Births, deaths and a first kiss: life near the frontline in Ukraine – in pictures

British-Iranian artist Aria Shahrokhshahi's long-term photographic project "Wet Ground" captures daily life in Ukraine during Russia's full-scale invasion, focusing on moments of youth, subculture, and fragile continuity rather than traditional war imagery. The series, developed through repeated stays and volunteering since 2019, includes scenes from teenage discos, hospital wards, a birth during a missile attack, and a first kiss near the frontline, all shot in stark black and white.

‘A constant quiet terror’: Getting lost in Irish folklore – in pictures

Maria Lax's photobook *Stray Sod* draws on Irish folklore and archival accounts from the Irish National Archives to explore the phenomenon of the 'stray sod'—enchanted patches of earth said to disorient and lead travelers astray, especially at night. Her images reimagine rural Irish landscapes as sites of sudden confusion, where familiar landmarks vanish and fog or mist descends, evoking a sense of 'constant quiet terror'.

‘I’m not trying to make him handsome’: Polly Samson on photographing husband David Gilmour – in pictures

Polly Samson, acclaimed author and wife of Pink Floyd guitarist David Gilmour, presents her first solo photography exhibition at Leica Gallery London, featuring intimate images taken over two decades of Gilmour on tour and in the studio. The show, titled 'Polly Samson – Between This Breath and Then,' runs until 7 May 2026 and coincides with the release of her book 'David Gilmour: Luck and Strange – Studio/Live,' published by Thames & Hudson. Samson's photographs capture candid moments of Gilmour, their family, and the creative process behind albums including 'Luck and Strange.'

‘Every child wants to find joy’: the scheme designing playground equipment for disaster zones

Photographer Alexander Meininger, inspired by his children and the war in Ukraine, has launched the charity Playrise. The organization designs and produces flatpack, modular playground equipment made from iroko hardwood for children living in refugee camps and disaster zones. Its first set will be sent to the Aysaita refugee camp in Ethiopia next month.

WAYAMOU: LENGUAS DE LO COMÚN. LAURA ANDERSON BARBATA Y SHEROANAWE HAKIHIIWE

The exhibition "Wayamou: Lenguas de lo común" at the Museo Tamayo in Mexico City presents the collaborative work of artists Laura Anderson Barbata and Sheroanawe Hakihiiwe, whose artistic and political relationship spans over three decades. The show traces their shared history, beginning in the early 1990s when Barbata traveled to the Venezuelan Amazon and taught handmade papermaking using local plant fibers, introducing Hakihiiwe to a sustained visual exploration of Yanomami cosmology, oral tradition, and legacy. In 1992, they co-founded Yanomami Owë Mamotima ("Yanomami art of papermaking"), a project enabling the community to tell its own stories through its own visual and linguistic codes, exemplified by the handmade book "Shapono (Casa)" (1996).

Art, museum exhibits in Kenosha, Racine counties this week

This article highlights a series of art exhibitions and events taking place in Kenosha and Racine counties this week. The Anderson Arts Center in Kenosha is hosting a watercolor exhibition in collaboration with the Watercolor USA Honor Society through May 24. Additionally, the Kenosha Art Association is offering a Tatakizome (hammering plants) Flower Printing class with instructor Jill Montgomery. In Racine, an exhibition titled "Flying Kites in a Windless World" featuring works by Vanessa Filley continues.

Max Giermann is not looking for recognition with his painting

Max Giermann sucht mit seiner Malerei nicht nach Anerkennung

German comedian and actor Max Giermann has launched his first Berlin art exhibition, titled "Figuring Out," at the Janinebeangallery. The showcase features large-scale acrylic paintings on canvas depicting figures, heads, and body fragments, including a final tribute to Klaus Kinski, whom Giermann famously parodied throughout his comedy career. Although he grew up in a household of art educators and began drawing as a child, this exhibition marks a significant return to painting after a 20-year hiatus.

fashion mary katrantzou bvlgari jewelry

Mary Katrantzou has been appointed as the first-ever creative director of leather goods and accessories at Bvlgari, a role created for her after multiple successful collaborations. She designed the new Icons Minaudière Collection, a series of 10 bags reimagining Bvlgari's iconic symbols such as Serpenti, Divas' Dream, and Monete, using jewelry-making techniques like hand-enameled scales and semiprecious stones.

art basel abbas ruanne abou rahme brown bell gallery

An exhibition titled "Prisoners of Love: Until the Sun of Freedom" by artists Basel Abbas and Ruanne Abou-Rahme is on view at the Bell Gallery at Brown University until May 31. The show centers on a historical misattribution: the poem "Enemy of the Sun," found in the cell of Black Panther George Jackson after his 1971 murder, was long thought to be his work but was actually written by Palestinian poet Samih al-Qasim. Through a video installation featuring interviews with former political prisoners in Palestine, the artists explore what they call "radical kinship" between Black radical thinkers in the U.S. and Palestinian activists. Curators Kate Kraczon and Thea Quiray Tagle, who were terminated from Brown last December, collaborated on the project, which also draws on archival research into mass incarceration.

fashion toteme swedish style interview

Elin Kling and Karl Lindman, the Swedish couple behind the womenswear brand Toteme, discuss their design philosophy and the opening of their first flagship store in mainland Europe, located on Rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré in Paris. The article, accompanied by photography from Mikael Jansson, details how the brand has resisted trends like "quiet luxury" and minimalism labels, instead focusing on precision, restraint, and timeless essentials. The Paris store, designed by Stockholm-based Halleroed, features art-gallery-white walls, Italian limestone floors, and works by Marc Newson, Lucie Gottlieb, and Jansson, reflecting the brand's serene, uncluttered aesthetic.

design eiesha bharti pasricha estelle manor

Eiesha Bharti Pasricha, co-creative director of the Estelle Manor hotel and members' club in Oxfordshire, discusses her role in shaping the aesthetic and sensory experience of the property. The article profiles her background, from a childhood split between New Delhi and Scotland to her work in fashion and hospitality, and details how she developed the fictional muse 'Estelle' to guide the design of both Maison Estelle in London and the 108-room country estate, including art selection, fragrance, and a new capsule collection called Lady E.

parties art contemporary austin art dinner

The Contemporary Austin hosted its annual Art Dinner 2025 at the historic Driscoll Villa along the Colorado River, transforming the museum grounds into a festive gala reminiscent of Studio 54. The event featured an auction with works by RF. Alvarez, Sarah Crowner, Lubaina Himid, and Ed Ruscha, where participating artists could receive up to 50 percent of the winning bid. Attendees included film producer Bettina Barrow, Nike CEO Elliot Hill, athletes Chris Bosh and Zach Martin, collector Suzanne Deal Booth, and actors Jamie-Lynn Sigler and Elizabeth Reaser, with live performances by TheBrosFresh and Mama Duke.

art leica camera anniversary

Leica celebrates the 100th anniversary of its groundbreaking Leica I camera, which debuted in 1925 and introduced 35mm film to the masses. The article highlights the company's history, including Ernst Leitz II's decisive risk to produce a portable camera, and the cultural impact of Leica cameras through iconic photographers like Henri Cartier-Bresson and Robert Capa. A special edition, the Leica M11 "100 YEARS OF LEICA NEW YORK USA" Edition, was released in New York this year to mark the centennial.

food mina stone artists favorite food

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.

sanford biggers sag harbor parrish museum

Sanford Biggers, a 54-year-old Los Angeles-born artist known for his "conceptual patchworking" across quilts, sculpture, and Afrofuturist themes, will be honored by the Parrish Museum at its annual Midsummer Gala in July, ahead of a solo exhibition opening next summer. In an interview with CULTURED's Hamptons Editor Jacoba Urist, Biggers discusses his connection to Sag Harbor, the museum's architecture, and his use of antique quilts inspired by Underground Railroad histories.

dale chihuly exhibition kentucky makers mark

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.

In La Défense, a Plunge Between Art and Science into Abyssal Wonder

À La Défense, une plongée entre art et science d’un émerveillement abyssal

The exhibition "Sous l’horizon" (Under the Horizon) has opened in the Salle des colonnes, a massive underground space beneath the La Défense business district in Paris. Guided by a poetic narrative from writer Mariette Navarro and the voice of singer Emily Loizeau, visitors navigate a darkened 1,000-square-meter environment equipped with headlamps and audio headsets. The immersive journey features works by artists including Antoine Bertin, Ugo Schiavi, Jérémie Brugidou, and Shivay La Multiple, exploring the mysteries of the deep sea through bioluminescence, oceanic soundscapes, and futuristic sculptures.

Coachella 2026 features massive maze art installation by Sabine Marcelis, among others.

The 2026 Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival has unveiled its lineup of large-scale art installations, featuring major works by Dutch artist Sabine Marcelis, London-based architect Kyriakos Chatziparaskevas, and The Los Angeles Design Group (LADG). The program, curated by Raffi Lehrer of Public Art Company and Paul Clement, will transform the festival grounds with immersive experiences including a massive glowing maze and towering sculptural structures.

Anoushka Mirchandani Conjures Ancient Mythological Nature Spirits in Vibrant Oil Paintings

San Francisco-based artist Anoushka Mirchandani presents a solo exhibition, 'My Body Was a River Once,' at ICA San José. The show features vibrant oil paintings that depict apsaras, ancient Southeast Asian mythological nature spirits associated with water and transformation, drawing from the artist's Indian heritage and childhood memories of sites like the Ajanta and Ellora caves.

3 Questions with Gallerist Daniel Cooney

Santa Fe gallerist Daniel Cooney of Daniel Cooney Fine Art discusses his gallery's focus one year after relocating from New York City. In an interview, Cooney explains that while his gallery prominently features LGBTQ artists, its core mission is supporting underrepresented artists broadly—including emerging talents, overlooked older artists, and estates. He notes a continued emphasis on photography, his own background, but also shows other mediums. Cooney expresses interest in featuring more local New Mexico artists but has not yet integrated deeply into the local scene.

Lake Flato Architects creates gallery for Marble Falls Arthouse

Texas-based Lake Flato Architects has completed the Marble Falls Arthouse, a 4,119-square-foot infill gallery in downtown Marble Falls, Texas, opened on April 25. The intimate venue, designed with a restrained palette of limestone and corrugated metal, houses the art collection of Mickey and Jeanne Klein and features a contemplative courtyard by Japanese gardener Sada Uchiyama. The ground floor hosts rotating exhibitions curated by Mickey Klein, beginning with 'Words Matter' featuring works by Mary C Sloane, Kenturah Davis, and Faith Ringgold.

It Requires Getting Lost: Castlefield Gallery hosts opening night

Castlefield Gallery in Manchester hosted the opening night of "It Requires Getting Lost" on October 30, 2025, an exhibition running from November 1, 2025 to February 22, 2026. The show features projections, sound-works, and sculptural installations by three northern UK-based artists—Gregory Herbert, Malik Jama, and Jocelyn McGregor—alongside major works from the Roberts Institute of Art (RIA)/Indrė Roberts Collection, including pieces by Magdalena Abakanowicz, Noemie Goudal, Pierre Huyghe, Leon Kossoff, and Wolfgang Tillmans. The opening included a live activation in McGregor's sculptural installation, where performers used foot-pumps to push water through transparent tubes, while Jama's projections transformed the gallery's corridors into immersive zones.

“Porous Grounds, Sacred Codes” at Marres, Maastricht

Seven artists with roots in West Africa—Yacine Tilala Fall, Selly Raby Kane, Maguette Dieng, Ican Ramageli, Hamedine Kane, Eva Diallo, and Babacar Traoré Doli—have jointly created a multi-sensory total installation at Marres in Maastricht. Titled “Porous Grounds, Sacred Codes,” the exhibition incorporates sculpture, sound, textiles, and video, connecting Zikr chanting of mantras, daily life in the Medina, and the trees of the dry landscape.

Roksana Pirouzmand’s Dual‑Site Meditation on Loss

Roksana Pirouzmand’s dual-site exhibition in Los Angeles, hosted at OXY ARTS and JOAN, features performance-based sculptures and installations that utilize literal erosion to explore themes of loss and displacement. The works include anatomical clay casts of the artist and her mother, which are subjected to water, vibration, and physical interaction, causing them to crack and deteriorate over the course of the show. At OXY ARTS, a kinetic metal floor involves the viewer directly, as their footsteps cause clay hands to collide and break, illustrating the physical impact of movement and presence.

Vânia Quintão | Cold Afternoon (2023) | For Sale

Brazilian artist Vânia Quintão is offering her 2023 painting "Cold Afternoon" for sale through Inn Gallery. The acrylic-on-canvas work, sized 70 × 100 cm, depicts a suspended, cool-toned landscape under a diffuse blue sky. Quintão, a self-described cultural producer and fundraiser based in Belo Horizonte, has exhibited internationally including at the Louvre Museum in Paris and won prizes at The Holly Art Exhibition (London) and Art Connects Women (Dubai). The work is hand-signed, includes a certificate of authenticity, and is priced at US$1,500.

An exhibition in Milan brings visionary contemporary landscapes into dialogue with a great Turner watercolor. Review and interview

Una mostra a Milano fa dialogare visionari paesaggi contemporanei con un acquerello del grande Turner. Recensione e intervista

The exhibition "Continuum" at Robilant+Voena in Milan marks the first solo show in the city for American artist Maria Kreyn. It presents a selection of her contemporary landscapes—charged with pathos, abstract geometries, and references to art history—alongside a rare watercolor by J.M.W. Turner, *The Splügen Pass* (1842–43). Kreyn’s seascapes, influenced by her background in mathematics and philosophy, feature turbulent waves, ovoid and parabolic forms, and a sense of latent tension, creating a visual dialogue with Turner’s Romantic vision of nature.

Henrike Naumann (1984–2026): Domestic Responsibilities

The article is a personal reflection on the work and legacy of artist Henrike Naumann, who passed away in 2026. The author, a peer from West Germany, contrasts their own upbringing with Naumann's East German background, detailing how Naumann's practice critically examined the domestic interiors and built environments of post-war Germany to explore the social and political responsibilities embedded within everyday objects and art's role as "stage design" in a fascist-leaning society.

On the Background in the Cinema

Film Notes has published a new essay by scholar Tiago de Luca, drawn from his research on environment and cinema. The essay focuses on the conceptual and aesthetic role of the background in film, tracing its technical history and examining its relation to power, marginalization, and environmental crisis.

Art Exhibits: What's on display in the Fort Wayne area

The article lists current and upcoming art exhibitions in the Fort Wayne, Indiana area, including shows at The Orchard Gallery of Fine Art, Garrett Museum of Art, Clark Gallery, ArtSpace/Lima, Fort Wayne Museum of Art, Artlink, Ruth Koomler Art Gallery, Foellinger-Freimann Botanical Conservatory, Visual Arts Gallery at Purdue University Fort Wayne, Allen County Public Library, Langhinrichs Art Gallery, and Atelier. Featured artists include Heidi Malott, Hope Wallace, Greg Lookerse, Jim Gabbard, Angela Green, Chuck Sperry, Jeff Schofield, Katherine Kratzer, Julie Wall, Andrea Granger, and KristinA, with exhibitions ranging from oil paintings and mixed-media to photography, printmaking, and electric vehicle art.

The Little Prince Exhibition At Bugis Has Dreamy Projections For An Immersive Storytelling Sesh

The Little Prince: The Journey of Stars, an immersive exhibition retelling Antoine de Saint-Exupéry's classic children's book, is now open at Parkview Square in Bugis, Singapore, hosted by the GROUNDSEESAW SINGAPORE art gallery. The experience runs through 31 July 2025 and features a film recap, interactive zones, and 3D projections of iconic characters like The Fox and The King, with sessions lasting about an hour. Tickets start at $15 for children and $22 for adults, with an early bird 50% discount available until 7 July 2025.