traditions, and waterways. The second, "Gordon Coons: Gidibaajimomin / We Tell Stories," showcases 18 new works by Ojibwa artist Gordon Coons, along with earlier pieces and examples of Woodland Style art from Norval Morrisseau and Sam Ash. The weekend includes plein air painting demonstrations, a printmaking activity with Coons, meet-the-artist tours, and an evening social.