Art Beat feature: A gallerist rooted in craft

Leana Hoadley has opened Hoadley Gallery West in downtown Edmonds, Washington, a boutique gallery specializing in handmade ceramics, jewelry, glass, and sculptural objects. The gallery builds on the legacy of the original Hoadley Gallery in Lenox, Massachusetts, founded over 40 years ago by her aunt and uncle, Stephanie and Thomas Hoadley. After a winding career that included studying at the School of the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston and working as a creative director for an AI company, a 2023 layoff prompted Hoadley to reassess her path and pursue opening her own gallery. The space features works including porcelain vessels by Thomas Hoadley made using the ancient Japanese Nerikomi technique, which are held in collections such as the Smithsonian American Art Museum's Renwick Gallery and the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.

What the renovation of the Pergamon Museum costs

Was die Sanierung des Pergamonmuseums kostet

The Pergamon Museum in Berlin is undergoing a major renovation with a total budget of €1.5 billion for both construction phases, including cost risks. The Federal Office for Building and Regional Planning (BBR) has announced that current projections indicate the overall costs will not be exceeded. Phase A, which includes the hall housing the famous Pergamon Altar, is expected to open on June 4, 2027, with a potential cost increase of up to 5% over the originally approved €489 million. Phase B, covering the Ishtar Gate and Babylonian Processional Way, has seen its cost forecast reduced by €27 million to €722.4 million, with an additional €295.6 million set aside for risks and price increases. The museum will fully reopen only in 2037.

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.

Condemned by Francoism, a writer rehabilitated by the Spanish Congress

Condamné par le franquisme, un écrivain réhabilité par le Congrès espagnol

The Spanish Congress has officially rehabilitated Cipriano Salvador (1894-1975), a Republican intellectual wrongly accused by the Franco regime of stealing a Renaissance painting he actually saved. During the Spanish Civil War, Salvador hid Fernando Yáñez's "La Santa Generación" (c. 1525-1532) from destruction. After Franco's victory, a priest sold the work to the Prado Museum for 15,000 pesetas, while Salvador was arrested, sentenced to death (later commuted to 30 years), and spent seven years in prison. He died in 1975 without exoneration. The rehabilitation motion passed with 32 votes in favor, 3 against, and 1 abstention, with only far-right party Vox opposing.

Immersive Van Gogh experience opens in Denver, bringing art to life

An immersive Van Gogh experience has opened in Denver, allowing visitors to step inside the mind of the famed artist through displays of his art, letters, and a projection room where his paintings come to life. The exhibit, organized by Exhibition Hub, combines art, technology, and history to celebrate the 2,100 works Van Gogh created in his short 37 years.

Photography in all its letters, an artistic ABC on display at the MEP

The Maison Européenne de la Photographie (MEP) in Paris is presenting a special exhibition titled "La photographie en toutes lettres" from June 10 to September 13, 2026, celebrating the bicentennial of photography. The show brings together 35 artists, including Nan Goldin, Ralph Gibson, Martin Parr, Sophie Calle, and Frank Horvat, organizing works alphabetically around key words to explore the medium's history, evolution, and thematic diversity.

‘Close, yet distant': MMCA exhibition revisits Korea-Japan artistic ties since 1945

The National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art (MMCA) in Gwacheon, South Korea, has opened a major exhibition titled “Art between Korea and Japan since 1945,” co-organized with the Yokohama Museum of Art. Running from May 14 to September 27, 2026, the show marks the 60th anniversary of normalized diplomatic ties between the two countries. Featuring some 200 works by 43 artists, including Zainichi artists and video art pioneer Nam June Paik, the exhibition traces eight decades of artistic exchange shaped by colonialism, war, division, and ongoing tensions. It previously opened in Yokohama, drawing over 37,000 visitors—significantly surpassing typical attendance—with strong interest from younger audiences.

yuko mohri tunes into the unseen energies connecting people and objects

Japanese artist Yuko Mohri has created an exhibition where decomposing fruit powers electronic systems, and visitors move through the installations, becoming part of the circulation of energy within the show. The work explores the unseen energies connecting people and objects, blending organic decay with technological interactivity.

Andy Warhol exhibition at Saint Laurent Rive Droite turns Paris boutique into pop art gallery

Since April 23, 2026, the Saint Laurent Rive Droite boutique in Paris has been hosting an exhibition dedicated to Andy Warhol titled “Objets banals”. Curated by Anthony Vaccarello, the show features a selection of Polaroids and 35 mm photographs taken from the 1960s onward, revealing a more intimate and personal dimension of the pop art master. The installation is immersive and minimalist, with photographs interacting with Saint Laurent collections, design pieces, and exclusive objects, blurring the boundaries between commerce, museum, and artistic manifesto. All works on display are available for sale, distinguishing the boutique from a traditional museum.

The Art of Performing Maintenance

This article explores the work of artist Mierle Laderman Ukeles, who in 1969 wrote her "Manifesto for Maintenance Art" after experiencing a crisis of meaning following the birth of her first child. She proposed that routine maintenance tasks—like cleaning, cooking, and laundry—could be redefined as art when performed in public, particularly in museums. The article traces her early exhibitions at the Wadsworth Athenaeum, where she swept and mopped as performance, and her later projects interviewing passersby on New York City sidewalks and embedding herself in a Manhattan office building, where she invited workers to declare their maintenance tasks art.

The Muskegon Museum of Art Announces a Landmark Exhibition showcasing the Women who shaped Animation History

The Muskegon Museum of Art has announced a landmark exhibition titled "HerStory of Animation: Mary Blair & Beyond," premiering June 6 through September 27, 2026. The show highlights the overlooked contributions of women animators and artists who shaped animation history, featuring figures such as Helena Smith Dayton, Bessie Mae Kelley, Lotte Reiniger, Mary Blair, Faith Hubley, Lillian Schwartz, Caroline Leaf, Joan Graz, Brenda Chapman, and Nora Towmey. Curated by historian and author Mindy Johnson, the exhibition includes production artwork, studio artifacts, rare imagery, films, and newly uncovered research spanning over a century of animation.

Student artists bring diverse visions to IVC’s annual gallery exhibit

The 2026 IVC Student Art Exhibit opened at Imperial Valley College's Juanita Lowe Art Gallery on May 6, featuring a ribbon-cutting ceremony and a diverse range of student works including sculptures, videos, paintings, mixed media, and photography. Notable pieces include Catalina Gonsalez's acrylic series "Fire-Fuego," "Wind-Viento," "Water-Agua," and "Earth-Tierra," Stephanie Carrillo's watercolor of Salvador Dali, Kimberly Rodriguez's "Fragile Dancer," and Alejandro Mendez's "Self Portrait." Artist Daniel Barrera Jr. showcased Renaissance-inspired drawings, and author Cuauhtemoc (Chucky) Cortez presented his children's book "Joaquiner Stinker" with illustrations by Jesus Felix.

Biennale, rules announced for Visitor's Lion. But dozens of artists withdraw

The Venice Biennale has announced the voting rules for the new Visitors' Lion awards, which replace the traditional Golden Lions after the original jury resigned before the opening. On the same day the popular voting opened, dozens of artists from the central exhibition 'In Minor Keys' and several National Pavilions announced their withdrawal from the competition in solidarity with the resigned jury, releasing a statement via e-flux on May 9, 2026. The voting system requires visitors to have attended both the Giardini and Arsenale venues, with anonymous voting open until November 22, 2026.

Diego Gualandris “Floralia” at ADA, Rome

Diego Gualandris presents "Floralia" at ADA gallery in Rome, an exhibition that explores themes of growth, nature, and human intervention through a poetic lens. The show features works that evoke the cycle of life and decay, using floral motifs to reflect on the fragility of existence and the tension between natural processes and external forces.

GALLERY AN INVITATION TO ENJOY CONTEMPORARY ART IN THE CITY OF BUENOS AIRES

Gallery, a free contemporary art event in Buenos Aires, returns for its first 2026 edition on Saturday, May 16th, connecting over 40 galleries, museums, art spaces, and foundations across the Recoleta, Retiro, and Microcentro neighborhoods. Organized by Arte al Día and Pinta, the event features guided tours led by specialists, live music performances, and special activities at each meeting point. Participating venues include Rolf Art, Vasari, Fundación Klemm, ARTHAUS CENTRAL, Isla Flotante, and others, with support from the Buenos Aires City Ministry of Culture.

GABRIEL CHAILE DESPLIEGA SU ARQUELOGIA DE LO MIGRATORIO EN LONDRES

Argentine artist Gabriel Chaile has opened a new commission titled "Archaeology of Memory" at the Whitechapel Gallery in London. The site-specific installation transforms a large gallery space into an archaeological excavation site, incorporating everyday and decorative objects sourced from the surrounding East End neighborhood. These objects are embedded into monumental adobe sculptures that draw on the forms and material traditions of Indigenous communities from northwest Argentina, where Chaile originates. The artist acts as both anthropologist and storyteller, exploring a "genealogy of form" that traces recurring motifs across cultures and time.

Catalonia Sues Aragón for €791,000 for Repayment Over Restitution of 56 Artworks

The Catalan government has formally demanded €791,000 (approximately $920,000) from the Aragonese government to recoup costs related to the value and upkeep of 56 artworks from the Royal Monastery of Santa María de Sigena. The works were removed from the monastery in 1936 for safekeeping during the Spanish Civil War, and Spain's Supreme Court ruled in 2021 that they must be returned to Aragón. Of the 56 pieces, 12 were held at the National Art Museum of Catalonia and 44 at the Diocesan Museum of Lleida. The Catalan government has given Aragón 30 days to negotiate a settlement before returning to court.

Local artist featured in exhibition in Italy

Medicine Hat artist Poul Nielsen, 78, is exhibiting his work in Venice, Italy, as part of the exhibition 'Anima Mundi (Rituals)' held in conjunction with the Venice Biennale. Nielsen, who has shown his art in around 100 solo and collaborative exhibitions across decades, began his international career with a show in Copenhagen in 2000 and has since exhibited in England, the United States, and China. His current series, 'Atmospheric Possibilities,' was started around 2015 after his retirement from teaching at Medicine Hat College, where he helped develop a pioneering program merging fine art and graphic design.

New Seoul art fair HIVE drops booth fees in market experiment

The inaugural HIVE Art Fair in Seoul, opening May 21 at COEX Magok, is testing an alternative business model that eliminates fixed booth fees. Instead, galleries can choose which services and installations to pay for through a "selective purchase system," with the fair relying on ticket sales, corporate partnerships, and promotional lounges for revenue. The fair features 48 galleries (36 South Korean, 12 international) and 158 artists, with no overlapping artists between galleries, and will display exhibition titles and curatorial statements alongside gallery names.

Between heroes, anti-heroes and pure humanity: an exhibition in Rome becomes a metaphor for the current crisis

Tra eroi, antieroi e pura umanità una mostra a Roma diventa metafora della crisi attuale

The Museo di Roma Palazzo Braschi in Rome is hosting "It's Happening Again," a solo exhibition by artist Adrian Tranquilli, curated by Studio Stefania Miscetti and running until May 24. The show presents new works including the monumental sculpture "Endsong" (2025), a black monolith inspired by Kubrick's "2001: A Space Odyssey" covered in hundreds of Joker faces, and a large pop-up book titled "My Little White Book" (2026). Tranquilli's pieces, often built from playing cards, explore themes of power, fragility, and the instability of cultural symbols.

In Tuscany a new festival brings contemporary art to agricultural estates with exhibitions and artist residencies

In Toscana una nuova rassegna porta l’arte contemporanea nelle aziende agricole con mostre e residenze d’artista

The first edition of CARMI.CO 2026 – Carmignano Contemporanea will take place from May 15 to 24, 2026, in the Carmignano area near Prato, Tuscany. The festival features five exhibitions and five artist residencies hosted by local wineries and agricultural estates, alongside talks, workshops, and studio visits. Exhibitions are staged at venues including the Rocca di Carmignano, Museo Archeologico di Artimino, and Museo delle Maioliche di Bacchereto, with works by artists such as Marco Bagnoli, Qiu Yi, Gola Hundun, Rachel Morellet, Fargo, Marco Ulivieri, Serena Fineschi, and others. Residencies take place at Tenuta di Capezzana, Colline San Biagio, Tenuta Le Furre, Tenuta di Artimino, and Fattoria Il Grumolo, involving artists Max Magaldi, Ronaldo Fiesoli, Vittorio Cavallini, Graziano Riccelli, and Gola Hundun.

At Brooklyn Creative Reuse, Art Supplies Get a Second Life

Brooklyn Creative Reuse (BCR), a nonprofit founded by jeweler Stephanie O'Brien, has opened a permanent brick-and-mortar store in Industry City, Brooklyn, after launching as a pop-up in February 2025. The store sells donated, pre-loved and unused art supplies at a price-per-pound rate, making materials affordable for low-income artists, educators, and hobbyists. Its opening party on April 18 drew large crowds, and BCR has already diverted over 1,000 pounds of art supplies from landfills in its first year.

Genuflecting Before “Don Colossus”

A 15-foot-tall gold-leafed bronze statue of Donald Trump, titled "Don Colossus," was unveiled at his National Doral golf club in Miami, Florida, ahead of the G20 summit. The statue, funded by $450,000 raised by cryptocurrency moguls and sculpted by Alan Cottrill (founder of Four Star Pizza), depicts Trump raising a triumphant fist with a plaque reading "FIGHT, FIGHT, FIGHT!" The unveiling was organized by televangelist Mark Burns of "Pastors for Trump," who posted that the statue was "not a golden calf," and was attended by evangelical Christian leaders and reportedly some Hassidic rabbis.

Mafalda meets Pimpa. In Rome, the dialogue between two authentic comic icons: interview with the curators

Mafalda incontra Pimpa. A Roma il dialogo tra due autentiche icone del fumetto: intervista ai curatori

A new exhibition in Rome titled "Mafalda & La Pimpa" brings together two iconic comic strip characters for the first time. Created by Quino (1964) and Altan (1975) respectively, Mafalda and Pimpa represent different approaches to childhood: Mafalda critically questions adult society, while Pimpa explores a gentle, wonder-filled world. The show runs from May 14 to July 11 at the Instituto Cervantes, featuring over 120 original strips and plates, and is organized in collaboration with ARF! Festival and other partners. Curators Stefano Piccoli and Daniele Bonomo designed the exhibition to highlight both the contrasts and surprising analogies between the two beloved figures.

What Did Mozart’s Life Look Like?

An exhibition at the Morgan Library & Museum, titled "Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: Treasures from the Mozarteum Foundation of Salzburg," presents a curated journey through the composer's life and career. The show features well-preserved ephemera, including Mozart's childhood violin, original sketches for the opera "The Magic Flute," and personal letters that reveal his scatological humor, alongside portraits of his patrons.

Evidence of Evolution at QUEUE Gallery, Miami

QUEUE Gallery in Miami is presenting 'Evidence of Evolution,' a two-person exhibition featuring Fharid LaTorre’s hand-carved wood and metal sculptures alongside Jamieson Pearl’s oil-on-linen paintings. LaTorre’s works, such as 'showing slivers & taking off skin for sake of dopamine layer of diophantine equations' (2026), use scavenged metal and burl wood to evoke surgical transformations and bodily stress, while Pearl’s paintings depict glitch-blocked internet microcelebrities and screenshots from LiveLeak pornos, rendered freehand in distorted blocks. The show runs at QUEUE’s new location above Tunnel Projects in Miami.

Before Language: An Interview with Song E Yoon at Biennale Arte 2026

Song E Yoon's exhibition "Songs Across Time" at Spazio 996/A in Venice, presented as a Collateral Event of the 61st International Art Exhibition – La Biennale di Venezia, pairs her Song E Code with Frédéric Bruly Bouabré's Bété alphabet. In an interview with Kun Sok, Yoon discusses how her work uses dots, intervals, and repetition to create a visual language that exists before conventional meaning, emphasizing bodily encounter, sensation, and the productive role of misreading.

Fashion Loves Art: All of the Exhibitions to See at the 2026 Venice Biennale

The article, published by L'Officiel Art, provides a guide to fashion-brand-sponsored exhibitions at the 2026 Venice Biennale. It highlights projects by luxury houses including Bottega Veneta, Louis Vuitton, Zegna, and Bvlgari, framing them as unmissable cultural events within the broader Biennale program.

Catherine Couturier Gallery presents Sander Vos: "Interpolation" opening reception

Catherine Couturier Gallery in Houston is presenting "Interpolation," a solo exhibition featuring the work of Dutch-born, London-based artist Sander Vos. This marks Vos's first solo show in Houston, showcasing photographs that deconstruct portraits and everyday objects through layering and spatial manipulation inspired by Cubism. The exhibition opens with a reception and runs through June 20.

Leeum Museum Opens on Closing Day, Welcomes Over 200 Multicultural Families for Art Visit

On May 11, the Leeum Museum of Art in Seoul opened its entire museum on a Monday—its regular closing day—to host approximately 200 members of multicultural families. The event, organized in partnership with family centers and related organizations across Seoul, included exhibition tours of the permanent antique art collection, the special exhibition "Into Another Space: Synesthetic Environments by Women Artists 1956-1976," and the outdoor Orozco Garden. A curator provided explanations, and a magic show was held in celebration of Family Month. Participating organizations included the Yongsan-gu Family Center, Itaewon and Ichon Global Village Centers, the Mari Shelter for Migrant Women and Mari Community, and the Dongdaemun and Seocho Family Centers.