Plans to extend the US-Mexico border wall through Val Verde County, Texas, threaten to damage or destroy hundreds of prehistoric rock art murals in the Lower Pecos region. Archaeologists and local landowners warn that construction vibrations could destabilize the rock surfaces housing these ancient paintings, some of which are over 5,700 years old and span up to 100 feet in length.
The Guardian's picture editors curated a global selection of photographs from March 24, 2026. The images depict scenes of conflict, including a distraught woman in Beirut after an Israeli airstrike, rockets fired from Lebanon towards Israel, an Iranian missile embedded in the West Bank, and damage in Tel Aviv from a missile barrage. Other photos show people sheltering in Kyiv during an air raid and firefighters in Zaporizhzhia, Ukraine.
The article recounts the rediscovery and ongoing excavation of the ancient Sanxingdui civilization in Sichuan, China, beginning with a peasant's accidental find of jade relics in 1929. After decades of political disruption, large-scale digs resumed in the 1980s, uncovering over 50,000 artifacts—including distinctive bronze masks with gold foil—that offer the only clues to this Bronze Age city's culture, trade networks, and mysterious collapse around the 11th century B.C.E.
A bronze statue of RoboCop, the cyborg protagonist from Paul Verhoeven's 1987 film, has been installed in Detroit nearly 15 years after a grassroots campaign began. The 11-foot, 3,500-pound monument was sculpted by Detroit artist Giorgio Gikas of Venus Bronze Works, funded by a 2012 Kickstarter that raised over $67,000, and finally placed at Eastern Market after years of legal hurdles and location changes.
Three Texas-based researchers have successfully radiocarbon dated ancient cave paintings in the Lower Pecos Canyonlands along the Rio Grande border between Mexico and West Texas, using a novel combination of technologies. By dating the deer bone marrow used as a paint binder—rather than the mineral pigments themselves—and employing plasma oxidation to extract carbon, the team analyzed 53 figures across 12 sites. Their findings, published in *Science Advances*, reveal that individual murals were created in single painting events, not accumulated over centuries, and that the paintings span four millennia, from about 5,760 to 1,035 years ago.
NeueHouse, a high-end coworking space known for hosting art events, filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy to liquidate its assets and closed all its locations on September 5. The company cited legacy liabilities as the reason for its demise, though specific debts remain unclear. NeueHouse had locations in New York, Hollywood, and Venice Beach, and was a hub for the art, fashion, media, and entertainment industries, cohosting events with ARTnews sister publication Art in America and Artnet.
UNESCO has granted World Heritage status to Murujuga, an ancient Aboriginal rock art site in Western Australia's Pilbara region, despite concerns about its vulnerability to emissions from nearby gas and fertilizer plants. The site contains over 1 million petroglyphs, including the oldest known depiction of a human face, dating back up to 50,000 years. Indigenous groups campaigned for two decades for protection, and the Australian government nominated the site in 2023. However, the Karratha Gas Plant, operated by Woodside Energy, sits on the nominated land, and ICOMOS had warned that emissions pose a risk to the rock art. The UNESCO designation was unanimous, but an amendment was added requiring Australia to continue monitoring industrial impact.
A 54-pound chunk of Mars, believed to be the largest Martian meteorite ever discovered on Earth, will be auctioned at Sotheby’s New York on July 16 with an estimate of $2 million to $4 million. Named NWA 16788, the meteorite was found in November 2023 in Niger’s Agadez region and accounts for 6.5 percent of all known Martian material on Earth, making it 70 percent larger than the next largest piece. Sotheby’s is billing it as the most valuable meteorite ever offered at auction, and it will be on public view from July 8–15 before the live sale.
Australian politicians are pushing back against UNESCO's concerns that ancient rock art in Murujuga, Western Australia, is endangered by the proposed expansion of the Karratha Gas Plant, operated by Woodside Energy. The site contains up to 1 million petroglyphs, some dating back 47,000 years, and UNESCO's advisory body ICOMOS has warned that industrial emissions are a major threat. Australia's environmental minister Murray Watt has disputed ICOMOS's findings, calling them factually inaccurate, while Woodside claims the expansion will help transition away from coal and achieve net zero by 2050.
Jonathan Crockett, deputy chairman of Phillips in Asia, reflects on the auction house's 10-year journey in the region, from a small Hong Kong office to a major presence in the West Kowloon Cultural District. He recounts his career path from Christie's and Sotheby's to founding his own advisory firm, then joining Phillips to launch its Asian operations, overcoming brand confusion and building a robust client network.
CULTURED Editor-in-Chief Sarah Harrelson hosted a panel discussion at Christie’s Rockefeller Center with collectors Tiffany Zabludowicz, Sophia Cohen, and Victoria Rogers, exploring the evolving role of women in the art market. The event coincided with Christie’s Marquee Week sales, which included a record-breaking $1.1 billion night, and featured works from the collections of legendary female patrons such as Agnes Gund, Marian Goodman, Lorinda de Roulet, and Marilyn Arison. Guests viewed masterpieces on display and received remarks from Christie’s Senior Vice President Isabella Lauria, who is leading the 21st Century Sale on May 20.
Miet Warlop, a Belgian artist known for her avant-garde theater work, is representing Belgium at the 2026 Venice Biennale with a performance-installation titled "IT NEVER SSST." The project transforms the Belgian Pavilion into a chaotic, sensory-filled space where performers climb wooden structures, bang drums, and break plaster boards inscribed with multilingual text, reflecting the noise and misunderstandings of contemporary life. Curated by Caroline Dumalin, the pavilion blurs the line between theater and visual art, with live performances occurring only part of the time while sculptors continuously remake plaster reliefs throughout the Biennale's run.
Italian jewelry maison Vhernier has collaborated with artist Pae White to create a 10-design limited-edition ring collection inspired by White's childhood memories of Sea Ranch, a remote artists' retreat in Sonoma County, California. The collection translates the architecture of crustaceans and abalone into precious materials, using sapphires, diamonds, and rock crystal set in white or rose gold, with only two versions of each design produced.
The Swiss Institute held its 2025 Benefit Gala at the Rainbow Room in Rockefeller Center, honoring artists Theaster Gates and Andro Wekua, patron Yan Du, Printed Matter (under Executive Director Lesley A. Martin), and the late curator Koyo Kouoh. The evening featured an a cappella performance by Tonewall, a paddle raise, a seated dinner, and an art auction led by Simon de Pury, with works by Chloe Wise and Michèle Sandoz. Attendees included collectors Maja Hoffmann, Eva Dichand, and Carola Jain; artists Chloe Wise, Tschabalala Self, and Sarah Morris; and other cultural figures.
CULTURED's food editor Mina Stone asked over two dozen artists to name their essential foods, from comfort dishes to simple staples. Responses range from Aya Brown's rice (rooted in her Black American and Japanese heritage) to Rob Pruitt's Caesar salad, Kaws's cheese, and Armando Nin's Dominican breakfast Mangú, with many artists citing coffee, eggs, and nostalgic family meals.
Dale Chihuly has opened a new exhibition titled 'Chihuly x Maker’s Mark' at the Maker’s Mark distillery in Kentucky, featuring nine sculptural glass works installed across the grounds of Star Hill Farm. The show includes pieces such as the 12-foot 'Sapphire and Platinum Waterdrop Tower' (2017) and 'Moonbow Fiori' (2025), with the permanent installation 'Spirit of the Maker' (2013) at its center. The exhibition is accompanied by after-dark tours, limited-release whisky pours, and a revamped restaurant, Star Hill Provisions.
The Glass House in New Canaan, Connecticut, hosted its annual Summer Party on a recent Saturday, honoring the late designer Gaetano Pesce. The event featured the debut of Big Surprise 2, a limited-edition resin vase created with Italian furniture firm Meritalia and inspired by two Feltri chairs from the host's collection. Guests enjoyed a site-responsive performance by dance company Pilobolus, the exhibition “Barbara Kasten: Structure, Light, Land,” a DJ set by Pete Brockman, and activations by Max Mara. Notable attendees included artists Deborah Brown and Naudline Pierre, architect Paul Goldberger, and museum director Cybele Maylone.
Maine-based environmental painter Janice Kasper will headline the first 'Bartlett Art Talk' of the 2026 season on April 22 at the Bartlett Woods Retirement Community. The event coincides with the exhibition "Chickadees, Alligators, and Stonehenge," which showcases Kasper’s dramatic oil paintings alongside works by Cicely Aikman and Dirk McDonnell. Kasper’s practice focuses on the tension between human technology and the preservation of wildlife and natural landscapes.
JR métamorphose le Pont-Neuf en immense caverne immersive
French artist JR has transformed the Pont-Neuf in Paris into a massive immersive cave installation titled "La Caverne du Pont-Neuf," unveiled in May 2026. The work pays homage to Christo and Jeanne-Claude's 1985 wrapping of the same bridge, using an inflatable double-wall structure covered with printed fabric to simulate rock formations and a prehistoric cave. The 120-meter-long installation is free and open to the public day and night, featuring augmented reality experiences via mobile devices and VR glasses, with a soundscape by a former Daft Punk member. The project, budgeted at €10.9 million funded by private sources, marks the first time JR has invited the public inside one of his works.
Poly Auction Hong Kong's Spring 2026 season concluded with a total of HKD 255 million in sales, representing a 23% increase over the previous autumn cycle. The auction was headlined by Liu Wei’s 1995 painting "You Like Pork?", which fetched HKD 27.6 million, followed by a Ming Dynasty 'Grapes' foliate-rim dish that sold for HKD 24.6 million. The event saw participation from collectors across 17 countries, with significant growth in the Modern and Contemporary Art and Jewels and Watches sectors.
The Marion Art Gallery at Fredonia is presenting "Children of Grass: A Portrait of American Poetry," an exhibition featuring 50 photographic portraits and one video of prominent American poets by photographer B.A. Van Sise. Each portrait visually interprets a poem by its subject, creating a collaborative image. The exhibition runs from February 24 to April 15, with related events including a lecture by Van Sise and a poetry reading by former U.S. Poet Laureate Joy Harjo.
At 82, ceramicist Pippin Drysdale is the subject of a major retrospective, "Infinite Terrain," which opened in December at the Art Gallery of Western Australia (AGWA). The exhibition, curated by Isobel Wise, spans Drysdale's prolific 40-year career and was sparked by a chance, spirited encounter with AGWA director Colin Walker. Drysdale, who began ceramics in 1981 after earlier ventures in herbs and paper flowers, studied at Perth Tech, Anderson Ranch in Colorado, and Curtin University, and her work has been deeply influenced by travels to Italy, Siberia, and Russia.
The Vatican Apostolic Library has created a new exhibition hall for contemporary art, which will be inaugurated by Pope Francis on November 5. The first exhibition, titled "EVERYONE: Humanity on its way," features unpublished works by Roman artist Pietro Ruffo, including a site-specific installation in the Sala Barberini that transforms the space into a tropical forest. Historic treasures from the library, such as a 17th-century map of the Nile by Ottoman explorer Evliya Çelebi, will be displayed in dialogue with Ruffo's contemporary reinterpretations.
The Arkansas Museum of Fine Arts (AMFA) in Little Rock opens the 65th Young Arkansas Artists exhibition on Saturday, featuring 52 artworks selected by a panel of museum and art professionals. The exhibition expands to four works per grade, K-12, and includes a "Best in Class" award chosen by grand juror Celeste Alexander. The show runs through July 26 in the Robyn and John Horn Gallery, with free admission and related activities at the museum's Windgate Art School.
The iconic Rocky statue, a symbol of Philadelphia and the beloved film franchise, is now the subject of its own dedicated exhibition at a museum after years of tension between the city, the film's creators, and local institutions. The statue, originally created as a prop for the 1976 film 'Rocky' starring Sylvester Stallone, has had a complicated history, moving from the Philadelphia Museum of Art steps to the Spectrum arena and back, with debates over its artistic merit and placement.
The iconic bronze statue of Rocky Balboa, the fictional boxer portrayed by Sylvester Stallone, is moving inside the Philadelphia Museum of Art for the first time starting Saturday, as part of the museum's new exhibition "Rising Up: Rocky and the Making of Monuments." The exhibition, which marks the 50th anniversary of the original film, features over 150 artworks and ancient artifacts, and explores how monuments are created and reinterpreted by artists and communities. The statue had stood outside the museum for more than 20 years and was originally a prop from the 1982 film "Rocky III."
The Philadelphia Museum of Art previewed a new exhibition titled "Rising Up: Rocky and the Making of Monuments," timed to coincide with the nation's 250th anniversary and the 50th anniversary of the "Rocky" film. The exhibition focuses on the iconic Rocky statue at the base of the museum's steps, and a talk featured guest curator Paul Farber and Jacqui Frazier-Lyde, daughter of boxing legend Joe Frazier. A statue of Joe Frazier will be moved to the base of the Art Museum steps, where the Rocky statue once stood. The exhibit opens to the public on April 25, 2026.
The Fitchburg Art Museum and the Laurelwood Garden Club have announced the 28th annual Art in Bloom celebration, running from April 23 to April 26. This year’s event coincides with the museum’s centennial anniversary and features 40 floral arrangements designed to interpret specific artworks from the permanent collection, including pieces from the exhibitions "Kaleidoscope" and "Festival: A Celebration of African Art."
The Art Gallery at Shutter Speed Photo in Middlebury, Connecticut, is hosting an exhibit titled "Color in Motion" by artist Lucy C. Pierpont, on display through June 13. Pierpont, a Middlebury native now living in Woodbury, has a background in marketing and graphic design and has shown her work at numerous local venues including the Mattatuck Museum, Hartwick College, and the Kent Memorial Library.
Graphic artist Jim Phillips, the 81-year-old creator of the iconic "Screaming Hand" logo for Santa Cruz Skateboards, has opened his first solo gallery in his hometown of Santa Cruz, California. The exhibition, titled "Jim Phillips: New Fine Art Prints and Classic ’70s and ’80s Pen and Ink Drawings," runs at the R. Blitzer Gallery and features 15 new large-scale art prints and 30 hand-drawn pen-and-ink works from 1971 to 2026. The show includes his famous "Screaming Hand" and "Hand Wave" pieces, alongside surf, skate, and rock poster art from his career, which includes work for The Doors, James Brown, and Neil Young.