Inside the New Madison Avenue Flagship of the Powerhouse Gagosian Gallery

Larry Gagosian has opened a new flagship gallery at 974 Madison Avenue (preferring the address 980 Madison at 76th Street) after Bloomberg Philanthropies took over the building's upper floors, which had housed Gagosian's New York flagship since the late 1980s. The megadealer relocated to the street level, creating a 12,000-square-foot complex with exhibition spaces, offices, meeting rooms, and private viewing areas designed by Jonathan Caplan of Caplan Colaku Architects. The gallery launched with a double-header presentation of works by Marcel Duchamp and Robert Rauschenberg, and features ceilings just over 12 feet high, adaptable walls, and a vestibule display of art books.

Insider’s Look at Curating a Show Inspired by the Declaration of Independence’s 250th Anniversary [Interview]

The Fabric Workshop and Museum (FVM) in Philadelphia has opened "Some American Dreams," an exhibition marking the 250th anniversary of the U.S. Declaration of Independence. Curated by Hilde Nelson, FVM curatorial fellow, the show features 27 works by 20 artists created during the museum's Artist-in-Residence Program over four decades. The exhibition includes pieces in furniture, sculpture, textiles, clothing, video, and photography, and is on view until June 14, 2026. In an interview with My Modern Met, Nelson discusses her curatorial approach, which poses the question, "What if 'America' is not one project, but many?" and explores how these multiple Americas are affirmed, resisted, or remade through the artworks.

Black Designers as Fine Artists: Fashion Meets Sculpture

The article from Ebony.com explores the intersection of fashion and fine art, highlighting how Black designers are increasingly being recognized as fine artists whose work bridges clothing design and sculpture. It profiles several contemporary Black designers who create garments that function as sculptural objects, exhibited in galleries and museums rather than solely on runways. The piece examines how these creators challenge traditional boundaries between fashion and art, using materials and techniques that elevate their work into the realm of fine art.

When Fashion Meets the Body, Can a Whole Museum Come Alive?

The Metropolitan Museum of Art's Costume Institute will open its latest fashion exhibition, "Costume Art," in a new gallery space adjacent to the Great Hall, formerly the museum's gift shop. Curated by Andrew Bolton, the show features 400 objects from the permanent collection, organized thematically around the dressed body—exploring the naked, classical, anatomical, and mortal body—rather than chronologically. The exhibition aims to connect artistic representations of the body with fashion as an embodied art form.

Tate Britain opens Europe’s largest James McNeill Whistler retrospective in 30 years

Tate Britain has opened the largest European retrospective of James McNeill Whistler in over 30 years, featuring 150 works across painting, drawing, printmaking, and design. The exhibition traces Whistler's career from his student days at the Imperial Academy of Arts in St Petersburg and West Point to his bohemian years in Paris and London, highlighting his pioneering nocturnes, the iconic *Arrangement in Black and Grey: Portrait of the Painter’s Mother* (known as *Whistler’s Mother*), and rarely seen sketchbooks. It reunites a familial triptych of portraits and assembles the largest-ever collection of his nocturnes, exploring his radical approach to composition and color.

Meet Ese Onojeruo: the exciting new talent behind the Venice Biennale’s British Pavilion

Ese Onojeruo has been appointed the Shane Akeroyd associate curator for the British Pavilion at the 2025 Venice Biennale, working with Turner Prize-winning artist Lubaina Himid on her exhibition 'Predicting History: Testing Translation'. The show features Himid's paintings—including 'Boatbuilders', 'Architects', 'Chefs', 'Tailors', and 'Gardeners'—which depict two figures negotiating belonging in a place they did not originally come from. Onojeruo, who previously held roles at South London Gallery, Chisenhale, and Tate, describes the collaboration as a 'full circle moment', having discovered Himid's work only after her formal art education.

Meet Vanessa Liem, The Singaporean Artist Exploring The Surreal And Dreamlike

Singaporean artist Vanessa Liem, a 23-year-old recent graduate of the University of the Arts, London, creates surreal, dreamlike paintings that explore themes of performance, vulnerability, and the impact of the outside gaze on the human body. Her works, characterized by humanoid figures with smooth faces and unusual light effects, have been exhibited at the ArtScience Museum and won the top prize in the Emerging Category for UOB's 2019 Painting of the Year. She is preparing for a solo exhibition titled 'The Third Person in the Room' at Cuturi Gallery in Singapore, her first show in the city in three years, marking a homecoming and artistic maturation.

HKMoA Showcases Local Artists at Venice Biennale with 'Fermata: Hong Kong in Venice' Exhibition

The Hong Kong Museum of Art (HKMoA) has organized 'Fermata: Hong Kong in Venice' as a Collateral Event of the 61st Venice Biennale, running from May 9 to November 22. The exhibition features artworks by Hong Kong artists Kingsley Ng and Angel Hui, curated under the musical symbol 'Fermata' in dialogue with the Biennale's theme 'In Minor Keys'. This marks the first time HKMoA has curated Hong Kong's exhibition at the Venice Biennale, with support from the Hong Kong Arts Development Council (HKADC) and the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government.

Meet the Psychologist Who Reads People Through the Art They Live With

Dr. Dimitrios Tsivrikos, an academic psychologist at University College London, describes how he reads people's personalities and emotional states through the art they choose to display in their homes. In an interview with Artsy, he explains that the visual and emotional enrichment of one's environment—whether through expensive artworks or simple posters—reveals deeper psychological insights about the individual.

Expansion plans for Rome's Galleria Borghese draw fierce response

Rome's Galleria Borghese, a 17th-century villa museum housing masterpieces by Caravaggio, Bernini, and Canova, is facing controversy over a privately funded feasibility study for a potential expansion. Sponsored by Italian engineering firm Proger, the €900,000 initiative would fund an international architecture competition to explore adding exhibition and visitor space to the Villa Borghese Pinciana grounds. Museum officials cite operational constraints: the historic interiors limit access to 360 visitors per two-hour slot (about 4,000 daily), reservations require weeks of waiting, many works remain in storage, and accessibility is poor. Visitor numbers hit a record 630,760 in 2025, up from 506,000 a decade earlier. Preservation groups including Italia Nostra Roma and Amici di Villa Borghese have objected to any new construction in the sensitive historic landscape. Director Francesca Cappelletti emphasized at a May 18 press conference that no project exists yet and the museum is only beginning a study process, with a winner possible by year's end.

Inside the Inaugural Edition of Art Cologne Palma Mallorca

The inaugural edition of Art Cologne Palma Mallorca took place from April 9–12, 2026, attracting 88 galleries from 20 countries and over 10,000 visitors to the Mediterranean island. The fair, held at the Palau de Congressos Convention Centre, reported strong sales and sold-out weekend days, with Artistic Director Daniel Hug praising the high level of engagement and positive response from both exhibitors and attendees. A second edition has already been scheduled for April 1–4, 2027.

Meet four artists behind the public art you'll see at L.A. Metro's new D Line stations

L.A. Metro opened the first phase of its D Line extension on Friday, May 1, 2026, adding three new underground stations connecting downtown Los Angeles to Beverly Hills: Wilshire/La Brea, Wilshire/Fairfax, and Wilshire/La Cienega. The stations feature nine site-specific public artworks by artists including Mariana Castillo Deball, Eamon Ore-Giron, Ken Gonzales-Day, Todd Gray, Karl Haendel, Soo Kim, Fran Siegel, Susan Silton, and Mark Dean Veca. The competitive selection process began a decade ago, drawing over 1,200 applicants, with finalists judged by a panel of art professionals including curators from Miracle Mile museums. Metro deputy executive officer Zipporah Yamamoto leads the agency's public art program, which is funded by a 0.5% construction budget set-aside.

Experience the Joy of “From MacArthur Park, with Love” at Charles White Elementary School

Charles White Elementary School in Los Angeles, in collaboration with LACMA, is presenting the exhibition "From MacArthur Park, with Love" opening May 21, 2025. The show features artworks by over 100 students from the school's Visual Arts Magnet program, celebrating the MacArthur Park neighborhood through diverse media including collaborative diptychs, observational drawings, and paintings of local landmarks and bird species. The exhibition runs Saturdays from May 23 to August 1, with free drop-in art workshops.

Dialing Up the Dollars: Giorno Poetry Systems Names Inaugural Recipients of New Need-Based Grant

Giorno Poetry Systems (GPS), the New York-based nonprofit founded in 1965 by artist John Giorno, has announced the twelve inaugural recipients of its new need-based grant, the Treat a Stranger grants. Each recipient receives an unrestricted grant of $4,545 to cover daily expenses like food, housing, health care, and emergencies. The grants are a relaunch of GPS's AIDS Treatment Project grants from 1984–1994, and are named after Giorno's mantra, “Treat a complete stranger with the same compassion you would treat a lover or a good friend.” Winners are selected by a rotating anonymous jury of LGBTQIA+ artists, poets, and musicians through a multi-meeting nomination and voting process.

To-Do List: A night of poetry at the art museum, the rodeo comes to town and a Beatles tribute

This article is a weekly events roundup from Free Times, listing activities in the Columbia, South Carolina area from May 6-11. It includes an art exhibition by sculptor Ellen Emerson Yaghjian at Stormwater Studios, a poetry and performance night at the Columbia Museum of Art responding to Rodney McMillian's exhibition, a Beatles tribute concert, a rodeo, an oil paint-making workshop, a music concert, a historic walking tour, a teen craft workshop, and a rock concert.

Art meets flowers: What to know about Ball State’s 'Art in Bloom'

Ball State University's David Owsley Museum of Art is hosting its annual 'Art in Bloom' event from May 15 to 17, 2026, in Muncie, Indiana. Regional floral designers create arrangements inspired by works from the museum's collection, with a free public preview party on May 15 featuring jazz by the Mark Buselli Trio. The weekend includes extended hours, paper flower-making workshops, live music by pianist Mikael Darmanie, and a People's Choice Award vote. This year's event is dedicated to the late David T. Owsley, the museum's namesake and main benefactor. A special exhibition, 'Nora Krug: Belonging,' organized by the Norman Rockwell Museum, is also on view through June 13.

Metropolitan Museum receives $23m to endow internship programme

On 30 April, the Metropolitan Museum of Art announced a $23m pledge from the Rubio Butterfield Foundation, led by newly elected trustee Jennifer Rubio and her husband Stewart Butterfield, to permanently endow the museum's internship program. The internships, offered for nearly 30 years with 100 participants annually, have only been paid since 2021. The article also explores broader trends in museum philanthropy, featuring insights from former directors Gary Vikan, Gary Tinterow, and Maxwell Anderson on how donors are often guided to fund endowments for curatorial positions, operations, or awards rather than art acquisitions.

Where Parts Meet: Yu Ji’s “Origin of the Tiger”

Shanghai-based artist Yu Ji presents her first solo exhibition in New York, "Origin of the Tiger," at P.P.O.W gallery from March 6 to April 11, 2026. The show features multimedia sculptures and installations made during a self-organized residency in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, where she collaborated with Khmer artisans and local children through the project PKA (PLAY KNOW ATTENTION). Works incorporate reed mats, concrete knees, snail shells, and modular furniture, emphasizing joints, fragmentation, and reassembly.

The National Gallery x hololive DEV_IS ReGLOSS’s Juufuutei Raden Announce a World-First Crossover Collaboration, Launching May 20 | NEWS

COVER Corporation has announced a collaboration between hololive DEV_IS ReGLOSS VTuber Juufuutei Raden and The National Gallery, London, launching May 20, 2026. Titled “When Raden Meets Art – A Shared Art Journey”, the project features three masterpieces selected by Raden—J.M.W. Turner’s “Rain, Steam, and Speed – The Great Western Railway”, Vincent van Gogh’s “Sunflowers”, and Claude Monet’s “The Water-Lily Pond”—reimagined into exclusive merchandise including fragrance mists, scarves, and cup sets. Raden, a certified curator in Japan, also recorded an audio guide highlighting 20 works from the Gallery, and the entire ReGLOSS team visited the museum for a behind-the-scenes experience.

Turkish, international artists meet audiences at Art Thessaloniki

The 9th Art Thessaloniki Contemporary Art Fair opened at the TIF Helexpo exhibition center in Thessaloniki, Greece, running until May 17, 2026. Istanbul-based Gallery Binyil presented a group exhibition titled "Meeting of Cultures," curated by Ilknur Sanal, featuring works by Turkish artists such as Bedri Baykam, Husamettin Kocan, Suleyman Saim Tekcan, Yigit Yazici, Adil Ocak, Tugce Calimbay, Filiz Kiprik, Huseyin Rustemoglu, Can Ozsobay, and Hasan Sefa Sofuoglu, alongside Greek artists Lia Eleftheriadou, Katerina Rimpatsiou, and Lena Morfogeni. The exhibition will travel to Gallery Binyil in Istanbul from June 1 to 19, and then to Flamm Hotel in Golturkbuku from June 24 to July 27.

City of the Arts? Costa Mesa called out for not having official arts budget

Costa Mesa’s Arts Commission delivered a report to the City Council on Tuesday, calling for a significant increase in arts funding as the city updates its arts and culture master plan. Currently, arts programs are primarily funded by a portion of cannabis tax revenue—about $230,000 annually—but actual expenditures are nearly double that, forcing the city to use general fund revenue to cover the gap. Commissioners recommended establishing a public art fund, increasing the cannabis tax allocation, imposing a 1% public art fee on capital projects over $500,000, and potentially using hotel-stay tax revenue to support the arts. They also proposed expanding the arts grants program, funding a consultant to update the master plan, and creating a dedicated arts specialist position.

Kengo Kuma & Associates to expand campus of Pennsylvania’s Brandywine Conservancy & Museum of Art

Kengo Kuma & Associates has been selected to design an expansion of the Brandywine Conservancy & Museum of Art in Pennsylvania. The project will add new gallery spaces, educational facilities, and improved visitor amenities to the institution, which is known for its collection of American art and its conservation work along the Brandywine River.

Mr.’s New Museum Show Is All About Otaku Fantasy

Japanese Superflat artist Mr. has opened 'We’ll Meet Again', his first major museum solo exhibition in Japan in over a decade, at the Fukuoka Asian Art Museum. Running through June 21, 2026, the show features over 80 works including paintings, sculptures, installations, and video pieces, exploring themes of nostalgia, video games, manga, and the yanki subculture. Highlights include an immersive bedroom installation filled with beer cans and manga, a screening of his 2008 film 'Nobody Dies', and a new motorcycle work called 'itasha'.

Meet the Mona Lisa! A free new immersive exhibition opens at Hong Kong Heritage Museum

A free immersive digital exhibition titled 'Meet Mona Lisa & Portraying the Renaissance' opens on May 1 at the Hong Kong Heritage Museum, running through July 27. Created in collaboration with the Musée du Louvre and the Grand Palais Immersif, the show is split into two sections: a multimedia journey guided by a narrated Mona Lisa across six chapters, including an interactive photo booth, and a second section featuring over 100 Renaissance treasures from European institutions. Highlights include four original manuscripts of the human body and faces by Leonardo da Vinci, shown for the first time in Hong Kong, alongside loans from the Pinacoteca Ambrosiana, the Musée national de la Renaissance, works by mainland artist Xu Lei, and items from the museum's own collection.

Experience 'Mona Lisa' and Renaissance Art at Hong Kong Heritage Museum Exhibition Starting Tomorrow

The Hong Kong Heritage Museum is launching 'The Hong Kong Jockey Club Series: Meet Mona Lisa & Portraying the Renaissance' exhibition from May 1 to July 27. The show offers a multimedia immersive experience centered on Leonardo da Vinci's 'Mona Lisa' and features Renaissance art treasures on loan from French and Italian cultural institutions, including the Musée du Louvre and the Musée national de la Renaissance. The opening ceremony on April 30 was attended by Hong Kong Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism Rosanna Law, French Consul General Christile Drulhe, and other dignitaries.

Where to see artworks in Marin

A comprehensive listing of art exhibitions and gallery shows across Marin County, California, for spring 2025. The article highlights dozens of venues including Robert Green Fine Arts in Mill Valley, which will display John Grillo's works from the 1940s beginning in May, alongside shows at Anthony Meier, Art Works Downtown, Bolinas Museum, and many local libraries and cultural centers. Exhibits range from abstract works and pop art to photography, ceramics, and sculptures by artists such as Saif Azzuz, Drew Frazier, Lenore Golub, and Sonny Smith.

WHEN FASHION MEETS ART QUOTES BODIES AND POWER AT THE MET GALA

The 2026 Met Gala took place on the first Monday of May, opening the Costume Institute's spring exhibition 'Costume Art' at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. The dress code 'Fashion is Art' prompted celebrities to treat the body as a canvas, with attendees like Hunter Schafer, Madonna, Rachel Zegler, Angela Bassett, Kendall Jenner, Troye Sivan, and Emma Chamberlain referencing specific artworks—from Gustav Klimt's *Mada Primavesi* to the *Winged Victory of Samothrace*—and historical fashion pieces.

In Veneto, a New Art Center is About to Open in Two 16th-Century Villas on the Brenta Riviera (Opening on the Same Day as the Biennale)

In Veneto sta per inaugurare un nuovo centro d’arte con sede in due ville cinquecentesche della Riviera del Brenta (apertura lo stesso giorno della Biennale)

A new cultural center named Ca' Riviera will open on May 9, 2026, in Mira, Veneto, housed within two 16th-century villas on the Brenta Riviera. The project, founded by Riccardo Corò and Leonardo Tiezzi, aims to be a permanent hub for contemporary art, design, and architecture, featuring exhibitions, installations, and artist residencies. Its inaugural exhibition, 'The Shape of the Self / La forma del Sé,' is organized in collaboration with the Milan gallery Cassina Projects.

At Alserkal Avenue’s Deja Vu, UAE galleries find strength in collaboration

Alserkal Avenue in Dubai has launched "Deja Vu," a multi-gallery exhibition bringing together 20 UAE-based galleries at the Concrete venue, running until May 8. Curated by Zaina Zaarour with co-curators Kevin Jones and Nada Raza, the show features works including German artist Michael Sailstorfer's installation of a car fuel tank, reflecting anxieties around fuel prices and geopolitical uncertainty. The exhibition emerged from urgent community meetings after the Iran war disrupted the spring art season, which typically includes Art Dubai and collector visits. Participating galleries include 16 from Alserkal Avenue, plus Nika Project Space, Total Arts at The Courtyard, Tabari Artspace, and Iris Projects, with many works priced under $10,000 to facilitate sales.

'Soulages-Hartung : Affinités électives' at Perrotin, Paris Marais, France on 25 Apr–30 May 2026

Perrotin in Paris Marais is presenting 'Soulages-Hartung: Affinités électives,' an exhibition exploring the friendship and artistic dialogue between Pierre Soulages (1919–2022) and Hans Hartung (1904–1989). The show features a never-before-screened filmed interview from the Fondation Hartung-Bergman, along with archival documents and rarely seen studio tools. It highlights their shared concerns as postwar abstract painters, their mutual support and gift exchanges—such as Soulages's walnut stain piece given to Hartung in 1948—and their contrasting approaches, with Hartung's explosive gestures versus Soulages's measured structures. The exhibition also reveals their lesser-known use of blue in the 1980s.