Serpentine to stage major solo exhibition by Amar Kanwar

Serpentine has announced a major solo exhibition by Amar Kanwar, opening at Serpentine North on 23 September 2026 and running until 31 January 2027. The show will feature landmark works from Kanwar's career, including the feature-length film *Such a Morning* (2017), the seven-screen installation *The Peacock's Graveyard* (2023), and the world premiere of a new multi-screen work, *The Charcoal Man* (2026), commissioned by Serpentine. Kanwar, based in New Delhi, is known for poetic, politically charged moving-image works that explore decolonisation, the Partition of India and Pakistan, displacement, violence, justice, ecology, and memory.

Chinese art exhibition reflects transformative modern times

Hundreds of visitors attended the opening of 'Forever Tomorrow: Chinese Art Now' at Auckland Art Gallery, the first major survey of Chinese contemporary art on this scale in Auckland. The exhibition features over 60 works by 42 artists, including Ai Weiwei, Xu Zhen, Xiao Lu, and Cao Fei, spanning photography, sculpture, installations, and new media. Key works include Ai Weiwei's 'Dropping a Han Dynasty Urn' and Xu Zhen's monumental sculpture combining Buddhist and Greek motifs. The show runs through an unspecified period and has drawn diverse audiences, including Chinese New Zealanders and previous visitors to China.

What’s on for spring? Spiritualism and symbolic systems

This article surveys several spring exhibitions in Chicago that explore themes of spiritualism, symbolic systems, and interconnected consciousness. Featured shows include Mindy Rose Schwartz's "Countersealed" at M. LeBlanc, which uses deconstructed fur coats, wands, and twisted fiber sculptures to evoke rituals addressing ecological disaster and historical subjugation. Daniel G. Baird's "Margin" at Patron examines thresholds between material and spiritual realms through a gilded canoe, wax arm cast, and birchwood oar. Leah Ke Yi Zheng's "Change, I Ching (64 Paintings)" at the Renaissance Society presents 64 hexagram paintings on silk, connecting abstract minimalism with Eastern silk painting traditions.

Sebastiaan Bremer: Super Modern Things

Edwynn Houk Gallery presents "Super Modern Things," an exhibition of new works by Sebastiaan Bremer. The artworks blend photography and painting, starting from historical source images such as 17th-century Dutch botanical catalogues and Golden Age still life paintings. Bremer photographs these reproductions and adds ink and acrylic marks—dots, lines, stains, and washes—creating rhythms that evoke language, music, emotion, and constellations. The exhibition continues his long-standing exploration of flowers and the layered histories of still life, addressing themes of beauty, mortality, value, ecology, and global exchange. An accompanying monograph of his flower series is scheduled for Fall 2026.

'You Must Change Your Life' at GRIMM, New York, United States on 26 Jun–7 Aug 2026

GRIMM gallery in New York presents "You Must Change Your Life," a group exhibition curated by Tom Morton, running from June 26 to August 7, 2026. The show features an international roster of painters and sculptors including Alexander Tovborg, Elinor Stanley, Sophie Ruigrok, Sara Rossberg, Jhonatan Pulido, Ken Kiff, Matthew Day Jackson, Ted Gahl, Gabriella Boyd, Anderson Borba, Kinga Bartis, Mahesh Baliga, and Charles Avery. The exhibition takes its title from the final line of Rainer Maria Rilke's poem "Archaic Torso of Apollo" (1918), exploring themes of how the past speaks to the present, the animation of materials, the fragment as synecdoche, and the transformative power of visual contemplation.

When the story has already been told -- ‘Gordon Parks: The South in Color’ at Jackson Fine Art

Gordon Parks: The South in Color, curated by Dawoud Bey, is on view at Jackson Fine Art in Atlanta through June 13. The exhibition celebrates the 20th anniversary of The Gordon Parks Foundation and the 70th anniversary of Parks’ 1956 Life magazine feature on segregation in the South. The show presents a broader selection of Parks’ photographs than the original magazine spread, including iconic works like In-Home Barbershop, Shady Grove, Alabama, 1956. The article, written by a photographer and writer for ArtsATL, reflects on the experience of seeing Parks’ work in person and contrasts the gallery presentation with the editorial framing of the Life feature.

New media art fair launches second edition in Busan, questions the genre's direction

The Loop Plus media art fair has launched its second edition in Busan, South Korea. The fair, dedicated exclusively to new media art, is confronting fundamental market challenges, specifically the public and collector uncertainty about whether such technologically dependent works can be owned and collected. It aims to build the market and ecosystem for the genre.

Confronting the Uncertain Future Of Image Making and AI — These Houston Photography Exhibitions Keep It Real

Two new photography exhibitions in Houston explore the past and future of image-making. At Moody Gallery, a retrospective titled "MANUAL — The Collaboration of Ed Hill & Suzanne Bloom, 1974-2024" honors the legacy of the groundbreaking photographic duo MANUAL, co-founded by Ed Hill and the late Suzanne Bloom, who passed away in 2025. The show, closing April 25, features works inspired by art history, literature, and nature, including pieces referencing Paul Cézanne and Walt Whitman. Meanwhile, at Rice University's Moody Center for the Arts, the group exhibition "Imaging After Photography" (through May 9) examines the intersection of photography and artificial intelligence, featuring artists like Trevor Paglen, Refik Anadol, and Joan Fontcuberta, and raising questions about bias in datasets and algorithms.

Austin’s Blanton Museum uses coding, data, and AI to explore what it means to create art

The Blanton Museum of Art at the University of Texas at Austin has opened a new exhibition titled 'Coded: Art Enters the Computer Age, 1952–1982.' The show features over 100 works by 75 artists who used computers, algorithms, and data as creative tools, exploring the intersection of art and technology during a pivotal three-decade period.

10 Art Shows to See in DC This Spring

Washington, D.C. is hosting a series of major art exhibitions this spring that critically examine American identity, race, and gender. Key shows include the National Gallery of Art’s "Dear America," the National Museum of Women in the Arts’ "Making Their Mark," and the National Portrait Gallery’s "Outwin 2025" triennial. These exhibitions feature a diverse range of artists, from historical figures like Mary Cassatt and Fritz Scholder to contemporary voices like Nick Cave, Diana Al-Hadid, and Aliza Nisenbaum.

New exhibits at Rose Art Museum delve into photorealism, notions of refuge

Two new winter exhibitions open February 11, 2026 at the Rose Art Museum at Brandeis University: “Photorealism in Focus” and “Yinka Shonibare: Sanctuary.” The first brings together pioneering Photorealists like Richard Estes, Charles S. Bell, Audrey Flack, and Ralph Goings alongside contemporary artists, exploring the blurred line between painting and photography. The second features the U.S. debut of Yinka Shonibare’s installation “Sanctuary City” (2024), comprising 18 illuminated miniature buildings that served as historical refuges, lined with the artist’s signature Dutch wax textiles. Both shows are curated by Gannit Akori, the museum’s director and chief curator.

Hawai’i at the British Museum, a Venice palazzo for sale, Joseph Beuys’s ‘Bathtub’—podcast

The latest episode of The Art Newspaper's podcast 'The Week in Art' covers three distinct stories. Host Ben Luke tours the British Museum's new exhibition 'Hawaiʻi: a kingdom crossing oceans' with Alice Christophe, head of Oceania, discussing the museum's revised approach to stewarding its Hawaiian collection. The episode also examines the sale of Ca' Dario, a famed Venetian palazzo on the Grand Canal, with Anna Somers Cocks, who recounts its eerie history and supposed curse. Finally, Luke speaks with Thaddaeus Ropac about Joseph Beuys's late bronze sculpture 'Bathtub' (1961-87), which is featured in a new show at the Thaddaeus Ropac gallery in London.

A brush with… Olafur Eliasson

This article features an in-depth interview with artist Olafur Eliasson, who discusses his career-long focus on human perception, environmental concerns, and the concept of "we-ness" in his work. Eliasson reflects on key installations such as *Beauty* (1993) and *Your lost lighthouse* (2020), his influences from thinkers like Donna Haraway and Alva Noë, and his fascination with James Turrell and early Renaissance art. He also shares insights into his Berlin studio and answers the question "what is art for?" The piece is accompanied by details of his current exhibitions in Brisbane, Jakarta, and Singapore, as well as a new permanent public work in Oxford, UK.

The Year AI Captured Art

The article surveys the visual art landscape of 2025, arguing that the year's defining throughline is the increasing centrality of artificial intelligence—a technological revolution most people didn't ask for but cannot escape. It highlights several exhibitions and works that engage with AI in different ways: Seth Price's show at Isabella Bortolozzi in Berlin, which uses generative images from the pandemic era overlaid with gestural paint strokes; Charmaine Poh's video "GOOD MORNING YOUNG BODY" (2023) at Palais Populaire, where she deploys deepfake technology to have her twelve-year-old self speak back to internet trolls; and Philippe Parreno's show at Haus der Kunst, which poeticizes how generative technologies interact with humans and nature. The article also notes the rise of AI-generated "slop" online and its incursion into the physical art world, as well as market shifts where larger galleries are increasingly acquiring Instagram-friendly emerging artists directly.

Diana Al-Hadid’s Norm-Resisting Survey Exhibition at MSU Broad Art Museum

The Eli and Edythe Broad Art Museum at Michigan State University is presenting a survey exhibition titled “unbecoming” by Syrian-American artist Diana Al-Hadid, curated by Dr. Rachel Winter. The show features Al-Hadid’s sculptural wall panels made from polymer gypsum, steel, plaster, metal leaf, and pigment, many of which break rectilinear forms and reveal their fragile internal structures. The works incorporate recognizable imagery—silhouettes, bodies, art-historical references—that dissolves into the surface, creating tension and inviting viewers to question fixed meanings. The article also recounts a personal encounter with the artist, highlighting the humor and resistance embedded in her practice.

India’s art market is fast growing—is it also maturing?

The third edition of Art Mumbai (13-16 November) saw strong sales and record auction prices for Indian Modernists, including MF Husain's *Gram Yatra* (1953) becoming the first Indian painting to sell for over $10 million. The fair, held amid surging private wealth in India, featured leading contemporary galleries reporting up to 90% sales on opening day, with works priced from $1,000 to $300,000. A recent reduction in India's goods and service tax on art from 12% to 5% has further boosted the market.

Acquisitions round-up: an ‘exceptionally rare’ portrait of an enslaved person and two large-scale donations

The article reports on three major acquisitions and donations in the art world. The Mississippi Museum of Art and Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art jointly acquired an 'exceptionally rare' portrait of Frederick, an enslaved person in pre-emancipation Mississippi, painted around 1840 by C.R. Parker. The portrait sold for $508,750 at Neal Auction Company. Separately, entrepreneur and collector Hermann Gerlinger donated 42 works by the German Expressionist group Die Brücke to Kunstsammlungen Chemnitz, including a marriage portrait by Karl Schmidt-Rottluff. Additionally, the family of late Korean artist Suki Seokyeong Kang donated around 400 of her works to Ewha Womans University in Seoul, where she studied and taught.

Blaffer Art Museum Terminates Curator; Artist Cancels Exhibition

The Blaffer Art Museum at the University of Houston terminated curator Erika Mei Chua Holum in July 2025, following a series of leadership changes and the cancellation of a planned outdoor sculpture exhibition by Guadalupe Maravilla. The museum's new director, Dr. Laura Augusta, cited conservation issues and campus construction as reasons for canceling Maravilla's 'Mariposa Relámpago,' a decision Chua Holum publicly disagreed with. Subsequently, artist Ja'Tovia Gary also canceled her scheduled solo exhibition, citing a breakdown in negotiations with Augusta over scope and budget.

Edward Burtynsky: Taking Place

Edward Burtynsky, the renowned Canadian photographer known for his large-scale depictions of industrial landscapes, is the subject of a feature titled "Edward Burtynsky: Taking Place." The article highlights his 40-year career documenting humanity's impact on the planet, from his early influences in St. Catharines, Ontario, to his recent exhibition "BURTYNSKY: Extraction/Abstraction," which premiered at London's Saatchi Gallery in February 2024 before traveling to M9 in Mestre, Italy. It also notes his founding of Toronto Image Works and his ongoing solo and group exhibitions worldwide.

Emerging artists explore identities and bodies through queer perspectives at Frieze Seoul

Frieze Seoul 2025 is spotlighting queer and female artists through two major exhibitions: “off-site 2: Eleven Episodes” at Kukje Gallery K2, organized in partnership with Art Sonje Center, and “UnHouse” at the new Frieze House space. The former features works by 11 emerging Korean female and genderqueer artists exploring non-normative bodies and identities, including photography by Hong Ji-young, video by duo Yagwang, and an experimental piece by Kwak So-jin. The latter reimagines domestic space through a queer lens with 14 artists such as Anne Imhof, Catherine Opie, and Xiyadie.

Art Museum and Galleries at W&L: Fall 2025 Programs and Exhibitions

Washington and Lee University's Art Museum and Galleries announced its Fall 2025 programs under the theme "Materiality & Transformation," featuring two concurrent exhibitions: "Taking Place," a solo show of large-format aerial photographs by Canadian artist Edward Burtynsky, and "Recoded Memories," an immersive installation by Zimbabwean artist Moffat Takadiwa that repurposes discarded materials like computer keys and VHS tapes. Burtynsky's exhibition runs from September 3, 2025, to April 18, 2026, at the Reeves Museum of Ceramics, with a keynote lecture on September 11; Takadiwa's installation is on view from October 24, 2025, to May 31, 2026, at the Watson Galleries, with an artist talk on October 23.

Bauhaus thread weaves through expansive textile show at MoMA

The traveling exhibition "Woven Histories: Textiles and Modern Abstraction" has made its final stop at the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York. Organized by Lynne Cooke, senior curator at the National Gallery of Art in Washington, DC, in collaboration with MoMA, the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, and the National Gallery of Canada, the show features around 150 works that explore weaving through the lens of abstraction. At MoMA, the exhibition responds to the museum's historical ties to the Bauhaus, including works by Anni Albers and Gunta Stölzl, and highlights lesser-known figures like Ed Rossbach. The show also includes contemporary artists such as Jeffrey Gibson, with several having concurrent solo exhibitions in New York.

6 Questions Every New Art Buyer Should Ask a Gallery

Annabel Keenan's article offers practical guidance for first-time art buyers navigating the gallery system. It outlines six essential questions to ask galleries, covering price transparency, provenance, and the artist's market context. The piece features insights from gallery director Joseph Clarke of Anima Mundi, collector and MCA Chicago trustee Ellen-Blair Chube, and gallerist Madelyn Jordon of Madelyn Jordon Fine Art, who emphasize that asking questions is key to building confidence and knowledge as a collector.

Ed Atkins

Tate Britain presents a major retrospective of British artist Ed Atkins, running from 2 April to 25 August 2025. The exhibition features over 60 works across eight rooms, including video installations, embroideries, and sculptural pieces such as 'Death Mask II: The Scent' (2010), 'Hisser' (2015), 'Old Food' (2017-18), and 'Pianowork 2' (2023). Atkins, known for exploring existential dread through digital and handmade media, wrote the exhibition labels himself—a device curator Polly Staple says questions the authority of museum text. The show traces Atkins' evolution alongside advancing technology, from early post-art-school works to CGI self-portraits and installations incorporating costumes from Berlin's Deutsche Oper.

istanbul biennial ends early curator resigns

The current Istanbul Biennial, titled "The Three-Legged Cat," will end prematurely after its first leg because curator Christine Tohmé resigned due to personal circumstances. The biennial was conceived as a three-part show spanning three years, with an academic program planned for 2026 and a second exhibition set for 2027. The first exhibition ran from September 20 to November 23 across eight venues in Istanbul, attracting over 600,000 visitors. The Istanbul Foundation for Culture and Arts (IKSV), which manages the event, announced the conclusion and stated that planning for the 19th Istanbul Biennial in 2027 will begin soon, with a curator announcement expected in 2026.

Maia Chao Performs the Museum

Artist Maia Chao will activate the seventh-floor galleries of the Whitney Museum of American Art with her performance "Being Moved" as part of the 2026 Whitney Biennial programming. The work explores the theatricality and choreography of a museum visit, examining the gap between the fantasy of profound encounter and the ambivalence of spectatorship. Chao, who studied cultural anthropology at Brown University and grew up with artist parents in Providence, Rhode Island, approaches the museum as a structure that quietly trains behavior and participation. Her earlier projects include "My Business (Cards)" (2017), which invokes Adrian Piper's work, and "Look at Art, Get Paid" (2015–20), which paid non-museum-goers to serve as guest critics.

The Kyrgyzstan Pavilion at the Venice Biennale Builds a Bridge Between Two Cultures

Il Padiglione del Kirghizistan alla Biennale di Venezia getta un ponte tra due culture

Alexey Morosov presents "BELEK" at the Kyrgyzstan Pavilion of the 61st Venice Biennale, a project inspired by the mountainous landscapes, glaciers, and brutalist dams of Kyrgyzstan. Combining video, sculpture, painting, and sound, Morosov explores water as a key resource for the future and a deep cultural memory of Central Asia, linking the region's hydro-engineering transformations with the nomadic heritage of the Kyrgyz people. The project centers on the traditional equestrian game Kok-Börü, which Morosov describes as constitutive of Kyrgyz identity, and features centaur-like figures made from raw earth used in local dwellings.

American Folk Art Museum Workers Picket Gala, Calling for Higher Wages

Workers at the American Folk Art Museum in New York City, represented by UAW Local 2110, picketed the museum's annual gala at the Mandarin Oriental in Manhattan on May 6, 2026. They demanded higher wages and better benefits after contract negotiations stalled for nearly two years. Frontline workers earn $19 per hour, about $12,000 below the city's living wage, while the museum's CEO Jason Busch earned $321,882 in 2024. The union requested a three-year contract raising wages to $30 per hour, but management offered only $21.50 and refused to guarantee existing benefits, leading to the protest.

Pussy Riot Storms Russia Pavilion at Venice Biennale

Pussy Riot staged a dramatic protest at the Russia Pavilion during the Venice Biennale, releasing pink smoke and waving Ukrainian flags while chanting slogans like 'Blood is Russia’s art.' Around 50 protesters, including members of Femen, occupied the area. Pussy Riot founder Nadya Tolokonnikova called for the pavilion to be closed and given to oppressed peoples, challenging Biennale president Pietrangelo Buttafuoco to meet her. The protest lasted about 20 minutes, with performers climbing the pavilion and exposing political slogans on their chests.

Pussy Riot and FEMEN Join Forces in Punk Protest in Venice: ‘Russia Kills! Biennale Exhibits!’

On Wednesday morning, Pussy Riot and FEMEN led a protest outside the Russian Pavilion at the 2026 Venice Biennale, chanting slogans like “Russia kills! Biennale exhibits!” and “Blood is Russia’s art!” Dozens of protesters, some in pink balaclavas and others bare-chested with floral crowns, gathered in the Giardini under light rain, carrying guitars and blasting punk rock and hip-hop. The action was organized by Nadya Tolokonnikova and other Pussy Riot members alongside FEMEN, a Ukrainian-founded women’s movement. They released pink, yellow, and blue smoke, and Tolokonnikova criticized the Biennale for allowing Russian participation while artists who oppose the war in Ukraine are imprisoned. She proposed an alternative exhibition, “Resistance Imprisoned,” currently on view in Strasbourg, featuring incarcerated artists.