Here is what the 2027 Venice Architecture Biennale curated by Chinese architects Lu Wenyu and Wang Shu will be about

Ecco di cosa parlerà la Biennale Architettura di Venezia 2027 dei curatori cinesi Lu Wenyu e Wang Shu

For the first time in the history of the Venice Architecture Biennale, two Chinese architects—Wang Shu (Pritzker Prize 2012) and Lu Wenyu—have been appointed as curators of the 20th International Architecture Exhibition, scheduled from May 8 to November 21, 2027. The duo, who co-founded Amateur Architecture Studio in 1997 and are partners in life and work, previously participated in the Biennale in 2010 under Kazuyo Sejima (receiving a Special Mention for their project "Decay of a Dome") and in 2016 under Alejandro Aravena. Their edition will follow the 2025 edition curated by Carlo Ratti and will be titled "Fare Architettura" (Doing Architecture), focusing on the coexistence of diversity in real reality.

The Italian Way of Symbolism in the Exhibition at the Fondazione Magnani-Rocca

La via italiana del Simbolismo nella mostra alla Fondazione Magnani-Rocca

The Fondazione Magnani-Rocca in Mamiani di Traversetolo, Parma, recently made headlines due to a dramatic theft targeting its permanent collection. Despite the incident, the museum's temporary exhibition spaces remain unaffected, and the show "Simbolismo in Italia" (Symbolism in Italy), curated by Francesco Parisi, continues without disruption. The exhibition aims to update critical discourse on Symbolism, a movement that spread across Europe from the 1880s to the early 1900s and arrived in Italy with a distinct, often tradition-rooted character. It features works by artists such as Cesare Saccaggi, Giulio Aristide Sartorio, and Adolfo Wildt, organized into thematic sections exploring literary sources, mythological landscapes, and the dual nature of femininity.

In Tuscany a new festival brings contemporary art to agricultural estates with exhibitions and artist residencies

In Toscana una nuova rassegna porta l’arte contemporanea nelle aziende agricole con mostre e residenze d’artista

The first edition of CARMI.CO 2026 – Carmignano Contemporanea will take place from May 15 to 24, 2026, in the Carmignano area near Prato, Tuscany. The festival features five exhibitions and five artist residencies hosted by local wineries and agricultural estates, alongside talks, workshops, and studio visits. Exhibitions are staged at venues including the Rocca di Carmignano, Museo Archeologico di Artimino, and Museo delle Maioliche di Bacchereto, with works by artists such as Marco Bagnoli, Qiu Yi, Gola Hundun, Rachel Morellet, Fargo, Marco Ulivieri, Serena Fineschi, and others. Residencies take place at Tenuta di Capezzana, Colline San Biagio, Tenuta Le Furre, Tenuta di Artimino, and Fattoria Il Grumolo, involving artists Max Magaldi, Ronaldo Fiesoli, Vittorio Cavallini, Graziano Riccelli, and Gola Hundun.

Genuflecting Before “Don Colossus”

A 15-foot-tall gold-leafed bronze statue of Donald Trump, titled "Don Colossus," was unveiled at his National Doral golf club in Miami, Florida, ahead of the G20 summit. The statue, funded by $450,000 raised by cryptocurrency moguls and sculpted by Alan Cottrill (founder of Four Star Pizza), depicts Trump raising a triumphant fist with a plaque reading "FIGHT, FIGHT, FIGHT!" The unveiling was organized by televangelist Mark Burns of "Pastors for Trump," who posted that the statue was "not a golden calf," and was attended by evangelical Christian leaders and reportedly some Hassidic rabbis.

Two photographers tried to tell Tuscany beyond the usual clichés

Due fotografi hanno provato a raccontare la Toscana oltre i soliti cliché

The article profiles photographers Gioconda Rafanelli and August Kaciuruba, who are contributing to the "How Italy Feels" project curated by Marina Serena Cacciapuoti and Cesare Cacciapuoti of Italy Segreta. The project involves twenty local photographers capturing Italy beyond stereotypes. In the Tuscany chapter, Rafanelli and Kaciuruba present a lived, off-duty vision of the region, blending fashion, architecture, and cinematic influences. They discuss their collaborative process, their shared gaze, and how their work shifts between the fast pace of Milan and the slower rhythms of Tuscany, drawing inspiration from filmmakers like Wong Kar-wai, Stanley Kubrick, Luchino Visconti, and Michelangelo Antonioni.

The Paradox of Contemporary Art: The World Is Violent, but the Works Are Correct and Inoffensive

Il paradosso dell’arte contemporanea: il mondo è violento, ma le opere sono corrette e inoffensive

The article examines a paradox in contemporary art: as the world grows more violent and chaotic, art has become increasingly 'correct,' morally irreproachable, and inoffensive. The author argues that over the past fifteen years, artworks have been judged primarily by their moral and identity credentials, with curators acting as moral gatekeepers and censors. This shift coincides with a period when geopolitics, history, and public behavior have spiraled out of control, creating a strange compensatory dynamic where art is expected to be perfectly controlled and polite while reality grows brutal.

Curiosities at the 2026 Venice Biennale: the Tanzania Pavilion is full of Italian artists

Curiosità alla Biennale di Venezia 2026: il Padiglione della Tanzania è pieno di artisti italiani

The Tanzania Pavilion at the 2026 Venice Biennale, titled "Minor Frequencies: The Inner Life of a Nation," features a significant number of Italian artists alongside Tanzanian voices. Curated by Lorna Benedict Mashiba and Martina Cavallarin, the exhibition is housed across the Gervasuti Foundation, Palazzo Canova, and Supernova in Cannaregio. It includes works by 14 Italian artists such as Alice Andreoli, Christian Balzano, and Silvia Canton, as well as artists from Europe and Asia, while centering the practices of Tanzanian artists like Turakella Editha Gyindo, Lazaro Samuel, Valerie Asiimwe Amani, and Amani Abeid.

Alphabet of bread and love for animals. Uri Aran's exhibition at the Museo Madre in Naples

Alfabeto di pane e amore per gli animali. La mostra di Uri Aran al Museo Madre di Napoli

Uri Aran's solo exhibition at the Museo Madre in Naples, curated by director Eva Fabbris, explores language, communication, and connection through a range of works including video, sculpture, and an edible alphabet made of bread. The show, titled "Untitled (I love love)" after a video work, invites viewers into a space where meaning is fluid and inclusive, challenging rigid linguistic structures. Key pieces include the video "Untitled (I love you)" (2012), where Aran addresses plastic animals, and "Untitled (Bread Library)" (2025), a bread alphabet that visitors can rearrange to create new messages.

At the 2026 Venice Biennale, Spain transforms its Pavilion into a museum of accumulation with artist Oriol Vilanova

Alla Biennale Arte 2026 la Spagna trasforma il suo Padiglione in museo dell’accumulo con l’artista Oriol Vilanova

Spain has announced its participation in the 61st Venice Biennale Arte 2026, selecting Catalan artist Oriol Vilanova to represent the country in its newly renovated national pavilion. The project, titled "Los restos," transforms the pavilion into a pseudo-museum of accumulation, featuring Vilanova's vast personal archive of postcards collected over twenty years from flea markets and secondhand circuits. The installation presents these ephemeral fragments as an infinite, non-narrative mural, exploring themes of accumulation and loss. Curated by Carles Guerra, the project also includes a performative intervention titled "Il fantasma della libertà" (2026), which will unfold across the Giardini and Arsenale during the Biennale.

What Artists Sign Away

Artist and writer Sarah Hotchkiss recounts two personal experiences where galleries and residency programs used standard contracts to limit artists' rights. In the first, a new gallery refused to shorten a six-month consignment period after an exhibition, leaving her work in "contractual limbo" where she would owe the gallery half of any sale even if she found the buyer herself. In the second, a residency required her to waive moral rights under the Visual Artists Rights Act, protections that allow artists to prevent distortion and control attribution of their work.

The project that brings Michelangelo's David to the Swiss Alps: a full-scale copy will be installed among the mountains

Il progetto che porta il David di Michelangelo sulle Alpi della Svizzera: verrà installata tra le montagne una copia a grandezza naturale

A full-scale marble replica of Michelangelo's David will be installed in the Swiss Alpine village of Klosters (Canton of Grisons) starting July 2, 2026. The copy, carved in 2017 from Michelangelo's preferred Polvaccio marble in Carrara, weighs over nine tons and was produced by Studi d’Arte Cave Michelangelo under Franco Barattini. The project is organized by Scultura Viva, a cultural initiative based in Klosters that focuses on reactivating sculptural heritage through public installations and educational programs.

The Great Festival of Contemporary Creativity in Parma Celebrates Its First 10 Years: The Events to See

Il grande festival di Parma sulla creatività contemporanea festeggia i suoi primi 10 anni: gli eventi da vedere

The Parma 360 Festival, a major contemporary creativity festival in Parma, Italy, celebrates its tenth edition with the theme "Lux. Visioni sulla Luce" (Lux: Visions of Light). Curated by Chiara Canali and Camilla Mineo, the festival features five exhibitions across special city locations, transforming Parma into a diffuse museum. Highlights include Antonio Barrese's "Morphology Light. Viaggio nella forma della luce" at Galleria San Ludovico, exploring light as plastic matter, and Michael Kenna's photographic exhibition "Il fiume Po. Scritture di luce" at Palazzo Pigorini, capturing the Po River through contemplative black-and-white imagery. Over its nine previous editions (2016–2025), the festival has presented more than 70 official exhibitions and involved over 200 artists.

Rome and its visions in contemporary photography: from Carbone to De Angelis, to Hervé Gloaguen

Roma e le sue visioni nella fotografia contemporanea: da Carbone a De Angelis, fino a Hervé Gloaguen

The article critiques a recent trend in contemporary photography of Rome, exemplified by a 2020 exhibition at the Mattatoio (Nuove produzioni 2020 per la collezione Roma) that presented black-and-white images reducing the urban landscape to a dark, lifeless mass. The author contrasts this with a personal photograph of a horse taken during the Covid-19 pandemic, which captures Rome's periphery with warmth and specificity, and praises the 2024 exhibition "Roma 1975, città, volti e storie dell'anno giubilare" featuring photojournalist Fabio De Angelis's rediscovered work as a vital counterpoint.

Scandal in Florence's Skyline? After the Black Cube and the White Cylinder, the Prism That Impales Santa Croce Appears

Scandalo nello skyline di Firenze? Dopo il cubo nero e il cilindro bianco spunta il prisma che impalla Santa Croce

A cylindrical antenna installed by the telecom company Iliad in Florence has sparked controversy after it was reported that, from certain angles, it visually overlaps with iconic landmarks such as Brunelleschi's Dome and Giotto's Campanile. The article traces a pattern of periodic scandals in Florence, including a previous uproar over the so-called "Cubo Nero" (a new building replacing a decaying theater), and notes that the antenna has actually been in place since 2023 without earlier outcry. Local artist Giacomo Costa recently photographed another white prismatic antenna in Via Ghibellina, within the UNESCO zone, that obstructs the view of Santa Croce, fueling further debate.

Loved by the public, but not by art critics. Jack Vettriano on show in Rome (interview with the curator)

Amato dal pubblico, ma non dai critici d’arte. Jack Vettriano in mostra a Roma (intervista alla curatrice)

A major retrospective exhibition of Scottish painter Jack Vettriano has opened at Palazzo Velli in Rome. The show, which originated in Bologna at Palazzo Pallavicini, was transformed into a posthumous retrospective following the artist's death in March 2025. It features both original oil paintings and high-quality, limited-edition reproductions on museum paper, a curatorial choice made by Vettriano himself to make his work more accessible.

Why This Swedish Gallery Set Up Shop in a 19th-Century Chapel

Loyal, a gallery founded by Martin Lilja and Amy Giunta, has relocated from Stockholm to a 19th-century chapel in the university town of Lund, Sweden. The move represents a deliberate shift away from the fast-paced commercial art world towards a slower, more contemplative model of exhibition-making.

Korean American artist exhibits 'Along the LOVE Road' series in Seoul, Buyeo

Korean American visual artist Sungmo Cho is returning to South Korea after 14 years to exhibit his 'Along the LOVE Road' series in Seoul and Buyeo. Cho, who moved to New York in 1992, has created over 30 solo shows and 150 group shows across four countries. His works explore themes of migration, memory, and the tension between civilization and nature, with roads serving as a central symbol of both human progress and environmental destruction.

When the Night Bleeds into the Day

Wenn die Nacht auf den Tag abfärbt

Berlin-based graffiti artist Paradox Paradise, known for his distinctive red-and-blue "Paraglyphs" painted on high facades, discusses his evolution from classic graffiti to a radically reduced visual language. In an interview with Monopol, he explains how he stripped away decorative elements to focus on precise, vertical outlines and messages like "Mieten runter Wände bunter" (lower rents, more colorful walls). He describes his nocturnal actions as states of heightened presence requiring weeks of planning, where every movement has immediate consequences.

Press Photos of the Year Chosen

Pressefotos des Jahres gewählt

Carol Guzy won the World Press Photo competition for 2025 with her image "Separated by ICE," taken for the Miami Herald. The photograph depicts children clinging to their father's shirt during a court hearing in New York, after he was unexpectedly detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). The jury selected the image from nearly 57,000 entries by about 3,700 photographers. Two other finalists were recognized: Saber Nuraldin for documenting the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, and Victor J. Blue for covering the trial of perpetrators who kidnapped and abused women during Guatemala's civil war.

Explore the projects of the 2024 and 2025 graduating classes of Ésad

Explorez les projets des promotions 2024 et 2025 de l’Ésad

The Ésad Saint-Étienne is presenting "recto verso," an exhibition running from April 29 to October 4, 2026, featuring projects by 84 young artists and designers who earned their DNSEP in June 2024 and June 2025. The show is designed as a non-linear, interactive space where objects, performances, and activations encourage visitors to explore both finished works and the preparatory stages behind them, including sketches, models, and archival materials. The exhibition is curated by the collective ppdesigner and Éric Jourdan, with production by the Cité du design.

Artnet et Artsy amorcent leur intégration

Artnet and Artsy, both acquired in 2025 by British fund Beowolff Capital, are beginning their integration under a shared management structure while maintaining separate brands and websites. The reorganization has already involved job cuts and aims to more closely align market data, online visibility, and transactions amid a fragile online art sales environment.

The delirious teaser by the creators of 'Panique au village' for the reopening of the Musée de la Figurine in Compiègne

Le teaser délirant des créateurs de « Panique au village » pour la réouverture du musée de la Figurine à Compiègne

The Musée de la Figurine in Compiègne, France, is set to reopen on May 23, 2026, after a major renovation. To promote the reopening, the museum commissioned Stéphane Aubier and Vincent Patar, the creators of the cult stop-motion series "Panique au village" (known for its absurd plastic figurines), to produce a teaser video. The museum, which holds a rare collection of nearly 155,000 figurines spanning from prehistory to the present, has been redesigned with a 1,000-square-meter space, six thematic areas, interactive displays, and a monumental diorama of the Battle of Waterloo featuring 12,000 figurines, now enhanced with augmented reality. Admission will be free for all from May 23 to August 16, 2026.

Even More Drawings for Versailles

Encore d'autres dessins pour Versailles

The Palace of Versailles has acquired several drawings during the Paris Drawing Week sales in March 2026, including a rare study by Charles de La Fosse for the royal chapel's dome decoration. The drawing, depicting a reclining nude man for "The Resurrection of Christ," was purchased at the Rossini auction of Paul and Florence Vercier's collection for €3,800. This acquisition adds to Versailles' growing collection of La Fosse works, following earlier purchases of an angel study in 2016 and a ceiling project in 2023.

Echoes of Memory and Quiet Revolutions

The Henrike Grohs Art Award concludes its final edition, naming Tanzanian artist Rehema Chachage as the 2026 laureate. Chachage, who works across performance, video, text, scent, and installation, creates a "performative archive" in collaboration with her mother and grandmother, transforming personal and ancestral memory into shared sensory experiences. The two finalists are Younès Ben Slimane, a Tunisian filmmaker and visual artist whose silent, disorienting works challenge cinematic narrative structures, and Egyptian artist Rania Atef, whose participatory practice turns domestic spaces into stages for revealing power dynamics. The award received over 600 applications from more than 30 African countries.

Inside a gallery spotlighting experimental art in Fort Worth’s Near Southside

Giant Runt Gallery, an artist-run space in Fort Worth's Near Southside, was founded in September 2024 by Cosmo Jones and Max Marshall. The gallery showcases experimental, eclectic art that challenges the local norm of Western-themed work. Its latest exhibition, “Everyone is Someone’s Baby,” opens May 1 featuring artists Megan Solis and Glory West. The gallery recently held its first Juried Show, drawing over 400 applicants and awarding first prize to Jori Jori for her sculpture “The East Wind.” The space occupies a former gallery suite in the Dickson-Jenkins Lofts & Plaza, previously home to Bale Creek Allen’s gallery and Cufflink Art.

Art Dubai Opens With 50 Exhibitors Amid Geopolitical Pressures

The twentieth edition of Art Dubai opened to VIP visitors on Thursday in a smaller format than originally planned, delayed from mid-April due to regional geopolitical unrest. The fair presented around fifty galleries, roughly 60% fewer than the approximately 120 exhibitors initially expected, yet drew a strong crowd of collectors primarily from the Gulf states and the wider Middle East. Separately, a new gallery, 971 Art Gallery, has opened in Dubai's Art of Living Mall, featuring international artists such as Gérard Rancinan, Isabelle Scheltjens, Riccardo Gusmaroli, Benito Cerna Leon, and Michele Tombolini, and offering curatorial advice and collection management to a growing base of newer collectors.

Art on the Square returns for 24th year with art, food and entertainment

Belleville Art on the Square returns for its 24th year from May 15-17, 2026, in downtown Belleville. The festival features over 100 artists from more than 27 states and one international artist, showcasing works in multiple mediums. Highlights include artist demonstrations by the Gateway East Artists Guild, a high school art show with judged awards, a Children's Art Garden with interactive activities, live entertainment at the Wine Court, and food vendors offering a variety of cuisines. Admission is free, and the event runs Friday evening through Sunday afternoon.

14th Kibria Printmaking Fair: Celebrating a distinct artistic tradition

The 14th Kibria Printmaking Fair concluded on May 9 at Kala Kendra in Lalmatia, Bangladesh, as part of a month-long printmaking festival running from May 1 to May 23. The fair brought together printmaking studios and institutions from across the country, alongside works by pioneering late artists Safiuddin Ahmed and Mohammad Kibria. It was inaugurated by artists Rafiqun Nabi and Monirul Islam, with a special exhibition titled "Pioneers of Printmaking" showcasing early works by key figures who established printmaking as a distinct artistic language in Bangladesh. The festival also includes workshops, artist talks, and a forthcoming "Contemporary Printmaking Exhibition" from May 12 to May 23.

Art in Our Region: What’s On in May

This article is a regional arts calendar for Grey Bruce, Ontario, detailing exhibitions and events taking place in May 2026. Highlights include Liz Zetlin's immersive video installation "More Than Human — a year in my garden" at the Tom, John Laughlin's "Lovers and Losers" at Grey Gallery, Tanya Zaryski's mixed-media show at Deep Water Gallery, and a stained-glass exhibition by Chris Malleck at the MAD Gallery. The Durham Art Gallery features Breanne Jeethan's "The System is Broken," and the Southampton Arts Centre presents complementary shows by Brian Hanley and Nancy Cornforth. The article also promotes the BiblioArts print and book arts fair, studio classes at Georgian Bay School for the Arts, and makers markets.

New works by oil painters Betz Green and Jim Green at Stover Mill Gallery

Oil painters Betz Green and Jim Green will showcase their work at the Stover Mill Gallery in Erwinna, Pennsylvania, on weekends from May 9 through May 31, with an opening reception on May 9. Betz Green creates representational, portrait-oriented still lifes with whimsical narratives, while Jim Green works in an impressionistic and expressionistic style with vibrant colors and exaggerated forms. Both artists have won top awards at local venues such as Phillips Mill and Stover Mill.