The Berlin art legend who found his calling in sneaking into other artists’ shows

Patrick Jambon, a 58-year-old French performance artist living in Berlin, has spent the past 25 years attending gallery openings as a continuous performance piece he calls his 'gallery project.' Dressed in a bright red T-shirt, cartoonish metal-framed glasses, and carrying a yellow bike helmet, he visits dozens of galleries daily, compiling opening lists from websites and social media. His project has become so embedded in the city's art scene that his handwritten lists are now exhibited in spaces like Berlin-Weekly, and artists such as Ae Hee Lee note that 'you aren't a real Berlin artist if you don't know him.'

Mexican President Calls for Stricter Gun Control After Deadly Shooting at Teotihuacán Pyramids

A gunman opened fire on tourists at the Teotihuacán archaeological site in Mexico, killing a Canadian woman and injuring at least 13 others. The shooter, identified as Julio César Jasso Ramírez, acted alone and later died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound after planning the attack over multiple visits to the site.

Archaeologists Discover 6,000-Year-Old ‘Megastructure’ in Romania

Archaeologists in northeastern Romania have unearthed a 6,000-year-old 'megastructure' at the Stăuceni-"Holm" site, attributed to the Cucuteni-Trypillia culture. Measuring approximately 350 square meters, the building is significantly larger than typical dwellings of the period and was strategically positioned near the settlement's entrance. The absence of domestic tools or ritual statuettes suggests the space served as a communal assembly hall or administrative center rather than a private residence.

panama tomb riches sacrifice 1234776467

Archaeologists at El Caño Archaeological Park in central Panama have uncovered a 1,000-year-old tomb belonging to a high-ranking chieftain of the Gran Coclé culture. The burial chamber, designated as Tomb 3, contains a staggering collection of gold artifacts, including pectorals, earrings, and ornaments featuring crocodile and bat motifs. Crucially, the 'Lord of Tomb 3' was found buried alongside several other individuals, suggesting a practice of ritual human sacrifice intended to accompany the leader into the afterlife.

rome tour well preserved underground dwelling livestream 1234769884

Rome is offering livestream tours of the House of the Griffins, an ancient Roman home on the Palatine Hill that has never been open to the public. Dating to the 2nd-1st century BCE, the dwelling features well-preserved frescoes, mosaics, and two stucco griffins. Starting March 3, after years of restoration, small groups of up to 12 visitors can watch a guide with a head-mounted camera explore the underground structure, with narration in English or Italian.

birkin bag jane birkin sold sothebys 2 8 million 1234765480

A black leather Hermès Birkin bag previously owned by actress and style icon Jane Birkin sold at Sotheby’s for $2.9 million on December 5 at the St. Regis Saadiyat Island Resort in Abu Dhabi. The bag, known as Le Birkin Voyageur, features an inscription written by Birkin in 2007 for a charity auction supporting the International Federation for Human Rights, along with a sketch of a reclining female nude. It had been in private hands since that auction and was sold as part of a 4-day luxury goods sale. The bag exceeded its estimate of $240,000-$400,000 but fell short of the record $10 million paid for the original Birkin prototype earlier this year.

miami beach free water taxi program 1234763931

Miami Beach is launching a free water taxi program for the second year, starting December 1, to shuttle passengers between the island and mainland every ten to fifteen minutes, with connecting shuttles to the Convention Center and Collins Avenue. The initiative comes as severe traffic congestion during Miami Art Week has driven some exhibitors away from NADA’s inland fairgrounds, with dealers reporting that collectors often abandon trips midway due to gridlock.

world monuments fund suzanne deal booth institute launch 1234759175

World Monuments Fund (WMF) has announced the launch of the Suzanne Deal Booth Institute for Heritage Preservation, backed by $19 million in funding as part of its $60 million endowment campaign marking the organization's 60th anniversary. The institute is established through a $10 million endowment gift from philanthropist and ARTnews Top 200 collector Suzanne Deal Booth, with additional support from the Gerard B. Lambert Foundation, Denise Littlefield Sobel, and Virginia James. The institute will serve as a global hub for research, training, and innovation in heritage preservation, focusing on greenspace stewardship, digital preservation, and workforce development, including programs like the Greenspace Heritage Training initiative and Bridge to Crafts Careers.

Comment | Climate change is forcing tough choices—how much heritage can we save before it is too late?

Climate change is accelerating the degradation of archaeological sites worldwide, forcing archaeologists to make urgent, difficult choices about what to save. From thawing permafrost in the Canadian Arctic threatening Inuit heritage to landslides endangering ancient Buddhist temples in Nepal, researchers are now deploying innovative technologies like ground-penetrating radar, 3D scanning, and even cosmic-ray muon detectors to digitally document and monitor at-risk sites before they are lost.

Hardwiring Change Survey 2026

hardwiring change survey 2026 2749648

Artnet and the Association for Women in the Arts (AWITA) have launched the second edition of their global research initiative, the Hardwiring Change survey. This project aims to collect comprehensive data from thousands of arts professionals regarding pay gaps, leadership representation, career mobility, and workplace conditions. The 2026 iteration introduces a new focus on how emerging technologies, specifically artificial intelligence, are impacting gender equity and professional advancement within the industry.

gladwell and patterson james doran webb peter wileman 2747110

British artist James Doran-Webb is set to debut his first solo exhibition with the venerable UK gallery Gladwell and Patterson during Scottsdale Ferrari Art Week 2026. Known for his intricate wildlife sculptures crafted from reclaimed driftwood, Doran-Webb’s practice transforms weathered, inanimate natural materials into dynamic animal forms such as horses, owls, and meerkats. The presentation will pair these contemporary sculptures with Impressionist and Post-Impressionist paintings to create an immersive environment.

remnants enaissance equestrian statue french dig 2662751

Archaeologists from INRAP (the National Institute of Preventive Archaeological Research) have unearthed a Renaissance-era limestone equestrian statue in Toul, northeastern France. The statue, broken into 27 pieces, was found buried under a roadway among the remains of a medieval gate demolished around 1700. The largest fragment measures about three-and-a-half feet, and the intact work would have stood over five feet high. The horse's trunk and head are preserved, along with the rider's hips and upper thighs, but the rider's head and limbs are missing, making identification uncertain. INRAP suggests the rider may have been Henry II, King of France, or more likely John III of Lorraine, Cardinal of Lorraine and Bishop of Toul, and that Italian artists may have been involved in its creation.

Conroe artist debuts paintings containing Titanic coal at anniversary exhibition

Conroe-based artist Dirk Strangely is set to debut a new series of portraits titled "Souls of the Titanic" during a commemorative exhibition and dinner in Texas. The artworks are created using a unique process the artist calls "Artifactism," which incorporates authenticated coal recovered from the Titanic wreckage in 1994. By grinding the coal into a pigment through levigation, Strangely has produced watercolor paintings of notable figures such as Captain Edward John Smith and Molly Brown, accented with 24k gold leaf and 1912-era paper.

Sienna Art Gallery & Gifts Opens at 129 S. Gay Street

Sienna Art Gallery & Gifts has officially opened at 129 S. Gay Street in Knoxville’s downtown Arts District. Founded by watercolorist Gayla Seale, fiber artist Judi Gaston, and painter Blanche Nicoll, the space serves as both a working studio and a retail gallery. The venue debuted during a recent First Friday event, featuring original works, architectural cityscapes, handwoven garments, and guest artist rotations, including pieces by Cynthia Markert.

Hundreds attend gallery opening at historic homestead

The historic Rototāwai homestead in South Wairarapa, New Zealand, has officially opened a new public art gallery and cultural space. Facilitated by the Anna Bidwill Foundation, the site features Bidwill’s extensive private art collection housed within her restored childhood home. The opening ceremony, which included a traditional pōwhiri and an address by Minister for Arts, Culture and Heritage Paul Goldsmith, marks the culmination of a four-year restoration project since Bidwill repurchased the estate in 2020.

6 Kansas City art exhibits you'll love seeing this spring

Kansas City’s spring art season features a diverse lineup of exhibitions across several key local venues, highlighting regional talent and identity-driven narratives. Notable shows include a group exhibition by the Kansas City Art Institute’s AAPI Association at Leedy-Voulkos Art Center and a collaborative project between Kansas City and Chicago galleries titled "Queer Ecologies II" at the Charlotte Street Foundation, which explores the intersection of queer identity and environmental science.

Contemporary artists featured in exhibition examining Cherokee People and the American Revolution

The Museum of the Cherokee People has launched "Unrelenting: Cherokee People and the American Revolution," a landmark exhibition marking the 250th anniversary of the United States. The show juxtaposes 18th-century historical artifacts, such as weaponry and archival treaties, with newly commissioned works by 14 contemporary Cherokee artists. Curated by Dakota Brown, Evan Mathis, and Brandon Dillard, the exhibition challenges traditional American nationalist mythologies by centering Indigenous perspectives on the Cherokee American War and the complexities of sovereignty.

Welsh artist and wood engraver gets gallery in his name

The Bob Guy Gallery has officially opened at Y Dolydd, Llanfyllin Workhouse, named in honor of the late Welsh wood engraver, artist, and musician. The gallery’s inauguration on St David’s Day featured the launch of 'Cydweithio – Collaborate,' an exhibition exploring the intersection of visual art and poetry, reflecting Guy’s own history of collaborative creative practice.

Rare Gates of Paradise replica restored and on display at the BYU Museum of Art

The BYU Museum of Art (MOA) has unveiled a meticulously restored gypsum cast replica of Lorenzo Ghiberti’s Renaissance masterpiece, the "Gates of Paradise." The restoration project spanned a decade and involved approximately 13,000 hours of labor, largely performed by BYU students who repaired damage and applied gold leaf to the ten ornate panels. The restored work is now the centerpiece of the exhibition "Gilded Paradise," which features immersive projections of Florence and will remain on view through October 2026.

Promotion: Diss auction expert explores the art of collecting

Elizabeth Talbot from TW Gaze explores the concept of collecting ahead of a sale of international contemporary art at Diss Auction Rooms on February 17. The auction features over 20 Australian Aboriginal works by artists like Mary Anne Nampijimpa Michaels and George Ward Tjungurrayi, six works by Chinese artist Huang Simao, and a painting by American artist Douglas Stewart, all from the estate of a Norfolk collector who sourced pieces worldwide.

New Ferndale Gallery Opens Its Doors as a Hub for LGBTQ+ Creativity

The Tacon-Heaslip Gallery, a new 4,100-square-foot space at 22100 Woodward Avenue in Ferndale, Michigan, opened its doors on November 15 with a crowded grand opening. Founded by queer artist Jarrad Tacon-Heaslip, the gallery previously operated from a small studio on Hilton. Tacon-Heaslip intends the larger venue to serve as a visible, supportive hub for the LGBTQ+ community, with plans for Pride Month programming, artist collaborations, and community-centered initiatives. The gallery currently features Tacon-Heaslip's bold abstract expressionist works, which involve meticulous taping and layering processes, and aims to uplift a broader roster of artists.

Nordic Echoes: Tradition in Contemporary Art

“Nordic Echoes: Tradition in Contemporary Art” is a traveling exhibition opening October 4, 2025, at the South Dakota Art Museum and running through January 3, 2026. Curated by Sally Yerkovich, it features 55 works by 24 artists from the Upper Midwest, including Bill Amundson, Sonja Peterson, and Tara Austin. The show examines how Nordic folk arts—such as weaving, carving, and blacksmithing—inspire contemporary painting, textiles, and metalwork, presenting tradition as a living, evolving practice.

Sydney Fringe Festival launches 2025 program

Sydney Fringe Festival has announced its full 2025 program, featuring over 460 events and more than 2,900 artists across four precincts and ten festival hubs this September. Highlights include the immersive theatre experience 'When Night Comes' by Broad Encounters, internationally acclaimed shows by storytelling duo Wright & Grainger, the return of the Queer and First Nations Hubs, and the reopening of the Eternity Playhouse as the home of the Off Broadway Hub. The festival kicks off with a free street party at The Rocks on 4 September, and includes SIDESHOW performances, the Cabaret Hub at Marrickville Town Hall, and a new group exhibition by Boomalli Aboriginal Artists Co-operative.

Dive into the works of artist Badri Narayan and the Vitrum Studio at this art exhibition in Mumbai

Curator Puja Vaish discovered ceramic works by artist Vijoo Sadwelkar in the Jehangir Nicholson Art Foundation's collection, leading her to Haresh Mehta, who preserved original works from the Vitrum studio. This resulted in the exhibition "A Glazed History: Badri Narayan & the Vitrum Studio" at the JNAF Gallery at CSMVS Museum in Mumbai, the first retrospective of the studio that operated from the 1950s to the 1970s. Vitrum, founded by emigre glass expert Simon Lifschutz and his wife Hanna, blended art, craft, and design by having artists create hand-painted ceramic tiles and Venetian glass mosaics for everyday homes.

Rockford Art Museum celebrates the ’90s in new exhibition

Rockford Art Museum has opened a new exhibition titled 'Analog: Rockford’s Decade of Creative Rebellion,' celebrating the 1990s art scene in Rockford, Illinois. The show features twenty local artists from collectives and venues such as Skuggi Gallery, Paul Harvey Oswald, and Café Esperanto, which served as creative hubs during the decade. The exhibition includes works from the museum’s own 1990s collection and will run through September, with free admission and monthly lectures by participating artists.

‘The happiness on their faces pulled me back to my own childhood’: Mark Linel Padecio’s best phone picture

Photographer Mark Linel Padecio captured his 10-year-old daughter, Xianthee, and her five-year-old cousin, Zack, playing joyfully in the mud of a riverbed on the family farm in Dapdap, Philippines. The moment occurred after a brief rainfall ended a severe drought, transforming a landscape of hardship into one of relief. Padecio, initially surprised by his usually serious city-dwelling daughter's abandon, was moved by the children's authentic happiness to document the scene with his phone instead of stopping them.

Clutch City Craft at Houston Center for Contemporary Craft, Houston

The Houston Center for Contemporary Craft (HCCC) has opened the exhibition 'Clutch City Craft,' which explores the craft traditions and material cultures that define Houston. The show features a diverse range of making practices, from mosaic street signs and cowboy boot making to fiber artists involved in aerospace design, framing the city's creative density as an extension of its industrial identity.

The World According to Aldwyth

The New York Times Art section published an article titled "The World According to Aldwyth," profiling the artist Aldwyth, who works in paint, bricolage, and collage. The piece explores how her art delves into the history of art, ideas, and the human species, presenting her unique creative vision and thematic concerns.

Scandal in Florence's Skyline? After the Black Cube and the White Cylinder, the Prism That Impales Santa Croce Appears

Scandalo nello skyline di Firenze? Dopo il cubo nero e il cilindro bianco spunta il prisma che impalla Santa Croce

A cylindrical antenna installed by the telecom company Iliad in Florence has sparked controversy after it was reported that, from certain angles, it visually overlaps with iconic landmarks such as Brunelleschi's Dome and Giotto's Campanile. The article traces a pattern of periodic scandals in Florence, including a previous uproar over the so-called "Cubo Nero" (a new building replacing a decaying theater), and notes that the antenna has actually been in place since 2023 without earlier outcry. Local artist Giacomo Costa recently photographed another white prismatic antenna in Via Ghibellina, within the UNESCO zone, that obstructs the view of Santa Croce, fueling further debate.

From the Aral Sea to Milan: Uzbekistan tells its story between craftsmanship and climate crisis

Dal Mar d’Aral a Milano: l’Uzbekistan si racconta tra artigianato e crisi climatica

Uzbekistan made its official debut at the Milan Design Week with the exhibition 'When Apricots Blossom' at Palazzo Citterio. Curated by Kulapat Yantrasast and promoted by the Uzbekistan Art and Culture Development Foundation, the immersive show presents contemporary reinterpretations of Uzbek craft, organized around three pillars of Karakalpak culture: textiles, food, and dwelling. It features installations by international designers like Bethan Laura Wood and a deconstructed yurt by WHY Architecture.