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Art Basel has announced the winners of its first-ever Art Basel Awards, a new global honors program recognizing excellence across the contemporary art world. The 36 medalists include artists such as David Hammons, Lubaina Himid, Joan Jonas, and Adrian Piper, as well as patrons, curators, museums, and other art-world figures. The awards were unveiled at a press event in New York, with CEO Noah Horowitz and director Vincenzo de Bellis outlining the structure: medalists will later select 12 gold medalists, with up to six artists receiving $50,000 each and a commission for the 2026 Art Basel fair. The jury includes prominent museum directors and curators from around the world.

Back to the 90s: Tate exhibition to explore decade’s art and fashion

Tate Britain will stage a major exhibition titled "The 90s: Art and Fashion" this autumn, curated by former British Vogue editor Edward Enninful. The show will feature nearly 70 artists, photographers, and designers, including Steve McQueen, Chris Ofili, Damien Hirst, Alexander McQueen, and Tracey Emin, alongside works by Juergen Teller, Mark Leckey, and others. It will explore the decade's art, fashion, and club culture, with pieces such as McQueen's film "Bear" (1993), Ofili's Turner Prize-winning "No Woman, No Cry" (1998), and images from Manchester's Haçienda and London's Bagley's nightclubs.

There will be mud! Could my child (and buggy) survive a day at a sculpture park?

A parent takes their toddler to Yorkshire Sculpture Park (YSP) in West Yorkshire, UK, during a rainy February day. Despite the mud and drizzle, the child engages with outdoor artworks by Barbara Hepworth, Henry Moore, Bharti Kher, Sol LeWitt, Vanessa da Silva, and Damien Hirst, treating the sculptures as playgrounds and objects of discovery. The park offers free activity packs, a Hidden Forest designed for under-fives, and a family-friendly environment that encourages children to explore art and nature without the constraints of indoor galleries.

The Box LA, Beloved Risk-Taking Art Space, Closes After 19 Years

The Box LA, a pioneering experimental art space in Los Angeles known for its fearless support of unconventional and performance art, is closing after 19 years. Founded in 2007 by Mara McCarthy in Chinatown (later moving to the Arts District), the gallery operated as a commercial space but with a nonprofit ethos, championing underrecognized artists from her father Paul McCarthy's generation alongside emerging talents. Its final exhibition, a retrospective of Wally Hedrick presented with Parker Gallery, ended April 4, with a closing celebration planned for June 6 featuring a fashion show by Johanna Went. The closure is attributed to financial struggles, exacerbated by the Eaton Fire that destroyed McCarthy's home and her family's, and a shift in support from McCarthy Studios.

Joan Semmel & Rama Duwaji

MoMA PS1 has opened its major quinquennial exhibition "Greater New York," a sprawling survey featuring early-career artists based in the city. The show, which fills three floors of the former public school, is noted for its gritty, immersive portrayal of contemporary New York life, capturing everyday textures from delivery drivers to urban wildlife.

Art Movements: Dozens Laid Off at Artnet and Artsy

Digital art giants Artnet and Artsy have implemented significant layoffs following their recent merger under the investment firm Beowolff Capital. The cuts, which occurred on April 16, impacted dozens of employees across both organizations, including senior editorial staff such as Sarah Cascone and Eileen Kinsella. The restructuring follows a reported 12% revenue decline for Artnet in early 2025 and involves the shutdown of Artnet's German entity as the two companies consolidate into a single team led by CEO Jeffrey Yin.

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.

British Art Show—exhibiting UK's 'most exciting' art in past five years—announces line up for tenth edition

The artist lineup and thematic framework for the tenth edition of the British Art Show have been revealed. Curated by Ekow Eshun and titled 'A Chorus of Strangers,' the exhibition will feature 30 artists, including Alex Margo Arden, Liz Johnson Artur, and Jesse Darling, and will tour five UK cities from October 2026 to June 2028, beginning in Coventry.

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Barbara Kruger's monumental text-based mural "Untitled (Questions)" (1990/2018) at the Geffen Contemporary in Los Angeles has become a backdrop for National Guard deployments during protests against ICE raids. Originally commissioned by MOCA in 1989, the 191-foot-long work asks "WHO IS BEYOND THE LAW?" and has been photographed twice with armed soldiers beneath it—first in 1992 during the Rodney King protests, and again this week as President Donald Trump deployed the National Guard to quell demonstrations against immigration enforcement. Photographer Jay L. Clendenin captured the latest image, showing a calm scene that belies nearby unrest.

hepworth wakefields director simon wallis to become royal academys new secretary and chief executive in september 1234744637

Simon Wallis, director of the Hepworth Wakefield, has been appointed as the new secretary and chief executive of London’s Royal Academy of Arts (RA), starting in September. He replaces Axel Rüger, who left in October to lead the Frick Collection in New York. Wallis brings extensive experience from previous roles at Chisenhale Gallery, the ICA, Tate Liverpool, and Kettle’s Yard. His appointment comes as the RA undergoes restructuring, having cut 15% of its workforce in April to ensure future sustainability.

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Pope Francis, the head of the Roman Catholic Church, has died at age 88. A Jesuit priest from Argentina, he was the first pope from the Americas and the first from outside Europe since the 8th century. During his papacy, he took progressive stances on social justice, migrants, the environment, and the LGBTQ community, and also engaged deeply with contemporary art. He oversaw the Vatican Museums, ordered the return of Parthenon marble fragments to Greece, restored Raphael frescoes, and became the first pope to visit the Venice Biennale, where the Vatican had its first-ever pavilion in 2013.

British ’90s art and fashion exhibition heading to Tate Britain in fall 2026.

Tate Britain will mount the first major exhibition exploring the transformative impact of fashion, art, and photography on 1990s Britain. Curated by former British Vogue editor-in-chief Edward Enninful, the show titled “The 90s: Art and Fashion” will bring together over 100 works—including photographs, paintings, films, sculptures, objects, and garments—from nearly 70 artists. It runs from August 8, 2026 through February 14, 2027.

Hayward Gallery announces major Nan Goldin exhibition.

The Hayward Gallery in London has announced a major solo exhibition of American artist and activist Nan Goldin, titled "You Never Did Anything Wrong." Running from 24 November 2026 to 7 March 2027, the show will mark Goldin's first institutional exhibition in the UK since 2002, featuring her intimate photographs and slideshows that document personal relationships, addiction, and queer communities over five decades. The exhibition rounds off the Southbank Centre's 75th anniversary year and includes works such as "Flowers with cup and Gaja" (2024) and "Diana in the bath" (2024).

art world joe rogan onx expands and more industry moves 1234761632

This week's art industry moves include Allison Blais being named President and CEO of the Wadsworth Atheneum, succeeding Jeffrey N. Brown. The Onassis Foundation's ONX art-and-tech hub is expanding with a new Tribeca space opening in January 2026, debuting with the exhibition "TECHNE: Homecoming." Other appointments include Frank Lord joining Withers as senior counsel, Matthew Stavro becoming Senior Specialist at Freeman's, and Madeline Cornell as Sales Director at Morgan Presents. Galleries announced new artist representations: Anthony Meier and von Bartha jointly represent the estate of Barbara Stauffacher Solomon, Jessica Silverman now represents Lava Thomas, Kendall Koppe represents Michael Bühler-Rose, and David Kordansky Gallery takes on Tristan Unrau. The Spector Craft Prize launches with Crystal Bridges Museum partnership. A blue diamond pendant known as the Mellon Blue sold at Christie's for $25 million, a 22% drop from its previous sale. The New York Times explores whether artist-podcaster Joshua Citarella could be the "Joe Rogan of the left."

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On the VIP day of Frieze London 2025, Tate acquired three new works by female artists for its collection: Lubna Chowdhary's ceramic and wooden sculpture *Assembly* (2025) from Jhaveri Contemporary, Barbara Walker's drawing *End of Affair II* (2025) from Victoria Miro, and Madge Gill's *Untitled (Venus Mid Heaven)* (1920-30) from the Gallery of Everything at Frieze Masters. The purchases were made through the Frieze Tate Fund, which provides £150,000 in philanthropic support, previously funded by Endeavor and now by Mari, Ariel Emanuel's newly formed company that recently acquired Frieze.

young dealers old masters art market

A new generation of young gallerists is revitalizing the art market by specializing in historical art forms—from ancient jewelry and Old Master drawings to Art Deco and overlooked women Impressionists. The article profiles seven dealers who launched their businesses between ages 22 and 41, with half based in London. Notable figures include Pauline Pavec and Quentin Derouet (co-founders of Pavec, focusing on 19th- and 20th-century women artists), Baron Lorne Thyssen-Bornemisza (Kallos Fine Jewellery, ancient jewelry), and Maxime Flatry (20th-century art and design). Two of the dealers will exhibit at Frieze Masters this October, directed by Emanuela Tarizzo, who emphasizes that collectors and institutions increasingly seek cross-century narratives.

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London's Piano Nobile gallery has opened "Barbara Hepworth: Strings," the first exhibition dedicated to the British sculptor's use of string in her work. The show explores how Hepworth (1903–1975) incorporated string into sculptures, paintings, and drawings from 1939 onward, including pieces never before exhibited in the U.K. Highlights include the rediscovered "Theme on Electronics (Orpheus)," 1956, commissioned by Mullard and long thought lost, and "Pierced Hemisphere (Telstar)," 1963, making its U.K. debut. Curated by Michael Regan, the exhibition draws on Hepworth's letters and archival material to illuminate her innovative approach to tension, space, and light.

2025 Art21 at the Movies

2025 Art21 at the Movies

On October 8 and 10, 2025, Art21 hosted its second 'Art21 at the Movies' event in New York. The two-day program featured film premieres, artist talks, and screenings at venues including the Metrograph and the Museum of Modern Art. It highlighted artists from the 'Art in the Twenty-First Century' series and included discussions with filmmakers and curators.

Melvin Edwards, pioneer of Black abstraction, 1937–2026

Melvin Edwards, a pioneering sculptor known for his steel assemblages that explored Black history and experience, has died. He was the first African-American artist to have a solo exhibition at the Whitney Museum of American Art in New York in 1970. His signature series, Lynch Fragments, began in the 1960s as a response to the civil rights movement and evolved over his lifetime to incorporate references to the Vietnam War and African cultural practices.

Peggy Guggenheim in London: The Making of a Collector

The Peggy Guggenheim Collection in Venice has announced a major exhibition for 2026 titled "Peggy Guggenheim in London: The Making of a Collector." The show focuses on the pivotal period between 1938 and 1939 when Guggenheim operated her first gallery, Guggenheim Jeune, on Cork Street. It will feature approximately 100 works by avant-garde masters such as Vasily Kandinsky, Jean Cocteau, and Yves Tanguy, alongside archival materials documenting her early career as a gallerist and patron.

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Artnet News continues its exploration of famous artists' studios via Google Maps Street View, featuring nine historic homes and workspaces. Among them are Max Liebermann's lakeside Berlin villa, now a memorial museum; the modernist compound of Diego Rivera and Frida Kahlo in Mexico City, designed by Juan O'Gorman; Dora Gordine's eclectic Dorich House in South London; and Ben Nicholson's studio in the historic Porthmeor Studios building in Cornwall, which once housed Francis Bacon and other artists. Each entry includes the location, historical context, and an interesting fact about the site.

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Abstract Expressionist painter Mary Abbott has died at age 98 due to heart failure, as confirmed by McCormick Gallery in Chicago, which represented her for nearly 20 years. Known for her colorful canvases and sweeping brushstrokes, Abbott was praised by the New York Times in 2008 as one of the last great Abstract Expressionist painters of her generation. Despite her early modeling career on Vogue covers and her immersion in the downtown New York art scene alongside figures like Mark Rothko and Willem de Kooning, her work received little scholarly recognition until the 2016 Denver Art Museum exhibition "Women of Abstract Expressionism," which traveled to the Mint Museum and Palm Springs Art Museum.

It’s the Most Controversial Venice Biennale in Years. Can the Art Stand Up to the Noise?

The 2026 Venice Biennale is embroiled in controversy, with the US Pavilion at the center of a political storm. The Trump administration's State Department overhauled the selection process, bypassing the usual NEA panel and commissioning a nonprofit, the American Arts Conservancy, to organize the pavilion. Artist Alma Allen, who accepted the invitation despite threats from galleries and curators, presents a show that critics find politically muted. The Biennale's jury resigned days before the opening, and annual prizes were canceled, adding to the turmoil.

Art Events May You Cannot Miss in London

An Artlyst guide highlights several major art exhibitions opening in London in May 2026. Key shows include 'Zurbarán' at the National Gallery (the UK's first major monographic exhibition of the Spanish master in over 30 years), 'Rising Voices: Contemporary Art from Asia, Australia and the Pacific' at the V&A (a collaboration with QAGOMA featuring 40 artists), a James McNeill Whistler retrospective at Tate Britain (the first major European show in 30 years), and 'Winston Churchill: The Painter' at the Wallace Collection. Photo London is also moving to Olympia this year.

Must-see Chicago museum openings, exhibitions and events in 2026

Chicago's cultural institutions are preparing a diverse slate of exhibitions and openings for 2026. Highlights include the Art Institute of Chicago presenting Henri Matisse's complete 'Jazz' book of cutouts for the first time, a survey of Dominican artist Firelei Báez at the Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago, the National Museum of Mexican Art exploring the history of Mexican railroad workers, and a costume design exhibition featuring Paul Tazewell's work at the Griffin Museum of Science and Industry. The year also features the grand opening of the Obama Presidential Center and a Barbara Nessim survey at the DePaul Art Museum.

15 of the Most Anticipated Museum Exhibitions Around the World in 2026

Major museums worldwide have announced their flagship exhibitions for 2026, featuring a diverse array of artists and historical periods. Highlights include a Frida Kahlo retrospective at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, exploring her rise to icon status; a survey of Ovid's influence on art from Caravaggio to Louise Bourgeois at Amsterdam's Rijksmuseum; a centennial exhibition for Mary Cassatt at the National Gallery of Art; and the largest career survey to date for Tracey Emin at Tate Modern. Other key shows feature Carol Bove at the Guggenheim Museum, Korean national treasures at the Art Institute of Chicago, and exhibitions at the Whitney Museum, the Museum of Modern Art, and the Louvre.

Why St. Louis Is A World-Class Art Destination

The Saint Louis Art Museum (SLAM) is presenting "Anselm Kiefer: Becoming the Sea," a landmark exhibition featuring new, large-scale paintings and sculptures by the renowned German artist. The works, including 30-foot-tall paintings like "Missouri, Mississippi" (2024) and "Lumpeguin, Cigwe, Animiki" (2025), were created specifically for SLAM's soaring Sculpture Hall after Kiefer revisited St. Louis in 2023. The exhibition draws on Kiefer's 1991 visit to the city, where he was deeply impressed by the Mississippi and Missouri rivers, and brings together themes of rivers, borders, memory, and cultural metaphor.

Exhibitions Coming to North Texas Museums this Summer

Museums across the Dallas-Fort Worth area have announced their summer exhibitions, including a range of shows from Western art that influenced Hollywood to immersive installations and historical surveys. The Sid Richardson Museum in Fort Worth debuted "The Cinematic West: The Art That Made the Movies," which explores how artists like Frederic Remington and Charles Russell shaped early silent Western films through paintings, sculptures, and ephemera. The Dallas Museum of Art reopened its popular Yayoi Kusama infinity room, "All the Eternal Love I Have for the Pumpkins," while the Nasher Sculpture Center opened "Generations: 150 Years of Sculpture," featuring 50 works from its permanent collection. The Amon Carter Museum of American Art is opening "East of the Pacific: Making Histories of Asian American Art" alongside a Richard Avedon exhibition.

Frieze New York shows signs of stability in challenging US art market

Frieze New York (7-11 May) opens its 13th edition at The Shed with around 65 galleries, including mega-galleries Gagosian, David Zwirner, Hauser & Wirth, Pace, and White Cube. The fair arrives amid a turbulent art market: global art sales declined 12% in 2024 per Clare McAndrew's Art Market Report, and President Trump's tariff decisions have roiled the stock market. Frieze's owner Endeavor recently sold the fair to a new company founded by former CEO Ari Emanuel. Despite this, US fair director Christine Messineo expresses optimism, citing strong sales at Frieze Los Angeles in February. The Focus section features 12 emerging galleries, seven of which are first-time participants, including King's Leap, Management, Voloshyn Gallery (Kyiv), and Public Gallery (London).

12 Art Books to Kick Off Summer

Hyperallergic's Lakshmi Rivera Amin presents a curated list of 12 art books for summer reading, including a novel lampooning the art world, Megan O'Grady's meditation on art and living, Kory Stamper's exploration of color lexicography, Nan Goldin's reissued photo essay, and Jennifer Higgie's prose poetry novel. The roundup also features Vincenzo Latronico's 'Perfection,' Nina Burleigh's satirical 'Turn Around, Don’t Drown,' and a graphic novel by Naoki Matayoshi and Shinsuke Yoshitake, among others.