New York's Art Week 2026 is underway. A guide to all the fairs to see in the city: Frieze and the others

È in corso l’Art Week di New York del 2026. La guida di tutte le fiere da vedere in città: Frieze e le altre

New York's spring Art Week is underway in mid-May 2026, anchored by two major fairs: Frieze New York (May 13–17) at The Shed, featuring about 70 galleries from over 25 countries, and TEFAF New York (May 15–19) at the Park Avenue Armory, celebrating its tenth edition with 88 galleries. Additional fairs include Independent Art Fair at Pier 36 (May 14–17) with 76 galleries and site-specific installations, and NADA New York at the Starrett-Lehigh Building (May 13–17), promoting emerging artists. The week also involves museums, cultural institutions, and galleries citywide.

Kumu to unveil Kristi Kongi's largest solo exhibition 'Chromatic Drift'

Estonian painter Kristi Kongi's largest solo exhibition, 'Chromatic Drift,' will open at the Kumu Art Museum on May 22. The exhibition fills the museum's great hall, courtyard, and windows with new works featuring earthy tones like purple, brown, and burgundy, described by curator Ann Mirjam Vaikla as reflecting the aesthetics of the Anthropocene. The show is accompanied by a book with essays by Sara Garzón, Sirje Helme, and Vaikla, and includes works created during Kongi's residency at Cerámica Suro in Guadalajara, Mexico.

Esther fair brings global galleries to Manhattan’s Estonian House

The Esther art fair, founded by Estonian dealers Olga Temnikova and Margot Samel, is holding its second edition at the Beaux-Arts Estonian House in Manhattan through May 10. The boutique fair features 25 galleries from the US, Europe, and Asia, including James Fuentes, Sargent’s Daughters, Pangée Gallery, Kogo Gallery, Ivan Gallery, Sophie Tappeiner, and Bank. New additions include on-site fashion designers Julia Heuer and Laivi creating custom t-shirts. Participation fees have risen from $1,500 to $2,500, allowing the founders to hire staff, but the fair remains vulnerable to global shifts such as US trade policies and immigration crackdowns that affect art shipping and artist travel.

Historic Strike Disrupts Biennale as Thousands March in Venice

On May 8, 2026, artists and cultural workers staged the first strike in the 131-year history of the Venice Biennale, disrupting the pre-opening of the international exhibition. At least 27 of the 100 national pavilions were partially or fully shut down, and thousands marched through Venice to the Arsenale, which was barricaded by Italian riot police. The strike, organized by the Art Not Genocide Alliance (ANGA) and local activist groups, was a 24-hour action for Palestine and workers' rights, with some artists altering or draping their works in the main exhibition, "In Minor Keys."

Meet the Writer Who Sees Every Single Show at the Venice Biennale

Jaeyong Park, a Seoul-based writer, translator, and interpreter, has attended every edition of the Venice Biennale since 2022—including both art and architecture cycles—and seen every single show, from the central exhibition and national pavilions to collateral and unofficial events. He documents his journeys in regular dispatches and has compiled a free bilingual guide to the biennial. Park organizes his trips with a group of fellow art workers, splitting accommodation costs and sharing reviews over dinner to ensure full coverage.

estonian museum director russian prison

Maria Smorzhevskikh-Smirnova, the director of the Narva Museum in Estonia, was sentenced in absentia to 10 years in prison by a Russian court. The charges stem from her hanging banners on Narva Castle that label Russian President Vladimir Putin a “war criminal,” including one that fuses Putin’s face with Adolf Hitler’s and another showing a bloodied mug shot of Putin. The court cited laws against disseminating “war fakes” and “rehabilitating Nazism.” Smorzhevskikh-Smirnova has been displaying such banners since 2023 on Russian Victory Day, and Russian authorities have projected Victory Day parades toward Narva from the nearby town of Ivangorod.

Merike Estna on Representing Estonia at the 61st Venice Biennale

Artist Merike Estna will represent Estonia at the 61st Venice Biennale in 2026 with a project that transforms the national pavilion into an active, open studio. Eschewing the display of finished products, Estna plans to start with empty canvases and complete a series of 22 paintings over the course of the exhibition, allowing visitors to witness the "living" process of creation.

A Paris exhibition spotlights Estonian women artists

The Musée d’Art Moderne de Paris has launched "Estonian Realities," a significant cross-generational exhibition featuring the works of Olga Terri, Anu Põder, and Kris Lemsalu. Spanning nearly 90 years of artistic production, the show marks a major collaboration between the Art Museum of Estonia and the City of Paris, tracing the evolution of Estonian art from the psychological anxieties of the 1940s to the bold, performative installations of the contemporary era.

Samantha Nye’s ‘Web of Love’ now open at Cuesta’s Miossi Gallery

Artist Samantha Nye's immersive video installation "Web of Love" has opened at the Harold J. Miossi Gallery at Cuesta College's San Luis Obispo campus. The four-screen work is a scene-by-scene remake of an old Scopitone film, featuring legendary Bay Area artists Annie Sprinkle and Beth Stephens, and is designed with a lounge area of heart-shaped hot tubs on red shag carpet.

young dealers new york gallery

CULTURED magazine hosted its first Young Dealers panel at Soho House in New York, featuring gallerists Margot Samel (of Margot Samel gallery) and Alex Fleming and Anya Komar (of Ulrik gallery). Moderated by CULTURED contributing writer Melissa Smith, the conversation covered building an art program, navigating market shifts, and the multifaceted role of running a gallery. The event previewed the magazine's upcoming Young Dealers list and included non-alcoholic cocktails from presenting partner Aplós.

A sonic tribute to the act of speech on New York City’s Roosevelt Island

Sound artist Hans Rosenström has launched a site-specific sound installation titled "Out of Silence" at Four Freedoms Park on New York City's Roosevelt Island, running until 21 June. The multi-speaker work features layered voices sung by the Estonian choir Vox Clamantis, arranged across four sections of the park as an homage to Franklin D. Roosevelt's 1941 Four Freedoms speech. Rosenström, a Finnish artist based in Stockholm, developed the project during an International Studio & Curatorial Program residency in New York in 2024, after being approached by Latvian curator Alina Girshovich to mark the 90th birthday of composer Arvo Pärt. The park's memorial to FDR was designed by architect Louis Kahn, who was born in Estonia and benefited from New Deal programs.

Archaeologists Uncover a 2,000-Year-Old Hillfort in Estonia

Archaeologists from the University of Tartu have discovered a 2,000-year-old Iron Age hillfort at Köstrimägi in Tartu County, Estonia. Using high-resolution terrain mapping, the team identified a 16,000-square-foot fortification featuring an unusual stepped rampart system that dates back to between 41 BCE and 9 CE. Despite its size, the site yielded few artifacts beyond pottery fragments and charcoal, suggesting a very brief period of occupation before it was destroyed by fire.

Unusually Large, 2,000-Year-Old Hillfort Discovered in Estonia

Archaeologists from the University of Tartu have discovered a massive 2,000-year-old hillfort at Köstrimägi in Tartu County, Estonia. Utilizing high-resolution terrain mapping, the team identified a 4,800-square-meter Iron Age fortification featuring concentric ramparts and shallow ditches, a structural complexity rarely seen in the region. Radiocarbon dating suggests the site was active for a relatively short period, specifically between 41 BCE and 9 CE.

Venice Biennale opens without a jury amid strife over Russian and Israeli participation

The Venice Biennale, one of the world's most prestigious contemporary art exhibitions, opens its most contested edition in memory without a jury after the jury resigned in protest over the participation of Israel and Russia, both under investigation by the International Criminal Court for human rights abuses. Protests have erupted outside the Israeli and Russian pavilions, with demonstrators clashing with police, while feminist groups from Ukraine and Russia converged on the Russian Pavilion and Palestinians remembered artists killed in Gaza. The Biennale has replaced the jury with a public vote via email, with winners announced at the close on November 22.

Polish artist's new Tartu exhibition explores inherent fragility of living organisms

Polish artist Paweł Matyszewski presents a new solo exhibition titled "Momentary Organisms" at Kogo Gallery in Tartu, Estonia, opening on August 15. The show explores the fragility and transformation inherent in all living organisms through exuberant, patchwork-like abstractions that merge plant and human body parts. The exhibition is part of a regional exchange program involving galleries in Turku, Riga, and Warsaw, curated by Šelda Puķīte, and will run until September 27.

Anti-Russia Protests Spread Beyond the Biennale and Into Venice

Protests against the reopening of the Russian pavilion erupted at the Venice Biennale and spread across the city on the second day of the 61st edition. Visual artist Shalva Nikvashvili, who grew up in post-Soviet Georgia, began a silent performance wearing a muzzle-style mask and carrying a chair, holding a sign reading “La Biennale di Venezia” and “violence.” Shortly after, a group of about 20 protesters led by Pussy Riot co-founder Nadya Tolokonnikova gathered outside the Russian pavilion, chanting against Vladimir Putin, waving Ukrainian flags, and releasing a pink smoke flare. The protests followed the Biennale's decision to allow Russia to participate for the first time since its 2022 invasion of Ukraine, despite calls from artists and politicians to exclude the country.

Gallery: New Tallinn art show explores illusions of safety and control

A new international group exhibition titled "Safe Traps" opened at Tütar Gallery in Tallinn, exploring the dual nature of control as both a source of safety and a restrictive cage. Curated by Maria Helen Känd, the show features works by French artist Anaïs Goupy, Latvian artist Līga Spunde, and Estonian artists Ruudu Ulas and Madlen Hirtentreu, examining how contemporary Western society's pursuit of control can become a trap that confines rather than liberates.

Kaarel Kurismaa at Kunsthalle Zürich

Kunsthalle Zürich presents "Intermezzo," a solo exhibition by Estonian artist Kaarel Kurismaa, running from February 7 to May 25, 2026. The show features 18 images documenting the exhibition, with photography by Cedric Mussano.

Gallery: NYC, Stockholm artists probe how history is staged in Tallinn show

Zody Burke and Klara Zetterholm have opened a joint exhibition titled "Ersatz Strata" at Temnikova & Kasela Gallery in Tallinn, Estonia. The show examines how history is staged and reimagined, using reliefs, sculptures, printed works, kinetic elements, and industrial residue to create a fictional archaeological site. A live performance by Los Angeles-based artist 011668 accompanied the opening. The exhibition runs through August 15.

Studio Sessions: Raili Jänese

Artist Raili Jänese, an Estonian-born painter now based in Kirkland, Washington, creates colorful acrylic works that capture everyday human and animal behaviors with humor and tenderness. Her practice, which began after a corporate career, focuses on observation of mundane moments—people eating, drinking coffee, riding transit, and animals in urban settings. Her upcoming solo exhibition, "E.L.U," will be on view at Ryan James Fine Arts from May 1–31, 2025, with a Gallery Night on May 22. Jänese has shown work regionally at venues including Happy Time Studio Gallery, Oxbow Montlake, and the Seattle Art Fair, and has completed public art projects in Bellevue, Kent, Kirkland, and Seattle.

Gallery: New women's artist collective opens joint show in Tallinn

The newly formed Estonian women’s contemporary art collective, Phoenix, has launched its latest group exhibition titled "Quintessence" at the Vabaduse Gallery in Tallinn. Curated and designed by Eveli Varik, the show features works from 17 members of the collective, including Marina Aleksejeva, Lylian Meister, and Tiiu Rebane. The exhibition explores the Aristotelian concept of the "fifth essence," or ether, serving as a metaphor for the distilled core of creative power and the spiritual immersion required for artistic rebirth.

Gallery: Finnish street artist EGS opens Estonian-inspired exhibition

Finnish street artist EGS has launched a comprehensive solo exhibition at the Poco Pop Art Museum in Tallinn, Estonia. The showcase features a diverse array of media including paintings, glass sculptures, and site-specific installations that document the artist's three-decade relationship with the city's urban landscape. A central highlight is a collaborative series of hand-painted ceramic plates created with Estonian artist Viktor Gurov, paying homage to the historic Tallinn ceramics factory in Kopli where EGS painted for 15 years.

Ukrainian art exhibitions open at five Tallinn galleries for UKUfest

On Friday, the Ukrainian Art Festival (UKUfest), Estonia's first festival dedicated to contemporary Ukrainian art, launched with new exhibitions opening simultaneously at five galleries across Tallinn: Fotografiska Tallinn, Juhan Kuus Documentary Photo Center, Temnikova & Kasela Gallery, Truus Gallery, and ArtDepoo Gallery. The exhibitions feature works by nine Ukrainian artists—Tania Ruda, Taras Bychko, Vira Minailova, Maya Kolesnik, Pavlo Mazai, Viktoria Berezina, Anton Hudo, Roman Minin, and Andrii Palval—many created specifically for the festival. Two charity auctions are planned: one on May 11 at Kadriorg Art Museum hosted by the Kozytskyi Charity Foundation, with proceeds split between artists and medical transport for Ukraine; and another on May 13 at Noblessner Foundry, with all proceeds going directly to artists. Additional works are available for purchase via the Osta.ee platform. The festival runs through June 30.

Gallery: Young Estonian artists' art auction exhibition opens

An exhibition of young Estonian artists has opened at the Art & Tonic gallery in Tallinn, showcasing 92 works selected from 269 submissions for the "Osta noort kunsti" ("Buy Young Art") spring auction. The auction, organized by gallery owner Reigo Kuivjõgi, features starting prices set by the artists themselves, ranging from €1 to €2,000, with past final prices reaching over €20,000. The exhibition runs free of charge from May 1 to May 14, with the live auction on May 15.

Estonian students open new sound art exhibition in Berlin

Students from the Estonian Academy of Arts (EKA) opened a new sound art exhibition titled "TRACKING _ wrrrrr, bzzzt, zzrrt" at the ((NYT)) Art Space in Berlin on May 23. The exhibition features sound installations by nine artists, including Trevor Kinna, Liisi Kõuhkna, and Olev Kuma, and explores sound as a carrier of relation, interference, and emancipation. A contemporary dance group, ADAM, performed the piece "Windy Days" at the opening.

New exhibition is 'ükskõik' for Estonian artist Marta Vaarik

A new exhibition titled "1kõik" by Estonian artist Marta Vaarik opened Tuesday evening at Tallinn's Artrovert Gallery. The name plays on the Estonian word "ükskõik," meaning "whatever" or "one or the other," and symbolizes letting go to achieve inner peace. The show features works across photography, painting, video, performance, and sculpture, incorporating social themes characteristic of Vaarik's practice. It runs through June 27.

Expat women in Estonia share experiences through museum exhibition

An exhibition titled "Vahepealsuse lävel. Kõik teed tõid Eestimaale" ("At the Threshold of In-Betweenness. All Roads Lead to Estonia") has opened at the People's Museum of Tallinn (Tallinna Rahvaste Muuseum). Curated by Ouddhena Teern, an artist originally from Malaysia who moved to Estonia in 2019, the show explores themes of migration, identity, memory, and belonging. It features works using batik, mixed media, and tie-dye, alongside contributions from expat women who shared personal stories and objects of sentimental value.

Exhibition by textile artist Kadi Pajupuu to be opened at the Riigikogu

Textile artist Kadi Pajupuu has opened a solo exhibition titled "Sinane" (This Very) at the Art Gallery of Toompea Castle, the seat of the Estonian Parliament. Inaugurated by Riigikogu President Lauri Hussar, the showcase features experimental works that blend archaic Estonian linguistic themes with modern material technologies. The exhibition highlights Pajupuu’s innovative weaving techniques, including her patented RailReed and MultiWeave systems, which allow for adjustable warp density and three-dimensional textile structures.

The Story of Alexey Shor: From Mathematician to Contemporary Classical Composer. The Interview

La storia di Alexey Shor: da matematico a compositore classico contemporaneo. L’intervista

Alexey Shor, a 1970-born Ukrainian-American composer who originally earned a PhD in mathematics and worked in finance, has transitioned to a full-time career in contemporary classical music. From April 28 to 30, 2026, his neo-romantic compositions were performed at the Auditorium RAI "Arturo Toscanini" in Turin, Italy, by the RAI National Symphony Orchestra under Estonian conductor Anu Tali, alongside works by Rachmaninoff, Schubert, and Grieg. The concerts featured renowned musicians including Russian conductor Mikhail Pletnev, violinist Giuseppe Gibboni, violinist Daniel Lozakovich, and pianist Arsenii Moon. In an interview with Artribune, Shor discussed his dual career, his emotional connection to audiences, and his openness to having his music used in films.

Gallery: Winners revealed at EKA high school student art show opening

The winners of the "Useful Art?! Humanity and Work" high school art competition, organized by the Estonian Academy of Arts (EKA) Faculty of Fine Arts, were announced at an exhibition opening in Tallinn. A total of 77 entries were submitted, with four top prizes and 11 special awards given. The grand prize was shared by Ashton Laid (Tallinn Art High School) for "Passion" and Mirjam Märtin (Hugo Treffner High School) for "Do the Work, Draw and Toil, Then You Won't Even Need a Photo." Second place went to Säde Noormets for "Angst," and third place to Mari Kaubi for "We Believe in Economic Growth." Special awards recognized works in categories including irony, frustration, collage, painting, and politics.