David Shrigley is quite literally asking for money for old rope (£1 million, to be precise)

David Shrigley has unveiled a new exhibition titled 'Exhibition of Old Rope' at London's Stephen Friedman Gallery, featuring ten tonnes of discarded rope sourced from seaports, climbing schools, tree surgeons, offshore wind farms, and shorelines across the UK. The rope, roughly 20 miles in length, has been intensively cleaned and piled high in the Mayfair gallery, with a deliberately provocative price tag of £1 million. The show runs until 20 December 2025.

The British artist David Shrigley wants £1m for piles of old rope

British artist David Shrigley has opened an exhibition at Stephen Friedman gallery in London featuring approximately ten tonnes of discarded rope, collected from seaports, climbing schools, tree surgeons, and other sources over eight months. The rope is piled in four rooms of the gallery, with a neon sign reading “exhibition of old rope”. Shrigley has priced the installation at £1 million plus VAT, describing the figure as a “provocation” that highlights the gap between art-world valuation and public perception. He acknowledges the work may not sell but insists every artwork needs a price.

In a risk-averse market, Paris Photo offers diversity

Paris Photo returns to the Grand Palais for its 28th edition, featuring 220 exhibitors from 33 countries, including 178 galleries and 42 publishers. The fair opens amid a risk-averse market where dealers report slower acquisitions, increased production costs, and reduced collector risk-taking, yet attendance reached 81,000 in 2024. Notable trends include a resurgence of Japanese galleries after a five-year absence, strong Latin American presentations from Buenos Aires, São Paulo, Santiago, and Mexico City, and a rise in women artists to 39% of practitioners, up from 20% in 2018. Highlights include MEM's exhibition of the August 6 Hiroshima Day student photography project and Claudia Andujar's Yanomami works shown by Galeria Vermelho.

Another gallery gone: Anderson-Brickler space closes after 9 years on Adams Street

Dr. Celeste Hart, a Tallahassee endocrinologist and daughter of the late Dr. A.D. Brickler, is closing the Anderson-Brickler Gallery after nine years on Adams Street. Opened in 2016, the gallery focused on Modern and Contemporary artists of the African Diaspora, hosting exhibitions by artists such as Joe Roache, Romare Bearden, and Kabuya Bowens-Saffo, as well as lectures, workshops, and thesis shows for Florida State University fine arts students. The space will be taken over by Stan J. Johnson, a professional photographer and FAMU professor, who plans to rename the gallery and continue exhibiting paintings while expanding into spoken word and music.

Explore 200 Years of American Art at the PEM

The Peabody Essex Museum (PEM) in Salem, Massachusetts, is hosting "Making History: 200 Years of American Art," an exhibition organized by the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts (PAFA) and on view through September 21, 2025. The show features 85 original works by American artists, including Charles Willson Peale's *The Artist in His Museum*, Patience Wright's wax sculpture of George Washington, and portraits of Ruth St. Denis and Mrs. Chase. PEM's curators have reimagined the exhibition with local relevance and immersive design, and the final gallery invites visitors to contribute personal reflections on history.

Highlights from New York’s Upstate Art Weekend 2025

Upstate Art Weekend (UAW) returns for its sixth edition, running until July 21, 2025, with over 155 participants across galleries, studios, museums, and art centers in New York's Hudson Valley and Catskill Mountains. Founded in 2020 by Helen Toomer as a pandemic-era initiative, the event now supported by Space Design + Production and Bloomberg Connects offers highlights such as 'Eclectic Cream' at Army of Frogs Studio, 'Muskeg and Collateral Magic' at Mother-in-Law's Gallery, 'The Rose' at the Center for Photography at Woodstock, tours at Hessel Museum of Art, and 'Peculiar Manufactures' at Jesse Bransford House.

In Shanghai, a spectacular spiral opera house designed by Snøhetta is revealed

À Shanghai, un spectaculaire opéra en spirale conçu par l’agence Snøhetta se dévoile

The Shanghai Grand Opera House, a massive 147,000-square-meter cultural landmark designed by the Norwegian architectural firm Snøhetta, has reached structural completion in the Houtan district. Inspired by the form of a traditional Chinese fan, the building features a dramatic white helical roof that doubles as a public walkway, connecting the urban landscape to the waterfront. The interior, which includes a 2,000-seat main hall and various modular spaces, is currently being finalized ahead of a scheduled opening in the second half of 2026.

Steven Durland, Champion of Performance Art, Dies at 75

Steven Durland, a longtime editor of *High Performance* magazine and a champion of performance art, died on March 11 at age 75 after a brief illness. His life partner, Linda Frye Burnham, confirmed his death in Saxapahaw, North Carolina. Durland was born in Long Beach, California, raised in South Dakota, and trained as a ceramic artist with a BFA from the University of South Dakota and an MFA from the University of Massachusetts Amherst. He became deeply involved in performance and mail art, and from 1986 to 1994 served as editor of *High Performance*, a magazine founded by Burnham that featured thousands of artists including Nancy Buchanan, Carolee Schneemann, Paul McCarthy, Suzanne Lacy, and Ulysses Jenkins. Durland also maintained his own artistic practice, creating performances such as "Win Defeat/BID FOR POWER" (1978) and "Death and Taxis" (1982), and produced the micro-newspaper *Tacit*.

Riyadh continues to bet big on public art: over 100 new works to be installed in the Saudi capital in the coming years

Riyadh continua a scommettere forte sull’arte pubblica: nei prossimi anni oltre 100 nuove opere installate nella capitale saudita

Saudi Arabia is significantly expanding its Riyadh Art public art initiative, with plans to install over 100 new monumental works across the capital city in the coming years. Following the recent Tuwaiq Sculpture 2026 event, which added 25 stone and metal sculptures to the permanent collection, the city has announced 12 new site-specific installations by high-profile international artists including Anselm Kiefer, El Anatsui, and Manal AlDowayan. The project aims to reach a total of 115 new commissions, building upon a collection that already features masters like Anish Kapoor, Jeff Koons, and Giuseppe Penone.

In ‘Piercing the Veil,’ Marina Kappos Gets to Know the Spectre of Grief

Artist Marina Kappos opens her solo exhibition 'Piercing the Veil' at SHRINE gallery in New York City, running from May 15 to June 27. The show features her signature acrylic-on-wood-panel paintings that use thin layers of pigment to create gauzy, prismatic effects. Inspired by the sculptural figures of grieving women she encountered at Père Lachaise Cemetery in Paris, Kappos explores themes of loss, memory, presence and absence, and the threshold between life and death. Works like 'Veil Study (Eclipse)' (2026) and 'Quantum Study (Green Entanglement)' (2025) depict hazy landscapes and keyhole-shaped portals that invite viewers to contemplate the unknown and the spiritual.

Our Highlights from the Supporting Program

Unsere Highlights aus dem Rahmenprogramm

This article from Monopol highlights the must-see collateral events at the Venice Biennale, focusing on exhibitions and performances beyond the main show. It features Arthur Jafa and Richard Prince at Fondazione Prada, as well as works by Marina Abramović and other artists across video and performance art.

Wer vertritt wen in Venedig?

Victorien Bornéat : « De l’échec de la démocratisation culturelle est né un sentiment d’exclusion »

Victorien Bornéat has published a manifesto arguing that French cultural democratization policy, rooted in André Malraux's vision of making masterworks accessible to all, has failed. He cites budget cuts by regional presidents Laurent Wauquiez and Christelle Morançais, police raids on bookshops like Violette and Co, and statistical studies showing that working-class audiences still do not spontaneously attend theaters, museums, or opera. Bornéat contends that the policy's emphasis on direct confrontation with canonical works ignored the need for cultural codes and institutional literacy, creating an exclusion that politicians now exploit for electoral gain.

« Le monde entier semble s’être mis en mouvement, animé par une soif d’expériences culturelles »

The article explores the transformation of cultural travel for artists and art lovers, contrasting the arduous, unknown journeys of historical figures like Eugène Delacroix, Paul Gauguin, and Ella Maillart with today's accessible, curated experiences. It describes how contemporary artists such as Ólafur Elíasson, JR, and Marina Abramović now use travel itself as a medium, creating works that engage with climate change, social issues, and presence. Destinations like the Venice Biennale, AlUla in Saudi Arabia, Naoshima in Japan, and Le Voyage à Nantes are highlighted as hubs where art and travel merge into immersive, sensory experiences.

À Annecy, le cinéma d’animation célébré toute l’année grâce à l’ouverture d’un lieu hybride et ambitieux en juin

A new permanent home for animation cinema, the Cité internationale du cinéma d'animation, will open in Annecy, France, on June 19, 2025, just before the annual Annecy International Animation Film Festival. Housed in a restored 19th-century horse stable (haras) listed as a historic monument, the 54-million-euro project includes a 450 m² permanent museum, a 332-seat cinema, temporary exhibition spaces, educational workshops, artist residencies, and image-education facilities. The city of Annecy contributes 30 million euros, with additional funding from the Haute-Savoie department, the state, and the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region. Designed by architecture firm dd.a and landscape architect Philippe Deliau, the center aims to be a hybrid, year-round hub for animation, blending heritage, creation, and transmission.

“In the Presence of Others” at Nørrebro Teater, Copenhagen

Nørrebro Teater in Copenhagen is hosting its first major contemporary art exhibition, "In the Presence of Others," featuring works by Marina Abramović, Laurie Anderson, and Miranda July. The show focuses on the artists' engagement with sound and will be staged throughout the entire theatre building.

Venice Biennale’s Visitor Lions Face Artist Boycott

Antwerp exhibition celebrates its homegrown fashion designers, the influential Antwerp Six

The MoMu fashion museum in Antwerp has launched a major exhibition celebrating the 40th anniversary of the "Antwerp Six," a group of influential designers who graduated from the city's Royal Academy of Fine Arts. The show focuses on the formative years between the late 1970s and mid-1980s, culminating in the 1986 London event that launched them into the global spotlight. It highlights the distinct creative identities of Marina Yee, Dries Van Noten, Ann Demeulemeester, Walter Van Beirendonck, Dirk Bikkembergs, and Dirk Van Saene, while also serving as a poignant tribute to Yee, who passed away in late 2024.

A festival of young European photography

The 16th edition of the Circulation(s) festival has launched at the Centquatre-Paris, showcasing the work of 26 emerging European photographers. Running from March 21 to May 17, 2026, the exhibition highlights contemporary projects that reflect the current intuitions, social commitments, and creative challenges facing the next generation of lens-based artists.

petition protests serbia venice biennale pick

A petition with over 600 signatures is protesting the selection of Prague-based artist Predrag Đaković to represent Serbia at the 2026 Venice Biennale with a project titled “Across Golgotha to Resurrection.” The petition, created by the ZUK Informal Art and Culture Collective, alleges that the selection process was unprofessional and non-transparent, and that commission members are closely linked to President Aleksandar Vučić’s Serbian Progressive Party (SNS). The announcement was reportedly made via Đaković’s Instagram rather than through official channels, and neither the artist nor Serbia’s Ministry of Culture has responded to requests for comment.

harry clarke geneva window wolfsonian miami

The Wolfsonian–Florida International University in Miami Beach is exhibiting "Harry Clarke and the Geneva Window," showcasing a luminous stained glass window created by Irish artist Harry Clarke (1891–1931) for the League of Nations building in Geneva. Commissioned by the Irish Free State in 1926, the window was ultimately rejected by the Irish government due to its controversial content, including depictions of drunkenness, nudity, and Protestant writers. The exhibition explores the window's scandalous history, Clarke's life cut short by tuberculosis at age 41, and the broader context of Irish nationalism and the Celtic Revival.

maria lai magazzino

Maria Lai (1919–2013), a Sardinian artist who blended abstraction, Arte Povera, and craft, is receiving her first North American museum retrospective at Magazzino Italian Art in Cold Spring, N.Y. The exhibition, curated by Paola Mura, features nearly 100 works drawn from the personal collection of founders Nancy Olnick and Giorgio Spanu, the artist's foundation, and Italian museums. It includes a permanent installation of Lai's 1992 cement sculpture *Colombe di Cemento* on the museum grounds.

sothebys napoleons auction bicorne hat

Sotheby's will auction approximately 100 lots from the private collection of French antiques collector Pierre-Jean Chalençon on June 25 in Paris, including Napoleon Bonaparte's iconic bicorne hat (estimated at €800,000), a herald sword and stick from his 1804 coronation, his personal gold and ebony seal, worn stockings, and a portable camp bed. The sale, described as one of the most significant offerings of Napoleonic material ever to come to market, spans imperial furniture, Old Master paintings, and personal relics. Chalençon, who has amassed the collection over four decades, is reportedly selling the items to repay a €10 million loan from Swiss Life Banque Privée, though he has denied being deeply in debt.

Bow Arts launches open call for 2027 East London Art Prize

Bow Arts has announced an open call for the 2027 edition of the East London Art Prize, now entering its third cycle. The prize will support 12 shortlisted artists with exhibitions, mentoring, and career development, awarding one artist £15,000 and a solo exhibition at Nunnery Gallery, and another a year-long studio residency. The judging panel includes Brendan Cormier, Alex Needham, Marine Tanguy, and artist Michelle Williams Gamaker, with submissions open from 14 May to 16 August 2026.

Professors share art, science, culture via Smithsonian exhibits

Two East Carolina University professors have contributed to Smithsonian museum exhibits this summer. Photography professor Daniel Kariko from the School of Art and Design has a photograph titled "Last Camp on Isle Dernieres" (2017) on display in the Art x Climate exhibition at the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History. The image documents a recreational fishing camp in South Louisiana that was completely gone by 2019, part of Kariko's ongoing 25-year project "Impermanence" capturing landscape changes in the Barataria-Terrebonne region. Additionally, Dr. Aleia Brown from the Thomas Harriot College of Arts and Sciences curated a collection of quilts by Black artists at the Smithsonian American Art Museum.

Zóbel pieces headline Leon Gallery’s ‘The Spectacular Mid-Year Auction’

Leon Gallery's 'The Spectacular Mid-Year Auction' in Makati City features several key artworks from the Zóbel de Ayala family collection, including Fernando Amorsolo's 'The Burning of Manila'—one of the largest Amorsolo paintings ever auctioned—and multiple pieces by Fernando Zóbel, such as 'Versión en Toledo', 'Variante Sobre Un Tema de Cassatt', 'Talgo', and 'Pequeño homenaje a Stravinski'. Other notable lots include Anita Magsaysay-Ho's 'Water Carriers', Vicente Manansala's 'From the Market', and Hernando R. Ocampo's 'Miners'. The auction, scheduled for June 7, 2025, marks Leon Gallery's 15th anniversary in the art business.

Marina Xenofontos on Representing Cyprus at the 61st Venice Biennale

Artist Marina Xenofontos will represent Cyprus at the 61st Venice Biennale in 2026. Her exhibition, centered on an animatronic sparrow titled 'Passer' and incorporating folk songs recorded by her grandmother and great-aunts, explores themes of memory, endurance, and the quiet persistence of culture.

July-August Exhibit at Sertoma Arts Center

Sertoma Arts Center in Raleigh, North Carolina, presents a group exhibition running from June 29 to August 27, 2025, featuring three distinct shows across its galleries. The Hall Gallery hosts "STRUCTURE & LIGHT: Architectural Paintings by Kenneth Eugene Peters," the Raleigh Room displays "Transcendent Expressions" by Cheryl McCardle, and the Lobby showcases works by Alexandra Zuckerman along with students of Steve Karloski and Tim Cherry. A public reception is scheduled for August 23, 2025.

serpentine summer party pavilion cate blanchett

The Serpentine Summer Party took place in London's Kensington Gardens, drawing a glamorous crowd to celebrate Bangladeshi architect Marina Tabassum's 25th Anniversary Serpentine Pavilion, titled "A Capsule in Time." Co-hosted by actor Cate Blanchett, the event featured musical performances by Caroline Polachek and GALLiVANTER, along with exhibitions by Giuseppe Penone and Sir Peter Cook. Notable attendees included Serpentine Board Chairman Michael Bloomberg, Artistic Director Hans Ulrich Obrist, CEO Bettina Korek, and a host of celebrities and cultural figures.

PinchukArtCentre opens new exhibition at the Venice Biennale

The PinchukArtCentre has opened a new exhibition titled "Still Joy — From Ukraine Into the World" as part of the official parallel program of the 61st Venice Biennale. The show, which opened on May 7 at Palazzo Contarini Polignac and runs through August 1, features works by over 20 international and Ukrainian artists exploring joy as an act of resilience and humanity. Central to the exhibition are testimonies from Hlib Stryzhko, a marine veteran who returned from Russian captivity, which are transformed into sculptural elements. Notable works include a protest performance by Yurii Hruzinov at the Russian pavilion, a video installation of Kyiv rave parties by Malashchuk and Khimei, and installations by Future Generation Art Prize laureates Ashfika Rahman and Zhanna Kadyrova.