met gala reveals 2026 dress code fashion is art

The Metropolitan Museum of Art has announced "Fashion is Art" as the official dress code for the 2026 Met Gala, complementing the Costume Institute’s upcoming exhibition, "Costume Art." Curated by Andrew Bolton, the show will feature approximately 400 objects that juxtapose couture fashion with traditional artworks and artifacts. The exhibition will be the first to inhabit the museum's new Condé M. Nast Galleries and is structured around a "typology of bodies," exploring how fashion interacts with various human forms ranging from classical nudes to aging bodies.

museums in crisis takeaways

Artnet News published its 'Museums in Crisis' series, a global investigation into pressures facing cultural institutions. Key takeaways include: Western museums face a funding and political crisis, with U.S. institutions losing hundreds of millions in federal support (including $428 million from the National Endowment for the Humanities) and European museums like those in Berlin facing cuts of €130 million. Corporate sponsorship is increasingly risky due to ethical scrutiny, with the U.K.'s Museums Association urging institutions to avoid ties to fossil fuels or human rights abuses. China's private museums are at risk of downsizing or disappearing due to economic slowdown and lack of public funding.

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.

Required Reading

This week's Required Reading from Hyperallergic features a photo by Saber Nuraldin, a finalist for the World Press Photo of the Year, depicting Palestinians climbing an aid truck in Gaza during famine caused by Israel's blockade. The article also includes Elena Megalos's essay on the American Museum of Natural History as a site of motherhood, and reports on Meenu Batra, a legal interpreter arrested by ICE, and the New York Times blocking the Internet Archive from crawling its site.

Required Reading

Required Reading

Thousands marched in Buenos Aires on March 9 for a 24-hour women's strike, with one group staging a symbolic artwork by wrapping a continuous blindfold across their faces to protest patriarchal control. This followed a UN report urging Argentina's government to address gender-based violence. Separately, a *Guardian* investigation revealed UK museums hold over 260,000 human remains, many taken from former colonies, which MPs have condemned as a barbaric legacy of imperialism.

‘A daring flash of pubic hair’: the extraordinary, monumental nudes of Sylvia Sleigh

A small London gallery, Malarkey, is exhibiting eight paintings by Welsh-born artist Sylvia Sleigh (1916–2010), including her monumental 1963 work *The Bridge*, which is now for sale. The show, curated by Daniel Malarkey, features Sleigh's earliest-known self-portrait and her first commission, alongside other nudes that challenge traditional objectification by portraying both sexes with dignity. Sleigh, who studied at Brighton School of Art and moved to New York with her second husband, critic Lawrence Alloway, reimagined classical poses like Giorgione's *Sleeping Venus* in modern settings, notably including a daring flash of pubic hair in *The Bridge*.

ArtReview Asia Spring 2026 Issue Out Now

The Spring 2026 issue of ArtReview Asia has been published, featuring a cover profile of artist Li Yi-Fan. The issue includes an in-depth look at Li's work, which explores the relationship between humans and machines through video installations and performance lectures, ahead of his representation of Taiwan at the Venice Biennale. Other articles examine the contemporary art scene in Bangkok, urban redevelopment in Colombo, a colonial-era plant hunting exhibition in London, and Taiwan's museum boom.

La Fondation Beyeler di Basilea inaugura una grande mostra dell’artista francese Pierre Huyghe. Da vedere durante Art Basel

The Fondation Beyeler in Basel is opening a major solo exhibition of French artist Pierre Huyghe, running from May 24 to September 13, 2026. The show transforms Renzo Piano's museum spaces into a sensitive ecosystem inhabited by images, organisms, sounds, dust, algorithms, and presences suspended between the biological and artificial. Key works include "Apnea" (2026), an artificial organ submerged in water that breathes at a human rhythm; "Alchimia" (2026), featuring a worm on a threshold that reacts to air; "Liminals" (2026), a film depicting a faceless anthropomorphic figure in a state of radical uncertainty; "Adversary" (2026), a closed gate co-created by human and machine; and "Camata" (2024), a film set in the Atacama Desert that is continuously re-edited in real time based on sensors and audience presence.

In the Principality of Monaco, an exhibition where the great painter Poussin dialogues with contemporary art

Nel Principato di Monaco una mostra dove il grande pittore Poussin dialoga con l’arte contemporanea

The Nouveau Musée National de Monaco presents an exhibition titled "Le Sentiment de la Nature," which juxtaposes works by 17th-century French painter Nicolas Poussin and his followers with pieces by about thirty contemporary and 20th-century artists. The show is organized into six thematic sections—storms and nights, forests and gardens, seas and waterfalls, deserts and volcanoes, mountains, and flowers and butterflies—each exploring the ancient concept of "miracula naturae" (wonders of nature). Featured contemporary artists include Nan Goldin, Andreas Gursky, Thomas Demand, Sarah Moon, Mimmo Jodice, Giulio Paolini, Giorgio Andreotta Calò, and Fausto Melotti, with works spanning photography, painting, video, and sculpture. The exhibition runs until May 25, 2026, and is accompanied by a catalog published by Italian publisher Humboldt Books in collaboration with the museum.

Basquiat's intense works on paper are at the center of his first exhibition in Denmark

Le intense opere su carta di Basquiat sono al centro della sua prima mostra in Danimarca

The Louisiana Museum of Modern Art in Humlebæk, Denmark, is hosting "Headstrong," a retrospective of 50 works on paper by Jean-Michel Basquiat, running until May 17. The exhibition focuses on Basquiat's depictions of the human head and body, created between 1981 and 1983, and first shown posthumously in 1990. It is the first solo museum presentation of Basquiat in Scandinavia, featuring loans from private collections and international museums, highlighting a lesser-known aspect of the artist's practice.

With an exhibition in Venice, the great artist Joseph Kosuth demonstrates his trust in language

Con una mostra di Venezia il grande artista Joseph Kosuth dimostra la sua fiducia nel linguaggio

Joseph Kosuth, a pioneer of conceptual art, presents a new exhibition titled "The Exchange Value of Language Has Fallen to Zero" at Casa dei Tre Oci in Venice. The show features both historical works from the 1960s, such as "One and Three Mirrors" (1965), and a new neon piece "A Chain of Resemblance" created for the occasion, which pays homage to Michel Foucault. The exhibition explores themes of language, authorship, and community, including works like "The Fifth Investigation" (1969) and a poster from the 1976 Venice Biennale. Kosuth, who lived in Venice from 2021 to 2025, has a deep connection to the city, having participated in eight editions of the Venice Biennale and maintaining two permanent installations there.

Here is the first and for now only interview with the curators of the 2026 Venice Art Biennale

Ecco la prima e per ora unica intervista ai curatori della Biennale d’Arte di Venezia 2026

The team of the late curator Koyo Kouoh has completed the 61st International Art Exhibition of the Venice Biennale, titled "In Minor Keys," which opens to the public on May 9, 2026. In an exclusive interview, curators Gabe Beckhurst Feijoo, Marie Helene Pereira, Rasha Salti, Siddhartha Mitter, and Rory Tsapayia discuss the challenges of realizing Kouoh's vision after her death, including fundraising, installation design by Wolff Architects of Cape Town, and the use of cardboard as a non-invasive material to create thresholds between spaces.

In Perugia, Giotto and the Giotteschi to celebrate the 800th anniversary of the death of Saint Francis

A Perugia Giotto e i Giotteschi per celebrare gli 800 anni dalla morte di San Francesco

The Galleria Nazionale dell'Umbria in Perugia has opened the exhibition "Giotto e san Francesco. Una rivoluzione nell'Umbria del Trecento" to mark the 800th anniversary of the death of Saint Francis of Assisi. Curated by Veruska Picchiarelli and Emanuele Zappasodi, the show brings together major international loans to reunite works by Giotto and his Umbrian and Sienese followers, exploring the artistic revolution sparked by Francis's life and Giotto's break from Byzantine tradition toward naturalism.

Pussy Riot Shows Art by Russia’s Prisoners in New Protest Exhibition

Pussy Riot founder Nadya Tolokonnikova co-curated "Resistance Imprisoned," a protest exhibition at Ritsch-Fisch Galerie in Strasbourg, France, featuring artwork created by people currently or formerly imprisoned in Russia, including Ukrainian civilians. The show opened April 19 and runs through May 31, timed to coincide with the first month of the Venice Biennale, which opens May 9. Works include a pen sketch by Lyudmila Razumova, a photojournalist arrested for anti-war graffiti in 2022 and serving a seven-year sentence, alongside pieces by other political prisoners and Ukrainian POWs. The exhibition aims to highlight the human cost of Russia's war and its participation in international cultural events.

8 exhibitions to see in Vienna for spring 2026

8 mostre da vedere a Vienna per la primavera 2026

Vienna's 2026 spring season features a diverse array of major exhibitions across its leading institutions. Highlights include a landmark survey of Canaletto and Bernardo Bellotto at the Kunsthistorisches Museum, featuring 32 high-quality paintings including international loans from the Wallace Collection and Berlin’s Gemäldegalerie. Other significant shows include "Animalia" at the Heidi Horten Collection, which explores the blurred lines between humans and animals through 90 works of art, and a major Gustave Courbet retrospective at the Leopold Museum.

The evolution of agriculture tells the story of the world in an unmissable exhibition at Fondazione Prada

L’evoluzione dell’agricoltura racconta il mondo in un’imperdibile mostra alla Fondazione Prada

The Fondazione Prada in Milan is hosting "Dash," a comprehensive solo exhibition by Chinese artist Cao Fei that explores the intersection of ancient agricultural rituals and cutting-edge technology. The exhibition features installations like 'Land Ceremony,' where an agricultural drone is treated as a ritualistic rice dragon, alongside VR experiences and documentary films that investigate the automation of farming in China and Southeast Asia.

The Body as Scandal: A New Cinematic Journey into the Art of Egon Schiele (For 3 Days Only)

Il corpo come scandalo. Al cinema il nuovo viaggio nell’arte di Egon Schiele (ma solo per 3 giorni)

Nexo Studios is set to release a new documentary film titled 'Tabù. Egon Schiele' in Italian cinemas for a limited three-day engagement from April 20–22, 2026. Directed by Michele Mally, the film explores the provocative life and career of the Austrian Expressionist, tracing his journey from the town of Český Krumlov to the cultural hubs of Vienna and Prague. The narrative features insights from experts at the Albertina and Leopold Museums, alongside archival footage and a parallel analysis of Schiele’s contemporary, Franz Kafka.

Major News from International Museums: London's National Gallery Expands and Pompidou Opens in Seoul

Le grandi novità dei musei internazionali: cresce la National Gallery di Londra e il Pompidou apre a Seoul

The National Gallery in London has selected a design team led by Kengo Kuma and Associates, alongside BDP and MICA, to lead its massive £750 million expansion project titled 'Project Domani.' Chosen from 65 international entries, the winning proposal will transform the St Vincent House site into a new museum wing featuring a stepped Portland stone facade, public roof gardens, and light-filled galleries. The project coincides with the institution's bicentenary and has already secured half of its required funding through private and anonymous donations.

Maurizio Cattelan opens a hotline to absolve us of our sins via WhatsApp

Maurizio Cattelan ouvre une hotline pour nous absoudre de nos péchés par WhatsApp

Italian provocateur Maurizio Cattelan has launched "The Confessional," an international hotline allowing participants to confess their sins via WhatsApp, SMS, or voice notes from April 2 to April 22, 2026. This participatory performance culminates in a livestream on April 23, where Cattelan will personally grant absolution to selected participants. The project coincides with the release of a limited edition of 666 miniature replicas of his infamous 1999 sculpture, "La Nona Ora," which depicts Pope John Paul II being struck by a meteorite.

150 photos depict 185 years of the US mining industry in world-first historical exhibition

The National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., will present "Beneath the Surface," a world-first photographic exhibition dedicated to 185 years of the U.S. mining and natural resource extraction industries. Featuring 150 images from 100 photographers, the show spans from California Gold Rush daguerreotypes to 20th-century industrial documentation, including works by Dorothea Lange and Lewis Wickes Hine. The exhibition will be on view at the National Gallery from May 23 to August 23, 2026, before traveling to the Milwaukee Art Museum and the Amon Carter Museum of American Art.

Nan Goldin Gets a Major UK Moment with ‘You Never Did Anything Wrong’

The Hayward Gallery at London's Southbank Centre has announced 'You Never Did Anything Wrong,' Nan Goldin's first major UK exhibition in over 20 years. The show, on view from November 24, 2026, to March 7, 2027, will survey Goldin's autobiographical photography, highlighting her intimate depictions of love, loss, queer and post-punk communities, and her recent anti-war activism. The exhibition follows the UK debut of her opera 'The Ballad of Sexual Dependency' at Gagosian London earlier this year.

Gordon Cheung: Many Worlds, One Mind

CLOSE Gallery in Somerset presents 'Many Worlds, One Mind', a major survey exhibition of contemporary multi-media artist Gordon Cheung, running from 6 June to 15 August 2026. The show brings together 28 works across sculpture, painting, print and etching, including pieces from Cheung's 'New Order' series, which uses algorithms to reorder pixels from Dutch Golden Age still lifes, and 'Passages of Time', a sculpture incorporating Financial Times stock listings. Cheung's work examines global capitalism, cultural memory, and the intersection of classical art history with digital technology.

Holly Herndon and Mat Dryhurst on AI Optimism and Bringing Two-Headed Worms to Venice

Holly Herndon and Mat Dryhurst, known for their work in digital art and experimental music, have curated a group exhibition titled "Strange Rules" at Palazzo Diedo in Venice alongside Hans-Ulrich Obrist. Their contribution includes a collaboration with Tufts University biologist Michael Levin, featuring live planarian worms modified to grow two heads through bioelectric manipulation. The interview discusses their concept of "protocol art," which seeks to expose and reclaim the underlying systems—from algorithms to biological protocols—that shape artistic production.

Australian Sculptor Ron Mueck Returns to Tokyo

A major retrospective of Australian sculptor Ron Mueck has opened at the Mori Art Museum in Tokyo, featuring eleven of his meticulously crafted figurative works, including the Japan premiere of 'Mass' (100 giant human skulls). The exhibition, co-organized by the Fondation Cartier pour l’art contemporain, travels to Tokyo after stops in Paris, Milan, and Seoul, and includes iconic pieces such as 'Woman with Sticks' and 'Angel', the latter installed on the museum's 53rd floor overlooking the city.

Meet Vanessa Liem, The Singaporean Artist Exploring The Surreal And Dreamlike

Singaporean artist Vanessa Liem, a 23-year-old recent graduate of the University of the Arts, London, creates surreal, dreamlike paintings that explore themes of performance, vulnerability, and the impact of the outside gaze on the human body. Her works, characterized by humanoid figures with smooth faces and unusual light effects, have been exhibited at the ArtScience Museum and won the top prize in the Emerging Category for UOB's 2019 Painting of the Year. She is preparing for a solo exhibition titled 'The Third Person in the Room' at Cuturi Gallery in Singapore, her first show in the city in three years, marking a homecoming and artistic maturation.

Gibraltarian artists exhibit in Margate in collaborative exhibition

A collaborative exhibition titled 'Traces of Humanity' has opened in Margate, England, organized by Gibraltar Cultural Services on behalf of the Ministry for Culture, in partnership with the Lloyds Group of London. The show features works by Gibraltarian artists, members of the Lloyds Art Group, and internationally renowned artists, drawing inspiration from the Gorham’s Cave complex, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The launch was hosted by the Mayor of Margate, Councillor Katie Pope, and attended by local dignitaries and visiting Gibraltarian artists. Curated by Philippa Beale, the exhibition will travel to the Noho Gallery in London's West End from 20th to 29th May before arriving in Gibraltar in June.

Hunterdon Art Museum presents three new exhibitions: Claybash, Emily Strong, and Bascha Mon

The Hunterdon Art Museum in Clinton, New Jersey, will open three new exhibitions on May 17, 2026: 'Claybash,' a triennial juried ceramics exhibition; a solo show of figurative paintings by Emily Strong; and 'Mindscapes,' a solo exhibition of works by 93-year-old artist Bascha Mon. Emily Strong's show features large-scale realist oil paintings that explore themes of cultural identity, gender, and human relationships, with QR codes linking to interviews with her models. 'Claybash' includes 40 artists selected by curator Angelik Vizcarrondo-Laboy, with cash prizes awarded. Bascha Mon's exhibition highlights her six-decade career of imaginative, color-driven work.

Art and politics clash at Venice Biennale, as world conflicts upstage exhibition's opening

The 61st Venice Biennale, the world's most prestigious art exhibition, opens under unprecedented turmoil. For the first time, its vision was shaped by the late Cameroonian curator Koyo Kouoh, who centered artists from Africa and its diaspora. However, political conflicts over Russia and Israel have overshadowed the art. All five jurors resigned after the Italian culture minister investigated their decision to withhold prizes from Russia and Israel over alleged crimes against humanity. Protests erupted at the Russian pavilion, with Pussy Riot activists denouncing Russia's participation, while the Israeli pavilion artist threatened legal action over the jury's snub. The Biennale will proceed without a jury, with visitors voting for two awards, and the fate of the Golden Lion remains uncertain.

Turner prize 2026 shortlist points to sculpture as a way of thinking about power, ecology and belief

The Turner Prize 2026 shortlist has been announced, featuring four artists—Simeon Barclay, Marguerite Humeau, Kira Freije, and a fourth unnamed artist—whose practices are rooted in sculpture and installation. The jury, chaired by Alex Farquharson (director of Tate Britain) and including Sarah Allen, Joe Hill, Sook-Kyung Lee, and Alona Pardo, praised the artists for their material intelligence and ability to link sculptural language to systems of power, memory, and belief. Barclay's work combines performance and industrial materials to explore British national identity, Humeau's speculative sculptures investigate non-human intelligence and belief systems, and Freije's hybrid figures examine vulnerability and identity through fabric and metal.

Islamophobia, motherhood, war and immigration: Indy artists get political

Four Indianapolis-based artists—Salma Taman, Alejandra Carrillo, Bailey Jörk, and Iryna Bondar—are creating work that directly responds to contemporary political and social crises, including the war in Gaza, immigration, and political division. Their art, ranging from Taman's Arabic calligraphy painting promoting forgiveness to Carrillo's digital drawing protesting a migrant detention center, serves as a form of personal and communal expression in a fraught global climate.