South Coast Artists exhibition brings 112 works to Gallery X

The 2026 Members’ Invitational Exhibition organized by South Coast Artists Inc. is now on view at Gallery X in New Bedford, Massachusetts, through May 16. The show features 112 works by 61 artists selected from nearly 200 active members, spanning media such as photography, fiber, encaustic, porcelain, cyanotype, pastel, acrylic, oil, watercolor, mixed media, printmaking, digital art on metal, and found-object assemblages. Awards were presented at the opening reception on April 25, with first place going to Dot Bergen, second to Serena Parente Charlebois, and third to Robert Abele; juror’s choice awards were given to Diana Azevedo-Carns, Lindsey Epstein, and Heather Stivison, selected by independent juror Catherine Carter.

New art gallery, shop opens in downtown Belleville on Art on the Square weekend

A new art gallery and retail shop, Public Defender Art + Zines, will open in downtown Belleville on May 15, 2026, coinciding with the Art on the Square festival. Owned by local artists Danny Houk and Stacie Spaunhorst, the space at 123 W. Main St. will feature exhibitions, a retail shop selling indie comics and zines, and future plans for artist residencies and networking brunches. Opening exhibitions include ceramics by Alisha Porter and Sheri White.

Nature is healing? Seagull lays eggs in the Giardini during Venice Biennale preview

During the VIP preview of the Venice Biennale, a seagull laid three eggs near the entrance of the Polish Pavilion in the Giardini. Pavilion staff built a protective barrier around the nest and warned visitors to avoid the protective bird, which one Italian collector called "the main attraction."

UK’s Brighton & Hove Museums to return 45 artefacts to Botswana

Brighton & Hove Museums in southern England will return 45 artefacts to Botswana. The objects, including clothing, accessories and hunting implements, were acquired by English reverend William Charles Willoughby in the 1890s and will be housed at the Khama III Memorial Museum in Serowe, where they will form part of a permanent exhibition opening on 27 May. A team from Brighton & Hove Museums is working with Botswanan curators on the return, which is scheduled for April.

The Raphaels, the Italian Gang and the Olive Oil Maker: The Spectacular Theft of 7 Paintings in Budapest During the Cold War

Les Raphaël, le gang italien et le fabricant d’huile d’olive : le spectaculaire vol de 7 tableaux à Budapest en pleine guerre froide

On November 5, 1983, thieves stole seven Renaissance masterpieces from the Museum of Fine Arts in Budapest, including two works by Raphael, two by Tiepolo, two by Tintoretto, and one by Giorgione, valued at $28 million. The heist was carried out by a small Italian gang from Reggio Emilia, who entered through a window using a scaffolding left by construction workers, leaving behind a screwdriver from the Italian brand USAG that the mastermind mistakenly thought would implicate American thieves. The operation was led by Ivano Scianti, with accomplices including Giordano Incerti, Graziano Iori, Giacomo Morini, and Carmine Palmese.

In “El Arte de la Resistencia,” migrant children share their experiences through art

An art exhibition titled "El Arte de la Resistencia" opened in Tucson, featuring artwork created by migrant children who have participated in La Ristra's art therapy program. The show includes life-size paintings, such as a boy's self-portrait with an excavator in his belly symbolizing his deported father's work, and a colorful cactus painted by another child. The exhibition, held in a small gallery near Fourth Avenue and Seventh Street, runs until May 17, 2026, with original pieces for sale to benefit the young artists and prints sold to raise funds for La Ristra, a nonprofit providing emotional support to migrant families.

Oklahoma Arts Council receives largest gift to state art collection

The Oklahoma Arts Council has received the largest gift in the history of the Oklahoma State Art Collection: ten works by influential Native artists from The Howard L. and Mary Ellen Meredith Collection, donated by America Meredith and Samonia Byford in honor of their parents. The donated works include pieces by Benjamin Harjo Jr., Norma Howard, Vanessa Paukeigope Jennings, Ruthe Blalock Jones, Shan Goshorn, Doc Tate Nevaquaya, Jane Osti, Juanita Pahdopony, Jeri Redcorn, and Dick West. The artworks are now on display in the Betty Price Gallery at the Oklahoma State Capitol, alongside two other recent acquisitions.

Creativity as Curation

Yalin Hu, a Creative Director, has led several international exhibition projects over the past year, including "Infinite Weave" during New York Design Week (NYCxDESIGN Festival), the online exhibition "Unraveling" during London Design Festival, and "Touching the Void" at The Blanc Gallery in New York. In May 2026, she will lead "Becoming" at Artech Space in New York. Hu approaches each project as a complete creative system, focusing on theme development, spatial structure, audience journey, and cross-media integration, blending art, design, digital technology, and public experience.

Forest Tales: Lélia Demoisy's exhibition at Domaine de Chamarande

Lélia Demoisy presents 'Forest Stories' (Récits de forêts), a solo contemporary art exhibition at the Domaine départemental de Chamarande in Essonne, France, from May 10 to August 30, 2026. The exhibition features sculptures and installations across the orangery, park, and domain spaces, using materials such as wood, fibers, organic fragments, hides, charcoal, and animal tracks to explore the forest as a living network of relations, traces, and transformations. Key works include 'Laissés sur la rive', 'Le Foyer', 'Les chairs froides', 'Cedrus deodara – Forêts futures', and 'Créature'.

Live Arts Program “1922 Revisited” Opens May 5th to Kick Off Preview Week, 61st Venice Biennale 2026

Third Space Art Foundation will present “1922 Revisited,” a live arts program curated by Dr. Janine A. Sytsma, from May 5–9, 2026 in Venice, Italy, during the preview week of the 61st Venice Biennale. The program brings together ten international artists to engage with the 1922 Venice Biennale exhibition of African sculpture through performances, a film screening, and a panel discussion, staged at venues including Hotel Monaco and the European Cultural Centre’s Marinaressa Gardens.

Mark Seidenfeld Sets Sail Into 'Uncharted Waters' With New Art Exhibition

Mark Seidenfeld, a Hamptons-based abstract painter, will present a solo exhibition titled "Uncharted Waters" at the newly renovated Corwith Homestead Tractor Barn, part of The Bridgehampton Museum in New York. The show runs from June 4 to June 21, 2026, and features paintings that transition from representational work into fully realized abstraction, exploring themes of depth, gesture, and discovery through layered and revised compositions.

Leepa-Rattner Museum of Art highlights dynamic spring exhibition season

The Leepa-Rattner Museum of Art in Tarpon Springs, Florida, has launched a dynamic spring 2026 exhibition season featuring four shows that highlight regional artists and student creativity. Exhibitions include "Richard Heipp: Reliquaries & Artifacts" (through July 26), which uses hyper-realistic paintings to explore how museums shape cultural memory; "Dallas Jackson: Unsung Heroes, The Fabric of America" (through June 14), a mixed-media tribute to overlooked community figures; and "David Anderson: Now and Again" (through June 14), presenting eight newly acquired works never before publicly exhibited. The season also includes student-focused programming from kindergarten through middle school.

Turner Center for the Arts honors regional artists at the 39th Annual Spring Into Art Exhibition Gala

The Annette Howell Turner Center for the Arts in Valdosta hosted its 39th Annual Spring Into Art Gala on April 13, drawing hundreds of attendees. Over 150 regional artists submitted more than 300 original works for the region's most prominent art exhibition, which remains on display through June 10. Cash prizes totaling $6,000 were awarded across four categories, with Joe Morgan winning Best of Show for his painting "Lobster Lottery." The exhibition was curated by Madison Caldwell, and admission to the galleries is free.

2026 BFA and MFA thesis exhibitions to open at NMSU Art Museum

New Mexico State University's University Art Museum will host its annual BFA and MFA thesis exhibitions, opening May 1. The MFA exhibition, 'Where We Ended Up,' features interdisciplinary artists Arch Jones and Ezekiel Martey, while the BFA show, 'Raw Perception,' showcases works by nine graduating students across diverse media including painting, sculpture, photography, and ceramics.

MiC initiates cultural bridge between Italy and Mozambique on contemporary art

On April 20, 2026, the Italy-Mozambique project "A Bridge Made in Art" launched in Maputo, Mozambique, running until June 2027. Sponsored by Italy's Ministry of Culture and the National Museums of Perugia, the initiative includes workshops, exhibitions, and training in contemporary art, involving Mozambican institutions such as Universidade Eduardo Mondlane, Fundação Leite Couto, and Núcleo de Arte. The program is part of the Mattei Plan for Africa, aiming to redefine Italy-Africa relations through cultural cooperation.

Accused of Harassing Staff, Martha Ortiz Steps Down as Director of Bogotá’s MAMBO

Martha Ortiz has stepped down as director of Bogotá’s Museo de Arte Moderno (MAMBO) amid allegations of harassing staff and fostering a toxic work environment. The museum announced her retirement and will begin a search for a successor, with board president Ángela Royo and financial manager Francy Hernández assuming interim leadership. Ortiz, who had no prior museum management experience, took the role in March 2024. Her departure follows the ousting of artistic director Eugenio Viola less than three months earlier, after he raised concerns about deteriorating working conditions.

DE AZAMBUJA S FOUNDATION INTERVENTION AND REFLECTION AT LA CASA ENCENDIDA

La Casa Encendida in Madrid has opened "Fundación," a site-specific sculptural installation by Brazilian artist Marlon de Azambuja. The work transforms one of the building's central towers into a walk-through sculpture, curated by Bruno Leitão. Using materials and gestures that modify existing architecture, the installation explores the concept of "founding" as a search for foundational knowledge, questioning divisions between reason and sensation while positioning the exhibition space as an experiential environment. The piece is on view until September 27, 2026.

A GLIMPSE INTO FERNANDO MAZA S SURREAL WORLD AT THE MAR MUSEUM

The exhibition "The Construction of Painting," organized by the National Museum of Fine Arts, opened at the MAR Provincial Museum of Contemporary Art in Mar del Plata, Argentina. It traces the career of Argentine visual artist Fernando Maza (1936–2017) through more than 50 paintings and watercolors, curated by Pablo De Monte. Maza, who studied under Raúl Podestá and was part of the Informalist Movement alongside Alberto Greco and Kenneth Kemble, lived in New York, London, and Paris. The show features works that blend metaphysical painting with surreal atmospheres, using objects like staircases, arches, and linguistic signs to create enigmatic landscapes.

REINTERPRETATIONS BY DEMIAN FLORES OF VIOLENCE MYTH AND REPRESENTATION

Mexican artist Demián Flores presents "America. New Visions from the Old World," a graphic arts exhibition at the Instituto Cultural de México in Madrid. The show features forty works that reinterpret 16th-century engravings by Theodor de Bry, whose images of Indigenous peoples—ranging from idealized noble savages to violent cannibals—shaped European perceptions of the Americas. Flores draws on his earlier series "Collateral Disasters" (2012), inspired by Goya's "The Disasters of War," to critique how colonial visual narratives constructed otherness and justified violence.

CHILE AT THE 2026 VENICE BIENNALE NORTON MAZA PRESENTS INTER REALITY

Chile will participate in the 61st Venice Art Biennale with the exhibition "Inter-Reality" by artist Norton Maza, curated by Marisa Cachiolo and Dermis León, and managed by Claudia Pertuzé. The monumental installation, on view from May 9 to November 22, 2026 at the Sala dell'Isolotto in the Arsenale complex, contrasts an exterior referencing geopolitics, landscape, and ecology with an interior of precarious dioramas blending classical European painting and contemporary issues like fake news, migration, and environmental devastation. The work includes a soundscape of helicopters, airplanes, ancestral chants, and nature sounds recorded in Chile.

EL SALVADOR MAKES ITS DEBUT AT THE VENICE BIENNALE WITH ITS OWN PAVILION

El Salvador will debut its own national pavilion at the 61st Venice Biennale, running from May 9 to November 22, 2025. The exhibition, titled "Cartographies of Displacement," features the sculptural series "Children of the World" by Salvadoran-American artist J. Oscar Molina, curated by Alejandra Cabezas and commissioned by Dr. Astrid Bahamond. The pavilion is located at Palazzo Mora, showcasing Molina's elongated, faceless monumental figures that explore the migrant experience and global diaspora.

JEZIK AND COSTA EXPLORE MEMORY AND EXILE IN A GROUP EXHIBITION

The Miguel Hernández University in Elche, Spain, presents "Vientos del pueblo. Voices of Exile and Resistance," a group exhibition curated by Mónica Sotos. Inspired by Miguel Hernández's poem "Vientos del pueblo," the show features Argentine artists Ježik and Costa alongside Eugenio Merino, Gloria Oyarzábal, Ricardo Calero, Óscar Seco, Pierre Valls, and María Rosa Aránega. Through photography, video, installation, drawing, and archival works, the exhibition examines violence, borders, exile, and colonial legacies, challenging dominant power narratives.

MONITOR YIN YANG ARGENTINA ARRIVES AT THE VENICE BIENNALE WITH AN OPEN CARTOGRAPHY

The Argentine Pavilion at the 61st Venice Biennale will feature a site-specific installation titled "Monitor Yin Yang" by artist Matías Duville. Curated by Josefina Barcia, the work uses salt and charcoal to create an unstable, walkable landscape that explores the coexistence of opposing forces such as light and shadow, waste and energy. The installation includes a sound composition developed with Centolla Society and Alvise Vidolin, integrating real-time environmental data from Venice. Duville's project was selected from 69 proposals in an open competition organized by Argentina's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, National Secretariat of Culture, and the Argentine Investment and Trade Agency.

CUBA PRESENTS FREE MEN AT THE VENICE BIENNALE

Cuba presents Roberto Diago's installation "Hombres Libres (Free Men)" at the 61st Venice Biennale, curated by Nelson Ramirez de Arellano Conde and commissioned by Daneisy García Roque. The work, on view from May 9 to November 22, 2025, features a group of sculpted heads made from oxidized metals, wood, plastics, and reclaimed materials that advance toward viewers, bearing scars that evoke a history of pain and resistance.

Carlos Runcie Tanaka's Ceramics in Pinta Lima's Special Project

CARLOS RUNCIE TANAKA S CERAMICS IN PINTA LIMA S SPECIAL PROJECT

The art fair Pinta Lima is presenting a Special Project dedicated to the late Peruvian ceramic artist Carlos Runcie Tanaka. Organized by Fundación Pinta, Henrique Faría Gallery, and the artist's estate, the exhibition brings together a selection of works from 2001 to 2007, focusing on his mastery of the clay sphere and his unique visual language.

The Image of Another World Takes Shape in a Vibrant Form: Five Peruvian Artists at Pinta Lima 2026

THE IMAGE OF ANOTHER WORLD TAKES SHAPE IN A VIBRANT FORM FIVE PERUVIAN ARTISTS AT PINTA LIMA 2026

Pinta Lima 2026, an art fair in Peru, has unveiled a Special Project curated by Florencia Portocarrero and Irene Gelfman, featuring five young Peruvian artists: Elizabeth Vásquez, Fátima Rodrigo, Pierina Másquez, Verovcha, and Yone Makino. The exhibition transforms the gallery into an immersive, habitable space where diverse works in textiles, ceramics, painting, and installation form a cohesive map of contemporary Peruvian art.

How Do You Curate an Exhibition on Genocide? Faisal Saleh and the Palestinian Question That Crosses the Venice Biennale

“Come si cura una mostra sul genocidio?”: Faisal Saleh e la domanda palestinese che attraversa la Biennale di Venezia

At the 2026 Venice Biennale, a collateral exhibition titled “Gaza – No Words – See the Exhibit” presents 100 embroidered works using the traditional Palestinian technique of Tatreez. Curated by artist Faisal Saleh, founder of the Palestine Museum US, the show transforms embroidery from decoration into political testimony, reconstructing scenes from Gaza over the past two and a half years: shrouded bodies, killed children, mothers bidding farewell, bombed hospitals. The exhibition is housed at Palazzo Mora and has been called by many visitors “the real Palestinian Pavilion” of the Biennale, though it is not an official national pavilion.

The Language Beyond the Human in the Surprising Polish Pavilion at the 2026 Venice Biennale. The Interview

Il linguaggio oltre l’umano nel sorprendente Padiglione Polonia alla Biennale di Venezia 2026. L’intervista

The Polish Pavilion at the 2026 Venice Biennale presents "Liquid Tongues," a project by artists Bogna Burska and Daniel Kotowski, curated by Ewa Chomicka and Jolanta Woszczenko with the collective Choir in Motion. The installation eschews spectacle for a subtle, immersive exploration of language beyond the human voice, incorporating sign language, underwater immersion, choreography, and whale songs to destabilize conventional communication.

Torna TAILOR. Ecco come abbonarsi alla newsletter di Artribune sulla cultura del vestire

TAILOR, the vertical newsletter from Artribune exploring the intersections of art and fashion, returns on Sunday, May 17, 2026. The upcoming issue focuses on "Science Fashion," an event held from May 13 to 15 at the MACRO – Museo d'Arte Contemporanea di Roma, curated by Dobrila Denegri, which investigates relationships between fashion, science, and new technologies. The newsletter also examines the rapid spread of the non-color white in fashion and design as a response to pandemic, crisis, and geopolitical tensions, offering analytical content for professionals, students, and enthusiasts.

A Roma il popolare quartiere Quadraro ospita un festival d’arte diffuso. Il programma

The IPER Festival delle periferie returns to Rome's Quadraro neighborhood for its fifth edition, titled "Super Lieux (Super luoghi) Periferie. Storie e geografie." Running until May 31, the festival features conferences, roundtables, study days, talks, exhibitions, and performances. A highlight is "Überlagerungen," a diffuse art review curated by Spazio Y that animates the Quadraro Vecchio district on May 16 with actions, installations, and shows from 4 PM to 11 PM. Participating venues include Spazio Kina, vineria Moggio, and osteria Grandma, with works by artists such as Lucia Bricco, Giulio Cassanelli, Felice Levini, and many others.