From monumental glass sculptures to a lagoon in the sky: what to see beyond the Venice Biennale pavilions

The article highlights several must-see exhibitions and installations beyond the main Venice Biennale pavilions. Patrizia Sandretto Re Rebaudengo's redevelopment of the island of San Giacomo opens on 7 May, transforming abandoned Napoleonic-era powder magazines into exhibition spaces with a solo show by British artist Matt Copson and a group show from her collection. American artist Melissa McGill presents 'Marea', a street-spanning installation of 100 paintings created with local residents and students, addressing climate change and rising sea levels. Dale Chihuly returns to Venice with 'Chihuly: Venice 2026', featuring monumental glass installations along the Grand Canal, including 'Gold Tower' (2025). Wallace Chan unveils titanium sculptures at the Chapel of Santa Maria della Pietà, with a parallel exhibition at the Long Museum in Shanghai.

Pittsburgh’s new $31m Arts Landing combines public art with civic engagement

Pittsburgh's new $31 million public space, Arts Landing, opened on 17 April, just before the NFL Draft and the 59th Carnegie International. Developed by the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust, the project features public artworks by vanessa german, Darian Johnson, Lenka Clayton, Phillip Andrew Lewis, Sharmistha Ray, Mikael Owunna, Marques Redd, John Peña, Shikeith, and the late Thaddeus Mosley. Highlights include Shikeith's neon sculpture *Hold*, part of his *Project Blue Space*, and Mosley's *Touching the Earth* series, originally commissioned by New York's Public Art Fund. The space also includes a playground, bandshell, and artist-designed pickleball courts.

Wilhelm Sasnal review – his wild juxtapositions are almost obscene

Polish artist Wilhelm Sasnal's new exhibition at Sadie Coles HQ in London presents a disorienting array of paintings. The works juxtapose disparate and often disturbing images, including a grotesque depiction of the Oval Office, portraits of his family, album art for the industrial band Throbbing Gristle, and a forest scene linked to the Holocaust, creating a deliberate sense of fragmentation and broken connections.

Art21 Honors Paul Pfeiffer and Charles Gaines at 2026 Spring Gala as Organization Celebrates 25 Years of Championing Access to Contemporary Art

Art21 will honor artists Paul Pfeiffer and Charles Gaines at its 2026 Spring Gala on April 14, alongside a tribute to philanthropist Agnes Gund. The event, held at Tribeca Rooftop, features a live auction of exclusive experiences and a marching band procession, and serves as the centerpiece of the organization's year-long 25th-anniversary celebration.

ArtReview April & May 2026 Issue Out Now

ArtReview's April & May 2026 issue explores boundaries and limitations in art, with a focus on the 61st Venice Biennale opening amid global conflicts. The cover features Japanese-American performance artist Ei Arakawa-Nash with his husband and twin babies, whose collaborative installation at the Japanese Pavilion incorporates the unpredictability of childcare. The issue includes coverage of controversial national pavilions (Russian, Israeli, American), profiles of artists representing Mongolia and Singapore, and features on Beverly Buchanan, Arthur Jafa, Richard Prince, and Zehra Doğan's report from Rojava. It also reviews the 82nd Whitney Biennial, the 25th Biennale of Sydney, and the 15th Shanghai Biennale.

Claude Lalanne Mirror Ensemble Sells for $33.5 M., Breaking Design Auction Records

A custom ensemble of 15 mirrors by Claude Lalanne sold for $33.5 million at Sotheby's New York, shattering the artist's previous auction record and setting a new global benchmark for the most expensive design work ever sold at auction. The piece, commissioned in 1974 for Yves Saint Laurent and Pierre Bergé's Paris home, far exceeded its $10-15 million estimate.

The Best Booths at Expo Chicago, From a 16th-Century Belgian Manuscript to a Painting of a Mariachi Band

The 13th edition of Expo Chicago has opened at Navy Pier with a streamlined selection of 130 international exhibitors. This year’s fair features a more curated and manageable scale, drawing a significant crowd of museum directors, curators, and collectors to the Windy City. Notable presentations range from contemporary Canadian artist duos to rare historical artifacts, reflecting a high bar for quality across diverse media.

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Ariana Papademetropoulos has debuted a new solo exhibition titled "Glass Slipper" at Thaddaeus Ropac’s gallery in Paris. The show features a diverse range of works, including hyper-realistic paintings of dry-cleaned dresses, surrealist landscapes featuring floating chairs, and a central immersive installation. This centerpiece consists of a mattress and a fish tank filled with 150 kissing fish, accompanied by a commissioned ambient soundtrack by Nicolas Godin of the band Air, designed to evoke a meditative, ritualistic experience.

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New York-based artist Dana James presents her third solo show with Hollis Taggart, titled “Ink Moon,” at the gallery’s Lower East Side location. The exhibition marks a significant shift in her practice, moving from her signature soft pastels and feminine sensibility toward bolder, more gestural works featuring near-black hues, intense primary colors, and expressive mark-making. James created the new body of work while navigating an advancing pregnancy, which she says pushed her work in a more intense direction rather than the expected softer style.

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American artist Ben Schonzeit, a pioneer of Photorealism, presents his current solo exhibition "Ben Schonzeit: Imaginary Friends" at Louis K. Meisel Gallery in New York, on view through May 3, 2025. The show marks a significant evolution in his practice, bringing sculpture to the forefront alongside his paintings, and features imaginary characters that depart from his earlier still-life Photorealism. In an interview, Schonzeit discusses how his process has shifted from predetermined goals to intuitive exploration, influenced by New York City's street life and fashion.

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Paula Tsai, a key figure in Asia's art market, discusses the evolving landscape of collecting in the region, focusing on mainland China and Korea. She notes a surge of new buyers from China, many of whom are young entrepreneurs, while the Korean market remains more mature and stable. Tsai addresses the impact of tariffs on importing art, particularly for Chinese collectors, but asserts that passionate collectors will continue to buy, adjusting timing rather than abandoning purchases. She also highlights the growing Thai market and the complexity of the Chinese market, where established collectors are cautious but new entrants keep activity high.

Claude Lalanne’s set of bronze mirrors shatters artist's auction record at Sotheby's

A set of 15 bronze and copper mirrors by Claude Lalanne sold for $33.5 million at Sotheby's in New York, shattering the artist's previous auction record and surpassing the record price for works by her late husband and collaborator, François-Xavier Lalanne. The ensemble, which far exceeded its $15 million high estimate, drew fierce competition from five bidders over ten minutes.

Crystal Bridges Museum's expansion will open in June 2026

Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art in Bentonville, Arkansas, announced its expansion will open on June 6, 2026, adding 114,000 square feet—a 50% increase in size. Designed by Safdie Architects, the project began in 2022 and includes hundreds of newly donated works, the largest gift in the museum's history: over 200 pieces from Dallas-based collectors Candace and Michael Humphreys. Additional donations from board chair Olivia Walton and her husband Tom include 18 works by women artists, honoring her late mother, gallerist Monique Knowlton.

Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art Announces Historic Expansion Opening

Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art in Bentonville, Arkansas, has announced a historic expansion, increasing its size by 50 percent to 114,000 square feet, with a grand opening scheduled for June 6 and 7, 2026. The expansion, designed by Safdie Architects, includes fully reimagined galleries and is celebrated by two landmark gifts: 18 major works by women artists donated by chairperson Olivia Walton and her husband Tom Walton, and 200 artworks by over 100 artists donated by collectors Candace and Michael Humphreys. The Walton gift features artists such as Yayoi Kusama, Alice Neel, and Njideka Akunyili Crosby, while the Humphreys gift introduces many new artists to the museum's holdings.

LACMA opens its new building for a sneak peek: Photos from the first preview

The Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) held its first public event inside the new Peter Zumthor-designed David Geffen Galleries on Thursday evening, offering a sneak peek before art is installed. The preview featured a site-specific concert by composer Kamasi Washington, with multiple bands and a choir performing throughout the empty concrete galleries. The building, which has been under construction for five years, is targeted to open in April 2026, though some construction details remain unfinished and landscaping is still settling.

Keeping it in the family: never-before-seen Picasso works to go on show in New York with help from artist's descendants

Two exhibitions dedicated to Pablo Picasso will open this spring on New York's Upper East Side, both organized in collaboration with the artist's descendants and featuring works never before displayed publicly. 'Picasso: Tête-à-tête' at Gagosian (through July 3) is presented with Paloma Picasso, the artist's daughter, and includes 12 never-before-seen works from her personal collection. Two blocks north, 'Pablo Picasso: Still Life' at Almine Rech (through July 18) is organized by dealer Almine Rech and her husband Bernard Ruiz-Picasso, a grandson of the artist, with over 60% of works never exhibited before. The Gagosian show will be the gallery's last at its 980 Madison Avenue space before moving out for Bloomberg Philanthropies.

Marina Xenofontos Recreates an Empty Nightclub

Marina Xenofontos recreates an empty nightclub in her latest exhibition, transforming the gallery space into a hauntingly still environment that evokes the aftermath of a night out. The installation features meticulously crafted details such as discarded drinks, abandoned furniture, and dim lighting, capturing the melancholic atmosphere of a venue devoid of its usual crowd. The show is part of the broader Art Brussels programming, with the critic's guide highlighting it among seven must-see exhibitions during the fair.

Josh Kline Misses the Mark

Critic Aruna D’Souza responds to a viral essay by artist Josh Kline regarding the extreme financial pressures of living and working in New York City. While Kline suggests that artists should abandon the city due to the affordability crisis, D’Souza argues that leaving is not a viable long-term solution and calls for a more proactive approach to systemic change within the urban art ecosystem.

In Milan, you can play for free with your band in a recording studio open to the public at HangarBicocca

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Pirelli HangarBicocca in Milan has transformed its exhibition space into a functional recording studio as part of a major retrospective for artist Rirkrit Tiravanija. Titled "A Retrospective: The House That Jack Built," the show invites local musical acts to book time slots to perform and record their music live within the gallery. This interactive installation allows the creative process to unfold in front of museum visitors, blurring the lines between a static art display and a community hub.

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The Fowler Museum at UCLA has voluntarily returned 11 culturally significant objects to the Larrakia Community of Australia’s Northern Territory. The items, including a kangaroo tooth headband and 10 glass spearheads dating from the late 19th and early 20th centuries, were handed over in a ceremony on May 20. Half of the objects arrived at the museum in 1965 via a large donation from the Wellcome Trust, while the rest were gifts from private collectors. Since 2021, Larrakia elders have worked with AIATSIS and the Fowler Museum to identify and facilitate the return. The Larrakia community plans to open a cultural center next year to house the repatriated items.

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Ana Pellicer, a Mexican sculptor celebrated for her monumental copper creations, has died at age 79. Mexico’s culture ministry announced her death this week without specifying a cause. Pellicer gained international recognition later in life for the oversized jewelry she created for the Statue of Liberty, including a 36-foot-tall necklace exhibited at MoMA PS1 in New York in 2018 as part of the show “Body Armor.” Born in Mexico City in 1946, she spent much of her career in the shadow of her husband, sculptor James Metcalf, and together they trained female artisans in Santa Clara del Cobre in ancient copper techniques, founding the Centro de Acción Educativa.

‘It’s not much but, at the same time, it’s very much’: the enduring impact of Sade’s style

The article discusses the enduring style of Sade Adu, frontwoman of the British group Sade, following the band's announcement of their induction into the 2026 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. It highlights how Adu's signature look—scraped-back hair, red lipstick, hoop earrings, and simple black dresses or denim—has become iconic and influential, with her outfits featured in exhibitions like V&A East's 'The Music is Black' and referenced by celebrities such as Drake. The piece traces the origins of her style to her fashion design studies at Saint Martin's School of Art and her early work with designer Fiona Dealey.

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A British woman, Barbara de Dozsa, has voluntarily returned a stolen Renaissance painting by Antonio Solario to the Civic Museum of Belluno in Italy, more than 50 years after it was stolen in a 1973 heist. The work, a Madonna and Child, was purchased by her late ex-husband, Baron de Dozsa, shortly after the theft and later inherited by her. Although UK law allowed her to keep it legally, she was persuaded by art recovery specialist Christopher Marinello to return it on moral grounds, citing the painting's status on the Interpol database and the museum's role as a guardian of cultural heritage.

In the Studio With Rama Duwaji

Syrian-American artist Rama Duwaji discusses her evolving art practice and her new role as the First Lady of New York City following her husband Zohran Mamdani’s mayoral victory. Known for her distinct illustrations and animations for major institutions like the Tate Modern and the New Yorker, Duwaji is now transitioning into a more public-facing life while maintaining a studio practice at Gracie Mansion. Her work, which spans hand-drawn animation, ceramics, and paintings on found materials like cardboard, continues to blur the lines between commercial illustration and fine art.

Dorothy Dehner | Dorothy Dehner - Drawing for Sculpture (1955) | Available for Sale

Alpha 137 Gallery has listed a unique 1955 work on paper by American modernist Dorothy Dehner titled "Drawing for Sculpture." The piece, executed in brown marker on found stationery from a New York manufacturer’s agent, represents a pivotal moment in Dehner’s career when she transitioned from painting to the abstract sculpture for which she became famous. The work is hand-signed and dated, reflecting her early exploration of three-dimensional forms through graphic media.

Irene Monat Stern | Untitled (circa 1970s) | Available for Sale

The estate of Irene Monat Stern has made the painting 'Untitled' (circa 1970s) available for sale, highlighting the artist’s unique contribution to the Color Field movement. A Holocaust survivor who settled in Southern California, Stern developed a signature technique of staining unprimed canvas with acrylics to create organic, blossom-like forms. Her work is characterized by a sense of weightlessness and spatial depth that distinguishes her from contemporaries like Morris Louis and Helen Frankenthaler.

10 Art Shows to See in Los Angeles This March

Los Angeles enters the month of March with a diverse array of exhibitions following the intensity of its major art fair week. Highlights include Hayv Kahraman’s mystical paintings at Vielmetter, which process the trauma of displacement and environmental loss, and a survey of the late muralist Noni Olabisi at Loyola Marymount University’s Laband Art Gallery. Other notable shows feature Jesse Wiedel’s expressionistic Americana at Serious Topics and Lauren Quin’s formalist abstractions at Pace Los Angeles.

Rediscovering Norman Zammitt, a 1960s Visionary of the Light and Space Movement

Karma gallery in New York has opened 'Norman Zammitt: A Degree of Light', the first New York exhibition in nearly 60 years dedicated to the late Light and Space movement artist. The show features two key bodies of work: his laminated-acrylic pole sculptures and hard-edge 'Band Paintings', reintroducing Zammitt's pioneering colorist practice to a contemporary audience. Zammitt, who died in 2007, was a Canadian-born artist of Mohawk and Italian descent who studied at Otis College of Art and Design and was represented by Felix Landau's gallery in Los Angeles.

New York Dealer Hal Bromm Can’t Remember His Last Art Fair. He Couldn’t Be Happier

Hal Bromm, a New York art dealer who opened his gallery in Tribeca decades before it became a gallery hub, is celebrating 50 years in the neighborhood. He opened in 1974, predating the wave of galleries that moved to Tribeca around 2013, and has remained at 90 West Broadway since 1977. To mark the milestone, he will present the exhibition “50: The View from Tribeca” on September 19 and publish a book, *New Art, Old Buildings: Stories from Hal Bromm’s Tribeca*. Bromm reflects on his early career, including introducing artists like Donald Judd, Alighiero Boetti, and Mario Merz to New York audiences, and his instinct-driven approach to selecting artists.

A brush with… Jane and Louise Wilson—podcast

Jane and Louise Wilson, identical twin artists born in Newcastle-upon-Tyne in 1967, are featured in a podcast interview where they discuss their collaborative practice since the late 1980s. Working primarily in video installation, photography, and sound, they explore duality and selfhood through loaded sites like abandoned military bases and borderlands. The podcast covers their early inspirations, including John Martin and Cindy Sherman, and the influence of filmmakers such as Rainer Werner Fassbinder, Jean Cocteau, and Stanley Kubrick. Their current exhibitions include 'Performance of Entrapment' at London Mithraeum Bloomberg SPACE (until 10 January 2026) and 'Dendrophiles' at Leadenhall Building as part of Sculpture in the City, London (until spring 2026).