The Joy of Discovery at 1-54 Art Fair

The 1-54 Contemporary African Art Fair, now open at the Starrett-Lehigh Building in Manhattan, presents a smaller edition than previous years but continues to offer unexpected, tactile works. Highlights include Rommulo Vieira Conceição's Pop-art-inspired wall installation at Aura gallery, Kendra Frorup's mixed-media piece at the Current: Baha Mar Gallery, and Eymric Moderne's gold-leaf and glass bird painting at TM Arthouse. The fair also features posthumous works by Marcel Gotène at Loeve and Co and Sophia Bounou's enigmatic paintings at Blond Contemporary.

Loved by the public, but not by art critics. Jack Vettriano on show in Rome (interview with the curator)

Amato dal pubblico, ma non dai critici d’arte. Jack Vettriano in mostra a Roma (intervista alla curatrice)

A major retrospective exhibition of Scottish painter Jack Vettriano has opened at Palazzo Velli in Rome. The show, which originated in Bologna at Palazzo Pallavicini, was transformed into a posthumous retrospective following the artist's death in March 2025. It features both original oil paintings and high-quality, limited-edition reproductions on museum paper, a curatorial choice made by Vettriano himself to make his work more accessible.

The MAGA Theory of Art

The article examines the aesthetic dimensions of the MAGA movement, comparing and contrasting it with historical fascist regimes, particularly Nazi Germany. It argues that while both movements share a theatrical, media-savvy approach to politics and a resentment of cultural elites, MAGA lacks the disciplined, sophisticated aesthetic program and the cadre of high-profile artists and designers that characterized Nazi cultural production.

art hannah taurins young artist

Cultured magazine profiles 27-year-old artist Hannah Taurins, who is based in New York and originally from Houston. Her upcoming show with Tureen will explore the life cycle of a love story, drawing on nuptial aesthetics. Taurins’ drawing and painting practice extracts spiritual undertones from superficial sources like magazine spreads, pop anthems, and fangirl culture, and has been shown at galleries including Theta and Château Shatto. She cites Amy Sillman’s painting class at Cooper Union as a key influence, and describes her work as "sexy, colorful, fresh."

art witt fetter young artist

Cultured magazine profiles 31-year-old artist Witt Fetter as part of its 2025 Young Artists list. Based in New York and originally from Los Angeles, Fetter is known for paintings that reimagine surreal American scenes—such as the White House Situation Room, a Titanic-shaped inflatable slide, and a false missile alert sign—bathed in a distinctive violet-blue haze. Her work has been featured at Fierman and Derosia galleries, and she describes her practice as motivated by grief, desire, and faith, often exploring the tension between personal mythology and broader cultural contexts. The profile includes her reflections on a self-portrait titled *Diana, 2022*, inspired by a photograph of Princess Diana, and her tribute to her grandfather, who taught her to paint and whose technique of using a violet undercoat she continues.

libertine cultured aspen artweek dinner salon

Libertine founder Johnson Hartig and Cultured editor-in-chief Sarah Harrelson hosted an intimate salon dinner at the Hotel Jerome in Aspen during Aspen ArtWeek. The event brought together artists Issy Wood and Rogan Gregory, collectors Michelle and Jason Rubell, entrepreneurs Jen Rubio and Sabrina De Baets, jeweler Briony Raymond, and other cultural figures for seasonal dining and conversation, celebrating Libertine's polychrome pop-up.

Alex Israel on finding inspiration in Erewhon, AI as a tool and new show 'Where Is My Mind'

Multimedia artist Alex Israel has launched his first collaboration with Pace Prints, releasing a new suite of 10 archival pigment prints titled 'Where Is My Mind?' The series, part of his ongoing Self Portrait project, features intimate-scale works that incorporate representational imagery within his signature silhouette—ranging from the Hollywood Bowl stage to aerial views of Los Angeles and a California desert scene with an iPhone outline. Each print began as a photograph, translated into paint by the Scenic Art department at Warner Brothers Studio, then scanned and mounted in custom frames. The show coincides with Pace Prints' upcoming expansion into Los Angeles in fall 2026.

Rising Voices: Inside the V&A’s Landmark Exhibition Of Asian, Australian & Pacific Art

A new exhibition, 'Rising Voices: Contemporary Art from Asia, Australia, and the Pacific,' opens this weekend at the Victoria & Albert Museum in London. It features over 70 works by more than 40 artists from 25 Asia Pacific countries, including sculpture, painting, photography, ceramics, and textiles, many never before exhibited outside the region. The show is presented in partnership with the Queensland Art Gallery | Gallery of Modern Art (QAGOMA) in Brisbane and co-curated by Daniel Slater, the V&A's director of exhibitions.

At 1-54 New York 2026, Afro-Brazilian art takes centre stage for the first time

The 1-54 Contemporary African Art Fair in New York (May 13–17, 2026) will debut a curated section titled '1-54 Presents: Brazil Beyond Brazil,' focusing exclusively on Afro-Brazilian art and artists. Organized by Brazilian curator Igor Simões, the section features works by ten Black Brazilian artists—including Ana Claudia Almeida, Rebeca Carapiá, and Rommulo Vieira Conceição—presented by leading Brazilian galleries such as Almeida & Dale, Fortes D’Aloia & Gabriel, Nara Roesler, and Aura. The initiative draws on archival research, reinterprets modernist legacies, and challenges narrow narratives around Afro-Brazilian art, highlighting the cultural links between Africa and Latin America.

Keeping It Simple

On Valentine's Day, the Marianna Kistler Beach Museum of Art in Manhattan, Kansas, opened the inaugural "Kansas Triennial 25/26" exhibition, featuring works by four Kansas-based visual artists: Mona Cliff, Mark Cowardin, Poppy DeltaDawn, and Ann Resnick. The museum engaged young visitors by handing out paper hearts and inviting them to place their heart in front of the artwork they loved best, creating a reflective and participatory experience.

The Anti-Pop Art of Domenico Gnoli

The article reviews "The Adventure of Domenico Gnoli," a retrospective at Lévy Gorvy Dayan in New York, focusing on the Italian artist's 1967 painting *L'inverno (Couple au lit)* and other works featuring intimate, fabric-rich domestic scenes. Gnoli (1933–1970), born into an art-world family, is often associated with Pop Art, but the author argues his work depicts a private, almost childlike world of memory and longing, contrasting with Pop's mass-produced commodities.

Troublemakers and Prophets: Elizabeth Allen and Other Visionary Artists

Compton Verney in Warwickshire is staging a major exhibition titled "Troublemakers and Prophets: Elizabeth Allen and Other Visionary Artists," running from 28 March to 31 August 2026. The show reintroduces Elizabeth "Queen" Allen (1883–1967), a self-taught British artist who created intricate patchwork artworks inspired by the Apocrypha and biblical visions, using scraps of fabric, buttons, and sequins. Despite achieving success in her lifetime, Allen fell into obscurity; the exhibition pairs her work with thematically related contemporary artists to contextualize her legacy.

Andreas Angelidakis: Escape Room

The Greek Ministry of Culture has selected artist Andreas Angelidakis to represent Greece at the 61st Venice Biennale in 2026. Angelidakis will present an installation titled "Escape Room" at the Greek Pavilion, curated by George Bekirakis with MOMUS as National Commissioner. The project reimagines Plato's allegory of the cave as an immersive environment addressing post-truth, nationalism, and digital illusions, while also confronting the troubled history of the Pavilion itself, including its 1934 inauguration amid the rise of fascism.

Peter Saul’s New Show Is a Lesson in ‘Art History'

Veteran American artist Peter Saul has debuted a solo exhibition at Gladstone Gallery in New York, marking his first show since joining the gallery last year. Titled "Peter Saul’s Art History," the exhibition features 20 works—both new and historic—that reinterpret iconic masterpieces by 20th-century titans such as Pablo Picasso, Marcel Duchamp, and Willem de Kooning. A centerpiece of the show is the 1973 painting "Little Guernica ‘Liddul Guernica’," which is being publicly displayed for the first time in four decades.

São Paulo pop-up exhibition spotlights spherical home by architect Eduardo Longo

The fifth edition of Aberto has launched in São Paulo, transforming the iconic Casa Bola—a spherical, sustainable home designed by architect Eduardo Longo in the 1970s—into a temporary art and design hub. Co-curated by Kiki Mazzucchelli and Claudia Moreira Salles, the exhibition features over 50 artists and six major galleries, including Gladstone Gallery and Mendes Wood DM. The show spans the futuristic residence and an adjacent warehouse, showcasing newly commissioned works that dialogue with Longo’s counterculture architectural vision.

The City’s only Pan-African contemporary art gallery opens soon

A new gallery called Art of Contemporary Africa (AOCA) will open on February 12, 2026, at San Francisco's Minnesota Street Project in the Dogpatch neighborhood. Founded by gallerist Craig Mark and artist Clint Strydom, it is the city's first and only gallery dedicated to contemporary Pan-African art. The inaugural exhibition, “Afropop,” will feature works by artists including Esther Mahlangu, Denis Mubiru, Ayanda Mabulu, Samuel Allerton, and Vusi Beauchamp. The gallery builds on the founders' decade of experience running The Melrose Gallery in South Africa, which will become AOCA's sister site.

Kid Cudi is wading into comedy and launching an art exhibition in Paris

Rapper Kid Cudi, born Scott Roman Mescudi, has announced his debut art exhibition in Paris at the Ruttkowski;68 gallery, titled "Echoes of the Past," running from January 31 through March 1. The show features 10 original works centered on a visual alter ego named Max, exploring themes of darkness, fear, and mental health through a childlike, cartoonish style. Cudi, who completed his first painting last year, has also created an original score for the exhibition and adopted the new moniker "Scotty Roman" for this venture. Separately, he revealed he recently performed stand-up comedy for the first time at West Side Comedy Theater in Santa Monica, describing the experience as electrifying.

5 Art Openings in London this week.

Five art openings in London are scheduled for the first week of 2026, split across two nights. On Thursday, January 8, two group exhibitions debut: 'PELT' at OHSH Projects (above Peckham Rye Station) features 19 artists exploring skin as a site of memory and mortality, and 'Connecting Threads' at Great Pulteney Street Gallery presents 11 artists expanding textile art. On Friday, January 9, three solo shows open: Max Boyla's 'Spooky Action At a Distance' at Palmer Gallery, Willa Cosinuke's 'Split Studies' at Chilli, and Sverre Malling's 'At The Mistress’ Request' at Kristin Hjellegjerde Gallery.

Art Basel Miami Beach Diary: big feet, big muscles and big voices descend on Miami

Art Basel Miami Beach 2024 has kicked off with a series of high-energy events, including a Japanese women's wrestling match at the Miami Beach Bandshell featuring the Sukeban league, where Ichigo Sayaka was crowned victor with a belt designed by Marc Newson. The fair also features a performance by Diana Ross at Alex Prager's Mirage Factory launch, a set by rapper 2 Chainz at Soho Beach House, and notable artworks such as Sadao Hasegawa's erotic paintings at Garth Greenan's stand and Pat Oleszko's 13ft-tall inflatable 'Big Foots' at the David Peter Francis stand.

Art Basel Miami Beach Diary: a pettable bronze piece, an un-buttoned up party and tarot in a grotto

At Art Basel Miami Beach, the art collective MSCHF invites fairgoers to touch their bronze sculpture *Touch Me Sculpture One More Time* (2024) on Perrotin’s stand, featuring a counter that tracks each pat. The Institute of Contemporary Art Miami hosted a VIP opening night with figures like director Alex Gartenfeld and artist Andreas Schulze, while the Thom Browne club stood out in matching attire. Other highlights include kinetic sculptures by Breakfast (Andrew Zolty) at 1 Hotel South Beach, a tarot-reading grotto by Julie Schenkelberg at Nada fair, and Robbie Williams’s furniture debut with Moooi at Design Miami.

NEXT in the Gallery: Pittsburgh in December is a sprawling winter carnival of art

Pittsburgh's visual artists are transforming the city into a sprawling winter carnival throughout December 2025, with a packed calendar of exhibitions and events. Highlights include Sharmistha Ray's three-channel animation "Emergent Realities" at Wood Street Galleries (Dec. 12–July 5, 2026), featuring a commissioned soundtrack by Grammy-winning composer Arooj Aftab; Mary Mazziotti's satirical textile series "Thank You for Your Attention to This Matter" at BE Galleries (Dec. 6–Jan. 31, 2026); and Offroute Art's "Crisis of Empathy // Limit of Empathy" showcasing eight young artists. Wood Street Galleries also partners with Visual AIDS for Day With(out) Art 2025 on Dec. 3, presenting videos exploring drug users and HIV crisis. The month kicks off with holiday markets and arcades, and includes a Neapolitan nativity scene exhibit and an art battle in Sharpsburg.

Editorsʼ picks: 6 projects not to miss at Art Basel Miami Beach 2025

Six notable projects at Art Basel Miami Beach 2025 are highlighted, including presentations by Chicago-based galleries Document, Gray, moniquemeloche, and Patron, which showcase artists who experiment with material form and lived experience. Other featured works include Aleksandra Waliszewska's cat-centered paintings at Dawid Radziszewski, Myungmi Lee's vibrant game-inspired works at Wooson, Etel Adnan's rare 1960s drawings at Galerie Lelong, and Mary Bauermeister's newly discovered 1950s works on paper at Michael Rosenfeld Gallery.

In Ho Chi Minh City, Art Feels Urgent Again

The article reports on a vibrant season of exhibitions in Ho Chi Minh City, where artists are turning to abstraction, faith, and innovation to question perception and belief. Key shows include Bùi Thanh Tâm's "Christ, Buddha, and the Jigsaw" at Gate Gate Gallery, which fuses religious iconography, folk traditions, and pop media, and Trần Văn Thảo's "New Moon" at Galerie Quynh, reimagining darkness as creative space. The scene reflects a lineage of defiance dating back to post-war restrictions on artistic expression.

Rock star’s first art exhibit a bright, brash pop culture provocation at CT gallery

Rob Zombie, the heavy metal musician and filmmaker, is holding his first-ever visual art exhibition, "What Lurks on Channel X?", at the Morrison Gallery in Kent, Connecticut, through November 16. The show features 18 large-scale paintings created between 2012 and 2020, drawing on pop culture, horror, and crime iconography. Zombie briefly studied at the Parsons School of Design before leaving to pursue music and film.

Across The Block

A series of regional auctions across the United States and the UK saw figural artworks and antique furniture achieve top prices. Highlights include Demétre Chiparus's bronze "Shimmer" selling for $33,275 at Ahlers & Ogletree, Andy Warhol's "Marilyn" screenprint reaching $425,000 at Heritage Auctions, and a Mission oak stand attributed to Gustave Stickley surprising at $87,600 at Kaminski Auctions. Other notable sales include a Ken Howard painting at Sworders, a Donald Roller Wilson chimpanzee painting pair at Brunk Auctions, and a Sorel Etrog bronze at Clarke Auction Gallery.

Amid government intervention, Slovak artists and curators call for EU law to protect freedoms

On 25 August, the Slovak National Gallery (SNG) removed a large permanent installation by artist Denisa Lehocká, allegedly without her permission and in violation of contract terms. The removal, which Lehocká calls a "gross violation," occurred amid a broader crisis at the institution, which has seen multiple directors fired and mass employee resignations under the country's populist government. The incident is part of a pattern of government intervention in the arts, including the firing of museum directors by Culture Minister Martina Šimkovičová, who has targeted "progressive art." In response, Slovak artists and organizations like Otvorená Kultúra! have issued the Bratislava Declaration for Artistic Freedom, calling on the EU to adopt a European Artistic Freedom Act to protect creative expression.

New Public Gallery to Open in Calgary

The Alberta Foundation for the Arts (AFA) is opening a new public gallery called AFA's art house in the Edison gallery space in downtown Calgary. A grand opening is scheduled for September 10, 2025, featuring works by Alberta artists and pieces from the AFA Art Collection, which was established in 1972 to document the province's visual art history. Alberta Premier Danielle Smith and AFA Chair Cynthia Moore are expected to attend. The Edison space previously hosted pop-up exhibitions from the Glenbow, which is currently closed for major renovations until 2026.

The good, the bad and the simply ‘tone deaf’: a roll call of celebrity art

Pop superstar Ed Sheeran has joined the ranks of celebrity artists, offering his Cosmic Carpark Paintings at £900 each at HENI Gallery in London from 11 July to 1 August, with half the proceeds supporting music education in UK state schools. The article also reviews other celebrity artists including Robbie Williams (whose Moco Museum show is called 'tone deaf' by critic Eddy Frankel), Adrien Brody (showing at Eden Gallery in New York), Lucy Liu (creating erotic lesbian art), Bob Dylan (exhibiting at Halcyon Gallery), and Johnny Depp (represented by Castle Fine Art).

Gallery lures collectors to Spain’s abandoned region with large-scale sculpture trail

The Albarrán Bourdais gallery, founded by Eva Albarrán and Christian Bourdais, is launching a large-scale sculpture trail on June 15 in the remote Matarraña region of eastern Spain. The trail winds through 5km of vineyards and hills, featuring 20 installations by artists including Mona Hatoum, José Dávila, and Christian Boltanski. This is part of their broader Solo Houses project, which began in 2010 with avant-garde architect homes and now includes a retreat for collectors, a winery, and plans for a hotel designed by Smiljan Radic set to open by 2028.

Contemporary art auction of Greek and international artworks

Kapopoulos Auction House will hold a live auction of over 80 works by Greek and international artists at Kapopoulos Fine Arts gallery in Nicosia, Cyprus, on Wednesday, May 28 at 19:00. The auction features works by artists such as Alecos Fassianos, Angelos Panayiotou, Opy Zouni, Mr. Brainwash, Costas Andreou, and Spyros Vassiliou, with starting prices set at unusually low levels. Preview days run from May 26 to May 28, and written offers are also accepted.