Egypt Unveils a Hidden Tomb of 3,500-Year-Old Coffins at Luxor’s Abu el-Naga

An Egyptian archaeological mission excavating at the Abu El-Naga necropolis near Luxor has uncovered a cache of ten well-preserved painted wooden coffins hidden in the courtyard shaft of the tomb of Baki. The coffins span multiple periods, including the 18th Dynasty, the Ramesside period, and the Late Period, with inscriptions naming individuals such as Merit, a chantress of the god Amun, and Padi-Amun, a priest in the Temple of Amun. The team also discovered the tomb of a purification priest named A-Shafi-Nakhtu, decorated with funerary scenes, and a burial site containing over 30 mummified cats from the Ptolemaic Period. The discoveries were announced by Egypt's Supreme Council of Antiquities, with the excavation season beginning in November 2025.

Mark Seidenfeld Sets Sail Into “Uncharted Waters” With New Art Exhibition

Hamptons-based abstract painter Mark Seidenfeld presents *Uncharted Waters*, a solo exhibition of paintings inaugurating the newly renovated Corwith Homestead Tractor Barn at the Bridgehampton Museum. The show runs from June 4 through June 21, 2026, and features works that transition from representational to fully abstract, exploring themes of depth, gesture, and the unknown through layered, revised compositions.

6 Nigerian Gen Z Painting Artists We Should All Recognize By Now

This article profiles six Nigerian Gen Z painting artists who are gaining international recognition for their vibrant, culturally reflective works. The featured artists include Anthony Azekwoh, known for blending classical and digital styles; Olaolu Slawn, a former skateboarder turned graffiti-style artist with collaborations like Rolex and Formula 1; Chigozie Obi, whose multidimensional art explores activism and mental health; Ayanfe Olarinde, a self-taught multidisciplinary artist; Adeoluwa Oluwajoba, a mixed-media artist and curator; and Meju Lawrence, known for colorful, animated pieces displayed in notable galleries.

MINISO Gallery Launches in Shanghai

MINISO, the global lifestyle retailer, has launched its first-ever MINISO Gallery at Shanghai’s Bund City Hall Plaza, a historic landmark. The gallery opens with a solo exhibition titled *Life from the Corner of My Room* featuring RYOL, a contemporary Indonesian artist who is MINISO’s first global exclusive artist. The exhibition runs from 17 May to 31 August and includes recent paintings, sculptures, and installations that trace RYOL’s artistic evolution from intimate, room-based works to explorations of childhood innocence and real-world experience.

Fractured Horizons Returns to NYCxDesign 2026 with Imaging After Images, Marking Its Second International Spotlight at the Festival

Fractured Horizons: Imaging After Images, the second edition of VSDesign's international exhibition series, returned to the NYCxDesign Festival in 2026, running for a week in New York. Organized by VSDesign in partnership with RAC Studio and Asia Design Week, the exhibition featured 60 works by artists and designers from across Asia and North America, spanning architecture, urbanism, product design, visual communication, and interactive media. The show explored how images no longer simply depict space but actively produce, operate, and regulate it, treating the image as a spatial mechanism rather than a neutral surface.

Cliff Jewell receives award at Paint Ontario exhibition

Cliff Jewell, a retired artist from Little Current, Ontario, had three paintings accepted into the Paint Ontario juried exhibition in Grand Bend, with one receiving an award and another marked with a red dot indicating a sale. The exhibition, which drew entries from 279 artists across the province, offered a top prize of $3,000 and a total of $14,000 in awards, supported by local businesses and patrons.

Kode Bergen Art Museum : Vibeke Tandberg : They Live

Kode Bergen Art Museum in Norway will present "They Live," the most comprehensive exhibition of artist Vibeke Tandberg to date, running from May 22 to September 12, 2026. The show spans over three decades of Tandberg's practice, featuring well-known works alongside new pieces, and includes photography, film, video, sculpture, text works, and ephemera displayed throughout the museum's Stenersen building. A sculptural installation, *Hestebarrikaden* (2023), will be placed at the main entrance.

Deep space photography on view at the Santa Cruz Museum of Art & History

The Santa Cruz Museum of Art & History (MAH) is opening a pop-up exhibition titled "Beautiful Universe" featuring deep space astrophotography. The exhibit, a collaboration between the MAH and UC Santa Cruz's Department of Astronomy and Astrophysics, showcases celestial images captured by astrophotographer Steve Mandel and collaborator Bob Fera using remotely operated telescopes in the Sierra Nevada mountains and Chile. The photos, printed on large metal sheets, depict galaxies, nebulae, and supernova remnants using color filters similar to those on the Hubble Telescope.

Rosewood Arts Center 32nd Annual The View Juried Landscape Exhibition

Rosewood Arts Center in Kettering, Ohio, has announced the opening of its 32nd annual The View Juried Landscape Exhibition, running from June 8 through July 18, 2026. The exhibition features 48 works selected by juror Rebecca Foley from 308 submissions by 114 Ohio-based artists, with awards totaling $1,100. A free public reception and awards presentation will take place on July 18.

The Vivienne Westwood Orb Is Getting Its Own V&A Exhibition

A major new exhibition titled *Vivienne Westwood & Jewellery* will make its UK debut at the V&A Dundee in March 2027. Curated by the Westwood team, the show spans four decades of archival runway jewelry, exploring the subversive design language behind the iconic Saturn orb motif. It will feature graphic wall collages, catwalk videos, and a dialogue between jewelry and garments, with a special focus on Scotland, including traditional textiles and creative director Andreas Kronthaler's 'MacAndreas' tartan.

Ashfika Rahman's art lands in New York Times Critics' Top 6

Bangladeshi visual artist Ashfika Rahman has been recognized by The New York Times as one of the six must-see shows at the Venice Biennale, with her work "Than Para — No Land Without Us" featured in the collateral exhibition "Still Joy — From Ukraine into the World." The installation, presented by the PinchukArtCentre and curated by Björn Geldhof and Oleksandra Pohrebnyak, incorporates thousands of small temple bells gathered from different spiritual traditions and draws on testimonies from Ukraine as well as the struggles of Indigenous communities in Bangladesh's Hill Tracts.

Fort Worth African American Museum to officially open in June with joint exhibition

The Fort Worth African American Museum and Cultural Center will officially open on June 12 with its inaugural exhibition, "All ’N All: Artists Embracing Community," in partnership with Kinfolk House and the National Juneteenth Museum. The show features paintings, photographs, and mixed-media works by 11 North Texas artists exploring memory, culture, and the Black experience, and is part of the larger Freedom Vibes festival running June 11-20. The museum, which has been in development since 2020, secured its final funding from the Fort Worth City Council in January and purchased a 5,000-square-foot building on East Rosedale Street last summer.

Szentendre’s Old Artists’ Colony Marks 100 Years with Major Exhibition

A major exhibition titled "Artists’ Colony 100" has opened at MűvészetMalom in Szentendre, Hungary, to mark the centenary of the Old Artists’ Colony founded in 1926. The show features hundreds of works by nearly a hundred artists, from founding members such as József Bánáti Sverák, Miklós Bánovszky, and Béla Onódi to contemporary figures including József Baksai and Imre Szakács. It includes iconic pieces, rare works, and recent discoveries, organized thematically with a focus on the garden motif that has long inspired colony artists.

If You're Wondering Where to Go With Kids... Experiential Events at Museums and Art Galleries Nationwide

The Korean Museum Association, in partnership with the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the ICOM Korea Committee, is hosting "2026 Museum and Art Gallery Week" throughout May to commemorate International Museum Day on May 18. The event features 16 special exhibitions and experiential programs from 18 institutions nationwide, organized under three main themes: "Museum×Enjoy," "Museum×Stroll," and "Museum×Meet." Participating venues include Kyo-dong Art Museum, Gyeonggi Provincial Children's Museum, Savina Museum of Contemporary Art, and others, offering hands-on activities, educational content, and community-based programs for children and families.

Chandra Bhattacharjee magnifies lives pushed to the margins in his latest Kolkata showcase

Artist Chandra Bhattacharjee presents a new body of work titled "A Star Amongst Too Many" at the Sarala Birla gallery within the Birla Academy of Art and Culture in Kolkata. Curated by Uma Ray, the exhibition features large-scale charcoal drawings that depict marginalized figures such as ragpickers, trash collectors, beggars, and street vendors. The works use black-and-white charcoal with occasional bursts of yellow and rust—the latter symbolizing neglect—to highlight the overlooked lives of these individuals. The show runs until May 24, 2026.

Spain, sculpted in sand at Tottori museum’s landmark 20th exhibition

The Tottori Sand Museum in Japan has opened its 20th anniversary exhibition, themed around Spain. The show features monumental sand sculptures recreating iconic Spanish landmarks, including several of Antoni Gaudí's structures, most notably the Sagrada Familia basilica. The exhibition began last month and will run through January 3, continuing the museum's tradition of annual themed displays that began outdoors in 2006 and moved to a dedicated indoor building in 2012.

Baby dolls, whale songs and swimming in urine: The Venice Biennale’s must-see national pavilions

The 61st Venice Biennale, themed 'In Minor Keys' by late curator Koyo Kouoh, has been marked by political protests against Russia and Israel's participation, pavilion closures, and threats to funding. Despite this tense atmosphere, several national pavilions quietly embody Kouoh's vision of nurture, intimacy, and reflection. Highlights include the Japan Pavilion's 'Grass Babies, Moon Babies' by Ei Arakawa-Nash, where visitors carry and care for baby dolls, and the Polish Pavilion's 'Liquid Tongues' by Bogna Burska and Daniel Kotowski, an immersive sound installation exploring Deaf culture and marginalized communication.

‘Art is story, and stories save lives’: In St. Walburg, a travelling exhibit gives voice to stories often left untold

The Susan Velder Gallery and More in St. Walburg, Saskatchewan, is hosting 'Invisible Winds: Stories You Can Not See, Journeys toward Wholeness,' a traveling exhibition curated through the Organization of Saskatchewan Arts Councils (OSAC). Featuring 19 local artists, the show explores hidden emotional realities such as adoption, PTSD, trauma, and resilience through mixed-media works, including Holly Hildebrand's textured portraits 'Ghosts and Shadows: Heather' and 'Ghosts and Shadows: Teanna.' Visitors are encouraged to scan QR codes to hear artists' stories, and many return multiple times to absorb the heavy themes.

Oklahoma Arts Council receives largest gift to state art collection

The Oklahoma Arts Council has received the largest gift in the history of the Oklahoma State Art Collection: ten works by influential Native artists from The Howard L. and Mary Ellen Meredith Collection, donated by America Meredith and Samonia Byford in honor of their parents. The donated works include pieces by Benjamin Harjo Jr., Norma Howard, Vanessa Paukeigope Jennings, Ruthe Blalock Jones, Shan Goshorn, Doc Tate Nevaquaya, Jane Osti, Juanita Pahdopony, Jeri Redcorn, and Dick West. The artworks are now on display in the Betty Price Gallery at the Oklahoma State Capitol, alongside two other recent acquisitions.

Artist Amadour Explores Nevada’s Hidden Histories in New TMCC Exhibition

Artist Amadour presents his first solo institutional show in Nevada, titled *Nevada Proscenium*, at Truckee Meadows Community College’s Main Gallery from May 18 to June 18. The exhibition reexamines Nevada’s landscape through the lens of mining history, labor, and cultural memory, using layered geometric forms to challenge frontier myths and highlight overlooked Latinx histories. A public reception is scheduled for June 10.

Inside Saudi Arabia’s pavilion at the Venice Biennale

Saudi Arabia's national pavilion at the 61st Venice Biennale features a new installation by Saudi-Palestinian artist Dana Awartani titled "May your tears never dry, you who weep over stones." Curated by Art Jameel's director Antonia Carver and assistant curator Hafsa Alkhudairi, the work comprises over 29,000 handmade clay bricks arranged in intricate mosaics referencing 23 threatened cultural heritage sites across the Arab world, including Syria, Lebanon, and Palestine. The installation, which took more than 30,000 labor hours with 32 artisans, has become a crowd favorite since the biennale opened on May 9.

Casa Romantica Will Present THROUGH THE DECADES: ARTISTS THAT SHAPED THE FESTIVAL OF ARTS

Casa Romantica Cultural Center and Gardens in San Clemente, California, will present an exhibition titled "Through the Decades: Artists That Shaped the Festival of Arts." The show highlights the work of artists who have participated in the Festival of Arts, a longstanding local art event, tracing its evolution across different decades. The exhibition aims to showcase the diverse artistic styles and contributions that have defined the festival over time.

Photo gallery: Fine Arts Fiesta opens in Wilkes-Barre

The 70th annual Fine Arts Fiesta opened on Thursday, May 14, 2026, on Public Square in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, and runs through Sunday. The event features artists, crafts, entertainment, and music, with headliners including the Phil Giordano Jazz Orchestra and Doug Smith & The Dixieland Band. A tribute to the late trumpeter Bobby Baird Jr. is scheduled, and eight local dance companies will perform at the F.M. Kirby Center. During the opening ceremony, Wilkes-Barre official George Brown presented a proclamation and key to the city to Fine Arts Fiesta board president Ann Saxton, executive director Brian Benedetti, and second vice president Gina Malsky.

Frieze New York Opens Strong, But the Real Test Is Just Beginning

Frieze New York has opened with strong early sales, particularly in the Focus section, which is dedicated to emerging and underrepresented artists. This year's Focus prize was awarded to W Galería for its presentation of Seba Calfuqueo, a Mapuche artist whose work addresses colonialism, environmentalism, and gender identity through ceramic sculptures and hair-based materials. Her pieces are priced between $8,000 and $40,000, reflecting the market's growing interest in politically engaged contemporary art.

Street artist Ozmo acquitted in court: 'His work is not vandalism and has cultural value' (but in the meantime it has been erased)

Lo street artist Ozmo assolto in tribunale: “La sua opera non è imbrattamento e ha valore culturale” (ma nel frattempo è stata cancellata)

In summer 2022, street artist Ozmo (Gionata Gesi) created an unauthorized site-specific work on the Fonte di San Cerbone in Baratti, Italy, depicting two Etruscan coins with Medusa's face. The work sparked debate: the Piombino municipality and museum director Carolina Megale welcomed it, but the Soprintendenza (cultural heritage authority) reported it to prosecutors as illegal defacement. The artwork was vandalized and later removed in April 2023. On April 29, the Livorno court acquitted Ozmo, ruling that his intervention was not a crime but an artwork with cultural value, setting a legal precedent.

A Roma si celebra il fotografo riminese Marco Pesaresi a 25 anni dalla morte: docu-film e mostra

Rome is celebrating the work of Rimini-born photographer Marco Pesaresi (1964–2001), 25 years after his death, through two events organized by the photography training center Daylight School, led by Marco Sconocchia. A documentary film titled "Il granchio nudo – La storia di Marco Pesaresi," produced by Riccardo Caccia and Michela Fragomeni and directed by Marta E. Antonioli and Elena Padovan, will be screened on May 21 at Nuovo Cinema Aquila. The film features unpublished materials, including Pesaresi's diaries and poems, and includes interviews with those who knew him. A group exhibition, "UNDERGROUND. Il mondo sotto. Omaggio a Marco Pesaresi," opens May 29 at Daylight School, reinterpreting the themes of his photobook "Underground" through the eyes of 15 photographers.

Cultural alliance between Rome and New York. The two cities sign the first agreement between major historic centers

Alleanza culturale tra Roma e New York. Le due città siglano il primo accordo tra grandi centri storici

Rome and New York have signed the first cultural cooperation agreement between their historic centers, Municipio I Roma Centro and Manhattan. The protocol was formalized during the Forum Cultura Roma Centro at the Temple of Vibia Sabina and Hadrian, aiming to establish an international network based on collaboration between cultural institutions and governance models. It includes exchanges, youth programs, artistic initiatives, and public art projects involving museums, archives, libraries, universities, and educational entities.

BASE cultural center in Milan turns 10: the full program for the big celebrations

Il centro culturale BASE di Milano compie 10 anni: tutto il programma per i grandi festeggiamenti

BASE, the cultural center in Milan's former Ansaldo industrial complex, celebrates its 10th anniversary on May 23, 2025, with a 16-hour event called FIESTAS. The program runs from noon to 5 a.m. and includes performances, workshops, concerts, installations, and shared practices by artists such as MOMBAO, Stalker Teatro, Klaus, Francesca Grilli, Nazario Graziano, Michele Rizzo, and many others. The event also launches BASE's first summer season, keeping the center open throughout the summer months.

Urban art and music unite Amsterdam and Milan for three days

L’arte urbana e la musica uniscono Amsterdam e Milano per tre giorni

MUROMi, an independent Milan-based company, is launching a special Milan edition of Here&Now, a cultural event originally created in Amsterdam by Tony Ant and Chinny Bond. Taking place May 21–23, 2026, at Spazio Diaz in Milan, the event combines live painting, music, and contemporary urban art, aiming to bring together creatives, brands, and key figures from the Milanese scene. The project is born from a collaboration between MUROMi and the Here&Now community, which is rooted in international street culture and music.

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.