Hyperallergic’s Guide to the 2026 Venice Biennale

Hyperallergic has published its guide to the 2026 Venice Biennale, detailing what to see and do at this year's edition. The guide covers the three main categories of the Biennale—the Giardini with 29 permanent national pavilions, the Arsenale with temporary rented spaces, and collateral events across the city. Key developments include the return of Russia to its permanent Giardini pavilion and Israel's participation with a new contractual stipulation preventing its artist from closing the pavilion, after Ruth Patir's protest in 2024. South Africa withdrew following the cancellation of Gabrielle Goliath's video installation 'Elegy,' which mourns victims of Israel's genocide in Gaza and will now be shown at a historic church. The United States will be represented by Alma Allen after Barbara Chase-Riboud stepped down, and Qatar is set to become the first country in decades to build a new pavilion in the Giardini.

editors picks december 17

Artnet News's weekly roundup highlights six free holiday-themed art installations and events across New York City through early January 2019. Featured works include Bovey Lee's paper snowflake installation 'Flower Knot Snowflake' at 10 Hudson Yards, Studio Cadena's yellow vinyl 'Happy' installation at Flatiron Plaza, David Hoey's window displays at Bergdorf Goodman, a For Freedoms Christmas tree at the New York EDITION hotel, LAB at Rockwell Group's 'Luminaries' light show at Brookfield Place, and a Charles Dickens manuscript exhibition at the Morgan Library & Museum.

5 Exhibitions in Avignon and its Surroundings to Shine from Spring to Summer

5 expos à Avignon et ses environs pour rayonner du printemps à l’été

A series of five art exhibitions are scheduled from spring to autumn 2026 in and around Avignon, France. The program includes a refreshed permanent display of 1980s art at the Collection Lambert featuring Jean-Michel Basquiat and Nan Goldin, a solo show by Julien Prévieux critiquing artificial intelligence at Le Grenier à Sel, a photography exhibition of South Korean landscapes by Michael Kenna at Galerie Rousset, and other shows focusing on artists from Asia and the Middle East.

Sinners, Maurizio Cattelan Is Taking Confession

Maurizio Cattelan has launched a participatory artwork and sales campaign titled 'The Confessional,' where people can call a hotline to submit their sins for his consideration. Selected participants will be invited to a livestreamed event on April 23 where Cattelan, acting as a priest, will absolve them. The project is tied to the re-release of his controversial 1999 sculpture 'La Nona Ora,' a miniature wax figure of Pope John Paul II struck by a meteorite.

Bodies in Motion, Bodies at Rest: Ali Cherri in Conversation with Kaelen Wilson-Goldie

This article presents a conversation between artist Ali Cherri and writer Kaelen Wilson-Goldie, marking the second installment of a collaborative series between TextWork by Fondation Pernod Ricard and Mousse Magazine. The series features in-depth dialogues between artists from the TextWork program and magazine contributors, expanding on the traditional interview format, and is set to continue until 2027.

Weekly News Roundup: April 16, 2026

The art landscape in Asia is undergoing significant shifts with Art Basel renewing its five-year commitment to Hong Kong and the Centre Pompidou announcing a June opening for its new Seoul branch. Meanwhile, the Ayala Foundation unveiled designs by architect Kulapat Yantrasast for Kontempo, a major new contemporary art center in Manila slated for 2028, and the Kochi-Muziris Biennale appointed Jitish Kallat as president following the resignation of cofounder Bose Krishnamachari.

louvre to restore empress eugenie crown

The Louvre Museum in Paris will restore Empress Eugénie's crown, which was severely damaged during a $102 million heist on October 19, 2025. Thieves broke into the museum, used an angle grinder to cut through a display case, and stole crown jewels, but dropped the crown in their escape. The lightweight, diamond-and-emerald crown was deformed, with four of its eight decorative palmettes broken off and one gold eagle missing. However, all 65 emeralds and most of the 1,354 diamonds remain intact. The museum has opened a bidding process for an accredited restorer, overseen by an expert committee chaired by Louvre director Laurence des Cars, to reshape and fully restore the piece for display in the Galerie d'Apollon.

London 20th/21st Century Frieze Week sales achieve a running total of £141.8m / $189.7m / €162.75m

Christie’s 20th/21st Century: London Evening Sale during Frieze Week 2025 achieved £106.9 million, up 30% year-on-year, with a 90% sell-through rate by value. The top lot was Peter Doig’s *Ski Jacket* (1994), sold for £14.27 million after intense bidding, part of the Ole Faarup Collection, which raised £27.3 million total for the Ole Faarup Art Foundation. Other notable sales included works by Lucian Freud, Paula Rego, Gerhard Richter, Pablo Picasso, and Suzanne Valadon, with more than half of all lots selling above high estimate.

parties vhernier pae white jewelry frieze la

Vhernier hosted an elegant private reception in Los Angeles to unveil a new jewelry collection designed by LA-based multidisciplinary artist Pae White. The event, held at the home of esteemed collector and Museo Jumex founder Eugenio López, brought together a global crowd including MOCA board chair Carolyn Powers, gallerist Francesca Kaufmann, curator Valérie-Anne Giscard d’Estaing, visual artist Jwan Yosef, and Chanel’s President of Arts, Culture & Heritage Yana Peel. The collection, inspired by a crab’s exoskeleton, is crafted in white gold, abalone, jade, sapphires, and rock crystal, with only two iterations of each design produced.

best outdoor new york activities

This article from Cultured magazine highlights seven outdoor art and performance activities in New York City for summer 2024. It covers MoMA PS1's Warm Up dance party series featuring monumental sculptures by Yto Barrada, Socrates Sculpture Park's annual fellows exhibition themed "Up/Rooted," Little Island's adventurous performance series including works by Suzan-Lori Parks and Laurie Anderson, Wave Hill's 60th-anniversary installations with Yoko Ono's wish tree and works by Monica Duncan and Sarah Jimenez, the Beach Sessions Dance Series on Rockaway Beach, and SummerStage NYC's music performances in Central Park.

art nicola lees aspen art museum

Nicola Lees, director of the Aspen Art Museum since 2020, discusses her tenure and the launch of AIR, a new initiative that blends festival, think tank, and public artwork to cultivate artists as leaders. The weeklong kickoff event begins with a closed-door session for artists, scientists, and technologists, followed by citywide programming from July 29 to 31. Lees reflects on how the museum's remote Colorado location has become an asset, enabling durational projects like Precious Okoyomon's rooftop garden, and emphasizes artist-centered programming and long-term collaborations.

In Her First Solo Museum Show, Jordan Casteel’s Humanizing Portraits Get Even Closer An interview with the artist

Jordan Casteel is preparing for her first solo museum exhibition, "Jordan Casteel: Returning the Gaze," a 29-painting survey opening at the Denver Art Museum. The article traces her journey from a Yale School of Art graduate, where she painted nude black men with a focus on individuality and humanity, to a rising star in contemporary portraiture. Her career was launched by a 2014 solo show at Sargent's Daughters gallery, leading to a residency at the Studio Museum in Harlem and representation by gallerist Casey Kaplan.

Exhibition | Meg Webster, 'Thicket' at Paula Cooper Gallery, 521 West 21st Street, New York, United States

Meg Webster's exhibition 'Thicket' opens May 9 at Paula Cooper Gallery, 521 West 21st Street, New York, featuring new sculptures and drawings. The centerpiece is a large spiral installation made from plant cuttings, inviting viewers inside for an immersive sensory experience. The show follows Webster's major presentation at Dia Beacon (2024–2026) and her inclusion in 'Minimal' at Bourse de Commerce - Pinault Collection, Paris (2025–2026). Also on view are monochromatic works on paper made by rubbing organic materials onto the surface, and a three-part beeswax relief.

Review: The Good, The Bad and The Venice Biennale

The article reviews the 2024 Venice Biennale, focusing on controversies over Russia's and Israel's participation. Protests erupted during opening week, leading the EU to cut funding and the International Jury to resign. As a result, awards like the Golden Lion and Silver Lion will be decided by public vote, with many pavilions and artists withdrawing in protest. The main exhibition, curated under the theme 'Minor Keys,' features standout works by Alfredo Jaar and Carrie Schneider, alongside national pavilions like Austria's provocative entry by Florentina Holzinger.

The National Gallery of Art’s Dear America Needs a Postscript

The National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C. has opened "Dear America," an exhibition organized around the themes of "Land," "Community," and "Freedom" that attempts to survey the entire history of the United States through its collection. The show features works by artists including Mitch Epstein, Victoria Sambunaris, Sedrick E. Huckaby, and Nancy Andrews, with sections on the American landscape, industrialization, and diverse communities. However, the review notes that the exhibition feels overly literal, with American flags prominently featured and a sense of ticking off boxes rather than offering a challenging or intellectually rigorous presentation.

After the Afterparty: Berlin Art Tests Its Pulse during Gallery Weekend

Gallery Weekend Berlin took place from late April into early May, drawing large crowds despite ongoing concerns about the city's declining art-market relevance. The weekend kicked off with early previews on Wednesday, including Alex Heide's solo exhibition "the darkroom beams horizons" at the new space Klix, and continued with events at Sprüth Magers, the Between Bridges Foundation, and the hidden venue CHB Fine Arts, which featured works by Nairy Baghramian, Jack O'Brien, Sofia Duchovny, Ilya Lipkin, and Mania Godarzani-Bakhtiari. Friday, coinciding with May Day, saw gallery visits at Molitor and KOW, where Ketuta Alexi-Meskhishvili and Candice Breitz presented solo shows.

Sebastiaan Bremer: Super Modern Things

Edwynn Houk Gallery presents "Super Modern Things," an exhibition of new works by Sebastiaan Bremer. The artworks blend photography and painting, starting from historical source images such as 17th-century Dutch botanical catalogues and Golden Age still life paintings. Bremer photographs these reproductions and adds ink and acrylic marks—dots, lines, stains, and washes—creating rhythms that evoke language, music, emotion, and constellations. The exhibition continues his long-standing exploration of flowers and the layered histories of still life, addressing themes of beauty, mortality, value, ecology, and global exchange. An accompanying monograph of his flower series is scheduled for Fall 2026.

Lake Flato Shapes a Stunning New Art Space in Texas Hill Country

A new art space called Arthouse is opening on April 25, 2026, in Marble Falls, Texas. Designed by the architecture firm Lake Flato, the 2,000-square-foot white building will display works from the personal collection of philanthropists Mickey and Jeanne Klein, including pieces by Mary C. Sloane, Kenturah Davis, Faith Ringgold, Ed Ruscha, James Turrell, and Teresita Fernández. The debut exhibition, "Words Matter," curated by Mickey Klein, explores text and narrative and coincides with the town's Paint the Town Art Festival. The building also features a courtyard designed by landscape designer Sada Uchiyama.

CK Reed Illustrates Chicago's Neighbors Boutique Art Fair

Artist and illustrator CK Reed provides a visual and narrative account of the inaugural Neighbors Boutique Art Fair in Chicago. Founded by Mirka Serrato and curated by Jonny Tana, the fair transformed a historic residence on Astor Street in the Gold Coast into an intimate, domestic exhibition space. The event focused on a "non-conforming cultural proposal," deliberately platforming underrepresented communities and galleries within a setting that prioritized human connection over the typical commercial whirlwind of larger fairs.

What does 250 years of American art look like?

The National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C. has launched "Dear America," a major exhibition commemorating the U.S. semiquincentennial through more than 100 works on paper. Drawing from the museum’s deep permanent holdings, the show features a diverse range of media including photography, lithographs, and artist books by figures such as Andy Warhol, Ansel Adams, Faith Ringgold, and Kara Walker. The curation spans 250 years, juxtaposing iconic American imagery with lesser-known folk art and contemporary works that explore the complexities of national identity.

The US struggles with history, Stephen Friedman Gallery closes, Tudor Heart pendant acquired by the British Museum—podcast

The United States is experiencing significant cultural and political disputes as it approaches the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence in July 2026. A recent flashpoint involved the Trump administration removing the rainbow Pride flag from the Stonewall Monument in New York, highlighting deep societal divisions over history and representation. Concurrently, various cultural initiatives are being planned to mark the semiquincentennial.

Rose Art Museum Presents Yinka Shonibare: Sanctuary Opening February 11, 2026

The Rose Art Museum at Brandeis University will present 'Yinka Shonibare: Sanctuary,' a major exhibition opening in February 2026. The show centers on the U.S. debut of Shonibare's monumental installation, *Sanctuary City* (2024), which features 18 illuminated, scaled-down replicas of historical and contemporary refuge buildings, each lined with the artist's signature Dutch wax textiles.

William Nicholson

A major exhibition of William Nicholson (1872-1949) has opened at Pallant House Gallery in Chichester, running from 22 November 2025 to 10 May 2026. It is his first major show in 20 years and spans his entire career, featuring bold posters, woodcuts, portraits, still lifes, and graphic works. The exhibition highlights his collaborations under the name J & W Beggarstaff, his celebrated series *An Alphabet* and *London Types*, and his portraits of both society figures and people from lower social classes. It also includes his book illustrations for works such as *The Velveteen Rabbit* and *Memoirs of a Fox-Hunting Man*.

Eighty Years of Women Artists Transforming Abstraction

The National Museum of Women in the Arts (NMWA) in Washington, D.C., will host "Making Their Mark: Works from the Shah Garg Collection" from February 27 to July 26, 2026. The exhibition features 80 works by 69 women artists, including Magdalena Abakanowicz, Cecily Brown, Julie Mehretu, and Kara Walker, spanning 1946 to 2024. Curated by Cecilia Alemani, the show is drawn from the collection of Komal Shah and Gaurav Garg and organized by the Making Their Mark Foundation. It is structured around seven thematic sections such as "Craft is Art" and "Disobedient Bodies," highlighting the role of women in abstract art.

What’s on now at San Francisco museums, December 2025

This article provides a comprehensive guide to current and upcoming exhibitions at San Francisco museums in December 2025. Highlights include "Printing Color: Chiaroscuro to Screenprint" closing January 4, "Rave into the Future: Art in Motion" closing January 12 at the Asian Art Museum, and the upcoming San Francisco Art Week from January 17 to 25. The Legion of Honor features "Manet and Morisot" through March 1, offering a deep dive into the artistic dialogue between Édouard Manet and Berthe Morisot, alongside "Drawn to Venice" opening January 24. The de Young Museum presents "Boom and Bust: Photographing Northern California," while the Museum of the African Diaspora showcases "Unbound: Art, Blackness and the Universe" and "Continuum: MoAD Over Time." A tribute to Lawrence Ferlinghetti, including his exhibition at the Legion of Honor, is also featured.

December Book Bag: from a photographic record of a lost nightclub to the tale of an accidental art heist

This article presents a roundup of four new art-related book releases for December. It covers Liz Johnson Artur's photographic monograph 'PDA' documenting a queer Black club night in London from 2011 to 2021; a survey of William Nicholson's career edited by Simon Martin, accompanying an exhibition at Pallant House Gallery; a monograph on Sandy Skoglund's surreal installations tied to a show at the McNay Art Museum; and Whit Rummel and Noah Charney's true-crime memoir 'The Accidental Picasso Thief' about a stolen Picasso painting that ended up in a forklift operator's home.

Boulder County art shows on exhibit this week

This week's Boulder County art listings feature a wide array of exhibitions across more than 20 galleries and museums. Highlights include the Boulder Museum of Contemporary Art's "MediaLive: Data Rich, Dirt Poor," exploring value and values through environmental and cultural lenses, and BMoCA at Frasier's "Interiors" by Jordan Wolfson, showcasing two decades of oil paintings, graphite drawings, and charcoal works. Other notable shows include "Camp: Queer Arts and Crafts and the Beauty of Imperfection" by Allyson McDuffie at Kin Studio and Gallery, "Love Letters to Life" by Roddy MacInnes at East Window, and "Sacred Mythologies" at NoBo Art Center. The listings also include ongoing exhibitions at the Museum of Boulder, Canyon Theater and Gallery, and several commercial galleries featuring local and international artists.

‘Wear layers and chic waterproof shoes’: Cherry Cheng on the art she collects, the London food she loves and how she survives Frieze week

Cherry Cheng, an art collector and founder of the high-end perfume house Jouissance, discusses her art-buying habits, favorite London spots, and Frieze week plans in an interview. She studied at Sotheby's Institute of Art and Goldsmiths, worked for Gurr Johns, and now collects works by artists such as Tancredi di Carcaci and Anastasia Pavlou, while supporting institutions like the Serpentine, Studio Voltaire, and the Institute of Contemporary Arts.

16 Hidden Art Gems You Can Visit for Free During Open House New York

Open House New York returns for 2025 from October 17 to 19, offering free or low-cost access to over 340 venues across all five boroughs, including architectural landmarks, cultural institutions, and hidden spaces not normally open to the public. Highlights include the filtration system at Astoria Pool, behind-the-scenes tours of a Goodwill in Brooklyn, a passive house in Harlem, and art-focused sites such as MTA Arts and Design subway tours, the Whitney Museum's flood mitigation system by Renzo Piano, and the Morbid Anatomy Museum. The event features 164 drop-in venues and 178 ticketed sites at $7 per person, with tickets released on October 3.

25 of 2025: 5 Painters Who’ve Been Catching Our Eye

Artnet News has spotlighted five painters in its '25 of 2025' series, highlighting emerging talents defining the year. Among them are Pol Taburet, a Parisian painter known for bold color palettes and a rising market presence, with works selling above estimates at Sotheby's and Artcurial, and Maja Ruznic, a Bosnian-born artist whose haunting, jewel-toned works earned comparisons to Klimt and Rothko and a standout at the 2024 Whitney Biennial. Taburet is set to feature in the 36th Bienal de São Paulo, while Ruznic recently opened a solo exhibition at Karma Gallery and is included in Site Santa Fe International.