May You Live in Less Interesting Times

The international jury for the Venice Biennale has collectively resigned just before the press preview, following their announcement that countries accused of crimes against humanity—specifically Israel and Russia—would be excluded from award consideration. The jurors did not provide an explicit reason for their resignation. Meanwhile, Russia's return to the 61st Venice Biennale will involve workarounds to comply with international sanctions, including restricted pavilion access. The article also highlights a widely-read essay by Hakan Topal on the financialization and 'administrification' of American art schools and academia.

​​​​Art Movements: Curators Named for El Museo's Latine Art Survey

El Museo del Barrio has announced the curatorial team for the 2027 edition of La Trienal, its landmark survey of Latine contemporary art. The show will be organized by Susanna V. Temkin, interim chief curator at the museum; Zuna Maza, assistant curator; and guest curator Kaitlin Garcia-Maestas, formerly of Socrates Sculpture Park. In other biennial news, Amanda Carneiro and Raphael Fonseca were named chief curators of the 37th Bienal de São Paulo, the jury of the 61st Venice Biennale resigned after omitting Russia and Israel from awards consideration, and Marcello Dantas was appointed senior curator of the Vancouver Biennale. Hedwig Fijen will step down as director of Manifesta, with Emilia van Lynden and Catherine Nichols taking over in a new co-leadership model. Janne Sirén will resign as director of the Buffalo AKG Art Museum, Kate Kraczon was named chief curator at the Montclair Art Museum, and Charlie White was appointed dean of WashU’s Sam Fox School of Design & Visual Arts. Marina Abramović has designed wine labels for the Ornellaia estate, with limited-edition bottles to be auctioned by Bonhams to benefit the Guggenheim Pop exhibition.

Harry Bertoia Gets His Moment

The city of Detroit is experiencing a significant Harry Bertoia revival, centered around the rediscovery and restoration of a massive 26-foot suspended sculpture. Originally commissioned in 1970 for a Michigan mall and long presumed lost or destroyed during building demolitions, the steel-wire and brass work was found languishing in a basement in 2017. Following an extensive restoration process, the monumental piece has been installed in General Motors' new global headquarters at the historic Hudson’s site, a feat that required complex engineering and a five-story opening in the building's facade.

Remembering Agosto Machado, Keeper of Queer Histories

Agosto Machado, a seminal performer, archivist, and fixture of New York’s downtown queer arts scene, has passed away. Known as a "keeper of secrets" and a vital connector within the avant-garde community, Machado was a muse to filmmaker Jack Smith and a lifelong friend to Warhol superstar Mario Montez. His life spanned the height of the East Village performance era, where he transitioned from a quiet observer to an essential participant in the preservation of underground history.

Fastest Art Heist in History?

Thieves stole three valuable paintings by Cézanne, Matisse, and Renoir from a small museum in northern Italy in a heist that reportedly took less than three minutes. The combined value of the artworks is estimated at around $10 million.

Internet Goes Wild for The Met’s Newly Acquired Mannerist Painting

The Metropolitan Museum of Art's acquisition of a newly identified Mannerist painting, Rosso Fiorentino's "Madonna and Child with Saint John the Evangelist" (1512–13), has sparked a viral, irreverent reaction on social media. Commenters on the museum's Instagram post have described the muscular infant Jesus using contemporary slang like "baddie," "yasssified," and "caked up," drawing parallels to modern beauty trends.

Best art exhibitions in late 2025: Asia-Pacific

The article highlights the most exciting art exhibitions across the Asia-Pacific region in late 2025. Key shows include a survey of women photographers in Melbourne, a Lee Bul retrospective in Seoul, a Robert Rauschenberg exhibition in Hong Kong, and a Lucie Rie ceramics show in Kanazawa, Japan. Additionally, a new museum opens in Taiwan, and the National Palace Museum in Taiwan hosts a loan exhibition of 81 works from the Robert Lehman Collection at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, featuring artists like Cézanne, Gauguin, and Renoir. Other notable events include 'Prism of the Real' at the National Crafts Museum in Kanazawa, examining Japanese art from 1989 to 2010, and a Kim Tschang-Yeul exhibition at the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art in South Korea.

parties vhernier pae white jewelry frieze la

Vhernier hosted an elegant private reception in Los Angeles to unveil a new jewelry collection designed by LA-based multidisciplinary artist Pae White. The event, held at the home of esteemed collector and Museo Jumex founder Eugenio López, brought together a global crowd including MOCA board chair Carolyn Powers, gallerist Francesca Kaufmann, curator Valérie-Anne Giscard d’Estaing, visual artist Jwan Yosef, and Chanel’s President of Arts, Culture & Heritage Yana Peel. The collection, inspired by a crab’s exoskeleton, is crafted in white gold, abalone, jade, sapphires, and rock crystal, with only two iterations of each design produced.

art juliana halpert frieze los angeles 2026

Juliana Halpert, writing for Cultured's Critics' Table, offers a local perspective on Los Angeles's busy February art scene, contrasting the global art-fair circuit with four distinctive local exhibitions. She visits Tanya Brodsky's "Stories of the City" at Campbell Hall school in Studio City, where Brodsky's sculptures engage with Italo Calvino's *Invisible Cities*; the Julia Stoschek Foundation; Amanda Ross-Ho's show; and Rita McBride's exhibition. Halpert uses Calvino's metaphor of Eutropia—a city whose inhabitants cycle through identical suburbs—to critique the repetitive nature of art fairs like Art Basel and Frieze, which travel from city to city with little variation.

Master of Madonnas and the Market

Meister der Madonnen und des Marktes

A major exhibition titled "Raphael: Sublime Poetry" has opened at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, exploring how the Renaissance master Raphael's work was deeply intertwined with money, prestige, and patronage. The show traces his career from early mentorship under his father and influences from Leonardo da Vinci to his rivalry with Michelangelo, highlighting commissions from wealthy supporters like the aristocrat Elena Duglioli and Pope Leo X, who commissioned Raphael's extravagant tapestries for the Sistine Chapel.

Fondation Beyeler: Freier Eintritt im Bikini

The Fondation Beyeler in Riehen, Switzerland, invited visitors to enter the museum for free if they came wearing swimwear, as part of a "Bathing Day" promotion. The event was inspired by Paul Cézanne, whose famous paintings of bathers are the subject of a current exhibition at the museum. The museum reported strong attendance and stated that the unusual setting brings art and visitors closer together, changing perception and reducing distance.

Salon des Refusés 2.0

Salon des Refusés 2.0

A group exhibition titled "we refuse_d" has opened at the Museum van Hedendaagse Kunst (M HKA) in Antwerp, bringing together 15 artists, many of whom faced cancellations or disinvitations from exhibitions following the October 7, 2023 attacks. The show, referencing the historic 1863 Salon des Refusés, aims to reclaim reputation and amplify marginalized voices, specifically focusing on Palestinian history and artists affected by the cultural fallout.

2026 Spring Arts Preview: The top visual art exhibitions we’re excited about this season

The article previews the spring 2026 visual arts season in San Diego County, highlighting a diverse range of exhibitions and events. It announces the return of Art Gallery Month, a collaborative effort involving 11 local galleries aimed at boosting the visibility of the commercial gallery ecosystem and encouraging local art collecting. Key exhibitions featured include Ruben Ulises Rodriguez Montoya's first California solo museum show, 'In the Garden of Earthly Delights: I Bend to Paradise,' at the Institute of Contemporary Art, San Diego, and the La Jolla Historical Society's 'Space Maker,' which explores the intersection of art and architecture. The preview also notes Richard Allen Morris's work at R.B. Stevenson Gallery and lists numerous participating commercial galleries.

Joe Moss, Drones and Caspar David Friedrich

Artist Joe Moss presents his installation 'Automated Fantasy Procedure' at Matt's Gallery in London. The work features a squadron of choreographed drones, two-channel videos with actors portraying figures like a Caspar David Friedrich-inspired wanderer, and a Roman-style mosaic, all experienced in scheduled ten-minute replays designed to mimic the overwhelming sensation of scrolling through a smartphone.

Vanités contemporaines

The article explores the enduring relevance of still life and vanitas in contemporary art, tracing their evolution from the biblical proclamation "Vanity of vanities; all is vanity" through modern masters like Paul Cézanne, Pablo Picasso, and Giorgio Morandi to contemporary practitioners such as Claudio Parmiggiani. It highlights how artists continue to use everyday objects—compotes, skulls, pitchers, apples—as vehicles for formal experimentation and philosophical reflection, with still life serving as a minimalist device that allows infinite plastic research.

The Met Gala, an Institution within the Institution

Le Met Gala, une institution dans l’institution

Le Met Gala 2026 took place on Monday at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, co-chaired by Beyoncé, Nicole Kidman, and Venus Williams. The event raised a record $42 million for the Costume Institute, with celebrities like Madonna and Kendall Jenner attending under the dress code 'Fashion is Art'. The gala also opened the exhibition 'Costume Art', curated by Andrew Bolton, featuring 25 new mannequins with diverse body types.

Gagosian reconstitue une œuvre oubliée de Christo

Gagosian Gallery in London has reconstructed Christo's unrealized 1968 work "Air Package on a Ceiling" for the first time. The installation, measuring 16 by 10 meters, was originally conceived for the Institute of Contemporary Art in Philadelphia but never built due to technical constraints. The maquette and drawings were rediscovered in 2018 by studio manager Lorenza Giovanelli, hidden under a base in Christo's New York studio, and the full-scale work was realized in collaboration with the Christo and Jeanne-Claude Foundation.

5 secret jewels to discover in Europe

5 joyaux secrets à découvrir en Europe

L'Œil magazine has curated a list of five European cities rich in art historical treasures, highlighting hidden gems for cultural getaways. The first city profiled is Mainz, Germany, featuring the Romanesque-Gothic Mainzer Dom (Imperial Cathedral of St. Martin), the Gutenberg Museum showcasing the 42-line Bible as a landmark of printing history, and the Church of St. Stephen with its iconic blue stained-glass windows designed by Marc Chagall. The second city is Plovdiv, Bulgaria, where the old town blends ancient Roman ruins (a stadium, forum, odeon, and theater from the 2nd century) with 19th-century Bulgarian National Revival houses, such as the Balabanov, Hindliyan, and Kuyumdzhioglu houses, now converted into museums.

Art Paris: A Better Result Than Expected

Art Paris, un bilan meilleur que prévu

The 28th edition of Art Paris concluded with stronger-than-expected sales despite a sluggish start and a volatile global climate. Featuring 165 galleries, the fair solidified its position as a key regional event for French collectors, offering a price range typically between €10,000 and €40,000. While mega-galleries like Almine Rech participated with accessible works, the fair also welcomed newcomers like Esther Schipper and In Situ-Fabienne Leclerc, who reported positive results across various media including ceramics, photography, and painting.

Gallery Openings This Week in Paris

Les vernissages cette semaine dans les galeries parisiennes

The Paris gallery scene is experiencing a surge of new activity this week with several high-profile openings across the city's major art districts. Highlights include Rosson Crow’s vibrant, chaotic landscapes at Galerie Nathalie Obadia, the inauguration of Galerie Sator’s new Marais space with sculptures by Kokou Ferdinand Makouvia, and a curated dialogue between historical avant-gardes and contemporary abstraction at Galerie Le Minotaure. Additionally, Gagosian is showcasing late works by Francis Bacon, while Esther Schipper presents the first Paris solo exhibition for Sojourner Truth Parsons.

« Les artistes sont des fous, des enfants » : rencontre avec Annette Messager au cœur du bric-à-brac poétique de son atelier

French artist Annette Messager, 82, welcomes Beaux Arts Magazine into her Malakoff studio and home ahead of her exhibition at the Musée de la Chasse et de la Nature in Paris. The studio is a chaotic, poetic bric-à-brac filled with hybrid creatures, stuffed toys, anatomical objects, and textile works, including her iconic piece "Les Piques" (1992–1993). Messager, who won the Golden Lion at the Venice Biennale in 2005, discusses her playful yet serious approach to art, describing artists as "mad, like children" who play constantly, sometimes very seriously. Her upcoming shows include presentations at Centre Pompidou Málaga, Galería Albarrán Bourdais in Madrid, the National Taiwan Museum of Fine Arts, and the Kunsthalle Prague.

The Best and Worst of the Stars at the 2026 Met Gala Inspired by Art History

Le meilleur et le pire des stars au Met Gala 2026 inspiré par l’histoire de l’art

On May 4, 2026, the Met Gala brought together 450 guests at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York under the theme "Fashion is Art," tied to the exhibition "Costume Art." Attendees were asked to draw inspiration from specific artworks, resulting in standout looks: Madonna channeled Leonora Carrington's "The Temptation of Saint Anthony" (1945) in a Saint Laurent gown, Kim Kardashian wore a custom piece by Allen Jones extending his "Cover Story 4/4" (2021), Hunter Schafer embodied Gustav Klimt's portrait "Mäda Primavesi" (1912-1913) in Prada, and Tessa Thompson referenced Yves Klein's "Anthropométries" in Valentino. Gracie Abrams also paid homage to Klimt's "The Kiss."

Video: The secrets of the unicorn, a legendary creature at the heart of an exhibition at the Musée de Cluny

Vidéo : Les secrets de la licorne, créature légendaire au cœur d’une exposition au musée de Cluny

The Musée de Cluny in Paris is presenting an exhibition titled "Licornes!" from March 13 to July 12, 2026, exploring the history and symbolism of the unicorn from antiquity to the present day. Curated by Béatrice de Chancel-Bardelot, the show traces the creature's evolving depiction in literature, illuminated manuscripts, frescoes, tapestries, and contemporary art, highlighting its shifting meanings from a wild, aggressive beast to a symbol of purity, virtue, and, more recently, LGBTQIA+ pride and feminine power.

Which exhibitions and museums to visit in the evening this May in Paris?

Quels expos et musées voir en nocturne en ce mois de mai à Paris ?

Paris museums and galleries are extending their hours for evening visits in May, with many offering late-night openings on specific weekdays. The Palais de Tokyo is open until 10pm daily except Tuesday, the Musée du Luxembourg stays open until 10pm on Mondays, and the BnF Richelieu site is open until 8pm on Tuesdays. The Fondation Cartier pour l'art contemporain, newly relocated near the Louvre, welcomes visitors until 10pm on Tuesdays, while the Jeu de Paume stays open until 9pm on Tuesdays. On Wednesdays, the Musée du Louvre extends its hours until 9pm, alongside other museums. Current exhibitions include shows dedicated to Leonora Carrington, Martin Parr, and Nan Goldin, among others.

Georg Baselitz, grande figure de l’art allemand, est mort à l’âge de 88 ans : retour sur sa vie et son œuvre

Georg Baselitz, one of Germany's most significant post-war artists, has died at age 88. Born Hans-Georg Kern in 1938, he grew up in Nazi-era Saxony and later rejected his father's ideology, fleeing to West Berlin in 1957. Known for his provocative, expressionist works and signature upside-down paintings, Baselitz challenged artistic conventions with brutalist techniques—attacking wood with chainsaws and axes—and created scandalous pieces like "Die große Nacht im Eimer" (1962–1963), which was banned from exhibition. His career included major retrospectives at the Musée d'Art Moderne de la Ville de Paris (2011) and Centre Pompidou (2021), and commissions for the Reichstag.

Au boulot ! 10 œuvres qui célèbrent le travail

Beaux Arts Magazine presents a feature on ten artworks that celebrate labor, from ancient Egyptian frescoes to modern depictions of workers. The article highlights pieces such as Pieter Brueghel the Elder's "The Harvesters" (1565), Diego Velázquez's "The Spinners" (c. 1657), and Johannes Vermeer's "The Milkmaid" (c. 1660), examining how artists have elevated peasant, artisan, and domestic work from background detail to central subject. The feature coincides with the Musée d'Orsay's nationwide initiative "100 œuvres qui racontent le travail" (100 Works That Tell the Story of Work), which explores the history and representation of labor in art.

A Titanic Face-to-Face Brings Together the Vibrant Bodies of Rodin and Michelangelo at the Louvre

Un face-à-face titanesque réunit les corps vibrants de Rodin et Michel-Ange au Louvre

The Louvre has mounted an exhibition that places the works of Auguste Rodin in direct dialogue with those of Michelangelo, focusing on the profound influence of the Renaissance master on the 19th-century sculptor. Key sculptures like Rodin's 'Adam' and 'The Age of Bronze' are juxtaposed with Michelangelo's 'Dying Slave' and 'Rebellious Slave', highlighting shared themes of contorted male forms and masterful use of contrapposto.

The True Story of César's Forger Currently Featured in a Canal+ Documentary Series

L’histoire vraie du faussaire de César actuellement dans une série documentaire sur Canal+

The French documentary series on Canal+ explores the life of Éric Piedoie Le Tiec, a prolific art forger who flooded the market with thousands of fake works. Based in the French Riviera, Le Tiec specialized in creating pieces "in the style of" modern masters like Raoul Dufy and César Baldaccini. Following César's death in 1998, Le Tiec partnered with Jean-Charles Villa to mass-produce fake "compressions" using industrial car crushers, exploiting the artist's rising market value and lack of a definitive catalogue raisonné.

Christo and Jeanne-Claude artwork to be presented for the first time ever at Gagosian.

An unrealized work by Christo and Jeanne-Claude, recently discovered in Christo's atelier, will be presented for the first time at Gagosian in London. Titled *Air Package on a Ceiling*, the installation features a 52-foot-long, 33-foot-wide inflated form wrapped in rope, softly illuminated from within to resemble half a cloud protruding from the ceiling. The piece is realized from the original 1968 model and preparatory drawings and collages.

American Artist and Sonya Clark among Guggenheim Fellows 2026.

The John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation has announced its 101st class of Guggenheim Fellows, awarding grants to 223 individuals across 55 disciplines. Among the 30 fine artists selected for the 2026 cohort are Brooklyn-based conceptual artist American Artist, textile artist and educator Sonya Clark, and interdisciplinary artist Allison Janae Hamilton. Each fellow receives a financial stipend designed to provide the creative and intellectual freedom necessary to pursue their work without restrictive conditions.