Edinburgh independent arts festival announces open call for artists

Edinburgh's Hidden Door, an annual independent multi-arts festival, has announced an open call for visual artists to submit work for its 2026 edition, running from June 3 to June 7. The festival, which is volunteer-run, received transformative multi-year funding from Creative Scotland through 2027, enabling it to pay artists fairly and expand its ambitions. Artists based in Scotland or with a meaningful connection to the country are invited to apply by January 11, with themes including 'Out-of-Place Objects,' 'Stone Tape Theory,' and 'Myth of a Building.' The venue for 2026 remains secret, with the full program to be announced later.

UWSP Carlsten Art Gallery hosts ‘Meet Your Mentors’ faculty show

The University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point's Carlsten Art Gallery is hosting 'Meet Your Mentors,' a summer exhibition featuring work from faculty members across the School of Design and Communication. The show runs through September 13, with an artist reception on September 4, and is free and open to the public. Faculty from programs including art, art history, graphic design, interior architecture, media studies, and professional communication are participating, offering students a glimpse into their instructors' artistic processes and professional practices.

Veneto: In Place of a Liberty Café in Recoaro Terme, a Contemporary Art Center Opens. Interview with the Curator

Veneto: al posto di un caffè liberty di Recoaro Terme apre un centro d’arte contemporanea. Intervista alla curatrice

The historic Palazzo Caffè Nazionale in Recoaro Terme, a small spa town in the Veneto region of Italy, is being transformed into a contemporary art center called Cantiere del Contemporaneo, set to open on May 2, 2026. The project, curated by Elisabetta Bacchin, will focus on artist residencies, with the inaugural group including Romesh Bothalage, Pietro Chiarello, Francesco Pizzocchero, and Virginia Stevenin, who will work for two months in the converted spaces. The initiative is part of a broader regeneration plan funded by the National Plan for Borghi and the European Union's PNRR funds, aiming to revitalize the town's cultural and economic identity through contemporary art.

In Milan, the furnishings of the White House go on display. Design and architecture to talk about propaganda

A Milano vanno in mostra gli arredi della Casa Bianca. Design e architettura per parlare di propaganda

An exhibition titled 'The White House. Domestic Propaganda' has opened at Dropcity, an experimental center in the tunnels beneath Milan's Central Station, as part of the city's Design Week. Curated by students from the Politecnico di Milano's Interior Design Laboratory, the show critically examines the White House as a domestic space for political propaganda, using installations, models, and drawings to explore how its architecture and furnishings project cultural and social meanings.

In Bologna, an exhibition combines pictorial traditions and contemporary perfumes

A Bologna una mostra mette assieme tradizioni pittoriche e profumi contemporanei

The exhibition "Sogni di natura" (Dreams of Nature) has opened at the Collezioni Comunali d’Arte in Bologna’s Palazzo d’Accursio, coinciding with the 57th edition of Cosmoprof Worldwide. The show transforms the historic Sala Boschereccia into a multisensory "imagined garden" where 18th-century landscape paintings by Vincenzo Martinelli and Giuseppe Valiani are paired with contemporary fragrances. Students from the Italian Perfumery Institute developed these scents by analyzing the historical and symbolic identity of the room’s original decorations.

What are therapeutic gardens and how are they designed? An expert explains

Cosa sono i giardini terapeutici e come si progettano. Ce lo spiega l’esperta

Landscape architect Monica Botta discusses the resurgence and design principles of healing gardens, specialized green spaces designed to promote physical and psychological well-being. While the therapeutic value of nature was largely ignored in mid-20th-century clinical architecture, a modern shift is reintegrating 'nature therapy' into healthcare facilities to combat stress, depression, and chronic illnesses.

In a Piacenza church, the light of designer Davide Groppi becomes a whisper suspended in time

In una chiesa di Piacenza la luce del designer Davide Groppi diventa un sussurro sospeso nel tempo

Renowned lighting designer Davide Groppi has unveiled a major anthological exhibition titled "Un’ora di luce" (An Hour of Light) at Volumnia, a gallery housed within the deconsecrated Church of Sant’Agostino in Piacenza. Curated by Marco Sammicheli, the retrospective spans forty years of Groppi’s career, featuring iconic works like Sampei and Moon alongside new site-specific debuts. The exhibition is structured in two parts: a series of enclosed "utopias" that create intimate light environments, followed by a dialogue between his minimalist fixtures and the soaring, historic architecture of the church.

‘Scattered Memories’: Fragments That Refuse to Fade

The Goethe-Institut Sudan, in collaboration with the Humboldt Forum Berlin, presents 'Scattered Memories,' a transcontinental exhibition at the Goethe-Institut Kairo from 1 to 3 May 2026. The show features Sudanese artists working across collage, film, music, performance, food, and storytelling to explore themes of loss, remembrance, and cultural memory. Public programs include discussions, guided tours, and a traditional coffee corner, transforming the exhibition into a space for communal gathering and exchange.

Exploring Shekhawati: Rajasthan’s open-air art gallery of frescoed havelis

The article explores the Shekhawati region of northern Rajasthan, India, known as the world's largest open-air art gallery. It focuses on the 18th–20th century merchant havelis (mansions) hand-painted with intricate frescoes, many of which are now being restored as heritage hotels. The author recounts a personal stay at Malji Ka Kamra, a restored haveli in Mandawa, describing its blend of Italianate and Rajput architecture and the overwhelming frescoes covering every surface, depicting portraits, floral motifs, and scenes of daily life.

Mainstreaming abstract art

Twenty-six Nepali abstract artists are exhibiting together for the first time at Taragaon Next in Kathmandu in a group show titled 'Forms of Abstraction'. The exhibition, curated by Roshan Mishra, features works by artists including Kiran Manandhar, Sangee Shrestha, Sushma Rajbhandari, Bidhata KC, NB Gurung, Jeevan Rajopadhyay, Laya Mainali, and Nabendra Limbu, among others. Supported by the Saraf Foundation for Himalayan Traditions and Culture, the show explores themes of motion, emotion, nature, architecture, geometry, and culture, emphasizing how Nepali abstraction transforms rather than abandons tradition.

Exhibition openings to enjoy in May

Bundaberg Regional Galleries in Queensland, Australia, will launch five new exhibitions in May 2025, with opening events spread across the month. The shows include 'Lost in Palm Springs', a national touring exhibition curated by Dr Greer Honeywill featuring 14 artists and thinkers from America and Australia exploring Palm Springs' landscape and mid-century modern architecture; 'Shifting Perspectives: the Self Reconciliation Project' by local artist Avi Amesbury, which uses ceramics and storytelling to examine settler-colonial family history; 'Post Truth' by Gureng Gureng/Gangalu artist Darren Blackburn, addressing the Australian Government's Close the Gap campaign through led-neon signs; 'The Nature of Silk: The Glad Not Sad Book', a family-friendly exhibition of silk art by children's book author Kim Michelle Toft; and 'Metal in Motion' by Kevin Dekker, a collection of sculptures that transform steel, wood, stone and ceramics into dynamic, fluid forms. Opening events will be held at Bundaberg Regional Art Gallery and Childers Arts Space, with free admission and no RSVP required.

Art museum - The art of stillness: Dib Bangkok

Dib Bangkok, a major new contemporary art museum, has opened in Thailand's capital. Conceived by the late Thai businessman and art collector Petch Osathanugrah and realized by his son Purat 'Chang' Osathanugrah, the museum is housed in a converted 1980s warehouse redesigned by LA-based Thai architect Kulupat Yansantrast of WHY Architecture. It features 7,000 square meters of gallery space across 11 galleries, a central courtyard, an outdoor sculpture garden, and a penthouse. The inaugural exhibition, titled '(In)visible Presence,' presents 81 works by 40 artists exploring memory and the unseen, curated by director Miwako Tezuka.

shipping containers frame maison margiela's shanghai exhibition by OMA / AMO in china

OMA and its research arm AMO have unveiled a new exhibition design for Maison Margiela in Shanghai, utilizing industrial shipping containers as the primary architectural framework. The installation creates a modular, raw environment that reflects the fashion house’s deconstructivist aesthetic while navigating the expansive industrial space of the Chinese venue. By repurposing these steel structures, the design team has constructed a series of interconnected rooms that guide visitors through the brand's latest collections and archival pieces.

Exhibition of Chebykin’s work has opened in Kyiv: from intimate drawings to images of war and nation

The National Museum “Kyiv Art Gallery” has launched a major exhibition titled “Andriy Chebykin. MASTER AND WORKSHOP” to celebrate the 80th birthday of the renowned Ukrainian graphic artist and educator. The show features a comprehensive range of Chebykin’s work, from his classic 1970s etchings and 1990s nudes to recent pieces created during the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, such as “The Enemy Was Shot Down Over Tatarka.” Uniquely, the exhibition also includes works by his former students, highlighting his 55-year legacy at the National Academy of Fine Arts and Architecture.

Artful April: The exhibitions everyone’s talking about

India’s major art hubs are hosting a diverse array of exhibitions this April, ranging from historical explorations to contemporary sculpture. Key highlights include 'Shadows of Empire' at Mumbai’s 47A Khotachiwadi, which examines colonial legacies through the works of Jit Chowdhury and Kaushal Parikh, and a major retrospective of Jaya Ganguly’s four-decade career in Kolkata. In New Delhi, Latitude 28 is showcasing Mayur Kailash Gupta’s metaphysical sculptures, while Gallery Art Motif presents a multidisciplinary group show titled 'Space Making : Making Space' curated by Kunal Shah.

Open Art Exhibition brings international creativity to Olhão

The Open Art Exhibition has launched at the República 14 cultural center in Olhão, Portugal, featuring works by 86 artists from around the world. This collective showcase spans a wide array of styles and techniques, transforming the historic 19th-century venue into a hub of international creative dialogue. The exhibition is open to the public with free entry through March 29.

Moudy Art Gallery presents Marcy Davis: "Understory" opening reception

Moudy Art Gallery at Texas Christian University (TCU) is presenting "Understory," a thesis exhibition by MFA candidate Marcy Davis. The show explores the intersection of body, landscape, and architecture, examining how flesh becomes terrain and structures breathe like living forms. The exhibition runs through March 3, with free admission at the Moudy Art Gallery in Fort Worth, Texas.

"Art Department Triennial" | Artists Reception

Cal Poly Pomona's Art Department is hosting a triennial exhibition at the Kellogg University Art Gallery, with an opening reception scheduled for February 3, 2026, from 4 to 6 p.m. The showcase features art and graphic work by department faculty and students, exploring themes of environment and nature through landscape, architecture, history, memory, spirituality, and contemporary culture.

Watch inside the Harris ahead of the museum, art gallery and library’s re-opening

The article describes the ongoing preparations inside the Harris Museum, Art Gallery and Library in Preston, UK, ahead of its highly anticipated re-opening. It offers a behind-the-scenes look at the building's transformation, including the installation of new exhibitions, the restoration of historic architecture, and the final touches being applied by staff and contractors.

No 1 Poultry exhibition spaces, City of London

The article is behind a paywall, but the title and source indicate it concerns an exhibition space at No 1 Poultry, a notable building in the City of London. The content appears to be from the Architects' Journal (AJ), suggesting coverage of architectural or art-related exhibitions hosted at this location.

Syria, Ukraine and Gaza among countries to receive heritage funds from Aliph

ALIPH, the Geneva-based cultural heritage protection agency, has announced over $16 million in its latest funding round, with support directed to Syria, Gaza, Ukraine, Sudan, and a new focus on climate change impacts on heritage, primarily in Africa. Nearly a third of the funding ($5 million) goes to Syria, where the newly appointed Director General of Antiquities and Museums, Dr. Anas Haj Zeidan, aims to restore sites damaged during the war under former president Bashar al-Assad. ALIPH executive director Valéry Freland reported extensive damage from 14 years of war, the 2023 earthquake, and economic crises, but noted strong local determination to rehabilitate heritage, including Palmyra. The agency also committed $9 million to address climate threats, supporting 28 projects—22 in Africa—focused on earthen architecture, sacred forests, and local knowledge preservation.

Karin Skiba’s 50-Year Retrospective at the Hi-Desert Artists Gallery holds opening reception tonight (5/17)

Karin Skiba's 50-year retrospective, titled "Tapestries, Paper, and Paint," opens May 17 at the Hi-Desert Artists Gallery in Yucca Valley during the Yucca Valley Artwalk. The exhibition runs through June 16 and features large-scale collages of Detroit's decaying architecture, fictional portraits of women, and works layered with beads and symbolic feathers. Skiba, who spent over 20 years teaching in the community college system and helped establish the gallery at Norco College, describes art-making as integral to her identity.