Beauty by Volume: On the Art-Book Trail of Chicago

This article is a guide to finding art books in Chicago, tracing a walking trail that begins at the Chicago History Museum and continues to the Graham Foundation and the Newberry Library. The author reflects on beloved but now-closed art bookstores like Rizzoli's Water Tower Place, Prairie Avenue Bookshop, and Golden Age, then proposes a contemporary route for discovering art, architecture, and design books in the city's remaining cultural institutions and museum shops.

​Walid Nayif’s painting exhibition at Yassin gallery is not to be missed

Walid Nayif is holding a painting exhibition at Yassin gallery, which the article describes as not to be missed. The article also lists numerous other art events in Cairo, including photographic projects, immersive digital exhibitions, and ceramic showcases, featuring artists such as Judi Yassin, Tia Khalil, Mostafa El-Razzaz, Khaled Taher, Mahmoud Hamdi, and Pierre Jeanneret, as well as the 'Beyond Van Gogh' immersive experience directed by Mathieu Saint-Arnaud.

A New Landmark Survey Aims to Bring Transparency to Museum Collecting Practices

The Penn Cultural Heritage Center (PennCHC) at the University of Pennsylvania's Penn Museum will launch the National Survey of Museum Collecting Practices on May 20, running through August 20. This first-of-its-kind survey, part of the Museums: Missions and Acquisitions Project (M2A Project), will collect data on acquisitions, deaccessions, loans, provenance research, and policies from U.S. nonprofit museums and libraries. Results will be published in 2027, with only generalized insights to maintain anonymity.

Art Basel Hong Kong 2026: Where The World Comes To See

Art Basel Hong Kong 2026 returned to the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre from March 25–27, featuring 240 galleries from 42 countries and territories. The 13th edition introduced new sectors including Echoes, dedicated to works made within the past five years, and Zero 10, a digital art initiative making its Asia debut. The fair also transformed its Encounters sector with a collective curatorial framework based on the Five Elements, led by Mami Kataoka and three other Asia-based curators. Robb Report India covered the event through the perspectives of Indian artists Siddharth Kerkar and Jayesh Sachdev.

Kevin Troyano Cuturi On Building A Singapore Art Gallery With Global Reach

Kevin Troyano Cuturi, raised on museum visits across Europe and trained in physics and finance, founded Cuturi Gallery in Singapore after co-founding Mazel Gallery in 2017. The gallery now operates a Paris outpost in the former Didier Ludot boutique and runs a discoveries platform for emerging artists, a residency program hosting over 20 artists, and has nurtured Singaporean talents like Aisha Rosli and Faris Heizer.

Inside Frieze New York 2026: The Best Booths and Standout Moments of the Art Fair

Frieze New York 2026 opened at the Shed in Hudson Yards, drawing a record crowd of collectors, artists, and celebrities on preview day. The fair featured over 65 international galleries, with a strong presence of Latin American artists and a notable shift toward textile-based works, sculpture, and paper pieces. Highlights included the Ruinart Art Lounge with preparatory studies by Tadashi Kawamata, and the Focus section spotlighting emerging galleries. Notable attendees included Leonardo DiCaprio, gallerist Almine Rech, and Sotheby's senior vice president Ralph DeLuca.

Peggy Guggenheim in London: The Making of a Collector

The Peggy Guggenheim Collection in Venice has opened "Peggy Guggenheim in London: The Making of a Collector," the first major museum exhibition focused on Guggenheim's brief but influential 18-month tenure as a gallerist in pre-war London. From January 1938 to June 1939, her gallery Guggenheim Jeune at 30 Cork Street mounted twenty exhibitions, including Vasily Kandinsky's first UK solo show, the first British group collage exhibition, and a controversial sculpture show debated in Parliament. Organized by Gražina Subelytė and guest curator Simon Grant, the show brings together approximately one hundred works—paintings, sculptures, prints, photographs, puppets, and archival material—many reunited for the first time since their original presentation.

Explore 6 World Cup-inspired exhibits coming to Kansas City museums

Kansas City museums are launching six soccer-themed and World Cup-inspired exhibitions ahead of the world's largest soccer tournament arriving in the city this summer. Highlights include “The Beautiful Game” at the National World War I Museum and Memorial, which explores soccer's role during World War I; “The World in Kansas City” at the Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art, featuring works by over 16 local international artists; “United We Play: Kicking It With The Trumans” at the Harry S. Truman Presidential Library & Museum, celebrating sports unity through artifacts from Kansas City teams; and “Homeland: The Osage in Missouri” at The Museum of Kansas City, tracing Osage Nation history.

Crystal Bridges to host panel on museum expansion May 29

Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art in Bentonville, Arkansas, will host a ticketed panel discussion on May 29, 2026, to celebrate its upcoming expansion. The conversation, titled "By Design: A Conversation on the Crystal Bridges Expansion," will feature museum founder Alice Walton, board chair Olivia Walton, and architect Moshe Safdie, moderated by Vanity Fair's Nate Freeman. The event takes place at the Heartland Whole Health Institute on the museum campus ahead of the formal expansion opening on June 6-7, which includes free programming and the debut of "Keith Haring in 3D," the first exhibition focused on the artist's three-dimensional work.

Australian Sculptor Ron Mueck Returns to Tokyo

A major retrospective of Australian sculptor Ron Mueck has opened at the Mori Art Museum in Tokyo, featuring eleven of his meticulously crafted figurative works, including the Japan premiere of 'Mass' (100 giant human skulls). The exhibition, co-organized by the Fondation Cartier pour l’art contemporain, travels to Tokyo after stops in Paris, Milan, and Seoul, and includes iconic pieces such as 'Woman with Sticks' and 'Angel', the latter installed on the museum's 53rd floor overlooking the city.

Staying Curious: Isabelle de Caters on 20 Years of Gallery Isabelle

Gallery Isabelle, founded by Isabelle de Caters in Dubai's Al Quoz district, celebrated its 20th anniversary in April 2026 with a 20-day exhibition titled "Move, Pause, Return." The show unveiled one work per day before bringing all 20 artists together for a final gathering. De Caters, who opened her first space B21 Gallery in 2006 when contemporary art in the Gulf was seen as a passing fad, reflects on two decades of building a gallery through instinct, long-term artist relationships, and organic growth rather than commercial dictates.

Political Fallout Rocks Venice Biennale Prize System

Dozens of artists participating in the 2026 Venice Biennale have withdrawn from consideration for the newly created Visitor Lion awards, replacing the traditional Gold and Silver Lion prizes. A total of 57 artists from the main exhibition and 22 national pavilions signed a statement published on e-flux on May 9, acting in solidarity with the five-person prize jury that resigned on April 30 over the continued participation of Russia and Israel. The jury had objected to awarding prizes to artists from countries whose leaders face International Criminal Court charges, including Russian president Vladimir Putin and Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu. In response, the Biennale organizers postponed the awards ceremony to November 22 and introduced visitor voting, a move they described as consistent with openness and dialogue. Meanwhile, the Russian Pavilion, which returned after lending its space to Bolivia in 2024, faced protests, closure after previews, and a €2 million funding pull by the European Union for the 2028 Biennale.

Confronting audiences with the real history

Carla Hemlock, a Kanien’keha:ka artist, has seen a surge in interest from curators and institutions, allowing her to work at her own pace. Her collaborative installation with her son, filmmaker Raohserahawi Hemlock, titled *In the Arms of the Natural World*, has been donated to the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts (MMFA) and is now on view in the exhibition *Rising Suns: Art from the Confederacies of the Great Lakes and Rivers*. The piece, featuring three quilts and two films, explores the legacy of residential schools with what the artists describe as absolute delicacy and care.

India pavilion returns to the Venice Art Biennale 2026 with a bang after seven-year hiatus

India has returned to the Venice Art Biennale with a national pavilion at the 61st International Art Exhibition, after a seven-year hiatus. The pavilion, titled "Geographies of Distance: Remembering Home," is presented by India's Ministry of Culture in partnership with the Nita Mukesh Ambani Cultural Centre and Serendipity Arts Foundation, curated by Amin Jaffer. It features five artists—Alwar Balasubramaniam, Sumakshi Singh, Ranjani Shettar, Skarma Sonam Tashi, and Asim Waqif—whose works explore themes of home, loss, displacement, and cultural memory through materials like soil, thread, bamboo, and clay.

The pioneer of organic textile sculptures, Magdalena Abakanowicz, is taking over Helsinki Art Museum

Helsinki Art Museum (HAM) presents "Magdalena Abakanowicz: Crossing Boundaries," the first Finnish exhibition of the Polish artist's monumental fiber works, running from May 6 to August 30, 2026, at the Tennis Palace. The show features 58 works spanning six decades, including her iconic Abakans—suspended woven forms—and headless burlap figures, along with documentary screenings and a new Finnish-language publication.

Three Venice shows everyone is talking about

The Korea Herald recommends three must-visit museum shows in Venice during the Venice Biennale. At Palazzo Grassi, the Pinault Collection presents "Michael Armitage. The Promise of Change," featuring the Kenya-born British painter's vivid works addressing sociopolitical tensions and migration. At Gallerie dell'Accademia, "Transforming Energy" by Marina Abramovic marks her 80th birthday, creating a dialogue between her performance art and Renaissance masterpieces. The Peggy Guggenheim Collection hosts "Peggy Guggenheim in London: The Making of a Collector," revisiting her formative years and her short-lived London gallery Guggenheim Jeune.

Marina Abramović’s Transforming Energy Reframes Performance Art in Venice

Marina Abramović has unveiled "Transforming Energy," a landmark exhibition at the Gallerie dell’Accademia in Venice, on view through October 19, 2026. The show marks the museum’s first major solo presentation dedicated to a living woman artist, arriving during the Venice Biennale. It places Abramović’s most significant performance works, including "Pietà (with Ulay)" (1983), in direct dialogue with Renaissance masterpieces such as Titian’s "Pietà," exploring themes of spirituality, grief, endurance, and transcendence. The exhibition is curated by Shai Baitel and features iconic works like "Balkan Baroque" (1997), for which Abramović won the Golden Lion.

Keeping It Simple

On Valentine's Day, the Marianna Kistler Beach Museum of Art in Manhattan, Kansas, opened the inaugural "Kansas Triennial 25/26" exhibition, featuring works by four Kansas-based visual artists: Mona Cliff, Mark Cowardin, Poppy DeltaDawn, and Ann Resnick. The museum engaged young visitors by handing out paper hearts and inviting them to place their heart in front of the artwork they loved best, creating a reflective and participatory experience.

Is Berlin not over yet?

Ist Berlin doch noch nicht over?

Çağla Ilk, who curated the German Pavilion at the Venice Biennale two years ago, has presented her plans as the new artistic director of the Maxim Gorki Theater in Berlin. Her program reimagines theater from the perspective of visual art, signaling a major shift in the city's theater landscape. The announcement comes amid broader reforms in Berlin's theater scene, including Matthias Lilienthal's upcoming takeover of the Volksbühne, and was met with both anticipation and anxiety, reminiscent of Chris Dercon's failed tenure at the Volksbühne in 2017.

"Gesundheitseffekt der Künste auf biologischer Ebene"

A roundup of art news covers multiple stories: Stefan Trinks criticizes Berlin's 'MuseumsMeileMitte' as a symptom of urban and cultural misdevelopment, where museums are co-opted by real estate marketing. At the Venice Biennale, the German Pavilion by Henrike Naumann and Sung Tieu explores East German identity and post-reunification trauma, while Patti Smith performed a 'sonic prayer' at the Vatican Pavilion curated by Hans Ulrich Obrist and Ben Vickers. A study from University College London suggests regular arts engagement may slow biological aging.

Venice Biennale 2026: The Pavilions Not to Be Missed

Biennale de Venise 2026 : les pavillons à ne surtout pas manquer

The 61st Venice Biennale, curated by Koyo Kouoh as an invitation to slow down and reconnect with emotions, features a constellation of contemplative and powerful proposals across the city. Notable national pavilions include the Holy See transforming a monastic garden into an immersive sound experience by Soundwalk Collective, Canada exploring colonial heritage through giant water lilies by Abbas Akhavan, and Austria electrifying the Giardini with radical performances by Florentina Holzinger. Other highlights include Spain dissecting collective memory through postcards, Poland imagining new forms of language between human and underwater worlds, and India's pavilion exploring notions of home.

Venice Biennale’s Visitor Lions Face Artist Boycott

In Tuscany, an Artistic Sculpture Hub Thrives

The article profiles Pietrasanta, a small town in Tuscany, Italy, that has evolved into a thriving international sculpture hub. It traces the town's artistic lineage back to Michelangelo, who sourced marble from local quarries in 1518, and highlights how today a dense network of workshops, foundries, and craftspeople attracts artists from around the world. The local government has established the Fondazione Centro Arti Visive di Pietrasanta to promote the town as a year-round art center, not just a seasonal destination. The piece features the Armenian-born artist Mikayel Ohanjanyan, who has seven sculptures on display in the town.

Sex, desire and intimacy explored in Singapore art exhibition for over-18s

National Gallery Singapore (NGS) is presenting "Passion is Volcanic: Desire in Southeast Asian Art," an exhibition for over-18s that explores eroticism and desire through more than 70 works spanning 800 years. The show is structured into three chapters—"Asian Mythos and Rituals," "Conventions of the Erotic," and "Public Arenas/Private Interiors"—and includes pieces such as a 14th-15th century Tantric Buddhist sculpture and Araya Rasdjarmrearnsook's video work "I’m Living" (2002). Senior curator Adele Tan, a co-curator, says she wanted to use the lens of eroticism to uncover overlooked narratives in the museum's collection.

Buhlebezwe Siwani “uYana umhlaba” at Consonni Radziszewski, Milan

Consonni Radziszewski inaugurates its Milan space with "uYana umhlaba," the first solo exhibition in Italy by South African artist Buhlebezwe Siwani. The show presents a new body of work that expands on research begun in 2020 with the Inkanyamba series, first exhibited at the Galeria Municipal de Almada in Portugal.

London’s Wellcome Collection to Transfer 2,000 Manuscripts to Jain Community, But They Will Stay in UK

The Wellcome Collection in London has announced plans to transfer 2,000 Jain manuscripts to the Jain community, but they will remain in the UK at the University of Birmingham’s Dharmanath Network in Jain Studies. The manuscripts, ranging from the 15th to 19th centuries, were largely purchased in 1919 from a temple in India and from sources in present-day Pakistan. The transfer follows years of dialogue with the UK-based Institute of Jainology and aims to maximize community access and research opportunities.

And who are you?

Und wer seid ihr?

The article is a brief interview conducted at the Venice Biennale, where a visitor named Franzi explains her presence at the event and discusses her favorite pavilion. She cites the Austrian Pavilion by Florentina Holzinger as her absolute favorite after five days of art, and clarifies that her bare chest is not a political protest against Putin but a homage to Holzinger's work. She also mentions missing the Vatican Pavilion due to long queues.

FYI Calendar: Traveling exhibition “Painting the Arkansas Parks” is on display at Arts On Main

A traveling exhibition titled "Painting the Arkansas Parks" is on display at Arts On Main in Van Buren, Arkansas, through June 27. The show features artworks created outdoors that highlight the natural beauty and character of Arkansas's landscapes. The article also lists numerous other events and exhibitions in the region, including "In Full Color" showcasing pastel works, "Peeking Inside the Imagination" featuring student art from Southside High School, and "Soul Taking Shape" by Arkansas Living Treasure Longhua Xu at the Fort Smith Regional Art Museum. Additionally, the calendar includes theater performances, culinary classes, a plant swap, and a cycling festival.

Stella’s Art Gallery selects ‘Size Matters’ winners | Gallery Glances

Stella's Art Gallery in Willoughby, Ohio, held its awards reception for the annual 'Size Matters' exhibition on May 8, with this year's theme requiring all works to be exactly 10 inches. Best of Show went to Breda Fallon for 'One Woman Show,' a 3D diorama. Winners in 3D included John Carreon (first and second place) and Daniel Fishwick (third); in 2D, Tatiana Strelnikova, Tracy Parsons, and Sheri Lawrence took top honors. The article also covers upcoming calls for art at the gallery, including 'The Landscape Show: Real or Fantasy' in June and 'The H2O Show' in July.

Kanal-Centre Pompidou sans tête

Yves Goldstein, the general director of the Brussels branch of the Centre Pompidou, has announced his departure just before the scheduled opening of Kanal-Centre Pompidou on November 28. Goldstein stated that his mission is nearly complete and that the museum's daily management phase requires a different leader. A call for applications will be launched by the board of directors, with the selection made by the board of the Fondation Kanal based on profiles proposed by a jury led by president Michèle Sioen. The new director will face immediate challenges, including negotiating a new management contract with the Brussels Region for 2029-2033 and securing an increased annual subsidy, currently set at €10 million, which is deemed insufficient.