'What's possible for art in this city': Striking exhibition brings diverse artists to Allentown studio

Rigo Peralta Art Studio in Allentown, Pennsylvania, opened the "Hyperrealism & Realism" exhibition on a Friday night, featuring a diverse group of artists from the United States, Puerto Rico, and Venezuela. Curated by Peralta and Ruddy Tavera, the show juxtaposes hyperrealistic and academic realist works, including pieces by Ismael Checo, Francisco Collado, Juanairis Collado, and others. The exhibition runs through February and aims to present a fresh artistic experience for the local community.

One Fine Show: “Camille Pissarro’s Impressionism” at the Denver Art Museum

The Denver Art Museum has opened a new exhibition titled “The Honest Eye: Camille Pissarro’s Impressionism,” organized in collaboration with the Museum Barberini in Potsdam, Germany. The show brings together over 100 paintings and objects from nearly 50 international museums and private collections, highlighting Pissarro’s role as a foundational Impressionist. The exhibition’s title comes from a letter in which Pissarro described his artistic approach as “honest,” emphasizing a realistic, detail-oriented style that contrasted with the more radical tendencies of his peers. Works on view include “Lordship Lane Station, East Dulwich” (1871) and “The Garden of Les Mathurins, property of the Deraismes Sisters, Pontoise” (1876), which showcase his nuanced use of color and texture, as well as his engagement with social and political themes.

A vocabulary of touch: exhibition of sculpture by blind and partially blind artists opens in Leeds

The Henry Moore Institute in Leeds has opened "Beyond the Visual," the first major UK exhibition of sculpture centered on blind and partially blind artists and curators. Co-curated by Ken Wilder, Aaron McPeake, and Clare O'Dowd, the show features works by 16 international artists including Henry Moore, Barry Flanagan, Lenka Clayton, Emilie Louise Gossiaux, David Johnson, and others. The exhibition prioritizes touch, sound, and sensory engagement, with all objects available to handle, textured flooring mats, high-contrast signage, and audio descriptions. It includes new commissions such as David Johnson's "Nuggets of Embodiment" (2024-25), made of 10,000 stone-plaster Digestive biscuits with Braille text.

Comment | Turner gets all the kudos, but it was Constable who was the truly radical painter

A commentary argues that John Constable, not J.M.W. Turner, was the truly radical painter, despite Turner receiving far greater public recognition through a museum, a prize, and a place on the £20 note. The article highlights a new exhibition, "Turner and Constable," opening at Tate Britain (until 12 April 2026), which recreates their 1831 Royal Academy display and contrasts Constable's English pastoral scenes with Turner's dramatic, un-British visions. It contends that Constable's full-size oil sketches, such as those at the Victoria and Albert Museum, had a deeper and more lasting effect on modern painting than Turner's work.

Frenemies or rivals? Tate Britain show explores Turner and Constable's turbulent relationship

Tate Britain will present "Turner and Constable," a major exhibition spanning 2025–2026 that explores the intertwined careers and rivalry of J.M.W. Turner (1775–1851) and John Constable (1776–1837). For the first time, a show is devoted to both artists, featuring historical reconstructions such as the famous 1831 Royal Academy Summer Exhibition pairing of Turner's *Caligula’s Palace and Bridge* (1831) and Constable's *Salisbury Cathedral from the Meadows* (1829–31). Curated by Amy Concannon, the exhibition includes loans from private collections and rarely seen works, including Turner's *The Burning of the Houses of Lords and Commons, 16 October 1834* (1835) from the Cleveland Museum of Art, on show in the UK for the first time since 1883.

An eerie Renaissance masterpiece, fresh from a four-year restoration process, goes on show in Berlin

Berlin's Gemäldegalerie has unveiled Vittore Carpaccio's "The Preparation of Christ's Tomb" (circa 1505-20) after a four-year restoration that removed decades of dirt and discolored varnish. The cleaned painting reveals new subtleties, including a striking sky of bright blue and stubborn grey clouds, and will be the centerpiece of a small exhibition titled "Tribute to Vittore Carpaccio" running from November 20 to April 6, 2026. The restoration was led by recently retired head conservator Babette Hartwieg, who also reinvestigated a false Mantegna signature that had misled earlier attributions.

Catch of the day: Winslow Homer’s delicate watercolours get very rare outing in Boston

The Museum of Fine Arts (MFA) in Boston is presenting "Of Light and Air: Winslow Homer in Watercolour," a rare exhibition of the American painter's delicate watercolors, running from November 2, 2025, to January 19, 2026. The show brings together a rich selection of Homer's work, including childhood drawings, his final unfinished painting, and dozens of watercolors that are seldom exhibited due to their fragility and light sensitivity. Highlights include "Leaping Trout" (1889), the first Homer watercolor acquired by any museum, and works that depict the rugged New England coast and English seaside. The MFA, an early supporter of Homer's career, holds one of the largest collections of his work, and this is the first time many of these watercolors have been shown together in nearly 50 years.

'It's about world-making': Tavares Strachan on his expansive new Lacma exhibition

Tavares Strachan's new solo exhibition, *The Day Tomorrow Began*, has opened at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (Lacma), running until 29 March 2026. Co-organized with the Columbus Museum of Art, the show features 20 new works across neon, ceramics, bronze, painting, text, and performance, exploring invisible histories and challenging white-centric narratives. The exhibition includes a spotlight on his *Encyclopedia of Invisibility* (2018), bronze sculptures referencing the Haitian Revolution, and a neon piece contrasting James Baldwin and Mark Twain. Strachan, who trained as a cosmonaut and collaborates with MIT scientists, also unveils a permanent participatory speakeasy called *Bar Room* in Columbus.

Frieze Seoul’s fourth edition takes on tariffs and a tough market

The fourth edition of Frieze Seoul (3-6 September) will host around 120 galleries at the Coex convention centre in Gangnam, including mega-galleries like Gagosian, Hauser & Wirth, Pace, David Zwirner, and White Cube. The fair welcomes about 20 new exhibitors, such as 10 Chancery Lane Gallery and de Sarthe from Hong Kong, The Breeder from Athens, Carvalho from New York, Make Room from Los Angeles, and Ota Fine Arts from Tokyo. However, more than 40 galleries are not returning, including Karma, Mariane Ibrahim, Michael Werner, and Neugerriemschneider. The event unfolds amid significant political and economic turbulence in South Korea, including the impeachment of former president Yoon Suk Yeol after a martial law declaration, the election of new President Lee Jae Myung, and ongoing tariff negotiations with the United States, all contributing to a climate of uncertainty.

Van Gogh Museum claims it could be ‘forced to close’ amid funding feud with Dutch state

Amsterdam's Van Gogh Museum has publicly warned it could be forced to close unless the Dutch government increases its annual subsidy from €8.5m to €11m to fund essential renovations. Director Emilie Gordenker announced the museum cannot guarantee the safety of its collection, visitors, and staff without the additional funding for climate control, elevators, fire safety, security, and sustainability upgrades. The museum has filed a legal complaint against the state, arguing it is in breach of a 1962 agreement that committed the government to fund the museum's construction and maintenance in exchange for the Van Gogh family's collection. The case is set to be heard on 19 February 2026.

Mickalene Thomas’s ex-fiancée accuses the artist of sexual harassment and stealing millions of dollars from her

Mickalene Thomas’s former fiancée, curator and model Racquel Chevremont, has filed a summons against the artist, accusing her of sexual harassment and claiming she owes at least $10 million in damages. The summons, signed in Manhattan on 8 August, cites breach of contract, unjust enrichment, conversion, and retaliation, alleging that Thomas created a hostile working environment and improperly diverted funds from their jointly-owned entity. Chevremont, who collaborated with Thomas for a decade and appeared in several of her works, claims she was underpaid despite a written agreement and that Thomas terminated her employment after she refused to resume their romantic relationship.

‘Everyone's suffering right now’: New York and Los Angeles gallery Clearing will close

Clearing, the influential New York and Los Angeles gallery that launched the careers of many prominent artists, will close both locations. Founder Oliver Babin announced the closure on August 7, citing crushing overhead costs—rent, shipping, and art fair expenses—that outpaced declining revenue. The gallery opened in 2011 in Bushwick, later moved to the Bowery in Manhattan in 2023, and expanded to Brussels and Los Angeles. Babin described the decision as inevitable, noting that the gallery had been kept alive by hope but now faces no viable path forward. The closure follows a wave of US gallery shutdowns this summer, including Kasmin, Venus Over Manhattan, and Tim Blum’s spaces.

‘Slowing the process down’: how a bohemian Somerset art gallery is forging its own path

Close gallery, founded in 2009 by curator and art advisor Freeny Yianni in the grounds of her 17th-century home near Hatch Beauchamp, Somerset, is expanding its operations. Yianni, who previously worked at Lisson Gallery and helped Grenville Davey win the Turner Prize, recently hired sales director Richard Scarry, formerly of Coates and Scarry in Bristol. The gallery's current exhibition features previously unseen works by British abstract artist Jane Harris (1956–2022), shown both in Somerset and at a new London project space in Marylebone. Upcoming plans include presenting a monumental sculpture by Simon Hitchens at Frieze Sculpture in Regent's Park.

It's hard for green-themed art shows to garner credibility—the Helsinki Biennial deserves more than most

The Helsinki Biennial's third edition, titled "Shelter: Below and beyond, becoming and belonging," opens on Vallisaari Island, featuring 37 artists and collectives. Co-curated by Blanca de la Torre and Kati Kivinen, the biennial deliberately shifts focus away from humans, centering instead on flora, fauna, and the natural environment under the slogan "Non-humans first!" The event continues its founding commitment to carbon neutrality by 2030, employing measures like a carbon footprint calculator, promotion of slow travel, and rejection of artificial lighting to protect local bat populations.

National Museum of African Art

The article is a visitor's guide to the Smithsonian's National Museum of African Art in Washington, D.C., describing its hidden, underground location behind the Smithsonian Castle and its extensive collection of ancient and modern African art. It highlights specific works on display, including a mixed media piece by Mary Sibande titled *Sophie-Merica* (2009), a sculpture by Ghada Amer titled *The Blue Bra Girls* (2012), and *Untitled* (2009) by El Anatsui, along with numerous masks, textiles, and photography exhibits by artists such as Lalla Essaydi.

Mexico City’s Museo Dolores Olmedo to reopen in 2026 amid controversy

Museo Dolores Olmedo in Mexico City, home to the largest collection of works by Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera, has announced it will reopen in 2026 after being closed since 2020 due to the Covid-19 pandemic. The announcement follows years of uncertainty, including a controversial 2021 proposal to relocate the collection to Chapultepec’s Parque Aztlán, which contradicts the founder’s wish that the art remain at the original site, La Noria Hacienda in Xochimilco. The museum is now run by Dolores Phillips, granddaughter of founder Dolores Olmedo, who has faced criticism over plans for a 40-year loan of the collection to Aztlán.

The Art of the Tour: King Charles's Traveling Painters

King Charles III has sponsored an exhibition titled “The King’s Tour Artists” at Buckingham Palace, featuring 43 artists he recruited to paint during 70 royal tours over the past 40 years. The show, open until September 28, includes 74 paintings selected from over 300 works in the King’s private collection, alongside a companion book, *The Art of Royal Travel: Journeys with The King*. The idea originated from Peter St. Clair-Erskine, the 7th Earl of Rosslyn, who catalogued the collection. Critics have dismissed the works as polite and old-fashioned, but the exhibition highlights Charles’s long-standing patronage of representational art and his own practice as a watercolorist.

Capitalism, cityscapes and the climate crisis take centre stage at Luma Arles

Peter Fischli's exhibition "People Planet Profit" at Luma Arles presents hundreds of cheap, poorly designed business books he photographed over seven years, exploring the tension between capitalism, climate crisis, and social wellbeing. The show includes sculptures and screen prints that critique late-stage capitalism and mass tourism. Alongside it, landscape architect Bas Smets presents "Climates of Landscape," a practical exhibition proposing urban ecological solutions to rising temperatures and tides, featuring a microclimate installation within the former industrial building.

Less than two years after opening, the Museum of Censored Art in Barcelona has closed its doors

The Museu de l’Art Prohibit (Museum of Censored Art) in Barcelona, the world's first museum dedicated to censored artworks, has closed indefinitely less than two years after opening. Founded in October 2023 by Catalan journalist and businessman Tatxo Benet, the museum housed over 200 banned works by artists including Ai Weiwei, David Wojnarowicz, and Abel Azcona. The closure, announced on June 27, was attributed to financial losses caused by four months of picketing by the Solidarity and Unity of Workers union (SUT), which protested the museum's termination of a contract with management company Magma Cultura. The union demanded better working conditions, including improved air conditioning, more breaks, and higher pay.

Turner painting bought last year for £500 sells for almost £2m at Sotheby's

At Sotheby's Old Master paintings evening sale in London on July 2, a Turner painting purchased last year for £500 sold for nearly £2 million, highlighting the sector's resilience. The auction achieved £11.5 million hammer total (£14.5m with fees), with 81% of lots sold, including a rediscovered 14th-century Byzantine icon that far exceeded estimates and three new artist records for Lorenzo di Credi, Corneille de Lyon, and others. The sale contrasted with Christie's previous evening's £46.2 million total driven by a record Canaletto.

‘I feel at home here’: Michael Rakowitz’s Acropolis Museum exhibition locates the lines between stories of lost heritage

The Acropolis Museum in Athens has opened "Allspice: Michael Rakowitz and Ancient Cultures," the first exhibition in a trilogy organized with the Hellenic Ministry of Culture and the nonprofit Neon. It is also the first time the museum has presented work by a living artist. The show pairs ancient objects from the University of Chicago’s Institute for the Study of Ancient Culture and the Thanos N. Zintilis Collection of Cypriot Antiquities with 14 works by Iraqi-American artist Michael Rakowitz, including pieces from his ongoing series "The invisible enemy should not exist," which recreates artifacts looted or destroyed from the National Museum of Iraq. Rakowitz’s lamassu reliefs, reimagined from the Palace of Nimrud, and a new commission featuring his mother’s recipes explore themes of lost heritage, memory, and diaspora.

Gustave Caillebotte: Painting His World

The Art Institute of Chicago announces "Gustave Caillebotte: Painting His World," a major exhibition running from June 29 to October 5, 2025. Featuring over 120 works—including paintings, drawings, photographs, and documents—the show offers a fresh perspective on the Impressionist artist, highlighting his intimate focus on family, friends, sportsmen, and neighborhood life, in contrast to his peers. Key loans include the Musée d'Orsay's recent acquisition "Boating Party" and the Louvre Abu Dhabi's "The Bezique Game," alongside the Art Institute's own "Paris Street; Rainy Day." The exhibition is organized collaboratively by the Art Institute of Chicago, the Musée d'Orsay, and the J. Paul Getty Museum.

Comment | Muted grey, bloody red, or dark blue—here’s why the colour of museum walls matters more than you might think

The article explores the often-overlooked significance of color in museum spaces, prompted by a conversation with architect Annabelle Selldorf about her $220 million renovation of New York's Frick Collection. Selldorf describes the new auditorium's muted grey as creating a calm, meditative environment, contrasting sharply with Tate Modern's Starr Cinema, which architect Jacques Herzog painted shocking red to symbolize the space as the museum's "brain." The piece traces historical approaches to gallery wall colors, from Charles Eastlake's advocacy at the National Gallery in London—informed by Goethe's color theory—to the enduring orthodoxy of reds and greens, and a notable departure with deep Prussian blue for a Gainsborough exhibition at Tate Britain. It also recounts Henri Matisse's 1946 project in Paris, where he covered his room's grimy beige walls with cut-paper forms, creating the screens "Océanie, Le Ciel" and "Océanie, La Mer."

Turner vs Constable: is it time for art historians to choose?

Art historian and author James Hall, writing in The Art Newspaper, reviews Nicola Moorby's new book "Turner and Constable: Art, Life, Landscape" and uses it as a springboard to argue that art historians should not shy away from making value judgments about artists. He compares the legacies of J.M.W. Turner and John Constable, noting that Turner currently dominates popular and institutional esteem—appearing on banknotes, celebrated by Tate Britain as the greatest British artist, and fitting modern conceptions of the artist as a rebellious, eccentric genius. Hall contrasts this with Constable's more conservative image and declining presence in commercial culture.

What not to miss from the new edition of The Phair, the photography fair in Turin

Cosa non perdere della nuova edizione di The Phair, la fiera della fotografia di Torino

The seventh edition of The Phair, a photography fair in Turin, Italy, opened on Thursday, May 21, at the Sala Fucine of the Officine Grandi Riparazioni. Founded by Roberto Casiraghi and Paola Rampini, the fair features 42 national and international galleries. Highlights include a surprising automotive partnership at the entrance, and standout presentations from Red Lab Gallery (Ezio D’Agostino and Carlotta Valente), Alberto Damian Gallery (Paolo Gioli), Roccavintage (Costanza Gastaldi), Tucci Russo (Giulio Paolini), Raw Messina (Kri Babusci), and Galleria Umberto Benappi (Ugo Mulas). Other notable artists include Arnulf Rainer, Anton Corbijn, Luigi Ontani, and Simon Starling.

more artists claim owed money london arusha gallery

Ten artists issued a joint statement accusing London's Arusha Gallery of failing to pay nearly $700,000 in long overdue payments. The artists—Pippa Young, Anna Rocke, Plum Cloutman, Ilona Szalay, Megan Rea, Kate Walters, Gail Harvey, Morwenna Morrison, Helen Flockhart, and Charlotte Keates—claimed they faced extreme difficulty obtaining payment for sold work, often waiting months or years. Charlotte Keates, represented by lawyer Jon Sharples, said she is owed £430,000 ($580,000) from sales dating back to 2023, though the gallery's owner, Bella Arusha Collins King, disputed the amount. Additional artists, including Beth Carter, Andrei Pokrovskii, Fiona Finnegan, and the trust of Norman Gilbert, also came forward with claims of non-payment. The gallery acknowledged that some payments are missing and expressed regret.

Urgent Request from Participating Artists and Curators of the 61st Venice Biennale

第61回ヴェネツィア・ビエンナーレ参加アーティストおよびキュレーターによる緊急要請

A group of 73 artists and curators participating in the 61st Venice Biennale, including Yoshiko Shimada and Bubu de la Madeleine, have issued an urgent demand to the Biennale's board to revoke Israel's participation. The collective specifically objects to the decision to relocate the Israeli pavilion to the Arsenale, arguing that its presence contradicts the curatorial vision of Artistic Director Koyo Kouoh, which emphasizes the dignity of all life. They contend that the military and police presence required for the pavilion introduces an atmosphere of violence and fear that undermines the exhibition's integrity.

70 of Stephen Curry’s Game-Worn NBA Sneakers to Be Sold at Sotheby’s, Including a Pair of Nike Kobe 6 Protro ‘Mambacita’

Sotheby’s has announced an online auction of over 70 pairs of sneakers worn by NBA star Stephen Curry during his 2025-26 "sneaker free agency" season. The collection features a diverse range of brands, including Nike, Jordan, Adidas, and Li-Ning, marking the first time Curry was not tied to a single footwear contract. High-profile lots include the Nike Kobe 6 Protro ‘Mambacita’ and the Nike Air Jordan 12 ‘Flu Game,’ with individual estimates reaching up to $50,000.

Did Zurbarán Believe What He Painted?

An exhibition of Francisco de Zurbarán's 17th-century religious paintings at London's National Gallery prompts a critic to question whether the artist's personal faith influenced his artistic skill. The show features monumental works from Spanish churches and monasteries, displayed dramatically against black walls, including crucifixion scenes, monks, and saints. The critic notes that no personal records of Zurbarán survive—only contracts—leaving his beliefs unknown, and compares him to Agnolo Bronzino, who painted pious scenes but wrote obscene verses. A small painting of a crucified Christ with a painter, possibly a self-portrait of Bronzino, is presented as ambiguous evidence of faith.

Met Gala Boycott Message Projected on Bezos’s Manhattan Penthouse

On May 3, 2026, the activist group Everyone Hates Elon projected messages condemning Jeff Bezos and Amazon onto Bezos's luxury penthouse in Manhattan's Madison Square Park, ahead of the Met Gala on May 4. The projections included a video testimony from Amazon warehouse worker Mary Hill, who called for honoring workers instead of billionaires, and slogans such as 'Boycott The Bezos Met Gala.' The group also projected onto the Chrysler and Empire State buildings. This action follows earlier protests, including littering the Met with fake urine bottles and wheatpasting posters across the city, all targeting Bezos's role as an honorary co-chair of the gala.