Speaking in Signs: Kwame Akoto’s Worlds Across Contexts.

Ghanaian painter Kwame Akoto, known for his vibrant signboard works blending bold imagery with urgent text, is the subject of his first major French exhibition, 'Almighty God Art Works', at the Musée du quai Branly – Jacques Chirac in Paris. In an interview with ART AFRICA, Akoto discusses how his paintings transform when moving from the streets of Kumasi—where they function as everyday spiritual and commercial communication—into a European museum context, addressing themes of translation, shared authorship, and the shifting meanings of images across cultural and institutional boundaries.

Echoes from the Margins: Guinea’s Debut Pavilion Resonates in Venice.

Guinea has presented its first-ever national pavilion at the 61st Venice Biennale. Titled 'Le Son de l’Art,' the exhibition is installed on the island of San Servolo and is curated by Koyo Kouoh, featuring a multidisciplinary group of artists exploring memory, materiality, and postcolonial identity.

Tabula Rasa: The Geometry of the Collective.

Peterson Kamwathi's exhibition 'Tabula Rasa: The Geometry of the Collective' opened at the Nairobi Contemporary Art Institute. The show features his work exploring how individual bodies accumulate and dissolve into larger social and political formations, mapping the dynamics of crowds, protests, and collective identity.

Johannes Phokela: Exploring Virtue, Contradiction, and Power at the Venice Biennale 2026.

South African artist Johannes Phokela is set to showcase a significant body of work at the 2026 Venice Biennale, building on his recent series 'The Seven Virtues' and 'Original Sin'. Curated under a vision initiated by the late Koyo Kouoh and supported by Eclectica Contemporary, Phokela’s paintings subvert the aesthetics of European Old Master traditions. His works, including 'Fides' and 'Temperantia', utilize Baroque visual languages to critique constructed morality, institutional power, and the performance of virtue.

‘Washwasha’ (Whispers Across Water): Sonic Cartographies of the UAE at the Venice Biennale.

The National Pavilion UAE has announced its upcoming exhibition for the 61st Venice Biennale in 2026, titled ‘Washwasha’ (Whispers Across Water). Curated by Bana Kattan with assistant curator Tala Nassar, the presentation features six artists: Mays Albaik, Jawad Al Malhi, Farah Al Qasimi, Alaa Edris, Lamya Gargash, and Taus Makhacheva. The exhibition moves away from traditional visual spectacle to focus on sound, oral traditions, and 'sonic cartographies' that explore memory, migration, and the fluid identity of the UAE through an architectural environment designed by Büro Koray Duman Architects.

AT A LOW FLAME. CLAY AND NATURAL FIBERS IN THE WORK OF IBERO-AMERICAN ARTISTS

A MEDIA LUMBRE. BARRO Y FIBRAS NATURALES EN LA OBRA DE ARTISTAS IBEROAMERICANOS

The exhibition 'A media lumbre' presents a collection of works by Ibero-American artists that engage with materials and knowledge historically considered minor arts, such as ceramics, clay, wool, textiles, embroidery, and natural fibers. The show integrates sound and oral tradition as tools for transmitting memory, drawing inspiration from communal gatherings like the 'filandones.' It unfolds across four autonomous exhibitions in Valencia, Mallorca, Aragon, and Catalonia, connecting urban museums like the IVAM with rural contexts.

film mohamad abdouni michael bailey gates cold cuts

Lebanese photographer, filmmaker, and Cold Cuts magazine creative director Mohamad Abdouni has released a new documentary titled "Treat Me Like Your Mother," which documents the lives of trans women in Lebanon. The film, drawn from an Arabic expression asking for mercy, reframes motherhood as an ethical position rooted in responsibility for the trans community. Rather than extracting trauma, Abdouni allows the women to tell their own histories in personal, nonlinear, and surprising forms. The documentary evolved from a book project featuring oral histories of ten women, and the film centers Abdouni's own reflections on what these women represented to him growing up. In a dialogue with photographer Michael Bailey-Gates for CULTURED, Abdouni discusses the importance of letting trans women define the terms of their own visibility.

Kazuhito Kawai & Alexa Kumiko Hatanaka "Tsuitayo: Becoming by Making" @ KOTARO NUKAGA (Roppongi)

川井雄仁&アレクサ・クミコ・ハタナカ「ついたよ：Becoming by Making」@ KOTARO NUKAGA（六本木）

Artists Kazuhito Kawai and Alexa Kumiko Hatanaka are presenting a joint exhibition titled "Tsuitayo: Becoming by Making" at KOTARO NUKAGA in Roppongi, Tokyo. Running from March 14 to April 10, 2026, the show features Kawai’s expressive ceramic sculptures alongside Hatanaka’s textile-based works, including her signature "Noren" and "Tabi" pieces. The exhibition highlights a dialogue between Kawai’s tactile, often grotesque ceramic forms and Hatanaka’s exploration of heritage and craft through traditional Japanese materials.

Art Leven to open new Woolloomooloo gallery featuring First Nations works

Art Leven, formerly known as Cooee Art, has officially opened its new multi-level, purpose-built gallery space in Woolloomooloo, Sydney. The relocation marks a significant new chapter for one of Australia’s oldest fine art galleries dedicated to First Nations artists. The inaugural program features a major solo exhibition of paintings by Pintupi artist Mitjili Napanangka Gibson titled "The Places That Know Us," alongside "Gatherings," a group exhibition of bronze and aluminium sculptures produced in collaboration with Urban Art Projects.

Japanese artist Mari Ito debuts in India with bold, thought-provoking exhibition

Japanese contemporary artist Mari Ito has opened her first solo exhibition in India, titled 'Origin of Desire,' at Bikaner House in New Delhi. The show features recent paintings and a large-scale installation created between 2024 and the present, exploring themes of identity, resistance, and the human body. Ito's practice is rooted in Nihonga, a classical Japanese painting technique using mineral pigments and sumi ink on washi paper or silk, which she blends with contemporary subject matter. A highlight is the installation 'Flowers Blooming in Defiance of the Bombs,' previously shown in Spain and reimagined for the Indian context. The exhibition is supported by Galerie Geek Art, which aims to connect Asian contemporary artists with Indian audiences.

Abstract painter Tom Wilson Jones featured at Provincetown gallery

Abstract Expressionist painter Tom Wilson Jones is the subject of a new exhibition at Larkin Gallery in Provincetown, Massachusetts. The show runs through June 9, with an opening reception on May 22. Jones, a Louisville native now living in Harwich Port, studied under Robert Henry, Bill Steeves, and at the Royal Museum of Brussels School.

De Sarthe to open new 10,000-square-foot gallery in Hong Kong’s Southside art district.

Hong Kong gallery De Sarthe has announced it will relocate to a larger 10,000-square-foot space in the Wong Chuk Hang neighborhood, opening September 20th in Vita Tower within the city’s Southside art district. The new gallery will feature separate exhibition areas for contemporary art and 20th-century masterworks, marking a major expansion as the gallery celebrates its 15th anniversary in Hong Kong. Founder Pascal de Sarthe emphasized the continued importance of physical gallery spaces for meaningful dialogue between artists and audiences, even in a digital age.

'Father' exhibit to make US debut at Armenian Museum. When it opens

The Armenian Museum of America in Watertown, Massachusetts, will debut the exhibition “Father” by internationally acclaimed artist Diana Markosian, running from May 29 to September 13. The show uses photography, archival materials, video, and text to document Markosian’s journey to reconnect with her estranged father, exploring themes of family, memory, and identity. Curated by Anahit Gasparyan, the exhibition is co-produced by Les Rencontres d’Arles and Foam, Amsterdam, and sponsored by the JHM Charitable Foundation. A private member preview on May 28 will feature a conversation between the artist and curator.

Coburn Gallery’s annual faculty art exhibition to open Jan. 22

Coburn Gallery at Ashland University will host its annual faculty art exhibition from January 22 to February 20, 2026, featuring two-dimensional and three-dimensional works by ten faculty members from the AU Department of Art + Design. An opening reception will take place on January 22 from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m., with free admission to the public.

Force History To Sweat An In Depth Interview On Su Hui Yus Performance Movie In Bogota

Taiwanese artist Su Hui-Yu premiered his performance film "A Total Story" at the Museum of Modern Art in Bogotá (MAMBO) in January. The film, shot inside the museum, intertwines the histories of Colombia and Taiwan through a narrative enacted by queer and trans performers. The exhibition "La Saga Total," his first in Latin America, also featured several of his video and installation series. The project is now set to travel to Taipei for a premiere at MOCA Taipei in April.

Elliot Erick Jimenez El Monte

Elliot and Erick Jiménez, twin photographers from Miami, have debuted their first museum exhibition, 'El Monte,' at the Pérez Art Museum Miami (PAMM). The immersive installation transforms the gallery into a hybrid chapel-forest, drawing conceptual inspiration from Cuban ethnographer Lydia Cabrera's seminal 1954 book of the same name, which explores Afro-Cuban spiritual traditions. The artists present staged photographs featuring anonymous 'shadow figures' adorned in paint and costumes, creating archetypal representations of spiritual forces.

Sarah Alruwayti on Riyadh's Shift from Vision to Execution

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Sarah Alruwayti, director of the Tuwaiq Sculpture Symposium, discusses the evolution of Riyadh Art’s public art initiatives under Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030. The symposium has grown from a local project into a global open-call forum, commissioning over 120 international sculptors to create permanent works using local materials like Saudi granite and reclaimed metal. The latest edition, themed "Traces of What Will Be," focuses on urban transformation and the historical context of Riyadh’s changing landscape.

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British artist James Doran-Webb is set to debut his first solo exhibition with the venerable UK gallery Gladwell and Patterson during Scottsdale Ferrari Art Week 2026. Known for his intricate wildlife sculptures crafted from reclaimed driftwood, Doran-Webb’s practice transforms weathered, inanimate natural materials into dynamic animal forms such as horses, owls, and meerkats. The presentation will pair these contemporary sculptures with Impressionist and Post-Impressionist paintings to create an immersive environment.

italian prime ministers face erased from rome fresco after complaints from the vatican 1234772730

The face of an angel in a fresco at Rome's Basilica of St. Lawrence in Lucina, which bore a resemblance to Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, has been erased. Artist Bruno Valentinetti, who restored his own 2000 fresco, removed the image last week following an inquiry by Italy's culture ministry and the diocese of Rome, stating he acted at the Vatican's request.

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W. David Marx joins Artnet News senior editor Kate Brown on the podcast 'The Art Angle' to discuss his new book, *Blank Space: A Cultural History of the Twenty-First Century*. The book argues that creativity across art, media, and popular culture has stagnated over the past 25 years, driven by commercialization, rapid technology shifts, and a preference for profit-driven formulas over experimentation. Marx identifies a 'conspicuous blank space where art and creativity used to be' and proposes five strategies to revive cultural inventiveness.

nft paris and rwa paris shelved with one month notice due to crypto and nft market collapse founder says 1234768992

NFT Paris and its sister event RWA Paris have been canceled just one month before they were scheduled to take place at the Grande Halle de la Villette in Paris. Founder Alexandre Tsydenkov announced the cancellation on LinkedIn, citing the collapse of the crypto and NFT markets as making the events financially impossible despite drastic cost cuts. Both conferences had run for four years, showcasing digital art, NFT galleries, and AI-generated works, but had recently shifted toward broader tech and blockchain topics. All tickets will be refunded.

pompeii hercules fresco location 2730508

Archaeologists have identified the original location of a looted fresco fragment from Pompeii that was repatriated from the U.S. to Italy in 2023. The fragment, depicting baby Hercules wrestling a snake, was found to have once decorated the upper lunette of a private chapel (sacellum) at the ancient villa of Civita Giuliana. The discovery was made during excavations in 2023 and 2024, and the fragment will be exhibited at the Antiquarium of Boscoreale from mid-January.

christoph buechel art mosque iceland pavilion venice biennale shut down 301246

Authorities in Venice have shut down the working mosque installed by Swiss artist Christoph Büchel in the city center as part of his presentation for the Icelandic Pavilion at the 2015 Venice Biennale. The closure followed an evaluation by a public safety committee, citing overcrowding during Friday prayers that exceeded the legal limit of 90 people, as well as security concerns due to the mosque's location near a pedestrian bridge. The Venice Biennale expressed hope that solutions could be found to reopen the pavilion, while the Icelandic Art Center's director published a letter detailing the fraught negotiations with Italian authorities leading up to the installation.

LensCulture portrait awards 2026 – in pictures

The LensCulture Portrait Awards 2026 have announced their winning and shortlisted photographers, showcasing a diverse range of styles from documentary realism to conceptual invention. Highlights include an Australian photographer's winning portrait of a 'barefoot volcanologist' and poignant series documenting the ongoing conflict in Ukraine and the reclamation of identity in post-colonial contexts.

A Holy Week procession, white pelicans and apricot blossoms: photos of the day – Tuesday

The Guardian's picture editors curated a selection of global photographs for Tuesday, March 31, 2026. The images include a Holy Week procession by the Trabajo y Luz brotherhood in Granada, Spain; white pelicans at Lake Çavuşçu in Turkey; apricot blossoms in Gilgit-Baltistan, Pakistan; and scenes from California, Lebanon, India, Israel, Ukraine, the West Bank, and France, capturing moments of nature, conflict, displacement, and commemoration.

From car parks to piers: the 2026 Australian Urban Design awards celebrate utilitarian architecture

The 2026 Australian Urban Design Awards have been announced, celebrating projects that prioritize pragmatic, community-focused design over sculptural spectacle. Winners include the Campbelltown station commuter car park in Sydney, praised for its civic dignity and greenery; the St Kilda pier redevelopment in Melbourne, which balances engineering with tourism and penguin habitat protection; and Balam Balam Place in Brunswick, a cultural landscape honoring Indigenous history.

in venice, ukrainian artists reclaim joy with tender force

The article reports on 'Still Joy — From Ukraine Into the World,' a collateral exhibition at the 61st Venice Biennale presented by the Victor Pinchuk Foundation and PinchukArtCentre. The show features works by Ukrainian artists including Malashchuk & Khimei, Simone Post, and Zhanna Kadyrova, exploring themes of joy, survival, and resilience amid war. Highlights include a two-channel video juxtaposing a Kyiv rave before and after Russia's full-scale invasion, letters from Ukrainian soldiers printed on foam panels, and installations that transform everyday objects into meditations on sweetness and endurance.

On the Somalia Pavillion

At the 2026 Venice Biennale, Somalia has established its first-ever national pavilion, commissioned by the Somali government to showcase the richness of Somali culture through the theme of Saddaxleey, a triadic form of Somali poetry and proverbs. The pavilion features works by Somali Swedish artist Ayan Farah, UK-based Somali Danish multidisciplinary artist Asmaa Jama, and Somali British poet Warsan Shire. However, a collective of queer Somali artists, curators, and culture workers called Warbixinta Cidda has publicly criticized the pavilion for overrepresenting the diaspora, selecting an all-male advisory board, and appointing an Italian co-curator instead of Somali curators, raising concerns about representation and neocolonialism.

New exhibit at Macon Museum of Arts & Science

A new exhibit has opened at the Macon Museum of Arts & Science in Georgia, featuring a collection of spectacular paintings that the reviewer found visually impressive but thematically puzzling. The exhibit departs from the museum's previous shows, which have ranged from solo artist presentations and local Macon artists to Georgia-wide showcases and even more unconventional, psychedelic-themed works.

Meet artist Sanya Kantarovsky as he creates an immersive world in a Venetian palazzo

Sanya Kantarovsky presents 'Basic Failure,' an exhibition of paintings, ceramics, and a glass sculpture at Palazzo Loredan in Venice, running concurrently with the Venice Art Biennale 2026. The show features haunting, figurative works that resist linear narrative, drawing on themes of religion, history, philosophy, and human emotion, with the artist describing his intuitive, fragmentary approach to composition.