Ukraine Sanctions Russian Culture Figures Linked to Country’s Participation in Venice Biennale

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has issued a decree imposing sanctions on five Russian cultural figures involved in the Russian Pavilion for the 2026 Venice Biennale. The sanctioned individuals include pavilion commissioner Anastasia Karneeva, former culture minister Mikhail Shvydkoy, and three performers from the Intrada Ensemble. Ukrainian officials argue that these figures use international art platforms to legitimize Russian aggression and spread state propaganda, specifically citing past activities in occupied territories like Crimea and Donetsk.

Chile's leading art fair foregrounds affordable works, often with a political edge

The 16th edition of Chile Arte Contemporáneo (Chaco), Chile's only international contemporary art fair, is underway in Santiago, featuring over 50 galleries. The fair emphasizes representation of the entire country, from the Atacama Desert to Patagonia, and includes galleries from 11 countries, with a focus on Chilean contemporary artists. Notable presentations include immersive installations by artists like Fernando Andreo Castro and politically engaged displays, such as a composite flag by Brazilian gallery Hermès and a stand by Mnwal, a space for artists from the Palestinian diaspora.

This Massive Collection of More Than a Million Tools Tells the Striking History of Jewelry Making in America

Kevin Potter, a jeweler based in Tucson, Arizona, has assembled the world's largest collection of artifacts from America's industrial jewelry manufacturing era. His collection, housed in two warehouses, contains an estimated 1.2 million hubs and dies—the hand-carved steel tools used to mass-produce jewelry through die-striking—along with related machinery and ephemera, preserving a vast physical archive of a vanished craft.

Agosto Machado Is Dead; Artist Memorialized New York’s Avant-Garde

Agosto Machado, an experimental theater veteran and artist known for his deep connection to New York's avant-garde scene, has died. He was a dedicated archivist who collected ephemera from his friends and colleagues in the downtown arts community.

The Politics of Russia’s Return to the Venice Biennale

Russia has announced its intention to return to the Venice Biennale in 2026, marking its first participation since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. The proposed pavilion, titled "The Tree is Rooted in the Sky," plans to feature 38 participants from Russia and several Global South nations. The announcement has sparked intense backlash from the European Commission and culture ministers across 22 countries, who argue that Russia’s presence undermines democratic values and serves as a tool for "dark cultural diplomacy."

Nature photography exhibit now open at Mason City art museum

The Charles H. MacNider Art Museum in Mason City has opened a solo exhibition titled "Ray Colby: Nature Photographer" in its Kinney-Lindstrom Gallery. The show features digital photographs printed on canvas, focusing on three specific themes: backyard insects and arachnids of the Midwest, urban birds from Minneapolis, and migrating Sandhill Cranes in Wisconsin. The works on display will be sold via auction to benefit the museum's programming.

Heemin Chung in AMOR EX MACHINA | Group Exhibition at Seoul Museum of Art

The Seoul Museum of Art (SeMA) has launched 'AMOR EX MACHINA,' a major group exhibition marking the 20th anniversary of its Nanji Residency program. Featuring over 60 works by 17 alumni, including prominent artist Heemin Chung, the show occupies two floors of the museum’s Seosomun Main Branch. The presentation includes a diverse range of media, from traditional painting and sculpture to video and installation art, highlighted by a new large-scale painting by Chung that explores the intersection of digital textures and physical landscapes.

Rooms to Roam in Chicago

The inaugural Neighbors Art Fair has launched in Chicago, situated within a historic residence in the city's Gold Coast neighborhood. Founded by Mirka Serrato and curated by Jonny Tanna, the fair rejects the traditional high-spectacle trade show model in favor of a "micro-fair" format. By utilizing a domestic setting and an invitation-based entry system, the event prioritizes architectural intimacy, timed entry, and deliberate engagement between galleries and visitors.

'The human-machine creative entanglement': artist Sougwen Chung on her technology-based practice

Artist Sougwen Chung is presenting new work, including the 10-metre scroll 'Recursion 0,' at Art Basel Hong Kong's new Zero 10 sector. The piece, created with brainwave data, will be completed live at the fair, showcasing her ongoing exploration of human-machine collaboration.

In the Tech Heart of Texas, an Art Show Built on Data, Code and A.I.

The Austin Museum of Art is hosting a landmark exhibition focused on the intersection of technology and creativity, featuring works driven by real-time data, complex algorithms, and artificial intelligence. The showcase highlights interactive installations that evolve throughout the day, challenging traditional notions of static art and inviting viewers to participate in the creative process through digital engagement.

Saginaw Art Museum announces ‘Warhol and the Image Machine’ exhibition

The Saginaw Art Museum & Gardens has announced the upcoming exhibition "Warhol and the Image Machine," set to open on May 20. The show explores Andy Warhol’s fascination with the manufacturing of icons through repetition and mass production, featuring celebrity portraits and appropriated imagery. The exhibition aims to demonstrate how Warhol’s work predicted a modern era where digital images and recognition serve as a primary form of cultural currency.

The existential answers

Artist Ai Jing has launched a major solo exhibition titled "Walking in the Sun" at the Shenzhen Museum of Contemporary Art and Urban Planning. Curated by He Guiyan, the multidisciplinary showcase features music, painting, installation, sculpture, and video, all centered around the conceptual theme of "walking" as a philosophical journey. A centerpiece of the show involves a literal connection to the artist's roots, featuring 150 bags of black soil transported from her hometown of Shenyang to create an immersive installation exploring memory and belonging.

The existential answers - China Daily

The Shenzhen Museum of Contemporary Art and Urban Planning is currently hosting "Walking in the Sun — Ai Jing Art Exhibition 2026," a major solo retrospective of the multidisciplinary artist Ai Jing. Curated by He Guiyan, the exhibition features a diverse range of works including painting, sculpture, and a significant installation involving 150 bags of black soil transported from the artist's hometown of Shenyang. The show is structured into three thematic sections that explore the artist's personal history and her philosophical engagement with the concept of "walking" as a metaphor for life's journey.

GHOSTMACHINE Gallery Open Call Invites Artists into Curator-Led Exhibition in New York

GHOSTMACHINE Gallery has launched an open call for its upcoming summer exhibition in New York, curated by Dominika Tylcz. Moving away from the traditional large-group show format, the gallery is seeking two to three artists or collectives to participate in a focused, collaborative exhibition running from July 31 to August 29, 2026. The selection process includes a shortlist of ten artists who will receive studio visits, emphasizing a hands-on curatorial approach that requires selected participants to assist with the installation and de-installation of their work.

Creating a space to ‘Gossip’ with local artists

Seven local female artists have launched 'Gossip,' a self-produced group exhibition at Union Hall Gallery in San Diego’s Golden Hill neighborhood. Curated by Scarlett Baily, the show features a diverse array of disciplines including ceramics by Amber Schnitzius, oil painting by Baily Ludwick, and photography by Sarai Elguezabal. The exhibition emerged from the artists' shared desire to bypass the restrictive thematic requirements often found in San Diego’s limited gallery scene, opting instead for a space that prioritizes personal storytelling and creative intuition.

Work by incarcerated artists showcased in recent exhibit at IHM Sisters' gallery

The Sisters, Servants of the Immaculate Heart of Mary (IHM) Motherhouse Gallery in Monroe, Michigan, recently hosted an exhibition featuring artworks created by incarcerated individuals from across the state. Organized in collaboration with the University of Michigan's Prison Creative Arts Project (PCAP), the show featured pieces made from unconventional materials like soap and graham crackers. The collection ranged from spiritual and hopeful works to those reflecting the harsh realities of the correctional system, with proceeds from sales supporting PCAP’s ongoing programming.

Work by incarcerated artists showcased in recent exhibit at IHM Sisters' gallery

The Sisters, Servants of the Immaculate Heart of Mary (IHM) Motherhouse Gallery in Monroe, Michigan, recently hosted an exhibition featuring artworks created by incarcerated individuals from correctional facilities across the state. Organized by the University of Michigan’s Prison Creative Arts Project (PCAP), the show displayed pieces made from unconventional materials like soap and graham crackers, ranging from spiritual reflections to bright, hopeful compositions. The exhibit was curated from donated works by artists who are unable to keep their pieces or sell them directly due to Department of Corrections regulations.

Statues Also Breathe: A Chorus of Clay and Memory, Where the Missing Return as Form.

The exhibition 'Statues Also Breathe' has opened at the Museum of African Contemporary Art Al Maaden (MACAAL) in Marrakech. Curated by Meriem Berrada, the installation features 108 terracotta heads created by artist Prune Nourry in collaboration with artisans and students. The work draws inspiration from the historic sculptural tradition of Ife in Nigeria while directly addressing the ongoing trauma of the 2014 kidnapping of the Chibok schoolgirls, using portraiture to represent the missing.

Beijing’s UCCA Announces New Guangzhou Outpost

Beijing's Ullens Center for Contemporary Art (UCCA) will open a new museum, UCCA OneM Center for Contemporary Art, in Guangzhou in 2027. This marks the institution's first expansion into South China, created through a partnership with Guangzhou's existing OneM Center for Contemporary Art.

Slow Art Day at The Pharmacy Gallery and Art Space April 11 Noon to 6pm

The Pharmacy Gallery and Art Space in Springfield, Illinois, is set to participate in the international Slow Art Day on April 11. This grassroots event encourages visitors to move away from the typical museum-going experience of rushing through exhibits, instead focusing deeply on a small selection of works. The Springfield location will feature concurrent exhibitions by Bob Waldmire and photographer David Schwartz, whose work will be featured on upcoming Route 66 Centennial stamps.

THE WIND AS PROTAGONIST AT THE FINLAND PAVILION

Artist Jenna Sutela has been selected to represent Finland at the 61st Venice Biennale in 2026 with a multisensory installation titled Aeolian Suite. Curated by Stefanie Hessler and commissioned by Frame Contemporary Art Finland, the project transforms the Alvar Aalto-designed pavilion into a dynamic windscape using meteorological data, wind machines, and a children’s woodwinds orchestra. The work personifies five specific Venetian winds as protagonists in an elemental drama that blends scientific data with the theatrical traditions of Commedia dell’arte.

Stay Connected: Supplying the Globe @ Tai Kwun

Stay Connected: Supplying the Globe @ 大館

Tai Kwun in Hong Kong is set to host "Stay Connected: Supplying the Globe," a major group exhibition running from February 28 to May 31, 2026. Curated by Pi Li and Yan Kwok, the exhibition features a diverse array of contemporary artists including Musquiqui Chihying, Ho Rui An, Lap-See Lam, and Li Shuang. The works span various media, from video installations like "The Smart City" to sculptural interventions and performance-based projects, focusing on themes of global infrastructure, labor, and technological connectivity.

Producing Cinema Inside and With Video Games: A 30-Year Festival in Milan

Produrre cinema dentro e con i videogiochi. A Milano ci fanno un festival (da 30 anni)

The Milan Machinima Festival recently celebrated the 30th anniversary of machinima, the practice of creating audiovisual works and films within video game environments. The event, curated by scholar Matteo Bittanti at IULM University, explored the medium's dual origins in 1996: the community-driven "vernacular" style seen in the Quake-based 'Diary of a Camper' and the artistic approach pioneered by Miltos Manetas in his work 'Miracle'.

"Restitutions": Parliament Ready to Give Everything Up

« Restitutions » : le Parlement prêt à tout lâcher

The French Parliament is moving forward with an accelerated legislative process to pass a framework law governing the restitution of cultural property to foreign states. This bill aims to streamline the return of artworks and artifacts deemed to have been illicitly acquired, fulfilling a long-standing promise made by President Emmanuel Macron to address colonial-era acquisitions and other contested heritage.

Who Gets to Save the World?

Franco-Malian artist Ladji Diaby presents 'Who’s gonna save the world?' at Lafayette Anticipations, a solo exhibition featuring sculptural installations crafted from found furniture and discarded objects. By repurposing second-hand furnishings through the lens of his mother’s domestic and spiritual rituals, Diaby transforms marginal items into talismanic vitrines of memory. The works challenge Western hierarchies of cultural value, positioning the act of salvaging as both an aesthetic and political gesture.

In Dim Light, New Histories Emerge

Museo Afro Casa Silvana in Humacao, Puerto Rico, is hosting 'Dim Light: Afro-Puerto Rican Photography,' the first collective exhibition dedicated exclusively to Afro-Puerto Rican photographers. Featuring ten artists from the island and its diaspora, the show explores themes of spirituality, family, and resistance through a lens of self-representation. The works were previously debuted at the 3rd Black Brazil Art Biennial before returning to Puerto Rico for this landmark presentation.

40 years of Hammersmith art on show – for FREE – at Riverside Studios

The Riverside Artists Group is celebrating its 40th anniversary with a major retrospective titled "PULL FOCUS" at the Riverside Studios in Hammersmith. The exhibition features 48 artworks across various media—including oil paintings, sculptures, and digital prints—by 33 artists, alongside a 30-minute documentary film and an extensive archive of the group's history. Founded in 1986 following an open submission call that drew over 1,000 entrants, the collective has grown from a local community initiative into an international presence.

Imperfect Pixels: Inspiring Students with the Art of Screen Printing

Visual artist and faculty member Anthony Ryan debuted his solo exhibition, "Imperfect Pixels," at the City College Art Gallery with an opening reception that highlighted his unique printmaking process. The collection features screen prints and woodcuts developed from digital illustrations created using a MacPaint simulator, embracing the aesthetic limitations of early 1980s software. During the event, Ryan’s students demonstrated printmaking techniques, showcasing the practical application of the methods seen in the gallery.

Tonika Lewis Johnson: Segregation and How to Disrupt It

Hyperallergic is hosting an online member event on April 15 featuring a conversation with social justice artist and 2025 MacArthur Fellow Tonika Lewis Johnson. The event will focus on her community-driven projects, including the "Folded Map Project," and will include readings from her 2024 book, *Don’t Go: Stories of Segregation and How to Disrupt It*.

Gallery openings and exhibits in Central Oregon this week

Central Oregon’s art scene is hosting a diverse array of exhibitions this week across Bend, Sisters, Sunriver, and Redmond. Notable highlights include Jana Charl’s mixed-media showcase "This is not a Love Story" at Art Adventure Gallery, Hilary Baker’s moth-themed "Prophets" at the High Desert Museum, and a collection of literary-inspired quilts at the Deschutes Historical Museum. The offerings span various mediums, from nomadic woven macramé and custom jewelry to volcanic science explorations and historic cartography.