Semiprecious Stones Coat Kathleen Ryan’s Oversized Sculptures of Rotting Food

Artist Kathleen Ryan creates large-scale sculptures of rotting fruit and food items, meticulously covering them with thousands of semiprecious stones and beads to mimic the textures and colors of mold and decay. Works like "Bad Lemon (Slice of Paradise)" and "Screwdriver" juxtapose luxurious materials like amethyst, turquoise, and serpentine with salvaged metal from vintage cars, creating a dual personality of hidden beauty and grotesque rot.

Uncertainty in the Art Market is Currently Extreme

"Im Moment ist die Verunsicherung auf dem Kunstmarkt extrem"

Prominent Cologne gallerist Gisela Capitain is celebrating her 40th anniversary amid a period of significant market volatility. In recent interviews, she reflects on her career—defined by long-term artist relationships like that with Martin Kippenberger—while critiquing the current state of the art world. She notes that buyers have become increasingly hesitant and deliberate, describing the current level of uncertainty in the art market as extreme and calling for reforms to institutions like Art Cologne.

Why Do the Women Have to Be Naked?

"Warum müssen die Frauen nackt sein?"

A series of cultural controversies highlight growing tensions between artistic freedom and political pressure. In Germany, cultural minister Wolfram Weimer faces criticism for opaque funding decisions and alleged interference in jury processes, with critics arguing this undermines artistic freedom and free speech. Simultaneously, the European Media Art Festival in Osnabrück defends filmmaker Basma al-Sharif against accusations of antisemitism, illustrating how cultural funding can become a test of political ideology.

National Assembly Unanimously Votes on Law for Restitution of Looted Colonial Works, but with Restrictions

L’Assemblée vote à l’unanimité la loi sur la restitution des œuvres pillées pendant la colonisation, mais avec des restrictions

The French National Assembly has unanimously passed a landmark law establishing a permanent legal framework for the restitution of cultural property looted during the colonial era. Moving away from the previous requirement for case-by-case legislation, the new law allows the government to return artifacts via decree following consultations with scientific and parliamentary commissions. This shift fulfills a long-standing promise to simplify the return of African heritage currently held in French public collections.

“Atlante” at Thomas Dane Gallery, Naples

Claudio Parmiggiani’s seminal 1970 portfolio, "Atlante," is the focal point of a new exhibition at Thomas Dane Gallery in Naples. The show highlights a pivotal moment in 1968 when Parmiggiani began experimenting with cartographic imagery, including painting continents onto cows and encasing globes in glass, all documented through the lens of fellow artist Luigi Ghirri.

Sanou Oumar & Matt Paweski “Forma di Utilità / Shape of Utility” at Gordon Robichaux, New York

Gordon Robichaux in New York is hosting a dual exhibition titled "Forma di Utilità / Shape of Utility," featuring drawings by Sanou Oumar and sculptures alongside functional design by Matt Paweski. This marks the third solo-presentation context for both artists at the gallery, showcasing a dialogue between Oumar’s intricate, geometric pen-on-paper works and Paweski’s meticulously crafted, painted metal forms.

Frieze Taps Art Basel Veteran Frank Lasry as Chief Operating Officer

Frieze has appointed Frank Lasry as its new Chief Operating Officer, effective this June. Lasry joins the organization with an extensive pedigree in the art market, having previously served as COO at Perrotin and managing director at Art Basel, where he was instrumental in launching Art Basel Paris. His career also includes senior leadership roles at major auction houses Christie’s and Phillips, positioning him as a veteran executive with deep operational expertise across multiple sectors of the industry.

Art Dealers Try Their Hand as Artists in This Unusual Exhibition

White Columns, New York’s oldest alternative nonprofit art space, has launched a unique fundraising exhibition titled “Art (by) Dealers.” The show features works created by over 90 art dealers and gallery professionals rather than the artists they represent. Organized by Kathy Huang and Will Leung, the exhibition presents uniform 12-by-9-inch works priced at $500 each, sold anonymously to benefit the nonprofit's programming.

The Monumental Impact of Indian Miniature Painting

Aicon Art in New York has opened its first exhibition dedicated entirely to Indian miniature painting, titled "Courtly Visions: Indian Miniature Painting." The show features a breadth of works created between roughly 1630 and the early 19th century, showcasing the intricate detail and narrative scenes characteristic of the genre. It aims to highlight the diverse styles and themes that emerged from various royal courts across the Indian subcontinent.

In Munich, Two Artists Imagine Futures Both Playful and Epic

The Munich gallery Filser and Gräf is presenting a two-person exhibition titled "Medèn ágan – Nothing in Excess," featuring artists Paris Giachoustidis and Toshihiko Mitsuya. The show uses the ancient Greek maxim as a curatorial framework, with Mitsuya's delicate, reflective aluminum sculptures and Giachoustidis's paintings of futuristic, cosmic landscapes exploring themes of balance, scale, and humanity's place in the universe.

Robilant and Voena gallery founders part ways to start separate ventures with their children

Edmondo di Robilant and Marco Voena, the founders of the prominent gallery Robilant + Voena (R+V), have announced the dissolution of their 22-year partnership to launch two separate family-run firms. The split results in the creation of 'Robilant' and 'Voena,' with both founders bringing their children into senior leadership roles to ensure long-term succession. Michele di Robilant will serve as director of Robilant, while Edoardo and Virginia Voena will take on director and sales director roles respectively at Voena.

Ten must-see works in Art Basel Hong Kong's new section

Art Basel Hong Kong has launched a new curated section called 'Echoes,' dedicated to presenting works created within the past five years. The section features focused presentations from galleries worldwide, highlighting ten standout works by artists such as Hyun Nahm, Leelee Chan, and Tiffany Chung, who explore themes from digital consumption to colonial histories through diverse mediums.

Scholar Attributes Long-Suspected ‘Workshop Copy’ Painting to Rembrandt

A painting in a private UK collection, long considered a workshop copy of Rembrandt's 'Old Man with a Gold Chain' at the Art Institute of Chicago, has been newly attributed to Rembrandt himself by scholar Gary Schwartz. Schwartz argues the quality and lack of corrections suggest Rembrandt, not a pupil, created the canvas replica while the original process was still fresh.

Two Thousand Seasons: A Conversation

The African Film Institute at e-flux launched its 2026 program with an event titled "Two Thousand Seasons: A Look Into 2026 and Beyond." The evening featured a screening of a curated playlist of film clips and works by artists like Ayesha Hameed, Ousmane Sembène, and John Akomfrah, compiled by Christian Nyampeta, followed by a conversation with Nyampeta, KJ Abudu, and Kaneza Schaal.

Matisse, Soulages, Chagall… The most beautiful churches and chapels decorated by artists throughout France

Matisse, Soulages, Chagall… Les plus belles églises et chapelles décorées par des artistes dans toute la France

Renowned modern and contemporary artists have transformed various religious sites across France into immersive 'total works of art.' From Pierre Soulages’ translucent stained-glass windows in the Abbey of Sainte-Foy in Conques to Pablo Picasso’s monumental 'War and Peace' murals in Vallauris, these projects demonstrate how secular artists have engaged with sacred architecture. The article highlights ten specific locations where artists like Matisse, Chagall, and Cocteau integrated painting, glasswork, and furniture into historic ecclesiastical settings.

Racheal Crowther review – unnerving installation attacks your mind … and your nostrils!

London-based artist Racheal Crowther has transformed the Chisenhale Gallery into a sensory-heavy, paranoid environment for her first institutional solo exhibition. The installation centers on a decommissioned U.S. military mobile health unit, once used during the 2018 Novichok decontamination efforts, set against walls painted in "drunk tank pink." The experience is defined by an aggressive olfactory component—a chemical cocktail of powdered milk scents and hexadecanal, a molecule found on infants' heads known to manipulate human aggression.

Lucy Sante on Collage: ‘You Have to Kill One Thing to Make Another.’

Visual historian and author Lucy Sante has opened two simultaneous exhibitions of her collage artwork in New York. The shows, at Karma gallery and the Center for Book Arts, feature work created from a vast personal archive of materials she has collected over decades, which she meticulously cuts and reassembles.

Gagosian's Rare Gallery Failures Reveal Art World's Challenges

Larry Gagosian, often considered the most powerful art dealer in the world, has publicly reflected on rare professional setbacks, including a failed 2016 gallery opening in San Francisco and a misunderstood location in Geneva. These admissions coincide with a strategic shift for his empire, marked by the opening of a new street-level gallery at 980 Madison Avenue in New York. The move signals a departure from the exclusive, upper-floor models of the past toward a more accessible physical presence.

Artist Offers Haunting Meditation on the 2025 L.A. Fires for the Whitney Biennial

Artist Kelly Akashi has created a major installation for the 2026 Whitney Biennial titled 'Monument (Altadena)', a 13-foot-tall chimney and walkway made of clear glass bricks. The work is a direct response to the 2025 Los Angeles wildfires, which destroyed her home and studio, leaving only the original brick chimney standing. She collaborated with mason Christian Inga to meticulously reconstruct this remnant in a new, spectral form.

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.

When the Ukraine War Continues

A major exhibition titled 'Looking into the Gaps' at the Jam Factory in Lviv, Ukraine, curated by artist Nikita Kadan, explores the complex psychological and social landscape of Ukraine during the ongoing war. The show features Vladislav Plisetskiy's pivotal documentary film 'What Will You Do When the War Continues?' (2023), which traces his journey from Kyiv's queer anarchist scene to fighting on the front lines, alongside works by artists like Bohdana Kosmina that memorialize attacks on Ukrainian Roma communities.

The Hole Gallery Sued Over Unpaid Back Rent

The Hole, a prominent contemporary art gallery founded by Kathy Grayson, has shuttered its West Hollywood location amid a wave of legal and financial troubles. Court filings reveal that the gallery faces multiple lawsuits for unpaid rent and real estate taxes across its Los Angeles and Manhattan outposts, with debts totaling over $180,000. Beyond real estate disputes, the gallery has been dogged by allegations of financial instability and delinquent payments to artists, including a 2019 lawsuit from artist Dan Lam regarding unpaid sales and damaged works.

María Jesús Valenzuela: Winter Flowers

MARÍA JESÚS VALENZUELA: FLORES DE INVIERNO

María Jesús Valenzuela presents her solo exhibition "Flores de Invierno" (Winter Flowers) at Galería NAC in Santiago, Chile. The exhibition showcases a multidisciplinary approach to the natural world, featuring hand-embroidered cotton paper, color pencil drawings, and fine art photography. Valenzuela’s work acts as a contemporary field notebook, documenting landscapes ranging from the mangroves of Caddo Lake to the forests of Curaumilla, utilizing both ancient techniques like embroidery and modern digital printing.

Hong Kong show offers 'most comprehensive survey' of 21st-century Chinese art

Tai Kwun in Hong Kong is presenting a two-part exhibition titled 'Stay Connected: Art and China Since 2008,' aiming to be the most comprehensive survey of 21st-century Chinese art. The first part, 'Navigating the Cloud,' examined the early internet's influence, while the current second part, 'Supplying the Globe,' focuses on the physical world of labor and China's manufacturing supply chain. The show is structured thematically, exploring ecological footprints, reconfigured labor, networks of exchange, and global realignment.

The Phillies Owner’s Other Superstars

John Middleton, the billionaire owner of the Philadelphia Phillies, is channeling his competitive drive into the acquisition of 19th-century American masterpieces. His private collection, which features prominent works by Andrew Wyeth, Winslow Homer, and Thomas Eakins, has quietly become one of the most significant of its kind in the United States. Middleton’s approach to collecting mirrors his sports management style, focusing on "blue-chip" historical significance and technical mastery.

peter zumthor's david geffen galleries open at LACMA as a sweeping glass-and-concrete arc

The Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) has officially opened the David Geffen Galleries, a massive glass-and-concrete structure designed by Pritzker Prize-winning architect Peter Zumthor. Elevated nine meters above the ground and spanning Wilshire Boulevard, the 275-meter-long building replaces several older structures to house the museum’s permanent collection. The inaugural installation, developed by a team of 45 curators, abandons traditional chronological displays in favor of a geographic framework organized around four major bodies of water: the Pacific, Indian, and Atlantic Oceans and the Mediterranean Sea.

Picasso and Africa in dialogue at Beijing museum - China Daily

The National Art Museum of China in Beijing has launched "Wood and World," an exhibition that juxtaposes Pablo Picasso’s 1970 painting "Man and Woman with a Vase of Flowers" with dozens of traditional African wooden sculptures. By placing these works side-by-side, the show highlights how the exaggerated and deconstructed forms of African art served as a foundational influence for Picasso’s African period and the eventual birth of Cubism.

The Art World This Week: Smithsonian Leader to Run Guggenheim, LACMA’s New Building to Open, Vatican's Sound-Based Venice Pavilion, and More

Melissa Chiu has been appointed as the new director of the Guggenheim Museum in New York, departing her long-standing role at the Smithsonian's Hirshhorn Museum. Additionally, the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) has announced that its highly anticipated, $724 million David Geffen Galleries will finally open to the public on May 4, while the Vatican revealed plans for a sound-based pavilion at the Venice Biennale dedicated to Saint Hildegard of Bingen.

LACMA's David Geffen Galleries set to open next month

The Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) has announced that the David Geffen Galleries will officially open to the public on May 4, 2026. Designed by Pritzker Prize-winning architect Peter Zumthor, the $724 million horizontal concrete and glass structure spans Wilshire Boulevard and replaces four aging buildings. The new facility features a single-story main exhibition level dedicated to the museum’s permanent collection, supported by seven ground-level pavilions housing educational spaces, a theater, and retail outlets.

LACMA New David Geffen Galleries Open 4/19... Installation of Do Ho Suh's 'Gyeongbokgung Jagyeongjeon'

LA카운티미술관(LACMA) 뉴 데이빗게펜 갤러리 4/19 오픈...서도호 작 '경복중 자경전' 설치

The Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) has announced the official opening of the David Geffen Galleries on April 19, 2026. Designed by Pritzker Prize-winning architect Peter Zumthor, the 900-foot-long horizontal structure spans Wilshire Boulevard and features a single elevated exhibition level for the museum’s permanent collection. The inaugural installation, curated by a collaborative team of 45 specialists, rejects traditional chronological or geographical hierarchies in favor of a thematic approach centered around global oceanic frameworks.