Réouverture des Catacombes
The Catacombs of Paris have officially reopened to the public following a five-month renovation project. These extensive works were primarily focused on upgrading the site's infrastructure to enhance the overall visitor experience and improve the flow of traffic through the historic underground ossuary.
The Getty Center in Los Angeles has announced a temporary closure beginning March 15, 2027, to undergo its most extensive renovation since opening in 1997. The modernization project aims to enhance the visitor experience across the campus through a series of facility upgrades and reimagined spaces.
Unsere Highlights aus dem Rahmenprogramm
This article from Monopol highlights the must-see collateral events at the Venice Biennale, focusing on exhibitions and performances beyond the main show. It features Arthur Jafa and Richard Prince at Fondazione Prada, as well as works by Marina Abramović and other artists across video and performance art.
The Musée des arts décoratifs et du design (MADD) in Bordeaux has reopened its design-focused wing after three years of renovation, featuring a new entrance pavilion designed by Antoine Dufour Architectes that connects the historic Hôtel de Lalande and the former municipal prison. The overhaul includes a monumental shelving display of eighty vases by designers such as Andrea Branzi and Gaetano Pesce, a new "gallery of know-how" dedicated to rotating thematic presentations (starting with ceramics), a graphic arts cabinet showcasing the Jacques Sargos collection of over 130 drawings, and improved climate control for conservation.
The Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) has opened its new David Geffen Galleries, a major building designed by Pritzker Prize-winning architect Peter Zumthor. The structure, which replaces four older buildings on the museum's campus, is a single-story, concrete-and-glass pavilion spanning Wilshire Boulevard, designed to create a more unified and accessible visitor experience.
More than 100 Seattle Art Museum employees announced plans to unionize under the banner Seattle Art Museum Workers United (SAMWU), representing workers across over 20 front- and back-end departments including curatorial, education, and visitor experience. The union informed SAM director and CEO Scott Stulen of its formation in a letter citing unsustainable wages, subpar health benefits, and top-down decision-making. Organizers say they have a supermajority support among eligible workers. SAMWU has filed for an election with the National Labor Relations Board but is willing to withdraw if leadership voluntarily recognizes the union before May 27. The union has affiliated with the Washington Federation of State Employees/AFSCME Council 28. Security staff, who previously unionized as SAM VSO in 2022 and secured a contract after a 12-day strike in late 2024, will remain separate.
The Getty Center in Los Angeles will shutter for one year beginning March 15, 2027, to undergo its most significant renovation since opening in 1997. The $600 million to $800 million project focuses on infrastructure and visitor experience, including a total replacement of the campus's aging tram system, a redesign of the welcome hall, and the renovation of 27,000 square feet of gallery space. While the hilltop campus is closed, the Getty Villa will remain open, and a new permanent space will debut on Sepulveda Boulevard.
The Prado Museum in Madrid has implemented new crowd control measures to combat overtourism, including reducing the maximum size of tour groups from 30 to 20 people and restricting group access to off-peak afternoon hours. The museum is also promoting "thematic routes" to disperse visitors into less crowded galleries.
The Metropolitan Museum of Art has unveiled the new Condé M. Nast Galleries, a nearly 12,000-square-foot suite of exhibition spaces designed by Brooklyn-based architecture firm Peterson Rich Office. Located adjacent to the museum's Great Hall, the galleries relocate fashion exhibitions from a previously tucked-away basement space to one of the museum's most visible and architecturally significant locations. The new spaces debuted with "Costume Art," an exhibition organized by The Costume Institute and curated by Andrew Bolton, which places roughly 200 garments and accessories in dialogue with 200 artworks from the museum's collection, exploring themes such as "The Classical Body," "The Aging Body," and "The Disabled Body." The design, by architects Miriam Peterson and Nathan Rich, uses a restrained material palette of grey marmorino plaster and oak doors framed by limestone arches to create permanent-feeling yet flexible spaces that harmonize with the museum's historic Beaux-Arts architecture.
The Brandywine Conservancy & Museum of Art in Pennsylvania has announced a $100 million expansion project to transform its 15-acre campus. The plan includes a new 40,000-square-foot museum building designed by Kengo Kuma & Associates—the firm's first museum in the U.S.—along with renovations to the original mid-19th century grist mill building, and the creation of a 325-acre publicly accessible preserve and garden with 10 miles of trails. Construction is set to begin in spring 2027, with completion expected in autumn 2029.
The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art in Kansas City has introduced a new exhibition, "Personal Best," designed to welcome international visitors during the 2026 FIFA World Cup. The exhibition blends fine art and athletics, connecting the global sporting event with Kansas City's cultural scene. The museum offers free general admission, making it an accessible attraction for soccer fans attending six matches at Arrowhead Stadium starting June 16, 2026.
The Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) has opened its new David Geffen Galleries, a landmark building designed by Swiss architect Peter Zumthor. The structure features floor-to-ceiling windows, spans Wilshire Boulevard 30 feet above the Miracle Mile, and houses galleries organized around maritime trade routes. The museum celebrated its inaugural events with a gala and ribbon-cutting, opening to the public on April 20, 2026. The new space displays over 155,000 art objects from the permanent collection, spanning ancient civilizations to contemporary works.
The artist duo DRIFT launched their 'Franchise Freedom' performance, a swarm of over 1,000 illuminated drones, above the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA). The event celebrated the public opening of the museum's new Peter Zumthor-designed David Geffen Galleries, creating a dialogue between the dynamic, airborne artwork and the building's horizontal, sand-toned concrete architecture.
This article lists eight London museums and galleries that offer late-night opening hours on specific days, allowing visitors to explore exhibits after standard closing times. The featured institutions include the British Museum, National Portrait Gallery, Photographers' Gallery, Victoria and Albert Museum, Science Museum, and London Transport Museum, each with designated late evenings typically on Fridays or Saturdays.
The Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) has opened its new building, designed by architect Peter Zumthor, marking a major milestone in the museum's long-awaited expansion and renovation. The new structure replaces four outdated buildings and aims to modernize the campus while improving visitor experience and exhibition space.
Museums worldwide are grappling with the escalating need for heightened security measures following a series of high-profile thefts, including a recent bold robbery at the Louvre. Institutions are forced to re-evaluate their surveillance protocols and physical barriers to protect priceless cultural heritage from increasingly sophisticated criminal tactics.
A new Palazzo delle Arti e delle Culture – Collecto is opening in Venice at Palazzo Erizzo Ligabue, a 15th-century palace on the Grand Canal. The initiative, spearheaded by Inti Ligabue (45), son of the late paleontologist and entrepreneur Giancarlo Ligabue, will open to the public from May 7 to May 24, 2026, offering guided tours of a collection of over 400 pieces spanning from 4.5-billion-year-old fossils to contemporary works by artists such as Arcangelo Sassolino, Nico Vascellari, and Giorgio Andreotta Calò. The project builds on the Fondazione Giancarlo Ligabue, established in 2016 from the original Centro Studi founded in 1973, and will feature a residency by artist Marta Spagnoli.
La Galleria Ricci Oddi di Piacenza è stata rinnovata. Ecco com’è cambiata dopo i lavori (finanziati dai cittadini)
La Galleria d'Arte Moderna Ricci Oddi in Piacenza, Italy, has completed a year-long renovation and reinstallation project, reopening to the public on April 28. The work, designed pro bono by Milanese studio Lissoni & Partners and funded by citizens, restored the original architecture by Giulio Ulisse Arata, emphasizing a central panopticon and natural zenithal light. The museum remained partially open during construction, which refreshed all 22 rooms and over 1,000 square meters of space, aiming to reconnect the collection with its purpose-built building.
Rome’s Colosseum has unveiled a major four-year restoration of its southern entrance, a project led by Stefano Boeri Interiors in collaboration with the Colosseum Archaeological Park. The renovation lowered the surrounding piazza to its original Roman-era height, reintroduced travertine flooring sourced from ancient quarries, and installed seating blocks that mark the locations of long-lost marble columns. During the excavation process, archaeologists recovered a wealth of historical artifacts, including ancient coins, statues, and gold jewelry, while leaving a specific section untouched to showcase the arena's complex hydraulic foundations.
Dale Chihuly has opened a new exhibition titled 'Chihuly x Maker’s Mark' at the Maker’s Mark distillery in Kentucky, featuring nine sculptural glass works installed across the grounds of Star Hill Farm. The show includes pieces such as the 12-foot 'Sapphire and Platinum Waterdrop Tower' (2017) and 'Moonbow Fiori' (2025), with the permanent installation 'Spirit of the Maker' (2013) at its center. The exhibition is accompanied by after-dark tours, limited-release whisky pours, and a revamped restaurant, Star Hill Provisions.
Ohio State University's Billy Ireland Cartoon Library & Museum, home to the world's largest cartoon and comic collection, will reopen on Saturday after being closed since November 10, 2025. The reopening features renovated galleries, a new permanent exhibition titled "Story of Comics" that traces 400 years of cartoon art, and the U.S. debut of cartoonist Chris Ware's major international exhibition "Life Is Complicated," on display until January 3, 2027. The museum houses 300,000 original cartoons and 2.5 million newspaper comic strip pages and clippings.
Newcastle Art Gallery in Australia has unveiled two groundbreaking accessibility commissions: a digital guide named Nancy and architectural-scale sculptures by artist Fayen d'Evie. The digital guide offers a 24-stop tour with audio, Auslan-interpreted video, and written descriptions, developed through a 'by community, for community' model involving d/Deaf consultants, Auslan interpreters, and First Nations consultants. The sculptural solution addresses the gallery's original floating staircases, providing safe navigation for visitors who are blind or have low vision. A panel talk and Auslan-interpreted tour on Saturday will highlight these initiatives.
Bobby Rogers, a graduate of the Minneapolis College of Art and Design, has been appointed as the head of design and editorial at the Minneapolis Institute of Art (MIA). In this role, he oversees the museum's visual identity, exhibition design, and marketing, aiming to make MIA a more engaging and innovative space for visitors. Rogers previously worked as head photographer at the Walker Art Center and as a senior art director at Target.
La nouvelle entrée du Louvre
The article, titled "La nouvelle entrée du Louvre," reports on the upcoming redesign of the main entrance to the Louvre Museum in Paris. It also covers several other art-world stories: the return of American Rousseau works to Paris, the growing trend of outsourcing museum reception services, the New Museum's expansion, the troubled Musée des Tissus project, and Art Brussels adapting to contemporary trends.
La situation du Muséum national d’Histoire Naturelle
The New Museum in New York is undergoing a significant physical and institutional expansion, signaling a new chapter for the contemporary art landmark. This 'change of scale' involves architectural developments designed to increase exhibition space and enhance the visitor experience, reflecting the institution's growing influence in the global art scene.
Gustav Klimt’s "Portrait of a Lady" has returned to the Ricci Oddi Gallery of Modern Art in Piacenza following a successful loan exhibition at the My Art Museum in Seoul. The masterpiece resumes its permanent display just as the gallery prepares to unveil a comprehensive renovation of its 22 exhibition rooms. Designed by Lissoni & Partners, the redevelopment project has modernized over 1,000 square meters of the institution's floor space.
The monumental Whitehall Ceiling at London’s Banqueting House, painted by Peter Paul Rubens, is set to reopen to the public following a comprehensive two-year renovation and conservation project. Managed by Historic Royal Palaces, the initiative included the installation of advanced climate control systems to preserve the 17th-century canvases, structural stabilization of historic plaster, and the addition of a lift to provide the first-ever step-free access to the Main Hall.
Amandine Blier : « Aura est le nouveau nom d’Edeis Culture »
Trévise Participations, the holding company of the Noisiez family, has consolidated its cultural activities by granting autonomy to its subsidiary Edeis Culture and rebranding it as Aura. Amandine Blier, a seasoned communications professional with experience at the City of Versailles and the opening of Citéco, has been confirmed as the head of the new entity, which manages eight cultural sites including venues in Nîmes and the recently won concession for the Villa Kérylos.
This article offers ten practical tips for enhancing museum visits, emphasizing preparation, physical comfort, and mindful engagement. It advises planning around specific artworks using online databases, addressing bodily needs like food and hydration, and timing visits to avoid crowds. The piece also recommends slowing down to spend ten minutes per work, using techniques like slow looking to deepen appreciation.
Feria Material, a satellite art fair to Mexico City's Zona Maco, is moving its venue just six weeks before its February 5–8 edition. The fair will relocate from Expo Reforma to Maravilla Studios, a renovated historic factory in Colonia Atlampa, because Expo Reforma is hosting "Stranger Things: The Experience," a Netflix immersive activation, through the end of February. Material cofounder Brett W. Schultz told ARTnews that the fair exhausted all options to stay at Expo Reforma but faced limited venue options and skyrocketing rental prices in Mexico City. Maravilla Studios offered a similar price and features a single-level layout with high ceilings, polished concrete floors, and outdoor spaces, which the fair's production team sees as an improvement over the previous two-floor, carpeted venue.