Chloë Sevigny, Hari Nef, and Mickalene Thomas Just Partied at the Brooklyn Artists Ball

The Brooklyn Museum hosted its annual Brooklyn Artists Ball on Tuesday evening, serving as the opening celebration for the "Iris van Herpen: Sculpting the Senses" exhibition. The event drew a crowd of artists, patrons, designers, and downtown figures, including event hosts Fabiola Beracasa Beckman, Sylvana Durrett, Jordan Roth, Lizzie Tisch, and Amanda Waldron; co-chairs Regina Aldisert, Megan Brodsky, Victoria Rogers, and Carla Shen; CULTURED Editor-in-Chief Sarah Harrelson; designers Iris van Herpen and Wes Gordon; musicians Peggy Gou and Swizz Beatz; artists Mickalene Thomas, Keisha Scarville, Paul Arnhold, and Miles Greenberg; writer Derek Blasberg; and gallerist Saam Niami. Highlights included a special performance by dancers from the New York City Ballet in winged costumes, an afterparty with DJs Swizz Beatz and Runna, and a site-specific photo booth by artist Keisha Scarville.

A Journey Through the Work of Lucía Pizzani on the Occasion of Her First Institutional Exhibition in London

UN RECORRIDO POR LA OBRA DE LUCÍA PIZZANI A PROPÓSITO DE SU PRIMERA MUESTRA INSTITUCIONAL EN LONDRES

Venezuelan artist Lucía Pizzani presents her first institutional exhibition in the United Kingdom, titled "Faunal Succession," at Focal Point Gallery in London, running through May 30. The show features new works created in collaboration with artists Cecilia Bonilla, Jaime Gili, and Javier Weyler, as well as community groups and local schools, reimagining the Essex coastline through the concept of deep time. The exhibition links geological transformation with contemporary issues such as climate change, migration, and social change, as explored in an interview with curator Inês Costa.

Brush to canvas: News from the art community

This article from the St. Pete Catalyst rounds up several visual art events in the St. Petersburg, Florida area. Highlights include the debut of Nate Jessup's first gallery exhibition, "Peonies in Winter," at Soft Water Gallery; the upcoming exhibition "Faces of Inequality: Depression Era Photography" at the Museum of the American Arts and Crafts Movement (MAACM), curated by museum owner Rudy Ciccarello; and a new photography show at the University of South Florida Contemporary Arts Museum featuring work by military veterans. It also notes a concert inspired by artist Ali Banisadr at the Museum of Fine Arts St. Petersburg, a piano recital at the Dali Museum, and two photography exhibitions by Benjamin Dimmitt at Wild Space Gallery, including "An Unflinching Look: Elegy for a Landscape."

UAE art guide: 11 museum and gallery exhibitions to see, from Picasso to the Baghdad Modern Art Group

The article presents a guide to 11 current museum and gallery exhibitions across the UAE, following the conclusion of Art Dubai 2026. Highlights include "Picasso, The Figure" at Louvre Abu Dhabi, which examines Pablo Picasso's reinvention of the human body through works from the Musée National Picasso–Paris; "From the Perspective of Language" at The Third Line, featuring Sara Naim's paintings and video work; and "Move, pause, return" at Gallery Isabelle, marking its 20th anniversary with daily unveilings by artists including Hassan Sharif and Mohammed Kazem. Other notable shows include "Reflections: Modern and Contemporary Art from the Villain Collection" at Bassam Freiha Art Foundation.

Emirati abstraction meets floral forms

This article is a roundup of cultural events and openings in Dubai's Alserkal Avenue, including the launch of WINDOW, a chef-driven restaurant by the team behind Kokoro, led by chef Gonzalo Platero. It also covers the opening of Gradient, a gallery by Syrian-American designer Nader Gammas showcasing lighting, collectible design, and antiques; an exhibition of Syrian artist Safwan Dahoul's melancholic 'Dream' series; a group show titled 'All the Lands from Sunrise to Sunset' at Green Art Gallery exploring imperialism; and a book recommendation for Thani Al-Suwaidi's 'The Diesel'. Additionally, it notes the 20th 'Special Edition' of Art Dubai, which attracted 25,000 visitors.

In Vancouver, artists imagine life after climate change

The Vancouver Art Gallery (VAG) has opened 'Future Geographies: Art in the Century of Climate Change,' an exhibition curated by Eva Respini that brings together artists from British Columbia, Canada, and beyond to imagine futures shaped by the climate crisis. The show features dozens of works created within the last 25 years, including large sculptures from repurposed waste like Liz Larner's 'Meerschaum Drift' and Brian Jungen's whale skeleton 'Cetology' made from plastic patio chairs, as well as John Akomfrah's three-channel film 'Vertigo Sea.' The exhibition runs at the VAG until January 10 before traveling to the Art Gallery of Ontario in March.

Going Out: Top 20+ arts & nightlife events, May 21-29

The Bay Area Reporter has published a curated list of over 20 arts and nightlife events taking place from May 21 to May 29. The article serves as a local guide, highlighting a range of cultural activities including visual art exhibitions, performances, and nightlife gatherings in the San Francisco Bay Area.

25th Biennale of Sydney – Rememory

The 25th Biennale of Sydney, titled 'Rememory,' opened on March 14, 2026, across multiple venues including the Art Gallery of New South Wales, White Bay Power Station, and the Sydney Opera House. Artistic director Hoor Al Qasimi curated the event around the concept of 'rememory,' inspired by Toni Morrison's novel *Beloved*, featuring over 143 works by 83 artists and collectives from 37 countries. The biennale centers First Nations voices and diasporic communities, with standout pieces like the Ngurrara Artists' *Ngurrara Canvas II* (1997) and works by Yaritji Young. However, the event has faced controversy due to Al Qasimi's opposition to the war in Gaza, leading to criticism from donors and board members, as well as logistical disruptions from the Iran war affecting the curator and artists.

LR Vandy's Dynamic Rope Sculptures Transform Yorkshire's Weston Gallery With Maritime Inspirations

British artist LR Vandy has transformed the Weston Gallery at Yorkshire Sculpture Park with "Rise," an exhibition of dynamic rope sculptures that climb walls, loop through pulleys, and coil across the floor. The centerpiece, "A Call to Dance," is a monumental maypole whose braided strands cascade from a metal ring. Vandy, who works from her studio at the historic Chatham Dockyard, uses maritime fibers that evoke ships, cargo, and hard labor. The sculptures appear caught mid-action, hovering between tension and release, with over 30 kilometers of rope used in the installation, much of it evolved onsite through collaboration with technicians.

Picasso–Klee–Matisse: Masterpieces from the Museum Berggruen

The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston will host the U.S. debut of "Picasso–Klee–Matisse: Masterpieces from the Museum Berggruen" from May 20 to September 13, 2026. The exhibition features over 95 works by Pablo Picasso, Paul Klee, Henri Matisse, Alberto Giacometti, and other postwar European avant-garde artists, drawn from the collection assembled by famed gallerist and collector Heinz Berggruen. It explores Berggruen's relationships with artists and his Paris gallery, Berggruen & Cie, and includes thematic galleries on still life, portraits, and the human figure, as well as a dedicated space on Berggruen's life story.

Sad Cowboy

What Pipeline gallery presents "Sad Cowboy," a group show organized for Miguel Bendaña at The Falstaff Project in El Paso, running from May 28 to July 4, 2026. The exhibition features three Detroit artists—Israel Aten, Cay Bahnmiller, and Dylan Spaysky—whose works explore American mythology, masculinity, and identity through collage, drawing, and sculpture. The title references a collage by Bahnmiller incorporating Amiri Baraka's poem "Sad Cowboy," critiquing the lone cowboy myth. Aten's colossal figures blend medieval iconography with video games, Bahnmiller's text-based works deconstruct language, and Spaysky's carbon paper drawings capture disposable media moments.

The art of chaos

The 61st Venice International Art Biennale has opened in Venice, running until November, amid unprecedented turmoil. The main exhibition, "In Minor Keys," was curated by Koyo Kouoh, who died of cancer shortly after presenting her vision featuring 111 artists including Carsten Höller, Alvaro Barrington, and Laurie Anderson. Her death has eliminated the Lifetime Achievement Award this year. Additionally, the Biennale faces a funding crisis as the EU threatens to withdraw its €2 million subsidy over Russia's participation with 38 artists following the invasion of Ukraine. Iran, Nigeria, and Israel are absent from their pavilions, while the US Pavilion, now organized by the American Arts Conservancy under inexperienced leadership, features self-taught artist Alma Allen.

Exhibition | Meg Webster, 'Thicket' at Paula Cooper Gallery, 521 West 21st Street, New York, United States

Meg Webster's exhibition 'Thicket' opens May 9 at Paula Cooper Gallery, 521 West 21st Street, New York, featuring new sculptures and drawings. The centerpiece is a large spiral installation made from plant cuttings, inviting viewers inside for an immersive sensory experience. The show follows Webster's major presentation at Dia Beacon (2024–2026) and her inclusion in 'Minimal' at Bourse de Commerce - Pinault Collection, Paris (2025–2026). Also on view are monochromatic works on paper made by rubbing organic materials onto the surface, and a three-part beeswax relief.

Joan Miró | Silence (1967) | For Sale

Joan Miró's 1967 lithograph 'Silence' is being offered for sale by Epicentrum Art Gallery for €6,000. The work is a limited edition print on Arches paper, hand-signed by the artist, and comes with a certificate of authenticity. Miró, a leading Surrealist and pioneer of automatism, created the piece during a prolific period of his career, and it is part of an edition of 100.

Discover 5 Standout Talents at New York’s Satellite Art Fairs

Galerie magazine highlights five standout satellite art fairs running concurrently with Frieze New York and TEFAF New York: Independent, NADA New York, Esther III, 1-54 Contemporary African Art Fair, and Future Fair. The article profiles emerging and rediscovered artists such as Julia Maiuri (presented by 12.26 at Independent), Shangfeng Zhang (LATITUDE Gallery at NADA New York), and others, noting that more than a third of Independent's booths feature artists making their New York solo debuts.

Photo London Returns with a Global Perspective at Olympia

Photo London has opened its latest edition at Olympia London, marking a significant move from its previous home at Somerset House. The fair brings together international galleries from cities including New Delhi, Cologne, New York, Glasgow, Buenos Aires, Johannesburg, Zurich, Paris, Tokyo, Taipei, Munich, and London, creating a global conversation around photography. Highlights include Alfredo Jaar's installation 'Searching for Africa in LIFE,' which interrogates the absence of African voices in Western media, and presentations by Autograph, Leica Gallery London, and others that explore themes of migration, memory, identity, and representation.

Switzerland’s flagship fair brings the art world to town

The article recounts a journalist's trip to Switzerland for Art Basel 2025 and the surrounding satellite events, including Zurich Art Weekend and visits to galleries and museums in Zurich and Bern. It highlights the participation of Canadian galleries like Catriona Jeffries and Eli Kerr, as well as encounters with artists such as Jeffrey Gibson, Monster Chetwynd, and Pipilotti Rist. The tour covers institutional highlights like the Kunsthalle Zürich, Kunsthaus Zürich, Zentrum Paul Klee, and the Kunstmuseum Bern, with exhibitions featuring Carol Rama, Kurt Schwitters, and Tai Shani.

Fold in these exhibitions during festival season

Spoleto Festival USA and Piccolo Spoleto begin on May 22, and the article highlights a curated selection of visual art exhibitions in Charleston to enjoy alongside the festival's performances. Featured venues include Robert Lange Studios, Corrigan Gallery, Stevenson and Co., Atrium Gallery, Meyer Vogl, Duckworth Gallery, and the Gibbes Museum of Art, which opens "Mary Whyte: Salt of the Earth" and continues "Rodin: All the Truth in Nature." The College of Charleston's Halsey Institute of Contemporary Art, under new director Michael Dickins, presents "Make Room" by In Kyoung Chun and another exhibition through July 25.

MFA's Nude Exhibition Challenges Art History's Gender Norms

The Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, has opened a new exhibition that challenges traditional gender norms in art history, featuring a dozen artists who disrupt the conventional nude. The show includes Xandra Ibarra's performance "Nude Laughing," where she paraded naked through the museum's European galleries, and works by Betty Tompkins, whose "Fuck Paintings" and "Women Words Painting" series confront misogyny and the male gaze. The exhibition juxtaposes these contemporary pieces with historical works like Jean-Léon Gérôme's "Moorish Bath" to highlight entrenched racial and gender hierarchies in art.

The Frist Art Museum opens new exhibitions this summer

The Frist Art Museum in Nashville is opening three new exhibitions this summer. 'International Surrealism from Tate: Fifty Years of Dreams' (May 22–Aug. 30) features surrealist works from the Tate collection, including pieces by Salvador Dalí, René Magritte, and Joan Miró, marking 100 years since the first surrealist exhibition in Paris. 'Anila Quayyum Agha: Interwoven' (May 22–Aug. 30) is a mid-career retrospective of the Pakistani American artist's immersive light installations and beaded drawings. 'An Indigenous Present' (June 26–Sept. 27) showcases works by fifteen Indigenous artists, curated by artist Jeffrey Gibson and curator Jenelle Porter.

Mario Schifano, the artist who anticipated Arte Povera and beyond. What the exhibition in Rome looks like

The Palazzo delle Esposizioni in Rome has opened a major retrospective of Mario Schifano, curated by Daniela Lancioni and titled simply "Mario Schifano," running until July 12. The exhibition reconstructs the career of the Italian artist (1934–1998), who worked across painting, film, and music, and highlights his role as a precursor to Arte Povera. A centerpiece is the reconstructed dining room Schifano created for the Rome home of Marella and Gianni Agnelli in 1968, featuring 14 canvases and a planned but unrealized sand-filled room with a pyramid, a detail revealed by film producer Ettore Rosboch in a conversation with the curator.

Exhibition | Paul P., 'The Fugitive Marvels of Sunset' at Maureen Paley, London, United Kingdom

Maureen Paley presents *The Fugitive Marvels of Sunset*, the fifth solo exhibition of Canadian artist Paul P. at the gallery. The show features his signature portraits of anonymous young men, sourced from gay erotic magazines from the late 1960s to early 1980s, alongside paintings of bats, laundry, and seascapes that explore twilight and threshold moments. The exhibition draws on coded visual languages from Victorian-era dandies and post-Stonewall culture, with works also included from a recent two-person show at KW Institute for Contemporary Art, Berlin.

Review: The Good, The Bad and The Venice Biennale

The article reviews the 2024 Venice Biennale, focusing on controversies over Russia's and Israel's participation. Protests erupted during opening week, leading the EU to cut funding and the International Jury to resign. As a result, awards like the Golden Lion and Silver Lion will be decided by public vote, with many pavilions and artists withdrawing in protest. The main exhibition, curated under the theme 'Minor Keys,' features standout works by Alfredo Jaar and Carrie Schneider, alongside national pavilions like Austria's provocative entry by Florentina Holzinger.

2 exhibits at Portland Museum of Art show off photography, decorative arts

The Portland Museum of Art (PMA) is presenting two concurrent exhibitions: "Ming Smith: Jazz Requiem — Notations in Blue" (through June 7) and "Precious: The Value of Ornament" (through July 19). The Ming Smith exhibition showcases the pioneering Black photographer's emotive, manipulated images, including jazz club scenes and portraits, drawn from the museum's collection and loans from The Gund at Kenyon College. The decorative arts exhibition highlights the value of ornament in applied arts.

Art in Chicago: A Guide for Collectors, Curators and the Curious

This article introduces a comprehensive guide to Chicago's art world, published by a local outlet. The guide features multiple sections exploring the city's art history, key institutions, and lesser-known venues, including feature stories on the Hyde Park Art Center, the Arts Club of Chicago, the National Museum of Mexican Art, the South Side Community Art Center, the Renaissance Society, and the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. It also includes a massive 22-page "Art Geography" directory of museums, nonprofits, galleries, and alternative spaces, written by seasoned art critics. The editor, Brian Hieggelke, acknowledges the daunting task of covering a hometown art scene after forty years, but aims to provide both a resource for newcomers and fresh insights for longtime locals.

Arnaldo Pomodoro | Arnaldo Pomodoro - Untitled for Art and Research (Ca… (2003) | For Sale

Arnaldo Pomodoro's 2003 etching "Untitled for Art and Research (Ca…" is being offered for sale. The work is an artist's proof on wove paper, signed and annotated p.a., one of only 15 proofs aside from the regular edition of 150. It was created to support the "Art and Research" event in Milan, sponsored by the Mario Negri Pharmacological Research Institute, and published by Art 3, Alberto Serighelli. The piece is framed under UV Plexiglass and measures 12.75 x 12.5 x 1.5 inches framed.

Matisse: The Pursuit of Harmony

Acquavella Galleries in New York presents "Matisse: The Pursuit of Harmony," an exhibition running from April 9 to May 22, 2026, featuring fifty works by Henri Matisse including paintings, sculptures, and works on paper. The show is organized across two floors, with early pieces on the ground floor north gallery, sculptures and early works on the second floor north, later works on the second floor south, and a concluding display of the four bronze castings of Matisse's "Back" series on the ground floor south. Key highlights include the painting *Male Model* (ca. 1900) paired with the bronze *The Serf* (1900–04), and the portrait *Mademoiselle Yvonne Landsberg* (1914), which demonstrate Matisse's transformative approach to traditional genres.

Parrish Art Museum Summer 2026 Guide

The Parrish Art Museum in Water Mill, New York, has announced its Summer 2026 guide, detailing a robust schedule of exhibitions and public programs running through August. Highlights include "Regeneration: Long Island’s History of Ecological Art and Care" featuring 11 intergenerational artists, a solo presentation of Sanford Biggers titled "Drift," and exhibitions of works by Ellsworth Kelly and Will Ryman. The museum also offers a wide range of events such as docent-led tours, art workshops for children, therapeutic programs for Alzheimer's patients and cancer survivors, and member mornings.

The Parrish Art Museum Presents ‘Sanford Biggers: Drift,’ The Artist’s First Major East End Solo Show

The Parrish Art Museum in Water Mill, New York, will present 'Sanford Biggers: Drift,' the artist's first major solo exhibition on the East End of Long Island, opening in summer 2026. The show features new works, site-responsive installations, and signature sculptures and textiles, including the monumental cloud installation 'Unsui (Cloud Forest)' (2025). The exhibition is part of the museum's 'PARRISH USA250: Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness' series, which marks America's semi-quincentennial by exploring the ideals of the Declaration of Independence through the lens of Long Island's artistic heritage.

Exhibition | Kiki Smith, 'Flight' at Galerie Lelong, 13 Rue de Téhéran, Paris, France

Kiki Smith presents her tenth solo exhibition at Galerie Lelong in Paris, titled 'Flight'. The show features bronze sculptures, two large stained-glass windows, drawings, and an imposing print, all exploring themes of continuity and unity across humans, animals, and plants. Birds such as eagles, doves, and owls carry symbolic weight, reflecting the artist's fears, desires, and dreams.