An Italian artist makes an exhibition in Tunis inspired by Le Corbusier's architectures

Un artista italiano fa una mostra a Tunisi ispirandosi alle architetture di Le Corbusier

Italian artist Cristian Chironi has opened the seventh chapter of his ongoing project "My house is a Le Corbusier" with an exhibition in Tunis titled "My house is a Le Corbusier (Villa Baizeau)". The project centers on Villa Baizeau, a Le Corbusier-designed house built between 1928 and 1930 for industrialist Lucien Baizeau, which is now inaccessible inside the Tunisian presidential park. Chironi, inspired by a failed attempt by artist Costantino Nivola to bring Le Corbusier's architecture to his hometown Orani, instead travels the world temporarily inhabiting Le Corbusier's buildings. For this iteration, he set up a residency at La Boîte – Centre d'Art & d'Architecture in the Medina of Tunis from January 22 to April 5, 2026, culminating in an exhibition that opened April 3, 2026, using the villa as a lens to read the city rather than a physical space to occupy.

At the Venice Biennale, protests, self-mutilation and rage against Israel and Russia. Is anyone left to talk about the art?

At the 61st Venice Biennale, protests and controversies have overshadowed the art itself. The Art Not Genocide Alliance (ANGA) demonstrated against the inclusion of Israel and Russia, while the Israeli Pavilion became a flashpoint. Artist Belu-Simion Fainaru, presenting his installation "Rose of Nothingness" in a temporary space, complained that he was forced to defend his art's right to exist amid questions about politics rather than his work. The Biennale also saw barricades, strikes, the resignation of the Golden Lion jury, Iran's last-minute withdrawal, and anger directed at the American pavilion over Trump administration policies. The central exhibition, "In Minor Keys," curated by the late Koyo Kouoh, was eclipsed by these events.

lebanese ministry of culture urges unesco to grant enhanced protections to cultural property

Lebanon’s Ministry of Culture has formally petitioned UNESCO to secure enhanced protections for the nation’s cultural heritage sites as regional conflict intensifies. Culture Minister Ghassan Salamé urged the UN agency to intervene with belligerent parties to ensure the safety of irreplaceable landmarks, including the National Museum of Beirut and the Roman ruins of Baalbek. UNESCO confirmed it has shared the coordinates of these World Heritage sites with all involved parties to prevent accidental or intentional targeting during military operations.

scientists recreate egyptian blue pigment

A team of researchers has successfully recreated Egyptian blue, the world's oldest synthetic pigment, which was used by ancient Egyptians from as early as 3100 B.C.E. The study, published in NPJ Heritage Science, was led by John S. McCloy of Washington State University and Edward P. Vicenzi of the Smithsonian Institution's Museum Conservation Institute, in collaboration with the Carnegie Museum of Natural History. The researchers experimented with various minerals, heating them in ovens at around 1,000 degrees Celsius for up to 11 hours, and used modern microscopy and analysis techniques to compare their results with ancient artifacts from the Carnegie Museum's collection.

À Marseille, l’installation textile monumentale d’Adrien Vescovi déploie ses couleurs

Artist Adrien Vescovi has installed a monumental textile work titled "Dormir comme le soleil" at the Vieille Charité in Marseille. The installation features over 600 dyed sheets suspended across 108 arches of the former hospice, using natural pigments from plants, spices, and ochres. The fabrics, dyed in a labor-intensive process involving large wooden spoons and cauldrons, are designed to fade and evolve over the eight-month exhibition, responding to wind, humidity, and Mediterranean light.

La Rocabella : une résidence d’artistes paradisiaque qui croise les disciplines près de Toulon

La Rocabella, a Belle Époque villa near Toulon, France, has been transformed into an interdisciplinary artist residency by Jean-Baptiste Rudelle, co-founder of Criteo. Built in 1898 by architect Hans-Georg Tersling, the estate now hosts ceramic sculptors, comic artists, documentary filmmakers, and musicians in two-month sessions, with themes like 'Les Gardiennes de la mer' linking their work. The residency, funded entirely by Rudelle, aims to foster cross-disciplinary collaboration in a serene Mediterranean setting.

Running from one image to another, from one time to another, from one hope to another: at Circolo, in Milan, an exhibition on the contemporary Lebanese scene

The article reviews "Shifting Crossroads. Beirut Contemporary," an exhibition at Circolo in Milan that surveys the contemporary Lebanese art scene. It features internationally recognized artists like Mona Hatoum and Simone Fattal alongside emerging talents, including works from the Saikalis Bay Foundation, founded in 2024 by Nicole Saikalis and Matteo Bay. The show spans historical-archival investigation, photography, installation, painting, and sculpture, with pieces such as Stéphanie Saadé's "Stage of Life" (2021), Catherine Cattaruzza's "I am Folding the Land" (2022), and Joana Hadjithomas & Khalil Joreige's "Waiting for the Barbarians" (2013) exploring themes of memory, fragility, and geopolitical instability.

'Cursed!': Toledo Museum of Art to host exhibit exploring the power of ancient magic in the Mediterranean world

The Toledo Museum of Art will host a major exhibition titled 'Cursed! The Power of Magic in the Ancient World' from March 21 to July 5. The show features 75 objects spanning two millennia, including Egyptian artwork, Mesopotamian sculptures, and Greek and Roman relics, exploring themes like protective magic, communication with gods, and magic in daily life.

In a new exhibition, Turkey displays the success of its heavyweight heritage drive

Turkey has opened a new exhibition titled "The Golden Age of Archaeology" at a national library in Ankara, showcasing 570 ancient artifacts—most unearthed in the past two years and displayed for the first time. Highlights include 11,500-year-old Neolithic vessels, a Bronze Age tablet revealing a previously unknown language (Kalasma), and a repatriated bronze statue of Roman emperor Marcus Aurelius, which was smuggled out of Turkey in the 1960s and recently returned from the Cleveland Museum of Art after a legal battle. The exhibition is part of the government's Heritage for the Future project, which spends around $150 million annually on excavations, visitor centers, and museums, with active digs rising to about 800.

Italy-based Chinese artist shares cross-cultural art journey in Beijing

The Italian Cultural Institute in Beijing hosted a lecture on May 12, 2026, featuring Zhou Zhiwei, a Chinese painter based in Italy, who shared his four-decade artistic journey. Zhou, born in Shanghai in 1954, studied under renowned oil painters Yu Yunjie and Liu Kemin before entering the Academy of Fine Arts in Venice in 1980, where he learned from masters like Bruno Saetti and Emilio Vedova. He also trained with Pietro Annigoni and Riccardo Tommasi Ferroni, mastering fresco and tempera grassa techniques. The event was chaired by Federico Antonelli, cultural counselor of the Italian Embassy in China, who recalled Zhou's first exhibition at the institute in 1984. Zhou discussed his solo exhibition 'Notes along the Way,' which explores the Mediterranean through an Eastern lens, blending classical Italian painting with Chinese tradition.

More than 200 Banksy art works will come to Texas this summer

More than 200 works by the elusive British street artist Banksy will go on display in Austin, Texas, this summer. The traveling exhibition, titled "The Art of Banksy Without Limits," opens at Fair Market on May 29 and runs through September 7. It features certified original prints, photos, sculptures, and reproduced murals, along with video mapping, an infinity room, and a hologram installation. A portion of ticket sales will support the Banksy-founded Louise Michel organization, which operates a rescue vessel in the Mediterranean.

Gerd Harry Lybke, from artist’s model to gallery founder in East Germany showing in Mallorca

Gerd Harry ‘Judy’ Lybke, the founder of the influential German gallery Eigen + Art, is making his debut at the inaugural Art Cologne Palma Mallorca. Lybke, who began his career as a nude artist's model in East Germany before opening an underground flat-gallery in 1983, reflects on the evolution of the art market from a socialist system defined by censorship to the modern capitalist landscape. For this fair, he is presenting a diverse roster ranging from New Leipzig School star Neo Rauch to emerging talent Maja Behrmann, with works priced between €2,000 and €20,000.

Auction sales fall 6% in the first half, raising fears of an art market shift

Auction sales at Sotheby's, Christie's, and Phillips fell to $3.98 billion in the first half of 2025, a 6% decline from the same period in 2024 and the lowest total in at least a decade excluding the pandemic. Postwar and contemporary art, the traditional growth engine, dropped 19%. ArtTactic cites lingering concerns over global economic growth, inflation, and geopolitical tensions as dampening confidence, even as wealthy individuals' personal wealth and stock markets reach record highs.

Israeli Pavilion Artist Made Legal Threats Before Venice Biennale Jury Resigned

New reports reveal that Israeli Pavilion artist Belu-Simion Fainaru issued legal threats against the Venice Biennale, alleging antisemitism and discrimination after the awards jury decided to exclude Israel and Russia from consideration due to human rights charges. The jury, which included Elvira Dyangani Ose, Zoe Butt, Marta Kuzma, Giovanna Zapperi, and Solange Farkas, initially stated on April 22 it would not consider nations whose leaders are charged with crimes against humanity by the International Criminal Court. Fainaru filed legal warnings with the Biennale, the Italian Ministry of Culture, and the Prime Minister's office. The jury abruptly resigned eight days later, leading the Biennale to scrap the Golden Lion awards and institute "Visitor Lions" decided by public vote. Reports indicate the Biennale's legal department warned jurors could be personally liable for damages, and Italian Culture Minister Alessandro Giuli promised to promote Fainaru's work.

Art on the Square returns for 24th year with art, food and entertainment

Belleville Art on the Square returns for its 24th year from May 15-17, 2026, in downtown Belleville. The festival features over 100 artists from more than 27 states and one international artist, showcasing works in multiple mediums. Highlights include artist demonstrations by the Gateway East Artists Guild, a high school art show with judged awards, a Children's Art Garden with interactive activities, live entertainment at the Wine Court, and food vendors offering a variety of cuisines. Admission is free, and the event runs Friday evening through Sunday afternoon.

giorgos tsagarakis dealer arrested stolen antiquities

Greek authorities have arrested Athens-based art dealer and television personality Giorgos Tsagarakis following an investigation into a suspected criminal network involved in the theft, forgery, and illegal trade of antiquities. The arrest, executed by the Organized Crime Division, led to the seizure of hundreds of paintings, ancient ceramics, Byzantine artifacts, and a rare 1745 gold-plated Gospel manuscript. Investigators were reportedly alerted to the illicit items after Tsagarakis posted a video of the artifacts on social media.

france deepest shipwreck camarat 4

French archaeologists have discovered the wreck of a 16th-century merchant vessel, named Camarat 4, 1.6 miles below the Mediterranean Sea—the deepest shipwreck ever found in French waters. The French Navy first detected the site via sonar during a routine mission off the coast near Saint Tropez, then deployed an underwater drone that captured images of hundreds of ceramic pots. The Department of Underwater and Submarine Archaeological Research (DRASSM) confirmed the 98-foot-long ship sank nearly 500 years ago, carrying cargo including polychrome earthenware pitchers and plates traced to Liguria, Italy, along with cannons and iron bars.

1600 year old beer shema mosaic publicly accessible israel

A 1,600-year-old mosaic known as the Be'er Shema Mosaic has been opened to the public for the first time at the Merhavim Regional Council complex in northwestern Negev, Israel. Originally unearthed in 1990 near Kibbutz Urim, the mosaic features 55 medallions depicting hunting scenes, exotic animals, mythological figures, fruit, and daily life, and was created by a master craftsman using small stones, varied colors, glass, and pottery. It was rediscovered, conserved, and relocated from its original site to the council compound as part of the "Antiquities Near Home" project co-organized by the Ministry of Heritage and the Israel Antiquities Authority.

MiC initiates cultural bridge between Italy and Mozambique on contemporary art

On April 20, 2026, the Italy-Mozambique project "A Bridge Made in Art" launched in Maputo, Mozambique, running until June 2027. Sponsored by Italy's Ministry of Culture and the National Museums of Perugia, the initiative includes workshops, exhibitions, and training in contemporary art, involving Mozambican institutions such as Universidade Eduardo Mondlane, Fundação Leite Couto, and Núcleo de Arte. The program is part of the Mattei Plan for Africa, aiming to redefine Italy-Africa relations through cultural cooperation.

Libri d’arte. 7 novità in libreria tra saggi, racconti e fotografie

This article from Artribune presents seven new art book releases in Italy, all united by a common theme of bringing marginalized subjects back into focus. Featured titles include Johnny L. Bertolio's "L'ha scritto lei, ma…" which examines why female authors are excluded from Italian school curricula, and Carla Rossi's "Oltre i margini," a rigorous study of European female miniaturists from the Middle Ages to the Renaissance. Other works address queer representation in museums, children's voices on Gaza, photographic portraiture by Lorenzo Cicconi Massi, a collective volume on the Bertolucci family, and a theatrical project by Kepler-452 set in the central Mediterranean.

Merchant at the Fair, but with Art: The Art Edition of the Popular Board Game is Born in Milan

Mercante in Fiera però con l’arte. A Milano nasce l’Art Edition del popolare gioco di società

The creative agency Plus Srl and the curatorial collective The Art Society have launched "Mercante in Fiera – Art Edition," a contemporary art reimagining of the classic Italian card game. Debuting at the forthcoming Luceferma space in Milan, the project replaces traditional game cards with artistic imagery and visual references to spark informal dialogue among participants. The initiative functions as a social device, stripping away academic barriers to engage players in spontaneous interpretation and community building.

Frank Fluegel Gallery at Art Cologne Palma Mallorca 2026

Frank Fluegel Gallery will participate in the inaugural edition of Art Cologne Palma Mallorca in 2026. The gallery, based in Nuremberg, will present a curated selection of contemporary art at the new Spanish fair.

Take in the beauty of Italy, on display at new art gallery

The "From Italy With Love" exhibition recently debuted at Il Gelato di Carlotta’s gallery space in Niagara-on-the-Lake, showcasing works created during immersive painting workshops across Italy. Led by artist and instructor Sandra Iafrate, the collection features oil, acrylic, and mixed-media pieces produced on location in regions including Tuscany, Sicily, and Puglia. The show runs through June 30, with additional works displayed at Iafrate’s local Gate Street Studio.

‘Seek Sanctuary’ – Lara Vella’s New Exhibition Explores Calm In A Hyper-Connected World

Emerging Maltese artist Lara Vella is set to debut her solo exhibition, "Seek Sanctuary," on March 20th at the fabric exhibition space. The collection features a series of paintings inspired by the Mediterranean landscape, focusing on the textures, light, and rhythms of the natural world. Vella, a graduate of the University of Malta and a Master’s recipient from Florence, uses her work to encourage viewers to disconnect from a hyper-connected lifestyle and find restoration in reflective moments.

From war zones to the White House: Christopher Anderson’s photography

Christopher Anderson, a photographer known for his work in war zones, has shifted his focus to capturing intimate and emotional moments, including assignments at the White House. His approach emphasizes connecting viewers with feelings that transcend factual data, reflecting a broader evolution in his photographic practice.

Marin resident returns to art after retiring from police department

Donna Loftus, a Marin County resident, retired from a 33-year career with the San Francisco Police Department in 2012 and has since returned to her lifelong passion for art. She took classes at the College of Marin, joined the Marin Society of Artists and the art group Marin 6, and has exhibited her work at venues including Fred's retail store in Mill Valley, Locati Mediterranean restaurant, and Coit Tower in San Francisco. Currently, she is the guest artist in the exhibition "Embracing Art" at the Arts Guild of Sonoma, running through June 1. Loftus, who is pursuing a fine arts degree, paints landscapes, still lifes, and abstracts inspired by nature and her travels.

Creative Well Arts Foundation opening doors at new gallery on Coast Live

Creative Well Arts Foundation, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded by artists Monica Turley and Tessa Hall Duquette, has opened its first gallery in Virginia Beach. Located in the former 17th Street Marketplace space at the corner of Mediterranean Avenue and Virginia Beach Boulevard, the 2,500-square-foot facility includes five artist studios, a rotating art gallery, and a multi-use classroom focused on therapeutic arts education and community connection. The foundation was established through donors, grants, and tax-deductible donations, and its inaugural exhibition, “Where is the Color: A Solo Exhibition by DKANE,” is scheduled for August 8.

The church, the village, the park. FAI's 'Places of the Heart' returns to save ruins

La chiesa, il borgo, il parco. Tornano i Luoghi del Cuore del FAI per salvare i beni in rovina

The Fondo per l’Ambiente Italiano (FAI) has launched the 13th edition of its "Luoghi del Cuore" (Places of the Heart) initiative, a biennial census that invites Italians to vote for cultural heritage sites most in need of restoration. Since 2003, the campaign has collected over 13.5 million votes, with the 2024 edition alone receiving more than 2.3 million votes for over 41,000 sites across 6,508 municipalities. The initiative has funded 180 recovery projects, 40% of which involve churches, followed by environmental, architectural, and archaeological assets. Notable successes include the Church of San Pietro dei Samari in Gallipoli, the Oratorio del Sasso in Orasso, and the Complesso di Sant’Angelo Magno in Ascoli Piceno.

In Piazza Navona the École française de Rome opens a space for exhibitions (all will be free admission)

A Piazza Navona l’École française de Rome apre uno spazio per le mostre (saranno tutte ad accesso gratuito)

The École française de Rome, founded in 1875 and housed at Palazzo Farnese, has opened a permanent exhibition space at Piazza Navona 62 in Rome. A current exhibition running until April 30, 2026, traces the institute's 150-year history of historical, archaeological, and social science research, highlighting its Italian and Mediterranean focus and the collaborative spirit between France and Italy. The new gallery will host a regular program of free-admission exhibitions and events dedicated to cultural heritage, archaeology, and history, starting with the show "Isole e santi – Monasteri e santuari dell’Adriatico orientale, da san Girolamo a Gregorio VII" from May 27, 2026.

Nicole Debono exhibition to open at the Malta Society of Arts

The Malta Society of Arts is set to host a new solo exhibition by artist Nicole Debono titled "The Unseen World." The showcase features a collection of contemporary paintings that explore themes of subconscious imagery and the hidden layers of human emotion through abstract and semi-figurative forms.