È morto a 88 anni il grande artista tedesco Georg Baselitz

German painter Georg Baselitz, known for his expressionist works that confronted the horrors of Nazi Germany, died on April 30, 2026 at age 88. Born Hans-Georg Kern in 1938, he grew up amid World War II rubble and became a pioneering, anti-conformist figure of the post-war era, famously inverting his images to force viewers to reconstruct meaning. A major exhibition, 'GEORG BASELITZ – AVANTI!', had just opened on March 25 at the Museo Novecento in Florence, focusing on his graphic works and his ties to the city. Another show, 'Georg Baselitz. Eroi d’Oro', was set to open May 6 at the Fondazione Giorgio Cini in Venice during the 61st Venice Biennale, featuring large recent paintings and portraits of his wife Elke.

Beyond the prompt: when the medium is generative AI, the artist becomes a systemic director

Oltre il prompt: quando il medium è l’AI generativa l’artista diventa regista sistemico

The article argues that as AI-generated images become more spectacular, the role of the artist is often misunderstood as merely writing prompts. Instead, the author contends that the most significant generative artworks are systems—predetermined rule-based environments where the artist designs the conditions for images to emerge. Works like Hans Haacke's "Condensation Cube" (1963-1965) and Refik Anadol's "Unsupervised" (2022) exemplify this shift from object to process, where the artwork is the behavior or architecture itself.

Fotografia Europea returns to Reggio Emilia. Program, appointments, hundreds of widespread exhibitions

A Reggio Emilia torna la grande rassegna Fotografia Europea. Programma, appuntamenti, centinaia di mostre diffuse

Fotografia Europea, the major photography festival in Reggio Emilia, returns for its 21st edition from April 30 to June 14, 2026, under the theme "Fantasmi del quotidiano" (Ghosts of the Everyday). The official circuit features twenty exhibitions across historic venues such as Chiostri di San Pietro, Palazzo da Mosto, and Palazzo dei Musei, as well as modern spaces like Spazio Gerra and Collezione Maramotti. Highlights include works by Felipe Romero Beltrán (winner of the KBr Photo Award 2025), Mohamed Hassan, Salvatore Vitale, Marine Lanier, Ola Rindal, Tania Franco Klein, Giulia Vanelli, Frédéric D. Oberland, and Simona Ghizzoni, with curatorial contributions from Tim Clark and Luce Lebart. Over three hundred off-circuit exhibitions will also be held throughout the city.

Pussy Riot Shows Art by Russia’s Prisoners in New Protest Exhibition

Pussy Riot founder Nadya Tolokonnikova co-curated "Resistance Imprisoned," a protest exhibition at Ritsch-Fisch Galerie in Strasbourg, France, featuring artwork created by people currently or formerly imprisoned in Russia, including Ukrainian civilians. The show opened April 19 and runs through May 31, timed to coincide with the first month of the Venice Biennale, which opens May 9. Works include a pen sketch by Lyudmila Razumova, a photojournalist arrested for anti-war graffiti in 2022 and serving a seven-year sentence, alongside pieces by other political prisoners and Ukrainian POWs. The exhibition aims to highlight the human cost of Russia's war and its participation in international cultural events.

Roma accoglie all’Ara Pacis 52 importanti opere dell’Impressionismo provenienti da Detroit

The Museo dell'Ara Pacis in Rome is hosting an exhibition titled 'Impressionismo e oltre' (Impressionism and Beyond), featuring 52 masterpieces on loan from the Detroit Institute of Arts. Curated by Ilaria Miarelli Mariani and Claudio Zambianchi, the show spans from the 1840s to the early 20th century, tracing the evolution of European painting through Impressionism, Post-Impressionism, and the avant-garde. Works by Degas, Renoir, Cézanne, Van Gogh, Picasso, Matisse, Modigliani, and others are displayed across thematic sections that explore the shift from academic tradition to modern visual language.

What the tenth edition of Art Monte-Carlo fair in the Principality of Monaco will be like

Come sarà la decima edizione fiera Art Monte-Carlo nel Principato di Monaco

Art Monte-Carlo, the boutique art fair in the Principality of Monaco, celebrates its tenth edition from April 29 to May 1, 2026 (preview April 28), under the High Patronage of H.S.H. Prince Albert II. The fair will host 26 international galleries of modern and contemporary art at the Grimaldi Forum, moving to new spring dates and coinciding with the Monaco Art Week (April 27–May 1). Newcomers include Italian gallery Secci, Mitterrand from Paris, A&R Fleury, Cecilia Hillström Gallery, Fabienne Levy, Giovanni Martino Projects, Lee & Bae, Ritsch-Fisch Galerie, and Monegasque galleries Hartford Fine Art – Lampronti Gallery and M.F. Toninelli Art Moderne. Returning exhibitors include Almine Rech, Cortesi, Galleria Continua, Suzanne Tarasieve, Semiose, Van de Weghe, Voena, and Wilde. A curated section features a collective exhibition titled "Earthly Delights," curated by Stefano Rabolli Pansera and inspired by Luis Buñuel, centered on a functioning bar as a conceptual and physical space. The fair also includes a public program and talks with figures such as photographer Juergen Teller, auctioneer Simon de Pury, and collector Batia Ofer, and has moved under the influence of Informa Prestige, the luxury division of events company Informa.

France reckons with Nazi-looted art in a new Paris museum gallery

France has opened a new permanent gallery at the Musée d'Orsay in Paris dedicated to displaying Nazi-looted artworks that remain unclaimed. The gallery features 13 works from the MNR (Musées Nationaux Récupération) collection, including a painting by Alfred Stevens originally destined for Hitler's planned museum in Linz. The display is the first in the museum's history to show the backs of paintings, revealing stamps, labels, and inventory marks that trace how each piece moved from private Jewish homes into Nazi hands. The museum also launched its first research unit to trace rightful heirs, led by Ines Rotermund-Reynard.

Met Gala guests take artistic liberties with dress code

Guests at the 2025 Met Gala embraced the dress code 'Fashion is art' with bold, artistic ensembles. Beyoncé wore a custom Olivier Rousteing sculptural skeleton dress with a feathered train and diamond crown. Naomi Osaka stunned in a Robert Wun white sculptural dress that revealed a red beaded gown underneath. Emma Chamberlain arrived in a hand-painted Mugler dress by Miguel Castro Freitas. Co-chairs Anna Wintour, Nicole Kidman, and Venus Williams also made statements, with Williams wearing a sparkling gown in homage to her own portrait by Robert Pruitt. Many guests referenced famous artworks, such as Lena Dunham channeling Artemisia Gentileschi's 'Judith Slaying Holofernes' through a Valentino design by Alessandro Michele, and Lauren Sánchez Bezos wearing a Schiaparelli gown inspired by John Singer Sargent's 'Madame X.'

The best museums in the U.S. for art, history and culture

The article presents a curated list of the 10 best museums in the United States, as compiled by U.S. News & World Report, covering art, history, science, and cultural heritage. It begins with a philosophical reflection on the unique power of museums to provide direct, physical encounters with objects that cannot be replicated by digital media. The first museum profiled is The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City, highlighting its 5,000-year collection, 5 million annual visitors, and its two distinct locations: The Met Fifth Avenue and The Met Cloisters.

Explore 6 World Cup-inspired exhibits coming to Kansas City museums

Kansas City museums are launching six soccer-themed and World Cup-inspired exhibitions ahead of the world's largest soccer tournament arriving in the city this summer. Highlights include “The Beautiful Game” at the National World War I Museum and Memorial, which explores soccer's role during World War I; “The World in Kansas City” at the Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art, featuring works by over 16 local international artists; “United We Play: Kicking It With The Trumans” at the Harry S. Truman Presidential Library & Museum, celebrating sports unity through artifacts from Kansas City teams; and “Homeland: The Osage in Missouri” at The Museum of Kansas City, tracing Osage Nation history.

Native Arts Artists-in-Residence Gallery Talks

On August 1, 2026, the Denver Art Museum will host gallery talks featuring its 2026 Native Arts Artists-in-Residence: CooXooEii Black, Adrian Stevens, Sean Snyder, and Benjamin West. The artists will celebrate new installations in the Indigenous Arts of North America galleries, specifically reimagining the Home/Land section, which honors the Native Nations whose ancestral homelands include Denver and the surrounding Colorado region. The event coincides with the 150th anniversary of Colorado statehood and runs from 2-4 pm, with the artists present to discuss their work.

Crystal Bridges to host panel on museum expansion May 29

Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art in Bentonville, Arkansas, will host a ticketed panel discussion on May 29, 2026, to celebrate its upcoming expansion. The conversation, titled "By Design: A Conversation on the Crystal Bridges Expansion," will feature museum founder Alice Walton, board chair Olivia Walton, and architect Moshe Safdie, moderated by Vanity Fair's Nate Freeman. The event takes place at the Heartland Whole Health Institute on the museum campus ahead of the formal expansion opening on June 6-7, which includes free programming and the debut of "Keith Haring in 3D," the first exhibition focused on the artist's three-dimensional work.

Venice Biennale 2026 Collateral Events Six Of The Best – Nico Kos Earle

The 61st Venice Biennale is described as the most contested and chaotic in recent history, marked by the absence of a curator following the death of Koyo Kouoh and overshadowed by global conflicts that made presentations in national pavilions fraught with difficulty. Amid this turmoil, standout collateral events include Michael Armitage's exhibition 'The Promise of Change' at Palazzo Grassi, curated by Jean-Marie Gallais and Hans-Ulrich Obrist, which uses softly painted scenes to address sociopolitical tensions and post-colonial identity. Another highlight is The Holy See Pavilion, curated by Hans Ulrich Obrist and Ben Vickers, featuring a sonic prayer by Soundwalk Collective with contributions from contemporary composers including Patti Smith.

Controversial Costumes at the Met’s Newest Galleries

The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York has opened the new Conde M. Nast Galleries, designed by the Brooklyn-based firm Peterson Rich Office (PRO). The inaugural exhibition, titled "Costume Art," features 200 pieces from various museum departments and will run until January 10, 2027. The 12,000-square-foot space, located off the Great Hall, incorporates historic structural elements and uses subtle lighting and materials to create a quiet backdrop for the display of fragile costumes and art objects.

With mysterious Magic Show, artist Rosamunde Bordo blurs line between real and fictional worlds

Vancouver-based artist Rosamunde Bordo presents *Magic Show*, a multilayered exhibition at Western Front that blends video, glassblowing, and found objects to weave a detective-style narrative around a mysterious woman named Denise. The show, on view until July 25, features works like *Karmic Cleanse* and *Communicating Vessels*, combining esoteric rituals and handcrafted materials to create an immersive, genre-defying storytelling experience.

Best Bets: Rosemont hosts Spring Fun Fest and Anime Central

This article is a roundup of upcoming events in the Chicago area, primarily focused on the Rosemont suburb. It announces the annual Spring Fun Fest at Parkway Bank Park on May 16, featuring family activities and music, and the return of Anime Central, a major anime and Japanese pop-culture convention, at the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center from May 15-17. The article also lists several other cultural happenings, including the Chicago Symphony Orchestra's all-French program, a new exhibition at the Driehaus Museum titled "Ink & Outrage: 18th Century Satirical Prints in London & Dublin," an improv performance by Bluebird Improv at the Studebaker Theater, and a Chamber Blues concert by Corky Siegel at Space in Evanston.

All New for 2026: The Greatest Exhibitions in Greater Philadelphia

Greater Philadelphia is launching a year-long Semiquincentennial celebration in 2026, featuring a series of major exhibitions across the region. Highlights include "A Nation of Artists" at the Philadelphia Museum of Art and the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, the "What Now" festival by ArtPhilly, and "Bells Across PA," a statewide display of painted Liberty Bell replicas. Other notable shows include the Museum of the American Revolution's "The Declaration's Journey," The Franklin Institute's immersive theme park exhibit, The Academy of Natural Sciences' Indigenous re-examination of its Lewis and Clark collection, and the Independence Seaport Museum's look at early American commerce. The Clay Studio presents "Radical Americana" across 20 sites, the National Liberty Museum opens three exhibitions on the First Amendment, and a new show at the Philadelphia Museum of Art explores monuments, curated by Paul Farber.

The Museo Casa Natal Picasso rescues Marisol Escobar, the forgotten queen of pop art

The Museo Casa Natal Picasso in Málaga, Spain, has opened the exhibition "Ni Musas Ni Modelos" (Neither Muses Nor Models), which seeks to reclaim the legacy of Marisol Escobar, a Venezuelan-born pop artist who rose to fame in the 1960s but later fell into obscurity. The show features over forty works by Escobar—including her piece "Saco La Lengua" (I Stick Out My Tongue)—alongside works by thirty other artists such as Dorothea Tanning and Helen Frankenthaler, aiming to correct the historical sidelining of female artists.

HKMoA Showcases Local Artists at Venice Biennale with 'Fermata: Hong Kong in Venice' Exhibition

The Hong Kong Museum of Art (HKMoA) has organized 'Fermata: Hong Kong in Venice' as a Collateral Event of the 61st Venice Biennale, running from May 9 to November 22. The exhibition features artworks by Hong Kong artists Kingsley Ng and Angel Hui, curated under the musical symbol 'Fermata' in dialogue with the Biennale's theme 'In Minor Keys'. This marks the first time HKMoA has curated Hong Kong's exhibition at the Venice Biennale, with support from the Hong Kong Arts Development Council (HKADC) and the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government.

Why the New Orleans Museum of Art Is One of the City’s Must-visit Cultural Gems

The New Orleans Museum of Art (NOMA), housed in a Beaux-Arts building within City Park, is profiled as a cultural cornerstone of the city. Founded in 1911 as the Isaac Delgado Museum of Art, it now holds over 50,000 works spanning global artifacts, Japanese ceramics, Egyptian relics, and modern pieces by artists such as Pablo Picasso, Edgar Degas, and Wangechi Mutu. The museum also features the Sydney and Walda Besthoff Sculpture Garden, a 12-acre free-admission outdoor space with works by Rodin, Moore, and Oldenburg. Upcoming 2026 programming includes Japan Fest, an Edo-period Rinpa exhibition, and a long-term show of French porcelain from the Thomas B. Lemann collection.

Art and politics clash at Venice Biennale, as world conflicts upstage exhibition's opening

The 61st Venice Biennale, the world's most prestigious art exhibition, opens under unprecedented turmoil. For the first time, its vision was shaped by the late Cameroonian curator Koyo Kouoh, who centered artists from Africa and its diaspora. However, political conflicts over Russia and Israel have overshadowed the art. All five jurors resigned after the Italian culture minister investigated their decision to withhold prizes from Russia and Israel over alleged crimes against humanity. Protests erupted at the Russian pavilion, with Pussy Riot activists denouncing Russia's participation, while the Israeli pavilion artist threatened legal action over the jury's snub. The Biennale will proceed without a jury, with visitors voting for two awards, and the fate of the Golden Lion remains uncertain.

Exhibition | Haegue Yang, 'Leap Year' at Hayward Gallery, London, United Kingdom

The Hayward Gallery in London is presenting 'Leap Year', the first major UK survey of internationally celebrated artist Haegue Yang. The exhibition spans Yang's career from the early 2000s to the present, featuring key works from her Light Sculptures and Sonic Sculptures series alongside three new commissions. Yang's practice incorporates a vast range of media—from paper collage and performative sculpture to immersive sensory installations—using household and industrial objects such as drying racks, light bulbs, metal-plated bells, and hanji (Korean paper) to explore themes of labour, migration, and displacement.

What else is happening

Was sonst noch geht

Ahead of the Gallery Weekend Berlin (May 1–3), the city is buzzing with parallel exhibitions that extend far beyond the official gallery circuit. The fourth edition of the Sellerie Weekend opens over 75 independent Off-Spaces from April 30 to May 3, featuring performances, curated tours, and a kickoff event with artist Sophia Süßmilch at the Spoiler project space. The Paper Positions art fair returns to Tempelhof Airport (April 30–May 3) with 70 international galleries specializing in works on paper, including artists like Annegret Soltau, Una Ursprung, and Stefanie Moshammer. Meanwhile, the art initiative House presents the group show "Gravity Ease Contract" in the Berghain heating plant hall (May 1–24), curated by David Douard, with works by Susan Philipsz, Julia Scher, and others. Finally, collectors Karen and Christian Boros unveil "Berlin Bunker #5" in their bunker-turned-museum, featuring recent acquisitions by Pol Taburet, Sung Tieu, and Jill Mulleady.

Wohin am Checkpoint Charlie?

The article covers the Berlin Gallery Weekend, highlighting a cluster of exhibitions around Checkpoint Charlie. It features light art, political sculpture, textile experiments, and spatial interventions. Among the participants is Galerie Max Goelitz, which presents James Turrell's light installation series "Small Elliptical Glass 'First Cause'" (2024) at its Berlin space in Rudi-Dutschke-Straße, as part of the "Perspectives" section.

Frieze New York Diary: celeb sightings and a swag-filled party

Frieze New York's VIP preview at the Shed drew celebrities including CNN anchor Anderson Cooper, actor Leonardo DiCaprio, artist and REM singer Michael Stipe, and actress Sharon Stone. A party in Tribeca celebrated the upcoming Counterpublic Triennial in St. Louis, featuring a custom scent by artist Emma McCormick Goodhart. Highlights include a musical performance by Oglála Lakȟóta artist Kite and a special Look Book photo studio capturing art-world figures like collector Beth Rudin DeWoody and Frieze London director Eva Langret.

Derrick Adams to Install Monumental Portrait of Koyo Kouoh in Venice During the Biennale

Artist Derrick Adams will install a monumental banner version of his collage "Heavy is the head that wears the crown" (2026) on the facade of the Palazzetto dello sport Giobatta Gianquinto in Venice, near the Arsenale, during the Venice Biennale. The work features a portrait of the late curator Koyo Kouoh, artistic director of the 2026 Venice Biennale, with the word "JOY" radiating golden rays above her head. The tribute was conceived by curator Francesco Bonami, who had invited Kouoh to serve on the Golden Lion jury for his 2003 Biennale, and developed after a studio visit with Adams.

Has a new Banksy statue just appeared in central London?

A new statue has appeared on Waterloo Place in central London, bearing the signature of elusive street artist Banksy. The artwork depicts a suited man carrying a large flag that covers his face, stepping off a plinth, and blends with nearby bronze and granite monuments. Sightings were first reported on Wednesday 29 April, but how and when the statue was erected in this busy intersection remains unknown. Banksy has not yet posted the work on his Instagram account, his usual method of authentication, though crowds have already gathered.

ICA Watershed reopens for the season with industrial-inspired installations

The Institute of Contemporary Art's Watershed in East Boston has reopened for its 2026 season with the exhibition "Lucy Raven: Rounds," featuring two large-scale installations by New York-based artist Lucy Raven. The show includes "Hardpan," a kinetic light sculpture co-commissioned by the ICA and Barbican Centre, and "Murderers Bar," a 44-minute film documenting the demolition of a concrete dam on the Klamath River in Northern California. Both works explore themes of industrial history, extraction, and environmental transformation, with the Watershed's former factory setting amplifying the industrial resonance.

Check out these art exhibits on display in Boulder, Longmont

A comprehensive roundup lists dozens of art exhibitions currently on view in Boulder, Longmont, and Lafayette, Colorado, spanning venues from commercial galleries and nonprofit art centers to libraries and museums. Featured shows include "Tres Voces, Un Corazón" at the Boulder Museum of Contemporary Art, featuring three members of one family—Sylvia Montero, Tony Ortega, and Cipriano Ortega; "We Choose Earth" by Jorge Vinent at Ana’s Art Gallery; and "Black Futures in Art – Genome Speaks What Erasure Cannot Silence" at the Collective Community Arts Center. Other highlights include "Threaded Narratives" by the Colorado South Asian Artist Group, "Unfinished" by Lewis TallBull at the Dairy Arts Center, and "Boulder Eats! Traditions Along the Front Range" at the Museum of Boulder.

See exhibition by Erin Jane Nelson, ‘Living and Working,’ at UAB’s AEIVA through Sept. 26

The Abroms-Engel Institute for the Visual Arts (AEIVA) at the University of Alabama at Birmingham presents “Living and Working,” a survey exhibition of artist Erin Jane Nelson, running through September 26. This is Nelson’s largest solo exhibition to date and her first survey, spanning a decade of her practice across photography, textiles, and ceramics. The exhibition will travel to the Knoxville Museum of Art in August 2027, and AEIVA is co-publishing an exhibition catalog with Institute 193. The opening reception is May 21, and free community programming includes summer drop-in tours, a pinhole camera workshop, Science Nights in partnership with the Birmingham Zoo, and a chamber music event.