Where to go on Pentecost weekend?

Wohin am Pfingstwochenende?

This article from Monopol presents a curated guide to art exhibitions and events across several European cities for the Pentecost weekend. Highlights include Christina Kubisch's comprehensive survey 'The Emergence of Sound' at the Ludwig Forum Aachen, Pierre Huyghe's solo show at the Fondation Beyeler in Basel, an artist talk with Jorinde Voigt at Galerie Judin in Berlin, the outdoor exhibition 'Ecologies in Motion' in Düsseldorf's Malkastenpark, Elmgreen & Dragset's intervention at the Städel Museum and Liebieghaus in Frankfurt, and 'Eine Stadt als Atelier' at the Kölnischer Kunstverein in Cologne, among others in Ludwigshafen, Warsaw, and Vienna.

Eyecatchers and Discoveries

Eyecatcher und Entdeckungen

The 42nd edition of Art Brussels has scaled down to 138 exhibitors from 165 in 2025, responding to a sluggish contemporary art market and economic uncertainty. The fair introduces a new section called 'Horizonte,' curated by Devrim Bayar of Kanal Centre Pompidou, featuring six large-scale installations including Pao Hui Kao's delicate paper-and-lacquer refuge and Oswald Oberhuber's €380,000 panoramic painting 'Paradiesgarten.' Galleries are now consolidated into one hall, with fewer blue-chip participants but a continued focus on living artists (95% of the 500 shown). Notable presentations include Xavier Hufkens' solo show of Cassi Namoda, Krinziger's works by Marina Abramović and Monica Bonvicini, and Richard Saltoun's historical mix of Fernand Khnopff, Everlyn Nicodemus, and Suzanne Van Damme.

A Venise, trois maîtres redéfinissent la nature morte

The article announces an exhibition titled "Picasso, Morandi, Parmiggiani – Still lifes" at the Istituzione Fondazione Bevilacqua La Masa in Venice, running from May 7 to July 25, 2026. The show brings together three masters—Pablo Picasso, Giorgio Morandi, and Claudio Parmiggiani—to redefine the still-life genre through a curated dialogue of their works across six rooms. The exhibition is co-organized by Tornabuoni Art, the Musée national Picasso-Paris, and the Fondazione Musei Civici di Venezia, with Cécile Debray, president of the Musée national Picasso-Paris, serving as curator. A fully illustrated catalogue accompanies the show.

J.M.W. Turner’s Most Famous Self-Portrait Might Not Actually Be by the Artist at All

Art historian James Hamilton has publicly claimed that J.M.W. Turner's most famous self-portrait, which appears on the £20 note, is actually by the painter John Opie. Hamilton, who used the portrait on the cover of his 1997 biography of Turner, argues that the work was misattributed when it entered the Turner Bequest—the vast collection of paintings and works on paper Turner left to the nation after his death in 1851. He points to stylistic evidence, noting Opie's signature technique of "light emerging dramatically from dark," and has published his research in Turner Society News, calling on the Tate to reattribute the painting.

Think you have strong opinions about the 2026 Archibald prize? Check out the portraits that didn’t make the cut | Dee Jefferson

The article explores the annual ritual of the Archibald Prize, Australia's most famous portrait competition, through the lens of the 2026 edition. The author, Dee Jefferson, describes the predictable cycle of public enthusiasm, critical disdain, and media coverage that surrounds the prize, noting recurring trends like brown suits, oversized heads, and the dominance of male artists painting male subjects. The piece highlights specific works in this year's exhibition, including a portrait of musician Keli Holiday by Sindy Sinn that the author finds disorienting, and contrasts the main exhibition with the Salon des Refusés, the showcase of rejected entries, which includes a provocative portrait of Patricia Piccinini by Wendy Sharpe featuring exaggerated anatomy.

‘Common ground for me is everywhere I step’: Mohammad Omer Khalil on his five-institution show

Mohammad Omer Khalil, a 90-year-old Sudanese artist and master printmaker, is the subject of a five-institution exhibition titled "Common Ground" spanning New York, Philadelphia, and Michigan. The show brings together six decades of his prints and paintings, along with ephemera from his travels, oral histories, and cultural influences. Khalil, who has lived in the US since 1967, learned printmaking at the EFA Robert Blackburn Printmaking Workshop and has taught at Pratt Institute, the New School, Columbia University, and New York University. He also produces editions with notable artists and has maintained a long connection to the Asilah Cultural Moussem in Morocco.

For Fashion Iconoclast Iris van Herpen, ‘Nature Is the Best Artist’

The Brooklyn Museum has opened "Iris van Herpen: Sculpting the Senses," a major exhibition surveying two decades of the Dutch designer's avant-garde fashion. Curated by Matthew Yokobosky and Imani Williford, the show features over 140 of van Herpen's biomorphic couture pieces, including designs worn by Lady Gaga and Björk, alongside works by contemporary artists like Agostino Arrivabene and Tara Donovan. The exhibition, which originated at the Musée des Arts Décoratifs in Paris in 2023, highlights van Herpen's use of cutting-edge technology such as 3D printing and magnetic sculpting, as well as her deep inspiration from natural phenomena like fossils, coral, and water.

Canadian Masterworks Lead Heffel’s Spring Sales

Heffel Fine Art Auction House will hold its Spring Auction on May 21, 2026, featuring two sessions: Post-War & Contemporary Art and Old Master, Impressionist, & Modern Art. The sale, held in Toronto and online, includes works by Canadian masters such as Alex Colville, Jean-Paul Riopelle, Guido Molinari, and E.J. Hughes, with top estimates reaching up to $1.75 million CAD for Hughes' 'Coastal Boats Near Sidney, BC'.

Ornamental Carpets Release Wild Animals in Debbie Lawson’s Provocative Sculptures

Debbie Lawson presents a solo exhibition, "In a Cowslip's Bell I Lie," at Sargent's Daughters in New York, featuring her signature large-scale sculptures of life-size animals cloaked in ornamental Persian carpets. Using wire mesh, masking tape, and Jesmonite resin, she meticulously wraps each limb in carpet, creating the illusion that the animals have emerged from the textiles themselves. The show includes works such as "Wild Dog Sundown" (2025), "Red Eagle" (2026), and "Black Cougar" (2025), and draws its title from Shakespeare's *The Tempest*.

When Beauty Appears: Lee Mingwei Interviewed by Rhana Devenport

Taiwanese American artist Lee Mingwei presents his largest non-museum exhibition to date, "Lorsque La Beauté Paraît (When Beauty Appears)," at Perrotin in Paris. The show brings together seven invitational projects, including works like *The Mending Project* (2009–) and *The Moving Garden* (2009–). In an interview with Australian curator Rhana Devenport, Lee discusses the political dimensions of beauty, the restorative power of gift-giving, and the courage required for small acts of kindness among strangers. The exhibition is curated by Thierry Raspail, co-founder of the Lyon Biennale and director of the Lyon Museum of Contemporary Art.

Museum of Contemporary Art Detroit reopens, with the local community front and centre

The Museum of Contemporary Art Detroit (Mocad) reopened on 25 April after over a year of renovations, unveiling upgrades to its 22,000-square-foot Midtown space—including a new learning space, air conditioning, and a large street-facing window—just in time for its 20th anniversary. The main building has been renamed after co-founder Julia Reyes Taubman. Co-directors Marie Madison-Patton and Jova Lynne have repositioned the institution as a civic space, emphasizing community engagement and local artists, with exhibitions such as Olayami Dabls: Detroit Cosmologies, Martha Mysko's Retail Therapy, and Carole Harris's This Side of the River.

Phillips’ $115.2 Million Evening Sale Was a Testament to the Power of Pre-Planning and Priority Bidding

Phillips’ Modern & Contemporary Art Evening Sale on May 19 achieved a white-glove result, totaling $115.2 million across 41 lots—a 122 percent increase from May 2025. The sale saw strong performances from works by Lee Bontecou, Salman Toor, and Cecily Brown, with Bontecou’s 1985 pastel on canvas setting a record for a two-dimensional work by the artist at $4.2 million. Other top lots included Andy Warhol’s *Sixteen Jackies* (1964) at $16.2 million, a Monet landscape at $9.3 million, and a Joan Mitchell at $6.9 million. Notably, less than half of the lots were guaranteed, with Phillips’ Priority Bidding incentive—offering a 4 percent discount on buyer’s premium—contributing to the strong results, as more than half of the lots attracted such bids.

Secretive LA art dealer Larry Gagosian to be subject of 'juicy' unauthorized doc

An unauthorized documentary about mega-gallerist Larry Gagosian is in the works, directed by Barry Avrich, who previously helmed the Netflix hit "Made You Look: A True Story About Fake Art." Titled "Shadow Man: Inside The Secret World of Larry Gagosian," the film promises to feature former employees and artists sharing insider stories about Gagosian's empire. Avrich has a track record of documentaries on high-profile figures, including Lew Wasserman and Harvey Weinstein.

The Only Guide to This Year’s Venice Biennale You Will Ever Need

The 61st Venice Biennale opens amid significant turmoil. The entire jury of the International Art Exhibition resigned after a statement about withholding prizes from countries with leaders charged with crimes against humanity by the ICC, leading to the cancellation of the Golden Lion awards in favor of 'Visitors' Lions' to be given at the exhibition's end. The event has been further marred by the sudden death of artistic director Koyo Kouoh from liver cancer in early 2025, and the death of artist Henrike Naumann, who was set to debut work in the German pavilion. Additionally, the selection process for the American pavilion artist, Mexico-based sculptor Alma Allen, sparked controversy after a delayed grant application process.

The Great Lone Wolf of Art

Der große Einzelgänger der Kunst

Georg Baselitz, the German painter known for his radical, figurative works and iconic upside-down motifs, has died at age 88. Born Hans-Georg Kern in 1938 in Deutschbaselitz, Saxony, he fled East Germany for West Berlin in 1957 after being expelled from art school for "socio-political immaturity." Baselitz rose to international fame with his expressive, fractured depictions of the human figure, famously inverting his compositions starting with "Der Wald auf dem Kopf" (1969). He also worked as a stage and costume designer for operas by Harrison Birtwistle, György Ligeti, and Richard Wagner.

Heffel’s spring sales, featuring rediscovered royal portrait and E.J. Hughes seascape, tally $16.2m

Heffel's spring auction in Toronto on 21 May achieved a total of C$22.4m ($16.2m), led by E.J. Hughes's seascape *Coastal Boats Near Sidney, BC (1948)*, which sold for C$5.7m ($4.1m)—more than tripling its high estimate and setting a new auction record for the artist. The painting was consigned by Emily Carr University of Art and Design, with proceeds benefiting student awards. Other highlights included works by Mary Pratt, Jean Paul Riopelle, Alex Colville, Takao Tanabe, Tom Thomson, Arthur Lismer, and A.J. Casson, with four lots crossing the million-dollar mark and a 93.75% sell-through rate.

Indonesian artist Dian Suci wins 2026 Max Mara Art Prize for Women.

Indonesian multimedia artist Dian Suci has won the 10th edition of the Max Mara Art Prize for Women, as announced by curator and jury chair Cecilia Alemani in Venice at the Serra dei Giardini. Suci was selected from a shortlist of five finalists that included Betty Adii, Dzikra Afifah, Ipeh Nur, and Mira Rizki. The jury was organized and chaired by Alemani and included Museum MACAN director Venus La.

Behind every great artist... there is a great gallery. A look at the 2026 Venice Biennale

Dietro ogni grande artista… c’è una grande galleria. Un punto sulla Biennale Arte 2026

The 61st Venice Biennale, titled "In Minor Keys" (May 9 – November 22, 2026), features over 90% living artists, a significant shift from recent editions focused on historical rediscoveries. Curated by the late Koyo Kouoh (1967–2025), the first African woman to lead the Biennale, the exhibition includes 111 artists, with a majority of women (64 vs. 48 men) and the highest percentage of African-born artists ever (20%). Notable participants include Nick Cave, Carsten Höller, Alfredo Jaar, and Kader Attia, with a focus on mid-career and established figures rather than emerging or deceased artists.

Shared Crafting, Touching, and Lying Down

"Gemeinsames Basteln, Anfassen und Hinlegen"

Christie's in New York achieved record auction results, with Jackson Pollock's "Number 7A, 1948" selling for $181.2 million and Constantin Brâncuși's bronze sculpture "Danaïde" reaching $107.6 million, both from the S. I. Newhouse collection. Meanwhile, critic Gesine Borcherdt published a scathing review of the Marina Abramović exhibition "Balkan Erotic Epic" at Gropius Bau Berlin, arguing that museums increasingly demand audience participation—crafting, touching, lying down—under the guise of democracy, which she likens to group therapy and warns carries authoritarian tendencies. In London, makeup artist and designer Isamaya Ffrench opened a hybrid gallery and concept store called Studio Iron, featuring works by Abramović, Paul McCarthy, Kelly Wearstler, and Anne Imhof, aiming to blur boundaries between art, design, and function.

The week around the world in 20 pictures

This photo essay from The Guardian presents 20 images capturing global events from the past week, including a protest by Femen and Pussy Riot activists against Russia's participation at the Venice Biennale art show, Israeli strikes in Gaza, the hantavirus outbreak, and Emma Chamberlain at the Met Gala. Other images document the war in Ukraine, with scenes of Russian military rehearsals in Moscow, damaged monuments, and drone strike aftermath, as well as a political protest in Nashville where Democratic state representative Justin J Pearson was removed from the house gallery during a redistricting protest.

Paloma Elsesser, Joan Jonas, and Isha Ambani Descended Upon Beacon for a Day at Dia

On a warm spring Saturday, the Dia Art Foundation hosted its annual Spring Benefit at Dia Beacon, drawing a cross-disciplinary crowd of artists, curators, museum leaders, and fashion figures. The event celebrated the opening of seven major exhibitions across the Beacon campus, featuring works by John Chamberlain, Lee Ufan, Kishio Suga, and Jack Whitten, and marked the rollout of a new partnership with Chanel. Guests explored over 20 galleries, enjoyed a seasonal lunch amid Chamberlain's sculptures, and participated in a special children's program, all set within the former Nabisco box-printing factory along the Hudson River.

art venice biennale gallery exhibition guide

Cultured magazine has published a guide to art exhibitions during the Venice Biennale, highlighting several major shows across the city. Featured exhibitions include "If All Time Is Eternally Present" at Palazzo Nervi-Scattolin with works by Tai Shani, Meriem Bennani & Orian Barki, and Kandis Williams; "Michael Armitage: The Promise of Change" at Palazzo Grassi; "Amoako Boafo: It doesn’t have to always make sense" at Palazzo Grimani; "Transforming Energy" by Marina Abramović at Gallerie dell’Accademia; and "Helter Skelter" by Arthur Jafa and Richard Prince at Fondazione Prada. The guide provides details on dates, locations, and curatorial themes for each show.

Rothko from Robert Mnuchin collection fetches US$85.8m, becoming artist’s second-priciest work at auction

A red-and-black Mark Rothko painting, *Brown and Blacks in Reds* (1957), sold for US$85.8 million at Sotheby’s New York on May 14, becoming the artist’s second-most expensive work at auction. The canvas came from the collection of Robert Mnuchin, a former Goldman Sachs partner turned gallerist, and was the star lot of a dedicated 11-lot evening sale that totaled US$166.3 million. The winning bid was placed by Sotheby’s chairman Helena Newman on behalf of a telephone client, with the hammer falling at US$74 million against an estimate of US$70–100 million. The painting was originally owned by Joseph E. Seagram & Sons and hung in the lobby of the Seagram Building, a landmark of corporate modernism designed by Ludwig Mies van der Rohe and Philip Johnson.

Several Eternities in a Day: Form in the Age of Living Materials

The Hammer Museum in Los Angeles presents "Several Eternities in a Day: Form in the Age of Living Materials," a spring 2026 exhibition running from April 5 to August 23. Curated by Jill Spalding, the show features works by artists including Edgar Calel, Guadalupe Maravilla, Carmen Argote, and others, exploring the concept of "Brownness"—a fluid identity rooted in ancestral memory, animal kinship, and a profound connection to living materials. The exhibition is organized into three acts: large-scale installations, paintings and works on paper, and ceramics, offering a visceral and immersive experience that draws on precolonial traditions across the Americas.

At MAXXI L'Aquila, exhibition dedicated to Ai Weiwei recounts catastrophes and memory

From April 29 to September 6, 2026, MAXXI L'Aquila presents "AI WEIWEI: Aftershock," an exhibition curated by Tim Marlow featuring approximately seventy works by Chinese artist, architect, and activist Ai Weiwei. The show spans his entire career, focusing on themes of earthquakes, wars, political repression, and memory. The centerpiece is the installation "Straight" (2009–2012), made from 150 tons of steel rods recovered from schools that collapsed in the 2008 Sichuan earthquake, displayed across three rooms. The exhibition is held at Palazzo Ardinghelli, a Baroque building that houses MAXXI L'Aquila and was itself restored after the 2009 L'Aquila earthquake, creating a dialogue between the works and the building's history of recovery.

A hated portrait and a forged masterpiece: two new thrillers with paintings at their centre

Two new thrillers center on paintings: "The End of the Vodka" by an unnamed author, which fictionalizes the real story of Frida Kahlo's commissioned portrait of Dorothy Hale—a painting that horrified its patron Clare Boothe Luce—and weaves an imagined conversation between Luce and Wallis Simpson amid the backdrop of World War II. The second, "Sacrifice" by Lynda La Plante, follows Detective Jack Warr as he investigates a possible forgery of a Jean-Michel Basquiat painting, leading to murder and a missing art forger.

New residency in upstate New York will give Indigenous artists access to neon fabrication studio

Lite Brite Neon Studio in Kingston, New York, has partnered with the Walker Youngbird Foundation to launch Native Neon, a residency program providing Indigenous artists with access to neon fabrication. The inaugural recipient is Sarah Rowe, an enrolled member of the Ponca Tribe of Nebraska and of Lakota descent, who receives $50,000, a $10,000 stipend, and a week-long residency to create an immersive neon environment. The studio, known for collaborations with artists like Glenn Ligon and Jeffrey Gibson, aims to lower the technical and financial barriers to working with neon.

Chanel Expands Support for Centre Pompidou Amid $535 Million Renovation

Chanel has announced a new five-year partnership with the Centre Pompidou in Paris, expanding its support for the museum during its landmark €460 million ($535 million) renovation. The fashion house, which has backed the Pompidou since 2019, will help preserve access to modern and contemporary art while the museum is closed to the public until its scheduled reopening in 2030. This follows a separate three-year deal in 2025 to grow the museum's collection of contemporary Chinese art by 30 percent, with a focus on women artists, and a 2024 acquisition of 21 works by 15 Chinese artists tied to an exhibition co-organized with Shanghai's West Bund Museum.

Willem de Kooning’s Rarely Seen Drawings Come Into Focus in Chicago Show

A forthcoming exhibition at the Art Institute of Chicago (AIC), titled "Willem de Kooning Drawing," will showcase over 200 rarely seen drawings by the Abstract Expressionist master, opening in June. The show, organized in partnership with the Rijksmuseum, includes works from across de Kooning's career—from early charcoal studies like *Dish with Jugs* (1919–1921) to experimental pieces from the 1960s where he drew with his eyes closed or with both hands. Curated by Kevin Salatino, the exhibition positions drawing as central to de Kooning's practice, challenging the perception that his paintings were purely spontaneous.

Winston Churchill: The Painter review – We will daub them on the beaches

The Guardian reviews "Winston Churchill: The Painter," an exhibition of nearly 60 paintings by the former British prime minister, curated by Xavier Bray and Lucy Davis. The show assembles works from across the UK and private collections, depicting scenes from Churchill's travels, stately homes, and leisure moments, painted as an amateur Sunday painter for stress relief rather than artistic acclaim. The review notes Churchill's use of techniques borrowed from Walter Sickert, including projectors and monochrome underlayers, and describes his style as charmingly amateurish with a vivacity in seascapes but weakness in figures and architectural luminosity.