American Folk Art Museum Workers Picket Gala, Calling for Higher Wages

Workers at the American Folk Art Museum in New York City, represented by UAW Local 2110, picketed the museum's annual gala at the Mandarin Oriental in Manhattan on May 6, 2026. They demanded higher wages and better benefits after contract negotiations stalled for nearly two years. Frontline workers earn $19 per hour, about $12,000 below the city's living wage, while the museum's CEO Jason Busch earned $321,882 in 2024. The union requested a three-year contract raising wages to $30 per hour, but management offered only $21.50 and refused to guarantee existing benefits, leading to the protest.

An Unlikely Friendship Between Artist and Forger

The article reviews Steven Soderbergh's 2026 film "The Christophers," which follows an unlikely friendship between two painters in London: Julian Sklar (Ian McKellen), an older artist facing cancellation, and Lori Butler (Michaela Coel), a young painter who restores and forges artworks. The film explores themes of attention, artistic legacy, and the purpose of art, contrasting with darker narratives like "Tár" by offering a comedic yet profound take on these issues.

Remembering Georg Baselitz, Nicole Hollander, and Doris Fisher

Hyperallergic's weekly 'In Memoriam' column honors seven figures from the art world who recently passed away, including German Neo-Expressionist painter Georg Baselitz, feminist cartoonist Nicole Hollander, and arts patron Doris F. Fisher, co-founder of The Gap. Other notable figures remembered are photographer Stephanie Chernikowski, West Coast assemblage artist George Herms, Spanish artist and designer José María Cruz Novillo, and Bay Area muralist Dan Fontes. The article provides brief biographies and highlights of their contributions to visual art, photography, comics, and public art.

Pussy Riot Storms Russia Pavilion at Venice Biennale

Pussy Riot staged a dramatic protest at the Russia Pavilion during the Venice Biennale, releasing pink smoke and waving Ukrainian flags while chanting slogans like 'Blood is Russia’s art.' Around 50 protesters, including members of Femen, occupied the area. Pussy Riot founder Nadya Tolokonnikova called for the pavilion to be closed and given to oppressed peoples, challenging Biennale president Pietrangelo Buttafuoco to meet her. The protest lasted about 20 minutes, with performers climbing the pavilion and exposing political slogans on their chests.

Pussy Riot and FEMEN Join Forces in Punk Protest in Venice: ‘Russia Kills! Biennale Exhibits!’

On Wednesday morning, Pussy Riot and FEMEN led a protest outside the Russian Pavilion at the 2026 Venice Biennale, chanting slogans like “Russia kills! Biennale exhibits!” and “Blood is Russia’s art!” Dozens of protesters, some in pink balaclavas and others bare-chested with floral crowns, gathered in the Giardini under light rain, carrying guitars and blasting punk rock and hip-hop. The action was organized by Nadya Tolokonnikova and other Pussy Riot members alongside FEMEN, a Ukrainian-founded women’s movement. They released pink, yellow, and blue smoke, and Tolokonnikova criticized the Biennale for allowing Russian participation while artists who oppose the war in Ukraine are imprisoned. She proposed an alternative exhibition, “Resistance Imprisoned,” currently on view in Strasbourg, featuring incarcerated artists.

Met Gala Memes That Ate the Rich and Left No Crumbs

The article covers the 2026 Met Gala, sponsored by Jeff and Lauren Sánchez Bezos, and the intense online backlash it generated. Despite a dress code of "Fashion is Art," celebrities faced merciless mockery on social media for their looks, with particular scorn directed at Lauren Sánchez Bezos's Schiaparelli gown inspired by John Singer Sargent's "Madame X." The criticism was amplified by weeks-long protests against Amazon's labor practices and Bezos's involvement, as well as the museum's own unionized employees speaking out. The piece compiles the most inventive and cutting memes from X (formerly Twitter), targeting everything from fashion fails to political hypocrisy.

At 90, Printmaker Mohammad Omer Khalil Gets His Due

Mohammad Omer Khalil, the 90-year-old Sudanese-born printmaker based in New York, is the subject of a multi-city retrospective titled "Common Ground." The anchor exhibition runs through May 31 at the Blackburn Study Center in Manhattan, with satellite events at venues including Twelve Gates Arts in Philadelphia, the Arab American National Museum in Michigan, the New York Public Library, and Anthology Film Archives. Curated by Amina Ahmed and Jenna Hamed, the show spans Khalil's entire career, from his first etching made in Florence in 1964 to large-scale works inspired by Bob Dylan songs, poetry by Adonis, and films such as "The Chalk Garden."

Rare Keith Haring Self-Portrait and Other Intimate Works Go on View in NYC

A collection of intimate works by Keith Haring, including a rare self-portrait, a painted crib, and personal letters, has gone on view at Sotheby's Breuer building in New York City. The works were gifted by Haring to his childhood best friend and fellow artist, Kermit Oswald, over the course of their friendship from 1977 to 1989. The free public exhibition precedes a series of three auctions beginning May 14, with highlights including the self-portrait estimated at $3–5 million and a crib-and-dresser set expected to fetch $250,000–350,000.

In Minor Keys: how Venice's international exhibition was brought to life after the death of artistic director Koyo Kouoh

The 61st Venice Biennale's international exhibition, titled "In Minor Keys," was realized after the sudden death of its artistic director, Koyo Kouoh, in May 2025. A team of five of Kouoh's collaborators, known as "la squadra di Koyo Kouoh," worked with her before her death and finalized the exhibition's themes, artist list, and scenography. The exhibition features 111 invited artists, duos, collectives, and artist-led organizations, with the team emphasizing that this remains Kouoh's vision rather than a replacement.

Rollicking Protest Against Bezos's Met Gala Erupts in Manhattan

On May 4, 2026, a small but spirited protest organized by the advocacy group Rise and Resist erupted near the Metropolitan Museum of Art during the Met Gala. Dozens of costumed demonstrators gathered on a makeshift "Resistance Runway" to denounce billionaire Jeff Bezos, who co-chaired the event with his wife Lauren Sánchez Bezos. Participants held signs addressing trans rights, fascism, and wealth inequality, and danced to ABBA's "Money, Money, Money." The protest highlighted Bezos's role as co-chair, with activists criticizing his company Amazon's profits from immigration crackdowns and layoffs at the Washington Post. Bezos reportedly did not attend the gala, while his wife walked the red carpet alone.

The Carnegie International Looks Back at Itself

The 58th Carnegie International at the Carnegie Museum of Art in Pittsburgh looks back at its own 130-year history, featuring a gallery dedicated to past iterations. The exhibition includes Chris Ofili's "The Adoration of Captain Shit and the Legend of the Black Stars" (1998), which was originally shown in the 53rd International in 1999, the same year Ofili's more notorious "The Holy Virgin Mary" sparked controversy at the Brooklyn Museum. The article reviews how the current iteration captures the excitement of earlier exhibitions while providing commentary on authoritarianism and militarism.

Is This What “Made in America” Looks Like?

Christopher Payne's exhibition "Made in America: The Industrial Photography of Christopher Payne" at the Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum showcases 72 large-format photographs documenting active American factories and manufacturing processes. The trained architect turned photographer spent a decade visiting dozens of production sites across the United States, from the New York Times printing plant in Queens to the Bollman Hat Company in Pennsylvania, capturing workers' craftsmanship and the intricate steps involved in making everything from Peeps candies to jet engines. The exhibition is organized into three sections—traditional handcraft, large-scale production, and cutting-edge technologies—and coincides with the Smithsonian's celebration of the nation's 250th anniversary.

The Enigma of Alison Knowles

Lauren Moya Ford reviews the only book dedicated to Fluxus artist Alison Knowles, who died six months ago. The book, "Performing Chance: The Art of Alison Knowles In/Out of Fluxus" by Nicole L. Woods (2026), attempts to illuminate Knowles's life and work, but Ford notes that much of her personal life remains mysterious despite the author's efforts. The article is part of a broader books newsletter that also features new tomes on Hans Holbein’s portraits, Jan Staller’s photographs of Manhattan construction sites, and a discussion of a Black Panther family album at the Studio Museum in Harlem.

First US Survey of Mexican Artist Teresa Margolles Coming This Fall

MoMA PS1 in New York City will host the first United States survey of Mexican artist Teresa Margolles this fall. Trained as a forensic pathologist, Margolles creates works using organic and bodily materials from homicide victims, morgues, and crime scenes. The exhibition will feature pieces confronting murder and violence along the US-Mexico border, including a 2026 evolution of her ongoing series "Air" (2003–), where a gallery will be humidified with water carrying degradable material from homicide sites. The Museum of Modern Art will also present a new experiential installation, "Aproximación al lugar de los hechos (Approaching the Scene)" (2026), starting September 17, which drips water carrying evidence of violent death onto heated steel plates.

I’ve Got the Post-Duchamp Blues

The article is a review of the Marcel Duchamp retrospective at the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York, the first such show since 1973. Featuring around 300 works from Duchamp's six-decade career, the exhibition includes his iconic readymades like "Fountain" (1917) and early paintings such as "Nude Descending a Staircase, No. 2" (1912). Co-curated by MoMA's Ann Temkin and Michelle Kuo along with Matthew Affron of the Philadelphia Museum of Art, the show runs through August 22, 2026, before traveling to Philadelphia.

Artists, Read the Fine Print

Artist Damien Davis writes a critical piece on how so-called 'standard' contracts in the art world systematically undermine artists' power, citing long consignment periods, moral rights waivers, and opaque terms that favor institutions. Separately, the Venice Biennale has scrapped its traditional Golden Lion awards after the awards jury resigned; instead, ticket holders will vote on 'Visitor Lions,' with results announced in November, and notably Israel and Russia remain eligible despite the jury's earlier ban. Other news includes damage to a 1,000-year-old Native American archaeological site by construction crews building President Trump's border wall.

If you show up in a swimsuit, you get free entry to the Cézanne exhibition. It happens in one of Switzerland's most serious institutions.

Se ti presenti in costume da bagno entri gratis alla mostra di Cézanne. Succede in una delle istituzioni più serie della Svizzera

The Fondation Beyeler in Basel, Switzerland, is hosting a major monographic exhibition dedicated to Paul Cézanne, running until May 25, 2026. Curated by Ulf Küster, the show brings together around 80 works focusing on the artist's late career, including portraits, landscapes, variations on Mont Sainte-Victoire, and bather scenes. On May 1, 2026, the museum held a "Bathers Day" promotion inspired by Cézanne's bathers and Maurizio Cattelan's playful approach, offering free entry to visitors who came in swimwear. The event attracted families and individuals, with some even swimming in the foundation's garden pond afterward.

A Venezia una mostra ripercorre l’opera di Jenny Saville con un inedito omaggio a Tiziano. La recensione

A major solo exhibition of British painter Jenny Saville has opened at Ca' Pesaro in Venice, tracing her career from early works like "Propped" (1992) and "Hybrid" (1997) to new paintings explicitly inspired by Titian. The show, curated by Elisabetta Barisoni, highlights Saville's monumental female nudes, her engagement with Renaissance masters, and her place within the Young British Artists generation that also included Damien Hirst and Tracey Emin.

May You Live in Less Interesting Times

The international jury for the Venice Biennale has collectively resigned just before the press preview, following their announcement that countries accused of crimes against humanity—specifically Israel and Russia—would be excluded from award consideration. The jurors did not provide an explicit reason for their resignation. Meanwhile, Russia's return to the 61st Venice Biennale will involve workarounds to comply with international sanctions, including restricted pavilion access. The article also highlights a widely-read essay by Hakan Topal on the financialization and 'administrification' of American art schools and academia.

Opportunities in May 2026

Hyperallergic's May 2026 Opportunities Listings compile residencies, fellowships, grants, and open calls for artists, writers, and art workers. Featured opportunities include the Center for Craft's Craft Archive Fellowship, the Oak Spring Garden Foundation's Fellowship for Distinction in Fine Crafts and Design, the Provincetown Art Association and Museum's Robert Motherwell & Renate Ponsold Fellowship, the Bennett Prize for women figurative realist painters, the Pine Meadow Ranch Center for Arts & Agriculture residency, the Wassaic Project's Haunted Barn Open Call, the Jonathan and Barbara Silver Foundation's Grant for Writing on Sculpture, the Academy of American Poets' James Laughlin Award, and VIA Art Fund's Artistic Production Grants.

Tania Bruguera on Why Today’s Art Must Be Political

Cuban artist and activist Tania Bruguera will stage her performance "Tatlin’s Whisper #6" in Times Square on May 1, International Workers' Day. Originally created for the 2009 Havana Biennial, the work invites participants to speak freely on a platform for one minute, highlighting the conditional nature of free expression under authoritarian rule. Bruguera discusses the performance's relevance amid rising authoritarianism in both Cuba and the United States, noting that when she attempted to restage the work in Havana, she and other participants were arrested.

​​​​Art Movements: Curators Named for El Museo's Latine Art Survey

El Museo del Barrio has announced the curatorial team for the 2027 edition of La Trienal, its landmark survey of Latine contemporary art. The show will be organized by Susanna V. Temkin, interim chief curator at the museum; Zuna Maza, assistant curator; and guest curator Kaitlin Garcia-Maestas, formerly of Socrates Sculpture Park. In other biennial news, Amanda Carneiro and Raphael Fonseca were named chief curators of the 37th Bienal de São Paulo, the jury of the 61st Venice Biennale resigned after omitting Russia and Israel from awards consideration, and Marcello Dantas was appointed senior curator of the Vancouver Biennale. Hedwig Fijen will step down as director of Manifesta, with Emilia van Lynden and Catherine Nichols taking over in a new co-leadership model. Janne Sirén will resign as director of the Buffalo AKG Art Museum, Kate Kraczon was named chief curator at the Montclair Art Museum, and Charlie White was appointed dean of WashU’s Sam Fox School of Design & Visual Arts. Marina Abramović has designed wine labels for the Ornellaia estate, with limited-edition bottles to be auctioned by Bonhams to benefit the Guggenheim Pop exhibition.

Édouard Glissant’s Museum-as-Archipelago

The article reviews the exhibition "The Earth, the Fire, the Water, and the Winds: For a Museum of Errantry with Édouard Glissant" at the Center for Art, Research and Alliances (CARA) in New York, the first U.S. showing of works from the personal collection of Martinician philosopher and writer Édouard Glissant. Curated from his archive, the exhibition features artists such as Roberto Matta, Wifredo Lam, Etel Adnan, Irving Petlin, Antonio Seguí, Öyvind Fahlström, Jack Whitten, and Mel Edwards, reflecting Glissant's friendships and intellectual exchanges across Europe, Africa, and the Americas. Highlights include Antonio Seguí's large pastel works from his Titanic series.

Reclaiming the Self-Taught Artist’s Creative Identity

The American Folk Art Museum (AFAM) in New York will present "Self-Made: A Century of Inventing Artists" this spring, a major exhibition examining the historical definition of the "self-taught artist" through authorship, agency, and self-representation. Featuring over 90 works spanning the early 20th century to today, the show is organized around three strategies—self-portraiture, alter egos, and autobiography—and includes pieces by Henry Darger, Clémentine Hunter, Martín Ramírez, Aloïse Corbaz, Adolf Wölfli, Nicole Appel, Susan Janow, and Joe Coleman, many on view for the first time.

The great Anselm Kiefer arrives in Valencia for an exhibition. There is a rare work for the first time in Europe

Il grande Anselm Kiefer arriva in mostra a Valencia. C’è un’opera rara per la prima volta in Europa

German artist Anselm Kiefer is coming to Valencia for the first time, inaugurating the temporary exhibition program at the CAHH – Centro de Arte Hortensia Herrero. The show, curated by Javier Molins, will run from April 29 to October 25 at the Palacio de Valeriola, featuring Kiefer's works in dialogue with the permanent collection. A highlight is "Danaë," a monumental painting over 13 meters wide that depicts the interior of Berlin's Tempelhof airport and references the myth of Danaë; this work has only been shown once before, in New York in 2022, and is now on view in Europe for the first time.

The Revolutionary Tapestry of Nigerian Modernism

The exhibition "Nigerian Modernism" at Tate Modern in London is the first show of its kind in the UK, surveying how Nigerian artists forged a postcolonial identity across the 20th century. It features works by pioneers such as Aina Onabolu, Benedict Enwonwu, and members of the radical Zaria Art Society, including Uche Okeke, Jimo Akolo, and Clara Etso Ugbodaga-Ngu, highlighting their break from British artistic traditions and embrace of local visual heritage.

Early 2026 Art Books From Yale University Press

Yale University Press has announced its early 2026 art book lineup, featuring exhibition catalogues such as "Raphael: Sublime Poetry" from The Metropolitan Museum of Art, "Gwen John: Strange Beauties" from the Yale Center for British Art, "Edward Steichen and the Garden" from the George Eastman Museum, and "Frederic Church: Global Artist" from Olana NY State Historic Site. New releases also include a biography of Anni Albers by Nicholas Fox Weber, a catalogue titled "Anni Albers: Constructing Textiles" accompanying a European traveling exhibition, and Alyce Mahon's "Dorothea Tanning: A Surrealist Life," named a Best New Art Book of 2026 by Christie's. The press will hold a 50% off annual sale in May.

Venice, Here We Come

Hyperallergic's newsletter previews the upcoming 61st Venice Biennale, noting the charged political climate that may overshadow the art. It highlights the main exhibition "In Minor Keys" conceived by the late Koyo Kouoh, and includes a guide to national pavilions, collateral events, and notable exhibitions in Venice. The edition also features a studio visit with 93-year-old artist Joan Semmel, an interview with Lebanese artist Tania El Khoury about her "revenge art," and news about Barbara Chase-Riboud declining to represent the US at the Biennale, a $116M gift to the National Gallery of Art, and the death of Argentine painter Ides Kihlen at 108.

Alice Tippit’s Mischievous Erotics

Alice Tippit's solo exhibition "Rose Obsolete" at the DePaul Art Museum in Chicago features 23 small oil paintings, three murals, a neon sign, word drawings, and a series of 46 notepad drawings. The works toggle between multiple interpretations—snakes and smiles, blouses and pears, curtains and bodies—inviting viewers to see shifting forms like a psychological test. Tippit, born in 1975 near Kansas City and based in Chicago since 2006, paints each oil work in a single day without tape, achieving sharp edges and subtle layering that reward close looking.

Gearing Up for Venice

The 2026 Venice Biennale's awards jury has announced it will not consider artists from countries whose leaders are charged with crimes against humanity by the International Criminal Court, specifically naming Israel and Russia. In other news, satellite imagery confirms Azerbaijan demolished an Armenian church in Artsakh, the World Press Photo of the Year was awarded to Carol Guzy for an image of ICE detaining a father, and Argentine abstract painter Ides Kihlen died at age 108. Hyperallergic also published a guide to the Biennale by Hrag Vartanian and reported on Lynda Roscoe Hartigan's appointment as director of the Smithsonian American Art Museum.