“Human Being Human” at The Private Museum

The Private Museum in Singapore presents "Human Being Human: Selections from the Collection of John and Cheryl Chia," an exhibition running from January 19 to April 26, 2026. Organized into four chapters—"Stateless," "State," "Statehood," and "Rebirth"—the show features works by artists including Joseph Beuys, Lee Wen, Eadweard Muybridge, Sherman Ong, John Clang, Sun Xun, and Green Zeng, exploring the body as a central site of inquiry into identity, vulnerability, and societal conditioning. The collection, amassed over 25 years by doctors John and Cheryl Chia, uses the body to examine themes of statelessness, state control, collective ideology, and rebirth, with works that challenge linear narratives and embrace conceptual loops.

Qatar Pavilion Announces Artists for 2026 Venice Biennale

The Qatar Pavilion has unveiled its artist lineup and conceptual framework for the 61st Venice Biennale in 2026. Titled "untitled 2026 (a gathering of remarkable people)," the exhibition will feature a collaborative presentation centered around a tent-like structure designed by Rirkrit Tiravanija. The pavilion will include a film by Sophia Al-Maria, a large-scale sculpture by Alia Farid, sound performances by Tarek Atoui, and a culinary program curated by chef Fadi Kattan, all hosted within a temporary site in the Giardini designed by architect Lina Ghotmeh.

Would you sit on this? Australian designers take on the humble chair – in pictures

For the 10th edition of Melbourne Design Week, over 100 chairs by Australian designers are on display in an exhibition titled '100 Chairs', curated by Friends & Associates. Selected from an open call, each chair had to be made in Australia and functional for sitting. The designs range from traditional timber dining chairs to experimental pieces, including a chair that transforms into a table, a horse-shaped chair, and one with a satanic theme. The exhibition is held at South Magdalen Laundry, Abbotsford Convent in Melbourne until 24 May 2026.

'A work of conceptual art': Belmond launches new Art Deco-inspired train dining car

On 15 May, Belmond's British Pullman will debut a new private dining car named Celia, originally built in 1932. The carriage's interior has been designed by film director Baz Luhrmann and his wife, production designer Catherine Martin, who created an Art Deco-inspired aesthetic featuring burl veneers, marquetry, stained glass, and their signature rich red. The couple invented a backstory for the car's namesake, a fictional 1930s Shakespearean actress, aiming to immerse guests in a narrative experience reminiscent of A Midsummer Night's Dream. This follows Belmond's previous collaborations with Wes Anderson and artist JR, as part of its strategy under LVMH ownership to commission high-profile creative figures for its heritage trains.

The Christophers review – Ian McKellen and Michaela Coel are the double act of the year

Steven Soderbergh's new film "The Christophers" is a London-set movie about contemporary art, starring Ian McKellen as Julian Sklar, a once-dominant but now outmoded English painter, and Michaela Coel as Lori Butler, a former art student hired as his assistant. The plot revolves around a series of hidden paintings called "The Christophers" that Julian's grasping adult children want to find and potentially forge for profit. The film is described as fast, literate, and funny, with McKellen and Coel delivering a compelling double act.

The Most Provocative Performance in Venice

Florentina Holzinger, a performance artist known for extreme feminist works involving nudity, bodily fluids, and physical endurance, is representing Austria at the 2026 Venice Biennale with a pavilion titled “Seaworld Venice.” Opening May 9, the installation transforms the Austrian Pavilion in the Giardini into an underwater theme park and a functioning sewage treatment plant, where audience urine collected from portable toilets is cleaned and recycled into the tanks. The work explores themes of the human body, ecology, and Venice’s own struggles with sinking infrastructure and mass tourism.

Abbas Akhavan Transforms the Canada Pavilion Into a Greenhouse, Daring Viewers to Leave Behind Their Preconceptions

Artist Abbas Akhavan has transformed the Canada Pavilion at the Venice Biennale into a functioning greenhouse for his exhibition "Entre chien et loup." The pavilion now houses a 6,000-gallon pool containing giant Victoria water lilies, with modifications including grow lights, water misters, a new ventilation system, and structural reinforcements to support the 25-ton water tank. The installation evokes Victorian-era Wardian cases and London's Crystal Palace, but Akhavan emphasizes that his interest in the lilies began intuitively, not as a commentary on colonialism or empire. The project, developed with curator Kim Nguyen, involved collaboration with Kew Gardens and the Orto Botanico di Padova to cultivate the plants, and the outcome remains uncertain as the lilies may thrive or wither over the exhibition's six-month run.

Dirty carpets to Palestinian skateboarders: a decade of Peckham 24 – in pictures

Peckham 24, a photography festival in south London, celebrates its 10th anniversary with a special edition titled "The Eras Edition," running from 15-17 May at Copeland Park and the Bussey Building. Founded a decade ago by artist-curator duo Jo Dennis and Vivienne Gamble as a fringe event of Photo London, the festival began as a 24-hour pop-up showcasing emerging talent. This year's edition explores the theme of time through works by artists including Kristina Yenza (documenting youth in wartime Ukraine), Vinca Petersen (rural community life on the Isle of Skye), Max Ferguson (the London College of Communication tower block), Julie F Hill (space telescope data visualizations), Mark Duffy (carpet detritus in the Houses of Parliament), and Maen Hammad (Palestinian skateboarders).

Rose Finn-Kelcey review – flying puns, smart pranks and prayers for 20p

The Guardian reviews "Rose Finn-Kelcey: House Rules," a posthumous exhibition at the new Arts Collective in Northampton, UK. The show features works by the British conceptual artist (1945–2014), including her 1972 flag installation "Power for the People" at Battersea Power Station, a prayer vending machine titled "It Pays to Pray," and pieces exploring permission, spirituality, and societal restrictions. The exhibition is presented as a homecoming for Finn-Kelcey, who was born in Northampton.

Trippy Film by British-Ethiopian Artist Theo Eshetu Hits the Venice Biennale

British-Ethiopian artist Theo Eshetu is presenting a new installation, *The Garden of the Broken-Hearted* (2026), at the Venice Biennale. The work features a live olive tree mounted on a rotating dais, with a video of the tree projected onto itself, marking a shift from his decades-long practice of multi-screen video installations. Eshetu discusses the project's origins in conversations with the late Biennale curator Koyo Kouoh, framing the tree as a space for mourning, human consciousness, and elemental storytelling.

Monk football and sperm whales: All About Photo awards winners 2026

The 11th edition of the All About Photo awards – The Mind's Eye has announced its 2026 winners, with first place awarded to Matt McClain for his image of an intern working in a historic millinery shop at Colonial Williamsburg, Virginia. The competition features a diverse range of winning photographs, including conceptual self-portraiture by Brooke Shaden, a street scene at the Benin-Togo border by France Leclerc, a train sleeping in Tunisia by Javier Arcenillas, freedivers with sperm whales by Khaichuin Sim, and young monks playing football in the Himalayas by Andrew Newey. Winners receive $5,000 in cash prizes.

technologies of relation mass moca

MASS MoCA has launched "Technologies of Relation," a group exhibition featuring 12 artists who explore the complex, non-binary relationship between humanity and artificial intelligence. Curated by Susan Cross, the show moves beyond dystopian narratives to investigate how artists can reclaim agency over corporate-produced technologies. Featured works range from Roopa Vasudevan’s hand-drawn QR codes that mimic textiles to Neema Githere’s hammock installations that literalize the concept of a digital network.

israel pavilion venice biennale belu simion fainaru protest

Israel will officially participate in the 2026 Venice Biennale, two years after its pavilion closed amid protests. The pavilion will be located in the Arsenale rather than its usual Giardini site, which is under construction. Representing Israel is sculptor Belu-Simion Fainaru, a Haifa-based artist and Israel Prize winner, who previously represented Romania at the 2019 Biennale. His pavilion, titled "Rose of Nothingness," will feature an installation about water inspired by poet Paul Celan's concept of black milk, with 16 pipes dripping black water into a pool. The pavilion is curated by Sorin Heller and Avital Bar-Shay. However, the Art Not Genocide Alliance (ANGA) has renewed its protest, calling the pavilion the "Genocide Pavilion" on Instagram and demanding Israel's exclusion from the Biennale.

zhang shangfeng bonian space

Chinese artist Zhang Shangfeng presents a solo exhibition titled “The Discourse of Neo-Mythmaking” at Beijing’s Bonian Space, curated by Yang Xi. The show features recent paintings that blend personal experience with contemporary archetypes to create what the artist calls “neo-myths.” Zhang’s work draws on his time in Xi’an, China, and an exchange program at the University of Arts in Belgrade, using stylized, modernist-influenced imagery to explore themes of self, otherness, loneliness, and interpersonal relationships.

conceptual nude portraits set web abuzz

Trevor Christensen, a photographer from Provo, Utah, has gained viral attention on Imgur for his "Nude Portraits" series, in which he photographs fully clothed subjects while he himself is nude. The project aims to address the inherent power imbalance between photographer and subject by shifting vulnerability onto the photographer. Christensen's subjects react with a range of emotions—embarrassment, slyness, queasiness—which he captures as unguarded moments. The series is documented on his Instagram and his website, where he invites participation from Utah and beyond.

koyo kouoh curating venice biennale died

Curator Koyo Kouoh, the first African woman appointed to curate the Venice Biennale, has died suddenly. Her death was confirmed by the Zeitz Museum of Contemporary Art Africa (Zeitz MOCAA) in Cape Town, where she served as executive director and chief curator. The Venice Biennale issued a statement mourning her loss, noting she had been working on the conception and development of the Biennale Arte 2026. Kouoh, born in Cameroon in 1967, was a prominent figure in contemporary African art, having curated for documenta 12 and 13, co-founded the Raw Material Company art center in Dakar, and organized the landmark exhibition "When We See Us: A Century of Black Figuration in Painting" at Zeitz MOCAA.

Introduction to the Dark Forest Theory of the Internet

The article explores the conceptual origins of the internet, tracing its development to figures like Douglas Engelbart and Jacques Vallée, whose work blended computing with cosmic and paranormal inquiry. It argues that early internet pioneers were deeply influenced by ideas of remote viewing, extrasensory perception, and the search for extraterrestrial intelligence, framing the network as a project of cognitive augmentation and alien encounter.

PEG gallery opens with kaupapa of care and commitment

Peggy Robinson has opened a new contemporary art gallery called PEG on Cuba Street in Wellington, New Zealand. The gallery occupies a historic 1907 industrial building that was originally a mattress factory. Robinson, who has nearly a decade of experience in the arts, founded PEG with a kaupapa (Māori concept of principles) centered on presence, care, and deep commitment to artists. The inaugural exhibition features Reece King's show 'Halfway to the Splits', which explores repetition, labour, and process-based poetics developed during his Frances Hodgkins fellowship.

At Frieze New York and Beyond, Indigenous Artists Are in the Spotlight

At Frieze New York and other concurrent exhibitions, Indigenous artists Sara Flores, Suzanne Kite, and Seba Calfuqueo are presenting works that challenge and expand traditional definitions of Indigenous art. Their pieces are on view in New York, Venice, and beyond, marking a significant moment for contemporary Indigenous voices in the global art scene.

Paul Waldman, Creator and Curator of Art Museum for Birds, Dies at 89

Paul Waldman, a multifaceted artist known for his transgressive paintings and unique architectural birdhouses, has died at the age of 89. After overcoming childhood dyslexia and a stint as a competitive bodybuilder, Waldman established a significant career in the New York art scene, characterized by his meticulous technique and a fascination with the human form and avian structures.

‘The Bed Trick’ by Izabella Scott, Reviewed

Izabella Scott's book *The Bed Trick* examines a British rape case in which Gayle Newland was convicted for pretending to be a man named Kai during a two-year relationship with a woman identified as Miss X. Drawing on court transcripts, Scott explores the legal concept of 'fraud vitiates consent' and traces the historical bed-trick trope from medieval folktales to *The Rocky Horror Picture Show*, questioning how much deception invalidates sexual consent.

Bugarin + Castle on Representing Scotland at the 61st Venice Biennale

ArtReview published a questionnaire response from Bugarin + Castle, the artist duo representing Scotland at the 61st Venice Biennale (2026). Their exhibition, titled "Shame Parade" and curated by Mount Stuart Trust, explores charivari—medieval public shaming rituals involving sound, costume, and cross-dressing. The work draws on the artists' research into how noise and music have been used as tools of control, with particular attention to the Filipino legal definition of charivari as a punishable public disturbance. The exhibition includes sculpture, print, moving image, and a musical score created with Manila-based band Kalye Teresa, and is housed at the Olivolo, Castello pavilion.

Shigeo Toya, artist who looked to nature with his wood sculptures, 1947–2026

Shigeo Toya, the Japanese artist renowned for his chainsaw-hewn wood sculptures, has died at age 79. Born in 1947 in a small village in Nagano Prefecture, Toya began his signature Woods series in 1984, carving rough textures into tall lumber and arranging the pieces like a forest. His series Twenty Eight Deaths featured stacked wooden blocks with cavities and burn marks. Toya represented Japan at the Venice Biennale in 1988 and later exhibited at the Asia Pacific Triennial (1993) and Gwangju Biennale (2000). A major survey of his work was held at the Nagano Prefectural Art Museum and The Museum of Modern Art, Saitama, in 2022–23.

Andreas Angelidakis on Representing Greece at the 61st Venice Biennale

Artist Andreas Angelidakis will represent Greece at the 61st Venice Biennale in 2026 with a project titled 'Escape Room'. He plans to split the Greek Pavilion in two, referencing the National Schism in Greek history, and will create an immersive experience that explores the building's dual identities as a national symbol and an exhibition space, set to the soundtrack of Frankie Goes to Hollywood's 'Relax'.

Biennale Jogja 18 Review: Occasional Moments of Brilliance

The 18th edition of Biennale Jogja, titled 'KAWRUH: Land of Rooted Practices,' explores Javanese concepts of lived knowledge and alternative epistemologies to challenge Western, human-centric frameworks. The exhibition is split into two phases: a process-driven residency in Boro Hamlet and a larger presentation featuring 60 artists across 11 venues in Yogyakarta. While the show features standout works like Faisal Kamadobat’s mythological illustrations and Yuta Niwa’s cross-cultural mandalas, the physical experience is marred by unfinished venues and logistical hurdles.

Five Artists on Representing India at the 61st Venice Biennale

India has announced its artist lineup for the 61st Venice Biennale, featuring Alwar Balasubramaniam, Sumakshi Singh, Ranjani Shettar, Asim Waqif, and Skarma Sonam Tashi. The national pavilion, located in the Arsenale, will showcase a diverse range of installations that explore themes of architectural memory, environmental sustainability, and the physical processes of nature. From Tashi’s recreations of Ladakhi homes using recycled materials to Singh’s spectral thread-based architectural fragments, the works collectively examine the fragility of heritage and the shifting relationship between humans and their environments.

Theresa Hak Kyung Cha: Language of the Dispossessed

A major retrospective of artist and writer Theresa Hak Kyung Cha highlights her pioneering work in feminist conceptual art, focusing on videos and performances that explore displacement, language, and the violence of cultural hegemony. The exhibition, born from recent reassessments of her legacy, reconstructs the image of an artist whose brief career anticipated contemporary struggles with nationalism and identity.

Artist Pietro Roccasalva Without Respite: Genealogy of a Resilient Motif in the Milan Exhibition

L’artista Pietro Roccasalva senza tregua: genealogia di un motivo resiliente nella mostra a Milano

Italian artist Pietro Roccasalva presents a new body of work at MASSIMODECARLO’s Casa Corbellini-Wassermann in Milan, titled "Io ti saluto luce, ma con nervi offesi." The exhibition features a series of paintings characterized by dense stratification, featuring recurring motifs like a disheveled child, a bride with a tennis racket, and metamorphic animals. These works function as visual deposits where cultural references and personal iconography overlap, creating a theatrical dialogue with the gallery’s historic architecture.

How to Have the Perfect Day at Frieze New York 2026

Andrew Durbin reviews the national pavilions at Frieze New York 2026, contrasting a vacuous US presentation with incisive and moving installations from Britain and Germany. The review highlights the disparity in conceptual depth and emotional resonance among the three pavilions, with the US offering little meaning while the British and German contributions engage seriously with contemporary issues.

Frieze’s Christine Messineo Takes a Tour of Chelsea

Andrew Durbin reviews national pavilions at the Venice Biennale, contrasting a vacuous US presentation with incisive and moving installations from Britain and Germany. The review highlights the disparity in thematic depth and emotional resonance among the three pavilions.