The documentary dedicated to Sicilian patron Antonio Presti airs on Rai Tre. Here is the video preview.

Va in onda su Rai Tre il documentario dedicato al mecenate siciliano Antonio Presti. Qui la video anteprima

On Tuesday, May 19, 2026, at 3:30 PM, RAI 3 will broadcast the documentary "Asteroide 20049 Antonio Presti," produced by Rai Documentari and dedicated to Sicilian patron Antonio Presti (born 1957). Written by Fedora Sasso and Francesco Castellani, curated by Giulietta Venneri, and directed by Fedora Sasso, the film explores Presti's four-decade career using art to intervene in marginalized areas of Sicily. The documentary's title references an asteroid named after Presti, symbolizing his vision linking cosmic and urban space. It opens at the Astrophysical Observatory of Isnello and focuses on the Catania neighborhood of Librino, where Presti created MAGMA, an open-air museum developed through collaboration with students, artists, and residents.

Arte contemporanea, fiabe e favole nel racconto di Artbox su Sky Arte

The article previews an upcoming episode of the Italian television program "Artbox" airing on Sky Arte on Tuesday, May 12. The episode visits Castello di Miradolo in Piedmont, where the exhibition "C'è oggi una fiaba" (There Is a Fairy Tale Today) runs until June 21, blending art, literature, and music around childhood themes. Curator Roberto Galimberti and Fondazione Cosso director Paola Eynard discuss the show. The episode also features art historian Maria Vittoria Baravelli's segment "Invito al viaggio," reinterpreting fairy tales as dynamic spaces for growth, referencing artists Luigi Serafini and Luigi Ontani. Additionally, curator Gražina Subelytė discusses the exhibition "Peggy Guggenheim a Londra. Nascita di una collezionista" in Venice, and curators Stefania Bossi, Michele Tavola, and Valentina Cane present the show "Regina. Sperimentatrice geniale" about a prolific sculptor. The program includes a book segment on Orsina Simona Pierini's "I colori delle case. Milan Interiors 1923-1978."

The Cinema and Photography of Agnès Varda. Revolutionary Things on Show in Rome

Il cinema e la fotografia di Agnès Varda. Cose rivoluzionarie in mostra a Roma

A major exhibition dedicated to the work of Agnès Varda, titled "De-ci de-là, Paris-Rome," has opened at the Villa Medici – Accademia di Francia in Rome. The show explores Varda's multifaceted career as a photographer, filmmaker, and contemporary artist, tracing her journey from post-war Paris to the 1960s and her later recognition in the art world. It features her iconic black-and-white portraits, early photographic work, and cinematic elements, presented as a continuous visual sequence.

A New Antonello da Messina Discovered. It Will Go to Auction in June: Could Sicily Step Forward to Buy It This Time?

Scoperto un nuovo Antonello da Messina. Andrà in asta a giugno: stavolta potrebbe farsi avanti la Sicilia per l’acquisto?

A newly discovered small wooden panel painting, depicting the face of a young beardless saint, has been attributed to the Renaissance master Antonello da Messina. The work, a fragment of a lost composition, will be auctioned on June 16 by Parisian auction house Ader alongside a signed early work by Peter Paul Rubens. Both come from an anonymous collector who purchased them in France decades ago.

What Can the New Dib Bangkok Do for Thai Art?

Dib Bangkok, a new contemporary art museum housed in a former steel warehouse, opened in December with its inaugural exhibition, (In)visible Presence. The show features 80 works by 40 artists from the collection of late founder Petch Osathanugrah, including pieces by James Turrell, Alicja Kwade, and Pinaree Santipak. Curated by director Miwako Tezuka, the exhibition emphasizes immersive, sensory experiences over passive observation, with works like Marco Fusinato's sound installation and Hugh Hayden's threshold piece. However, the museum's pan-global focus and sleek, tranquil setting initially distance visitors from the local Thai art scene.

Singapore Art Week captures the many sides of this multi-faceted city

Singapore Art Week (SAW) 2026 showcases the city-state's multifaceted identity through a diverse range of artistic offerings. Highlights include the second iteration of Wan Hai Hotel, adapted from Shanghai's Rockbund Art Museum, which explores themes of water, migration, and diaspora with artists like Ho Tzu Nyen, Dawn Ng, and Robert Zhao Renhui. The premier art fair Art SG (23-25 January) runs alongside S.E.A. Focus, aiming to boost market access and solidify Singapore as a hub for Southeast Asian art.

Sargent and Paris

The article announces an exhibition titled "Sargent and Paris" at The Metropolitan Museum of Art, focusing on John Singer Sargent's formative decade in Paris from his arrival in 1874 through the mid-1880s. It traces his rapid rise as a young American art student who studied under Carolus-Duran at the École des Beaux-Arts, immersed himself in Parisian cultural life, and produced daring portraits of cosmopolitan subjects. The exhibition highlights key works including his scandalous success "Madame X" and other canvases that captured Parisian society, culminating in his reputation as the era's greatest portrait painter.

Three Filipino artists make the Sovereign Asian Art Prize 2026 shortlist

The Sovereign Asian Art Prize, now in its 22nd year, has announced its 2026 shortlist of 30 artists from 12 Asia-Pacific countries and territories. Among the finalists are three Filipino artists: Joey Cobcobo, Josephine Turalba, and Alvin Zafra. Cobcobo's nominated work, "Ika-8 Utos: Wag Kang Kukurap (Thou Shall Not Steal)," addresses corruption in the Philippines using a recycled canvas walked on by the public. Turalba, a transdisciplinary artist, has exhibited at Art Basel Hong Kong 2025 and serves as director of the Artistic Research Center at Philippine Women's University. The prize is run by the Sovereign Art Foundation, with proceeds from shortlisted works supporting its Make It Better charity program for children in Hong Kong.

At the Atlanta Art Fair's second edition, the city showed its strengths

The Atlanta Art Fair returned for its second edition from September 25-28, 2024, at Pullman Yards in the Kirkwood neighborhood, produced by events firm AMP. The fair hosted 75 local, national, and international galleries and arts organizations, drawing around 3,500 attendees to its VIP preview and opening night. Exhibitors and organizers were more acclimated to the space than in the debut year, with a more relaxed and confident atmosphere. The fair highlighted Atlanta's unique cultural identity, emphasizing friendliness, community engagement, and a slower, less pretentious pace compared to art fairs in New York or Los Angeles.

Renoir, Matisse, and the Temptation of Spectacle

Renoir, Matisse, et la tentation du spectacle

The article criticizes two major Parisian exhibitions scheduled for 2026: "Renoir et l'amour. La modernité heureuse (1865-1885)" and "Renoir dessinateur" at the Musée d'Orsay, and "Matisse 1941-1954" at the Galeries nationales du Grand Palais. The author argues that these shows prioritize spectacle and audience appeal over scholarly rigor, using flashy titles and famous names to attract crowds like movie releases.

Ruins of ‘unique’, circular water temple discovered in Egypt

Archaeologists in northern Sinai have unearthed the ruins of a unique circular water temple at the site of ancient Pelusium, dating back to the second century. Initially mistaken for a political senate building, the structure features a 35-meter wide basin and brick walls characteristic of Roman construction, suggesting it was used for religious rituals linked to the local fertility god Pelusius.

art history teacher charlie kirk investigation florida

Hope McMath, an artist and art history teacher at Douglas Anderson School of the Arts in Jacksonville, Florida, was removed from the classroom in September 2024 after posting about the assassination of Charlie Kirk on her private social media. An investigation by Duval County Public Schools found only a minor violation for profanity, but the district refused to reinstate her due to a concurrent state education board investigation. McMath is suing the school district, state officials, and Moms for Liberty, alleging her removal was politically motivated and violated her free speech rights.

parties high museum alison saar john legend

The High Museum of Art in Atlanta honored artist Alison Saar with the 2025 David C. Driskell Prize, a national award celebrating contributions to African American art. The gala featured a live performance by musician John Legend, a bespoke award designed by David Yurman, and drew Atlanta tastemakers, arts leaders, and cultural figures. Saar joins past recipients including Amy Sherald, Mark Bradford, and Rashid Johnson.

Collecting in Madrid: 50 Ways to Build the Contemporary

COLECCIONAR EN MADRID: 50 FORMAS DE CONSTRUIR LO CONTEMPORÁNEO

The exhibition 'Madrid Colecciona. 50 colecciones de arte contemporáneo' opened at CentroCentro, showcasing a hundred works from fifty private collections in Madrid. It shifts focus from the artwork and artist to the often-opaque figure of the collector, allowing each collector to present two pieces: one of personal significance and one recent acquisition, accompanied by their own explanatory texts.

Renoir: A festival of loans for a double exhibition

Renoir : un festival de prêts pour une double exposition

The Musée d'Orsay in Paris has launched a major two-part exhibition dedicated to Auguste Renoir, titled "Renoir dessinateur" (Renoir as a Draughtsman) and "Renoir et l'amour" (Renoir and Love). The initiative began with a study for Renoir's controversial painting *Les Grandes Baigneuses* and has grown into an international loan effort, featuring over 150 rarely seen drawings, watercolors, pastels, and paintings from major museums and private collections worldwide, including the Philadelphia Museum of Art, the MET, and the Barnes Foundation.

Italy purchases rare Caravaggio painting for $34.7 million.

Italy purchases rare Caravaggio painting for $34.7 million.

The Italian government has purchased Caravaggio's *Ecce Homo* for $34.7 million, preventing the 17th-century masterpiece from leaving the country. The painting, which depicts a bound Christ presented to the crowd, was sold by its private owners after its rediscovery and authentication in 2021. The state exercised its right of first refusal to match a sale agreed with an unnamed foreign buyer, securing the work for public ownership.

pope francis art artists

Artnet News has compiled a selection of artworks created in anticipation of Pope Francis's first visit to the United States. The works include Anthony VanArsdale's portrait for the North American College in Rome, a new addition to the 'Franks' mural at Philadelphia's Dirty Franks bar, a massive photo-realistic mural by Van Hecht-Nielsen overlooking Madison Square Garden in New York, a large-scale mural by Caesar Viveros for the Philadelphia Mural Arts Program, and a controversial, officially licensed portrait by Perry Milou. Other featured pieces include an illustration by Omkar Shivaprasad and a vandalized mural in Bolivia by William Luna and Guillermo Rodriguez.

roman basilica fano vitruvius

Archaeologists in Fano, Italy, have unearthed the remains of a 2,000-year-old Roman basilica during redevelopment work on Piazza Andrea Costa. The rectangular structure, bordered by eight columns on the long side and four on the shorter sides, matches the precise measurements and layout described by the ancient Roman architect Vitruvius in Book V of his treatise *De Architectura*. This is the first time a physical building has been attributed to Vitruvius, whose writings have long been studied but whose structures had never before been found.

archeologists uncover vitruvius basilica italy

Italian officials announced the discovery of a 2,000-year-old basilica attributed to the ancient Roman architect Vitruvius, uncovered in the town of Fano (ancient Fanum Fortunae) and completed in 19 BCE. The structure, the only known building by Vitruvius, was found using his own descriptions from the treatise *De architectura*, with archaeologists led by Andrea Pessina confirming an "absolute match" after locating columns exactly where predicted. The discovery was hailed by Italy's culture minister Alessandro Giuli as "the Tutankhamun of the 21st century."

frida kahlo auction record broken sothebys el sueno la cama

Sotheby's announced the consignment of Frida Kahlo's 1940 self-portrait *El sueño (La cama)*, estimated at $40–60 million, for a November 2025 single-owner sale titled "Exquisite Corpus." The work is expected to break Kahlo's auction record of $34.9 million set in 2021 and potentially surpass the $44.4 million record for a woman artist held by Georgia O'Keeffe. The painting depicts Kahlo lying on a floating bed with a skeleton above, created during a turbulent period following Leon Trotsky's assassination and her divorce from Diego Rivera.

2025 Late Summer Exhibit - Art Galleries

Truckee Meadows Community College (TMCC) is hosting its 2nd annual summer group exhibition from July 1–31, 2025, featuring forty-two Northern Nevada artists. The show, titled "Myself/My Space: Collage Interpretations of Self-portraits & Environment," is presented by WEDGE OUTSIDE THE BOX in connection with Artown 2025. An opening reception will be held July 9 at TMCC’s Main Art Gallery in the V. James Eardley Student Center, Reno, NV. The exhibition explores identity and place through two- and three-dimensional mixed-media collage works.

Morto l’artista Tullio Brunone. Il ricordo

Italian artist Tullio Brunone died on April 21. Born in 1946 in Alexandria, Egypt, to an Italian family, he trained at the Accademia di Brera in Milan. A pioneer of video art and new media, Brunone was a key figure in the Laboratorio di Comunicazione Militante (1976-1978) and later co-founded the Scuola di Nuove Tecnologie at Brera in the 1990s. His work explored interaction, temporality, and the selfie phenomenon, anticipating contemporary digital culture. He was represented by Galleria Clivio in Milan, which dedicated part of its stand to him at the most recent miart fair.

Singapore Art Week puts women artists from the region to the fore

Singapore Art Week (SAW) this year spotlights women artists from Southeast Asia through multiple initiatives, including the release of the book *You Are Seen: Women’s Contemporary Art Practice in Southeast Asia* and the exhibition *Fear No Power: Women Imagining Otherwise* at the National Gallery Singapore (NGS). The book, published by Yeo Workshop, and the exhibition, featuring five trailblazing artists such as Amanda Heng and Imelda Cajipe-Endaya, reflect a concerted push to elevate female voices in the region. Audrey Yeo, president of the Art Galleries Association Singapore (AGAS), calls it a “big women’s moment,” while collector and author Krystina Lyon notes the varied challenges women artists face across Southeast Asia, from censorship to conservative social norms.

Artist Alexander Calder's mobiles come to life in a Paris exhibition

The Fondation Louis Vuitton in Paris has launched a major retrospective dedicated to the American artist Alexander Calder, featuring approximately 300 works. The exhibition showcases 139 of his signature kinetic sculptures and 33 paintings, utilizing the institution's vast internal galleries as well as its external gardens. This marks the first time the museum's outdoor spaces, designed by the late architect Frank Gehry, have been used to host such a comprehensive display of Calder's monumental works.

L.A.’s New D Line Stations Have Transformed Into Enormous Underground Art Galleries Ahead Of Next Month's Opening — Here's A Look At The Mesmerizing Large-Scale Murals

Los Angeles Metro is set to unveil three new stations on the D Line Extension on May 8, 2026, featuring massive site-specific art installations. The Wilshire/La Brea, Wilshire/Fairfax, and Wilshire/La Cienega stations have been transformed into underground galleries showcasing large-scale murals, mosaics, and photographic works by prominent Los Angeles-based artists including Karl Haendel, Eamon Ore-Giron, and Ken Gonzales Day.

Comment | Latest auctions prove Old Masters are not ‘out of fashion’

Recent Old Master auctions in New York have defied narratives of market decline, totaling over $185 million across Sotheby’s and Christie’s. High-profile sales included a newly discovered Michelangelo drawing for $27.2 million, a Canaletto masterpiece for $30.5 million, and a record-breaking Rembrandt drawing sold for $17.8 million. These results, alongside the Italian state's $14.9 million acquisition of an Antonello da Messina, suggest that historical masterpieces remain premier "civilisational assets" and stable financial havens during periods of economic volatility.

Read the Room: Dallas Museum of Art’s “International Surrealism” Misses the Mark

The Dallas Museum of Art's exhibition "International Surrealism" is critiqued as a missed opportunity during the centennial of the surrealist movement. The author argues that while the show presents a broad survey of mixed-media works from around the world, divided into six thematic subgroups, it lacks the political urgency and revolutionary context that defined surrealism's origins in 1925. The exhibition, initially curated by Matthew Gale from the Tate Modern collection and presented locally by Sue Canterbury, is described as whimsical and decorous, reducing the movement's subversive power to quirky categories and gift-shop fodder.

Comment | Tate Britain’s Turner and Constable show got me thinking about Marxist art history

The author recounts traveling from Scotland to London to see Tate Britain's exhibition "Turner and Constable: Rivals and Originals," despite costly and slow train travel. The article also covers the Old Master sales at Sotheby's, Christie's, and Bonhams, noting mixed results: a Flemish triptych sold for £5.7m, a Hans Eworth portrait set a record at £3.2m, and a Gerrit Dou fetched £3.8m, while a Panini capriccio lost value since 2005.

Tour the Museum-Quality Art Exhibition Inside the Megayacht Carinthia VII

The luxury megayacht Carinthia VII, owned by the Austrian billionaire Heidi Goëss-Horten and designed by Tim Heywood, has been transformed into a floating museum this summer. Curated by Florencia Cherñajovsky, the yacht features approximately forty museum-quality works from her family's collection of around 500 artworks, including pieces by Tracey Emin, Wolfgang Tillmans, Rosemarie Trockel, Lutz Bacher, Petrit Halilaj, Louise Nevelson, Carol Rama, Sarah Lucas, and Brazilian women artists like Ana Maria Maiolino. The exhibition spans photography, painting, drawing, and sculpture, arranged to create dialogues between artists and the yacht's interiors, which include reclaimed 17th-century parquet floors and custom rugs from Cherñajovsky's brand Lalana Rugs.

Pablo Picasso: Private Creative Realms Revealed in Dublin Exhibition

The National Gallery of Ireland presents 'Picasso: From the Studio', an exhibition opening 11 October 2025 that explores Pablo Picasso's private creative spaces across his career. Featuring sixty works, including paintings, sculptures, and ceramics, the show reconstructs the artist's studios from Montmartre's Le Bateau-Lavoir to the Mougins farmhouse, using archival photographs as ghostly backdrops. Key pieces like 'Violin and Bottle on a Table' (1915) and 'Tête de femme' (1931-32) reveal how specific environments—a cramped Parisian garret, a sun-drenched villa in Avignon, a Normandy stable—shaped his stylistic reinventions from Analytic Cubism to postwar ceramics.