Readymades, replicas, reiterations: MoMA show explores Marcel Duchamp the inventor

The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York is launching the first major U.S. survey of Marcel Duchamp in over 50 years, organized in collaboration with the Philadelphia Museum of Art. The exhibition features approximately 300 works, including iconic pieces like "Nude Descending a Staircase, No. 2" and "Fountain," organized in a strict linear chronology. This approach highlights Duchamp’s practice of remaking and replicating his own work, presenting replicas only at the point in time they were physically created rather than as stand-ins for lost originals.

Our pick of the best museum and gallery shows to see in Chicago this spring

Chicago’s spring art season is highlighted by a series of significant institutional and gallery exhibitions, ranging from deeply personal solo debuts to expansive cultural surveys. Key highlights include Dabin Ahn’s first solo show at Document, featuring paintings that explore grief and impermanence following the death of his father, and a retrospective of the late Lucas Samaras at the Art Institute of Chicago. Additionally, the Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago is launching a major group exhibition titled "Dancing the Revolution," which examines the political and cultural impact of dancehall and reggaetón through the work of over 35 artists.

A renewed focus on rigour and connection at Expo Chicago

The 2026 edition of Expo Chicago marks a strategic shift under the leadership of new director Kate Sierzputowski, featuring a leaner roster of 130 galleries at Navy Pier. The fair has introduced a more spacious layout and a new curatorial role, filled by Essence Harden, to deepen institutional ties and scholarly rigor. Notable participants include local mainstays like Monique Meloche Gallery and Gray, alongside international exhibitors from South Korea, South Africa, and Nigeria, as well as high-profile New York newcomers like Karma.

V&A East Storehouse and Norwich Castle among finalists for museum of the year

The Art Fund has announced the five finalists for the 2025 Museum of the Year award, the UK's most prestigious museum prize. The shortlist features major institutions that have recently completed significant expansions or refurbishments, including the V&A East Storehouse in Stratford, the National Gallery in London, The Box in Plymouth, the Fitzwilliam Museum in Cambridge, and Norwich Castle Museum & Art Gallery. The winner, to be announced on June 25, will receive £120,000, while the other finalists will each receive £20,000.

‘They accomplished so much, even as they were dying’: the groundbreaking gay art of Peter Hujar and Paul Thek

Author and Frieze Magazine editor-in-chief Andrew Durbin has released a dual biography titled 'The Wonderful World That Almost Was,' chronicling the lives and creative partnership of Peter Hujar and Paul Thek. The book focuses on their relationship from the mid-1950s through the 1970s, detailing their collaborative influence and the development of their respective practices in photography and sculpture before both died of AIDS-related complications in the late 1980s.

5 Highlights of Art Düsseldorf

5 Highlights der Art Düsseldorf

The Art Düsseldorf contemporary art fair has opened its latest edition, showcasing a diverse range of works that balance humor with urgent political and global themes. Highlights from the fair include Christian Jankowski’s monumental sculptures based on children's clay models at Galerie Crone, Julian Charrière’s environmentally conscious installations at Dittrich & Schlechtriem, and Jody Korbach’s satirical paintings that reference German art history and pub culture at Petra Martinez.

15 Shows to See in New York City This April

Hyperallergic has published a curated list of 15 gallery and independent art exhibitions to see in New York City during April. The guide highlights shows that might be overshadowed by major institutional blockbusters, featuring artists like E. Jane, Robert Bergman, Kamrooz Aram, and Chris "DAZE" Ellis across venues in Chinatown, Chelsea, Tribeca, and Queens.

Brooklyn’s Barclays Center Arena Launches Art Program, with Paul Pfeiffer As First Artist-in-Residence

The Barclays Center arena in Brooklyn has launched a multi-year public art initiative called 'Brooklyn Art Encounters.' The program includes a new artist-in-residence component, with Paul Pfeiffer as the inaugural resident, and will feature digital art broadcasts, major new commissions by artists like Sarah Sze, Rashid Johnson, Mark Bradford, and Kambui Olujimi, and a series of public installations on the arena's plaza and in its entrances.

John Giorno “The Performative Word” at MAMbo, Bologna

A major retrospective exhibition dedicated to John Giorno, titled "The Performative Word," has opened at MAMbo, the Museum of Modern Art of Bologna. The show, curated by Andrea Bellini and Vincente Todolí, explores Giorno's multidisciplinary practice as a poet, artist, and activist, highlighting his collaborations and his innovative approach to making poetry a performative and visual experience.

Venice Biennale’s 2026 Golden Lion Jury to Be Led by Videobrasil Founder

The Venice Biennale has announced the five-member jury for its 2026 edition, which will award the prestigious Golden Lion prizes. The jury president is Solange Oliveira Farkas, founder of the Videobrasil Biennial, and she will be joined by curators and academics Zoe Butt, Elvira Dyangani Ose, Marta Kuzma, and Giovanna Zapperi.

How the New Deal Treated Art as Essential to Democracy

The United States government transformed the role of the artist during the Great Depression by treating art as a vital public resource rather than a private luxury. Between 1933 and 1943, New Deal programs like the Public Works of Art Project (PWAP) commissioned hundreds of thousands of works for schools, libraries, and hospitals, providing 'plumbers' wages' to struggling creators. This federal patronage supported a generation of then-unknown figures, including Jackson Pollock, Mark Rothko, and Alice Neel, while focusing on the 'American scene' to make culture accessible to the general public.

camille henrot in the veins film climate grief 1234777705

Artist Camille Henrot has premiered her first new film in nearly a decade, titled "In the Veins" (2026), at the newly reopened New Museum in New York. The 35-minute work, which is featured in the exhibition "New Humans," explores the intersection of domestic caretaking and the global climate crisis. Through Henrot's signature associative editing style, the film juxtaposes scenes of children growing up with footage from wildlife rehabilitation centers, highlighting the cognitive dissonance of raising children surrounded by animal imagery while facing mass extinction.

Harmony Korine Makes Sense of His Shape-Shifting Art: ‘It’s Really One Whole Work’

Harmony Korine's first-ever U.S. retrospective, titled "Perfect Nonsense," has opened at the Institute of Contemporary Art, Miami. The exhibition gathers over 50 pieces spanning his career, including adolescent writings, zines, collages from the 1990s, figurative paintings, and recent works using game engines. Korine, known for transgressive films like *Gummo* (1997) and *Spring Breakers* (2012), also founded EDGLRD, a studio producing experimental content with cutting-edge tech, such as his 2023 project *AGGRO DR1FT*, which premiered at the Venice International Film Festival.

V&A East Launches With a Fresh Lens on a 2.8 Million-Object Collection

The Victoria & Albert Museum has opened V&A East, a new $180 million outpost in east London designed by architects O'Donnell + Tuomey. Its mission is to engage young and local audiences by presenting over 500 objects from its 2.8 million-strong collection in thematic, non-chronological displays that connect historical artifacts to contemporary issues like identity, social justice, and environmental responsibility.

How Dalí’s Amber Varnish May Have Caused This Painting to Decay

A new scientific study has revealed the cause of deterioration in Salvador Dalí's 1946 painting 'The Temptation of Saint Anthony.' Researchers from the Royal Museums of Fine Arts of Belgium and an international team used advanced imaging techniques to determine that the degradation, which includes areas becoming transparent or textured, is linked to the chemical interaction between a zinc white paint layer and an amber varnish layer, both materials specifically advocated by Dalí in his own artistic manual.

US National Gallery of Art gifted more than 1,200 Mitch Epstein photographs

The National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., has received a gift of 1,261 photographs from artist Mitch Epstein and his wife, Susan Bell. The donation, the largest institutional collection of Epstein's work, spans his five-decade career and includes major series such as 'American Power,' 'Property Rights,' and 'New York Arbor.'

Restored Victorian greenhouse links Brooklyn's Green-Wood Cemetery to its living neighbours

Brooklyn’s historic Green-Wood Cemetery has unveiled the 'Green-House,' a $34m welcome and education center centered around a meticulously restored 1895 Victorian cast-iron greenhouse. Designed by Architecture Research Office (ARO), the facility includes classrooms, research archives, and dedicated gallery spaces. The project transforms a formerly dilapidated commercial florist shop into a modern gateway that connects the 478-acre National Historic Landmark to its surrounding urban neighborhood.

The Big Review: Rothko in Florence ★★★★★

The Palazzo Strozzi in Florence has launched a major exhibition exploring the profound influence of the Italian Renaissance on Mark Rothko. Co-curated by the artist's son, Christopher Rothko, the show spans three historic locations: the Palazzo Strozzi, the Museo di San Marco, and the Biblioteca Medicea Laurenziana. By placing Rothko’s abstract canvases in direct dialogue with Fra Angelico’s frescoes and Michelangelo’s architecture, the exhibition highlights how the artist’s visits to Italy in the 1950s and 60s shaped his spatial thinking and spiritual intensity.

Is Dubai’s loss Palma's gain? Newly revived Mallorca fair offers ’sun, sand and safety’ for wealthy Germans

The Art Cologne Palma Mallorca fair has been successfully revived at the Palau de Congressos, attracting 88 exhibitors with a heavy concentration of Spanish and German galleries. The event capitalizes on Mallorca's status as a premier second-home destination for wealthy Europeans, particularly Germans, and benefits from significant local government backing of €500,000. Early sales reports indicate strong performance in the lower and mid-market price brackets, with artists like Neo Rauch and Brian Eno finding quick buyers, though seven-figure works by Anselm Kiefer and Georg Baselitz moved more slowly.

Lalanne mirrors owned by Yves Saint Laurent and a classic Diane Arbus photo: our pick of the April auctions

Major auction houses are preparing for a series of high-profile sales in April, headlined by a suite of fifteen gilt-bronze mirrors by Claude Lalanne. Originally commissioned for the Paris apartment of fashion icon Yves Saint Laurent and Pierre Bergé, the mirrors are expected to fetch between $10m and $15m at Sotheby’s. Other notable lots include a rare Diane Arbus photograph from the collection of Lily Tomlin and Jane Wagner, a pastoral landscape by Russian artist Konstantin Somov, and a centuries-old drawing based on Albrecht Dürer’s famous rhinoceros woodcut.

An expert's guide to Alexander Calder: six must-read books on the US sculptor

An exhibition of nearly 300 works by Alexander Calder opens at the Fondation Louis Vuitton in Paris, exploring the development of his mobiles and wider practice. Guest curators Dieter Buchhart and Anna Karina Hofbauer have compiled a list of six essential books to deepen understanding of the artist's life and work.

The Paradoxical Delights of South America’s Biggest Art Fair

The 22nd edition of SP-Arte has opened at the Oscar Niemeyer Pavilion in São Paulo, featuring 180 exhibitors. As Latin America’s largest art fair, the event continues to serve as a critical bridge for 'South-South' artistic relationships, drawing international curators like the Met’s Brinda Kumar. Despite a slightly smaller footprint than previous years, the fair showcases a robust selection of Brazilian talent alongside international galleries navigating the country's complex market.

Tate at a turning point: new director must confront unwieldy ‘beast’ of an art institution

Roland Rudd, chair of Tate, insists the institution is thriving despite recent leadership changes, citing record visitor numbers of 6.2 million, strong exhibition attendance (Turner and Constable at Tate Britain, Lee Miller, and Tracey Emin at Tate Modern), and 155,000 members. However, Maria Balshaw has stepped down as director after nine years, leaving her successor to confront a financially strained organization hit by pandemic losses, multiple redundancies, and low staff morale amid culture war battles.

‘He sent someone to intimidate me’: Christopher Anderson, the photographer who shot Jeffrey Epstein

Photographer Christopher Anderson has revealed the details behind his 2015 encounter with Jeffrey Epstein, whom he photographed for a cancelled New York magazine profile. Anderson describes a series of unsettling interactions, including Epstein's attempts to buy the image rights for $20,000 and the eventual dispatch of a "mafia-esque" intimidator to Anderson's studio to seize a hard drive. The photographer's email exchanges with Epstein’s staff were recently made public as part of the Department of Justice's release of the Epstein files.

Dean Sameshima review – did the neighbours really not know? The extreme LA sex clubs hidden in plain sight

A new exhibition at Soft Opening in London presents Dean Sameshima's "Wonderland" series, photographs taken in the mid-1990s that document the exteriors of queer sex clubs and bathhouses in Los Angeles's Silver Lake neighborhood. The images, shot in a stark, formal style during daylight, capture the unremarkable facades of these clandestine spaces, with only descriptive titles hinting at the activities within.

Event: Hammad Nasar and Billy Tang, Off the Record

ArtReview and Ursula magazine have announced a collaborative talk featuring curators Hammad Nasar and Billy Tang as part of their "Off the Record" series in London. The event, held at the Farm Shop in Mayfair, is designed as an intimate, live conversation focused on the working methods and inspirations of creative visionaries. Nasar, a veteran curator and MBE recipient, will join Tang, the Artistic Director of the new Yan Du Project, to discuss their respective practices and the evolution of creative thinking.

There Has Never Been an Apolitical Venice Biennale

"Es hat niemals eine unpolitische Venedig-Biennale gegeben"

The Venice Biennale is embroiled in political controversy, with the US Pavilion's selection process criticized for bypassing traditional curatorial expertise in favor of a politically connected outsider. Simultaneously, a collective of artists and academics is protesting Russia's return to the Biennale, arguing it uses art as a political instrument to normalize its actions amid the war in Ukraine. An analysis in ArtReview contends the Biennale has never been apolitical, serving as a stage for geopolitical power plays since its inception.

Does the Neue Nationalgalerie Have Feelings?

Hat die Neue Nationalgalerie Gefühle?

The Kunsthalle Bremen has opened "Remix. Photographie – Fiktion und Wahrheit," an exhibition drawn from its permanent collection that explores the tension between reality and artifice in photography. The show traces a lineage from Heinrich Zille’s unvarnished turn-of-the-century street scenes to the objective industrial typologies of Bernd and Hilla Becher, eventually moving into the postmodern manipulations of the Düsseldorf School, including works by Thomas Ruff and Thomas Struth.

8 Artists to Follow If You Like Marcel Duchamp

Marcel Duchamp’s legacy continues to shape contemporary art through his pioneering use of readymades, conceptual rigor, and institutional critique. This analysis identifies eight modern and contemporary artists whose practices echo Duchamp’s subversion of traditional aesthetics, ranging from his early experiments with found objects to his later explorations of gender and mechanical desire.

At the Guggenheim Bilbao, the Infinite Poetry of Ruth Asawa’s Aerial Sculptures

Au Guggenheim Bilbao, l’infinie poésie des sculptures aériennes de Ruth Asawa

The Guggenheim Museum Bilbao is hosting the first major European retrospective of American artist Ruth Asawa, showcasing her signature hand-woven wire sculptures. These delicate, organic forms, which challenge gravity and play with transparency, are presented in dialogue with the museum's monumental architecture. The exhibition traces her journey from a childhood spent in Japanese-American internment camps during WWII to her formative years at the legendary Black Mountain College under the mentorship of Josef Albers.