A Torino arriva una provocatoria fiera d’arte dedicata all’olfatto inventata da una artista-erborista

The first edition of Olfacta Art Fair, a provocative art fair dedicated to scent, will take place from September 18 to 20, 2026, at EDIT Garden in Turin, Italy. Conceived by artist and herbalist Francesca Casale (born 1990) and her association Olfacta, the fair features ten artists and independent spaces under the curatorial direction of Gianluigi Ricuperati, with exhibition design by Maurizio Cilli. The event transforms the venue into an immersive environment where smells, emanations, and olfactory traces interact with installations, performances, scientific research, and sensory design, challenging traditional notions of art as a collectible object.

IDF Soldiers Hide From Our Gaze

An opinion article on Hyperallergic analyzes official portraits of Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) soldiers released in May 2025, in which the soldiers are depicted with their backs to the camera. The author argues that this pose is a deliberate tactic to avoid identification and potential prosecution for war crimes in the occupied Palestinian territories, weaponizing surveillance technologies against the very people they surveil. The piece frames these images as "counter-portraits" that transform individual soldiers into a faceless, intimidating mass, contrasting them with traditional portraiture that invites intimate moral scrutiny.

A review of the 2026 Venice Biennale without naming a single artist

Una recensione della Biennale di Venezia 2026 senza nominare neppure un artista

This review of the 2026 Venice Biennale describes an exhibition that overcame dire circumstances—the death of curator Koyo Kouoh early in preparations, losses of key artists, and international political controversies—to deliver a surprisingly joyful and engaging show. Titled "In Minor Keys," the Biennale features a well-conceived, flowing presentation across the Giardini and Arsenale that prioritizes beauty, craftsmanship, and hope over a punitive or documentary tone.

1990s pop icon Jewel is the protagonist in Venice with an exhibition that rewrites the geographies of the feminine

L’icona pop Anni ‘90 Jewel è protagonista a Venezia con una mostra che riscrive le geografie del femminile

Singer-songwriter Jewel, a 1990s pop icon with four Grammy nominations, is presenting her largest exhibition to date in Venice. Titled "Matriclysm: An Archaeology of Connections Lost," the immersive show runs from May 6 to November 22, 2026, at the Salone Verde, coinciding with the 2026 Venice Biennale. Curated by Joe Thompson, the exhibition blends painting, textiles, sculpture, sound, and installation to explore themes of femininity, motherhood, care, and intergenerational knowledge, drawing on forgotten rituals and marginalized mythologies.

In an exhibition in Naples it is possible to get lost without urgency in an unstable balance. The review

In una mostra a Napoli è possibile perdersi senza urgenza in un equilibrio instabile. La recensione

The exhibition "A Gentle Collapse," curated by Marta Ferrara at Andrea Nuovo Home Gallery in Naples, explores the contemporary psychic state through a spatial and perceptual construction. Featuring works in photography, painting, engraving, and installation, the show creates a sense of instability, with meaning emerging gradually through shifts between familiar and altered forms. Artists include Dorottya Vékony, Matteo Silverii, Flora Villaumié, and Zoë Pelikan, whose works engage with themes of genetic engineering, serial accumulation, and subtle disorientation across two gallery levels.

The first of May starts a new issue of Pax. Previews of the newsletter on cultural tourism (subscribe)

Il primo maggio parte una nuova uscita di Pax. Le anticipazioni della newsletter sul turismo culturale (abbonatevi)

The article previews the upcoming May 1st issue of Pax, a newsletter by Artribune focused on cultural tourism. It highlights a feature on Italy's colorful villages, explaining how bright colors historically aided sailors and fishermen, and how white facades served hygienic purposes. The issue also covers off-the-beaten-path destinations like Bolsena, which recently opened a contemporary art space in Palazzo Cozza Caposavi, and explores slow tourism practices such as barefooting, discussed with its founder Andrea Bianchi. Additional content includes a roundup of cultural initiatives from Berlin to Naples, Budapest's Citadella reopening, and the Sussex forest's Winnie-the-Pooh centenary.

For the 2026 Venice Biennale, the RojoNegro duo brings a collective ritual to the Mexico Pavilion

Per la Biennale Arte 2026 il duo RojoNegro porta nel Padiglione del Messico un rituale collettivo

The article announces that the RojoNegro collective, formed by María Sosa and Noé Martínez, will represent Mexico at the 61st Venice Biennale in 2026 with a project titled "Actos invisibles para sostener el universo." Curated by Jessica Berlanga Taylor, the installation combines organic materials, sound, video, and performance to create a ritualistic space that invokes invisible presences, memories, and energies. The work draws on decolonial perspectives, centering Indigenous and Afro-descendant cosmogonies as living knowledge systems, and aims to activate a dialogue between situated ritual practices and the global context of the Biennale.

EastEnders' Jake Wood forced to close art exhibit amid 'abusive behaviour'

EastEnders actor Jake Wood has closed his art exhibition at Indelible Fine Arts in Brighton after a furious backlash over the inclusion of AI-generated imagery in his works. The gallery announced the decision, citing “abusive” messages directed at them and stating that the exhibition’s original message had been “lost.” Wood, known for playing Max Branning on the BBC soap, had curated the show to raise funds for Dementia UK, but controversy erupted when viewers discovered that some pieces—including portraits of Attenborough and Trump—incorporated pre-existing AI source imagery.

Seniors showcase their art in a final exhibition

Graduating students at Southeast Missouri State University (SEMO) showcased their artwork in a final exhibition held on May 1, 2026, at Crisp Museum. The show featured a wide range of media including 3D works, prints, paper mache, paintings, cloth, video, quilts, and sculptures. Among the participants were painting BFA major Zachary Ross Mayfield, who presented symbolist works centered on nature and a large self-portrait that took over 200 hours to complete, and senior studio art BFA major Kaylee Shelby, whose sculptures question the ethics and aesthetics of taxidermy and human manipulation of animals.

Double vandalism on the Place de la Concorde

Double vandalisme place de la Concorde

During the PSG Champions League semi-final victory celebrations last Wednesday, vandals destroyed an exhibition by Yann Arthus-Bertrand on the theme of 'Living Together' on the Place de la Concorde in Paris. The article describes this as a double vandalism: the physical destruction by rioters compounded what the author considers the original vandalism—the exhibition itself, which was supported by the French government, the Paris city hall, and several other entities.

Notre-Dame : les associations attaquent le projet

Two French heritage associations, Sites & Monuments and SOS Paris, have filed legal challenges against the project to replace the stained-glass windows of Notre-Dame de Paris. The groups have submitted requests to an emergency judge and to the administrative court, seeking to suspend the works, which have already begun and threaten to remove the original windows by Viollet-le-Duc within days. The judge will rule on whether there is a serious doubt about the legality of the decision.

SIU’s Sharp Museum seeking cryptid-themed art for juried exhibition

Southern Illinois University Carbondale's Sharp Museum is organizing a national juried exhibition titled "Spooks or Spoofs," centered on cryptid-themed art. The exhibition runs from August 11 to December 21, 2026, and welcomes all media except AI-generated images. Artists may submit up to three works, with a requested donation of $5–$10 per entry. The submission deadline is July 1, with jury results announced by July 14. The juror is Jeremy Efroymson, an artist, collector, and amateur cryptozoologist. The museum's curator of exhibits, T. Lance, highlighted local Illinois legends such as Bigfoot, the Big Muddy Monster, and the Enfield horror as inspiration.

Figge’s new exhibition asks: ‘A Golden Age for Whom?’

Figge Art Museum in Davenport, Iowa, will open a new exhibition titled "A Golden Age for Whom?" from June 6 to September 20. The show juxtaposes contemporary artworks with historical Northern European pieces, prompting visitors to reconsider how context shapes interpretation of art across eras.

How Immersive Digital Exhibitions Reshape Art Viewing

The article examines how immersive digital exhibitions have transformed art viewing by the late 2020s, focusing on the Smithsonian Hirshhorn Museum's late-2025 survey "Big Things for Big Rooms" and the touring show "Picasso: Art in Motion" at the Museum of Art and Light. It notes that immersive exhibitions now encompass 360-degree projection mapping, AR overlays, and generative AI installations, and that they consistently outperform traditional exhibitions in attendance, especially among visitors under 35.

Jury of the Venice Biennial resigns, Russia and Israel return to Award Contention

The five-member international jury of the 61st Venice Biennale, led by Brazilian curator Solange Farkas, has resigned effective April 30, 2026. The jury—comprising Solange Oliveira Farkas, Zoe Butt, Elvira Dyangani Ose, Marta Kuzma, and Giovanna Zapperi—announced their resignation in a written statement, referencing a prior Statement of Intention issued on April 22. In response, La Biennale di Venezia postponed the Awards Ceremony from May 9 to November 22, the final public day, and introduced two new "Visitors' Lions" awards—one for the Best Participant in the main exhibition "In Minor Keys" by Koyo Kouoh, and one for the Best National Participation—to be decided by ticket-holder vote.

Libri d’arte. 7 novità in libreria tra saggi, racconti e fotografie

This article from Artribune presents seven new art book releases in Italy, all united by a common theme of bringing marginalized subjects back into focus. Featured titles include Johnny L. Bertolio's "L'ha scritto lei, ma…" which examines why female authors are excluded from Italian school curricula, and Carla Rossi's "Oltre i margini," a rigorous study of European female miniaturists from the Middle Ages to the Renaissance. Other works address queer representation in museums, children's voices on Gaza, photographic portraiture by Lorenzo Cicconi Massi, a collective volume on the Bertolucci family, and a theatrical project by Kepler-452 set in the central Mediterranean.

Faculty, students oppose censorship of artist at University of North Texas

In February 2025, the University of North Texas (UNT) in Denton abruptly canceled a solo exhibition by Brooklyn-based artist Victor “MARKA27” Quiñonez just nine days after its opening. The show, titled “Ni de Aqui, Ni de Allá,” was displayed at the College of Visual Art & Design (CVAD) Gallery and featured works from Quiñonez’s I.C.E. Scream series, including large-scale paleta sculptures embedded with handcuffs and firearms, and a cart bearing the phrase “U.S. Department of Stolen Land Security.” The exhibition was closed without notice, its street-facing windows covered with brown paper, and UNT terminated its loan agreement with Boston University Art Galleries, which had originally hosted the show in September 2025. Faculty and students responded with an open letter to UNT President Harrison Keller, condemning the censorship and demanding transparency.

New Midland exhibit explores landscapes, memory and reflection

A new exhibition titled 'Seen/Unseen' has opened at the Midland Cultural Centre in Ontario, curated by Gayle Fortin. It features immersive fibre installations, atmospheric landscapes, and abstract works by four artists from The October Collective: Charlotte Williams, Amy Bagshaw, Pauline Bradshaw, and Lindsay Smail. Highlights include Bagshaw's site-specific fibre installation using industrial materials, an interactive 'Grounded Echoes Cairn' where visitors add inscribed stones, and QR codes linking to artists' stories. The exhibition runs alongside a Members' Exhibition and a community mural celebrating Quest Art School + Gallery's 30th anniversary.

Frank O’Hara and the end of the ‘American Century’

Frank O’Hara, the poet and curator at the Museum of Modern Art, was a central figure in the mid-20th-century effort to promote American high art globally as a cultural counterpart to U.S. military and economic power. The article examines how O’Hara’s work, alongside the Abstract Expressionists and other artists, helped establish New York as the capital of the art world, projecting American cultural influence abroad through exhibitions, poetry, and institutional support.

Should the Auschwitz commandant’s house be hosting exhibitions?

The Counter Extremism Project has acquired the former home of Rudolf Höss, the commandant of Auschwitz, and is now using it to host exhibitions. The current show features the work of a Nazi ornithologist, raising complex and unsettling questions about the ethics of displaying art in a site so deeply tied to the Holocaust.

Should art have moral limits?

At Metropolitan State University of Denver, students, artists, professors, and curators debate whether art should have moral limits, particularly when it addresses violence, political division, or sensitive social issues. The discussion features perspectives from Jess Gerome, an art education student who argues discomfort should not dictate creative expression, and Xtna Doleres, a multidisciplinary artist who believes art carries an ethical responsibility to speak truth and represent communities respectfully. Professor Jason Miller adds that while art alone may not cause harm, it must be taken seriously when it suggests real-world danger.

New İstanbul art exhibition questions the meaning of animal shelters

The exhibition "Barı-n/m-ak" has opened at Müze Gazhane in Istanbul, curated by Hicran Aksöz as a social responsibility project that merges contemporary art with animal rights advocacy. Featuring works by 27 Turkish contemporary artists, the show uses a typographic play on the title to question the concepts of shelter and sheltering, prompting reflection on cohabitation in the city, the right to shelter, and interspecies solidarity. Alongside the artworks, the program includes artist talks and workshops on animal rights-themed art, and at the exhibition's close, artists will connect with collectors to generate funds that will directly purchase supplies for Beşiktaş Municipality Shelters and Angels Farm.

Ghosts in a Postcard Idyll

Geister im Postkartenidyll

Kôji Fukada's film "Nagi Notes" premieres in competition at the Cannes Film Festival, following Yoriko (Takako Matsu), a sculptor and farmer living a quiet, self-sufficient life in the rural Japanese town of Nagi. Her routine is disrupted when her old friend Yuri (Shizuka Ishibashi), an architect, arrives to model for a sculpture, stirring buried emotions and past conflicts. The film explores the slow, delicate process of creating art and the psychological tensions between the two women, set against the backdrop of Nagi's idyllic but symbolically flat landscape.

The auction market breathes a sigh of relief – but not everywhere

Der Auktionsmarkt atmet auf – aber nicht überall

The article reports that the auction market is showing signs of fragile recovery in 2025, with Christie’s, Sotheby’s, and Phillips all posting mid-double-digit percentage increases at their London sales in March compared to the previous year. However, the article notes that the prior year was exceptionally weak, and underlying issues such as high debt levels, aggressive commission models, and unresolved succession questions continue to threaten the stability of the major auction houses.

Exit Homo?

Hua Wang and Emanuel Heim are presenting their dual exhibition "Natural Inversions" in Berlin, curated by John Silvis. The show features abstract queer painting, sculptural installations, and explores themes of perception, materiality, and transformation. An artist talk moderated by Monopol editor Sebastian Frenzel accompanies the exhibition, where the artists discuss transhumanism, artificial intelligence, spirituality, and how technology is reshaping our understanding of being human.

Beyond the body: Jess Self’s emotive power at the Marietta Cobb Museum of Art

Jess Self, a Decatur-based sculptor and educator, presents *Celestial Perspectives* at the Marietta Cobb Museum of Art, an immersive textile environment that explores autobiography through figurative form. The exhibition features works in resin, plaster, felted wool, fiber, and rope, including the large-scale installation *The Veil* and the compelling *She Who Ties Magic Knots*, a resin and plaster cast of the artist's pregnant torso. Self's practice draws on Jungian archetypes and spiritual traditions, and the show communicates themes of connectivity, motherhood, bodily experience, and transcendence without relying on wall text.

Artist Presents 20 Years of “Cosmic Breath” Research at the Venice Biennale

The Hungarian Pavilion at the 61st Venice Biennale has opened with Endre Koronczi's exhibition "Pneuma Cosmic (Cosmic Breath)," a three-part installation based on nearly 20 years of research into visualizing air currents. The exhibition features elements including ventilation system components from the Hungarian Academy of Sciences, a video of a year-long walk seeking the most significant sigh, and a breathing wall, complemented by a composition by Máté Balogh. The pavilion opened to professionals on Wednesday and will be open to the public from May 9 to November 22.

HCC Student Artist Brings Good vs. Evil to Life in Striking Painting

Houston Community College student Ruben Rodriguez, who also goes by Dario, created a large painting exploring the theme of good versus evil for the Juried Student Art Exhibition at HCC Spring Branch. The exhibition, hosted by HCC's Media, Visual, and Performing Arts department on April 30, featured works from level 1 and level 2 studio art students across the Spring Branch, Katy, and Alief campuses. Rodriguez's painting incorporates pop culture figures such as Kobe Bryant and Captain America on one side and villainous characters like Marvel's Thanos on the other, illustrating the paths of motivation and discipline versus addiction and greed, inspired by his Christian faith.

See photos of Acme Art Studios in downtown Wilmington over the years

Acme Art Studios, a historic artist complex located at 711 N. Fifth Avenue in downtown Wilmington, North Carolina, has been listed for sale at $4.4 million. The article features a gallery of photographs documenting the studios over the years, showing artists such as Pam Toll, Michael Van Hout, Dumay Gorham, and Dick Roberts at work in their spaces, as well as scenes from events like the No Boundaries art exhibition and the Le Petit Atelier du Monde residency.

Iran will not participate in the Biennale

Iran nimmt nicht an Biennale teil

Iran has withdrawn from the Venice Biennale, according to an announcement by the Biennale organization reported in Italian media. No reasons were given for the decision. The withdrawal comes amid significant turmoil at the Biennale just days before its official opening on Saturday: the entire jury resigned over disputes regarding the treatment of Russia and Israel, the opening ceremony was canceled, and the traditional awarding of Golden Lions at the start has been postponed to the final day in November, with winners now to be decided by visitor vote rather than a jury.