Culture Type | The Month in Black Art, Here’s What Happened in June 2025

The June 2025 edition of Culture Type's 'The Month in Black Art' roundup reports multiple developments: the Detroit Institute of Arts acquired Tiff Massey's installation 'Baby Bling' (2023) for its reimagined Modern and Contemporary galleries opening in 2026; Aperture magazine released a summer issue guest-edited by Tanisha C. Ford focusing on Black style and fashion; Different Leaf, a cannabis culture journal, relaunched with guest editors Nick Cave and Bob Faust; and Sean Kelly Gallery announced representation of artist Lindsay Adams in collaboration with PATRON Gallery. The article also notes updates on the Studio Museum in Harlem, a shakeup at the Afro Brazil Museum, new Art Basel Awards, and Suzanne Jackson's exhibition at SFMOMA.

Susan Philipsz: East by West | June 13, 2025

Susan Philipsz is presenting a new exhibition titled "East by West" at Tanya Bonakdar Gallery, opening June 13, 2025. The show features the artist's signature sound-based installations, exploring themes of geography, memory, and displacement through audio works that blend field recordings and musical compositions.

What to see in Berlin after Gallery Weekend: five exhibitions still open

Berlin's Gallery Weekend 2025 has brought a surge of art events across the city, and this article highlights five exhibitions still open to visitors. At Schinkel Pavillon, French artist Pol Taburet presents his first German solo show, “The Burden of Papa Tonnerre,” featuring paintings, sculptures, and lithographs that explore occult themes and personal history. Galerie Buchholz showcases Anne Imhof's new solo exhibition, including large canvases derived from stills of her performance “Doom: House of Hope,” alongside a sound installation. Contemporary Fine Arts hosts a solo show by Swiss painter Tobias Spichtig, focusing on his latest oil-on-canvas works.

Lease agreement secures Camden Art Centre’s future for 99 years

Camden Art Centre in north London has secured its future for the next 99 years by purchasing the lease on its building, following a £1.9m fundraising campaign. The campaign, launched quietly nine months ago, reached its target quickly thanks to contributions from artists, galleries, trusts, foundations, and individuals. The building, owned by the London Borough of Camden, was previously held on a peppercorn lease for 23 years. Artists including Antony Gormley, Chantal Joffe, Alvaro Barrington, and Kara Walker supported the acquisition fund, while director Martin Clark emphasized the urgency of the deal, which had a 2027 deadline.

Remembering Koyo Kouoh, one of the most influential curators in the global art world, and one of its most original thought leaders

Koyo Kouoh, the influential curator and executive director of the Zeitz Museum of Contemporary Art Africa (Zeitz Mocaa) in Cape Town, has died at age 57, just ten days before she was to announce the title and themes of the 2026 Venice Biennale, for which she had been appointed curator of the international exhibition in December 2024—the first African woman to hold that role. Kouoh transformed Zeitz Mocaa from a fledgling institution into a globally respected museum, securing the donation of Jochen Zeitz's collection, expanding the board, and launching community-focused initiatives like the exhibition *Home is Where the Art is* (2020-21) and the online summit Radical Solidarity.

A new art center debuts in an old Denver fortune cookie factory

Amanda Precourt is opening the Cookie Factory, a new art space in Denver's Baker neighborhood, on May 24. Housed in a former fortune cookie factory that Precourt purchased in 2017, the 5,700-square-foot venue features four exhibition rooms, two solo shows per year, and monthly activations. The inaugural activation on June 21 will include yoga and sound baths led by local healers. Precourt, a Denver native and philanthropist, has transformed the dilapidated building with her partner, artist Andrew Jensdotter, and added a second-story apartment for her personal contemporary art collection. The space will not display her collection but will commission new works inspired by Colorado's environment.

Tefaf New York: determination in the face of Trump’s tariff chaos

Tefaf New York returns to the Park Avenue Armory with 91 exhibitors from four continents, presenting 7,000 years of art amid uncertainty caused by President Donald Trump's recently announced tariff regime. The fair's director, Leanne Jagtiani, sent a letter to exhibitors acknowledging the "significant impacts" on the industry, assuring them of close communication with shippers and legal advisers, and advocating for the exclusion of artworks from potential EU reciprocal tariffs. While artworks are understood to be exempt, antiques and contemporary works in unconventional materials may be subject to the new tariffs, creating confusion among dealers and collectors.

Frieze New York Diary: sparring artists are boxing clever, Whitney gets set for almighty dick pic, and Bates mansion is reincarnated

The article covers several art-world events during Frieze New York week. Highlights include a boxing match at the Prince George Ballroom for the Cultivist's tenth anniversary, featuring artists like Shaun Leonardo, Cheryl Pope, and Jesus Benavente. At the Whitney Museum, the upcoming exhibition 'Sixties Surreal' will showcase Harold Stevenson's monumental male nude 'The New Adam' (1962), owned by the Guggenheim. Other notable items include Felix Beaudry's textile piece 'Put' (2024) at the Golden Thread 2 pop-up, Cornelia Parker's 'PsychoBarn (Flotsam)' (2024) at Frith Street Gallery, and Chantal Joffe's portrait of critic Hettie Judah at Victoria Miro.

New York’s Hotel Chelsea honors the late artist Teruko Yokoi with new restaurant

New York's Hotel Chelsea is opening a Japanese restaurant named Teruko, inspired by and honoring the late artist Teruko Yokoi, who lived at the hotel from 1958 to 1961 with her then-husband, artist Sam Francis. The restaurant, helmed by chef Tadashi Ono, will feature eight recently acquired works by Yokoi and is set to open in mid-May. Coinciding with the restaurant's opening, a solo exhibition of Yokoi's work, titled "Noh Theater," is on view at Hollis Taggart gallery through June 14, showcasing over 20 works from the late 1950s to early 2000s that draw on Noh theatre traditions.

Asian galleries move westward: their growing presence and influence in New York

Hong Kong-based gallery Kiang Malingue is opening a new outpost on the Lower East Side of New York on May 9, joining a wave of Asian galleries expanding into the city. The 3,500 sq. ft space at 50 Eldridge Street, formerly an artist's studio, will debut with a solo show by Japanese artist Hiroka Yamashita titled 'The Lights from the Deep Mountains.' Other recent arrivals include Manila's Silverlens (Chelsea, 2022), Taipei's Nunu Fine Art (Lower East Side, 2023), Hong Kong's Alisan Fine Arts (Upper East Side, 2023), and Shanghai's Bank (Lower East Side, March 2025).

What not to miss at Frieze New York 2025

Frieze New York 2025 will take place from 7 to 11 May at The Shed, featuring over 65 leading contemporary art galleries from more than 25 countries. The fair offers collectors access to blue-chip works by major artists and pieces by emerging talents, alongside amenities such as the US debut of Korean luxury beauty brand The Whoo showcasing three South Korean female artists, and a Ruinart champagne bar with a commissioned installation by artist Sam Falls. Notable booths include Mendes Wood DM presenting a new sculpture by Sonia Gomes and works by Kishio Suga, a joint presentation by Apalazzogallery and Emalin featuring Augustas Serapinas, and Tina Kim Gallery highlighting a multigenerational selection of women artists including Maia Ruth Lee.

6 Questions Every New Art Buyer Should Ask a Gallery

Annabel Keenan's article offers practical guidance for first-time art buyers navigating the gallery system. It outlines six essential questions to ask galleries, covering price transparency, provenance, and the artist's market context. The piece features insights from gallery director Joseph Clarke of Anima Mundi, collector and MCA Chicago trustee Ellen-Blair Chube, and gallerist Madelyn Jordon of Madelyn Jordon Fine Art, who emphasize that asking questions is key to building confidence and knowledge as a collector.

Rose Art Museum Expands Collection with Sam Hunter Committee Acquisitions of Works By Dhambit Munuŋgurr and Yu-Wen Wu

The Rose Art Museum at Brandeis University has acquired works by artists Dhambit Munuŋgurr and Yu-Wen Wu for its permanent collection, selected by the Sam Hunter Emerging Artist Fund Committee. Munuŋgurr's piece, Bäru (2024), is a larrakitj memorial pole reimagined with white clay and ultramarine, while Wu's Recitations (2024) is a wall installation made from Taiwanese tea, gold, and red thread. Both works will debut in the exhibition Fabricated Imaginaries: Crafting Art opening August 20, 2025.

Fresh blood for an ancient medium: 10 young painters to watch this spring

This article profiles ten young painters to watch this spring, highlighting their innovative approaches to the ancient medium of painting. Featured artists include British painter Francesca Mollett, whose abstractions have exceeded market expectations with works like 'Two Thistles' fetching over GBP 250,000 at auction; Samuel Hindolo, whose mysterious figurative and abstract paintings have caught the attention of critic Hilton Als; and Stanislava Kovalčíková, whose provocative mythological works were exhibited at Aspen Art Museum and who runs the independent space The White Ermine in Düsseldorf. Other artists mentioned include Evelyn Plaschg, who transforms mundane objects into unsettling meditations, with a solo museum exhibition opening at HALLE FÜR KUNST Steiermark.

the buzz in bucharest sammy loren on rad and the refreshing romanian art scene

The article reports on the fourth edition of Romanian Art Dealers (RAD), an art fair in Bucharest that exclusively features Romanian galleries and artists. The author, Sammy Loren, travels from Los Angeles to experience the fair, which is co-founded by dealer Catinca Tabacaru and artist-dealer Daniela Pălimariu. The fair includes 31 booths, a Curatorial Summit with 35 international curators, and a central installation titled "Donate a Word" (2025) by Romanian artist Victoria Zidaru. The author attends events like the 10-year anniversary party for Sandwich Gallery and notes the intimate, family-like atmosphere of the local art scene.

art where artists hang out nyc

Cultured magazine surveyed 30 New York-based artists to find out where they hang out in 2026, as affordable and easy gathering places have become scarce. The responses range from iconic spots like the Rose Reading Room at the New York Public Library and the Metropolitan Museum of Art to more offbeat locales such as a karaoke bar on Bowery, a Cantonese noodle house in Chinatown, and a church hosting vogue sessions. Artists including Coco Klockner, Jamian Juliano-Villani, Tiffany Sia, Amanda Ba, Lucy Bull, and others share their personal favorites, highlighting a diverse mix of libraries, restaurants, bars, and community spaces.

art casa tua aspen collection photography

Miky and Leticia Grendene, co-founders of the hospitality brand Casa Tua, discuss their photography-focused art collection and its integration into their properties in Miami, Aspen, New York, and Paris. In an interview with Cultured, they reveal plans to display a new series of works by artist Anastasia Samoylova at their Aspen location this summer, and reflect on three decades of collecting, their shift toward sculpture and painting, and how their children have developed their own visual language.

anastasia samoylova casa tua breakfast with

Anastasia Samoylova, an artist who works in photography and painting, is presenting her rarely shown "Breakfasts With" series at Casa Tua Aspen this summer. The series, begun in 2015 after she received her green card, combines breakfast food with photo books by notable creatives, creating still-life "conversations" that serve as daily creative prompts. The exhibition follows her dual show with Walker Evans at the Met, which showcased two differing visions of Florida. In an interview, Samoylova discusses how the series developed from a meditative morning ritual into a practice that helped her ground herself after leaving a tenured teaching position, and how intuitive pairings—like a cut mango with Barbara Kasten's work—emerged from spontaneity rather than conceptual planning.

New York Art Week Will Test the Market’s Momentum

New York Art Week is set to test the art market's momentum with half a dozen fairs and major auctions. Frieze New York opens at the Shed on May 13 with 68 galleries, while Sotheby's leads auction sales starting May 14, featuring a Mark Rothko painting estimated at $70–$100 million from Robert Mnuchin's collection. The total low estimate for Sotheby's week is $690.4 million, roughly 70% higher than last year's hammer total. Alternative fair Esther, co-founded by Margot Samel and Olga Temnikova, kicks off May 12 at the Estonian House for its third and final edition, emphasizing intentionality and community over scale.

At 90, Printmaker Mohammad Omer Khalil Gets His Due

Mohammad Omer Khalil, the 90-year-old Sudanese-born printmaker based in New York, is the subject of a multi-city retrospective titled "Common Ground." The anchor exhibition runs through May 31 at the Blackburn Study Center in Manhattan, with satellite events at venues including Twelve Gates Arts in Philadelphia, the Arab American National Museum in Michigan, the New York Public Library, and Anthology Film Archives. Curated by Amina Ahmed and Jenna Hamed, the show spans Khalil's entire career, from his first etching made in Florence in 1964 to large-scale works inspired by Bob Dylan songs, poetry by Adonis, and films such as "The Chalk Garden."

The Carnegie International Looks Back at Itself

The 58th Carnegie International at the Carnegie Museum of Art in Pittsburgh looks back at its own 130-year history, featuring a gallery dedicated to past iterations. The exhibition includes Chris Ofili's "The Adoration of Captain Shit and the Legend of the Black Stars" (1998), which was originally shown in the 53rd International in 1999, the same year Ofili's more notorious "The Holy Virgin Mary" sparked controversy at the Brooklyn Museum. The article reviews how the current iteration captures the excitement of earlier exhibitions while providing commentary on authoritarianism and militarism.

​​​​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.

A Blockbuster Take on Ovid’s “Metamorphosis”

The Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam has opened a major exhibition titled 'Metamorphoses,' inspired by Ovid's poem. The show brings together Renaissance masterpieces, antiquities, and contemporary works, grouping them by the myths they depict to explore themes of transformation, desire, and gender through striking visual juxtapositions.

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.

Josh Kline Misses the Mark

Critic Aruna D’Souza responds to a viral essay by artist Josh Kline regarding the extreme financial pressures of living and working in New York City. While Kline suggests that artists should abandon the city due to the affordability crisis, D’Souza argues that leaving is not a viable long-term solution and calls for a more proactive approach to systemic change within the urban art ecosystem.

Dolores Huerta Is the GOAT

A new exhibition in Los Angeles celebrates the 96th birthday of labor leader Dolores Huerta, featuring works by over 30 local artists. The show reframes the history of the United Farm Workers movement by centering Huerta and everyday laborers rather than co-founder Cesar Chavez, whose legacy has been complicated by recent abuse allegations.

The Unbearable Strangeness of Being

South African artist Cinga Samson makes his New York debut at White Cube with "Ukuphuthelwa," an exhibition of haunting, large-scale oil paintings. The works feature figures with distinctive white pupils engaged in enigmatic rituals within dark, crepuscular landscapes. Drawing from the isiXhosa concept of spiritual alertness during sleeplessness, Samson’s compositions blend the palpable with the unearthly, often depicting scenes that feel choreographed yet remain stubbornly illegible to the Western gaze.

ACA Galleries Presents 100 Years of Black Art

aca galleries 100 years of black art 2747885

ACA Galleries in New York is hosting "Continuum: Over 100 Years of Black Art," an expansive group exhibition running through March 7, 2026. The show features a diverse array of media—including painting, sculpture, textiles, and collage—by more than a dozen pioneering Black artists. Spanning from the 19th century to the present day, the exhibition highlights key figures such as still-life painter Charles Ethan Porter, collagist Romare Bearden, and contemporary textile artist Helen McBride Richter.

art abu dhabi focus nigeria turkey 2712901

Abu Dhabi Art returns in 2025 with 142 galleries from 34 countries, introducing two new Focus sectors: Focus: Nigeria Spotlight and Focus: Modern Türkiye. The Nigeria section, curated by Tola Akerele, features seven galleries including kò, SOTO Gallery, and O’DA Gallery, showcasing artists like Samuel Nnorom, Bara Sketchbook, and Rufus Ogundele. Focus: Modern Türkiye, curated by Doris Benhalegua Karako, presents modern masters such as Fahrelnissa Zeid, Burhan Doğançay, and Gülsün Karamustafa through Istanbul-based galleries including DG Art Gallery and Projects, Art on Istanbul Gallery, and BüroSarıgedik.

‘Barbara Windsor smacked our bottoms!’ Pet Shop Boys on showstopping visuals, horrified bosses – and snubbing the queen

The Pet Shop Boys have released a comprehensive 600-page visual monograph titled 'Pet Shop Boys: Volume,' documenting over 40 years of their aesthetic evolution. The book explores the duo's collaboration with high-profile artists, photographers, and directors including Wolfgang Tillmans, Alasdair McLellan, Derek Jarman, and long-time designer Mark Farrow. It highlights how Neil Tennant and Chris Lowe utilized the music industry's 1980s boom to treat pop music as a 'Gesamtkunstwerk' (total work of art), merging avant-garde fashion, minimalist graphic design, and cinematic music videos.