Dozens of Pavilions Close During Strike at 61st Venice Biennale

On May 8, 2026, a 24-hour strike organized by the Art Not Genocide Alliance (ANGA) and several Italian activist groups brought the 61st Venice Biennale to a standstill. Approximately 27 of the 100 national pavilions closed fully or partially in solidarity with protesters demanding Israel’s exclusion from the event, including those of Austria, Belgium, France, Great Britain, Japan, South Korea, and Ukraine. Over 3,500 people marched through Venice, with speakers including artist Gabrielle Goliath and curator Caroline Dumalin. The main exhibition, "In Minor Keys," curated by the late Koyo Kouoh, closed by late afternoon, and riot police were stationed outside the Arsenale. The Israeli pavilion, already shuttered during previews, remained closed.

The 10th Max Mara Art Prize for Women

第10回マックスマーラ・アート・プライズ・フォー・ウィメン

The 10th Max Mara Art Prize for Women has been awarded to Indonesian artist Dian Suci, marking the first time the prize has been held in Asia. Suci was selected from five finalists for her project "Crafting Spirit: Cultural Dialogues in Heritage and Practice," which examines the intersection of religious craftsmanship traditions and capitalist systems. The prize is organized in partnership with the Museum MACAN in Jakarta. Suci will undertake a six-month residency in Italy, followed by solo exhibitions in 2027 at both Museum MACAN and Collezione Maramotti in Reggio Emilia.

Last chance to see exhibition showcasing amazing local talent as it draws to a close

Bolton Museum's Open Art Exhibition, featuring over 240 artworks by local artists and photographers, is closing on Sunday, March 17. The show includes paintings, photography, and sculptures from creators who live, work, or study in Bolton. Grand prize winner Richard Wood received £1,000 from the Mayor for his landscape 'Ghost Chimneys', while University of Greater Manchester student Olivia Edge won the Young Artist Award for her acrylic painting 'Rewilding'.

Architecture as Microcosm: Interview with Architects Barclay & Crousse Coming to an Exhibition in Milan

Architettura come microcosmo. Intervista agli architetti Barclay & Crousse che arrivano in mostra a Milano

Architects Sandra Barclay and Jean Pierre Crousse, founders of Barclay & Crousse Architecture, are the subject of a feature interview and exhibition in Milan. The studio, established in Paris in 1994 and now based in Peru, is known for projects that deeply engage with the Peruvian landscape, particularly the coastal desert between the Pacific Ocean and the Andes. Their notable works include the Lugar de la Memoria (Lima, 2015), the Museo de Paracas (2016), and the Franco-Peruvian School in Lima (2025), which recently won the Grand International Prize at the X Bienal Internacional de Arquitectura de Santa Cruz (Bolivia) in 2026. The article traces their education across Peru, France, and Italy, and their return to Peru in 2006, where they continue to run a French branch called Atelier Nord Sud.

Tate St Ives to host first UK museum exhibition of groundbreaking artist

Tate St Ives will present the first UK museum exhibition of Aleksandra Kasuba, a Lithuanian American artist (1923–2019), from May 2 to October 4, 2026. The show spans seven decades of her career, featuring early paintings, mosaics, sculptures, and public artworks, including the spatial environment *Spectrum: An Afterthought* and a recreation of her *Live-In Environment*. Works are drawn from the Lithuanian National Museum of Art's collection, where Kasuba donated her pieces.

At Frieze New York and Beyond, Indigenous Artists Are in the Spotlight

At Frieze New York and other concurrent exhibitions, Indigenous artists Sara Flores, Suzanne Kite, and Seba Calfuqueo are presenting works that challenge and expand traditional definitions of Indigenous art. Their pieces are on view in New York, Venice, and beyond, marking a significant moment for contemporary Indigenous voices in the global art scene.

‘My Father’s Shadow’: Now You See Me

Clive Chijioke Nwonka reviews Akinola Davies Jr.'s film *My Father's Shadow* (2025), a semi-autobiographical story of two adolescent brothers traveling through Lagos with their estranged father during the 1993 Nigerian presidential elections. The film, selected for the Cannes Official Selection, employs a metaphysical narrative style rooted in the Nigerian oral tradition, blending literal and spiritual worlds to explore diasporic identity, memory, and cultural preservation.

Mary Lovelace O’Neal, painter and activist, 1942–2026

Mary Lovelace O’Neal, the American painter, professor, and civil rights activist, has died at age 84. Born in Jackson, Mississippi, she was a co-founder of the Non-Violent Action Group while a student at Howard University, later earning an MFA from Columbia University. Known for monumental abstract works on soot-black surfaces, she developed her signature technique through the Lampblack series (1960s–70s) and continued evolving her practice through series such as Whales Fucking (1970s–80s) and Panthers In My Father’s Palace (1980s–90s). In 1985, she became the first African American woman to receive tenure in the Department of Art Practice at the University of California, Berkeley, where she taught for nearly three decades and served as chair from 1999 until her retirement in 2006.

Somali artists and culture workers express concern over Somalia Pavilion in Venice

Somali artists, cultural workers, and organizations have published multiple open letters and statements expressing concern over the Somalia Pavilion at the Venice Biennale. The pavilion, announced in March for the 2026 edition, is titled 'SADDEXLEEY' and features Somali-Swedish artist Ayan Farah, Somali-Danish poet and filmmaker Asmaa Jama, and Somali-British writer Warsan Shire, curated by Stockholm-based Mohamed Mire and Italian project manager Fabio Scrivanti. Critics, including the Somali Arts Foundation and the queer collective Warbixinta Cidda, allege that the pavilion was organized without meaningful consultation of artists and organizations based in Somalia, and object to the appointment of an Italian co-curator given Italy's colonial history in Somalia. An anonymous open letter further alleges intimidation and coercive pressure against critics, and demands Scrivanti's removal, calling for a boycott if demands are not met.

Dries Verhoeven on Representing the Netherlands at the 61st Venice Biennale

Dries Verhoeven will represent the Netherlands at the 61st Venice Biennale (2026) with a new work titled *The Fortress*, installed in the Dutch Rietveld Pavilion in the Giardini. The 25-minute performance piece transforms the sunlit pavilion into a darkened bunker, featuring a raw vocal composition using only false vocal cords. Verhoeven describes the work as a meditation on transition and self-preservation, reflecting a Western society caught between its enlightened self-image and a dark vision of the future. The piece responds to geopolitical unrest outside the Biennale grounds and is designed to be melancholic and confrontational, contrasting with the main exhibition's theme, *In Minor Keys*.

‘The Bed Trick’ by Izabella Scott, Reviewed

Izabella Scott's book *The Bed Trick* examines a British rape case in which Gayle Newland was convicted for pretending to be a man named Kai during a two-year relationship with a woman identified as Miss X. Drawing on court transcripts, Scott explores the legal concept of 'fraud vitiates consent' and traces the historical bed-trick trope from medieval folktales to *The Rocky Horror Picture Show*, questioning how much deception invalidates sexual consent.

Somali Cultural Organizations Unhappy With Somalia Pavilion at the Venice Biennale

Somali artists and cultural organizations are protesting the Somalia pavilion at the 2024 Venice Biennale, arguing it excludes artists based in Somalia and relies on diaspora figures and an Italian co-curator, which they view as colonial. The Somali Arts Foundation issued a statement condemning the lack of consultation, while the queer arts collective Warbixinta Cidda criticized the appointment of Italian curator Fabio Scrivanti. Somali American poet Ladan Osman boycotted the pavilion, calling it "anti-indigenous."

The Met Will Expand by Merging With the Nearby Neue Galerie

The Metropolitan Museum of Art will acquire the Neue Galerie's Fifth Avenue building and its collection of 20th-century Austrian and German art, starting in 2028. The collection was built by cosmetics magnate Ronald S. Lauder, who founded the Neue Galerie in 2001.

Lakefront Festival of Art Returns June 12–14 with 145 Artists, Live Music, Local Food, and New Extended Evening Hours

The Lakefront Festival of Art returns to the Milwaukee Art Museum campus from June 12–14, 2026, featuring 145 juried artists from Milwaukee and across the country. Presented by Bank of America, the three-day event includes live music from acts like The Belle Weather, Field Report, and Brett Newski, local food vendors, hands-on artmaking at Kohl's Art Studio, and a Silent Auction Tent with works by participating artists. New this year, extended evening hours until 7 p.m. on Friday and Saturday allow visitors to enjoy after-work outings and sunset views. The festival is organized by Friends of Art, the museum's longest-running volunteer support group, and serves as an annual fundraiser for acquisitions and programs.

Ray Burgoyne obituary

Ray Burgoyne, a self-taught painter, carpenter, and musician, has died at the age of 80. After a career as a carpenter and set builder, he began exhibiting his paintings in the late 1980s and spent the next three decades organizing numerous exhibitions along the Essex and Suffolk coastline. His work, characterized by thick oil paint, abstract forms, and deep colors, drew on carnivalesque characters and forgotten landscapes. He also played drums in the 1960s mod band the Flowerpots, which opened for the Animals and the Who.

Winfred Gaul | May (1969) | For Sale

A screenprint titled "May (1969)" by German Abstract artist Winfred Gaul is being offered for sale through RoGallery Auctions on Artsy. The work, edition 6/100, was originally featured as the image for May in the 1969 Domberger calendar, which included screenprints by 12 prominent artists. The print is signed and numbered in pencil, with an estimated value of $600–$900 and a starting bid of $250. The listing includes a biography of Gaul, noting his studies at the University of Cologne and the Academy of Fine Arts in Stuttgart, his first solo exhibition in 1956 at Gurlitt Gallery in Munich, and his participation in Documenta 2 in 1959. His work is held in major museum collections including MoMA, the National Gallery of Art, and the Art Institute of Chicago.

Paul Stopforth | HERE COMES EVERYBODY 5 (2026) | For Sale

Paul Stopforth's artwork "HERE COMES EVERYBODY 5" (2026) is being offered for sale through The Schoolhouse Gallery in Provincetown, Massachusetts. The piece is a unique gouache on panel measuring 16 × 16 inches, priced at US$900, hand-signed by the artist, and includes a certificate of authenticity. Stopforth, born in 1945 and originally from South Africa, emigrated to the United States 27 years ago and has since lived and worked in Boston, Cambridge, and Provincetown. His career includes teaching at Harvard University, the School of the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, Massachusetts College of Art & Design, and the Fine Arts Work Center, with his works held in public collections including the Harvard Film Archive, the Constitutional Court of South Africa, and the National Gallery in Cape Town.

Exhibition | Dai Chenlian, 'Waxing and Waning of the Augustness III' at ShanghART, M50, Shanghai, China

ShanghART Gallery presents Dai Chenlian's solo exhibition 'Waxing and Waning of the Augustness III' at its M50 space in Shanghai from April 10 to May 29, 2026. The show is the final chapter of the artist's 'Mother Trilogy,' centering on his mother's life from 1954 to 2025. Through a reconstructed old house made from loom parts, along with painting, installation, performance, sound narration, and shadow puppetry, the exhibition explores themes of memory, migration, and female resilience, drawing on a line by Tang dynasty poet Li Shangyin.

A Collection Built Through Exchange. “Gifts of Friendship” at the Muzeum Sztuki in Łódź.

The Muzeum Sztuki in Łódź is opening an exhibition titled "Gifts of Friendship" on 15 May, featuring nearly 150 works donated to the museum between 2024 and 2026 by some 80 artists from dozens of countries. The exhibition, curated by Barbara Piwowarska, traces the museum's origins to the 1920s when avant-garde artists like Władysław Strzemiński and Katarzyna Kobro built the International Collection of Modern Art through artist-to-artist gifts, bypassing market logic. The current show responds to the institution's recent crisis by turning again to the artistic community for support, resulting in a wave of donations that reaffirm the museum's founding ethos.

May Art And Culture Calendar: Every Exhibit, Live Performance, And Concert Worth Your Visit

This article is a curated calendar of art and culture events in Delhi and Mumbai for May and June 2026. Highlights include a photography exhibition of Satyajit Ray by Nemai Ghosh at DAG, a documentary photography show by Jyoti Bhatt at Gallery Vayu in collaboration with LATITUDE 28, a candlelight concert tribute to A.R. Rahman at Le Méridien, a group exhibition titled 'Slow Rot' at Method Delhi exploring vulnerability and the grotesque, and a dance performance celebrating Rabindranath Tagore at NCPA.

75 Years of Making Art in Ardsley

The Ardsley Art Commission is presenting a unique exhibition featuring the works of mother-and-son artists Valda Hancock Wagner and Rich Wagner, spanning 75 years of artistic creation. The show includes oil and acrylic paintings, watercolors, drawings, etchings, and wood block prints, ranging from traditional realism to abstraction. Valda studied with notable artists such as Reginald Marsh, Robert Rauschenberg, and Robert Beverly Hale, and later taught art in inner-city New York. Rich studied at the Art Students League, the Royal Academy of Arts, and the Royal Drawing School, and has participated in over 80 exhibitions. The exhibition is on view at Ardsley Village Hall through October 1.

Exhibition | Daniel Crews-Chubb, 'Pareidolia' at MASSIMODECARLO Pièce Unique, Pièce Unique, Paris, France

MASSIMODECARLO Pièce Unique in Paris presents 'Pareidolia,' an exhibition of new paintings by London-based artist Daniel Crews-Chubb. The show explores the psychological phenomenon of pareidolia—the brain's tendency to see faces in random patterns—through heavily layered works created with hands, ink, oil, sand, and collage. Three paintings are featured: 'Immortal XXXVIII' and 'Immortal XXXIX' (2026), large-scale works drawing on cultural memory of ancient sculpture, and 'Mask XXIV' (2026), which tests the minimal cues needed for facial recognition. Crews-Chubb's process involves building up and tearing back surfaces over weeks, with charcoal lines added last to define emergent figures.

Los Angeles Metro’s Stunning D Line Art Turns Stations Into Galleries

Los Angeles Metro unveiled a major public art installation on May 8 with the opening of the 3.92-mile D Line extension, connecting downtown to Beverly Hills. Nine artists were selected from over 1,400 applicants to create works across three stations—Wilshire/La Brea, Wilshire/Fairfax, and Wilshire/La Cienega. Notable pieces include Karl Haendel's "Hands and Things" at the Wilshire/Fairfax station, featuring photorealist pencil drawings of hands holding objects sourced from nearby cultural institutions, and Susan Silton's "WE, OUR, US." The artworks are mounted using durable porcelain enameling that resists corrosion, scratching, fading, and graffiti.

Carole Harris’ Origin Story in “This Side of the River” at MOCAD

The article reviews Carole Harris's solo exhibition "This Side of the River" at the Museum of Contemporary Art Detroit (MOCAD), curated by Abel Gonzalez Fernandez. The show features twenty fiber pieces and archival materials spanning from 1966 to the present, tracing Harris's creative evolution and her responses to Detroit's social and urban changes. It highlights early works like "Potpourri" (1976) and "Black Jack" (1976) from her 1977 debut at Gallery 7, a Black Power-era space founded by Charles McGee, and later pieces such as "Down the Road a Piece" (2003) that mark her shift toward improvisational, abstract compositions.

Liliana Moro “| senza | soluzione di continuità” at Platea | Palazzo Galeano, Lodi

Liliana Moro presents a new installation titled “| senza | soluzione di continuità” at Platea | Palazzo Galeano in Lodi. The work is described as a powerful yet subtle artistic gesture that renegotiates the function of the shop window as a public space, emphasizing responsibility and generosity.

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.

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.

Go big or go home: how The Lost Giants revived the ancient art of goliath-making

The Lost Giants (TLG), an art collective based in Lostwithiel, Cornwall, is reviving the British tradition of making processional giants—large, community-built figures made from wood, cloth, and papier-mâché. Founded three years ago by theatre designer Ruth Webb and her sister-in-law Amy Webb, the group has created giants for events ranging from local lantern parades to a harvest procession at Hauser & Wirth’s Somerset gallery. This New Year’s Eve, environmentalist Lisa Schneidau joined a massive procession of these giants in Lostwithiel, describing it as an extraordinary experience. The collective recently issued a public callout for an environmental group to collaborate on making a new beastie.

The Metropolitan Museum of Art Unveils Its Fashion Galleries, Highlighting Fashion’s Place in Museums

The Metropolitan Museum of Art has unveiled the new Condé M. Nast Galleries, a nearly 12,000-square-foot suite of exhibition spaces designed by Brooklyn-based architecture firm Peterson Rich Office. Located adjacent to the museum's Great Hall, the galleries relocate fashion exhibitions from a previously tucked-away basement space to one of the museum's most visible and architecturally significant locations. The new spaces debuted with "Costume Art," an exhibition organized by The Costume Institute and curated by Andrew Bolton, which places roughly 200 garments and accessories in dialogue with 200 artworks from the museum's collection, exploring themes such as "The Classical Body," "The Aging Body," and "The Disabled Body." The design, by architects Miriam Peterson and Nathan Rich, uses a restrained material palette of grey marmorino plaster and oak doors framed by limestone arches to create permanent-feeling yet flexible spaces that harmonize with the museum's historic Beaux-Arts architecture.

M+ in multi-year strategic partnership with Centre Pompidou

M+, Hong Kong's premier art museum, has signed a multi-year strategic partnership with Paris's Centre Pompidou. The agreement, signed on May 15, 2026, by Centre Pompidou President Laurent Le Bon and M+ Museum Director Suhanya Raffel, covers joint curatorial research, exhibition development and sharing, co-commissions and artwork displays, and collection exchange. A major co-curated exhibition will be presented at both venues, with a series of jointly developed exhibitions staged at M+ from 2027 onwards, featuring works from both institutions' collections.