The 61st Venice Biennale: 'artists who confront difficult realities in unusual ways' at Palazzo Grassi and the Punta della Dogana

Curators Emma Lavigne and Jean-Marie Gallais have organized exhibitions for the Pinault Collection at Palazzo Grassi and Punta della Dogana during the 61st Venice Biennale, featuring artists Lorna Simpson, Paulo Nazareth, Michael Armitage, and Amar Kanwar. The shows respond to global tensions, with Nazareth using salt to trace a ghost ship referencing the slave trade, and Simpson creating nocturnal paintings and collages from Ebony and Jet magazines that explore identity and history. The exhibitions are part of the Biennale's broader global outlook, engaging with Venice's mercantile past and contemporary migration routes.

Andy Warhol | Original Exhibition Poster (2021) | For Sale

An original Andy Warhol exhibition poster from 2021 is being offered for sale by Baldwin gallery, with locations in London, Miami, and Dubai. The offset lithograph on paper measures 19.7 × 27.6 inches, is in mint condition, unsigned, and includes a Certificate of Authenticity. Priced at £650, the work ships from London with domestic shipping at £45 and international at £55, and is covered by the Artsy Guarantee.

A Spring Journey Through the Season’s Standout Exhibitions

This article highlights a curated spring journey through major exhibitions across Europe and the US, focusing on artists represented in the UBS Art Collection. Featured shows include Catherine Opie at the National Portrait Gallery in London, Yin Xiuzhen at the Hayward Gallery, Tracey Emin at Tate Modern, Lorna Simpson at Palazzo Grassi in Venice, and Jean-Michel Basquiat at the Louisiana Museum of Modern Art in Denmark. Each exhibition offers fresh perspectives on the artists' practices, from photography and installation to painting and works on paper.

8 Must-See Solo Gallery Shows in June

Galerie magazine has curated a list of eight must-see solo gallery shows across the United States for June, featuring artists from New York to Los Angeles. Highlights include Will Cotton's fantasy paintings of cowboys and mermaids at Templon in New York, Salman Toor's narrative works depicting gay South Asian diaspora life at Luhring Augustine, and Beverly Fishman's hybrid sculptural paintings addressing the pharmaceutical industry at Miles McEnery Gallery.

15 Art Shows to See in Los Angeles This Summer

Los Angeles art institutions are presenting a diverse array of summer exhibitions, ranging from career-spanning surveys to historical reassessments. Highlights include Jeffrey Gibson's beadwork at the Broad, a survey of Barbara T. Smith's early Xerox works at the Marciano Art Foundation, a retrospective of Noah Davis at the Hammer Museum, and a group show at the California African American Museum addressing the legacy of Altadena's Black community after the Eaton Fire. Other notable shows include Nancy Buchanan's retrospective, Will Rawls at the ICA LA, Karl Haendel at the Weisman Museum, and a Jack Kirby exhibition at the Skirball Cultural Center.

15 Art Shows to See in Upstate New York This Summer

This guide highlights 15 art exhibitions across Upstate New York for summer, featuring moody paintings by Emily Pettigrew at Fenimore Art Museum, Native artists exploring time and memory at Hudson River Museum, Renée Green’s conceptual word shuffling at Dia Beacon, and Black history in the Hudson Valley at Vassar College's Loeb. Other shows include Arlene Shechet's intimate sculptures at Catskill Art Space and Larry Fink's photography at CPW in Kingston.

The Metropolitan Museum of Art Presents First Museum Survey of Lorna Simpson’s Paintings

The Metropolitan Museum of Art has opened "Lorna Simpson: Source Notes," the first museum survey dedicated to Lorna Simpson's painting practice. Running from May 19 to November 2, 2025, at The Met Fifth Avenue, the exhibition features over 30 works spanning a decade, from her first painting to her latest series, alongside related works in other media. Simpson, known for her conceptual photography since the 1990s, explores identity and representation through screen-printed collages that incorporate vintage imagery from Ebony, Jet, and archival sources. The exhibition is supported by the Ford Foundation, Hauser & Wirth, and other donors.

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A mapping of all the intersections between the 2026 Venice Biennale and the fashion world

Una mappatura di tutti gli intrecci tra la Biennale di Venezia 2026 e il mondo della moda

The article maps the growing intersection between fashion brands and the 61st Venice Biennale in 2026, detailing specific collaborations. Zegna is the main sponsor of the Italian Pavilion, supporting Chiara Camoni's project "Con te con tutto" curated by Cecilia Canziani, using materials from Zegna's Oasi Zegna and Lanificio. Bottega Veneta renews its partnership with Pinault Collection to support Lorna Simpson's exhibition "Third Person" at Punta della Dogana, curated by Emma Lavigne, and also presents a public intervention at Campo Manin. Swatch celebrates 15 years of the Swatch Art Peace Hotel with the exhibition "Flora Fantastica" at the Giardini Reali, featuring artist Elisa Insu. The newly opened Fondazione Dries Van Noten at Palazzo Pisani Moretta debuts with "The Only True Protest Is Beauty," curated by Dries Van Noten and Geert Bruloot.

How Swizz Beatz and Alicia Keys Built a Best-in-Class Art Collection With a “Collect What You Feel” Philosophy

Swizz Beatz and Alicia Keys, the musician power couple, have built a major art collection known as the Dean Collection, now touring as the exhibition "Giants" at the San Diego Museum of Contemporary Art. The show, which debuted at the Brooklyn Museum in 2024, features works by Gordon Parks, Jean-Michel Basquiat, Malick Sidibé, and a new multimedia installation by Mickalene Thomas. In an interview with GQ's Frazier Tharpe, the couple discusses their philosophy of collecting art based on emotional connection rather than investment or social status, and how their passion for art has deepened over their 15-year marriage.

12 must-see exhibitions in and around Los Angeles during Frieze

Los Angeles is hosting a series of major exhibitions to coincide with the Frieze Los Angeles art fair, highlighting both historical activism and contemporary social critiques. Key shows include Judith F. Baca’s exploration of her iconic 'Great Wall of Los Angeles' mural at Jeffrey Deitch, a massive survey of time-based media from the Julia Stoschek Foundation at the Variety Arts Theater, and a collaborative project between MOCA and The Brick titled 'Monuments' that recontextualizes removed Confederate statues through the lens of contemporary Black artists.

20 shows to see beyond India Art Fair

The article highlights 20 art exhibitions across India running concurrently with the India Art Fair, focusing on six key shows. Atul Dodiya presents 'The Gatecrasher' at Vadehra Art Gallery in Delhi, featuring 12 large-scale oil paintings that weave pop culture, art history, and personal memory. Sudarshan Shetty's 'A Breath Held Long' at GallerySKE explores the intersection of voice, body, and urban life through film and steel sculptures. Bikaner House hosts 'Typecasting: Photographing the People of India 1855-1920,' a critical exhibition of colonial ethnographic photographs. The Kolkata Centre for Creativity presents 'Convergences: A Shared Ground' examining artistic and architectural practices from eastern and northeastern India. Nilaya Anthology in Mumbai showcases a retrospective of architect Pinakin Patel, 'The Turning Point,' featuring 11 signature pieces.

New York Galleries: Openings and Closings (02/02-02/08)

A flurry of gallery activity is scheduled for the week of February 2-8, 2026, in New York City. Numerous exhibitions are opening, including "Interstice: Whirled Music" at Kiang Malingue, "Everything She Touches" by Alix Vernet at Eric Firestone Gallery, and "Anima" by Felipe Baeza at Print Center New York. Concurrently, many shows are in their final days, such as "A Retrospective by Ruth Asawa" at the Museum of Modern Art, "FDR Drive Musel, 1984" by Keith Haring at Martos Gallery, and "West Coast Women of Abstract Expressionism" at Berry Campbell.

‘Making Their Mark: Works from the Shah Garg Collection’

The article announces the exhibition 'Making Their Mark: Works from the Shah Garg Collection' at Washington University in St. Louis (WashU). The show features works from the collection of Shah Garg, highlighting a selection of contemporary artworks.

New York Museums are Showcasing African American Art, Exhibitions Feature Lorna Simpson, Rashid Johnson, Beauford Delaney, Amy Sherald, Black Dandyism & More

New York museums are presenting a wave of major exhibitions focused on African American art this spring and summer, many running through fall 2025. Solo shows include the largest-ever surveys of Rashid Johnson at the Guggenheim Museum, Amy Sherald at the Whitney Museum of American Art, and Jack Whitten at the Museum of Modern Art. The Drawing Center hosts the first museum exhibition dedicated to Beauford Delaney's drawings, while the Brooklyn Museum presents the first museum show for sculptor Nancy Elizabeth Prophet. At the Metropolitan Museum of Art, highlights include the newly renovated Michael C. Rockefeller Wing, a Lorna Simpson painting exhibition, a roof garden installation by Jennie C. Jones, and the Costume Institute's "Superfine: Tailoring Black Style" exploring Black dandyism.

Adam Lindemann opens exhibition of 19th-century African sculpture and contemporary Black abstraction

Collector and dealer Adam Lindemann has opened a non-selling exhibition titled 'Urhobo + Abstraction' at his David Adjaye-designed home near the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. The show, running until June 13, pairs 19th-century Urhobo sculptures from the Niger Delta with works by Black American abstractionists including Ed Clark, Norman Lewis, Richard Mayhew, Merton D. Simpson, and Alma Thomas. It is the first time Urhobo sculptures have been shown together in the US, and the exhibition is anchored by five wood carvings of warriors and royalty, one from Lindemann's private collection.

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Paul Reubens, the actor and comedian best known for his character Pee-wee Herman, died at age 70 on June 30, leaving behind a legacy that extends far beyond children's television. The article explores how the design of "Pee-wee's Playhouse" (1986–1990) was a groundbreaking aesthetic achievement, created by a team of downtown New York artists—production designers Gary Panter, Ric Heitzman, and Wayne White—who approached the set as an evolving art installation. Their work blended postmodernism, Memphis Group influences, psychedelia, and thrift-store aesthetics into a joyful, childlike environment that became a cultural touchstone.

San Francisco’s Museum of the African Diaspora marks 20 years with a show about Blackness and the cosmos

San Francisco's Museum of the African Diaspora (MoAD) has reopened its renovated ground-floor lobby to mark its 20th anniversary, alongside two new exhibitions. The larger show, "Unbound: Art, Blackness & the Universe" (on view until 16 August 2026), explores Blackness and the cosmos through painting, photography, sculpture, and installation. Curated by MoAD's first full-time curator Key Jo Lee, the exhibition features 17 artists including Torkwase Dyson, Barkley L. Hendricks, Lorna Simpson, Oasa DuVerney, and Mikael Owunna, organized under three themes: "Geo-Cartographic," "Religio-Mythic," and "Techno-Cyborgian." The $500,000 renovation also upgraded lighting and HVAC systems.

The Must-See Biennale Exhibitions in Venice

The 61st International Art Exhibition of La Biennale di Venezia, titled "In Minor Keys," opens May 9 as a tribute to its late curator Koyo Kouoh. Alongside the Biennale, Venice hosts numerous concurrent exhibitions: Marina Abramović's "Transforming Energy" at Gallerie dell'Accademia (the only living female artist with a major show there); the Matthew Wong Foundation's inaugural exhibition "Interiors" featuring unseen works by the late Chinese Canadian artist; retrospectives of Michael Armitage at Palazzo Grassi and Lorna Simpson at Punta della Dogana; Hernan Bas's new paintings at Ca' Pesaro; Lu Yang's "DOKU The Illusion" at Espaces Louis Vuitton Venezia; and "Minimal Legends" at the Vincenzo de Cotiis Foundation, staging a dialogue among Minimalist masters.

Welcome to Venice: the shows you won’t want to miss at the 61st Biennale

The 61st Venice Biennale, titled "In Minor Keys," opens with a keynote exhibition conceived by the late Koyo Kouoh and realized by her team after her sudden death in May 2025. The show spans the Central Pavilion in the Giardini and the Arsenale, featuring 110 artists and collectives. Highlights include Bracha L. Ettinger's installation at the Hotel Metropole, where she transforms a room where Sigmund Freud wrote part of *The Interpretation of Dreams* into a feminist 'borderspace,' and works by artists such as Arthur Jafa, Richard Prince, Issa Samb, Beverly Buchanan, and Daniel Lind-Ramos. The exhibition explores themes of history, colonialism, war, and environmental destruction, aiming for a 'sotto voce' tone that nonetheless delivers powerful, liberating statements.

The Synthesis of Poetry and Violence: Inside the New Exhibitions at the Pinault Collection in Venice

La sintesi tra poesia e violenza. Ecco come sono le mostre alla Pinault Collection di Venezia

The Pinault Collection has unveiled its 2025 exhibition program across its two Venice venues, Palazzo Grassi and Punta della Dogana. This year, the institution opts for a multi-artist approach rather than a single-artist takeover, featuring Michael Armitage and Amar Kanwar at Palazzo Grassi, alongside Lorna Simpson and Paulo Nazareth at Punta della Dogana. The exhibitions focus heavily on global perspectives, spanning from Kenya and India to Brazil and the United States, addressing contemporary social tensions through diverse media.

미시시피미술관 '사진과 흑인미술운동, 1955-1985'(7/25-11/8) - Lounge

The Mississippi Museum of Art (MMA) presents "Photography and the Black Arts Movement, 1955–1985," a landmark exhibition exploring the role of photography in fostering Black visual culture and identity during the civil rights and Black Arts Movement eras. The show features approximately 150 works by over 100 artists, including Dawoud Bey, Gordon Parks, and Carrie Mae Weems, drawn primarily from the National Gallery of Art's collection, and runs from July 25 to November 8, 2026, as the final stop on a national tour.

Form in the Age of Living Materials. Interview with Curator Pablo José Ramírez

LA FORMA EN LA ERA DE LOS MATERIALES VIVOS. ENTREVISTA AL CURADOR PABLO JOSÉ RAMÍREZ

The Hammer Museum in Los Angeles is presenting "Several Eternities in a Day: Form in the Age of Living Materials," an exhibition curated by Pablo José Ramírez running until August 23. Featuring 22 artists from the Americas, the show explores materials such as avocado, cacao, achiote, cochineal, stone, clay, and natural dyes that evolve, degrade, or transform over time. Organized into three acts, the exhibition challenges conventional notions of the art object by treating these materials as living agents with memory and agency, rooted in Indigenous knowledge and the concept of "brownness." In an interview, Ramírez discusses how these materials destabilize extractivist logics and institutional frameworks, forcing a rethinking of conservation protocols and the very conditions of exhibition-making.

Obama Presidential Center Announces Final Cohort of Commissions Ahead of June Opening, Including María Magdalena Campos-Pons, Jeffrey Gibson, Lorna Simpson

The Obama Presidential Center in Chicago has unveiled its final cohort of artist commissions ahead of its scheduled opening in June. This group includes high-profile contemporary artists such as Njideka Akunyili Crosby, Jeffrey Gibson, and Lorna Simpson, who will contribute site-specific works ranging from a multi-layered portrait of the Obamas to a 34-foot stainless steel sculpture by Martin Puryear honoring the late John Lewis. These eight artists join a previously announced roster, bringing the total number of new commissions for the 19.3-acre South Side campus to 30.

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Coreen Simpson, an 83-year-old photographer born in Brooklyn in 1942, is the subject of a new eponymous monograph published by Aperture as part of its Vision and Justice Book Series. The book surveys five decades of her work, spanning street photography, fashion photography, studio portraits in Harlem, images of the early hip-hop scene, and later collage experiments. Simpson is known for merging fashion and social photography, capturing both celebrities like Muhammad Ali, Toni Morrison, and Jean-Michel Basquiat, as well as unnamed individuals in her series “Nitebirds/Nightlife,” all with a frontal, confident gaze that emphasizes the subject's self-presentation.

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The School of Visual Arts (SVA) in New York has transferred ownership from the Rhodes family, which owned it for nearly 80 years, to the SVA Alumni Society, a nonprofit that has funded student scholarships since 1972. The transfer took effect on September 1, with longtime president David Rhodes stating that day-to-day operations would not change. The move comes amid financial difficulties, a recent faculty unionization effort by SVA Faculty United (affiliated with United Auto Workers), and reported layoffs of around 30 workers.

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Artist Joshua Abelow is selling the 100-year-old former Methodist church in Harris, New York, that housed his unconventional gallery Freddy from 2016 until last year. Listed at $649,000, the 3,500-square-foot building served as both Abelow's home and studio, hosting over three dozen exhibitions featuring artists such as Rafael Ferrer, Cheryl Donegan, Jörg Immendorff, and emerging talents. Abelow, who moved to Santa Fe with his family, hopes a creative buyer will continue using the space for cultural endeavors. He has since launched a new collaborative venue called Gene & Fred in Santa Fe with Keith J. Varadi's Gene's Dispensery.

This Liminal Moment

The article reviews the exhibition "MONUMENTS" at the Geffen Contemporary at MOCA and the Brick in Los Angeles, which addresses the legacy of Confederate monuments through contemporary art. It highlights Cauleen Smith's installation "The Warden" (2025), which features a live-feed of the decommissioned Confederate sculpture "Vindicatrix" (also known as "Miss Confederacy") by Edward V. Valentine, originally atop the Jefferson Davis Memorial in Richmond, Virginia. The exhibition is curated by Hamza Walker, Kara Walker, and Bennett Simpson.

At a Los Angeles exhibition, contemporary artists face off with decommissioned Confederate statues

The exhibition "Monuments" opens on 23 October in Los Angeles, co-curated by Hamza Walker, Bennett Simpson, and artist Kara Walker, and staged at both the Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles (MOCA) and the Brick. It features nearly 20 decommissioned Confederate statues—including the melted-down Robert E. Lee monument from Charlottesville—displayed alongside contemporary works by artists such as Leonardo Drew, Martin Puryear, Nona Faustine, Kahlil Robert Irving, Bethany Collins, and Walter Price. The show was inspired by the 2017 Unite the Right rally and the subsequent removal of dozens of monuments across the US.

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Cultured magazine invited seven MFA students from CalArts, Columbia, RISD, the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, and Yale to share recent works and discuss their artistic concerns. The students—Sascha Huth, Martha Estrella, Wenqing Zhai, Yehwan Song, Ricky Vasan, Virginia Hanusik, and Khidr Joseph—work in painting, photography, and sculpture, addressing themes such as commodity culture, Mexican American identity, China's one-child policy, digital inequality, personal yearning, ecological collapse, and grief.