Art of Contemporary Africa Opens in San Francisco with Inaugural Exhibition ‘Afropop’

Art of Contemporary Africa (AOCA), described as San Francisco's first Pan-African contemporary art gallery, has opened a permanent space at the Minnesota Street Project. Founded by gallerist Craig Mark and photographer Clint Strydom, it operates as a sister space to The Melrose Gallery in Johannesburg and represents a broad roster of artists from across Africa and its diasporas, including the internationally recognized Dr Esther Mahlangu.

Van Gogh’s ‘triple painting’ revealed by discoveries beneath the surface

Conservators at Rotterdam's Boijmans Van Beuningen Museum have discovered that Vincent van Gogh's painting *Poplars near Nuenen* (1885) conceals two earlier compositions: a moonlit view of a church tower and graveyard from July 1884, and a subsequent reworking in Paris in late 1886 that brightened the autumnal landscape. X-ray imaging revealed the original church scene, which Van Gogh painted over after his father's death. The final version, now restored after four years of conservation, goes on display on 7 February.

Fifteen Standout Exhibitions to Catch This Winter

Boston Art Review (BAR) has published a curated list of fifteen standout exhibitions to visit this winter, highlighting a diverse range of contemporary art shows across Boston and beyond. The selection includes both local gallery presentations and major museum exhibitions, offering readers a guide to the season's most compelling visual art experiences.

Fred Wilson: The Flag Project | 2026 | Rose Art Museum

Fred Wilson: The Flag Project is on view at the Rose Art Museum from February 11 to May 31, 2026, in the Lois Foster Wing stairwell. The exhibition features a selection of Wilson's Flag paintings, including the large canvas Hidden Flag (2012), and a series of national flags from African and African diasporic countries rendered entirely in black paint on raw cotton canvas, arranged in a mural-like procession. The show is organized by Dr. Gannit Ankori, the museum's Henry and Lois Foster Director and Chief Curator, and supported by Pace Gallery.

The Best Art Shows Around the World in 2025

Hyperallergic's editors and contributors have compiled their favorite art exhibitions of 2025, spanning cities across the United States, Europe, and Asia. Highlights include shows by Nan Goldin, Noah Davis, Stan Douglas, Yoko Ono, Tishan Hsu, Felix Gonzalez-Torres, and a group exhibition on Japanese American women artists at the Smithsonian American Art Museum. The list also features the Louvre's presentation of Cimabue, Fra Angelico's frescos in Florence, a durational performance by Pussy Riot founder Nadya Tolokonnikova in Los Angeles, and works by Cara Romero, Ruth Asawa, Huguette Caland, and H. C. Westermann.

10 Art Shows to See in Los Angeles This December

This December, Los Angeles presents a diverse array of art exhibitions that engage with contemporary social issues, cultural protest, and new possibilities. Highlights include Alan Luna's subversive reinterpretations of Mexican history and American modernism at the new La Plaza Projects, a group show at The Box featuring nearly 200 artists challenging normative sexuality, and Daniel T. Gaitor-Lomack's assemblages at Night Gallery that poetically repurpose discarded objects from LA streets. Other notable shows include Edith Dekyndt and Richard Long's dialogue on nature at Okey Dokey Konrad Fischer, and Sam Shoemaker's performance-based mushroom boat project at Fulcrum Arts.

Van Gogh’s family used an erotic Gauguin ceramic as a flower vase

A researcher at the Van Gogh Museum, Joost van der Hoeven, has revealed that Paul Gauguin's erotic ceramic, the Cleopatra Pot (winter 1887-88), was used as a flower vase by Vincent van Gogh's family. Gauguin brought the pot to Arles when he stayed with Van Gogh in 1888, and after Van Gogh's ear incident, Gauguin gave the pot to Vincent's brother Theo as a gift. The pot later remained with Theo's widow, Jo Bonger, and a photograph from 1925-26 shows it on her piano holding flowers, surrounded by still-life paintings.

8 Must-See Solo Gallery Shows in November

Galerie magazine has curated a list of eight must-see solo gallery shows across the United States for November, highlighting exhibitions from New York to Los Angeles. Featured artists include Robert Storr, whose return to painting is showcased at Vito Schnabel Gallery in New York with a series of geometric canvases titled "Fits and Starts"; Katherine Bradford, whose figurative works are on view at CANADA in New York; and the late Robert Kobayashi, whose bricolage pieces are displayed at Susan Inglett Gallery in New York, curated by his daughter. Other notable shows include Flora Yukhnovich at Hauser & Wirth in Downtown Los Angeles.

Your Go-To Guide to All the Art Fairs in Paris This Week

Paris is hosting a busy week of art fairs, headlined by Art Basel Paris returning to the Grand Palais from October 24–26, 2025, under outgoing director Clément Delépine. The fair features 206 galleries across three sections, public programs at nine iconic venues including an inflatable Kermit the Frog by Alex Da Corte and a participatory installation by Harry Nuriev, and a talks series hosted by Edward Enninful. Satellite fairs include Design Miami Paris at L’Hôtel de Maisons, the dealer-run 7 Rue Froissart co-founded by Brigitte Mulholland and Sara Maria Salamone, and others like Paris Internationale and Asia Now.

8 Must-See Museum Shows Celebrating Overlooked Women Artists

This article highlights eight museum exhibitions scheduled for fall 2025 that focus on historically overlooked women artists. Featured shows include "Nancy Elizabeth Prophet: I Will Not Bend an Inch" at Spelman College, "Toshiko Takaezu: Worlds Within" at the Chazen Museum of Art, and "Edmonia Lewis: Indelible Impressions" at the Cantor Arts Center, among others. Each exhibition aims to bring renewed attention to artists who faced racial and gender barriers, such as Afro-Indigenous sculptor Nancy Elizabeth Prophet, ceramicist Toshiko Takaezu, and 19th-century sculptor Edmonia Lewis.

The National Gallery's new exhibition includes Van Gogh's brief foray into Neo-Impressionism

The National Gallery in London opens 'Radical Harmony: Helene Kröller-Müller’s Neo-Impressionists' tomorrow, running until 8 February 2026. The exhibition features works by Van Gogh’s Parisian colleagues, including Georges Seurat and Paul Signac, and highlights Van Gogh’s brief experimentation with Neo-Impressionist dot-like technique. A key work on display is Van Gogh's 'The Sower' (June 1888), which also recently received a papal mention by Pope Leo XIV, who referenced the painting in his first general audience at the Vatican, interpreting its sun as a symbol of God.

8 Artists Having a Breakout Moment This Fall

Artsy has identified eight artists poised for breakout moments during the fall 2025 art season, including Teresa Solar Abboud, who secured new representation by Lehmann Maupin and will debut a bronze sculpture at London's Hayward Gallery during Frieze Week, and Ana Cláudia Almeida, who is presenting her first major solo exhibition in New York with Stephen Friedman Gallery. The article highlights artists reaching new career milestones through gallery representation, solo debuts, and institutional exhibitions across major art capitals like Paris, London, and New York.

Most expensive, suicide not murder and more: celebrating 300 Adventures with Van Gogh

Adventures with Van Gogh, a weekly blog launched in 2018, has published its 300th post. To mark the milestone, the blog compiled a list of its most-read posts since the 200th edition in February 2023, updated with new information. Topics range from the ten most expensive Van Gogh paintings at auction (led by *Orchard with Cypresses* at $117m) to a geological feature near Saint-Rémy-de-Provence that appears in *The Olive Trees*, a defense of the suicide theory over murder, the real-life view behind *Starry Night over the Rhône*, Picasso’s granddaughter Marina Picasso quietly buying and selling a Van Gogh watercolour, and the artist’s preference for simple wooden frames over ornate gold ones.

Best art exhibitions in late 2025: Asia-Pacific

The article highlights the most exciting art exhibitions across the Asia-Pacific region in late 2025. Key shows include a survey of women photographers in Melbourne, a Lee Bul retrospective in Seoul, a Robert Rauschenberg exhibition in Hong Kong, and a Lucie Rie ceramics show in Kanazawa, Japan. Additionally, a new museum opens in Taiwan, and the National Palace Museum in Taiwan hosts a loan exhibition of 81 works from the Robert Lehman Collection at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, featuring artists like Cézanne, Gauguin, and Renoir. Other notable events include 'Prism of the Real' at the National Crafts Museum in Kanazawa, examining Japanese art from 1989 to 2010, and a Kim Tschang-Yeul exhibition at the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art in South Korea.

9 Highlights to Look Out for at This Year’s Armory Show

The Armory Show returns to New York City's Javits Center from September 5–7, 2025, with a VIP preview on September 4. Under new director Kyla McMillan, the fair features over 230 galleries from more than 30 countries, including curated sections such as Solo, Presents, Platform (titled "My Art Is the Evidence of My Freedom," curated by Raina Lampkins-Fielder), and a new Function section exploring art and design, curated by Ebony L. Haynes. Highlights include presentations by Gee’s Bend Quiltmakers at Nicelle Beauchene Gallery, Thornton Dial from Souls Grown Deep Foundation, and a monumental sculpture by Kennedy Yanko at James Cohan.

Behind-the-scenes Beatles photographs shot by Paul McCartney to go on sale at Gagosian London

Gagosian London will present 'Rearview Mirror: Liverpool–London–Paris' from August 28 to October 4, showcasing behind-the-scenes photographs taken by Paul McCartney between December 1963 and February 1964. The images, remastered from long-lost negatives and contact sheets, capture pivotal moments in the Beatles' early fame, including their Paris residency at the Olympia Theatre and their appearance on BBC's Juke Box Jury. The prints are signed by McCartney, available in editions of six to ten, and priced between $20,000 and $85,000. The exhibition follows a larger presentation at Gagosian Beverly Hills earlier this year.

Have we reached peak painting?

The article examines the enduring dominance of painting in the art world, despite repeated predictions of its demise. It cites record-breaking sales—Leonardo's *Salvator Mundi* ($450m), Jasper Johns's *Flag* ($110m), and Marlene Dumas's *Miss January* ($13.6m)—and highlights the upcoming Jenny Saville survey at the National Portrait Gallery in London. The Turner Prize shortlist includes painter Mohammed Sami, whose work *Poor Folk II* sold for $571,500 at Sotheby's, far exceeding estimates. Exhibitions like *Painting after Painting* at SMAK in Ghent and *R U Still Painting???* in New York explore how artists continue to use the medium, with curators and market figures affirming painting's resilience.

11 Must-See Museum Exhibitions This Summer

This article highlights 11 must-see museum exhibitions for summer 2025, curated by Monica Jae Yeon Moon. Key shows include Melissa Joseph's site-specific installation 'Tender' at the Brooklyn Museum, a comprehensive solo exhibition of 18th-century Dutch still life painter Rachel Ruysch at the Toledo Museum of Art and Museum of Fine Arts Boston, and a queer photography exhibition at the Getty Center. Other notable events include the Venice Architecture Biennale, Berlin Biennale, and Ljubljana Biennial, with a focus on women artists like Emily Kam Kngwarray and Takako Yamaguchi receiving overdue recognition.

Tentatively, Photo London's tenth edition moves away from traditional content and crowds

Photo London's tenth edition, under new director Sophie Parker, opened at Somerset House with a deliberate shift away from its traditional focus on established male photographers and celebrity subjects like Kate Moss. The fair eliminated its 'Master of Photography' award and revived the Positions section for unrepresented artists, featuring Palestinian-American Adam Rouhana and British Indian photographer Kavi Pujara. While the main pavilion still showcased familiar names like Sebastião Salgado, newer galleries reported strong early sales, including a £10,000–£15,000 portrait by Chou Ching Hui sold to a Norwegian museum via Taipei's Chini Gallery, and multiple sales at Amsterdam's Hungry Eye Gallery and Paris's Galerie XII.

The Art Market Defies Doom and Gloom With Independent, Esther and Future Fair in Full Swing

New York City is hosting an unprecedented concentration of art fairs this week, with over nine fairs running simultaneously, including Independent, Esther, and Future Fair. Independent, held at Spring Place in Tribeca, opened on May 8 and is positioning itself as a boutique, hyper-curated alternative to mega-fairs like Frieze, featuring mostly solo presentations. Early sales were reported by several galleries: Europa sold works by Suyi Xu ($9,000–$20,000), Long Story Short sold six works by Keita Morimoto (up to $26,000), Charles Moffett nearly sold out his booth of Julia Jo ($10,000–$45,000), The Approach sold four works by John Maclean ($13,500 or less), and Copperfield presented works by Ada Patterson ($8,000–$23,000).

teamLab in Abu Dhabi, Christine Sun Kim and Thomas Mader, Vermeer’s final painting?—podcast

The article covers three major art stories: the opening of Christine Sun Kim and Thomas Mader's exhibition "1880 THAT" at the Wellcome Collection in London, which explores the 1880 Milan Conference that banned sign language in Deaf education; the launch of a new teamLab museum in Abu Dhabi's Saadiyat Cultural District; and new conservation findings on Johannes Vermeer's "Young Woman seated at a Virginal" (1670-75), which may be his final painting, with 17th-century pollution helping to date the work.

What Not to Miss in Venice’s Arsenale and Giardini

Frieze has published a critic's guide titled "What Not to Miss in Venice’s Arsenale and Giardini," though the provided text appears to be a truncated excerpt that actually promotes a different article: "7 Must-See Shows During Art Brussels," featuring Richard Tuttle at Galerie Greta Meert and Lutz Bacher at WIELS, written by Emile Rubino on April 21, 2026. The guide likely highlights key exhibitions and artworks within the historic Arsenale and Giardini venues during a major art event in Venice.

Emily Kraus’s Glitchy Paintings Challenge Aesthetic Authority

Emily Kraus’s solo exhibition at Frieze presents a series of glitchy, digitally inspired paintings that disrupt traditional notions of aesthetic authority. The works employ pixelated distortions and vibrant color fields to question the boundaries between digital error and artistic intention, drawing attention to the role of technology in contemporary art-making.

A Brief History of Protest at the Venice Biennale

The article provides a historical overview of protest actions that have taken place at the Venice Biennale, tracing key moments of political and social dissent within the prestigious international art exhibition. It highlights instances where artists, activists, and participating nations have used the Biennale as a platform to challenge authority, address censorship, and critique global issues, from the 1968 student protests to more recent controversies involving national pavilions and institutional policies.

Historical Downtown Icons in ‘Focus’ at Frieze New York

Frieze New York is spotlighting historical downtown icons in a new 'Focus' section at its upcoming fair. The initiative will feature curated presentations of works by artists who were central to New York's downtown art scene, highlighting their enduring influence and the cultural history of the era.

The Best Shows to See Across the UK Right Now

Frieze has published a critic's guide highlighting seven must-see exhibitions during Art Brussels, including Richard Tuttle's restless assemblages at Galerie Greta Meert and an expansive show of Lutz Bacher at WIELS. The guide, written by Emile Rubino, offers a curated selection of notable shows across the UK and Brussels art scene.

Your Go-To Guide to NYC's Spring Art Fairs

New York City's spring art season is bustling with a diverse array of art fairs catering to different tastes and budgets. Major events include the contemporary art-focused Frieze at The Shed, the budget-conscious Affordable Art Fair, the Outsider Art Fair showcasing self-taught artists, the New York International Antiquarian Book Fair, and the IFPDA Print Fair.

Lost for More Than a Century, the First ‘Sci-Fi’ Film Ever Made Resurfaces

Lost for More Than a Century, the First ‘Sci-Fi’ Film Ever Made Resurfaces

A lost 1897 silent film by pioneering French director Georges Méliès, "Gugusse et l'Automate," has been rediscovered and digitally restored. The 45-second slapstick short, featuring a magician battling a robot, was found in a collection of early film reels passed down through a family of traveling showmen and has now been preserved in 4K by the Library of Congress.

Bodies in Motion, Bodies at Rest: Ali Cherri in Conversation with Kaelen Wilson-Goldie

This article presents a conversation between artist Ali Cherri and writer Kaelen Wilson-Goldie, marking the second installment of a collaborative series between TextWork by Fondation Pernod Ricard and Mousse Magazine. The series features in-depth dialogues between artists from the TextWork program and magazine contributors, expanding on the traditional interview format, and is set to continue until 2027.

robert burns portrait rediscovered

A long-lost portrait of Scottish poet Robert Burns, painted by Henry Raeburn in 1803, has been rediscovered after 200 years. The painting was found at a house clearance sale by Wimbledon Auctions in London, where it was estimated at just £300–£500 but sold for £68,000 after a bidding war. It has since been conserved and authenticated by the National Galleries of Scotland, and is now on public display in Edinburgh alongside the original 1787 portrait by Alexander Nasmyth, just in time for Burns Night celebrations.