Katie DeGroot: The Arboreal Life

Katie DeGroot's exhibition "The Arboreal Life" at Kathryn Markel Fine Arts in New York (April 2–May 9) presents tree paintings that anthropomorphize branches into human-like figures. Works such as "Chit Chat" (2026) and "Family Matters" (2025) depict trees leaning, gesturing, and tangling in ways that suggest intimate relationships, arguments, and familial bonds. DeGroot, who moved from New York City to a farm in upstate Fort Edward, began using fallen branches as models after lacking human subjects, developing compositions that emphasize color, texture, and the interplay of fungi and lichen. Her use of opaque and translucent watercolors balances natural observation with poetic interpretation.

What We Saw at Buffalo Prescott’s 'Vernal 2026'

Buffalo Prescott’s Detroit headquarters is hosting 'Vernal 2026,' a spring-inspired contemporary arts exhibition running through June 27, with a public opening on May 22. The exhibition features works by resident artists including Jessica Wildman Katz, Halima Afi Cassells, Cyrah Dardas, Sara Nickleson, and Tony Printz, alongside metro Detroit and international artists. Highlights include Katz's botanical rabbit sculpture 'Kindling,' Cristina Umaña's whimsical 'Mesa De Centro' (a stack of white tables with human-like limbs), and Amelia Burns's photographic diptych 'Evil Eye' and 'Evil Eye Transmuted onto Organza, 2026,' which explores contemporary American culture through collage.

2026 Future Fair: Everything You Need To Know About the Art Fair Before It Opens Next Month

Future Fair, a contemporary art fair focused on community and emerging talent, will hold its sixth edition at Chelsea Industrial in New York from May 14 to 16, 2026. The fair brings together nearly 70 exhibitors, including brick-and-mortar galleries, artist-run initiatives, and collaborative platforms from nine countries, with nearly half hailing from the New York tri-state area. Highlights include the return of the Pay-It-Forward Fund, which allocates 15% of annual profits as grants to participating galleries and dealers, and a VIP preview day on May 13.

Exhibition | Celeste Rapone, 'Hyperarousal' at Esther Schipper, Esther Schipper Berlin, Germany

Esther Schipper Berlin presents 'Hyperarousal', Celeste Rapone's first exhibition with the gallery, featuring three new paintings that explore the intersection of sensuous stimulation and nervous tension. The works depict female protagonists in narratively dense, ambiguous scenes that allegorize millennial angst, using techniques like alla prima painting and color-based formal constraints. Key pieces include 'While Waiting' (2025), showing a figure with pepper spray and a digital camera, and 'Den' (2026), where intertwined figures follow a self-defense tutorial on an iPad.

At Alserkal Avenue’s Deja Vu, UAE galleries find strength in collaboration

Alserkal Avenue in Dubai has launched "Deja Vu," a multi-gallery exhibition bringing together 20 UAE-based galleries at the Concrete venue, running until May 8. Curated by Zaina Zaarour with co-curators Kevin Jones and Nada Raza, the show features works including German artist Michael Sailstorfer's installation of a car fuel tank, reflecting anxieties around fuel prices and geopolitical uncertainty. The exhibition emerged from urgent community meetings after the Iran war disrupted the spring art season, which typically includes Art Dubai and collector visits. Participating galleries include 16 from Alserkal Avenue, plus Nika Project Space, Total Arts at The Courtyard, Tabari Artspace, and Iris Projects, with many works priced under $10,000 to facilitate sales.

Jorge Nava | Untitled (2022) | Art & Prints

This article presents Jorge Nava's 2022 painting "Untitled," an oil-on-linen work measuring 180 × 180 cm, offered by Arma Gallery in Madrid. Nava, a Spanish artist born in Gijón in 1980, studied at the University of the Basque Country and Kunsthochschule Berlin Weissensee under Professor Katherina Grosse. His career includes participation in international fairs such as ARCO, CIRCA in Puerto Rico, Scope Art Fair in New York, and Photo Miami Art Basel, as well as exhibitions at Alzueta Gallery and the Barjola Museum. His work belongs to collections including the María Cristina Masaveu Peterson Foundation and private collections across Europe and North America.

Artist Hong Seung-hye opens first solo exhibition in three years, traces inspiration from 'organic geometry'

Korean artist Hong Seung-hye opens her first solo exhibition in three years, titled "On the Move," at Kukje Gallery Busan. The show traces her decades-long exploration of "organic geometry," a concept she coined after a 1997 Photoshop glitch where pixels appeared to move organically on her screen. The exhibition brings together recent works across multiple mediums, including video, sculpture, and audio, such as "Snoopy in Space" (2019), "Light Upon" (2021), "MOVE" (2022), and the new video "Emotical Practice" (2025). Hong draws inspiration from music and choreography, and she expresses wariness about artificial intelligence, preferring to control every aspect of her work herself.

'Time in the Interstices' at Whitestone Gallery, Beijing, China on 25 Apr–6 Jun 2026

Whitestone Gallery in Beijing will present the group exhibition 'Time in the Interstices' from April 25 to June 6, 2026. The show features four Korean artists—Soonik Kwon, Seungtaik Jang, Kim Deok Han, and Lee Chae—whose painting practices explore time as an internal, structural element of the work, rather than a linear narrative or backdrop.

Studio Sessions: Lauren Boilini

Seattle-based artist Lauren Boilini has reached a significant career milestone with the simultaneous opening of her first museum exhibition at the San Juan Islands Museum of Art and her first solo gallery show, "The Good Death," at J. Rinehart Gallery. Boilini’s practice is rooted in deep scientific research, including residencies at biological stations and insectariums, which she translates into large-scale, frenetic paintings of animals and ecosystems. Her current work explores the intersection of animal behavior and the human condition through dense, layered compositions that blur the lines between struggle and pattern.

Exhibition | Lulama Wolf, 'The Architecture of Memory' at THK Gallery, Cape Town, South Africa

South African artist Lulama Wolf presents 'The Architecture of Memory,' an online-only exhibition hosted by THK Gallery. Wolf utilizes a distinct material language of pigmented sand and acrylic to create tactile surfaces that reference the weathered walls of domestic and sacred spaces. Her work moves beyond simple representation, using geometric abstraction and earth-based materials to explore the intersection of personal history and collective generational memory.

Winter Solstice: Seeds of Nothingness. Edo Costantini in collaboration with Delfina Braun & Delfina Muniz Barreto

WINTER SOLSTICE: SEEDS OF NOTHINGNESS. EDO COSTANTINI EN COLABORACIÓN CON DELFINA BRAUN & DELFINA MUNIZ BARRETO

Praxis Gallery in New York is hosting "Winter Solstice: Seeds of Nothingness," a multidisciplinary exhibition by Argentine artist Edo Costantini in collaboration with Delfina Braun and Delfina Muniz Barreto. The show features photography, sound, moving images, and bronze sculptures that explore the quiet, latent biological processes occurring during the winter season. Based on Costantini’s decade-long observation of the landscapes in Katonah, New York, the works focus on the concept of stillness as an active state of reorganization and persistence.

Open Letter on Auction of “Tributes” to the Russian Avant-Garde

An open letter signed by art historians, curators, and researchers protests an upcoming auction at Stanley's Auction House in Zaventem, Belgium, scheduled for April 23, titled “Tributes to the Russian Avant-Garde & Constructivists.” The second sale is organized in cooperation with Drouot, a major French auction platform, and offers approximately one hundred works from the so-called Toporovsky collection, which has been linked to a scandal involving forged Russian modernist paintings at the Museum of Fine Arts Ghent. The alleged suppliers, Igor Toporovsky and Olga Toporovsky, face criminal charges including the sale of 171 forged works for about €20 million, with court proceedings beginning in May in Ghent. The signatories argue that the auction, with works priced around €300 each, is deeply troubling given the pending legal case and the undisclosed consignor identity.

Yves Klein Research Grant 2026: A Funded Residency for Emerging Scholars

The Yves Klein Foundation has launched its first Research Grant for 2026, offering a CHF 6,000 stipend and a one-week funded residency in Paris to emerging scholars under 35 who hold a PhD or postdoctoral degree. The program invites original research projects that deepen understanding of Yves Klein’s work, ideas, and legacy, with access to archives and scholarly guidance provided. Applications are due by 15 June 2026, with selection based on originality, scientific quality, and feasibility.

Foundation, a Prominent NFT Platform of the 2021 Boom, Shuts Down After Failed Sale

Foundation, a prominent Ethereum-based NFT marketplace that launched during the 2021 digital art boom, has announced it will shut down following a failed acquisition by the digital art company Blackdove. CEO Kayvon Tehranian confirmed that the platform has entered a one-year wind-down phase, urging users to migrate their assets as no other viable buyers exist in the current market. The closure follows the collapse of a deal that was intended to provide long-term stewardship for the platform, which had facilitated over $230 million in sales since its inception.

Joyce Awards to Relaunch After Yearlong Pause with $100,000 Unrestricted Grants for Great Lakes Artists

The Chicago-based Joyce Foundation has announced the relaunch of its Joyce Awards after a year-long hiatus, introducing a significant shift in its funding model. Starting with the 2026 cycle, the program will move from project-based grants to providing four artists annually with $100,000 in unrestricted funds, alongside a $40,000 grant for a partner nonprofit. The awards will now operate on a biennial rotation between specific Great Lakes states and allow for self-nominations for the first time.

Shakespeare’s London Home Finally Located After Centuries of Mystery

Scholar Lucy Munro of King’s College London has identified the precise location of William Shakespeare’s only owned London home in the Blackfriars neighborhood. By analyzing a 1668 property map created after the Great Fire of London, Munro pinpointed the site—now occupied by Ireland Yard and St. Andrew’s Hill—which was previously known only through vague historical references to the Blackfriars Gatehouse.

A Bodybuilder’s 3,300-Year-Old Egyptian Stele Heads to TEFAF

A 3,300-year-old Egyptian stele once owned by bodybuilding pioneer Ben Weider is set to be a highlight at TEFAF New York this May. The limestone carving, which depicts Pharaoh Thutmose IV, was gifted to Weider in 1964 and recently surfaced at a Montreal auction before being acquired by the London-based gallery David Aaron. Alongside the stele, the gallery will present a 2,500-year-old greywacke bust of a goddess, which was recently authenticated after being dismissed as a fake due to its pristine condition and 18th-century restorations.

Nikyle Begay Resurrects Century-Old Diné Weavings

Nikyle Begay, a Diné shepherd and weaver based in the Navajo Nation, is revitalizing ancestral weaving techniques that were historically marginalized by the colonial trading-post economy. By breeding Navajo Churro sheep and mastering complex twill patterns once used for functional saddle blankets, Begay bridges the gap between traditional agricultural practice and contemporary fine art. Their work involves the entire lifecycle of the medium, from shearing and processing wool to reconstructing intricate designs that fell out of favor when commercial markets prioritized specific regional styles for non-Native buyers.

It's a Rollercoaster of Emotions

"Es ist ein Wechselbad der Gefühle"

Sung Tieu has been selected to represent Germany at the Venice Biennale with a solo exhibition in the German Pavilion. In an interview with Monopol, she discusses how her personal biography—as a Vietnamese-German artist—informs her practice, which examines Vietnamese migration to East Germany, the rise of right-wing extremism, and the cold, bureaucratic language of state power. The exhibition will bring these themes to an international audience in Venice.

Nasan Tur Collects Contributions for 'Archive of Feelings' for Manifesta 16

Nasan Tur sammelt Beiträge für "Archiv der Gefühle" zur Manifesta 16

Berlin-based artist Nasan Tur is calling on people from the Ruhr region and beyond to submit contributions to his "Archive of Feelings" via an online portal. The project is part of his commissioned work for the 16th edition of the nomadic biennial Manifesta, which opens on June 21 across several cities in the Ruhr area. Tur's installation, titled "Elevation," will be housed in St. Gertrud Church in Essen, where excerpts from anonymous submissions—expressing hopes, fears, wounds, ideas, wishes, and everyday observations—will be carved into old church pews.

Painted Screenshots from Dreams

Gemalte Screenshots aus Träumen

The Staatliche Kunsthalle Baden-Baden is presenting a comprehensive retrospective of Berlin-based painter Katharina Wulff, titled 'Arabesken in Arabesken'. Curated by Christina Lehnert, the exhibition features around 40 works that explore dreamlike, enigmatic spaces blending reality, memory, and the unconscious, with paintings like 'Landschaft für glückliche Hexen' (2008) and 'Der Waldspaziergang' (2002) exemplifying her unique style.

Basel Abbas & Ruanne Abou-Rahme: Archivists and Activists

New York- and Ramallah-based Palestinian artists Basel Abbas and Ruanne Abou-Rahme present *Prisoners of Love: Until the Sun of Freedom* (2025), an hour-long four-channel film installation at The Bell/Brown Arts Institute in Providence. The work layers psychedelic imagery of figures in nature with spoken and written testimonies from Palestinians formerly detained by Israeli authorities, exploring themes of incarceration, surveillance, and resistance through fragmented montage and poetic text. The exhibition also includes drawings by Abou-Rahme’s father and printed screenshots of reflections on the genocide in Gaza.

Changes at Manifesta as Hedwig Fijen steps down

Hedwig Fijen, founding director of Manifesta, the European Nomadic Biennial, will step down on October 5. Emilia van Lynden and Catherine Nichols will succeed her as general director and artistic director respectively, as announced by the supervisory board of the International Foundation Manifesta. Fijen, who was commissioned by the Netherlands Office for Fine Arts in 1991 to develop a pan-European platform, has led Manifesta through editions in Palermo, Pristina, Barcelona, and the upcoming 2026 edition in the Ruhr region. Van Lynden has served as deputy director since 2019, while Nichols, a Berlin-based curator, contributed as creative mediator for the 2022 edition and artistic board member for 2026. The new leadership will begin with Manifesta 17 in Coimbra, Portugal, in 2028.

Artnet and Artsy Announce They’re ‘Joining Forces’ Under Shared Leadership

Artnet and Artsy have announced a strategic merger under a single leadership structure following their acquisition by Beowolff Capital. While both platforms will maintain their distinct brand identities and websites, they will now operate as a combined organization led by Artsy CEO Jeffrey Yin, with Beowolff Capital founder Andrew Wolff serving as chairman. The move aims to integrate Artnet’s industry-leading price database and journalism with Artsy’s expansive e-commerce and discovery marketplace.

Knight Foundation Names 2026 Recipients of Its $50,000 Art + Tech Fellowships

The John S. and James L. Knight Foundation has announced the five recipients of its 2026 Arts + Tech Fellowships. Administered by United States Artists, the program awards $50,000 in unrestricted funds to artists LIZN’BOW, Miguel Novelo, Rhonda Holbertson, Taeyoon Choi, and Wesley Taylor. These creators, based in California, Detroit, and Miami, utilize diverse technologies including computer vision, game engines, and custom code to explore the intersection of digital systems and human experience.

Coachella 2026 features massive maze art installation by Sabine Marcelis, among others.

The 2026 Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival has unveiled its lineup of large-scale art installations, featuring major works by Dutch artist Sabine Marcelis, London-based architect Kyriakos Chatziparaskevas, and The Los Angeles Design Group (LADG). The program, curated by Raffi Lehrer of Public Art Company and Paul Clement, will transform the festival grounds with immersive experiences including a massive glowing maze and towering sculptural structures.

Where It Doesn’t Reach at Lo Brutto Stahl

Lo Brutto Stahl presents "Where It Doesn’t Reach," a group exhibition featuring works by Bas Jan Ader, Hélène Janicot, and Park McArthur, running from March 27 to May 2, 2026, at both its Basel and Paris locations. The show brings together three artists whose practices explore absence, gesture, and the limits of perception, with the press release and floor plan available on the gallery's website.

Dominique White at Kunsthalle Basel

Dominique White presents her solo exhibition "All Great Powers Collapse from the Centre" at Kunsthalle Basel, running from February 13 to May 17, 2026. The show features a press release, floor plan, and 10 exhibition images documented by photographer Philipp Hänger, with images courtesy of the institution.

Lake Flato Architects creates gallery for Marble Falls Arthouse

Texas-based Lake Flato Architects has completed the Marble Falls Arthouse, a 4,119-square-foot infill gallery in downtown Marble Falls, Texas, opened on April 25. The intimate venue, designed with a restrained palette of limestone and corrugated metal, houses the art collection of Mickey and Jeanne Klein and features a contemplative courtyard by Japanese gardener Sada Uchiyama. The ground floor hosts rotating exhibitions curated by Mickey Klein, beginning with 'Words Matter' featuring works by Mary C Sloane, Kenturah Davis, and Faith Ringgold.

Maxwell Mustardo Sculpts Ancient Ornamentation in Brilliant Glazed Forms

Maxwell Mustardo creates ceramic vessels that blend ancient Greek forms like amphorae, kraters, and kylix with organic, fungal-like surface textures in fluorescent oranges, pinks, and greens. Based in New Jersey, he works as studio manager at the former residence of artist Toshiko Takaezu, and his practice focuses on pushing classical ornamentation—such as gadrooning—back into its natural origins, blurring the line between cultural artifact and living growth.