mutter museum philadelphia new policy human remains

The Mütter Museum in Philadelphia, a medical history institution that has faced controversy over its handling of human remains, announced a new policy on August 19 for exhibiting its collection. The policy shifts focus toward the lives of patients and changes in medical history, developed through the two-year Postmortem Project involving focus groups and public meetings. The announcement follows backlash after former executive director Kate Quinn removed online exhibits in June 2023 as part of an ethical review, and subsequent staff departures.

protest sparks over sijena murals

A small protest of fewer than 50 demonstrators, organized by the Catalan National Assembly and joined by former Catalan president Laura Borràs and ANC president Lluís Llach, gathered outside the National Art Museum of Catalonia (MNAC) on Monday morning as Aragonese technicians arrived to inspect a set of contested 13th-century Romanesque murals. The murals, originally from the Sijena Monastery, were ordered returned by Spain’s Supreme Court after more than a decade of litigation, concluding that the original religious order never lawfully transferred ownership after the works were removed in 1936 following a fire during the Spanish Civil War. The inspection team, led by restorer Natalia Martínez de Pisón, began with less fragile sections using photogrammetry to assess transport viability, while MNAC officials warn that moving the more delicate frescoes could cause irreversible damage and plan to formally contest the execution order on conservation grounds.

Muskegon Museum of Art Announces ‘HerStory of Animation: Mary Blair & Beyond’ Exhibit

The Muskegon Museum of Art has announced a new exhibition titled 'HerStory of Animation: Mary Blair & Beyond,' premiering June 6 through September 27. The show redefines animation history by highlighting the contributions of women animators and artists, from early pioneers like Helena Smith Dayton and Lotte Reiniger to contemporary figures. Curated by Mindy Johnson, the exhibition features production artwork, studio artifacts, rare imagery, films, and newly uncovered research spanning over a century of innovation.

Venice Biennale jury resigns amid row over Russian entry

The international jury of the Venice Biennale resigned en masse just nine days before the opening of the world's oldest contemporary art fair, amid a dispute over Russia's participation and the panel's decision to bar prizes for countries accused of crimes against humanity by the International Criminal Court. The jury, comprising president Solange Farkas and members Zoe Butt, Elvira Dyangani Ose, Marta Kuzma, and Giovanna Zapperi, stepped down without explanation, following tensions that also involved Italy's Culture Ministry cutting €2 million in EU funding over Russia's presence and sending inspectors to the Russian Pavilion.

‘Shaun the Sheep’ exhibit to open at Reading Public Museum [Spotlight]

An interactive exhibit titled “Shaun the Sheep: Flock This Way!” will open at the Reading Public Museum in Pennsylvania on May 16 and run through September 6. Created by the Minnesota Children’s Museum in partnership with Aardman, the hands-on experience is designed for children ages 3 to 9 and features activities inspired by the popular film and television character, including balance boards, costume play, stop-motion animation, and problem-solving challenges. The exhibit is sponsored locally by the Berks County Community Foundation.

Pictures: Emma Lamb opens Dartmoor-inspired 3D art exhibition near Ivybridge

Emma Lamb, a South Devon-based 3D mixed-media artist, has opened a new exhibition titled *Long Live the Wilderness Yet* at Lukesland Gardens near Ivybridge. The show features two of her major series, *Reviving Mires* and *Fragmented Forest*, both inspired by Dartmoor’s fragile ecosystems. Lamb uses handmade paper, natural fibers, pigments, and experimental techniques such as inks made from air pollution to create works that explore peatlands and temperate rainforests. The exhibition runs until early June, and Lamb will also host a workshop in June teaching participants to create collages using natural materials.

Suffolk exhibit celebrates Boston-based women artists

The Suffolk University Gallery recently concluded "The Long View," a three-part exhibition series dedicated to celebrating the enduring careers of Boston-based women artists. The final installation, which closed on April 3, featured abstract works by Sharon Kaitz, Alyson Schultz, Jo Ann Rothschild, and Maggi Brown. The showcase highlighted the evolution of their studio practices, ranging from Schultz’s urban-inspired "Fracture" series to Brown’s material-focused oil paintings that explore the intersection of beauty and disturbance.

Next Gen Art Exhibition open at regional gallery

The 2026 Coast Next Gen Art Exhibition has officially opened at the new Gosford Regional Library, showcasing works by 25 high school graduates from across Australia's Central Coast. Organized by the University of Newcastle, the fourth annual showcase features a diverse range of media from HSC students and awarded several top prizes during its opening night, including the Bouddi Foundation of the Arts Award and an acquisitive prize for the university’s permanent collection.

Colorado South Asian artist collective celebrates first anniversary in Evergreen

The Colorado South Asian Artists Group, founded by artist Bala Thiagarajan, is celebrating its first anniversary with its second exhibition, "Grounded," on view at the Center for the Arts Evergreen. The collective, which began with six members, has grown to nearly 50 artists of Indian, Pakistani, Nepali, and Indo-Caribbean descent, aiming to increase the visibility and community of South Asian artists in a region where they have felt excluded.

Seattle teens curate new art exhibit at King Street Station

Ten youth curators aged 15 to 17 from Seattle's Fresh Perspectives program have organized a new art exhibition titled "You, Me, & Everything Between Us" at King Street Station. The show is presented by the Seattle Office of Arts & Culture in collaboration with Seattle Public Utilities' 1% Art program. The teen curators—Audrey Mae Lumaguip, Billie Atkins, Bowie Logan, Bryan Emmanuel, Bunny Heminger, Cam Koga, Giselle Kalei Balansay, Max Santiago, Sammy Tewelde, and Nico Charbonneau—were mentored by artist and project manager Janet Nechama Miller. Seattle Public Utilities has set aside a budget to acquire works from the exhibition for the city's Civic Art Collection.

Scotland and Wales to return to Venice Biennale after years-long break

Scotland and Wales will return to the Venice Biennale in 2026 after a years-long pause. Scotland will be represented by the Glasgow-based artist duo Bugarin + Castle, whose work is curated by Mount Stuart Trust and commissioned by Scotland + Venice. Wales will be represented by artist Manon Awst and critic Dylan Huw in collaboration, with support from the Arts Council of Wales. Both countries will participate as official collateral events rather than as national pavilions.

Why many Indian galleries are focusing on older artists now

A growing number of Indian galleries and institutions are shifting their focus from emerging artists to established and late-career artists. Recent examples include a Himmat Shah retrospective at KNMA, Amitava Das's solo show in New Delhi featuring works from the 1960s to 2015, and Subcontinent gallery's inaugural exhibition of Haku Shah's seven-decade career. These exhibitions are often organized in collaboration with multiple galleries, such as Shrine Empire Gallery and Art Exposure Gallery, and aim to highlight overlooked art histories.

REINTERPRETATIONS BY DEMIAN FLORES OF VIOLENCE MYTH AND REPRESENTATION

Mexican artist Demián Flores presents "America. New Visions from the Old World," a graphic arts exhibition at the Instituto Cultural de México in Madrid. The show features forty works that reinterpret 16th-century engravings by Theodor de Bry, whose images of Indigenous peoples—ranging from idealized noble savages to violent cannibals—shaped European perceptions of the Americas. Flores draws on his earlier series "Collateral Disasters" (2012), inspired by Goya's "The Disasters of War," to critique how colonial visual narratives constructed otherness and justified violence.

Two Major Architecture Firms Aim to Revolutionize Rome Over the Next 25 Years

Due grandi studi di architettura puntano a rivoluzionare Roma nei prossimi 25 anni

A multidisciplinary team led by Italian architecture and urban planning firm IT'S and Dutch firm OMA has won the international ideas competition "Vision for Rome," promoted by the Fondazione Roma REgeneration. Their project, "Roma Continua," was presented at the Auditorium della Tecnica di Confindustria during the second ROMA REgeneration FORUM. The proposal aims to rethink Rome over the next 25 years through a paradigm shift in urban, social, and cultural planning, envisioning the city as a living ecosystem. It is based on five guiding principles—care, beauty, knowledge, movement, reuse, and grafting—and includes five green corridors anchored to the Tiber River, "Fori dell'innovazione" (innovation forums), and a continuous mobility network. The project also seeks to reduce tourist pressure on the historic center by creating new cultural itineraries and sustainable transport links.

Ministry of Culture inspectors present report on Biennale: Russia pavilion will remain closed

Gli ispettori del Ministero della Cultura in Biennale presentano relazione: il padiglione Russia resterà chiuso

Italian Ministry of Culture inspectors have submitted a report to the Prime Minister's office regarding Russia's participation in the 2026 Venice Art Biennale. The report concludes that Russia did not receive a formal invitation from the Biennale Foundation to participate, nor did it sign the participation agreement—a situation shared by other countries with permanent pavilions. While Russia submitted a project and appointed a commissioner, its pavilion will remain closed to the public due to EU sanctions, though a private vernissage may proceed. The report finds no serious violations that would cancel Russia's participation, but notes critical issues that warranted more caution. The international jury resigned en masse after announcing it would not consider countries whose leaders are accused of crimes against humanity by the International Criminal Court, including Russia and Israel, and after an Israeli artist threatened a discrimination lawsuit.

The Dutch Pavilion at the Venice Biennale is a political protest (also against the Biennale itself)

Il padiglione dei Paesi Bassi alla Biennale di Venezia è una contestazione politica (anche della Biennale stessa)

The Dutch Pavilion at the 2026 Venice Biennale, titled "The Fortress" by artist Dries Verhoeven and curator Rieke Vos, transforms the modernist Rietveld Pavilion into a fortress-like enclosure. Inside, a rotating group of thirteen international performers will stage a series of performances throughout the Biennale, focusing on themes of geopolitical uncertainty, social disorder, and the search for stability in an unbalanced world. This marks the first time the Netherlands has used the Rietveld Pavilion for a performance-based project.

For the 2026 Venice Biennale, the RojoNegro duo brings a collective ritual to the Mexico Pavilion

Per la Biennale Arte 2026 il duo RojoNegro porta nel Padiglione del Messico un rituale collettivo

The article announces that the RojoNegro collective, formed by María Sosa and Noé Martínez, will represent Mexico at the 61st Venice Biennale in 2026 with a project titled "Actos invisibles para sostener el universo." Curated by Jessica Berlanga Taylor, the installation combines organic materials, sound, video, and performance to create a ritualistic space that invokes invisible presences, memories, and energies. The work draws on decolonial perspectives, centering Indigenous and Afro-descendant cosmogonies as living knowledge systems, and aims to activate a dialogue between situated ritual practices and the global context of the Biennale.

Ajing Wang | Flower In A Bottle (2025) | Available for Sale

Contemporary Chinese artist Ajing Wang has released her 2025 work 'Flower In A Bottle' for sale through Blue Green Galleria. The painting, an oil on canvas, exemplifies Wang’s signature style of merging traditional Chinese xieyi ink painting techniques with Western oil painting to achieve a balance between abstraction and figuration. The work is part of her 'Bottle Flower Series' and is currently listed on the Artsy platform for $425.

My Sharjah Rent: Artist creates 'open gallery' in Dh65,000 apartment

Wael Hamadeh, a 56-year-old Lebanese artist and creative director living in Sharjah since 2013, opens his Dh65,000-a-year apartment in Emirates Tower to The National, describing it as an 'open gallery' filled with his paintings, sculptures, and art pieces. He shares the three-bedroom home with his wife and two children, using one bedroom as a workshop and store for his art, while displaying works throughout the salon and walls.

Echigo-Tsumari MonET Continuous Exhibition Vol. 10: Ryosaku Miyasaka "Ryosaku Miyasaka ART 75 Years Old" @ Echigo-Tsumari Satoyama Museum of Contemporary Art MonET

越後妻有MonET 連続企画展Vol.10 宮坂了作「宮坂了作　ＡＲＴ　７５歳」@ 越後妻有里山現代美術館 MonET

The Echigo-Tsumari Satoyama Museum of Contemporary Art (MonET) has announced a major solo exhibition for artist Ryosaku Miyasaka, titled "Ryosaku Miyasaka: ART 75 Years Old." Curated by renowned art critic Noi Sawaragi, the show features early map paintings, recent "plant character" works where the artist grows and eats edible calligraphy, and new pieces created in the Echigo-Tsumari region. Miyasaka, a former student of Allan Kaprow at CalArts, has spent decades balancing his creative output with life as a rice farmer in Nagano Prefecture.

Notre-Dame : les associations attaquent le projet

Two French heritage associations, Sites & Monuments and SOS Paris, have filed legal challenges against the project to replace the stained-glass windows of Notre-Dame de Paris. The groups have submitted requests to an emergency judge and to the administrative court, seeking to suspend the works, which have already begun and threaten to remove the original windows by Viollet-le-Duc within days. The judge will rule on whether there is a serious doubt about the legality of the decision.

fashion courreges nicolas di felice anniversary

Nicolas Di Felice, creative director of Courrèges, discusses his fifth anniversary at the fashion house in a conversation with actress Juliette Binoche. Di Felice, who does not consider himself an artist, shares his process of creating cohesive runway shows that begin with a single flash of inspiration, while Binoche reflects on her own artistic journey, including her directorial debut documentary "In-I In Motion." The dialogue explores themes of trust, collaboration, and the balance between creative vision and business reality.

design la cavalarie cosima ungaro austin feilders

Cosima Ungaro and Austin Feilders, who run the creative agency Concept, have taken over the restoration and operation of Domaine de La Cavalerie, a 12th-century Knights Templar compound in France that was acquired by Emanuel Ungaro in 1985. The estate, which includes the original La Commanderie building, a 17th-century Bergerie, and 160 acres of land, has been updated with geothermal power, 1,000 additional olive trees, and a hospitality concept for stays and events. The article highlights the library as a key example of Ungaro's design philosophy, blending medieval roots with Italian antiques and artworks.

art panteha abareshi young artist

Panteha Abareshi, a 26-year-old Canadian-born artist based in Tucson, creates performances, videos, sculptures, and installations that explore their experience as a disabled and chronically ill person. Their work often tackles taboo subjects, such as a recent solo exhibition at Human Resources in Los Angeles that screened pornography and sparked discussion about the representation of disabled bodies in fetish materials. A key piece, "CAREGIVING," features a silicone hand with a finger pulled back by a string nailed into its own wrist, symbolizing the violent balance in medical care and caregiving.

art sam penn max battle photography book

Sam Penn and Max Battle have released a new photography and writing volume titled "Max," published alongside an exhibition at New York Life Gallery. The book features intimate and explicit photographs by Penn of her collaborator and partner Max Battle, interwoven with his written reflections, documenting their attempt to balance a private sex life with artistic practice. The exhibition includes 19 of Penn's works from the book printed at large scale, with the first image confronting viewers directly.

Meet the Women of the American Studio Glass Movement

An expansive exhibition at the Corning Museum of Glass highlights the women artists who were instrumental in the American Studio Glass Movement of the mid-20th century. The show, curated by Osman Can Yerebakan, brings together works that demonstrate the resilience and creative contributions of these often-overlooked figures.

Face-to-Face: Nalini Sharma Talks MFA Boston’s “Divine Color” Exhibition and the Power of Indian Art

Nalini Sharma, an art patron and honorary member of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston's Board of Advisors, discusses the museum's exhibition "Divine Color: Hindu Prints from Modern Bengal" in an exclusive video interview. The show, supported by Nalini and Raj Sharma, features nearly 40 vibrant lithographs and over 100 objects including prints, paintings, sculptures, and textiles, exploring Hindu devotional prints from 19th-century Calcutta (now Kolkata). It is the first U.S. exhibition devoted to these works, which were mass-produced using lithographic technology and deeply embedded in daily life across India and the diaspora.

Art Liard Explores Nature’s Fragile Equilibrium in London

Art Liard presents a new exhibition in London exploring nature's fragile equilibrium, featuring works that examine the delicate balance of natural ecosystems. The show includes a series of paintings and installations that respond to environmental themes, highlighting the tension between growth and decay in the natural world.

Dayton Art Institute welcomes new feminist art gallery

The Dayton Art Institute has opened a new gallery dedicated to feminist art, featuring works by women artists and addressing themes of gender, identity, and social justice. The space aims to highlight underrepresented perspectives within the museum's collection and contemporary art discourse.

Hundreds at London’s British Library go on strike, as Tate workers consider action

Around 300 workers at the British Library in London have gone on strike from 27 October to 9 November over a pay dispute, organized by the Public and Commercial Services union (PCS). The strike threatens to disrupt the opening of the major exhibition "Secret Maps" (until 18 January 2026). Meanwhile, more than 100 PCS members across Tate's four sites are being balloted for possible strike action, with a postal ballot closing on 11 November. The unions demand inflation-proof pay rises, citing low wages that force employees to take second jobs and loans, while management offers increases of 2.4% at the British Library and 3% at Tate.