Exhibition | Jorge Molder, 'Lusco-fusco' at Galerie Bernard Bouche, Paris, France

Galerie Bernard Bouche in Paris is presenting 'Lusco-fusco', a new exhibition by Portuguese photographer Jorge Molder, opening March 28. The show features two interrelated photographic series, 'Dorothy' (black and white) and 'Cesare' (color), which extract and rework still images from Robert Wiene's 'The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari' (1920) and Victor Fleming's 'The Wizard of Oz' (1939). Molder halts the cinematic narrative to explore stillness, ambiguity, and the motifs of masks, dreams, and multiple identities through self-portraiture.

Wrapped for Travel: On "The American Connection" by Peter Halley and "Black Painter, White Figuration" by Maxwell Alexandre

Two simultaneous exhibitions at Almeida & Dale in São Paulo present contrasting visions: American artist Peter Halley's "The American Connection," curated by Antonio Gonçalves Filho, features his signature geometric abstractions using Roll-A-Tex and Day-Glo colors to critique digital confinement and post-industrial surfaces. Brazilian artist Maxwell Alexandre shows works from his "Clube" series, depicting Black bodies navigating exclusionary leisure spaces. The pairing is deliberate, not for aesthetic dialogue but to juxtapose an established international artist with a rising Brazilian talent, timed to coincide with SP-ARTE.

Emerging artist Charlie Gosling is being compared to Frank Auerbach. Discover his haunting portraits in London

Emerging artist Charlie Gosling, a 2023 graduate of Camberwell College of Arts, is gaining attention for his evocative portraits that draw comparisons to Frank Auerbach and Willem de Kooning. His second solo exhibition at London's Incubator gallery, titled "Good Luck with Me Here," features intimate portraits of friends and family, created through a process of layering and scraping paint to achieve an almost abstract quality. The show runs until 24 May.

A Guide To May 2026 Photography Festivals & Exhibitions

A diverse array of international photography festivals and exhibitions are scheduled for May 2026. Key events include Bieler Fototage in Switzerland, focusing on vulnerability as a social condition; Photo London, which is relocating to the Olympia and introducing new curated sections; Hard Copy New York at the ICP, exploring photocopied imagery; Fotofestival Lenzburg, an open-air exhibition in Switzerland; and several other events across Europe and the US.

Karl Ullger in Berlin exhibition with artist collective Cane-Yo

Artist Karl Ullger is participating in a group exhibition titled 'Running with Scissors' at Anders Galerie in Berlin. The show features over 40 artists from the global online collective Cane-Yo, including six of Ullger's figurative oil paintings, three of which are new works created specifically for the event.

Artexpo New York Returns to Pier 36 for 49th Annual Showcase

Artexpo New York has returned to Pier 36 for its 49th annual edition, featuring over 70,000 square feet of exhibition space. Hosted by Redwood Art Group, the fair showcases a diverse range of media from more than 20 countries, divided into the main Artexpo Pavilion for established galleries and the [SOLO] Pavilion for independent artists. The 2026 program includes interactive Art Labs, the affordable Discoveries Collection, and the prestigious Spotlight Program, which honors six selected artists and galleries.

Exhibition | Yue Minjun, 'Crab' at Tang Contemporary Art, Hong Kong

Tang Contemporary Art in Hong Kong is hosting 'Crab', a comprehensive solo exhibition by the renowned Chinese contemporary artist Yue Minjun. The show traces three decades of his career, featuring his iconic 'Laughing Face' series alongside newer works like the 'Flower Series' and 'Stack Series' that utilize diverse mediums including oil, sculpture, and printmaking.

Hopkins Bloomberg Center exhibition to explore American art as cultural diplomacy

The Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg Center is launching a new exhibition titled "Artistic Generosity and the American Artist Abroad," showcasing four decades of American art commissioned for U.S. embassies worldwide. Opening April 7 at the Irene and Richard Frary Gallery, the show features site-specific commissions, prints, and photographs from the Foundation for Art and Preservation in Embassies (FAPE) collection, including works by Frank Stella, Ellsworth Kelly, and Julie Mehretu.

Hopkins Bloomberg Center exhibition to explore American art as cultural diplomacy

The Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg Center is set to launch a new exhibition titled 'Artistic Generosity and the American Artist Abroad,' showcasing four decades of American art commissioned for U.S. embassies. Opening April 7 at the Irene and Richard Frary Gallery, the show features works from the Foundation for Art and Preservation in Embassies (FAPE) by renowned artists including Sam Gilliam, Ellsworth Kelly, Julie Mehretu, and Martin Puryear. Highlights include never-before-seen maquettes by Don Gummer and the late Frank Stella, alongside a replica of the Declaration of Independence donated by David M. Rubenstein.

Sonia Borrell's new StudioToGallery finds 9 in 10 independent artists say connections outweigh talent

Sonia Borrell has launched StudioToGallery, a new platform designed to bridge the gap between independent artists and the commercial art market. A survey conducted by the initiative revealed a striking consensus among creators, with 90% of independent artists stating that professional networking and industry connections are more influential to career success than raw artistic talent.

Rediscovered Rubens and a woolly mammoth head star at Brafa fair in Brussels

Brafa, Belgium's premier art and antiques fair, has expanded for its 71st edition, now featuring 147 exhibitors across three halls in the Brussels Expo convention centre. Highlights include a newly rediscovered Peter Paul Rubens painting, *Portrait of an Old Man* (around 1609), priced at over €1 million, and a 50,000-year-old woolly mammoth head from Siberia that sold for €45,000. The fair runs from 25 February to 1 March, with a strong focus on painting from Old Masters to Modern art, and a notable presence of Belgian and early 20th-century French artists.

Black.2; Family Values; Studio Exhibition

Amelia Winata reviews three concurrent group exhibitions in Melbourne galleries: 'Black.2' at Void_Melbourne (15 Nov–20 Dec 2025), 'Family Values' at Futures (6 Dec–20 Dec 2025), and 'Studio Exhibition' at Haydens (6 Dec 2025). The article opens with a metaphor comparing the gallery-goer's experience to the rescue ship Carpathia navigating icebergs, reflecting the glut of end-of-year group shows in Melbourne's commercial spaces. Winata visits each space, describing the deco-chic building housing Void_, the formalist black-themed works by artists like Nick Devlin, Elvis Richardson, Sarah Goffman, and Suzie Idiens, and the broader context of Melbourne's gallery scene.

Savannah artists finding big ways in small places to stage exhibitions

Savannah artists are creating new exhibition spaces in small, unconventional venues to counter the city's lack of affordable studio and gallery space. Following the closure of several local galleries, nonprofit Arts Southeast has been fostering resilience, with new spaces like Cute Tomatoes Gallery, Pocket Space (hosted by Norwood Gallery), and Camaleon opening in 2025. These artist-run initiatives feature rotating shows, including a group exhibition of 19 female artists at Norwood Gallery and a multidisciplinary venue at Camaleon directed by SCAD graduate Alex Mendi.

The Top 5 Exhibitions to see before the end of 2025

Art critic Tabish Khan selects five must-see exhibitions closing before the end of 2025. Highlights include "Paradigm Shift" at 180 Studios, featuring video works by Pipilotti Rist, Gillian Wearing, Arthur Jafa, and Cao Fei; Alison Wing Yin Poon's "A Constructed Home" at Tache, exploring Malayan-Chinese heritage through lacquered vases and ceramics; Noemie Goudal's "The Story of Fixity" at Borough Yards, a layered projection installation by Artangel; Mircea Teleaga's "Paradise" at LBF Contemporary, with glowing surreal landscapes; and Arch Hades' "We're all just passing through" at 8 Berkeley Square, blending poetry and sculpture.

Shifting the dial: new fair Echo Soho celebrates women-run galleries

Echo Soho, a new art fair dedicated to female-led galleries, launched this week in London to address the underrepresentation of women in leadership roles within the art world. Conceived by gallerist India Rose James, the fair features 12 galleries, most of which are showing women artists, with works priced accessibly and participation costs kept low to encourage inclusivity. The fair takes place at Artists House, a Georgian townhouse owned by James's family's Soho Estates.

New York Gallery Show Spotlights Iconoclastic Comic Artist Paul Pope

Comic artist Paul Pope is the subject of a new gallery exhibition at Philippe Labaune Gallery in New York, opening June 19, 2025. The show spans his three-decade career, featuring never-before-seen original works and curated selections from his archives, coinciding with the release of his career retrospective monograph *Pulp Hope 2: The Art of Paul Pope* (Boom! Studios, 2025). Pope is known for works such as *Batman: Year 100*, *Heavy Liquid*, and *Battling Boy*, blending American, European, and Japanese influences.

A Guide to Minneapolis Art Galleries for Beginners

This article serves as a beginner's guide to art galleries in Minneapolis, highlighting several venues that welcome newcomers. It features All My Relations Arts, a gallery in the American Indian Cultural Corridor showcasing Native artists; Northern Clay Center, which challenges perceptions of pottery with subversive and political clay works; and Dreamsong, a gallery founded in 2021 focusing on female-identified emerging and mid-career artists. The guide emphasizes that galleries are accessible, free, and low-commitment spaces for exploration.

Art in DUMBO opens artist studios to public in Brooklyn

Art in DUMBO has announced that DUMBO Open Studios will take place on April 26th and 27th, 2025, featuring 155 artists who will open their studios to the public across the Brooklyn waterfront. The weekend kicks off with the Sharpe-Walentas Open Studios reception on April 25th, offering a look at 17 artists in the annual residency program. Participants include artists from five residency programs: BRIClab Contemporary Art, Sharpe-Walentas Studio Program, Smack Mellon Artist Studio Program, New York Studio School, and Triangle NYC. The article also details the history of the Sharpe-Walentas Studio Program, which began in 1991 with support from the Marie Walsh Sharpe Foundation and later the Walentas Family Foundation.

Phillips’ Evening Sale of Modern & Contemporary Art More than Doubles Auction Total from the Previous Year

Phillips’ Evening Sale of Modern & Contemporary Art achieved a total that more than doubled the previous year's auction result, driven by strong demand for works spanning the 19th to 21st centuries. The sale opened with three lots exceeding their high estimates, including record prices for Lee Bontecou's rare 'Untitled' (1985-2001), which set a new record for any two-dimensional work by the artist after nearly five minutes of bidding. Other records were set for Pat Passlof, P.S. Krøyer, and Joseph Yaeger. Top lots included Andy Warhol's 'Sixteen Jackies' ($16.2 million), Claude Monet's 'La Route de Vétheuil, effet de neige' ($9.9 million), and Jackson Pollock's 'Untitled' ($9.2 million). The sale also featured works from The Collection of Ambassador John L. Loeb, Jr., which achieved a combined $8.4 million, with two Vilhelm Hammershøi works acquired by prominent institutions.

Amorepacific Museum of Art Presents APMA, CHAPTER FIVE - FROM THE APMA COLLECTION

The Amorepacific Museum of Art in Seoul has launched "APMA, CHAPTER FIVE – FROM THE APMA COLLECTION," a major exhibition featuring approximately 80 works from its permanent holdings. Running from April 1 to August 2, 2026, the showcase includes a diverse array of paintings, sculptures, and installations by over 40 influential Korean and international artists. High-profile participants include Kiki Smith, Rose Wylie, Carol Bove, and Gala Porras-Kim, alongside Korean masters such as Nam June Paik, Lee Bul, and Haegue Yang.

In the heart of Trastevere, an exhibition by an artist paying homage to an ancient Roman goddess

Nel cuore di Trastevere la mostra di un artista che omaggia un’antica dea romana

Diego Gualandris presents 'Floralia,' a solo exhibition at ADA gallery in Rome's Trastevere district, running until May 24, 2026. The show blends painting and music to create a modern homage to Flora, the ancient Roman goddess of spring and fertility. Gualandris displays a series of medium- and small-scale canvases from 2026 alongside a 1970s gramophone playing two original tracks—'The world in a flowerbed' improvised by the artist on piano with saxophonist Francesca Pegurri, his mother. The exhibition also references Hermann Nitsch through works like 'Prinzendorf,' and features playful, erotic botanical compositions that invite viewers to lie down and experience the space through sound and imagery.

Canadian Museum of Human Rights Threatened With Legal Action Over Palestinian Nakba Show

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.

More Than 100 Seattle Art Museum Workers Plan to Unionize

More than 100 Seattle Art Museum employees announced plans to unionize under the banner Seattle Art Museum Workers United (SAMWU), representing workers across over 20 front- and back-end departments including curatorial, education, and visitor experience. The union informed SAM director and CEO Scott Stulen of its formation in a letter citing unsustainable wages, subpar health benefits, and top-down decision-making. Organizers say they have a supermajority support among eligible workers. SAMWU has filed for an election with the National Labor Relations Board but is willing to withdraw if leadership voluntarily recognizes the union before May 27. The union has affiliated with the Washington Federation of State Employees/AFSCME Council 28. Security staff, who previously unionized as SAM VSO in 2022 and secured a contract after a 12-day strike in late 2024, will remain separate.

Suspect Is Taken into Custody in Decade-Long Louvre Ticketing Scam

A Louvre employee has been indicted and detained on charges including organized gang fraud in connection with a decade-long ticketing scam that defrauded the Paris museum of an estimated €10 million ($11.7 million). The scheme involved counterfeit tickets and overbooking of guided tours, primarily targeting Chinese tour groups. Nine people were arrested, including two museum employees, several tour guides, and the alleged mastermind. Authorities seized over €957,000 in cash, €67,000 in foreign currency, €486,000 in bank accounts, three vehicles, and multiple safe deposit boxes, with some proceeds invested in real estate in France and Dubai.

Parliamentary report calls for major changes at French museums in the wake of Louvre heist

A French parliamentary report published on 13 May, following the October 19 heist of the crown jewels at the Louvre, issues a damning assessment of the country's museum security and management. The commission heard around 100 testimonies and examined some 2,000 museums, dedicating a special chapter to the Louvre. It blames former director Laurence des Cars's leadership for a "dysfunctional drift" that prioritized contemporary art interventions and fashion shows over basic infrastructure and collection protection, allowing the heist to occur. The report lists rising threats including riots, burglaries, cyberattacks (which forced the National Museum of Natural History in Paris to cancel an exhibition after a ransomware attack in July 2025), and terrorist plots. It proposes 40 recommendations, including raising budgets by an estimated €20–25 billion over a decade, enhancing staff training, and overhauling museum leadership.

Man Arrested for Allegedly Planning Terrorist Attack at Louvre

French authorities arrested a 27-year-old Tunisian man, identified as Dhafer M., on May 7 for allegedly planning a terrorist attack at the Louvre in Paris. The arrest, confirmed by the National Anti-Terrorism Prosecutor’s Office (PNAT) and first reported by Le Monde, followed an investigation that began in late April after a traffic stop. Investigators found jihadist propaganda videos, photos of weapons, and searches for bomb-making instructions on his phone, as well as messages discussing access points to the Louvre and plans to make poison. The man has denied the allegations and was brought before an anti-terrorism judge to be formally charged.

No money, more problems: 85% of US museums in urgent need of building repairs

A recent survey by the US Government Accountability Office (GAO) found that approximately 85% of US museums face a costly backlog of maintenance or building repairs, with 77% having at least one structural issue that puts their collections at risk. Based on a survey of around 300 museums and 17 site visits, the report reveals that institutions across the country struggle to keep buildings updated and safe due to a lack of funding, with challenges especially pronounced in rural and remote locations where shipping materials and finding skilled workers is prohibitively expensive. Many museums are housed in historic homes or sites that are part of their collections, adding further complexity, and smaller museums often lack the budget to address major problems like new roofs or HVAC systems.

Hermitage Museum Director and Putin Ally Mikhail Piotrovsky Sanctioned by European Union

The European Union has sanctioned Mikhail Piotrovsky, the longtime director of the State Hermitage Museum in St. Petersburg, for his close association with Vladimir Putin and his active support of Russia's war against Ukraine. Announced on April 23, the sanctions are part of a broader package targeting over a hundred individuals and entities, including other cultural figures like Sergei Obryvalin, Igor Solonin, and Andrey Polyakov, for their roles in the seizure of Ukrainian cultural property and the spread of Russian propaganda in occupied regions.

epstein files leon black antiquities smuggler douglas latchford

Newly released documents from the Jeffrey Epstein files suggest a direct link between billionaire collector Leon Black and the disgraced late antiquities dealer Douglas Latchford. An inventory titled "Leon Black/ Narrows South East Asian Art Inventory" found in Epstein’s emails lists 12 Southeast Asian works purchased by Black for $23.85 million. Among these is a $7 million bronze Shiva that matches the description of a piece featured in Latchford’s 2004 book, raising significant questions about the provenance of Black's collection.

Iran’s arts community and heritage suffer as US-Israeli attacks continue

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.