The New York Times Art section has published a curated guide recommending six must-see exhibitions at the Venice Biennale. The article highlights thought-provoking and senses-stirring works that address themes such as war, art patronage, and the Black experience in America, as selected by the newspaper's critics.
TEFAF New York is showcasing a group of artisans who are pushing the boundaries of traditional craft. Exhibitors include a couple who grow their own furniture, an artist who polishes metal to a mirror-like finish, and another who collaborates with insects in their creative process. These works challenge conventional definitions of craft and material use.
Three exhibitions in New York this spring are showcasing the works of artistic duos, pairing artists to highlight how their creations either complement or contrast with each other. The shows aim to explore the dynamics of collaboration and dialogue between artists, offering viewers a unique perspective on creative relationships.
Iran’s participation in the 61st Venice Biennale remains uncertain after a public contradiction emerged between the Biennale Foundation and Iran’s Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance (MCIG). The Biennale Foundation had announced that Iran would not participate in the 2026 edition, curated by Koyo Kouoh, but Aydin Mahdizadeh Tehrani, director general of visual arts at the MCIG and commissioner of the Iranian Pavilion, stated in an interview with the Iranian Students’ News Agency (ISNA) that Iran never submitted a withdrawal letter. Instead, Iran requested more time and sent a letter on May 10 asking for the pavilion to open even if ineligible for prizes. Mahdizadeh Tehrani cited the US-Israel war with Iran as causing currency fluctuations that nearly tripled projected costs, complicating prior agreements, and noted that Iran had proposed a shorter exhibition period, which the Biennale rejected.
The IPER Festival delle periferie returns to Rome's Quadraro neighborhood for its fifth edition, titled "Super Lieux (Super luoghi) Periferie. Storie e geografie." Running until May 31, the festival features conferences, roundtables, study days, talks, exhibitions, and performances. A highlight is "Überlagerungen," a diffuse art review curated by Spazio Y that animates the Quadraro Vecchio district on May 16 with actions, installations, and shows from 4 PM to 11 PM. Participating venues include Spazio Kina, vineria Moggio, and osteria Grandma, with works by artists such as Lucia Bricco, Giulio Cassanelli, Felice Levini, and many others.
Architetture, progetti e visioni. La storia del Santa Maria della Scala va in mostra a Siena
The Fondazione Antico Ospedale Santa Maria della Scala in Siena has launched a new regeneration project for the historic complex, 40 years after it ceased functioning as a hospital. The foundation, led by president Cristiano Leone and director Chiara Valdambrini, commissioned Luca Molinari Studio to analyze the original design by Guido Canali and coordinate a collaborative masterplan involving three international architecture firms: LAN Architecture, Odile Decq with Pangalos Feldmann Architectes, and Hannes Peer Architecture. An exhibition titled "Santa Maria della Scala. Architetture, progetti e visioni" will open on May 30, 2026, curated by Luca Molinari, showcasing the architectural plans and visions for the site.
The Torre Grimaldina, a medieval tower in Genoa's Palazzo Ducale, has reopened after extensive restoration and safety upgrades funded by Italy's PNRR (National Recovery and Resilience Plan). Built in the late 13th century as a symbol of municipal power, the tower later served as a prison for political dissidents, including Risorgimento patriots and anti-fascist activists, as well as the violinist Niccolò Paganini. The restoration has preserved historic graffiti and inscriptions left by inmates, while reopening the tower's belvedere offering panoramic views of the city.
Triennale Milano, in collaboration with Qatar Museums, has launched a new educational program for recent graduates from Qatari universities. The initiative began with a selection call overseen by representatives of Design Doha, followed by a residency in Milan starting April 20. Five graduates—Reema Abu Hassan, Abdulrahman Al Muftah, Adriane de Souza, Maryam Hashim, and Meryem Omerspahic—participated in workshops, studio activities, and meetings during Milan Design Week. An open discussion about their experience will be held at Triennale on May 15 at 6 PM, featuring the participants and the bootcamp team.
Intervista all’artista del Padiglione Danese della Biennale di Venezia 2026 che ha messo in scena i porno divi
The Danish Pavilion at the 2026 Venice Biennale presents "Things to Come," a project by artist Maja Malou Lyse (b. 1993, Denmark), curated by Chus Martínez. The installation combines a three-channel video developed with DIS, materials from Cryos (the world's largest sperm bank), and performers from the porn industry, embedding them within the pavilion's architecture to explore the convergence of pornography, biotechnology, desire, and visual culture as a single system of imaginary production.
An opinion article on Hyperallergic analyzes official portraits of Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) soldiers released in May 2025, in which the soldiers are depicted with their backs to the camera. The author argues that this pose is a deliberate tactic to avoid identification and potential prosecution for war crimes in the occupied Palestinian territories, weaponizing surveillance technologies against the very people they surveil. The piece frames these images as "counter-portraits" that transform individual soldiers into a faceless, intimidating mass, contrasting them with traditional portraiture that invites intimate moral scrutiny.
Intervista alle curatrici che hanno portato l’Italia alla Craft Week di Londra
Amalia di Lanno and Valeria Zerbo, founders of the London-based curatorial platform Avant Craft, are bringing Italian ceramics to the London Craft Week for the first time. Their exhibition, "Contemporary Perspectives on Italian Ceramics," showcases a selection of independent Italian artists and designers who explore ceramics as a material investigation, sculptural experimentation, and cultural continuity. The show opens on May 14 with a "Meet a Master" event featuring artist Riccardo Monachesi, marking the official kickoff of Avant Craft.
From May 13 to 15, 2026, the MACRO – Museo d’Arte Contemporanea di Roma will host "Science Fashion," an event curated by Dobrila Denegri that explores the intersections of fashion, science, and new technologies. The program brings together international researchers and practitioners in experimental fashion to discuss urgent issues such as climate emergency, energy, and interspecies coexistence. It is part of the broader multi-year initiative "Experiments in Fashion and Art," launched in 2024 with "Critical Fashion," and involves collaborations with NABA, Sapienza University of Rome, and UnitelmaSapienza.
Come cambiano le aste d’arte se online tutto sembra un video game?
The article examines how digital infrastructure has transformed art auctions from exclusive in-person rituals into real-time competitive interfaces. Online sales, which peaked during the pandemic, now account for about 16% of the global art market in 2025 (down from 18% in 2024), according to the Art Market Report by Art Basel and UBS. Digital tools enable instant bidding, global streaming, and discreet participation, allowing collectors to compete without physical presence. The piece highlights the gamification of auctions, noting that ArtTactic has launched Art Forecaster, a platform where users predict auction prices in tournament-style competitions, blending market engagement with ludic elements.
Il fotografo Valerio Minato colpisce ancora. Lo straordinario scatto della luna rossa allineata con lo skyline di Milano: “ho atteso per 5 anni”
Italian photographer Valerio Minato captured a striking image on May 2, 2026, showing a giant red moon aligned with Milan's skyline, including the Porta Garibaldi skyscrapers and the Duomo with its Madonnina. The photograph, which went viral, was the result of a five-year pursuit involving astronomical calculations, multiple location scouting across northwestern Italy, and precise timing to align the moon with the city's landmarks. A Ryanair Boeing 737-800 crossing the lunar disk added an unexpected cinematic element.
At the 2026 Venice Biennale, two seagulls built a nest in front of the Polish Pavilion in the Giardini. Organizers chose to protect the nest with a small fence and a sign, turning it into an unofficial "Nature Pavilion." The birds share incubation duties equally, drawing large crowds who pause to watch their cooperative behavior amid the Biennale's intense geopolitical tensions, including protests against the Russian Pavilion, pro-Palestinian actions, and debates over Israel's cultural role.
A Roma è nato un nuovo spazio culturale che lavora sulla memoria della città (anche attraverso le cartoline)
A new cultural space called URBS has opened in Rome's Testaccio district, founded by architect Andrea D'Antrassi in collaboration with Giovanni Colombara. The space debuted in 2024 as "The Smallest Museum by URBS," a 20-square-meter venue housing over 1,600 historical postcards of the city, creating a visual archive spanning different eras. The museum also hosts temporary exhibitions, such as the current show "Not Mine, Not Yours" by Iranian artist Mehrdad Shadrooh, curated by Barbara Blasi, which draws from a family video-photo archive covering over eighty years of history. A commercial space has also been opened in Trastevere.
On May 13, 2026, D'ART Gallery in Baku opened the solo photography exhibition 'The Eternity of a Moment' by fine art photographer Anna Ibrahimbayova. The show is the first installment of the gallery's new project 'Homes Warmed by Love and Art,' which explores how creative partnerships shape shared lives and artistic growth. The opening featured remarks by gallery founder Dilara Muzaffarli, an interview with the artist conducted by art producer Sofiko Dvalishvili, and tributes to Ibrahimbayova's late husband, Azerbaijani playwright Maksud Ibrahimbayov, from People's Artist Omar Eldarov and MP Ulviyya Hamzayeva. The exhibition runs through May 15.
Mark Russell Jones, a Central Coast native, presents his large-scale ethereal paintings in an exhibition titled "Hearing the Quiet" at Indah Gallery, located within the Roblar Winery vineyard in a converted hay barn in Santa Ynez Valley. The artist describes his work as exploring the space between abstraction and representation through layering and reduction, evoking memory and atmosphere rather than fixed depictions.
The article describes an exhibition titled 'The Flowers of Coromandel' by artist Su Meng-Hung, held at Tina Keng Gallery in Taipei, Taiwan. The exhibition showcases Su Meng-Hung's works, likely exploring themes related to the historical Coromandel Coast and its cultural intersections, presented through the artist's unique visual language.
A new artist-led art fair called Fair Play Art Fair will launch in London from October 15–18, 2026, at One Marylebone. Founded by Ryan Stanier, creator of The Other Art Fair, the event offers selected artists free exhibition stands instead of requiring upfront fees, operating on a commission-based model that takes 50% of sales. The fair will run alongside Frieze London and include immersive installations, sound art, dining, and live performances, with a curated selection process overseen by an independent committee.
The Art Hive in Prescott, Arizona, is celebrating its third anniversary with a disco-themed party on Friday, May 22, from 5:00 pm to midnight. Founded in 2023 by artist Cloud Oakes, the venue houses 36 artist studios and a fine arts gallery, and the event will feature the Tenant Spring Exhibition, open studios, art booths, live music, a no-host bar, and a '70s Disco DJ bash, with a people's choice award for best costume and best in show.
The Polish Institute in Paris is participating in the 25th edition of Nuit Blanche on June 6-7, 2026, with a program featuring photographer and war correspondent Agata Grzybowska, who will give an artist talk titled "Everyone deserves their own story," followed by a guided tour of an exhibition by Anglo-Polish photojournalist Chris Niedenthal. The event runs from 8 p.m. to 11 p.m., offering free access to the public as part of the citywide contemporary art festival.
The Gimpo Cultural Foundation announced it will host a series of visual arts exhibitions through June as part of the '2026 Gimpo Arts Activity Support Project.' The program features solo and group shows across multiple genres—including crafts, painting, ceramics, installation, photography, and sculpture—at local venues such as the Gimpo Peace Culture Center, Boreumsan Museum of Art, Janggi Library Exhibition Hall, Willow Tree Gallery, and Bukbyeon Gallery. Artists include Kim Jiyong, Kim Wakon, Lee Kyooho, Yoon Jeonghye, Park Younggyun, and Choi Nakjun, along with groups like Gongbang Dowon-yo and Susaranghoe.
A new exhibition titled 'Seen/Unseen' has opened at the Midland Cultural Centre in Ontario, curated by Gayle Fortin. It features immersive fibre installations, atmospheric landscapes, and abstract works by four artists from The October Collective: Charlotte Williams, Amy Bagshaw, Pauline Bradshaw, and Lindsay Smail. Highlights include Bagshaw's site-specific fibre installation using industrial materials, an interactive 'Grounded Echoes Cairn' where visitors add inscribed stones, and QR codes linking to artists' stories. The exhibition runs alongside a Members' Exhibition and a community mural celebrating Quest Art School + Gallery's 30th anniversary.
Southern Illinois University Carbondale's Sharp Museum is organizing a national juried exhibition titled "Spooks or Spoofs," centered on cryptid-themed art. The exhibition runs from August 11 to December 21, 2026, and welcomes all media except AI-generated images. Artists may submit up to three works, with a requested donation of $5–$10 per entry. The submission deadline is July 1, with jury results announced by July 14. The juror is Jeremy Efroymson, an artist, collector, and amateur cryptozoologist. The museum's curator of exhibits, T. Lance, highlighted local Illinois legends such as Bigfoot, the Big Muddy Monster, and the Enfield horror as inspiration.
An expansive exhibition at the Corning Museum of Glass highlights the women artists who were instrumental in the American Studio Glass Movement of the mid-20th century. The show, curated by Osman Can Yerebakan, brings together works that demonstrate the resilience and creative contributions of these often-overlooked figures.
A new art exhibition titled "Persistent Curiosity: Charting the Rippled Fabric of the Sea" has opened at the Provincetown Art Association and Museum (PAAM) to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Center for Coastal Studies. The show runs from May 15 through July 19, with an opening reception on May 22.
A new exhibition at the Cahoon Museum of American Art in Cotuit, Massachusetts, titled "From Borough to Bay: A Legacy Illuminated," highlights the stories of seven Black families from Brooklyn who spent their summers in Osterville on Cape Cod during the 1960s and 1970s. Created by Cape Cod artist Dawn McKenzie, the show is on view through June 14, 2026.
Lighthouse Poole in Dorset has issued an open call for visual artists with a local connection to submit work for its seasonal exhibition themed "BURROW," running from November 12, 2025 to February 27, 2026. The exhibition aims to create a peaceful, reflective space during the winter months, following last year's installation "The Wintering" by self-taught artist Carmel De’Lisser. Submissions are free, must use sustainable materials, and can explore concepts such as hibernation, searching, and comfort. The selection panel includes De’Lisser, curator Mille Lake, creative director Paul Newman, and co-founder Tom Pouncy.
The New Britain Museum of American Art (NBMAA) has appointed Lydia Holleck as its first Hamm Family Curatorial Fellow. This new full-time position is dedicated to researching, exhibiting, and engaging the public with artwork from the museum’s permanent collection that is currently in storage and rarely seen by visitors.