Vasari Art Codex

article news schedule Jan 16, 2026 visibility 6 link 2 artists

qatar museums gabrielle goliath venice biennale pavilion 1234770055

Gabrielle Goliath's planned South African pavilion at the Venice Biennale was abruptly canceled by South African culture minister Gayton McKenzie. McKenzie claimed the cancellation was not due to the pavilion's focus on Israel's war in Gaza, but because a foreign nation attempted to purchase the work after the show. The Daily Maverick reported that the foreign entity was actually Qatar Museums, which had expressed interest in acquiring a video recording of Goliath's performance piece 'Elegy,' which addressed violence against women and queer people in South Africa and a genocide in Namibia. McKenzie's statement contradicted earlier reports that he had privately called the pavilion 'polarizing.'

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rate_review review schedule Jan 12, 2026 visibility 6 link 5 artists

internet personality mackenzie thomas performance review 1234769494

Internet personality MacKenzie Thomas staged a four-hour durational performance titled "I Said What I Said" in New York, where she read aloud every post she made on X over the past year, interspersed with personal essays. The performance, which sold out both New York showings, will travel to Los Angeles at Heavy Manners. Thomas recounted intimate details of her life, including a breakup, her dog's death, health struggles, and family dynamics, while notably omitting her success as an influencer with half a million followers.

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article news schedule Dec 30, 2025 visibility 6 link 2 artists

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The Istanbul Biennial, titled "The Three-Legged Cat," will not proceed with its planned second and third phases after curator Christine Tohmé resigned due to personal circumstances, as announced by the Istanbul Foundation for Culture and Arts (IKSV). The first phase ran from September 20 to November 23, spanning eight venues and attracting over 600,000 visitors. The biennial's early end follows a turbulent period, including the overturning of the advisory board's 2023 curator selection, which sparked protests. IKSV stated that preparations for the 19th Istanbul Biennial, scheduled for 2027, will begin shortly, with a new curator to be announced in 2026.

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article news schedule Dec 11, 2025 visibility 7 link 5 artists

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A petition with over 600 signatures is protesting the selection of Prague-based artist Predrag Đaković to represent Serbia at the 2026 Venice Biennale with a project titled “Across Golgotha to Resurrection.” The petition, created by the ZUK Informal Art and Culture Collective, alleges that the selection process was unprofessional and non-transparent, and that commission members are closely linked to President Aleksandar Vučić’s Serbian Progressive Party (SNS). The announcement was reportedly made via Đaković’s Instagram rather than through official channels, and neither the artist nor Serbia’s Ministry of Culture has responded to requests for comment.

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article news schedule Sep 25, 2025 visibility 2 link 1 artist

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Maria Smorzhevskikh-Smirnova, the director of the Narva Museum in Estonia, was sentenced in absentia to 10 years in prison by a Russian court. The charges stem from her hanging banners on Narva Castle that label Russian President Vladimir Putin a “war criminal,” including one that fuses Putin’s face with Adolf Hitler’s and another showing a bloodied mug shot of Putin. The court cited laws against disseminating “war fakes” and “rehabilitating Nazism.” Smorzhevskikh-Smirnova has been displaying such banners since 2023 on Russian Victory Day, and Russian authorities have projected Victory Day parades toward Narva from the nearby town of Ivangorod.

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article policy schedule Jul 22, 2025 visibility 4 link 1 artist

ringling museum donors pull support desantis 1234747776

Donors are reportedly withdrawing or reconsidering planned gifts to the John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art, totaling over $750,000, following Governor Ron DeSantis's proposed transfer of the museum from Florida State University to New College of Florida. Although the transfer was not included in the final state budget, the controversy has deepened concerns about the museum's future stewardship under the smaller, conservative-aligned New College, whose reputation has shifted under DeSantis's appointments and policy changes.

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article culture schedule May 5, 2026 visibility 5 link 2 artists

How the adoption of canvas in Venice changed the way artists painted

Art historian Cleo Nisse has published a new book, *Venetian Canvas and the Transformation of Painting*, examining how 16th-century Venetian painters such as Titian, Veronese, and Tintoretto pioneered the use of canvas as a painting support. Nisse reveals that canvas was not a uniform material—artists experimented with different weaves, including tabby and herringbone patterns, and even repurposed sailcloth and tablecloth-quality fabrics to achieve specific visual effects. The book argues that canvas was already familiar in the late Middle Ages for banners and alternatives to tapestry, and that Vittore Carpaccio was the first master of the medium, varying canvas types for expressive purposes in his *Legend of St Ursula* series.

newspaper The Art Newspaper open_in_new Read original

museum exhibitions schedule Apr 30, 2026 visibility 7 link 3 artists

New space dedicated to Oleg Prokofiev—whose abstract art was censored by Soviet Russia—opens in London

A new art space called Prokofiev Studio has opened in Hackney, London, dedicated to the Russian artist Oleg Prokofiev. Its inaugural exhibition, 'Bending Time,' presents abstract works from the 1950s that were banned under Soviet censorship and long thought lost. The space was founded by Prokofiev’s children, including composer Gabriel Prokofiev, in collaboration with curator Anzhela Popova. The works were rediscovered in 1994 when Prokofiev returned to his former Moscow home and found them preserved by the new owner.

newspaper The Art Newspaper open_in_new Read original

museum exhibitions schedule May 1, 2026 visibility 7 link 6 artists

Oleg Prokofiev’s Lost Trove of Paintings Comes to Light After Decades in Hiding

A trove of abstract paintings and sculptures by Russian artist Oleg Prokofiev, hidden for decades in Moscow after he fled the Soviet Union, has been rediscovered and is now on public display for the first time. Prokofiev concealed the works in the 1950s and 1960s to avoid state persecution—abstract art was banned in the USSR, and his relationship with British scholar Camilla Gray made marriage impossible until 1969. After Gray's death and his move to England, the artworks remained safely stored in Moscow, where he found them intact after the Soviet collapse. The collection, including paintings, sculptures, sketchbooks, and letters, is now exhibited at the newly founded Prokofiev Studio in Hackney, London, established by his four children and curator Anzhela Popova.

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trending_up market schedule Mar 9, 2026 visibility 5 link 4 artists

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London-based gallery Trinity Fine Art has announced a curated presentation for TEFAF Maastricht 2026 focusing on the stylistic evolution from Mannerism to the Baroque. The showcase features three significant works: an ambitious 1580 biblical scene by Lavinia Fontana, a rare and well-documented 1610 depiction of St. Jerome by Orazio Gentileschi, and a mature 1620 composition of the Holy Family by Giulio Cesare Procaccini.

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article policy schedule Feb 20, 2026 visibility 5 link 2 artists

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South Africa will not participate in the 61st Venice Biennale following a High Court ruling that dismissed an urgent application by artist Gabrielle Goliath. The dispute began in January when Culture Minister Gayton McKenzie canceled the planned exhibition, "Elegy," citing concerns over its references to Gaza and the killing of Palestinian poet Hiba Abu Nada. The court's decision, delivered just hours before the biennial's submission deadline, effectively leaves the South African pavilion empty for the 2024 edition.

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article news schedule Jun 23, 2025 visibility 4 link 7 artists

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On Saturday, demonstrators across the United States took part in No Kings rallies protesting President Donald Trump, with artists playing a key role in creating protest visuals. In New York City, activists including Susan Sarandon and Mark Ruffalo carried a yellow banner by graphic designer Ange Tran reading “People Over Billionaires,” while Brooklyn artist Julie Peppito led an art build with Indivisible Brooklyn, producing around 100 signs featuring slogans like “people power” and a red sun design. The protests, organized by the 50501 movement alongside Indivisible and MoveOn, drew an estimated 5 to 13 million participants nationwide, making it the largest action since Trump took office in January.

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article news schedule Jun 10, 2025 visibility 6 link 1 artist

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A 4.9-meter stainless steel sculpture titled "Chaînes de Lumière" was unveiled on March 15, 2025, in Bikfaya, Lebanon, by artist duo Pierre and Cedric Koukjian. The work, composed of seven monumental links, was inaugurated in the presence of local officials including Bikfaya Mayor Nicole Gemayel, former President Amine Gemayel, Swiss Ambassador Marion Weichelt, and several UN envoys. It is part of a series of chain-motif sculptures installed globally, with previous works like "X-Link" (2022) in Geneva, Switzerland, and future installations planned for London and Bristol.

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article news schedule Apr 3, 2026 source 4 sources visibility 9

Italy’s Uffizi Hit by Cyberattack, Says Security Wasn’t Compromised

The Uffizi Galleries in Florence suffered a significant cyberattack in February, with hackers reportedly stealing access codes, internal maps, CCTV camera information, and the institution's entire photographic archive. The attackers issued a ransom demand to director Simone Verde. In response, the museum moved valuable jewels to the Bank of Italy, sealed emergency exits at the Palazzo Pitti with bricks, and closed a section of the palace, though it attributes some actions to planned renovations and fire-safety compliance.

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person people schedule Apr 23, 2026 visibility 1 link 3 artists

art olivia walton crystal bridges

Olivia Walton, former TV journalist and current board chair of the Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art in Bentonville, Arkansas, discusses her leadership and vision in an interview for Cultured's 2026 CULT100 honorees. She took over from founder Alice Walton, her husband's aunt, in 2021 and has championed free admission and expanded access. The museum is set to open a major expansion in May, doubling its public space and celebrating its 15th anniversary alongside America's 250th birthday.

newspaper Cultured open_in_new Read original

museum exhibitions schedule Mar 24, 2026 visibility 7 link 1 artist

Through Bamboo, the Artist Lap-See Lam Explores Her Family’s History

Swedish artist Lap-See Lam has opened her first solo exhibition in Asia at the Tai Kwun Contemporary in Hong Kong. The show, titled "The Dream of the Lion's Way," features her signature multimedia installations, including video, sculpture, and sound, which weave together Cantonese opera, family narratives, and 3D-scanned environments of Chinese restaurants in Sweden.

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article news schedule May 6, 2026 visibility 1 link 5 artists

Venice Biennale opening marked by protests

The 2026 Venice Biennale opened for professionals on Tuesday amid a series of protests, with more planned throughout the week. Around 60 artists from the exhibition "In Minor Keys" gathered at the Giardini for a collective action called "Solidarity Drone Chorus," inspired by Gazan composer Ahmed Muin's "Drone Song," to draw attention to genocide and war in Palestine. The Art Not Genocide Alliance (ANGA) organized a 24-hour strike for Friday 8 May, protesting Israel's participation. Pussy Riot staged a protest outside the Russian pavilion, and the Latvian pavilion launched a campaign against Russia's involvement. The protests follow a highly politicized lead-up, including calls for boycotts of the Russian, Israeli, and US pavilions, EU funding cuts over Russia's participation, and the resignation of the Biennale jury.

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candle obituary schedule Mar 26, 2026 visibility 6 link 1 artist

Alexander Kluge, filmmaker, writer, philosopher, 1932–2026

Alexander Kluge, the influential German filmmaker, writer, and philosopher, has died at the age of 94. A key figure in the New German Cinema movement and a major intellectual heir to the Frankfurt School, Kluge's career spanned law, film, television production, and literature, leaving a significant mark on postwar German culture.

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article news schedule May 6, 2026 visibility 1 link 3 artists

Venice Biennale Swamped in Protests Ahead of Planned Strike

The Art Not Genocide Alliance (ANGA) has announced a 24-hour strike for Friday, May 8, coinciding with previews of the 2026 Venice Biennale, alongside a protest rally organized by local group Biennalocene and Italian trade unions. Earlier this week, sixty artists staged a sonic protest at the Giardini entrance to draw attention to the plight of those affected by genocide and war in Palestine and elsewhere. The Latvian pavilion has also encouraged attendees to wear a design by artist Krišs Salmanis reading “Death in Venice – Russia go home!” Meanwhile, dissident artists Pussy Riot stormed the Russian pavilion waving Ukrainian flags, and the entire 2026 Biennale jury resigned after the decision to exclude countries whose leaders are charged with crimes against humanity by the International Criminal Court from competing for top prizes.

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article local schedule Apr 28, 2026 visibility 5 link 1 artist

Arts Collective to Open New Arts Center in Northampton England

Arts Collective will open a new arts center in Northampton, England on May 1st, following a £5.2m renovation of the city's municipal offices and town hall annex. The complex will feature 17 artist studios, community spaces, a gallery, and "The Northampton Rooms," a series of public spaces designed by artist Giles Round as a "living work of art." The inaugural exhibition will showcase Northamptonshire-born artist Rose Finn-Kelcey.

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article news schedule Nov 13, 2025 link 20 artists

art artists gaza fundraiser wolfgang tillmans

Artist Mai-Thu Perret has organized a fundraiser called '100 Artists for Gaza,' bringing together over 170 artists to support humanitarian efforts in Gaza. The initiative includes an online auction and an exhibition at Doctors Without Borders’ Geneva location, culminating in a live auction on December 2. Proceeds benefit Doctors Without Borders. Co-organized by Vidya Gastaldon, Sarah Benslimane, and Anne Lamunière, the project features works by notable contemporary artists such as Kara Walker, Rosemarie Trockel, Peter Doig, Wolfgang Tillmans, and Camille Henrot, among others. Some works explicitly reference the conflict, while others gesture toward shared humanity.

newspaper Cultured open_in_new Read original

museum exhibitions schedule Apr 29, 2026 visibility 8 link 2 artists, 1 gallery

Anne Frank exhibit debuts Friday with rare artifacts in Chicago

A new exhibition titled "Anne Frank The Exhibition" opens Friday, May 1 at the Griffin Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago. It features 130 collection items from the Anne Frank House in Amsterdam, including artifacts from the Secret Annex where Anne Frank and her family hid during the Nazi occupation. Some of these items have never been displayed in the United States before. The exhibition offers a personal look at the Frank family's life in hiding, including a board game that helped pass the time.

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museum exhibitions schedule May 28, 2025 visibility 2 link 1 artist, 2 galleries

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Johannesburg-based artist Hannelie Coetzee is the subject of a solo exhibition, “Eco Queer Creature Series,” at Morton Fine Art in Washington, D.C., on view through June 24. The show, an official partner event of WorldPride 2025, features drawings and studies of non-reproductive animal behavior, including a fox series based on a pack near Oxford University. Coetzee, who has a background in documentary photography and community development, returned to drawing in 2020 and uses the medium to explore animal behavior on its own terms, challenging patriarchal and anthropocentric assumptions.

newspaper Artnet News open_in_new Read original

museum exhibitions schedule May 6, 2026 visibility 1 link 1 artist, 1 gallery

Art: Amanda Heng’s ‘A Pause’ opens at the 61st International Art Exhibition of La Biennale di Venezia to represent Singapore

Amanda Heng Liang Ngim's exhibition 'A Pause' has opened at the Singapore Pavilion of the 61st International Art Exhibition – La Biennale di Venezia. The installation transforms the historic Sale d’Armi into a contemplative space using larch wood platforms, photographs, and a dual-channel video that observes everyday gestures of rest and renewal in Venice and Singapore. The presentation also includes a reprint of her 1990 series 'Parts of My Body' and is accompanied by a comprehensive monograph, 'Amanda Heng: On and On'.

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museum exhibitions schedule May 5, 2026 visibility 3 link 3 artists, 1 gallery

The Met’s much-anticipated spring 2026 exhibit puts fashion on a fine art level

The Metropolitan Museum of Art's Costume Institute will open its spring 2026 exhibition, "Costume Art," on May 10, 2026, running through January 10, 2027. The show features nearly 400 objects from the Met's collection, pairing couture garments with paintings, sculptures, and decorative works across centuries. Organized by "body types" such as "Classical Body" and "Mortal Body," the exhibition will be housed in the new 12,000-square-foot Condé Nast Galleries. The Met Gala, co-chaired by Beyoncé, Nicole Kidman, Venus Williams, and Anna Wintour, will kick off the exhibition with a dress code of "Fashion is Art."

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article local schedule May 4, 2026 visibility 4 link 5 artists, 2 galleries

DePaul student creates micro-art gallery inside locker

DePaul University senior Christa Baclia-an has created a micro-art gallery inside a rented commuter locker (No. 121) in the Schmitt Academic Center, called “Locker Room.” The project rotates exhibitions every two weeks and is open to students and passersby. It was launched in response to the planned closure of the DePaul Art Museum (DPAM) due to budget cuts, and features work from both DePaul students and international artists, such as London-based Lee Tzur. The initiative is part of a growing DIY art scene on campus, with students curating shows and fostering community engagement in unconventional spaces.

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museum exhibitions schedule May 4, 2026 visibility 7 link 4 artists, 1 gallery

How This Palestinian-Canadian Artist is Bringing Her Voice to the Met Museum

Dubai-based Palestinian-Canadian artist Samar Hejazi has been commissioned to create mirrored sculptural mannequin heads for the Costume Institute's Spring 2026 exhibition at The Metropolitan Museum of Art, opening alongside the Met Gala. Hejazi's reflective works, designed for the exhibition "Costume Art," aim to collapse the distance between viewer and object, creating moments of surprise and questioning about identity, perception, and belonging.

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article local schedule Apr 29, 2026 visibility 7 link 3 artists, 3 galleries

Art Notes, April 29

This article from the 'Art Notes' column covers several local art events in Ocean County, New Jersey. John Meehan's oil painting 'Enjoying the Sunshine from the Shadows' is featured as cover art for the LBI Artist Studio Tour map. Suzanne Pasqualicchio's exhibit 'That’s Life: Little by Little' is on display at the Lacey branch of the Ocean County Library through May, with a reception on May 2. The Long Beach Island Foundation of the Arts and Sciences (LBIF) is hosting a pottery course for beginners aged 55 and older, funded by a Creative Aging Initiative grant, along with an upcycled patchwork sweatshirt workshop and the 28th annual Works on Paper national juried exhibition juried by Joanna Sheers Seidenstein of The Metropolitan Museum of Art. A photography exhibit by Don Edwards titled 'Nature in Ocean County' is also showing at the Waretown library branch.

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museum exhibitions schedule Apr 9, 2026 visibility 4 link 2 artists, 2 galleries

Exhibition | Nyakallo Maleke, 'A Soft Language of Distance' at Bode, Berlin, Germany

Johannesburg-based artist Nyakallo Maleke presents her solo exhibition, 'A Soft Language of Distance,' at Bode in Berlin. The show features an expanded practice of drawing that incorporates textiles, wax paper, and intricate stitching to explore themes of movement, memory, and spatial experience. Maleke, who was recently named the recipient of the 2025 Standard Bank Young Artist Award, utilizes these unconventional materials to create a tactile vocabulary that bridges the gap between intimate gesture and architectural form.

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article policy schedule Nov 4, 2025 visibility 4 link 1 artist, 1 gallery

Heritage experts call for international task force to plan Palmyra rebuild

Heritage experts, antiquities officials, and Syrian community members convened at a conference organized by the University of Lausanne and the Aliph foundation in Switzerland, marking the first comprehensive international meeting on Palmyra since the fall of Bashar Al Assad's regime in 2024. The group issued recommendations including the creation of an international expert task force to work toward removing Palmyra from the UNESCO List of World Heritage in Danger, and outlined three key priorities: rehabilitating the looted and damaged Palmyra museum, restoring artefacts currently held at the Damascus Museum, and repairing the foot bridge to the site. Aliph executive director Valery Freland aims to begin work in January 2026.

newspaper The Art Newspaper open_in_new Read original