On ARTE, the Ruffini Affair or the Autopsy of an Extraordinary Scandal in the Art World

Sur Arte, l’affaire Ruffini ou l’autopsie d’un scandale hors norme dans le monde de l’art

The documentary series "Le Peintre, la Pizza et le Corbeau" (The Painter, the Pizza and the Crow), available on ARTE, investigates a sprawling art forgery scandal centered on discreet dealer Giuliano Ruffini. Beginning in spring 2014 with an anonymous letter, the case led to a judicial inquiry by judge Aude Burési and France's Central Office for the Fight against Trafficking in Cultural Goods (OCBC). The series follows multiple suspicious artworks—including a Lucas Cranach Venus seized from an exhibition at the Hôtel de Caumont, a David and Goliath by Artemisia Gentileschi, and a Frans Hals portrait—each raising questions of authenticity. Ruffini, a former painter turned collector, remains an enigmatic figure, portrayed as both intuitive genius and possible cog in an opaque system.

‘What Color is Your Sky Today?’: The Becoming of the Image

Armineh Negahdari, a Bordeaux-based artist, presents her first institutional solo exhibition in France at the Fondation Louis Vuitton's Open Space series. Titled 'What Color is Your Sky Today?': The Becoming of the Image, the show features a new body of drawings that use charcoal, pastel, and oil paint to explore unstable morphologies between human, vegetal, and animal forms. The works resist narrative closure, emphasizing drawing as an event rather than representation, with lines that accumulate, falter, and begin again. The exhibition is on view at Gallery 8 until 30 August 2026.

WURUS – Light catches before form does.

Artist Caroline Gueye presents 'WURUS', a new installation for the Senegal Pavilion at the 61st Venice Biennale. Curated by Massamba Mbaye, the work is a shifting field of brass and polymer bronze elements, using mirrors and light to create an environment where perception is contingent on the viewer's movement and position. The title invokes gold, opening onto histories of extraction, but the work deliberately resists singular meaning.

art exhibition biennials this year curators

In 2026, a rare alignment of major biennial exhibitions will take place globally, including the Venice Biennale (opening May 9, curated by Koyo Kouoh), MoMA PS1's Greater New York, the Whitney Biennial, and the Bronx Museum's AIM Biennial, alongside events in Toronto, Pittsburgh, Gwangju, Sydney, Diriyah, and Busan. CULTURED interviewed curators from four of these shows—such as Marcela Guerrero and Drew Sawyer of the Whitney Biennial—to explore how these sprawling group exhibitions come together, revealing a trend toward smaller, internally organized shows with less declarative themes.

culture discount young adult tickets nyc

New York City offers a wide range of discounted tickets and memberships for young adults at major cultural institutions, including museums, performing arts venues, and theaters. Programs like the Whitney Museum's Free 25 and Under Anytime Pass, the Shed's $25 under-30 tickets, and the Metropolitan Opera's under-40 Friday deals aim to make high-quality cultural experiences more affordable for younger audiences.

art justin emmanuel dumas young artist

Cultured magazine profiles 31-year-old Pittsburgh-based artist Justin Emmanuel Dumas as part of its 2025 Young Artists list. Dumas creates what he calls 'painting-shaped objects' that challenge traditional notions of painting, often incorporating wear and tear, slouching forms, and surfaces that peel outward. His work, including the piece 'Détrompe Warp' from his graduate thesis, explores infrastructural decay and renewal on both citywide and intimate scales. Dumas has exhibited at the Carnegie Museum of Art and the Mattress Factory in Pittsburgh, and his practice involves using tools like a heat gun and improv techniques learned from his aunt, Sandy Dowe.

MANUEL SEGADE: “PRESERVAR LA COMPLEJIDAD DEL MUNDO ES UNA DE LAS TAREAS FUNDAMENTALES DEL MUSEO”

Manuel Segade, director of the Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofía, is interviewed as part of a series for International Museum Day. He discusses the museum's role as a space historically tied to critique, conflict, and negotiation with tradition, emphasizing the need to preserve the world's complexity. Segade advocates for institutions that can speak on multiple levels, from introductory lectures to para-academic research, and stresses transforming internal structures toward more horizontal and interdependent models.

Ali Cherri Files War Crime Case Over Israeli Airstrike on Beirut

French-Lebanese artist Ali Cherri, in collaboration with the International Federation for Human Rights, has filed a civil complaint in a French court regarding a 2024 Israeli airstrike in Beirut. The strike, which occurred in the Noueiri neighborhood just hours before a ceasefire, destroyed Cherri’s family home and killed seven civilians, including his parents and their domestic helper. The legal action, submitted to a specialized war crimes unit, alleges that the targeting of a civilian residence constitutes a war crime under both French and international law.

Gabrielle Goliath Discusses Her Canceled South African Pavilion as She Shows New Work in a Venice Church

South African artist Gabrielle Goliath’s planned pavilion for the South Africa Pavilion at the Venice Biennale was canceled by culture minister Gayton McKenzie, who deemed it “highly divisive.” Despite the cancellation, Goliath has installed her work, a multi-screen iteration of her ongoing performance series *Elegy*, at the Chiesa di Sant’Antonin, half a mile from the Giardini. The new piece mourns victims of atrocities including South African femicide, the Herero and Nama genocide, and the death of Gazan poet Hiba Abu Nada, killed by an Israeli airstrike. Goliath stated that McKenzie explicitly demanded removal of the Palestinian content while deeming the other subjects acceptable.

Not Just the Biennale: What to See in Venice in Spring 2026 Among Galleries, Independent Spaces, and Special Projects

Non solo Biennale: cosa vedere a Venezia nella primavera 2026 tra gallerie, spazi indipendenti e progetti speciali

The article highlights a curated selection of exhibitions to see in Venice during spring 2026, beyond the main shows of the 61st Venice Biennale. It features projects in galleries, independent spaces, and historic venues, including a group show titled "Waves" at Casa Sanlorenzo with works by Alexander Calder and Lucio Fontana, a video installation by Ieva Lygnugarytė at Oratorio dei Crociferi, a Judy Chicago survey at Galleria Alberta Pane, a solo show by Hanna Rochereau at Mare Karina, and a Barry X Ball retrospective at the Abbey of San Giorgio Maggiore.

Meet the Writer Who Sees Every Single Show at the Venice Biennale

Jaeyong Park, a Seoul-based writer, translator, and interpreter, has attended every edition of the Venice Biennale since 2022—including both art and architecture cycles—and seen every single show, from the central exhibition and national pavilions to collateral and unofficial events. He documents his journeys in regular dispatches and has compiled a free bilingual guide to the biennial. Park organizes his trips with a group of fellow art workers, splitting accommodation costs and sharing reviews over dinner to ensure full coverage.

Nymphs, mermaids and rosy cherubs: mansion filled with hidden wall paintings makes Victorian Society’s endangered buildings list

A derelict mansion called Parndon Hall, located within the grounds of Princess Alexandra Hospital in Harlow, Essex, has been named to the Victorian Society’s annual list of the top ten at-risk buildings in England and Wales. The house, built in 1867, contains a hidden trove of wall paintings by the almost-forgotten Victorian artist Elizabeth Arkwright, who covered walls, ceilings, and doors with nymphs, mermaids, and cherubs—many still concealed under Edwardian whitewash. The building has been used for storage and has sat unoccupied since flood repairs in 2024.

‘We’re attached to this land like a tree is rooted in soil’: unexpectedly timely exhibition speaks up for the people of south Lebanon

An exhibition titled 'Forget Me Not: South Lebanon in Memory and Motion' was held at London's Palestine House earlier this month. It featured archival news footage from 2000, photographs, audiovisual materials, and children's drawings to document the history, culture, and resilience of southern Lebanon, a region experiencing renewed conflict.

villa silvestri rivaldi rome 47 million restoration

The Lazio Region of Rome and Italy's Ministry of Culture are undertaking a €35 million ($41.1 million) restoration of Villa Silvestri Rivaldi, a historic palazzo overlooking the Colosseum that has long fallen into disrepair. Originally commissioned by Pope Paul III in the 1540s and designed by Sangallo the Younger with gardens by Giacomo Del Duca, the villa has housed cardinals, served as a convent, textile factory, welfare institution, and school, and was even used by squatters and hostage-takers in the 1970s. Early restoration work since 2024 has focused on stabilizing the structure and cleaning its frescoes with laser technology, with full-scale restorations set to begin in 2026.

pope repatriate indigenous artifacts canada

The Vatican has repatriated 62 Indigenous cultural treasures to Canada, following years of negotiations that began with a visit by the late Pope Francis in 2022. The objects, which include a kayak made of driftwood and seal skin used for beluga whale hunting, were first sent to Rome for a 1925 exhibition organized by Pope Pius XI and remained there until Pope Francis called for their return. The handover was unveiled this week at a warehouse belonging to the Canadian Museum of History in Gatineau, Quebec, where Indigenous elders and experts are now examining each piece to trace its origins. Vancouver Archbishop Richard Smith and Natan Obed, president of Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami, spoke at a news conference about the significance of the return.

christoph buechel art mosque iceland pavilion venice biennale shut down

Authorities in Venice have shut down the working mosque installed by Swiss artist Christoph Büchel in the city center as part of his presentation for the Icelandic Pavilion at the 2015 Venice Biennale. The closure followed an evaluation by a public safety committee, citing overcrowding during Friday prayers that exceeded the legal limit of 90 people, as well as security concerns due to the mosque's location near a pedestrian bridge. The Venice Biennale expressed hope that solutions could be found to reopen the pavilion, while the Icelandic Art Center's director published a letter detailing the fraught negotiations with Italian authorities leading up to the installation.

vaillancourt fountain will be dismantled san francisco

The San Francisco Arts Commission board of directors voted eight to five on November 3 to dismantle the controversial Vaillancourt Fountain, a brutalist concrete sculpture by Armand Vaillancourt at Embarcadero Plaza. The city's recreation and parks department plans to spend $4.4 million on a disassembly consultant to take apart the fountain and store its pieces for three years, citing disrepair and safety hazards including corrosion, asbestos, and lead hazards. Critics, including the Cultural Landscape Foundation, dispute these claims, arguing the city deliberately neglected maintenance to justify removal.

anonymous was a woman the new york foundation for the arts environmental art grants 2025

Anonymous Was A Woman (AWAW) and the New York Foundation for the Arts (NYFA) have awarded $521,125 in grants to 29 environmental art projects led by women-identifying artists from the United States and its territories. The grants, up to $20,000 each, require a public engagement component to be completed by August 2026. Recipients include artists such as Heidi K. Brandow, Charlotte Brathwaite, Cara Romero, and collectives like BEAM and DeepTime Collective, working across locations from California to Senegal and South Korea.

a cleveland artist is transforming a trashed greyhound bus into a museum of migration

Cleveland-based artist, historian, and preservationist Robert Louis Brandon Edwards is transforming a 1947 Greyhound bus he rescued from a Pennsylvania junkyard into a traveling Museum of the Great Migration. The bus, designed by Raymond Loewy and originally operating in the Great Lakes region, will feature virtual reality exhibitions highlighting the experiences of African Americans who moved from the rural South to the North, Midwest, and West between 1910 and 1970. Edwards, who is pursuing doctoral studies in historic preservation at Columbia University, is partnering with Cleveland nonprofit Playhouse Square and hopes to have the bus on the road within a year.

world war ii documents and artifacts auction

Boston's RR Auctions is offering a sale of over 170 World War II autographs and artifacts, live through June 11. Highlights include a German Enigma I Cipher Machine (estimated at over $200,000), a Navy ensign flag that flew on D-Day, and a letter of surrender signed by Reich President Karl Dönitz on May 6, 1945 (estimated at over $100,000). The sale also features handwritten drafts of radiotelegrams from Colonel General Alfred Jodl and a mimeograph copy of General Dwight D. Eisenhower's victory announcement, signed by him as a souvenir.

germany settles century long restitution over royal artifacts

Germany’s federal government, along with the states of Berlin and Brandenburg, has reached a settlement with the descendants of the House of Hohenzollern, ending a nearly century-long legal dispute over ownership of 27,000 artworks. The collection includes a portrait by Lucas Cranach the Elder and an 18th-century table service commissioned by Emperor Frederick II. Wolfram Weimer, Germany’s new Minister of State for Culture, announced the deal in Berlin, confirming the works will remain in public museums such as the Prussian Cultural Heritage Foundation and the German Historical Museum.

rare 19th century image major daguerreotype sale

Christie's is hosting a 200-lot auction of the Maillet Daguerreotype Collection from June 10 to 26, featuring rare 19th-century daguerreotypes. The collection includes early works by pioneers like Samuel Morse and John William Draper, as well as images of American monuments and everyday life, such as Henry Fitz Jr.'s Washington Monument and Platt Babbitt's Niagara Falls view. The auction highlights the dawn of photography in America, with many images being unique due to the daguerreotype's lack of negatives.

Alexander Kluge, filmmaker, writer, philosopher, 1932–2026

Alexander Kluge, the influential German filmmaker, writer, and philosopher, has died at the age of 94. A key figure in the New German Cinema movement and a major intellectual heir to the Frankfurt School, Kluge's career spanned law, film, television production, and literature, leaving a significant mark on postwar German culture.

Risk and Reward: Jason Price Gets Artists Business-Savvy

Jason Price, an artist and entrepreneur, is launching a new initiative called 'Risk and Reward' aimed at helping artists develop business acumen. The program offers workshops and resources on financial literacy, contract negotiation, and marketing strategies tailored specifically for visual artists. Price draws on his own experience navigating the art market to provide practical guidance, with the first sessions scheduled to take place in New York and Los Angeles.

JOSÉ WOLFF: DÍAS HONDOS

JOSÉ WOLFF: DÍAS HONDOS

José Wolff, a Guatemalan artist who grew up in the 1980s watching television with his family, has developed a unique visual language that oscillates between digital and traditional media. After studying at SCAD in Georgia and working in Miami and Los Angeles for channels like MTV Latino, NBC, and Locomotion, he created 3D animations, music videos, and TV interstitials. Now based back in Guatemala, Wolff continues to paint in oil while also producing digital installations, such as his 2026 multi-channel piece "Sin Novedad." His practice reflects a lifelong dialogue between the tangible and the intangible, influenced by artists like Laurie Anderson and Nam June Paik.

Liliana Moro “| senza | soluzione di continuità” at Platea | Palazzo Galeano, Lodi

Liliana Moro presents a new installation titled “| senza | soluzione di continuità” at Platea | Palazzo Galeano in Lodi. The work is described as a powerful yet subtle artistic gesture that renegotiates the function of the shop window as a public space, emphasizing responsibility and generosity.

The Louvre’s new director is inheriting a troubled, traumatised museum—can he repair the damage?

Christophe Leribault has been appointed as the new director of the Musée du Louvre, taking over an institution reeling from a major security breach. The theft of the crown jewels in October exposed severe systemic failures, including neglected security upgrades and a management culture criticized as autocratic under his predecessor, Laurence des Cars. The museum has also been plagued by strikes, ticket fraud scandals, and damaging parliamentary reports.

british museum ai backlash

The British Museum faced significant criticism from archaeologists and the public after posting images containing A.I.-generated content on its Instagram and Facebook accounts. The posts, which featured a young woman contemplating exhibits, were tagged to an A.I. model and a marketing agency. Following a wave of negative comments, the museum removed the posts approximately six hours later and reportedly unfollowed critics on social media.

museum of fine arts boston layoffs

The Museum of Fine Arts, Boston announced layoffs affecting approximately 30 staff members, a 6.3% reduction of its workforce, effective this Friday. The decision was communicated via an internal email obtained by WBUR, citing an unsustainable deficit and the need for financial restructuring. The MFA, Boston Union, which represents 16 of the affected employees, expressed concern and called for negotiations to avert layoffs and preserve workforce diversity. This follows a previous round of layoffs and early retirements in 2020.

louvre reopens delay galleries closed staff strike

The Louvre Museum in Paris reopened to the public on Monday after a three-hour delay, though several galleries remained closed as staff resumed strike action over pay, working conditions, and staffing levels. The renewed strike follows a pause on December 19 for the Christmas holiday and is part of ongoing disputes between unions and museum management. The museum has also faced recent challenges, including a $102 million jewel theft in October and infrastructure problems such as a water leak that damaged ancient books.