Château Shatto gallery in Los Angeles is presenting a group exhibition featuring works by Minnie Pwerle, Emily Pwerle, Molly Pwerle, and Galya Pwerle, four Indigenous Australian artists from the Anmatyerre community. The show highlights their distinctive painting styles, which often draw on ancestral stories and bold abstract patterns, continuing the legacy of Aboriginal art in a contemporary gallery context.
A parent takes their toddler to Yorkshire Sculpture Park (YSP) in West Yorkshire, UK, during a rainy February day. Despite the mud and drizzle, the child engages with outdoor artworks by Barbara Hepworth, Henry Moore, Bharti Kher, Sol LeWitt, Vanessa da Silva, and Damien Hirst, treating the sculptures as playgrounds and objects of discovery. The park offers free activity packs, a Hidden Forest designed for under-fives, and a family-friendly environment that encourages children to explore art and nature without the constraints of indoor galleries.
The Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) is set to open its new $724 million David Geffen Galleries, designed by Swiss architect Peter Zumthor. The building features a radical, non-linear layout that eschews traditional chronological and geographical hierarchies, allowing artworks from 15 different curatorial departments to be displayed in conversation with one of another. Despite years of controversy regarding its concrete design and a 10 percent reduction in exhibition space, the museum is positioning the new structure as a flexible "laboratory" for global art history.
The Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) has finally unveiled its new flagship building, the David Geffen Galleries, designed by Pritzker Prize-winning Swiss architect Peter Zumthor. The concrete-and-glass structure famously straddles Wilshire Boulevard, featuring a continuous glass facade that offers panoramic views of the Los Angeles landscape and newly installed outdoor sculptures. Inside, the layout encourages a non-linear experience, moving visitors through varying light conditions and diverse gallery sizes that house a mix of contemporary and classical works.
Art world provocateur Kenny Schachter addresses the current climate of anxiety within the industry, touching on everything from the existential threats of advanced AI tools like Anthropic’s Mythos to the 'doomster' narratives of market analysts. Amidst reports of dwindling demand and galleries struggling with non-paying clients, Schachter highlights the enduring value of historical works, such as a 1799 Goya etching, while dismissing claims that screens are replacing physical art in the home.
The group exhibition "Desperate, Scared, But Social" at the UC Irvine Langson Orange County Museum of Art (Langson IMCA) explores the complexities of contemporary social dynamics and collective anxiety. The show brings together diverse artistic perspectives to examine how individuals navigate a landscape defined by political instability, environmental concerns, and the pervasive influence of digital connectivity.
Melissa Chiu has been appointed as the new director of the Guggenheim Museum in New York, departing her long-standing role at the Smithsonian’s Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden. Starting September 1, Chiu will report to Mariët Westermann, CEO of the Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundation, effectively splitting the leadership responsibilities previously held by Richard Armstrong. During her decade-long tenure at the Hirshhorn, Chiu was known for staging massive blockbuster exhibitions, including the record-breaking Yayoi Kusama "Infinity Mirror Rooms" show, though she also faced criticism for commercial ventures like a reality TV competition.
The Museum of Modern Art has launched a massive retrospective of Marcel Duchamp, featuring over 300 works spanning the artist's career from the early 1900s to the late 1960s. Organized in collaboration with the Philadelphia Museum of Art, the exhibition eschews a heavy-handed narrative in favor of a methodical, factual presentation. Key highlights include the controversial "Genre Allegory" (1943) and his iconic readymades, alongside his early experiments in painting like "Nude Descending a Staircase (No. 2)."
The Museum of Modern Art has launched a major retrospective of Marcel Duchamp, co-organized with the Philadelphia Museum of Art. The exhibition tracks the artist's evolution from his early Cubist experiments and the scandal of 'Nude Descending a Staircase' to his radical invention of the readymade, exemplified by the infamous urinal, 'Fountain'. The show presents a comprehensive look at 'The Duch' through a reverential, church-like atmosphere, concluding with his later years as a dapper, enigmatic figure of the avant-garde.
The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) has launched a major retrospective of Marcel Duchamp, marking the first comprehensive North American survey of the artist’s work in over 50 years. Co-organized with the Philadelphia Museum of Art and the Centre Pompidou, the exhibition traces Duchamp’s evolution from his early Cubo-Futurist paintings to his revolutionary "Readymades" and optical experiments. The show features seminal works such as Nude (Study), Sad Young Man on a Train and explores his various personas, including his female alter ego, Rrose Sélavy.
Major international institutions have secured significant new acquisitions, ranging from intimate photographic archives to monumental silver reliefs. The Smithsonian’s Archives of American Art received over 400 stereoscopic slides by Ronnie Cutrone documenting Andy Warhol’s Factory, while the Germanisches Nationalmuseum acquired Luigi Valadier’s final silver masterpiece, 'Lamentation of Christ'. Additionally, the Christo and Jeanne-Claude Foundation donated 14 works to the City of Paris, including the early sculpture 'Package on a Luggage Rack' for the Musée d’Art Moderne de Paris.
The article profiles Marta, a prominent art dealer in Los Angeles, highlighting her recent activities and influence within the contemporary art scene. It details her gallery's program, her relationships with artists, and her specific curatorial approach that has garnered significant attention.
David Hockney has launched a critique against the prevalence of abstract art while debuting his latest exhibition, "A Year in Normandie and Some Other Thoughts About Painting," at the Serpentine Galleries. The 88-year-old artist, recovering from an infection at his Kensington studio, presented a nearly 300-foot-long frieze of iPad drawings depicting the seasonal shifts of his Normandy gardens. The show emphasizes Hockney's commitment to figurative representation and observation, utilizing new stippling techniques and reverse-perspective compositions.
The article focuses on the curatorial approach and artistic ethos of the 2025 edition of the 'Made in L.A.' biennial, highlighting how artists are actively engaging with pressing social and political issues rather than retreating into quietism or abstraction. It examines specific works and the overall thematic drive of the exhibition, which is organized by the Hammer Museum and the Huntington Library, Art Museum, and Botanical Gardens.
The article is an interview with artist Kelly Wall, conducted by Olivia Gauthier, published in the February 2026 issue of Contemporary Art Review LA. It appears within a broader issue exploring themes like scent in art, tarot, and social urgencies in contemporary practice.
British portrait artist Jonathan Yeo is bringing his augmented reality exhibition, "Spectacular," to South by Southwest (SXSW) in Austin following its debut at the Centre Pompidou. Developed in collaboration with Snap Inc., the showcase utilizes AR glasses to animate Yeo’s traditional oil paintings, including his famous portrait of King Charles III and a depiction of Cara Delevingne. The experience allows viewers to interact with the works, such as having a digital butterfly from the King's portrait land on their hand, while exploring the intersection of static portraiture and immersive technology.
Aardman Animations is set to celebrate its 50th anniversary with a major immersive exhibition titled "Larger Than Life: Starring Wallace & Gromit, Shaun and More" at London’s Lightroom venue. Opening in October 2026, the 50-minute experience will utilize 36-foot-high projections to showcase the studio's claymation legacy, featuring archival footage, original sets, puppets, and newly created animation sequences. The show will be narrated by co-founders Peter Lord and David Sproxton alongside various voice actors, tracing the studio's history from its school-day origins to its status as an employee-owned powerhouse.
The article "Art as Memorial in Lotusland" by Aleina Grace Edwards appears in the February 2026 issue of Contemporary Art Review LA (CARLA). It is part of a larger issue exploring themes like scent in art, tarot, social urgencies in curation, and video art, positioning it within a critical discussion of contemporary art practices in Los Angeles.
Christie’s is launching its first New York auction dedicated to Japanese anime and manga, titled "Anime Starts Here: Japanese Subculture Reimagines Tradition." Scheduled for March 18–31 during Asian Art Week, the online sale features over 40 lots including original production cels from Hayao Miyazaki’s films, manga drawings by Tezuka Osamu, vintage Godzilla posters, and Hokusai prints. Most items are priced accessibly, with many estimates falling below $3,000.
The British Museum has allocated £1.2 million to facilitate the transport of the 11th-century Bayeux Tapestry from Normandy to London for a high-profile exhibition scheduled for 2026. This funding covers the logistical complexities of moving the 230-foot-long masterpiece, which is further protected by a £800 million UK Treasury guarantee. Despite the museum's rigorous planning and expert oversight, the loan has faced significant pushback from conservationists and public figures.
The inaugural edition of Art Basel Qatar launched with a unique booth-less format, prioritizing single-artist presentations and regional connections over the typical high-speed frenzy of European fairs. While the pace of transactions was more measured, significant sales were reported, including a $250,000 video installation by Kutlug Ataman sold by Niru Ratnam to an institution and multiple works by regional stars like Ahmed Mater and Ali Cherri. High-value blue-chip items, including a $42 million Picasso, remained tucked away in private viewing rooms to accommodate the region's preference for discretionary collecting.
The U.S. Department of Justice has released approximately 3 million additional files related to the late financier Jeffrey Epstein, sparking a new wave of resignations and investigations across the global art world. The documents detail extensive connections between Epstein and high-profile figures, including museum leaders, major collectors, and artists. While inclusion in the files does not prove criminal wrongdoing, the public pressure following these revelations has forced several prominent individuals to step down from influential institutional roles.
Sotheby's will auction ten works donated by Royal Academicians during its London spring sales to raise funds for the financially struggling Royal Academy of Arts. The sale, with a cumulative high estimate of £2.6 million, includes major works by El Anatsui, Sean Scully, William Kentridge, Tony Cragg, Georg Baselitz, Anish Kapoor, Mimmo Paladino, and Jeff Koons.
A new immersive exhibition titled "David Bowie: You're Not Alone" will open at Lightroom in London on April 22. The show, organized by creative director Mark Grimmer, will feature projected performance footage, interviews, film clips, and drawings, including newly recovered footage of Bowie's 1978 "Heroes" performance at Earl's Court.
The article is a table of contents for Issue 42 of Contemporary Art Review LA, which includes a review of an exhibition by artist Devin Troy Strother at ArtCenter. The review, written by Janelle Zara, is listed among other reviews, interviews, and features in the publication's November 2025 issue.
Art Basel Qatar concluded its first edition with strong attendance and sales, signaling Doha's emergence as a significant art market hub. The fair attracted over 17,000 visitors, with nearly half of the private collectors coming from the MENASA region, and saw institutional placements and steady sales across various price points. Notable sales included works by Lucy Bull, Issy Wood, Nari Ward, and Ahmed Mater.