A brand-new novel is set in Renaissance Venice and its powerful Arsenal (where the Biennale is held)

Un nuovissimo romanzo è ambientato nella Venezia rinascimentale e nel suo potente Arsenale (quello dove si tiene la Biennale)

Allegra Scattaglia and Luca Josi have co-authored a new novel titled "Venetians – Il segreto dell’Arsenale," published by Sonzogno. Set in Renaissance Venice, the story follows young patrician Marcantonio Bragadin as he becomes entangled in a plot driven by the city's sophisticated and ruthless political system. The narrative highlights the Arsenal, one of the world's first proto-industrial shipbuilding complexes, which also hosts the Venice Biennale. The book weaves together art, technology, diplomacy, and intrigue, featuring historical figures such as Titian, Tintoretto, Albrecht Dürer, Leonardo da Vinci, and Aldus Manutius.

Fellow Painters and Also Friends. Zandomeneghi and Degas Are on Show in Rovigo

Colleghi pittori e anche amici. Zandomeneghi e Degas sono in mostra a Rovigo

Palazzo Roverella in Rovigo is hosting the exhibition "Zandomeneghi e Degas. Impressionismo tra Firenze e Parigi," curated by Francesca Dini. The show brings together works by Italian 19th-century painter Federico Zandomeneghi and French Impressionist Edgar Degas, featuring about fifteen paintings and sculptures by Degas alongside works by Zandomeneghi. It explores their friendship, mutual artistic influence, and shared commitment to realism, tracing their connections from Florence's Caffè Michelangiolo to Paris, where their paths fully converged. Themes such as dance and the nude are highlighted, with works like Degas's "Classe de ballet" (1888) and Zandomeneghi's "Visita in camerino" and "Donna che si asciuga" on view.

MODERN AND CONTEMPORARY MIDDLE EASTERN ART - Christie's

Christie's London will host a live evening sale of Modern and Contemporary Middle Eastern Art on November 9, 2023. The auction features 58 works from artists across the Middle East and North Africa, including contemporary figures like Ahmed Mater and Sultan bin Fahad, and modern masters such as Etel Adnan and Mahmoud Sabri. Key lots include Mater's 'From the Real to the Symbolic City' and Adnan's 'Untitled'.

Cassandra Dias Takes an Impressionistic Approach to Painting with Thread

Cassandra Dias, a Southern California-based artist, creates lush embroideries of natural landscapes using thread painting, a technique that mimics the gestural strokes of a paintbrush. Since taking up needle and thread in 2020, she has developed an impressionistic style that captures cliffsides, vineyards, and mountains in richly textured scenes. Her forthcoming book, "Richly Stitched Landscape Embroidery: Mastering Thread Painted Scenes," is set for release in May and is available for pre-order through the Colossal Shop.

Two New Italian Paintings for the Bemberg Collection in Toulouse

Deux nouveaux tableaux italiens pour la Collection Bemberg à Toulouse

The Collection Bemberg in Toulouse has acquired two new Italian paintings, including a still life by Bernardo Strozzi (1581-1644) purchased at the Maastricht art fair from Galerie Canesso. The work, a vibrant depiction of peonies and fruit, was previously sold at Sotheby's London in July 2013 and first published in 1985. The acquisition continues the museum's decade-long strategy of enriching its holdings with major works sourced from the art market, guided by its scientific council.

Verdun enriches itself with a work by a native son

Verdun s'enrichit d'une œuvre d'un enfant du pays

The Musée de la Princerie in Verdun has acquired a painting by Joseph Christophe, a rare artist originally from the city. The work was purchased from the Versailles-based Galerie Barnabé, which specializes in Old Master paintings.

Exhibition | Carlo D'Anselmi, 'Secrets and Mountains' at Fabienne Levy, Lausanne, Switzerland

Carlo D'Anselmi's solo exhibition 'Secrets and Mountains' opens at Fabienne Levy in Lausanne, Switzerland. The show presents a new body of work created during the artist's first stay in Switzerland, overlooking the French Alps, where he observed the transition from winter into spring. His dreamlike paintings blend figures, animals, and landscapes, exploring memory, light, nature, and the shifting boundary between reality and fiction. D'Anselmi holds an MFA from the New York Studio School and is represented by Thierry Goldberg Gallery in New York.

Coolidge Corner art gallery relocates, brightening downtown Boston neighborhood

Praise Shadows Art Gallery, a contemporary art gallery focusing on untapped and unrecognized artists, has relocated from Coolidge Corner in Brookline to a larger 2,000-square-foot space on Kingston Street in downtown Boston. The gallery reopened in mid-March after moving in January, with founder and CEO Yng-Ru Chen citing the convenience and breathing room of the new location. The move was facilitated by the Mayor's Office of Arts and Culture and the Downtown Boston Alliance, which aims to fill vacant storefronts with arts businesses and revitalize the neighborhood.

'Intellectual Structures: Trigger, Judgment, and Decision' at Each Modern, Taipei, Taiwan on 25 Apr–6 Jun 2026

The group exhibition 'Intellectual Structures: Trigger, Judgment, and Decision' at Each Modern in Taipei explores the cognitive processes behind artistic creation. Featuring works by DAZHI, Ding Hongdan, Jing Ao, Liang Yuanwei, Wenjue, and Xu Qu, the show examines how human thought remains distinct from artificial intelligence by focusing on the 'neural algorithms' of the brain. The curatorial framework breaks down the creative act into three stages: the initial sensory trigger, the critical judgment between experience and transcendence, and the final decision that collapses multiple possibilities into a singular work.

Fifteen must-see design events during Mexico City art week 2026

Mexico City's annual art week, anchored by the Zona Maco fair, is expanding its focus to include a significant design component in 2026. The event features 15 highlighted design-focused exhibitions and installations, including site-specific shows in modernist houses, a dedicated collectible design category at Zona Maco, and exhibitions by international names like Lee Broom and Lanza Atelier.

Comment | A spate of dealer anniversaries offers hope amid art market doomerism

A spate of New York galleries are celebrating significant anniversaries—Pace Gallery (65 years), Sperone Westwater (50), Hal Bromm (50), Albertz Benda (10), Jane Lombard (30), Yancey Richardson (30), and James Cohan (25)—mounting special exhibitions that mark their longevity. These milestones come amid widespread anxiety about the traditional dealer model, with headlines suggesting the sector is in crisis.

Guy Gerber Makes His Fine Art Debut

Guy Gerber, a well-known electronic music DJ, made his fine art debut with a photography exhibition titled "Separate Ways" in Tribeca, New York. The show features 21 photographs where subjects' faces are obscured by mirrors, inspired by self-reflection. Curated by Katie Lister, the exhibition opened on September 9, attracting VIPs including Sergey Brin, Richie Akiva, and others. Gerber also performed a DJ set at a NYLON Membership party to celebrate the launch.

Dennis Potter’s TV legacy gets a radical retelling at Studio Voltaire

English artist Hilary Lloyd has opened a new exhibition at Studio Voltaire in London titled 'Very High Frequency,' which reimagines the life and work of playwright and television dramatist Dennis Potter. Through a series of short films featuring Potter's collaborators, including actors Gina Bellman, Alison Steadman, Richard E Grant, and producer Kenith Trodd, Lloyd constructs a theatrical biography that explores Potter's enduring influence. The exhibition eschews traditional formats, scattering monitors and screens in unexpected locations to mirror Potter's own blending of reality and fantasy, and incorporates footage from his iconic works such as 'The Singing Detective' and 'Pennies from Heaven.'

NEXT in the Gallery: See Pittsburgh-made art in the streets, coffeehouses and a warehouse in Brooklyn

NEXTpittsburgh's August gallery guide highlights a wave of Pittsburgh-made art appearing in streets, coffeehouses, open studios, and even a warehouse in Brooklyn. Featured exhibitions include the Pittsburgh Photography Club's 140-year retrospective at Manos Gallery, Monica Matthews' graphite pencil drawings at Ruckus Coffee Gallery & Café, the juried group show "Living Canvas III" at Studio 4, Kristin Divers' pastel solo show at Mark Rengers Gallery, the multimedia group exhibition "Horizons" at Castle Consortia, and Annie Heisey's paintings at Sweetwater Center for the Arts. The month also includes a one-night solo show by New Orleans muralist Dago at Studio 4.

Artists in charge

A roundup of artist-run galleries in Kansas City highlights the rise of spaces like Vulpes Bastille and 100,000,000, which are reshaping the local art scene. These venues, operated by artists and volunteers, offer exhibition opportunities, studios, and community support, exemplified by Andrew Johnson's intimate multimedia installation "In The Presence of an Absence" at Vulpes Bastille.

Artist Tammy Nguyen’s New Show Finds Heaven on Earth

Artist Tammy Nguyen presents her new exhibition "A Comedy for Mortals: Paradiso" at Lehmann Maupin New York, running from June 5 to August 15. The show is the final installment of a three-part series inspired by Dante's Divine Comedy, following earlier presentations in Seoul (Inferno) and London (Purgatory). Nguyen, a 40-year-old painter, professor at Wesleyan, and founder of Passenger Pigeon Press, creates dense, polymathic canvases that weave together imagery from Dante's celestial journey with contemporary references, including Frankenstein, President Eisenhower's military-industrial complex warning, and drones. The exhibition explores paradise as a journey of endless knowledge, while also delving into darker historical events like the 1815 Mount Tambora eruption.

A Gauguin Portrait for Budapest

Un portrait de Gauguin pour Budapest

The Szépművészeti Múzeum (Museum of Fine Arts) in Budapest has acquired a portrait by Paul Gauguin. The painting was part of the collection of André and Françoise Kostolany, which was recently dispersed at auction by De Baecque & Associés in Versailles. The sale saw strong results, particularly for Hungarian paintings from the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with works by József Rippl-Rónai fetching high prices.

Views from Behind. A Figure Without a Portrait

Vu[e]s de dos. Une figure sans portrait

The exhibition "Vu[e]s de dos. Une figure sans portrait" at Les Franciscaines in Deauville, running from February 28 to May 31, 2026, explores the artistic motif of figures seen from behind. Curated by director Annie Madet-Vache, the show was inspired by a small painting from the museum's own collection, André Hambourg's *L'Enterrement de Poincaré*. Unable to secure loans of iconic works such as those by Friedrich, Delacroix, Ingres, or Vermeer, Madet-Vache instead displays large black-and-white reproductions of these masterpieces alongside contemporary works they inspired, turning the absence of the originals into a conceptual strength.

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The Trump administration has filed an emergency motion to overturn a federal judge's ruling that halted a $400 million, 90,000-square-foot ballroom renovation at the White House. U.S. District Judge Richard Leon previously ordered a stop to the project following a lawsuit by the National Trust for Historic Preservation, which argues the president lacks the unilateral authority to alter the historic site. The administration's appeal claims the construction pause creates grave national security risks and that the court lacks the authority to interfere with presidential renovations.

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Rome has opened two new subway stations on Line C—Colosseo/Fori Imperiali and Porta Metronia—that double as mini museums, showcasing over 500,000 artifacts unearthed during two decades of excavation. The stations, located 100 feet underground, feature displays of ancient ceramics, frescoes, mosaic floors, and the remains of a Roman military compound and thermal baths, curated by the Colosseum Archaeological Park and Sapienza University. Commuters can view the artifacts without a ticket in the station atriums, and future stations on the line will incorporate additional archaeological finds.

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Bernard Arnault, the billionaire art collector and LVMH chairman, harshly criticized a proposed French tax on the ultra-wealthy, calling it "offensive" and "deadly for our economy." The plan, devised by economist Gabriel Zucman, would impose a 2% tax on the wealth of the richest individuals, projected to raise 20 billion euros ($27 billion). Arnault, worth $156 billion according to Forbes, insulted Zucman as a "far-left activist" with "pseudo-academic competence," prompting a rebuttal from Zucman and support from economist Thomas Piketty.

Not just dollars, euros and pounds: Tefaf speaker sets out art’s deep value for wellbeing

Professor Daisy Fancourt presented research at the Tefaf Summit in Maastricht, detailing the measurable health benefits of arts engagement. Her findings, drawn from longitudinal data and biological markers, show arts therapies can double symptom improvement for depression and regular cultural attendance can nearly halve depression risk over a decade.

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Metal detectorists Nick Yallope and Peter Nicolas discovered two rare Roman lead ingots, or 'pigs,' in the community of Llangynfelyn, West Wales. Dated precisely to 87 C.E. during the reign of Emperor Domitian, the artifacts were found buried approximately 1.5 feet underground. Following a geophysical survey by the archaeology trust Heneb, the finds were officially declared treasure under the U.K.’s Treasure Act, marking a significant addition to the region's archaeological record.

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“Bad Bridget,” an archival research project about Irish women who emigrated to New York, Boston, and Toronto between 1838 and 1918 and engaged in criminal and sexually deviant activities, is being adapted into a Hollywood film. The project, launched by historians Elaine Farrell and Leanne McCormick in 2015, has already produced a podcast, a book, and a museum exhibition at the Ulster American Folk Park. The film will be produced by Margot Robbie’s LuckyChap Entertainment, directed by Rich Peppiatt, and star Daisy Edgar-Jones and Emilia Jones as two Irish sisters navigating scandal in 19th-century New York.

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An oil painting of Dr. John Beale Davidge, co-founder of the University of Maryland School of Medicine, was discovered at a shuttered Baltimore restaurant called Bertha's Mussels. The portrait, believed to date to 1844, was found by Carolyn Brownley while clearing the space for a foreclosure auction. It was purchased by Meg Fielding, director of the History of Maryland Medicine at MedChi, and donated to the Medical Alumni Association. The painting now hangs in Davidge Hall, the historic medical school building named after Davidge, which is currently under renovation until late 2026.

Mexico to Divert Train Route After Cave Art Discovery

Archaeologists in Mexico discovered 16 pre-Hispanic paintings and petroglyphs along the planned route of a high-speed passenger train connecting Mexico City to Querétaro. The discovery, made in the state of Hidalgo, includes rock art dating from 4,000 years ago to the Postclassic period (900-1521 CE), with imagery linked to Aztec deities and the Toltec city of Tula. In response, President Claudia Sheinbaum announced the $8 billion train project will be rerouted to preserve the ancient site.

NYU Steinhardt Presents 2026 MFA Thesis Exhibitions

NYU Steinhardt's Department of Art and Art Professions is presenting its 2026 MFA Thesis Exhibitions in two parts at the 80WSE Gallery in Greenwich Village. The first exhibition, titled 'Hoodwinked,' runs from April 1 to April 18 and features works by Nicholas Koby, Richard Medina, Roselynn Sadaghiani, Mario Saponaro, and Brooke Schneider. The second, 'Eggshells,' runs from May 6 to May 23 and showcases artists Ariel Barish, Christopher Chan, Mélanie Dumas, Roxie de Là, and Fan Qi.

Week in wildlife: an ostrich on the lam, a tortoise crossing a road and surfing seals

The Guardian’s weekly wildlife roundup showcases a diverse array of animal behavior captured by photographers globally. Highlights from this collection include an ostrich sprinting down a Thai highway after escaping a cafe, seals lounging on a surfboard in Ireland, and migratory birds returning to the thawing Songhua River in China.

The Ten Best Books to Complement Your Viewing of This Year’s Oscar-Nominated Movies

Smithsonian magazine has curated a list of ten books to enhance the viewing experience of this year's Oscar-nominated films, published ahead of the 2026 Academy Awards. The selections include direct source material for nominated adaptations, such as Thomas Pynchon's *Vineland* for Paul Thomas Anderson's *One Battle After Another*, as well as thematic companions like *Frankenstein* and *The Vegetarian* for other recognized movies.

Monopol Gives Away 5 x 2 Tickets for Photo Exhibition at Museum Rietberg

Monopol verlost 5 × 2 Tickets für Foto-Ausstellung im Museum Rietberg

The Museum Rietberg in Zurich is presenting the exhibition "Fast ein Paradies" (Almost a Paradise), which critically examines colonial-era photography as an instrument of power. The show juxtaposes historical photographs with contemporary artworks that recontextualize this material, featuring artists like Sasha Huber, Sammy Baloji, Raphaël Barontini, and Andrea Chung, who intervene in the archival images to challenge colonial narratives and restore agency to the subjects.