The article provides a critic's guide to seven must-see exhibitions during the Art Brussels event. It highlights specific shows, including Richard Tuttle's assemblages at Galerie Greta Meert and an expansive presentation of Lutz Bacher's work at WIELS.
Silvestre Pestana, a Portuguese artist and poet, is presenting a solo exhibition of his LED text-based works at Galeria Quadrado Azul in Porto. The show, titled 'Silvestre Pestana: The Light of Words', features his pioneering 'Poemas Pornográficos' (Pornographic Poems) from the 1980s and newer LED pieces that transform language into pulsating, illuminated objects.
Marina Xenofontos recreates an empty nightclub in her latest exhibition, transforming the gallery space into a hauntingly still environment that evokes the aftermath of a night out. The installation features meticulously crafted details such as discarded drinks, abandoned furniture, and dim lighting, capturing the melancholic atmosphere of a venue devoid of its usual crowd. The show is part of the broader Art Brussels programming, with the critic's guide highlighting it among seven must-see exhibitions during the fair.
Hyperallergic has published its guide to the 2026 Venice Biennale, detailing what to see and do at this year's edition. The guide covers the three main categories of the Biennale—the Giardini with 29 permanent national pavilions, the Arsenale with temporary rented spaces, and collateral events across the city. Key developments include the return of Russia to its permanent Giardini pavilion and Israel's participation with a new contractual stipulation preventing its artist from closing the pavilion, after Ruth Patir's protest in 2024. South Africa withdrew following the cancellation of Gabrielle Goliath's video installation 'Elegy,' which mourns victims of Israel's genocide in Gaza and will now be shown at a historic church. The United States will be represented by Alma Allen after Barbara Chase-Riboud stepped down, and Qatar is set to become the first country in decades to build a new pavilion in the Giardini.
London’s art scene prepares for a major influx of high-profile exhibitions in May 2026, headlined by a comprehensive survey of Francisco de Zurbarán at the National Gallery and the grand opening of the Quentin Blake Centre for Illustration in Clerkenwell. Other significant highlights include a sprawling outdoor installation of Henry Moore’s monumental bronzes at Kew Gardens, the debut of the 'Rising Voices' contemporary art exhibition at the newly opened V&A East, and a rare European retrospective of James McNeill Whistler at Tate Britain featuring the iconic 'Whistler's Mother'.
MoMA PS1's sixth edition of the "Greater New York" quinquennial exhibition has opened, showcasing the work of over 50 artists and collectives. The show aims to capture the current state of New York's art scene, highlighting new and ambitious work created despite challenging economic and political conditions.
The Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Ronald S. Lauder Neue Galerie New York have announced a landmark merger agreement, set to take effect in 2028. The merger will unite the Neue Galerie's collection of 20th-century Austrian and German art—including Gustav Klimt's *Portrait of Adele Bloch-Bauer I*—with The Met, while preserving the Neue Galerie's distinct museum experience. Ronald S. Lauder and his daughter Aerin Lauder Zinterhofer plan to donate 13 additional paintings from their personal collection, and several Met trustees have pledged significant endowment gifts to support the integration and long-term operations.
A lithograph by Joan Miró from his "Quelques Fleurs pour des Amis" series, titled *Milani (#25)* (1964), is being offered for sale through Palm Beach Modern Auctions. The work is a limited-edition print on paper, signed in plate, from an edition of 150, printed by Mourlot, Paris, and published by Societe Internationale d'Art XXe Siecle, Paris. The listing includes details on condition, buyer's premium, and bidding terms.
This article is a detailed listing for KAWS's sculpture *ALONG THE WAY* (2013), a wood piece measuring 96 7/8 × 75 × 51 1/4 inches, held in the collection of the Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth. It includes the work's exhibition history, the artist's biography (born Brian Donnelly, 1974), his key solo exhibitions at institutions such as the Brooklyn Museum and Yorkshire Sculpture Park, and his high auction record of HK$116 million at Sotheby's in 2019. The listing also features a series of related KAWS works available at auction houses including Christie's, Phillips, and Heritage Auctions.
Hyperallergic's newsletter explores the question of whether artworks can possess personhood, drawing on Lisa Siraganian's essay that references the 2010 Citizens United Supreme Court decision and Pierre Huyghe's uncanny human statues. Other featured pieces include Ed Simon's review of Elizabeth Goldring's new book on Hans Holbein the Younger, Michael Glover's introduction to George Stubbs's equine portraits at the National Gallery in London, and news of a historic $116M gift to the National Gallery of Art for an artwork lending program. The newsletter also covers Byron Kim's exhibition at James Cohan Gallery, the new V&A East museum in London, and obituaries for Desmond Morris, James Hayward, and Flo Oy Wong.
Harriet Cooper's guide highlights 16 free art exhibitions in London for spring 2026, including David Hockney's inaugural show at Serpentine North Gallery, a solo display by designer Simone Brewster at the Design Museum, and Somerset House's 'Holy Pop!' exploring modern idolatry. Other featured shows range from Paula Rego drawings to Gilbert & George works, all accessible without admission charges.
Wohin am Wochenende?
This week's art tips from Monopol magazine highlight exhibitions and events across Germany and Europe. In Berlin, the Helmut Newton Museum reopens with a new immersive film space and a fresh presentation of its collection, while the Neue Nationalgalerie showcases Ernst Ludwig Kirchner's iconic painting "Potsdamer Platz" in the exhibition "Ruin und Rausch. Berlin 1910-1930." In Bozen, Chinese artist Evelyn Taocheng Wang presents new works at Museion, blending painting, textiles, and installation. The Art Brussels fair returns with a reduced lineup of 138 galleries, focusing on Belgian and neighboring markets. In Duisburg, Anish Kapoor receives the Wilhelm-Lehmbruck Prize, accompanied by a solo exhibition at the Lehmbruck Museum.
New York's Showplace is hosting its Important Fine Art and Design Auction on May 14, 2026, featuring 145 lots that span Old Masters to contemporary works. Key highlights include Yayoi Kusama's *Infinity Nets* (1995, est. $100,000–$200,000), Otis Kwame Kye Quaicoe's *Yellow Fanny Pack* (2021, est. $12,000–$18,000), Alexander Calder's *Paradis* (1976, est. $60,000–$80,000), Henri Martin's *L'Eglise de Labastide-du-Vert* (est. $60,000–$80,000), and Milton Avery's *Untitled (Winter Landscape Scene)* (est. $20,000–$40,000). The auction brings together blue-chip names like Warhol, Kusama, and Calder alongside emerging artists.
French Algerian artist, curator, and educator Kader Attia has been appointed curator of the Seventh Kochi-Muziris Biennale, scheduled to open in Kochi, India, in December 2027. The selection was made by a jury led by Biennale president Jitish Kallat and including Shilpa Gupta, Amrita Jhaveri, Pooja Sood, Tasneem Zakaria Mehta, Mariam Ram, and Rirkrit Tiravanija. Attia, who participated in the 2014 edition of the biennale, is known for his practice addressing social injustice, postcolonialism, and marginalized communities, and previously curated the 2022 Berlin Biennale.
The 61st Venice Biennale features standout national pavilions from Japan, the Philippines, Timor-Leste, Singapore, and India. Japan presents Ei Arakawa-Nash's 'Grass Babies, Moon Babies,' an interactive exhibition with hand-sewn baby dolls and sound pieces exploring queer parenthood and collective care. The Philippines showcases Jon Cuyson's 'Sea of Love / Dagat ng Pag-ibig,' a solo show using 'mussel thinking' to highlight Filipino seafarers. Timor-Leste's 'Across Words' brings together three artists addressing ethnolinguistic diversity and cultural memory, while Singapore presents Amanda Heng's 'A Pause,' a feminist performance on vulnerability and resilience. India's pavilion features Ranjani Shettar's work, supported by Talwar Gallery.
The 61st Venice Biennale, titled "In Minor Keys" and curated by the late Koyo Kouoh, opens amid global turmoil and internal controversy. Kouoh, who passed away in May 2025, conceived the exhibition around the metaphor of a "creole garden," emphasizing deep affinities between 111 artists from diverse locations such as Dakar, Beirut, and Salvador. The Biennale is overshadowed by recent geopolitical events, including US-Israeli airstrikes on Iran, and faces protests: over 70 participating artists signed an open letter opposing the participation of Israel, Russia, and the US, while the Australian pavilion saw the reinstatement of Khaled Sabsabi after being dropped, and South Africa withdrew its official pavilion over Gabrielle Goliath's femicide project, which she will still present independently.
Photo London has opened its latest edition at Olympia London, marking a significant move from its previous home at Somerset House. The fair brings together international galleries from cities including New Delhi, Cologne, New York, Glasgow, Buenos Aires, Johannesburg, Zurich, Paris, Tokyo, Taipei, Munich, and London, creating a global conversation around photography. Highlights include Alfredo Jaar's installation 'Searching for Africa in LIFE,' which interrogates the absence of African voices in Western media, and presentations by Autograph, Leica Gallery London, and others that explore themes of migration, memory, identity, and representation.
The Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, has opened a new exhibition that challenges traditional gender norms in art history, featuring a dozen artists who disrupt the conventional nude. The show includes Xandra Ibarra's performance "Nude Laughing," where she paraded naked through the museum's European galleries, and works by Betty Tompkins, whose "Fuck Paintings" and "Women Words Painting" series confront misogyny and the male gaze. The exhibition juxtaposes these contemporary pieces with historical works like Jean-Léon Gérôme's "Moorish Bath" to highlight entrenched racial and gender hierarchies in art.
The Frist Art Museum in Nashville is opening three new exhibitions this summer. 'International Surrealism from Tate: Fifty Years of Dreams' (May 22–Aug. 30) features surrealist works from the Tate collection, including pieces by Salvador Dalí, René Magritte, and Joan Miró, marking 100 years since the first surrealist exhibition in Paris. 'Anila Quayyum Agha: Interwoven' (May 22–Aug. 30) is a mid-career retrospective of the Pakistani American artist's immersive light installations and beaded drawings. 'An Indigenous Present' (June 26–Sept. 27) showcases works by fifteen Indigenous artists, curated by artist Jeffrey Gibson and curator Jenelle Porter.
The Palazzo delle Esposizioni in Rome has opened a major retrospective of Mario Schifano, curated by Daniela Lancioni and titled simply "Mario Schifano," running until July 12. The exhibition reconstructs the career of the Italian artist (1934–1998), who worked across painting, film, and music, and highlights his role as a precursor to Arte Povera. A centerpiece is the reconstructed dining room Schifano created for the Rome home of Marella and Gianni Agnelli in 1968, featuring 14 canvases and a planned but unrealized sand-filled room with a pyramid, a detail revealed by film producer Ettore Rosboch in a conversation with the curator.
Maureen Paley presents *The Fugitive Marvels of Sunset*, the fifth solo exhibition of Canadian artist Paul P. at the gallery. The show features his signature portraits of anonymous young men, sourced from gay erotic magazines from the late 1960s to early 1980s, alongside paintings of bats, laundry, and seascapes that explore twilight and threshold moments. The exhibition draws on coded visual languages from Victorian-era dandies and post-Stonewall culture, with works also included from a recent two-person show at KW Institute for Contemporary Art, Berlin.
The article reviews the 2024 Venice Biennale, focusing on controversies over Russia's and Israel's participation. Protests erupted during opening week, leading the EU to cut funding and the International Jury to resign. As a result, awards like the Golden Lion and Silver Lion will be decided by public vote, with many pavilions and artists withdrawing in protest. The main exhibition, curated under the theme 'Minor Keys,' features standout works by Alfredo Jaar and Carrie Schneider, alongside national pavilions like Austria's provocative entry by Florentina Holzinger.
The Portland Museum of Art (PMA) is presenting two concurrent exhibitions: "Ming Smith: Jazz Requiem — Notations in Blue" (through June 7) and "Precious: The Value of Ornament" (through July 19). The Ming Smith exhibition showcases the pioneering Black photographer's emotive, manipulated images, including jazz club scenes and portraits, drawn from the museum's collection and loans from The Gund at Kenyon College. The decorative arts exhibition highlights the value of ornament in applied arts.
Arnaldo Pomodoro's 2003 etching "Untitled for Art and Research (Ca…" is being offered for sale. The work is an artist's proof on wove paper, signed and annotated p.a., one of only 15 proofs aside from the regular edition of 150. It was created to support the "Art and Research" event in Milan, sponsored by the Mario Negri Pharmacological Research Institute, and published by Art 3, Alberto Serighelli. The piece is framed under UV Plexiglass and measures 12.75 x 12.5 x 1.5 inches framed.
The Parrish Art Museum in Water Mill, New York, will present 'Sanford Biggers: Drift,' the artist's first major solo exhibition on the East End of Long Island, opening in summer 2026. The show features new works, site-responsive installations, and signature sculptures and textiles, including the monumental cloud installation 'Unsui (Cloud Forest)' (2025). The exhibition is part of the museum's 'PARRISH USA250: Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness' series, which marks America's semi-quincentennial by exploring the ideals of the Declaration of Independence through the lens of Long Island's artistic heritage.
Galerie Lelong in Paris is presenting 'Paula Rego, Drawing from Life,' an exhibition focused on the artist's intense three-year period from 2005 to 2007, during which she devoted herself almost exclusively to drawing and lithography in her London studio. The show features works inspired by literary sources such as 'Jane Eyre,' 'Peter Pan,' and the sixteenth-century tale 'The King of Pigs,' as well as her connection with playwright Martin McDonagh. Key pieces include 'Shakespeare’s Room,' 'Scarecrow,' and 'Turtle Hands.' The exhibition is made possible with the support of Nick Willing, the artist’s son, and Cristea Roberts Gallery in London.
The article highlights ten notable museum and gallery exhibitions opening in the Bay Area during summer 2026, including Ranu Mukherjee's solo show 'The Long Middle' at Gallery Wendi Norris, a group survey 'Slice of the Pie' at Fraenkel Gallery featuring 14 Bay Area galleries, and 'Giant Steps' at Personal Space in Vallejo focusing on innovative ceramic works. Other featured shows include Will Yackulic's 'A Certain Slant of Light' at pt.2 in Oakland and several other exhibitions across San Francisco and Oakland.
This article profiles Henry Ossawa Tanner (1859–1937), the pioneering African American artist who achieved international fame in the 19th and early 20th centuries. Born in Pittsburgh to a bishop father and a mother who escaped slavery, Tanner studied under Thomas Eakins at the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts before moving to Paris to escape racial discrimination. He studied at the Académie Julian, became a mentor to Black artists including Aaron Douglas and Hale Woodruff, and gained renown for his biblical paintings such as "Daniel in the Lions' Den" (1896). Tanner traveled widely—to Egypt, Morocco, and Palestine—and was named a chevalier of the French Legion of Honor in 1927. The article lists numerous works by Tanner held in major collections, including the first painting by an African American artist acquired for the White House Collection.
This May, galleries across India are presenting a diverse array of new art exhibitions, ranging from postcolonial installations and forgotten print histories to deeply personal paintings and sculptural storytelling. Highlights include Sri Lankan artist Shanaka Kulathunga's solo show 'Silent Stories' at Bikaner House, exploring memory and displacement; the group exhibition 'In the Telling' at Chemould Prescott Road in Mumbai, focusing on narrative-making and fragmented memory; and 'An Ancient Ballad' at Emami Art in Kolkata, drawing from mythology and folklore. Other notable shows include a retrospective of modernist A. A. Raiba at Thapar Gallery, the politically charged 'The Architecture Of The Void' at Gallery Dotwalk, and Navjot Altaf's 'Waste Archives as Landscape' at CSMVS museum in Mumbai.
The Metropolitan Museum of Art has opened its new Condé M. Nast Galleries, a 12,000-square-foot exhibition space designed by Brooklyn-based architecture firm Peterson Rich Office (PRO). The galleries, which debuted with the Costume Institute's exhibition "Costume Art," transform a former interior courtyard and gift shop into five sequential rooms, including named spaces for Thom Browne, Michael Kors, and Lance LePere. PRO also designed the exhibition itself, which pairs 200 garments and accessories with 200 artworks from the Met's collection, creating a dialogue between fashion and fine art.