‘Paper Gardens’: The Flower and the Serpent Beneath

The Museum of Art and Photography (MAP) in Bengaluru is hosting 'Paper Gardens,' an exhibition that re-examines the history of botanical art through the lens of British colonialism. While the show features visually stunning hand-coloured lithographs of rhododendrons and medicinal plants, it juxtaposes these aesthetics with the harsh realities of the East India Company’s surveys. The exhibition highlights how local Indian artists and knowledge keepers were often marginalized or left anonymous, even as their expertise was essential to the scientific and commercial success of the British Empire.

Artnet and Artsy Announce They’re ‘Joining Forces’ Under Shared Leadership

Artnet and Artsy have announced a strategic merger under a single leadership structure following their acquisition by Beowolff Capital. While both platforms will maintain their distinct brand identities and websites, they will now operate as a combined organization led by Artsy CEO Jeffrey Yin, with Beowolff Capital founder Andrew Wolff serving as chairman. The move aims to integrate Artnet’s industry-leading price database and journalism with Artsy’s expansive e-commerce and discovery marketplace.

Unusually Large, 2,000-Year-Old Hillfort Discovered in Estonia

Archaeologists from the University of Tartu have discovered a massive 2,000-year-old hillfort at Köstrimägi in Tartu County, Estonia. Utilizing high-resolution terrain mapping, the team identified a 4,800-square-meter Iron Age fortification featuring concentric ramparts and shallow ditches, a structural complexity rarely seen in the region. Radiocarbon dating suggests the site was active for a relatively short period, specifically between 41 BCE and 9 CE.

Hilma af Klint en 2 minutes

Hilma af Klint (1862–1944) is profiled as a pioneering Swedish abstract artist who created a vast body of visionary, large-scale abstract paintings decades before Kandinsky, yet kept them secret during her lifetime. The article traces her life from a childhood steeped in science and nature, through her studies at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Stockholm, to her dual artistic practice: conventional landscapes and portraits for income, and radically abstract works guided by spiritualist séances and theosophical beliefs. She founded the group "The Five" with fellow female artists, and from 1906 onward produced the monumental series "Paintings for the Temple" (193 works), convinced she was channeling a higher force. She stipulated in her will that her abstract works not be revealed until 20 years after her death, and they were only rediscovered in the late 1960s.

Pinta Lima Offered Curated Content–and Context–for the Curious

Pinta Lima, the 13th edition of the art fair, opened with a vibrant VIP preview and strong attendance of 16,000 visitors. The fair features around 50 booths and special presentations, with a curation-driven approach that includes sections like NEXT (curated by Juan Canela) and RADAR (curated by Ilaria Conti), as well as FORO panel discussions. The fair emphasizes Latin American art, particularly Peruvian contemporary art, and is part of the broader Pinta network that stages fairs and Art Weeks across Latin America and the U.S. Textile, fiber, and ceramic works are notably prominent, recontextualizing indigenous craft traditions.

London's pre-contemporary art market gets boost from two new summer events

Two new summer events for pre-contemporary art are launching in London: Classic Art London (CAL), running from 23 June to 4 July, and Studiolo, a one-day showcase on 26 June. CAL fills the gap left by London Art Week, which ended in 2024, and features gallery exhibitions across Mayfair, St. James's, Cecil Court, and Belgravia, along with a talks programme at the Society of Antiquaries. Highlights include a rediscovered Titian, a solo show of Paul Nash landscapes, and a focus on Swedish Cubo-Futurist Gösta Adrian-Nilsson (GAN). Studiolo, held at Spencer House, presents art, antiquities, and sculpture.

art mamadou abou catherine sarr collectors

Chicago-based collectors Mamadou-Abou and Catherine Sarr discuss their art collection, which spans works from West Africa, France, and the U.S., in an interview with Cultured. The couple, an investor and a jewelry designer, share how their collection began with Mamadou-Abou's discovery of contemporary African photography and emphasize a patient, conviction-driven approach to acquiring art. They also detail the SARR Prize, an initiative supporting emerging France-based artists with cash awards and a residency at Villa Albertine in Chicago.

Blue Moon Cocoon at Abroms-Engel Institute for the Visual Arts at University of Alabama, Birmingham

Texas-based artist Virginia L. Montgomery's solo exhibition 'Blue Moon Cocoon' opened at the Abroms-Engel Institute for the Visual Arts at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. The show features a multi-channel video installation and sculptural works centered on the artist's bond with luna moths, which she began raising during the 2020 pandemic, exploring themes of interspecies connection and cosmic curiosity through a distinctive visual aesthetic.

literature ann rower lee and elaine autofiction

Ann Rower's novel "Lee & Elaine," originally published in 2002 by Serpent's Tail, is being reissued next month by Semiotext(e). The autofictional work follows a narrator—a lightly fictionalized version of Rower—who, after learning of the death of her friend, artist Hannah Wilke, becomes obsessed with the graves of Lee Krasner and Elaine de Kooning at Green River Cemetery. The narrator imagines these two women, known primarily as wives of famous male painters, as secret lovers or comrades, and attempts to write a joint biography that doubles as a journey of self-discovery.

art collector amelie du chalard gallery interview

Amélie du Chalard, a bi-continental art collector and gallery owner, discusses her lifelong journey with art in an interview with CULTURED. Starting her collection at age 16 through family tradition, she founded her eponymous gallery in Paris in 2015 and later expanded to New York. Her collection and gallery blend design objects with fine art, embracing what she calls 'haptic minimalism'—a tactile, gentle aesthetic. She shares her sourcing process, including using the Drouot auction app and Artsy, and recounts tracking down a piece first seen in a 14th-century palace.

ira sachs director peter hujars day interview

Ira Sachs's new film *Peter Hujar's Day* dramatizes a 1974 interview in which photographer Peter Hujar recounted his day to journalist Linda Rosenkrantz. The transcript, originally intended for a book project, was rediscovered and published by Magic Hour Press in 2021. Starring Ben Whishaw as Hujar and Rebecca Hall as Rosenkrantz, the film is set entirely in a Westbeth apartment, capturing the texture of New York's downtown art scene through Hujar's anecdotes about figures like Susan Sontag, William Burroughs, and Allen Ginsberg.

design axelle de buffevent

Axelle de Buffévent, a Paris-based creative, has restored an 18th-century former clergy house in Burgundy, originally built in 1748 and revamped in 1841, into a personal country retreat. The property, discovered online in 2018, was previously owned by an art-world photographer and filled with works by artists like Pierre Alechinsky, Olivier Debré, Robert Combas, and Cy Twombly. De Buffévent worked with local artisans and her friend, architect Gaël Lunven, to restore the house, blending 18th-century antiques from her father with contemporary design pieces by Bethan Laura Wood, Noé Duchaufour-Lawrance, and Mathieu Mercier, as well as works by digital artist Miguel Chevalier and others.

How Much Did It Cost to Paint a Pompeii Room Egyptian Blue?

How Much Did It Cost to Paint a Pompeii Room Egyptian Blue?

A new study has calculated the staggering cost of painting a room in Pompeii with Egyptian blue pigment. Researchers determined that covering the walls of a recently discovered "Blue Room," a sacred shrine, would have required between 2.7 and 4.9 kilograms of the prized synthetic pigment. Based on prices recorded by Pliny the Elder, this quantity of high-grade pigment would have cost between 50% and 90% of a Roman legionary's annual salary, highlighting it as an extreme luxury.

'Discovering Ansel Adams' highlights 36 exhibitions on display at Southwest Florida museums in March

Southwest Florida’s museum landscape is featuring a robust schedule this March, with 36 exhibitions on display across institutions from Sarasota to Naples. Key highlights include the Sarasota Art Museum’s centennial celebration of Art Deco through 100 rare posters from the Crouse Collection, alongside contemporary showcases such as Selina Román’s photographic explorations of the human form and Molly Hatch’s massive site-specific ceramic installation, "Amalgam."

Jersey Arts TV: Exploring Native Knowledge and Art at Montclair Art Museum

Jersey Arts TV has released a new episode exploring Native knowledge and art at the Montclair Art Museum. The episode highlights the museum's commitment to showcasing Indigenous perspectives through its collections and exhibitions, featuring interviews with curators and artists who discuss the cultural significance and contemporary relevance of Native American art. The segment aims to educate viewers on the intersection of traditional knowledge and modern artistic expression.

Art, museum exhibits in Kenosha, Racine counties this week

Cultural institutions across Kenosha and Racine counties in Wisconsin have announced their exhibition schedules and public hours for the week of April 9, 2026. Featured venues include the Anderson Arts Center, the Carthage College Art Gallery, and the Kenosha Public Museum, which continues to showcase its permanent collection including "The Wisconsin Story" and "Mammoths at the Museum." Local galleries such as Lemon Street Gallery and OS Projects are also hosting open hours for the public to engage with regional contemporary art.

Silverman Gallery showcases “Jean Childs Buzgo: Dreamscapes & Discoveries”

The Silverman Gallery of Bucks County Impressionist Art is hosting a solo exhibition titled “Jean Childs Buzgo: Dreamscapes & Discoveries,” running from April 11 through May 3. The showcase features a diverse collection of the artist's newest paintings, including large-scale florals, local Bucks County landscapes, and works inspired by her travels to Scotland and Ireland. Many of the pieces originated during the pandemic in 2020 and have been recently revisited and resolved using a mix of oil, acrylic, wax crayon, and collage.

Ancient Egyptian form of ‘Tipp-Ex’ identified on papyrus at UK’s Fitzwilliam Museum

Researchers at the Fitzwilliam Museum in Cambridge have discovered a 3,300-year-old form of corrective fluid on an Ancient Egyptian papyrus. Analysis of a 'Book of the Dead' created for a royal archivist named Ramose revealed that a mixture of huntite, calcite, and yellow orpiment was used to paint over a jackal figure to make it appear slimmer. This 'ancient Tipp-Ex' was specifically tinted to match the cream-colored papyrus, demonstrating a sophisticated level of aesthetic correction and attention to detail by Egyptian craftspeople.

San Diego Museum of Art Reflects on 100 Years in New Exhibit

The San Diego Museum of Art (SDMA) is marking its 100th anniversary with a special exhibition titled 'SDMA: 100 Years.' The show, curated by Lucas Perez, traces the institution's chronological evolution from its origins after the 1915 Panama-California Exposition, through its founding in 1926 as the Fine Arts Gallery, to its present-day identity. It features rediscovered archival materials, including early children's art and photographs documenting periods like its conversion into a naval hospital during World War II.

Seven emerging Tampa Bay artists to watch in 2026 and beyond

Creative Loafing Tampa Bay's 2026 Spring Arts Issue highlights seven emerging visual artists from the Tampa Bay area, identified through recommendations from local curators. The artists include Clancy Riehm, Zack Wittman, Jesi Cason, Patrick Carew, Mary-Helen Horne, Tatiana Mesa Paján, and Fary Charles (aka Junkyrd), each with distinct practices and upcoming projects.

Art Basel Miami Beach, Louvre crisis deepens, Helene Schjerfbeck—podcast

This episode of The Art Newspaper's 'The Week in Art' podcast covers three major stories. Ben Sutton and Kabir Jhala report from Art Basel Miami Beach, discussing top sales and the overall mood at the fair. Ben Luke speaks with Paris correspondent Vincent Noce about the deepening crisis at the Musée du Louvre following a staff strike and a recent robbery, as the museum plans to raise ticket prices for non-EU visitors by 45%. The episode also features a 'Work of the Week' segment on Helene Schjerfbeck's painting 'The Tapestry' (1914-16), with curator Dita Amory discussing the work ahead of a new exhibition at the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

Illustration Major Justine Massabny Thrives as Education & Design Intern at the Montclair Art Museum

Illustration major Justine Massabny has gained extensive professional experience at the Montclair Art Museum (MAM) through a series of roles including Education Intern, SummerArt Associate, and currently Education Design Intern. She led the redesign of the Family Learning Lab in conjunction with exhibitions featuring Tom Nussbaum and Christine Romanell, managed the project from concept to completion, and assisted with installation of educational vinyls. Her work also includes designing educational materials, supporting events like exhibition openings and docent training, leading gallery tours, and exhibiting her own artwork in MAM's Summer Staff Gallery. She discovered the internship through Handshake, supported by Montclair State University's partnership with MAM.

Netherlands will return stolen ancient statue—featured at Tefaf art fair in 2022—to Egypt

The Netherlands will return a 3,500-year-old stolen Ancient Egyptian statue to Egypt after it was spotted at the Tefaf Maastricht art fair in 2022 by an eagle-eyed visitor. The stone statue, believed to depict a high official from the dynasty of Pharaoh Thutmose III, was flagged via an anonymous tip, leading the dealer to voluntarily surrender it. An investigation by Dutch police and the Information and Heritage Inspectorate confirmed it was likely plundered unlawfully and illegally exported. The statue will be handed to the Egyptian ambassador in The Hague later this year, in line with the 1970 Unesco convention against trafficking cultural property.

Arlington Museum of Art’s Game of Thrones Exhibit Opens

The Arlington Museum of Art has opened "Game of Thrones™: The Exhibition," an immersive display featuring over 60 original costumes, props, and behind-the-scenes materials from HBO's epic fantasy series. Curated in partnership with Warner Bros. Discovery Global Experiences and the show's production archives, the exhibit showcases costumes worn by iconic characters such as Daenerys Targaryen and Jon Snow, alongside design sketches and insights into the craftsmanship of the series' award-winning costume designers and artisans.

Putting young galleries at the front: Frieze London’s bold strategy holds

Frieze London's 22nd edition in October 2025 will retain a bold floor plan debuted in 2024 that places emerging galleries near the main entrance, pushing blue-chip heavyweights like Gagosian and David Zwirner further inside. Fair director Eva Langret confirms the layout is permanent, citing overwhelmingly positive feedback and renewed energy. The Focus section for galleries under 12 years old gets a boost, with a rotating system ensuring fresh stands near the entrance each year. A new curated section, Echoes in the Present, explores artistic links between West Africa, Brazil, and their diasporas. Meanwhile, Frieze Masters, dedicated to pre-20th-century art, will be run by new director Emanuela Tarizzo.

Makers of Ancient Egypt to be hailed in Cambridge exhibition

The Fitzwilliam Museum in Cambridge is opening an exhibition titled "Made in Ancient Egypt" that shifts focus from pharaohs and iconic treasures to the anonymous craftspeople who built and decorated the civilization's artifacts. Featuring loans from the British Museum, Berlin State Museums, and the Musée du Louvre, the show includes jewelry, ceramics, stonework, and personal items like ostraca—pottery shards used as notepads—that reveal the lives, skills, and even the days off of ancient makers. Curator Helen Strudwick highlights recent discoveries, including a handprint on a "soul house" and an unreadable signature on a shrine, emphasizing the human connection these objects provide.

In a new exhibition, Turkey displays the success of its heavyweight heritage drive

Turkey has opened a new exhibition titled "The Golden Age of Archaeology" at a national library in Ankara, showcasing 570 ancient artifacts—most unearthed in the past two years and displayed for the first time. Highlights include 11,500-year-old Neolithic vessels, a Bronze Age tablet revealing a previously unknown language (Kalasma), and a repatriated bronze statue of Roman emperor Marcus Aurelius, which was smuggled out of Turkey in the 1960s and recently returned from the Cleveland Museum of Art after a legal battle. The exhibition is part of the government's Heritage for the Future project, which spends around $150 million annually on excavations, visitor centers, and museums, with active digs rising to about 800.

Northwest Village Network shows work of 30 area artists

Thirty local artists, primarily from Northwest Philadelphia and members of the Northwest Village Network (NVN), will hold an exhibition at the Center on the Hill in September. The show features collage, painting, drawing, mixed media, and photography, with participants ranging from seasoned professionals to newcomers. Artists include Ron Lieberman, a former New York Times illustrator; Sara Allen, who photographs her aging body; and Dr. Claire EB. Robinson, a retired OB/GYN turned photographer. The exhibition is hosted at the Presbyterian Church of Chestnut Hill, which houses the Center on the Hill, a program for active adults.

4,000-year-old Ancient Egyptian handprint discovered by Cambridge museum

Researchers at the Fitzwilliam Museum in Cambridge, UK, have discovered a 4,000-year-old handprint on the base of an ancient Egyptian "soul house"—a clay model of a building used in burial rituals. The handprint was found during preparations for the museum's upcoming exhibition "Made in Ancient Egypt" (3 October–12 April 2026), when senior conservator Julie Dawson examined the object under different lighting. The soul house, excavated at Deir Rifa north of Luxor, dates to Egypt's First Intermediate Period or Middle Kingdom and was likely left by the artisan who moved it to dry before firing.

Cincinnati Art Museum to open new East Asian inspired exhibit

The Cincinnati Art Museum will open a new exhibition titled "Rediscovered Treasures" this fall, featuring approximately 60 East Asian masterpieces from its own collections, including Japanese armor, Chinese scrolls, Korean lacquer, a Japanese bronze "magic mirror," a Qing dynasty portrait of Lady Nian, and a Meiji period sumo wrestler's embroidered apron. The exhibition runs from September 19, 2025 to January 18, 2026, and is organized into three thematic sections: Rediscovery, New Identities, and Conservation. Admission is free.