In Milan there is a curious museum dedicated to the Capuchin friars

A Milano c’è un curioso museo dedicato ai frati Cappuccini

The article explores the Museo dei Cappuccini in Milan, a museum dedicated to the Capuchin friars, which opened in 2001. It highlights the order's history of austerity and poverty, contrasting their humble materials (wood, straw) with the opulence of the era. The museum, directed by art historian Rosa Giorgi, houses a permanent collection and temporary exhibitions, such as "Quel che passa il convento," which features two paintings of the Visitation by Camillo Procaccini from Lombard convents.

In Liguria, a massive widespread party celebrated ceramic craftsmanship. Report from the Festival della Maiolica 2026

In Liguria si è svolta una mega festa diffusa per celebrare l’artigianato della ceramica. Reportage dal Festival della Maiolica 2026

The fourth edition of the Festival della Maiolica took place from June 5-7, 2026, in the Ligurian towns of Albissola Marina, Savona, Albisola Superiore, and Celle Ligure, celebrating ceramic craftsmanship with over fifty events. The festival featured a collective "white and blue" table in Albissola Marina, avant-garde exhibitions, theoretical discussions, and community participation. A central exhibition, "Nespolo e Albisola. Fuoco ritrovato," curated by Riccardo Zelatore, showcases works by artist Ugo Nespolo at the MuDA and the Museo della Ceramica di Savona, running until September 6, 2026. The festival is organized by the Fondazione Museo della Ceramica di Savona ETS, an instrumental entity of the Fondazione De Mari CR Savona, in collaboration with the Cooperativa A.R.C.A., marking a shift from past municipal-led management.

The cemeteries of Florence tell an alternative story of the city between art and memory

I cimiteri di Firenze raccontano una storia alternativa della città tra arte e memoria

The article explores three historic cemeteries in Florence, Italy—Cimitero Porte Sante, Cimitero degli Inglesi, and Campo Santo dei Pinti—presenting them as open-air museums where art, architecture, and local history converge. Porte Sante, inaugurated in 1848, overlooks the city from San Miniato al Monte and contains tombs of cultural figures such as Carlo Collodi, Vasco Pratolini, Pellegrino Artusi, Ottone Rosai, and Franco Zeffirelli. The Cimitero degli Inglesi, built in 1828, served as a multi-denominational burial ground for non-Catholics and inspired Arnold Böcklin's painting "Isola dei Morti." The Campo Santo dei Pinti, constructed in 1747, is noted as the only all-male cemetery in the world, originally serving the hospital of Santa Maria Nuova and managed by the Venerabile Arciconfraternita della Misericordia.

A Political Exhibition Made of Scarecrows: 43 Artists in Turin Become Guardians of Life

Una mostra politica fatta di spaventapasseri. 43 artisti a Torino diventano guardiani della vita

A group exhibition titled "Scarecrow. Artisti a presidio della vita" has opened at Flashback Habitat in Turin, Italy, curated by artist Alessandro Bulgini and critic/art historian Christian Caliandro. The show features 43 artists who explore the political and social symbolism of the scarecrow as a guardian figure, using diverse media including painting, video, sculpture, photography, and found-object assemblage. Participants range from established figures like Emilio Vedova to emerging talents from Italian academies, and even a three-year-old child named Luce. The exhibition positions the scarecrow as a passive yet powerful symbol of resistance and protection against external threats.

Dopo 20 anni di chiusura un ex cinema di Padova viene recuperato e diventa una fondazione d’arte e cultura

The Fondazione Chiara e Francesco Carraro has announced the restoration of the former Cinema Altino in Padua, a historic movie theater that opened in 1951 and closed in 2006. The building, a protected modernist landmark designed by futurist architect Quirino De Giorgio, will be converted into a new cultural institution hosting exhibitions, screenings, performances, and interdisciplinary activities. The project, led by architect Giuseppe Cangialosi of studio mzc+, will transform the main 756-seat auditorium into an exhibition space and the lower Mignon cinema into a multifunctional venue. Construction is set to begin in July 2026 and is expected to last one year.

Contemporary art and protection of historical heritage: on Ischia, Fondazione Mattera is born

Arte contemporanea e tutela del patrimonio storico: a Ischia nasce Fondazione Mattera

On the island of Ischia, Italy, the newly established Fondazione Karin e Gabriele Mattera has opened at the Castello Aragonese, founded by siblings Cristina and Nicola Mattera to continue the legacy of their father, artist and philanthropist Gabriele Mattera (1929–2005). The foundation launches with a major retrospective dedicated to Gabriele Mattera himself, curated by Jana Curcenco, held in the Chiesa dell'Immacolata and rooms of the Convento reopened for the occasion. This marks a new structured phase for the cultural hub, which began its contemporary art exhibition activity in 1980 with a show by Giuseppe Santomaso.

Venice Climate Week opens in Venice: sustainability 'in a minor key' connected with the themes of the Biennale

A Venezia apre la Venice Climate Week: sostenibilità ‘in chiave minore’ connessa coi temi della Biennale

The Venice Climate Week 2026, themed 'Planet Aqua, Planet Peace,' opens in Venice from June 3 to June 8, featuring over 100 international speakers. The event is closely tied to the 61st Venice Biennale, whose theme 'In Minor Keys' resonates with the climate discussions. A flash mob 'Matrimonio con la laguna' by Fondazione Pistoletto Cittadellarte kicks off the program, as artists and scientists engage in dialogue about ecological crisis and sustainability.

Arte contemporanea e gioielli dialogano attraverso la luce. La mostra nella boutique Bvlgari a Roma

Bvlgari's historic Rome boutique on Via dei Condotti hosts "Corpi di Luce" (Bodies of Light), an exhibition curated by Daniele Finaroli in collaboration with the Fondazione Giuseppe Iannaccone. The show pairs contemporary artworks—paintings, photographs, and a sculpture by Kiki Smith—with Bvlgari jewelry, exploring light as an active substance that shapes body, landscape, and memory. Featured artists include Francesco Gennari, Federica Belli, Karen Kilimnik, Cindy Sherman, Roberto De Pinto, Tyler Mitchell, Caleb Hahne Quintana, Raqib Shaw, and Piero Guccione, with works drawn from Iannaccone's private collection and loans from the artists.

Artists' protest against the 'Visitor Lions' for the 2026 Venice Biennale intensifies

Si intensifica la protesta degli artisti contro i “Leoni dei Visitatori” per la Biennale di Venezia 2026

Over one hundred artists, collectives, curators, and national pavilion representatives have signed an open letter protesting the newly introduced "Leoni dei Visitatori" (Visitor Lions) at the 61st Venice Biennale. The protest follows the collective resignation of the International Jury on April 30, after the jury excluded Russia and Israel from competition due to International Criminal Court investigations. In response, the Biennale Foundation announced a popular voting system using ticket tracking to award the Visitor Lions, rather than appointing a new jury. The signatories argue this mechanism was rushed, lacks transparency, and politically sidesteps the reasons for the jury's resignation. They demand their names be removed from all voting materials and have threatened legal action if their concerns are not addressed.

Guide to cultural festivals in Italy in early June 2026: Maiolica, Sottocasa, Torcularia Book, White Carrara, Flore, Roma Summer Fest, la Prima Estate

Guida ai festival culturali in Italia di inizio giugno 2026: Maiolica, Sottocasa, Torcularia Book, White Carrara, Flore, Roma Summer Fest, la Prima Estate

A series of cultural festivals kick off in early June 2026 across Italy, including the Festival della Maiolica in Savona and the Albisola area (June 5-7), Sottocasa Festival in Ravenna (June 12-21), Torcularia Book Festival in Langhirano (June 5-7), White Carrara in Carrara (June 5-August 30), and Attraversamenti Multipli in Rome (June 11-20). These events span ceramics, social art projects, knowledge festivals, marble urban design, and multidisciplinary performances, often set in historic or natural landscapes.

The trolls come indoors as a Danish recycling artist stages his first museum exhibit

Danish recycling artist Thomas Dambo, known for creating nearly 200 wooden troll sculptures hidden in natural settings across 19 countries, is staging his first museum exhibition. Titled "The Garbage Man," the show opens at the Arken Museum of Contemporary Art near Copenhagen and runs until November 29. The exhibit imagines a group of mischievous trolls taking over the museum and building a giant human figure from trash as a cautionary tale about waste. Dambo, a former hip-hop artist and poet, began his troll project in 2014 and has since attracted millions of online viewers and an estimated 5 million annual visitors to his outdoor works.

The Beating Heart of Austin’s Artist-Run Independent Spaces: Five Interviews to Light Your Fire

This article profiles five artist-run independent spaces in Austin, Texas, as part of Glasstire's 25th anniversary series. The author interviews Zac Traeger of the Museum of Human Achievement (MoHA), Tim McCool from GoodLuckHaveFun Gallery, MASS Gallery's Beth Schindler and Ariel Wood, Erin Cunningham and Matt Rebholz from the ICOSA Collective, and Sean Gaulager for Co-Lab Projects. These spaces operate as alternatives to commercial galleries, thriving through community effort and financial uncertainty in a rapidly gentrifying city.

Une femme au balcon pour Carnavalet

The Musée Carnavalet in Paris has acquired a painting by Gustave Surand titled "Vue sur Les Halles ; côté du pavillon de la boucherie" (1890), depicting a woman on a balcony overlooking the now-demolished Les Halles market pavilions. The work was preempted at a Beaussant-Lefèvre auction on June 5 for €15,000 (excluding fees), thanks to sponsorship from the Fondation La Marck.

What Nicolas Winding Refn Learned When He Died and Came Back to Life

Nicolas Winding Refn, the film director known for *Drive* and *The Neon Demon*, premiered his first solo feature film in nine years, *Her Private Hell*, at Cannes and unveiled a new installation, *Satellites II*, alongside video game creator Hideo Kojima at the Hotel Chelsea for Prada Mode New York. The installation, a sequel to their 2025 piece *Satellites*, uses midcentury modern tube televisions to stage a conversation between the two artists, who have never spoken directly due to language barriers. Refn also reveals that he recently underwent heart surgery, dying on the operating table for 30 minutes, an experience that imbued him with a renewed urgency to create.

Tapisserie de Bayeux : une conférence de presse qui confirme toutes nos craintes

A press conference organized by the French Ministry of Culture confirmed plans to transport the Bayeux Tapestry to the United Kingdom, despite ongoing concerns about the risks to the fragile 11th-century textile. Officials including Culture Minister Catherine Pégard, regional president Hervé Morin, and UK special envoy Lord Peter Ricketts celebrated the loan as a success, dismissing critics as unjust. However, the article reveals that key details—such as the Channel crossing via Eurostar tunnel—remain undisclosed, and a test voyage in April failed to address critical unknowns about the tapestry's reaction to vibrations.

L'invité de La Tribune de l'Art n° 31 : Pierre Curie

Pierre Curie, conservateur général du patrimoine et directeur du Musée Jacquemart-André, est l'invité du 31e numéro de La Tribune de l'Art. Il y évoque sa riche carrière dans les musées et le domaine du patrimoine, notamment son passage de quatre ans au Petit Palais, son rôle actuel à la tête du Musée Jacquemart-André (qu'il dirigera encore un an avant de prendre sa retraite), ainsi que son expertise en restauration acquise au C2RMF, le Centre de restauration et de recherche des musées de France, où il a été en charge des peintures.

Art Museum to Showcase Alumnus John Thompson in Manhattan Exhibition

The Syracuse University Art Museum presents “John Thompson ’72: Infinite Variation” at the Bernard and Louise Palitz Gallery in New York City through Sept. 29. The exhibition features works spanning Thompson’s entire career, from his student days at Syracuse to his most recent prints, highlighting his distinctive approach to printmaking. Unlike traditional printmakers who create new matrices for each print, Thompson re-uses existing matrices as building blocks, recombining and reimagining them across compositions—a method rooted in the experimental studio culture he encountered at Syracuse. The show emphasizes his sustained observation of nature, particularly gardens, grasses, stalks, and ponds.

Key art fairs Kiaf, Frieze to open in September

Kiaf Seoul and Frieze Seoul will both take place in September 2026 at the COEX convention center in Seoul. Kiaf runs from September 2–6 with 175 galleries from 18 countries, including 20 first-time participants, and has appointed fashion designer Jung Ku-ho as its first outside creative director for its 25th anniversary. Frieze Seoul, in its fifth edition, runs September 2–5 with over 125 galleries from 30 countries, about 70 percent from the Asia-Pacific region, and features a curated section by three independent curators.

Exhibition | Antone Könst, 'Antone Könst: Subjects' at Each Modern, Taipei, Taiwan

Antone Könst presents 'Antone Könst: Subjects' at Each Modern gallery in Taipei, Taiwan. The exhibition showcases the artist's exploration of figuration and abstraction through a series of paintings that examine the human form as both subject and object.

Inside Yinka Ilori’s ‘Joy Through Resistance’, a powerful meditation on faith, family and diasporic resilience

Yinka Ilori presents his first solo gallery exhibition in London, titled 'Joy Through Resistance: He Who Laughs Last, Laughs Best', at Cristea Roberts Gallery. The show features new paintings, prints, sculpture, and an immersive sound installation that explores the roots of joy through themes of migration, faith, family, and diasporic resilience. Ilori draws on his Nigerian heritage and childhood memories of his parents' experiences as immigrants, particularly the role of the church as a site of community and resistance.

Exhibition | Mark Corfield-Moore, 'Swan Song' at Kate MacGarry, London, United Kingdom

Mark Corfield-Moore presents 'Swan Song', a solo exhibition at Kate MacGarry in London, United Kingdom. The show features new works by the artist, exploring themes of finality and transformation through painting and mixed media.

Contessa Gallery Dicusses David Drebin & ‘The Magic of You’

Contessa Gallery owner Contessa Tscherne discusses the gallery's long-standing relationship with artist David Drebin and his upcoming exhibition "The Magic of You," opening June 13 at the gallery's flagship location in Southampton. The exhibition features a curated selection of Drebin's photographs exploring desire, ambition, beauty, fantasy, and human connection, including the cover image "Shimmering Danger" from his Superstar Series.

Exhibition | Ravelle Pillay, 'Revisitations' at Goodman Gallery, London, United Kingdom

Ravelle Pillay's solo exhibition 'Revisitations' is on view at Goodman Gallery in London, United Kingdom. The show presents a new body of work by the artist, exploring themes of memory, history, and personal narrative through visual art.

Exhibition | Federico Herrero, 'Caimitos' at Sies + Höke, Düsseldorf, Germany

Federico Herrero's exhibition 'Caimitos' is on view at Sies + Höke gallery in Düsseldorf, Germany. The show presents new works by the Costa Rican artist, known for his vibrant, abstract paintings that explore color, landscape, and tropical environments.

Where to see artworks in Marin

A comprehensive roundup of art exhibitions and events across Marin County, California, lists dozens of gallery and museum shows opening in June and July 2025. Venues include Continuum Fine Art Gallery, Bolinas Museum, Art Works Downtown, and Gallery Route One, featuring photographers like Nico van Dongen, painters like Saif Azzuz, and sculptors like Ian Collings. The article provides dates, locations, and reception details for each exhibition.

Solange Knowles Just Curated a One-of-a-Kind Soundtrack to the Art World

In an Ozempic-Suffused Scene, Brontez Purnell Embraces Being a ‘Fake Skinny Bitch’

Brontez Purnell, in a personal essay for Cultured's "Indulgence" issue, reflects on gluttony and his experience with weight-loss drugs. After a diabetes diagnosis, he began taking Mounjaro in 2024, losing 64 pounds in a month, then switched to Ozempic after losing insurance. He grapples with body dysmorphia, shifting gay beauty standards, and the moral implications of using GLP-1s, ultimately questioning whether Ozempic is a form of "elevated anti-gluttony."

The Laziness Canon: Helen Molesworth on Artists Who Made Great Work by Doing Nothing

In this essay for Cultured's "Indulgence" issue, curator and critic Helen Molesworth reflects on the sin of sloth, exploring how laziness has inspired significant works of art. She cites artists like Lee Lozano (General Strike Piece, 1969), Robert Barry (Closed Gallery, 1969), Tom Marioni (The Act of Drinking Beer with Friends is the Highest Form of Art, 1970), and Marcel Duchamp (Étant Donnés, 1946–66), who embraced idleness or redefined labor as art. Molesworth also discusses Mierle Laderman Ukeles's "maintenance art" (1970–73), which elevated domestic work to art, and references Paul Lafargue's 1883 tract The Right to Be Lazy.

A New Photo Book Sketches a New History of Queer Nightlife—and Where It Might Go Next

Amelia Abraham's new photo book, *Sex, Clubs, Dissent: Visualising Queer Nightlife* (MACK, 2026), compiles decades of queer nightlife photography by image-makers including Lola Flash, Wolfgang Tillmans, Lyle Ashton Harris, Susan Kravitz, and Mohamad Abdouni. The volume pairs these images with essays and conversations by Legacy Russell, McKenzie Wark, and Brontez Purnell, exploring themes of visibility, risk, and community in spaces from saunas to drag shows to campgrounds. Abraham discusses the book with Cultured, drawing parallels between the camera's lens and the club as vehicles for self-expression and documentation.

Allegories: Marked by Memory

American artist Vaughn Spann presents 'Allegories', a solo exhibition at the Tampa Museum of Art featuring four monumental works from his 'Marked Men' series. The show runs until 5 July 2026 and uses abstraction, specifically a recurring X motif, to explore themes of race, surveillance, and collective memory, drawing from Spann's personal experiences of racial profiling.