pan african flags queen elizabeth portrait larry achiampong

British Ghanaian artist Larry Achiampong responded to controversy after two of his pan-African flags from the "Relic Traveller: Phase 1" series replaced a portrait of Queen Elizabeth II in the UK Foreign Office. The flags, titled "Pan African Flag For The Relic Travellers’ Alliance (Motion)" and "Pan African Flag For The Relic Travellers’ Alliance (Community)", were hung by Deputy Prime Minister David Lammy. Conservative MP Lee Anderson criticized the move, while Achiampong dismissed the outrage as "deeply problematic" in an interview with the Guardian.

alexandria biennale returns 2026

The Alexandria Biennale will return in September 2026 after a 12-year hiatus, with its 27th edition curated by Egyptian artist Moataz Nasr under the title “This Too Shall Pass.” The exhibition will feature 55 artists from across the Mediterranean, with a main program complemented by smaller shows in Alexandria museums focusing on emerging Egyptian artists. Venues include the Roman amphitheater, the Alexandria Library, and the Qaitbay Citadel. The biennale was originally established in 1955 under Gamal Abdel Nasser, suspended in 2011 amid the Egyptian revolution, briefly reopened in 2014, and then shuttered again due to financial and political instability.

Queer Arts Festival opens Portals for emerging artists and contrasting journeys

The Queer Arts Festival (QAF) in Vancouver opens its 16th annual edition from June 6 to 28, featuring a signature visual exhibition titled "Portals" at Centre A: Vancouver International Centre for Contemporary Asian Art from June 21 to August 23. Curated by Mark Takeshi McGregor and Diane Hau Yu Wong, the exhibition showcases six emerging and local artists—Arkah, Evan Matchett-Wong, Sena Cleave, Miles Saraswat, Christian Yves Jones, and Naomi Maya Leung—whose works explore themes of queerness, migration, diaspora, and belonging through photography, sculpture, embroidery, film, and mixed media. The festival also includes concerts, media screenings, and community events, serving as a sanctuary for 2SLGBTQIA+ communities amid rising anti-trans and anti-queer rhetoric.

Adam Budak dismissed as director of MOCAK amid controversy

Adam Budak has been dismissed as director of the Museum of Contemporary Art in Krakow (MOCAK), effective from 12 May, with his employment ending on 30 June. The city of Krakow cited improper performance of duties related to work organization and team management, following an investigation triggered by a complaint signed by 37 employees. Budak disputes the decision, calling it baseless and made under time pressure, and is considering an appeal. Artists including Paulina Ołowska and Robert Knoke have rallied in support, with several artists withdrawing from MOCAK's 2026–27 programme in solidarity.

Venice Biennale opening marked by protests

The 2026 Venice Biennale opened for professionals on Tuesday amid a series of protests, with more planned throughout the week. Around 60 artists from the exhibition "In Minor Keys" gathered at the Giardini for a collective action called "Solidarity Drone Chorus," inspired by Gazan composer Ahmed Muin's "Drone Song," to draw attention to genocide and war in Palestine. The Art Not Genocide Alliance (ANGA) organized a 24-hour strike for Friday 8 May, protesting Israel's participation. Pussy Riot staged a protest outside the Russian pavilion, and the Latvian pavilion launched a campaign against Russia's involvement. The protests follow a highly politicized lead-up, including calls for boycotts of the Russian, Israeli, and US pavilions, EU funding cuts over Russia's participation, and the resignation of the Biennale jury.

Strike Rocks Venice Biennale Ahead of Public Opening as Pavilions Close

Thousands of protesters marched through Venice to demonstrate against Israel's presence at the Venice Biennale, leading many national pavilions to close in solidarity. Pavilions from Austria, Belgium, Egypt, Japan, the Netherlands, South Korea, and over a dozen other countries shut fully or partially, with some displaying signs reading "We Stand with Palestine." The Israeli pavilion remained closed for its exhibition opening, and armed police clashed with protesters. The main exhibition, curated by Koyo Kouoh, stayed open initially but the Arsenale closed by late afternoon with riot police outside. The 24-hour strike, organized by Art Not Genocide Alliance (ANGA) and Italian activist groups, was described as the largest protest in Biennale history.

An Urgent Call From Artists and Curators of the 61st International Art Exhibition of La Biennale di Venezia 2026

A group of seventy-four artists and curators participating in the 61st Venice Biennale have issued an urgent letter to the institution's leadership, including director Pietrangelo Buttafuoco. The signatories are protesting the decision to relocate the Israeli Pavilion to the Arsenale, placing it in close proximity to the central exhibition, "In Minor Keys," which was conceived by the late curator Koyo Kouoh. The group argues that this relocation violates Kouoh’s curatorial vision of radical solidarity and introduces a threatening military and police presence into the exhibition space.

Must-See: Rosa Loy Finds a Durable Form of Togetherness

Rosa Loy, a German painter associated with the New Leipzig School, presents a new body of work at a solo exhibition that explores themes of togetherness, collaboration, and female solidarity through her signature figurative, dreamlike style. The show features large-scale paintings and works on paper that depict pairs or groups of women engaged in shared activities, rendered in muted earth tones with subtle surrealist undertones.

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.

Solidarity and shared optimism take centre stage at 1-54 fair in London

The 1-54 Contemporary African Art Fair in London, held at Somerset House until 19 October, showcases a wide range of African and diaspora artists. Galleries from Nigeria, Kenya, Zambia, and beyond present works that highlight both historical and contemporary practices, with notable sales and institutional interest already reported. The fair coincides with Tate Modern's Nigerian Modernism exhibition and the opening of the Museum of West African Art (MOWAA) in Benin City, creating a moment of heightened global attention on African art.

Cecilia Vicuña: Minga for the Sea

Kunstnernes Hus in Oslo presents 'Minga for the Sea,' a major new commission by Chilean artist, poet, and activist Cecilia Vicuña, running from May 29 to August 9, 2026. This is Vicuña's first major presentation in Scandinavia, featuring two large horizontal quipus made from locally sourced raw wool, one dedicated to the Southern Hemisphere/Chile and the other to the Northern Hemisphere/Sápmi. The quipus incorporate contributions from Indigenous and environmental defenders, including poems, drawings, and videos, forming a polyphonic archive of cultural resistance against destructive resource extraction and pollution of marine environments.

‘Never in a million years.’ The Rocky statue’s long, unlikely road to acceptance inside the Art Museum

The Philadelphia Museum of Art has brought the iconic bronze statue of Sylvester Stallone as Rocky Balboa inside its building for the first time, as the centerpiece of the exhibition 'Rising Up: Rocky and the Making of Monuments.' The statue, created as a movie prop for 'Rocky III' by artist A. Thomas Schomberg, had stood outside the museum for decades, its artistic merit debated while it became a major tourist attraction.

An open letter to La Biennale di Venezia calls out inaction in the face of global atrocities

A group of 74 artists and curators invited to the 61st Venice Biennale have issued an open letter to the institution's president, Pietrangelo Buttafuoco. The signatories are protesting the decision to relocate the Israeli Pavilion to the Arsenale, placing it in close proximity to the central exhibition 'In Minor Keys' curated by the late Koyo Kouoh. The letter demands the exclusion of official delegations from countries accused of war crimes—specifically Israel, Russia, and the United States—and accuses the Biennale of complicity through its silence on global atrocities.

Comment | What is the role of art museums in times of civic stress?

The Walker Art Center in Minneapolis is navigating the civic distress caused by 'Operation Metro Surge,' a federal immigration enforcement initiative that has disrupted the lives of local artists, staff, and residents. In response to the atmosphere of fear and the shift to virtual schooling, the museum has positioned itself as a sanctuary, offering art-making kits, indigenous-led workshops, and public screenings to foster community resilience.

The Top 10 Exhibitions to See Around the World This November

This article presents a curated list of the top 10 exhibitions to see around the world in November, highlighting key shows such as 'Project a Black Planet' at MACBA, which explores Pan-Africanism through art and culture, Sylvie Fleury's installation 'She-Devils On Wheels Headquarters' in New York, and Araya Rasdjarmrearnsook's survey at Jameel Arts Centre. Other featured exhibitions include Karolina Jabłońska's paintings of pickled beets and severed limbs, among others, each offering unique perspectives on identity, gender, and mortality.

Israeli art spaces and workers join nationwide strike and protests, calling for hostage deal and end to war in Gaza

On 17 August, a nationwide strike and protests swept across Israel, with organizers estimating 2.5 million participants demanding a hostage deal and an end to the war in Gaza. Israeli art spaces and workers joined the action: the Tel Aviv Museum of Art closed operationally but opened its lobby to protesters and projected Michal Rovner's video work *Signaling (2024)* on its façade; the Israel Museum illuminated its Shrine of the Book in yellow; the Bezalel Academy of Arts and Design and Shenkar College also struck, while the Mishkan Museum of Art ceased activities in solidarity.

Less than two years after opening, the Museum of Censored Art in Barcelona has closed its doors

The Museu de l’Art Prohibit (Museum of Censored Art) in Barcelona, the world's first museum dedicated to censored artworks, has closed indefinitely less than two years after opening. Founded in October 2023 by Catalan journalist and businessman Tatxo Benet, the museum housed over 200 banned works by artists including Ai Weiwei, David Wojnarowicz, and Abel Azcona. The closure, announced on June 27, was attributed to financial losses caused by four months of picketing by the Solidarity and Unity of Workers union (SUT), which protested the museum's termination of a contract with management company Magma Cultura. The union demanded better working conditions, including improved air conditioning, more breaks, and higher pay.

Whitney Museum pauses Independent Study Program amid accusations of censorship

The Whitney Museum of American Art has suspended its prestigious Independent Study Program (ISP) for the 2025-2026 academic year, citing a leadership gap following the 2023 retirement of longtime director Ron Clark. The decision follows accusations of censorship after the museum canceled a performance titled "No Aesthetics Outside my Freedom: Mourning, Militancy and Performance" by Fadl Fakhouri, Noel Maghathe, and Fargo Tbakhi, which addressed the war and humanitarian crisis in Gaza. An open letter signed by over 360 alumni, faculty, and supporters, including philosopher Judith Butler and artists Andrea Fraser and Walid Raad, condemned the cancellation as an act of censorship and expressed solidarity with the current cohort.

Dozens of Venice Biennale Artists Withdraw From Awards En Masse

Almost half of the artists in the 61st Venice Biennale's international exhibition, along with 16 national pavilion teams, have withdrawn from awards consideration in solidarity with the jury's resignation. The jury resigned on April 30 after stating it would not consider countries whose leaders are charged with crimes against humanity by the ICC, effectively disqualifying Israel and Russia. The Biennale Foundation then replaced the traditional Golden Lions with new "Visitor Lions" decided by public vote, reinstating all pavilions including Israel and Russia. The withdrawal follows protests at the Russian and Israeli pavilions and a historic labor strike that shuttered multiple pavilions.

White Girls and the Global South

The article is a curated list of art books for spring reading, featuring a diverse range of subjects. It highlights two main critical reviews: one critiques a new novel, *Flat Earth* by Anika Jade Levy, as another navel-gazing story about disaffected white women, while the other praises a scholarly work, *Non-Aligned: Art, Decolonization and the Third World Project in India* by Atreyee Gupta, which examines the international solidarity networks of Indian modernist painters long before the term "Global South" became popular.

Met Gala Boycott Message Projected on Bezos’s Manhattan Penthouse

On May 3, 2026, the activist group Everyone Hates Elon projected messages condemning Jeff Bezos and Amazon onto Bezos's luxury penthouse in Manhattan's Madison Square Park, ahead of the Met Gala on May 4. The projections included a video testimony from Amazon warehouse worker Mary Hill, who called for honoring workers instead of billionaires, and slogans such as 'Boycott The Bezos Met Gala.' The group also projected onto the Chrysler and Empire State buildings. This action follows earlier protests, including littering the Met with fake urine bottles and wheatpasting posters across the city, all targeting Bezos's role as an honorary co-chair of the gala.

Exhibition | Naomi Rincón Gallardo, 'Sonnet of Vermin' at Hayward Gallery, London, United Kingdom

Naomi Rincón Gallardo presents her first solo exhibition in London, 'Sonnet of Vermin,' at the Hayward Gallery. The show features her 2022 film following a group of animals from Mesoamerican myths—Bat, Snake, Scorpion, and a choir of frogs—as they navigate dystopian landscapes in Oaxaca, communicating via radio signals and calling for solidarity amid social and ecological devastation. Rincón Gallardo works across video, performance, drawing, and sculpture, weaving cuir/queer resistance, pre-colonial folklore, DIY aesthetics, music, and dance into surreal narratives that critique colonialism and exploitation.

'I never imagined we'd get here': Beirut gallery Marfa' Projects turns ten

Beirut gallery Marfa' Projects celebrates its tenth anniversary, a milestone founder Joumana Asseily never expected to reach given the immense challenges faced since opening in 2015. The gallery, located in the city's port district, survived widespread civil protests, Lebanon's economic crisis, and the devastating 2020 Port of Beirut explosion that destroyed its premises. Asseily rebuilt within a year, supported by a global network of fellow dealers who inspired her with virtual shows and offered solidarity during Israel's 2024 bombardment. The anniversary group exhibition features works consigned by partner galleries including Sadie Coles HQ, Experimenter, and Emalin, alongside Marfa' Projects artists like Mohamad Abdouni and Stéphanie Saadé, both of whom won major art fair prizes last year.

Historic Strike Disrupts Biennale as Thousands March in Venice

On May 8, 2026, artists and cultural workers staged the first strike in the 131-year history of the Venice Biennale, disrupting the pre-opening of the international exhibition. At least 27 of the 100 national pavilions were partially or fully shut down, and thousands marched through Venice to the Arsenale, which was barricaded by Italian riot police. The strike, organized by the Art Not Genocide Alliance (ANGA) and local activist groups, was a 24-hour action for Palestine and workers' rights, with some artists altering or draping their works in the main exhibition, "In Minor Keys."

Artists Pay Tribute to Koyo Kouoh in Poetry Caravan at Venice Biennale

At the Venice Biennale on May 7, 2026, Cuban artist María Magdalena Campos-Pons led a poetry caravan across seven locations in the Giardini to honor Koyo Kouoh, the late curator of the Biennale's main exhibition "In Minor Keys," who died of cancer at age 57 in 2025. The procession, inspired by a 1999 voyage Kouoh took with nine African poets from Dakar to Timbuktu, featured performances by poets Natalie Diaz, Robin Coste Lewis, Batool Abu Akleen, and Anne Waldman, kora player Saliou Cissokho, and Kouoh's husband, Swiss saxophonist Philippe Mall, who played a composition dedicated to her. The event was organized by a team of Kouoh's assistants and advisers, including Marie Hélène Pereira, who served as stand-in lead of the 2026 Biennale.

Hundreds Protest Israel’s “Genocide Pavilion” at Venice Biennale

On May 6, 2026, the first day of previews at the Venice Biennale, hundreds of pro-Palestine activists led by the Art Not Genocide Alliance (ANGA) blocked the entrance to the Israeli pavilion, demanding its immediate closure. Protesters waved Palestine flags and banners reading "No Artwashing Genocide" and "No Genocide Pavilion at Biennale," chanting accusations of genocide against Israel. The demonstration temporarily shut down access to Belu-Simion Fainaru's exhibition "Rose of Nothingness" for about half an hour. The protest followed a letter signed by over 200 artists urging the Biennale to exclude Israel, which instead moved the pavilion to an alternative location in the Arsenale due to renovations. Separately, Pussy Riot and FEMEN rallied outside the Russian pavilion, which will only open during preview days due to sanctions. Venice cultural workers plan a 24-hour strike on May 8 in solidarity with Palestinians, potentially disrupting the Biennale's schedule.

Where to go for the next scandal?

Wo bitte geht's zum nächsten Skandal?

The article reports on the 2024 Venice Biennale preview days, where the atmosphere is dominated by political protests, media stunts, and social-media pressure rather than the art itself. Incidents include a solidarity drone choir for Gaza, a Pussy Riot and FEMEN protest at the Russian Pavilion, and a planned demonstration near the Israeli Pavilion, all amplified by PR agencies and WhatsApp alerts. A journalist describes being pressured by editors to cover scandals and political controversies instead of art reviews, which they say no longer attract clicks.

« No art washing ! » : à la Biennale de Venise, près de 3 000 manifestants réunis pour dénoncer la présence du pavillon israélien

On May 8, 2026, nearly 3,000 protesters gathered in Venice to demonstrate against the presence of the Israeli pavilion at the Venice Biennale. Led by the collective Art Not Genocide Alliance (Anga), the crowd included artists, curators, and cultural workers who chanted slogans such as "Stop al Padiglione genocidio" and called for a strike on the closing day of the professional previews. Dozens of national pavilions, including those of France, Belgium, Poland, Spain, the United Kingdom, Lebanon, and Ukraine, closed in solidarity. The protest followed a letter sent by Anga in March demanding Israel's exclusion, which went unanswered, and the self-dissolution of the awards jury on April 30 over the presence of both Israel and Russia.

Dozens of Pavilions Close During Strike at 61st Venice Biennale

On May 8, 2026, a 24-hour strike organized by the Art Not Genocide Alliance (ANGA) and several Italian activist groups brought the 61st Venice Biennale to a standstill. Approximately 27 of the 100 national pavilions closed fully or partially in solidarity with protesters demanding Israel’s exclusion from the event, including those of Austria, Belgium, France, Great Britain, Japan, South Korea, and Ukraine. Over 3,500 people marched through Venice, with speakers including artist Gabrielle Goliath and curator Caroline Dumalin. The main exhibition, "In Minor Keys," curated by the late Koyo Kouoh, closed by late afternoon, and riot police were stationed outside the Arsenale. The Israeli pavilion, already shuttered during previews, remained closed.

Protests and Shutdowns Engulf 61st Venice Biennale Opening

The 61st Venice Biennale preview week, opening to press and professionals ahead of its May 9 public launch, has been engulfed by protests and institutional crises. On May 5, around 60 artists from Koyo Kouoh's exhibition “In Minor Keys” staged a Solidarity Drone Chorus outside the Giardini, drawing on Gazan composer Ahmed Muin's Drone Song (2025) to highlight victims of warfare. On May 6, the Art Not Genocide Alliance (ANGA) organized protests outside Israel's pavilion at the Arsenale, leading to a security-enforced closure, while Pussy Riot and FEMEN demonstrated outside the Russian pavilion. The jury resigned on April 30 after controversy over award eligibility tied to ICC arrest warrants, prompting the Biennale to scrap Golden Lions and transfer prize voting to the public. Iran withdrew its pavilion on May 4, and Russia's will close on May 9, with only exterior video projections remaining. ANGA and Italian unions have announced a 24-hour strike on May 8.