Nigeria is preparing for its return to the Venice Biennale in 2028 with a fundamentally different approach, framing its participation as a structural intervention rather than mere inclusion. Curator Richard Vedelago, in conversation with Suzette Bell-Roberts, outlines a strategy focused on ownership, authorship, and building a self-sustaining cultural ecosystem, moving beyond seeking validation from global art structures.
Thyssen-Bornemisza Art Contemporary (TBA21) Academy has opened its 2026 program at Ocean Space in Venice with the exhibition 'Tide of Returns'. Developed by the Repatriates Collective, the show features artists, filmmakers, and Indigenous communities from across the globe, transforming the former Church of San Lorenzo into an immersive environment. It moves beyond conventional restitution debates by presenting repatriation as a living, tidal process expressed through ritual, memory, and community care, using materials like sand from Anindilyakwa Country and returned shell dolls.
The Fundación Botín has opened applications for its 2026–2027 Art Grants program, offering six grants of €23,000 each to support individual artistic projects. The nine-month grants fund research, training, or production, with selected artists' work to be featured in the Itinerarios exhibition at Centro Botín. Applications close on 8 May 2026.
Photographer and writer Johny Pitts presents 'Black Bricolage' at MEP Studio, a visual essay spanning two decades of work documenting Black life across European cities like Paris, Lisbon, and Berlin. The exhibition utilizes a mix of photography, personal notes, and lived encounters to map the 'Afropean' experience, focusing on the quiet textures of daily life rather than grand spectacles.
The Curatorial Program for Research (CPR) has announced an open call for its 'Hello New York!' artist residency, an intensive two-week professional development program based in Brooklyn. Scheduled for April 2026, the residency will select up to 20 local and international artists to engage with the New York art ecosystem through workshops, studio visits, and mentorship from industry professionals. The program is tuition-free and prioritizes artists from underrepresented backgrounds or those addressing critical social and environmental themes.
The Tulsa Artist Fellowship has announced an open call for its 2027–2029 award cycle, seeking ten artists and arts workers for a three-year residency in Oklahoma. Selected fellows receive a comprehensive financial package totaling over $150,000 in stipends, plus housing and relocation support, in exchange for committing to live and work in Tulsa. The program, established by the George Kaiser Family Foundation, emphasizes long-term community engagement and the development of ambitious, site-specific projects.
Hangar – Centro de Investigação Artística in Lisbon has launched an open call for its Longitudes Residency programme. The call invites artists, writers, curators, researchers, and musicians from diverse disciplines to apply for stays of one to three months. The programme is process-based and non-prescriptive, encouraging participants to develop projects in response to Lisbon's environment or to pursue research within its cultural context.