From the World Cup and the Olympics to two new museums: upcoming cultural attractions in Los Angeles

Los Angeles is preparing for a major influx of cultural and sporting events, including hosting matches for the 2026 FIFA World Cup at SoFi Stadium and the 2028 Summer Olympics. The city is also enhancing its cultural infrastructure with new Metro stations featuring site-specific art commissions and the imminent openings of the Lucas Museum of Narrative Art and the David Geffen Galleries at LACMA.

Handpicked review – delightful dancing dahlias and petals so pillowy you can feel them

The Guardian reviews "Handpicked," an exhibition at Kettle's Yard in Cambridge that brings together over 40 artists from the 20th century to the present, all sharing a floral passion. The show features works by Rory McEwen, Vanessa Bell, Cedric Morris, Christopher Wood, Tirzah Garwood, Celia Paul, Gluck, and Caroline Walker, among others, displayed on white and leaf-green walls inspired by the fresh flowers and floral paintings in the neighboring house. The review highlights specific pieces, such as McEwen's exquisite tulip watercolor and Garwood's poignant painting from the last year of her life, noting the technical variety and emotional depth across the exhibition.

The Wonderful World that Almost Was by Andrew Durbin review – the queer artists who shaped New York cool

Andrew Durbin's new book, 'The Wonderful World that Almost Was,' is a double biography of painter and sculptor Paul Thek and photographer Peter Hujar. It chronicles their artistic maturation, their open and unapologetic gay relationship, and their central role in defining the 'cool' of the New York creative scene from the 1950s to the mid-1970s, before their deaths from AIDS.

With $116 Million Gift, National Gallery Will Send Its Art Around Nation

The National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., has received a $116 million gift from billionaire art collector Mitchell P. Rales. This donation will fund a new program to send the museum's collection on long-term loans to smaller institutions across the United States in perpetuity, significantly expanding its national reach.

How Much Is That Chagall in the Window: Metropolitan Opera Faces Funding Crisis After Saudi Deal Collapse

The Metropolitan Opera in New York faces a $30 million deficit after a $200 million funding deal with Saudi Arabia collapsed. The Saudi government withdrew from the agreement, which would have sent Met performers to the Royal Diriyah Opera House for three weeks each February, citing economic pressures from the Iran War and the blockage of the Strait of Hormuz. To address the shortfall, the Met is considering selling two monumental Marc Chagall paintings—The Sources of Music and The Triumph of Music (1966)—valued at $55 million, along with other options like selling naming rights or seeking a similar deal with another country.

Where to go this weekend?

Wohin am Wochenende?

This week's art tips from Monopol magazine highlight exhibitions and events across Germany and Europe. In Berlin, the Helmut Newton Museum reopens with a new immersive film space and a fresh presentation of its collection, while the Neue Nationalgalerie showcases Ernst Ludwig Kirchner's iconic painting "Potsdamer Platz" in the exhibition "Ruin und Rausch. Berlin 1910-1930." In Bozen, Chinese artist Evelyn Taocheng Wang presents new works at Museion, blending painting, textiles, and installation. The Art Brussels fair returns with a reduced lineup of 138 galleries, focusing on Belgian and neighboring markets. In Duisburg, Anish Kapoor receives the Wilhelm-Lehmbruck Prize, accompanied by a solo exhibition at the Lehmbruck Museum.

Closely Watched Curator Raphael Fonseca Joins Lisbon’s Culturgest

Raphael Fonseca, a prominent curator specializing in Latin American art, has been appointed as the new visual arts programmer at Culturgest in Lisbon. He will relocate to Portugal in June, succeeding Bruno Marchand, while maintaining a curator-at-large position with the Denver Art Museum, where he has served since 2021.

Renoir Not Seen in Public for 97 Years Will Go Up for Auction in May

A major portrait by Pierre-Auguste Renoir, "La femme aux lilas (Portrait de Nini Lopez)" (1876–77), will be sold at Christie's on May 18. The painting, which has been held privately by the Whitney Payson family for 97 years, is expected to fetch between $25 and $35 million.

Stockholm's Market Art Fair is a new model art fair from which to learn something

La Market Art Fair di Stoccolma è un nuovo modello di fiera d’arte da cui imparare qualcosa

The Market Art Fair in Stockholm, founded in 2006 by galleries from Denmark, Sweden, Norway, and Finland, held its 20th edition from April 23-26, 2026, at Magasin 9 during Stockholm Art Week. The fair features 54 exhibitors from 8 countries and 150 artists, with 80% of works tied to the Nordic context and 20% international. Highlights include a solo presentation by Olafur Eliasson at i8 Gallery (Reykjavík) featuring his sculpture *Rare metallic plant* (2026), and a preview of the Nordic Pavilion at the Venice Biennale by artist Benjamin Orlow at Season 4 Episode 6 gallery. The fair has recently opened its selection to international galleries, a shift welcomed by collectors.

Ides Kihlen, Abstract Painter and Argentine Art Legend, Dies at 108

Ides Kihlen, the beloved Argentine abstract painter, died on April 14 at age 108. Her first solo exhibition came at age 85 in 2002 at the National Museum of Decorative Arts in Buenos Aires, after which her career blossomed with presentations at institutions including the Museum of Modern Art of São Paulo and the Emilio Caraffa Fine Arts Museum. Known for rhythmic compositions blending geometric forms, experimental line work, and collage on varied supports, Kihlen maintained a daily routine of painting from morning and playing piano after sunset, reflecting her lifelong dual commitment to art and music.

Aboriginal art unfurls its colors and coded messages in a major exhibition in Lodève

L’art aborigène déploie ses couleurs et ses messages codés dans une grande expo à Lodève

A major exhibition of Aboriginal art has opened at the Musée de Lodève in France, featuring over one hundred works primarily from the collection of Alison and Peter Klein. The show presents paintings, painted totems, and trunks, showcasing the rich colors, hypnotic dot painting techniques, and coded symbolism characteristic of this art form.

Gladstone Gallery to Relocate in Seoul, Doubling Exhibition Space

Gladstone Gallery is relocating its Seoul location to the Hannam-dong neighborhood later this year, doubling its exhibition space. Designed by architect Minsuk Cho of Mass Studies, the new outpost will occupy two floors of the 739-28 Hannam Building, across from Pace Gallery and near the Leeum Museum of Art. The space is set to open in late summer ahead of Frieze Seoul in September, with a solo exhibition by Ed Atkins—his first in the city—inaugurating the gallery. Gladstone first opened in Seoul's Gangnam district in 2022, joining a wave of Western galleries entering the Korean market.

Claude Lalanne Mirror Ensemble Sells for $33.5 M., Breaking Design Auction Records

A custom ensemble of 15 mirrors by Claude Lalanne sold for $33.5 million at Sotheby's New York, shattering the artist's previous auction record and setting a new global benchmark for the most expensive design work ever sold at auction. The piece, commissioned in 1974 for Yves Saint Laurent and Pierre Bergé's Paris home, far exceeded its $10-15 million estimate.

Fraenkel Gallery Partners with New York’s Metrograph for Artist-Curated Series

Fraenkel Gallery has partnered with New York's Metrograph theater to present a film series curated by six of its represented artists. The series, titled "Fraenkel Gallery Presents," runs from May 8–17, with each artist selecting a film and several introducing their screenings. The collaboration includes an opening event featuring artist Carrie Mae Weems and director Joel Coen.

Barbara Chase-Riboud Says She Declined US Pavilion Offer Because It Was ‘Not the Moment’

Sculptor Barbara Chase-Riboud has revealed she declined an offer to represent the United States at the 2025 Venice Biennale, stating that for her, "this was not the moment." The offer was made by the American Arts Conservancy, the nonprofit organization commissioning the US Pavilion. The revelation comes amid ongoing scrutiny of the selection process that ultimately led to artist Alma Allen being chosen, following reports that the Trump administration removed diversity language from application materials.

The North Can Do More Than Design

Der Norden kann mehr als Design

During Stockholm Art Week, the Swedish capital showcases itself as a leading Nordic art destination. Highlights include textile sculptures by Diana Orving at Millesgården Museum, two concurrent art fairs—the independent Supermarket and the 20th edition of Market Art Fair—and numerous gallery exhibitions, artist talks, and studio visits. The Market Art Fair features 54 booths and over 150 artists, with a focus on Nordic positions, including works by Ólafur Elíasson and the duo Inka & Niclas. The city's art scene is growing, with many new galleries opening and strong private institutions like Bonniers Konsthall and Fotografiska participating.

Long-Hidden Keith Haring Artworks Come to Auction

A collection of rare Keith Haring artworks, gifted to his childhood friend Kermit Oswald over nearly three decades, is coming to auction at Sotheby’s Breuer Building in May 2025. The trove includes a self-portrait from 1985 (estimated at $3–5 million), a painted crib and dresser ($250,000–350,000), a carved wood sculpture from 1983 (up to $800,000), and other early works on wood, fabric, and paper. These pieces trace Haring’s artistic evolution before his subway drawings and international fame, and were kept by Oswald, who was Haring’s best friend since kindergarten and later installed his shows.

Claude Lalanne’s set of bronze mirrors shatters artist's auction record at Sotheby's

A set of 15 bronze and copper mirrors by Claude Lalanne sold for $33.5 million at Sotheby's in New York, shattering the artist's previous auction record and surpassing the record price for works by her late husband and collaborator, François-Xavier Lalanne. The ensemble, which far exceeded its $15 million high estimate, drew fierce competition from five bidders over ten minutes.

The Photography Show fair’s 45th edition explores medium’s full history from its origins to AI

The Association of International Photography Art Dealers (Aipad) has opened the 45th edition of The Photography Show at New York's Park Avenue Armory. The fair features around 65 exhibitors in its main section, with a new Focal Point sector highlighting 13 solo presentations by boundary-pushing artists. Returning participants include major New York photography galleries, alongside first-time exhibitors and galleries returning after an absence.

Philadelphia Museum welcomes Rocky statue with new exhibition | Daily Sabah

The Philadelphia Museum of Art is opening a new exhibition titled "Rising Up: Rocky and the Making of Monuments," which explores the cultural and artistic significance of the Rocky Balboa statue that sits at the museum's steps. Guest curator Paul Farber organized the show, which spans over 2,000 years of boxing imagery and includes works by Keith Haring, Jean-Michel Basquiat, and Andy Warhol. The exhibition marks a shift in the museum's long-standing ambivalent relationship with the statue, which was originally placed on the steps during filming of the "Rocky" movies and later relocated before returning in 2006. After the exhibition closes in August, the statue will be permanently installed at the top of the museum's steps for the first time.

Philadelphia Museum of Art exhibit featuring Rocky Balboa statue gets underway

The Philadelphia Museum of Art has opened a new exhibition titled "Rising Up: Rocky and the Making of Monuments," centered on the iconic bronze statue of fictional boxer Rocky Balboa that sits at the bottom of the museum's steps. Guest-curated by Paul Farber, the show explores the statue's transformation from a movie prop into a real-world symbol of perseverance and public devotion, tracing over 2,000 years of boxing imagery through works by artists such as Keith Haring, Jean-Michel Basquiat, and Andy Warhol. The museum, which once fought to have the statue removed, now embraces it as part of Philadelphia's identity.

Museum of Art brings Rocky statue inside

The Philadelphia Museum of Art is opening a new exhibition titled "Rising Up: Rocky and the Making of Monuments" that brings the iconic bronze statue of fictional boxer Rocky Balboa inside the museum for the first time. Guest curator Paul Farber organized the show, which spans over 2,000 years of boxing imagery and places the statue within art history and Philadelphia's identity. The museum, which had a historically rocky relationship with the statue—initially fighting to have it removed from its steps—has now embraced it, with plans to permanently install the statue at the top of the museum's steps after the exhibition closes in August.

Tracey Emin | Even Saying Nothing Is a Lie (2021) | For Sale

Tracey Emin's 2021 lithograph "Even Saying Nothing Is a Lie" is being offered for sale by Hang-Up Gallery in London for £8,500. The limited-edition print, hand-signed and numbered by the artist, measures 37 × 29 1/10 inches and comes framed. Emin, a leading Young British Artist known for her confessional works such as "My Bed" (1998), has exhibited globally at institutions including the Mori Art Museum, Whitney Museum, and Stedelijk Museum, and her work is held by major collections like Tate and MoMA.

Brazilian women bring Latin American art to the New York collector circuit.

Two Brazilian women, Fernanda Mazzuco and Luciana Solano, run Art in Brackets, a consultancy and art advisory firm based in New York. For the first time, they have opened a public exhibition space on Walker Street in Tribeca, featuring a collective show centered on the African diaspora and transatlantic connections. The exhibition includes works by artists such as Santídio Pereira and Madalena dos Santos Reinbolt, with prices ranging from $3,800 to $140,000. The company, founded in 2022, connects collectors with Brazilian and Latin American artists, operating as 'wall curators' in partnership with various galleries.

Philadelphia Museum of Art Launches Rocky Exhibition: A New Look at Monuments, Culture, and Legacy

The Philadelphia Museum of Art has opened a new exhibition titled “Rising Up: Rocky and the Making of Monuments” in April 2026, which examines the cultural significance of public monuments through the lens of the fictional boxer Rocky Balboa. Curated by Paul Farber and drawing on the work of Monument Lab, the show brings the iconic Rocky Statue inside the museum, placing it alongside classical and contemporary artworks by artists such as Jean-Michel Basquiat and Andy Warhol, as well as historical objects spanning 2,000 years.

10 Exhibitions to See in Venice Which Aren’t Part of the Biennale

Ocula's editors have curated a list of 10 must-see collateral exhibitions in Venice that are not part of the main Biennale. Highlights include Shirin Neshat's film trilogy "Do U Dare!" about YouTuber Nasim Aghdam, Hernan Bas's ironic paintings of tourists at Ca' Pesaro, and the group show "Outta Love" featuring Francesca Woodman, Jenny Saville, and Wolfgang Tillmans. Another notable exhibition is "Turāndokht" from Parasol unit, which brings together 11 female artists from Central Asia to challenge Orientalist stereotypes.

Art Basel’s ‘Basel Exclusive’ Initiative Asks Galleries to Withhold at Least One Work from PDF Previews, and Other News.

Art Basel is launching a new initiative called "Basel Exclusive" for its June 2026 Switzerland fair, asking exhibitors to withhold at least one key work from pre-fair digital PDF previews to encourage in-person viewing. Around 170 of 232 exhibitors, including major galleries like Gagosian, Hauser & Wirth, Pace, and David Zwirner, have already adopted the program. Separately, Tate Britain announced the 2026 Turner Prize shortlist featuring artists Simeon Barclay, Tanoa Sasraku, Kira Freije, and Marguerite Humeau, with the exhibition opening at Middlesbrough Institute of Modern Art (MIMA) in September. The Museum of Sonoma County will also commemorate the 50th anniversary of Christo and Jeanne-Claude's land art installation "Running Fence" with a major exhibition opening June 27.

16 Of The Best Free Art Exhibitions In London - Spring 2026

Harriet Cooper's guide highlights 16 free art exhibitions in London for spring 2026, including David Hockney's inaugural show at Serpentine North Gallery, a solo display by designer Simone Brewster at the Design Museum, and Somerset House's 'Holy Pop!' exploring modern idolatry. Other featured shows range from Paula Rego drawings to Gilbert & George works, all accessible without admission charges.

150+ Works Celebrate Philadelphia’s Boxing Legends and Monuments in New Exhibition

The Philadelphia Museum of Art will present "Rising Up: Rocky and the Making of Monuments," an exhibition opening April 25, 2026, that explores the cultural significance of the Rocky statue and its connection to Philadelphia's boxing legends, immigrant neighborhoods, and public monuments. Featuring over 150 works by more than 50 artists—including Keith Haring, Rashid Johnson, Kara Walker, and Andy Warhol—alongside artifacts spanning 2,000 years, the show includes sculptures, paintings, video, and new commissions, timed to the 50th anniversary of the film "Rocky" (1976), the city's World Cup matches, and Philadelphia's Semiquincentennial.

Art Basel unveils Basel Exclusive and further program highlights for its flagship show in June

Art Basel has announced new program highlights for its flagship fair in Basel this June, including a new initiative called Basel Exclusive. Developed in dialogue with galleries, Basel Exclusive requires participating exhibitors from the main Galleries sector to reserve at least one major work—or an entire presentation—from all pre-fair previews, online viewing rooms, and pre-sales, unveiling them publicly for the first time during the VIP opening on June 16. The fair also revealed the lineup for Unlimited, its platform for large-scale works, which will feature 59 projects by 66 international galleries, curated for the first time by Ruba Katrib of MoMA PS1. Unlimited Night returns on June 18 with extended hours and special performances.