death of artist sarah cunningham ruled accidental

An inquest has ruled that the death of London-based artist Sarah Cunningham, 31, was accidental. She went missing in the early hours of November 2 in Camden, and her body was later found on the tracks at Chalk Farm Underground Station. On April 9, London’s Poplar Coroner’s Court determined that Cunningham jumped down onto the northbound train track and walked into the tunnel, where a train hit her 18 minutes later, but the coroner found she did not intend to take her own life. Cunningham was a rising artist represented by Lisson Gallery.

obama presidential center chicago artist commissions

US artists Spencer Finch and Lindsay Adams have been commissioned to create new installations for the Obama Presidential Center in Chicago, which is set to open in early 2026. Finch will produce a 70-foot-long tiled mural for the Forum building's lobby, inspired by Barack Obama's memoir *Dreams from My Father*, while Adams will adapt a 2024 painting into fabric panels for the center's public café. The commissions are led by museum director Louise Bernard and curator Virginia Shore, who are building a collection of approximately 20 public artworks for the campus, including pieces by Julie Mehretu, Richard Hunt, and Maya Lin.

cooper hewitt triennial home

The Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum has opened "Making Home," the seventh installment of its Triennial, featuring 25 newly commissioned projects that explore the concept of home through memory, construction, and rupture. Co-curated by Alexandra Cunningham Cameron, Christina L. De León, and Michelle Joan Wilkinson, the exhibition is organized across three themes—Going Home, Seeking Home, and Building Home—and marks the first partnership between Cooper Hewitt and another Smithsonian museum, the National Museum of African American History and Culture. The show is on view through August 10.

pacita abad retrospective sfmoma walker

Pacita Abad, a Filipino artist who fled political persecution in 1970 and went on to create over 5,000 works, is finally receiving her first career retrospective. Organized by the Walker Art Center in Minneapolis, the exhibition is now on view at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art (SFMOMA), featuring roughly 40 pieces that showcase her vibrant trapunto paintings—quilted canvases embellished with materials like buttons, beads, and shells. The show will travel to MoMA PS1 in New York and the Art Gallery of Ontario in Toronto next year.

christies auction anne sid bass mark rothko paul rudolph

Christie’s will sell nine works from the Bass House, a Fort Worth, Texas home designed by architect Paul Rudolph for collectors Sid and Anne Bass, in its 20th century evening sale this May in New York. The group, with estimates totaling over $60 million, includes pieces by Mark Rothko, Alexander Calder, Ellsworth Kelly, Frank Stella, Agnes Martin, Gino Severini, and Morris Louis, with the top lot being Rothko’s *No. 4 (Two Dominants) [Orange, Plum, Black]* (1950–51) estimated at around $35 million. The works were carefully placed throughout the house, which was custom-built to prioritize art display, and most remained in their original positions after installation.

isaac julien us retrospective de young museum review

Isaac Julien’s retrospective at the de Young Museum in San Francisco features 13 multiscreen video installations, including works like *Baltimore* (2003) and *Ten Thousand Waves* (2010). The exhibition blends Renaissance art, Black cinema, science fiction, and documentary, with Julien’s signature use of multiple screens to create an overwhelming visual experience. Curated by Claudia Schmuckli, the show is billed as Julien’s largest in the US, requiring about four and a half hours to view in full.

duabis alserkal avenue 2025 art dubai

Alserkal Avenue in Dubai's Al Quoz Industrial district has transformed from a cluster of warehouses and auto shops into a major cultural hub, now housing around 90 creative businesses including 17 contemporary art galleries. Founded in 2008 by Emirati patron Abdelmonem Bin Eisa Alserkal, the Avenue began with a single gallery, Ayyam, and has since expanded through a $13.6 million investment to replace a marble factory with purpose-built spaces. Key galleries include Carbon 12, The Third Line, and Green Art Gallery. The centerpiece is Concrete, an exhibition hall designed by Rem Koolhaas's OMA, currently hosting Imran Qureshi's solo show 'Vanishing Points,' curated by Nada Raza. Other notable exhibitions include Michael Sailstorfer's 'Air Electric' series at Carbon 12.

The 17 Gallery Shows to See During Frieze Week in New York

Frieze New York has drawn collectors, curators, and art enthusiasts to the city, but this article highlights 17 gallery shows across Manhattan that are worth seeing during the fair week. Featured exhibitions include Katharina Fritsch's return to Matthew Marks with monumental sculptures, Kim Dacres' tire-based busts at Charles Moffett, Sasha Brodsky's debut solo show at Margot Samel, Jasper Johns' "Copy/Trace" at David Zwirner, and Lucia Hierro's packing-box sculptures at Marc Straus, among others.

No Attitude, Nowhere: Conviction, Zero Meaning

Keine Haltung, nirgends Gesinnung, null Bedeutung

The article critiques the current state of the art world and broader culture, arguing that right-wing calls for depoliticized art are intensifying while the progressive art establishment silently tolerates a culture war that restricts free expression. It uses the 2025 Met Gala as a prime example, describing the event as a heartless display of wealth and power aligned with Trump-era capitalism, where celebrities and artists perform progressive values while participating in a spectacle sponsored by anti-union figures like Jeff Bezos. The author draws on Hannah Arendt's ethics lectures to suggest that moral norms have collapsed overnight, and that the commercial art world now legitimizes anti-democratic tendencies through its silence.

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.

Matisse Is a Crowd-Pleaser. Here’s What the Crowds Rarely Get to See

Acquavella Galleries in Manhattan has unveiled a major exhibition featuring over 50 works by Henri Matisse, many of which are rarely seen pieces drawn from private collections. This comprehensive survey includes paintings, drawings, and sculptures that span the artist's prolific career, offering a unique glimpse into works that typically remain behind closed doors.

Notes from New York: The World in a Convex Mirror

The article reviews the sixth edition of MoMA PS1's quinquennial survey 'Greater New York 2026,' which coincides with the institution's 50th anniversary. It highlights works by artists such as Covey Gong, Win McCarthy, Mekko Harjo, and Sophie Friedman-Pappas, noting how the exhibition's themeless structure and use of reflective surfaces create a hall of distorted reflections. The show includes 53 emerging and midcareer artists, mostly millennials, and is accompanied by a block party and gala rather than a dedicated commemorative exhibition like FORTY (2016).

2026 Venice Biennale pavilions: your go-to list [Updated]

ArtReview has compiled a running list of national pavilions for the 61st Venice Biennale, running from 9 May to 22 November 2026. The Biennale was set to be curated by Koyo Kouoh, who died on 10 May 2025. Recent announcements include Haitham Al Busafi representing Oman, Genti Korini representing Albania with a three-channel video installation titled 'A Place in The Sun (still)', and Matías Duville representing Argentina with an interactive salt-and-charcoal installation. The Australia Pavilion will feature artist Khaled Sabsabi and curator Michael Dagostino, who were initially dropped due to controversy over Sabsabi's 2007 film 'You' but later reinstated. Florentina Holzinger will represent Austria with a water-themed performance.

ArtReview Podcast | Episode 5: Rene Matić

Artist Rene Matić discusses their multidisciplinary practice and cultural influences in the latest episode of the ArtReview Podcast. The conversation explores Matić’s background as a second-generation skinhead of St Lucian heritage, their status as the youngest-ever Turner Prize nominee, and the upcoming commission for the grand opening of the V&A East Museum in April 2026.

What to See in Sydney This Spring 2026

Sydney's art scene is energized by the opening of the 25th Biennale of Sydney, titled 'Rememory' and curated by Hoor Al Qasimi, which explores histories carried in the body rather than physical monuments. Concurrently, four notable exhibitions across the city engage with similar themes of legacy and history. Kirtika Kain's 'Unkept' at the Chau Chak Wing Museum creates a fictional archive from anti-caste traditions to address Dalit lineage and colonial collection politics, while Ron Mueck's 'Encounter' at the Art Gallery of New South Wales uses hyperreal sculpture to confront contemporary brutality and vulnerability.

ArtReview Podcast | Episode 3: Noémie Goudal

ArtReview Podcast | Episode 3: Noémie Goudal

The ArtReview Podcast released its third episode featuring an interview with artist Noémie Goudal. Hosted by ArtReview editor J.J. Charlesworth, the conversation explores Goudal's practice through three selected artworks, touching on VR technology, the representation of time in photography, and the concept of 'immersiveness' in contemporary art.

In Venice, 22 unmissable exhibitions on the sidelines of the biennial

À Venise, 22 expositions incontournables en marge de la biennale

The article highlights 22 must-see exhibitions happening alongside the 61st Venice Biennale, which is expected to be affected by geopolitical tensions but still promises artistic vibrancy. Notable events include Bvlgari's dual projects featuring artists Lotus L. Kang, Lara Favaretto, and Monia Ben Hamouda; the unveiling of the Asscher collection at the Ama Venezia foundation with works by Charles Ray, Jenny Saville, and Richard Serra; and the inaugural exhibition "The Only True Protest Is Beauty" at the Fondation Dries Van Noten, showcasing 200 objects across fashion, design, and art. Other highlights include a dialogue between Picasso, Morandi, and Parmiggiani at the Fondazione Bevilacqua La Masa.

David Hockney : tout savoir sur la superstar de la peinture exposée à la galerie Lelong

Beaux Arts Magazine has published a comprehensive dossier on David Hockney, coinciding with his current exhibition at Galerie Lelong in Paris. The article presents a multi-episode series covering the British artist's career, from his iconic "Pool Paintings" like *A Bigger Splash* (1967) to his recent works created on iPad in Normandy. It highlights his ongoing exhibitions at multiple venues, including a major retrospective at the Centre Pompidou starting June 21, a dialogue with Matisse at the Musée Matisse in Nice, a show at the Van Gogh Museum, and a loan from Tate Britain to the Musée Granet in Aix-en-Provence. The piece also explores Hockney's fascination with Old Masters, his use of technology, and his enduring status as a pop art and hyperrealist superstar.

David Hockney décroche la lune dans une lumineuse exposition gratuite à Paris

David Hockney presents "The Moon Room," a series of fifteen iPad drawings of full moons created during the 2020 lockdown, at Galerie Lelong in Paris until May 7, 2026. The exhibition, free and open to the public, features nocturnal landscapes Hockney painted from his farm in Normandy, inspired by Maupassant's "Clair de lune" and his own nightly observations. The works were first shown at the Musée des Beaux-Arts de Rouen in 2024 and later at the Fondation Louis Vuitton.

Queer eyes in focus, sculpture hits pay dirt and Whistler’s world – the week in art

This week's art roundup from The Guardian highlights a major exhibition of James McNeill Whistler at Tate Britain, showcasing the American artist's impact on Victorian Britain with avant-garde influences from Paris and Japan. Other notable exhibitions include "Gender Stories" at the Walker Art Gallery in Liverpool, featuring works by David Hockney and Grayson Perry; Delcy Morelos's earthy sculptures at the Barbican Centre; and Henry Moore's sculptures at Kew Gardens. The article also covers news of a Nazi-looted portrait found in the home of a Dutch SS leader's family, protests at the Venice Biennale over Israel's inclusion, and the unveiling of Zineb Sedira's film installation at Tate Britain.

Peter Doig, Tracey Emin, and More Sign Letter Defending Southbank Centre Chair

A letter signed by environmental activist Greta Thunberg and artists Tracey Emin and Peter Doig is circulating in support of Misan Harriman, chair of London's Southbank Centre. The letter defends Harriman against what it calls a "dishonest smear campaign" by the Telegraph and other right-wing outlets, which accused him of promoting conspiracies and comparing Reform Party voters to Nazis. The controversy stems from Harriman's social media comments about a knife attack on Jewish men and a video referencing Susan Sontag and Kurt Vonnegut on the Holocaust, which critics say minimized antisemitism or drew inappropriate parallels. Harriman denies making such analogies, and 70,000 people have complained to media watchdog Ipso, while 15,000 signed the letter.

'Trusting that first reaction is important': Nacho Polo and Robert Onuska on the process of collecting

Nacho Polo and Robert Onuska, co-founders of the design gallery Studiotwentyseven, discuss their art collection in an interview with The Art Newspaper. Housed in their Tribeca apartment, the collection spans painting, sculpture, and photography with an emphasis on materiality and sculptural form. They recount their first acquisition—Ron Gorchov's *Autolykos* (2019)—and their most recent purchase, Alex Katz's *Nine Women 5* (2009). The couple also shares their instinctive buying process, a regret over missing a Nick Cave sculpture, and their anticipation for the Jean and Terry de Gunzburg collection at Sotheby's this spring.

Tracing the Arc of British Sculpture From Modernism to Today

A new exhibition titled “Modern British: Modern & Contemporary British Sculpture” has opened at Bowman Sculpture in London, tracing the evolution of British sculpture from Modernism to the present day. The show features iconic figures such as Henry Moore, Eduardo Paolozzi, and Lynn Chadwick alongside emerging talents like Rufus Martin and Joanna Allen, creating cross-generational dialogues. Highlights include Moore’s *Small Seated Figure* (ca. 1936) and Paolozzi’s *Richard Rogers as Newton* (1990). The exhibition runs through May 29, 2026, and reflects the gallery’s shift from focusing on Modern masters to embracing contemporary voices.

How Josh Kline Wrote the Essay That the Art World Can’t Stop Talking About

Artist Josh Kline has sparked intense debate across the New York art world with his viral essay, "New York Real Estate and the Ruin of American Art," published in the journal October. The text serves as a scathing critique of the current state of the American art industry, diagnosing it as "sick" due to skyrocketing real estate costs, systemic power imbalances, and a market that has become an unsustainable "conveyor belt" of commercial painting. Kline argues that the economic pressures of post-pandemic New York have made the city a hostile environment for experimental and conceptual practices.

swiss artist publisher childrens books rachel harrison

Rachel Harrison's recent exhibition "The Friedmann Equations" at Greene Naftali in New York was a highlight of 2025, featuring her signature brainy, oblique, and funny sculptures and drawings. The show included works alluding to Marcel Duchamp and his alter-ego Rrose Sélavy, as well as drawings riffing on Hans Holbein's portraits of Henry VIII and his court. During a visit to the gallery, Harrison's dealer Carol Greene handed the author a copy of Harrison's new children's book, "Hold Still, Henry!", which reproduces those Holbein-inspired drawings in a board-book format for young readers. The book is published by Rookie Books, a small press founded in 2022 by artist Camillo Paravicini of Basel, Switzerland, who has previously worked with artists like Monster Chetwynd, Martin Parr, and Nathalie Du Pasquier.

worst artworks we saw around the world in 2022

Artnet News editors compiled a list of the worst artworks they encountered in 2022, including a chaotic performance by Poncili Creación at NADA Miami, an overproduced Danish Pavilion installation by Uffe Isolotto at the Venice Biennale, and a Paul Cézanne painting at the Barnes Foundation that disappointed a critic. The article offers subjective, critical takes on these works, describing the NADA performance as bizarre and jolting, the Danish pavilion as graphic and lacking a powerful message, and the Cézanne as a disappointment within an otherwise memorable museum visit.

yoshitomo nara haze days christies london 2025

Christie’s will offer Yoshitomo Nara’s painting "Haze Days" (1998) at its 20th/21st century evening sale in London on October 15, with an estimate of £6.5 million–£8.5 million ($8.7 million–$11.4 million). The large-scale work comes to auction shortly after Nara’s retrospective at London’s Hayward Gallery, his first UK institutional solo show. The painting was previously consigned to Sotheby’s in 2023 with an $18 million estimate but was withdrawn before sale.

five friends museum brandhorst rauschenberg

The Museum Brandhorst in Munich has opened "Five Friends," a major exhibition exploring the interconnected creative and personal relationships among John Cage, Merce Cunningham, Jasper Johns, Robert Rauschenberg, and Cy Twombly. Spanning 180 works from the late 1940s through the 1970s, the show includes paintings, sculptures, costumes, musical scores, photographs, and letters, beginning with Cage's silent composition 4'33" and Rauschenberg's White Painting. It is the first exhibition to bring these five figures together, drawing on loans from Cologne's Museum Ludwig and U.S. institutions, and coincides with the centenary of Rauschenberg's birth.

yoshitomo nara hayward gallery london 2025

The first U.K. public institutional solo exhibition of Japanese artist Yoshitomo Nara opened at London's Hayward Gallery in June 2025, featuring over 150 works spanning four decades. The retrospective includes paintings, drawings, sculptures, and installations, such as the large-scale painting "I Want to See the Bright Lights Tonight" (2017), which sold for $12.3 million at Sotheby's Hong Kong. Notable visitors include artist Takashi Murakami and collector RM of BTS. The exhibition runs through August 31.

5 artworks lasting collection maddox gallery

Maddox Gallery, a London-based gallery with three locations, has highlighted five artworks from its collection that it considers smart investments in the current art market. The featured works include Andy Warhol's $ (1) (1982) from his 'Dollar Signs' series, Banksy's Gangsta Rat (2004), Roy Lichtenstein's Crying Girl (1963), and David Hockney's Split Ink (2019). The article notes the strong market performance of these artists, citing Warhol's market growth from $402 million in 2000 to over $10 billion in 2025, and the recent Sotheby's sale of Lichtenstein estate works for more than $35 million.