A Poetic and Material Institutional Critique: Gala Porras-Kim at kurimanzutto and the Venice Biennale

UNA CRÍTICA INSTITUCIONAL POÉTICA Y MATERIAL: GALA PORRAS-KIM EN KURIMANZUTTO Y LA BIENAL DE VENECIA

Colombian artist Gala Porras-Kim presents her first solo exhibition at kurimanzutto gallery in Mexico City, titled "Espacios del futuro replican los del pasado" (2026), alongside her participation in the 2026 Venice Biennale. The show critically examines how museum conservation protocols transform objects by detaching them from their original material, ritual, and spiritual contexts. Central to the exhibition is "The Motion of an Alluvial Record" (2024), a greenhouse that recreates the humidity and temperature of Yucatecan mangroves, allowing clay and sediment to shift continuously, resisting the linear, stratified time of Western archives and evoking cyclical Maya cosmologies. Another series, "Uprooted" (2026), reproduces fragments of looted Teotihuacan murals from Techinantitla, now held by the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Ethnological Museum of Berlin, reinstalling them near the floor to restore their original architectural scale and orientation.

Moffat Takadiwa’s Scrounged Sculptures Confront Africa’s ‘Colonial Hangover’

Zimbabwean artist Moffat Takadiwa transforms discarded consumer waste—including computer keys, toothbrush heads, and plastic combs—into intricate, tapestry-like sculptures. His latest solo exhibition, "The Crown!" at Semiose in Paris, features large-scale works foraged from landfills in Harare’s Mbare neighborhood. These meticulously sorted and woven objects create organic patterns that mask their industrial origins, forcing a confrontation with the physical reality of global overconsumption.

“Atlante” at Thomas Dane Gallery, Naples

Claudio Parmiggiani’s seminal 1970 portfolio, "Atlante," is the focal point of a new exhibition at Thomas Dane Gallery in Naples. The show highlights a pivotal moment in 1968 when Parmiggiani began experimenting with cartographic imagery, including painting continents onto cows and encasing globes in glass, all documented through the lens of fellow artist Luigi Ghirri.

14 artists having major museum moments in 2026

The article previews 14 artists who will have major museum exhibitions in 2026, highlighting key shows such as a long-awaited US retrospective of Marcel Duchamp, a Calder exhibition in Paris, and a Rothko show in Florence. It also details concurrent auction highlights at Christie's New York, including works from the S.I. Newhouse collection by Brancusi, Lichtenstein, Matisse, and Pollock. Specific exhibitions covered include "Krasner and Pollock: Past Continuous" at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, a Roy Lichtenstein retrospective at the Whitney Museum, and multiple European shows for Constantin Brancusi's 150th anniversary.

For their 30th anniversary, Pokémon enter the museum: Gotta catch 'em all!

Pour leurs 30 ans, les Pokémon entrent au musée : attrapez-les tous !

The Musée en Herbe in Paris is hosting a major exhibition titled 'Admirez-les tous ! Une exposition hommage à Pokémon' to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the Pokémon franchise. The show features original Game Boy consoles, early trading cards, preparatory drawings for the animated series, and insights from the French translator who named the creatures. It also highlights how Pokémon have entered the global visual heritage.

paul slocum digital art gallery sustainable interview

Paul Slocum, artist and gallerist, celebrated the 20th anniversary of his Dallas-based And/Or gallery, a pioneering space dedicated to new media and digital art. The gallery, founded in 2006, has championed early internet and computer-based artists like Cory Arcangel and Petra Cortright, operating from a DIY ethos largely independent of the traditional art market.

Inside Frieze New York 2026: The Best Booths and Standout Moments of the Art Fair

Frieze New York 2026 opened at the Shed in Hudson Yards, drawing a record crowd of collectors, artists, and celebrities on preview day. The fair featured over 65 international galleries, with a strong presence of Latin American artists and a notable shift toward textile-based works, sculpture, and paper pieces. Highlights included the Ruinart Art Lounge with preparatory studies by Tadashi Kawamata, and the Focus section spotlighting emerging galleries. Notable attendees included Leonardo DiCaprio, gallerist Almine Rech, and Sotheby's senior vice president Ralph DeLuca.

mcny tyger shipwreck research

The Museum of the City of New York (MCNY) is launching a new research project to re-examine a 17th-century shipwreck discovered during a 1916 subway dig in Lower Manhattan. The wreck, long believed to be the Dutch ship *Tyger*—one of the earliest European vessels to anchor in New York Harbor—was excavated by subway foreman James A. Kelly and later donated to MCNY in the 1940s. In partnership with the Cultural Heritage Agency of the Netherlands (RCE), the museum will apply advanced scientific techniques, including dendrochronology and wood species analysis, to the ship's timbers to confirm their origins and better understand the vessel's history.

A Milano una grande mostra a Palazzo Reale racconta i Macchiaioli (e l’Italia del loro tempo)

A major exhibition at Palazzo Reale in Milan explores the Macchiaioli, the 19th-century Italian painting movement often seen as a precursor to Impressionism. The show brings together works by key figures such as Giovanni Fattori, Silvestro Lega, Telemaco Signorini, Giuseppe Abbati, and Odoardo Borrani, alongside tangential artists like Giovanni Boldini, Federico Faruffini, and Gerolamo Induno. It traces the movement's origins at Florence's Caffè Michelangiolo, its epicenter at Castiglioncello under patron Diego Martelli, and its evolution from the 1850s through the 1870s, when the group's democratic ideals and en plein air techniques challenged academic conventions.

What souvenirs did they bring home from the Grand Tour? An exhibition in Milan to find out

Quali souvenir si portavano a casa dal Grand Tour? A Milano una mostra per scoprirlo

The Museo Poldi Pezzoli in Milan has announced a major exhibition for 2026 dedicated to the Grand Tour, the historic educational journey undertaken by European aristocrats through Italy. Moving beyond traditional landscape paintings, the show explores the material culture of 18th and 19th-century travel, featuring maps, notebooks, luxury jewelry, and fans that served as high-end souvenirs. A centerpiece of the exhibition is Giovanni Paolo Panini’s masterpiece 'Roma Antica,' which will be presented alongside a cinematic reinterpretation by director Ferzan Özpetek.

Sculptor Sahar Khoury, Collection Exhibition at the Manetti Shrem Museum Offer New Views of California Art

Two exhibitions opening in January at the Jan Shrem and Maria Manetti Shrem Museum of Art at UC Davis explore themes of cultural origins, legacy, and preservation in California art. "Sahar Khoury: Weights & Measures" (Jan. 7–June 20) is the Bay Area sculptor's largest solo show to date, featuring works in ceramics, metal, papier-mâché, and found objects that interrogate value systems, personal and political symbols, and site sensitivity. The emotional centerpiece, "The Elephant in the Room," evokes ruins and marketplaces of North Africa and Southwest Asia. Concurrently, "Backstory: Digitizing the Museum Collection" (Jan. 21–May 2) turns the museum into a working digitization lab, displaying signature works from UC Davis’ Fine Art Collection while revealing the process of preserving art for posterity.

From subways to galleries: Miami's Museum of Graffiti traces the appeal of street art

Miami's Museum of Graffiti, located in the Wynwood neighborhood, is hosting a new exhibition that chronicles the origins and development of graffiti and street art, timed to coincide with the annual Art Basel fair and its satellite shows. The museum, founded six years ago by Alan Ket, bills itself as the first museum in the world dedicated to graffiti and street art. The exhibition features works by artists like JonOne (Jon Perello), who began tagging New York subways as a teenager, and highlights key moments such as the 1973 Razor gallery show, which helped legitimize graffiti as an art form.

l artist dead

L, an artist known for spiritually charged sculptures and paintings, has died at age 41 or 42. Their passing was announced by galleries that represented them, though a cause of death was not confirmed. Born Jason Metcalf in Salt Lake City, L created works using objects suspended in mineral oil, which they called "spells," and exhibited at major institutions including Documenta and the Getty Center, as well as galleries such as Marlborough Gallery, 56 Henry, and the Ranch. L was also a spiritual practitioner and neurodivergent, and their career included early performances like "Original Skin" and a notable 2015 show at the LA alternative space JOAN.

Turkey Notches Another Successful Restitution After Denver Art Museum Returns 1500-Year-Old Marble Head

The Denver Art Museum has repatriated a 1,500-year-old marble head of a bearded man to Turkey, following a successful restitution claim. The sculpture, which dates back to the fifth century BCE, was originally unearthed in the agora of the ancient city of Smyrna (modern-day Izmir) and was likely trafficked illicitly before entering the museum's collection. The artifact is now on public display at the İzmir Archaeology Museum.

Lost-Lost Film by French Cinema Pioneer Turns Up in Michigan

A long-lost film by French cinema pioneer Georges Méliès has been discovered in a garage in Grand Rapids, Michigan, after sitting in a trunk for two decades. The 45-second silent short, titled 'Gugusse and the Automaton' (1897), was identified by specialists at the Library of Congress after the owner, Bill McFarland, donated a collection of nitrate reels that had belonged to his showman great-grandfather.

new york historical society new wing name

The New-York Historical Society has announced a major gift from H.M. Agnes Hsu-Tang and Oscar L. Tang to fund its new Tang Wing for American Democracy, a $175 million expansion set to open in 2026. The 80,000-square-foot wing, designed by Robert A.M. Stern, will add exhibition and classroom space, and will house the American LGBTQ+ Museum on its top floor. Alongside the announcement, the institution is rebranding as the New York Historical, dropping both the hyphen and the word 'Society' to signal a more inclusive identity.

security threats force londons va to remove prophet muhammad artwork

The Victoria & Albert Museum in London removed an image of an artwork depicting the Prophet Muhammad from its website due to security concerns following the Charlie Hebdo terrorist attack. The artwork, a poster made by an Iranian artist around 1990, remains in the museum's collection and is available to scholars by appointment. The decision has drawn criticism from experts who view it as self-censorship that could undermine the study of Islamic art.

benin dialogue group ocotober 2018

Major European museums have agreed to loan important artifacts, including the Benin bronzes looted during the 1897 Benin Expedition, back to Nigeria for a new museum planned to open in 2021. The agreement was reached at a meeting of the Benin Dialogue Group in the Netherlands, involving representatives from Austria, Germany, the Netherlands, Sweden, and Britain, who committed to facilitating a rotating display at the planned Royal Museum in Benin City within three years, though specific objects and loan periods remain unconfirmed.

CARTIER FOUNDATION. A THIN LINE BETWEEN EXTRACTIVISM AND CULTURAL RECLAMATION

FUNDACIÓN CARTIER. UNA DELGADA LÍNEA ENTRE EXTRACTIVISMO Y REIVINDICACIÓN CULTURAL

The Cartier Foundation inaugurated its new Paris headquarters on October 25 with the exhibition "Exposition Générale." The curatorial approach and, most notably, the labyrinthine architectural design by Jean Nouvel have drawn criticism from the specialized press, described as disappointing and patchwork. The new space, a dense black cube in central Paris, represents a radical departure from the foundation's previous luminous, glass-walled hall, forcing a complete rethinking of how to present its 40-year collection.

art robert crumb george dicaprio david zwirner

Robert Crumb and George DiCaprio, two figures from the 1970s underground comics scene, reunite for a conversation moderated by cartoonist Sammy Harkham on the rooftop of David Zwirner in Los Angeles. The discussion, published in Cultured, traces their serendipitous meeting in New York—DiCaprio offered his illegal loft to Crumb's band—and DiCaprio's subsequent move to Los Angeles after Crumb recommended him for an animation job on Ralph Bakshi's film *Heavy Traffic*. The interview coincides with the release of Crumb's first solo comic in 23 years, *Tales of Paranoia* (2025), published by Fantagraphics, and an exhibition of his new drawings and prints at David Zwirner, on view through January 10. Topics range from conspiracy theories and the economics of comics to DiCaprio's collection of underground art, including a letter from cartoonist Vaughn Bode to his unborn son Leonardo DiCaprio.

fashion david yurman jewelry phaidon

David and Sybil Yurman, the couple behind the iconic David Yurman jewelry empire, reflect on their origins as artists in New York in a new book, *Sybil and David Yurman: Artists and Jewelers*, published last month. The book draws from their personal archive of paintings, sculptures, photos, and jewelry, tracing their journey from working under sculptor Jacques Lipchitz and ceramicist Shōji Hamada to building a global brand. In an interview with CULTURED, the Yurmans share stories of their first date, Sybil's early career as a ceramicist and painter, and how their partnership evolved from art to jewelry.

art heist genre film tv books guide

This article from Cultured explores the history and evolution of the art heist genre across film, television, and books. It traces the genre's origins from the 1911 theft of the Mona Lisa by Vincenzo Peruggia to its appearance in 19th-century detective serials by Agatha Christie and Arthur Conan Doyle, and later in French New Wave noirs and slick 1990s heist films. The piece highlights recent entries like Kelly Reichardt's film *The Mastermind* starring Josh O'Connor, and compiles a list of key works including *Animal Crackers* (1930), *How to Steal a Million* (1966), *The Thomas Crown Affair* (1968/1999), and *Hudson Hawk* (1991), noting how the genre reflects changing attitudes toward wealth, crime, and the sublime power of art.

sothebys second sale saudi arabia results

Sotheby's second auction in Saudi Arabia, titled 'Origins II,' achieved a strong result of $19.6 million, surpassing its presale estimate. The sale of 61 lots was bolstered by a new auction record for a Saudi artist and a significant increase in the value and volume of works by Saudi artists sold compared to the house's inaugural sale in the country last year.

juergen teller bottega veneta summer 2026 campaign

Juergen Teller has photographed Bottega Veneta's Summer 2026 campaign, set against the iconic landmarks of Venice, including the Palazzo Contarini Polignac and the Venice Giardini. The campaign features models Liya Kebede and Anine Van Velzen, and arrives ahead of the 2026 Venice Biennale. It also marks the debut collection of Louise Trotter, who joined Bottega Veneta as creative director last year, drawing on the house's 50-year archives and reimagining signature items like the Lauren and Knot bags.

leonardo da vinci dna finding

Scientists from the Leonardo da Vinci DNA Project (LDVP) have extracted DNA from a chalk sketch titled *Holy Child*, which may be by Leonardo da Vinci. In a preprint paper posted Tuesday, researchers suggest genetic links between the artwork and a letter from one of Leonardo's cousins, indicating a shared Tuscan ancestry. However, the findings are preliminary and not yet peer-reviewed, with experts cautioning that proving a direct connection to Leonardo himself is extremely difficult due to the lack of confirmed DNA from the artist and the disputed attribution of the drawing.

sothebys saudi arabia second auction art luxury

Sotheby's will hold its second auction in Saudi Arabia, titled "Origins II," on January 31 in Diriyah, following its first auction in the kingdom in February 2024. The inaugural sale, also called "Origins," achieved $17.3 million within pre-sale estimates but had a 65.8% sell-through rate, with 40 of 117 lots unsold, particularly jewelry and handbags. The upcoming auction will focus exclusively on fine art, featuring over 70 works by international and Middle Eastern artists, including Anish Kapoor, Andy Warhol, Mohammed Al Saleem, Mahmoud Sabri, and Samia Halaby. The sale is scheduled just before the inaugural Art Basel Qatar.

art bites singerie monkeys

This article explores the artistic tradition of Singerie, or 'monkey trick,' a genre that depicts primates dressed and acting like humans. It traces the history from its origins in the early 1600s through its peak in the Rococo period, citing examples such as Jan Brueghel the Elder's 'Monkeys Feasting' (c. 1620) and Edwin Landseer's 'The Monkey Who Had Seen the World' (1827). The piece connects this historical convention to contemporary culture, noting its influence on the 2024 Robbie Williams biopic 'Better Man,' where the singer is portrayed as a chimpanzee, and on modern satirical works like Banksy's 'Devolved Parliament' (2009).

art books surrealism

Artnet News published a list of must-read books on Surrealism, marking the movement's 100th anniversary since André Breton's 1924 Surrealist Manifesto. The article highlights key texts including Breton's own "Manifestoes of Surrealism" and his novel "Nadja," Patrick Lepetit's "The Esoteric Secrets of Surrealism" exploring occult influences, and Whitney Chadwick's "Farewell to the Muse" focusing on women Surrealists who were often marginalized as muses rather than artists.

georges seurat a sunday on la grande jatte why so important 2

Georges Seurat's Post-Impressionist masterpiece, *A Sunday on La Grande Jatte* (1884–86), is analyzed in depth for its revolutionary technique and historical context. The painting depicts weekend day-trippers in a Parisian park, employing pointillism—which Seurat called divisionism or *peinture optique*—to fix modern life in a chromatic eternity. Influenced by his academic training under Henri Lehmann (a student of Ingres) and Michel Eugène Chevreul's color theory, Seurat used tiny dots of color that blend in the viewer's eye, merging science with art. The work was preceded by *Bathers at Asnières* (1884), which shares the same landscape and thematic concerns, together portraying both sides of the Seine.

national garden of american heroes analysis

President Trump is moving forward with the National Garden of American Heroes, a monument featuring 250 life-size statues of American historical figures, to be built for the U.S. semiquincentennial in 2026. The project, first announced in a 2020 executive order, has released grant guidelines offering $200,000 per sculpture, with $34 million diverted from the NEA and NEH. The list of 244 subjects includes figures like Hannah Arendt, Neil Armstrong, and John Singer Sargent, with six remaining to be chosen by a presidential aide. The statues must be realistic, using materials like marble or bronze, and the location is still undecided, though South Dakota is a strong contender.