Photographer Vanessa Vettorello explores the physical and psychological impact of strabismus, or eye misalignment, through her visual project "Wandering Star." Drawing from her personal childhood experience with diplopia (double vision), Vettorello combines intimate portraits of others living with the condition, medical reportage, and reconstructed memories to illustrate the struggle of navigating a world where depth and distance are distorted.
Palestinian artist Basma al-Sharif faced a coordinated smear campaign and threats after being invited to screen her film "Morgenkreis" at the Kunstakademie Düsseldorf. The controversy erupted not over the film's content, but over her social media posts referencing Palestinian resistance and historical injustices, leading to demands from public officials and advocacy groups to cancel the event.
« Uber Life » : le récit photographique percutant de Tassiana Aït-Tahar, livreuse devenue artiste
Tassiana Aït-Tahar, a student at the Beaux-Arts de Paris and former delivery rider, has released "Uber Life," a hybrid photobook and sociological inquiry published by Fisheye Éditions. The project documents her five years working for Uber Eats, combining raw photography, screenshots of delivery apps, and personal journals to chronicle the grueling reality of the gig economy. Encouraged by mentors like the artist JR, Aït-Tahar transitioned from documenting her daily survival to presenting a formal artistic narrative that was previously showcased at the Centquatre in 2022.
An international research team has confirmed the rediscovery of the lost city of Alexandria on the Tigris in Iraq. Founded by Alexander the Great, the city was a major trading hub until the 3rd century CE. Its location was identified through a combination of historical research, aerial photography, and recent non-invasive surveys using drones and magnetometry, which revealed the city's planned layout under difficult security conditions.
Longtemps menacé, le Palais de la découverte va finalement rouvrir en 2027 après sept ans de fermeture
The Palais de la découverte in Paris will officially reopen in March 2027 following a seven-year closure for extensive renovations. Located in the Palais d’Antin wing of the Grand Palais, the institution faced the threat of permanent closure or relocation to the Cité des sciences due to economic constraints. However, a joint decision by the French Ministries of Research and Culture has secured its future at its historic site, where it will feature a shared entrance with the Grand Palais to foster a unique dialogue between art and science.
EMERGING PRACTICES AND NEW LANGUAGES THIS IS HOW PINTA LIMA 2026 IS SHAPED
Pinta Lima has announced the details for its 13th edition, scheduled to take place from April 23 to 26, 2026, at Casa Prado. Under the artistic direction of Irene Gelfman, the fair will feature 45 galleries from 15 international cities, with nearly 70% of participants arriving from outside Peru. The event is structured into five specialized sections, including the Main Section, RADAR (curated by Ilaria Conti), NEXT (curated by Juan Canela), and dedicated spaces for video and special projects.
Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery has launched a community-led exhibition exploring the universal themes of death, grief, and mourning rituals. Part of the annual "A Matter of Life and Death Festival 2026," the showcase combines historical artworks from the museum’s permanent collection with contemporary perspectives, including the role of artificial intelligence in grief management. The program features interactive workshops led by artists Bianca Beneduzi and Jemma Mellor, as well as a comedy night designed to spark open dialogue about mortality.
The Walker Art Center in Minneapolis has announced it is severing ties with its on-site restaurant, Cardamom, following the establishment's sudden decision to lay off its front-of-house staff. The restaurant, operated by chef Daniel del Prado, intended to replace 16 servers and hosts with a QR code ordering system to combat financial losses. Museum director Mary Ceruti stated that the move caught the institution by surprise and does not align with the museum's commitment to providing a welcoming, full-service environment for its visitors.
The Manhattan District Attorney's Office returned 17 stolen antiquities and rare books, valued at over $1.5 million, to Italy and the Vatican in a restitution ceremony. The items include six rare 16th–17th century Chinese-language Jesuit books stolen from the Vatican Archives and other artifacts seized from institutions like the Morgan Library and the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
The Prado Museum in Madrid has implemented new crowd control measures to combat overtourism, including reducing the maximum size of tour groups from 30 to 20 people and restricting group access to off-peak afternoon hours. The museum is also promoting "thematic routes" to disperse visitors into less crowded galleries.
Canada has returned 11 Ottoman-era artefacts to Turkey, marking the first official repatriation of cultural property between the two nations. The items, which include manuscript pages and calligraphy works from the 17th to 19th centuries, were handed over in a ceremony at the Canadian Conservation Institute in Ottawa following a federal court ruling.
Dutch historian Rutger Bregman, in his 2025 BBC Reith Lectures and book 'Moral Ambition,' argues that Europe risks becoming a stagnant, museum-like relic and calls for a moral revolution to counter societal decline driven by unserious leadership. He positions museums, with their high public trust and status as democratic civic spaces, as crucial leaders in this revolution, urging them to move beyond passive neutrality and actively establish ethical standards, combat misinformation, and engage with urgent societal issues like authoritarianism and climate crisis.
The Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago has launched "Dancing the Revolution: From Dancehall to Reggaetón," an interdisciplinary exhibition exploring the political and cultural impact of Caribbean music genres. Curated by Carla Acevedo-Yates, the show was inspired by the 2019 "perreo combativo" protests in Puerto Rico that led to the governor's resignation. The exhibition features a diverse array of media, including paintings by Jean-Michel Basquiat and Denzil Forrester, sculptures by Michael Richards, and archival materials like Dancehall posters and sound system equipment.
The Bank of Art Gallery in Brazil, Indiana, is launching an immersive spring-themed exhibition titled "Bloom/Hum/Glow." Featuring the work of seven artists, the show transforms the gallery space into a sensory meadow through a combination of glasswork, floral prints, and a unique sound installation. A central highlight is a haptic audio experience by artist Kevin Naylor that replicates the vibrations and sounds of a beehive, allowing visitors to feel as though they are enveloped within a hive.
Greece has enacted a landmark legislative framework specifically designed to combat art forgery, vandalism, and the trade of counterfeit cultural property. The new law introduces stringent criminal penalties, including prison sentences of up to ten years and fines reaching €300,000, while mandating the destruction of works confirmed as fakes. Key provisions include the creation of an independent registry of forgery experts under the culture ministry and the expansion of legal protections to include historically significant cinemas.
Stella’s Art Gallery in Willoughby, Ohio, is currently hosting two distinct exhibitions: "The Four Seasons," a juried show featuring local award winners like Anna Hsu and Tatiana Strelnikova, and "Unreal: 2 Visions," an abstract showcase in the Annex Gallery featuring artists Josh Chefitz and Gregory Johnson. Additionally, the gallery is preparing for its upcoming "Size Matters" small works exhibition in May, while the Willoughby Arts Collaborative has launched a call for artists to design local utility boxes.
Jewelry artist Nancy Anderson is launching Sweet Bird and Friends, a new art gallery and workshop space in downtown Boulder. The grand opening, scheduled for Saturday evening at 1711 Pearl St., will showcase the work of more than 40 fine artists from across Boulder County and include a public reception with light refreshments.
Diné artist Eric-Paul Riege has launched his largest exhibition to date, titled “ojo|-|ólǫ́,” at the Henry Art Gallery. The show features large-scale soft sculptures, wearable art, and multimedia installations that reinterpret traditional Navajo symbols like the weaving comb and the hogan. Central to the exhibition is Riege’s rejection of traditional museum barriers; he encourages visitors to touch the tactile, plush works to honor the many hands involved in the production of his materials.
How Much Did It Cost to Paint a Pompeii Room Egyptian Blue?
A new study has calculated the staggering cost of painting a room in Pompeii with Egyptian blue pigment. Researchers determined that covering the walls of a recently discovered "Blue Room," a sacred shrine, would have required between 2.7 and 4.9 kilograms of the prized synthetic pigment. Based on prices recorded by Pliny the Elder, this quantity of high-grade pigment would have cost between 50% and 90% of a Roman legionary's annual salary, highlighting it as an extreme luxury.
Beowolff Capital has consolidated two of the art world’s digital giants, Artsy and Artnet, under a single ownership structure. While both platforms will maintain their distinct brand identities, they will begin integrating their underlying infrastructure and data systems. Jeffrey Yin, the current leader of Artsy, will take the helm as CEO of the combined entity, with Beowolff founder Andrew Wolff serving as chairman.
Réouverture des Catacombes
The Catacombs of Paris have officially reopened to the public following a five-month renovation project. These extensive works were primarily focused on upgrading the site's infrastructure to enhance the overall visitor experience and improve the flow of traffic through the historic underground ossuary.
Ceramicists Savannah Jacob and Abby Jo Elle are co-curating "Respect Your Mother," a group exhibition at Patina Gallery dedicated to climate change and environmental activism. Opening in honor of Earth Day, the show features works from over 50 artists across various mediums, including sculptures, collages, and paintings, with a strict prohibition on artificial intelligence to emphasize human-centric craft.
Si conclude all’Aquila il recupero del Teatro San Filippo danneggiato dal terremoto. Era chiuso da 17 anni
The Teatro San Filippo in L’Aquila has officially completed a comprehensive restoration process after being shuttered for 17 years due to the devastating 2009 earthquake. The reopening ceremony, attended by Italian Minister of Culture Alessandro Giuli, marks the return of a historic site that originated as a 17th-century Baroque church before being converted into a theater and artistic hub in the 1970s. The project was funded through a combination of state resources and private donations, including significant contributions from the "Artisti Uniti per l’Abruzzo" initiative.
Milano mette a disposizione spazi per aprire 10 nuove librerie di quartiere. Il bando per aprirne una
The City of Milan has launched a public tender to open ten new neighborhood bookstores by repurposing vacant municipal properties. Part of the "Sefémm" program, the initiative offers spaces ranging from 30 to 190 square meters across various districts, including central and peripheral areas. The selection process will heavily prioritize the social and cultural impact of the proposals over financial bids, favoring micro-enterprises and independent operators who commit to creating community hubs.
The Renew Jordan Creek revitalization project in downtown Springfield has severely impacted Fresh Gallery, an award-winning local art space. Extensive road closures on Boonville Avenue and ongoing construction noise have cut off the gallery from its usual pedestrian and tourist traffic, leading to a drastic decline in sales and foot traffic. To combat these challenges, the gallery has launched a GoFundMe campaign and is attempting to reinvent its business model to survive until construction concludes in mid-2024.
"Wir mussten schwierige Entscheidungen treffen"
Investor Andrew E. Wolff has stepped down as CEO of Artnet after orchestrating a merger of the company's US operations with Artsy, another major art market platform he recently acquired. Jeffrey Yin, previously the interim head of Artsy, has been appointed as the permanent CEO of the combined entity. The restructuring involves significant layoffs, the closure of Artnet's Berlin office, and a consolidation of management teams, though both brands will continue to operate with distinct editorial voices.
Artist Gê Viana's monumental sound system installation, 'A colheita de Dan (The Harvest of Dan, 2025)', was a standout work at the most recent Bienal de São Paulo. The piece, a towering radiola painted in black, white, and red, combines photomontages of Black reggae parties, Afro-Indigenous religious shrines, and medicinal plants, while playing a loop of Brazilian reggae and songs from Maranhão's quilombo communities.
Scottsdale Arts has unveiled a diverse spring lineup of programming across its various venues, featuring a mix of milestone celebrations, contemporary exhibitions, and community events. Highlights include the 50th-anniversary ARTrageous Gala on April 11, the opening of Nancy Kravetz’s solo exhibition, and the 20th anniversary of Cycle the Arts, a citywide public art bicycle tour. The schedule also integrates performing arts with appearances by Americana musicians Drew Holcomb & The Neighbors and a showcase of Arizona-based choreographers.
Artist Zachary Pullen is hosting a special event at his exhibition in Casper, Wyoming, featuring live music and an opportunity for attendees to gain insights directly from the artist. The event combines a viewing of Pullen's artwork with a musical performance and personal commentary.
The Austin Arts, Culture, Music, and Entertainment (ACME) department has launched open calls for two major public art initiatives: the 2026–28 People’s Gallery at Austin City Hall and the 2026 Changing Exhibits Program at Austin-Bergstrom International Airport. Local artists and organizations from the Austin area are invited to submit 2-D and 3-D works for the City Hall exhibition, while the airport program seeks multi-disciplinary proposals under the theme "Vestiges of the Future." Applications are open until May 31, 2026, with no submission fees required.