The tiniest event can tear a hole. Sara MacKillop by Margaret Kross

Sara MacKillop's exhibition "The Cutaway View" at Good Weather in Chicago presents sculptures made from humble analog materials like blank wall calendars, empty shopping bags, and gift wrapping. The London-based artist alters these objects with minimal interventions—such as surgically cut holes in shopping bags to accommodate vinyl records—drawing attention to the ephemera and texture of retail culture. Her series "Calendar Houses" (2021–ongoing) uses archive boxes and wall calendars to create miniature modernist dwellings that critique systems of order and self-optimization.

Billboards celebrating peace will arrive in L.A. as part of the Broad's Yoko Ono exhibit

Yoko Ono will install seven digital billboards across Los Angeles bearing peace messages like "THINK PEACE" and "IMAGINE PEACE," as part of her upcoming exhibition "Yoko Ono: Music of the Mind" at the Broad museum opening May 23. The billboards echo her 1969 "WAR IS OVER!" campaign with John Lennon. Ancillary programming includes re-creations of her performance works "Cut Piece" (1964) and "Sky Piece to Jesus Christ" (1965), plus a concert series "Yoko Only" guest-curated by Yuka Honda featuring Yo La Tengo, Nels Cline, Sleater-Kinney, and others.

Meet four artists behind the public art you'll see at L.A. Metro's new D Line stations

L.A. Metro opened the first phase of its D Line extension on Friday, May 1, 2026, adding three new underground stations connecting downtown Los Angeles to Beverly Hills: Wilshire/La Brea, Wilshire/Fairfax, and Wilshire/La Cienega. The stations feature nine site-specific public artworks by artists including Mariana Castillo Deball, Eamon Ore-Giron, Ken Gonzales-Day, Todd Gray, Karl Haendel, Soo Kim, Fran Siegel, Susan Silton, and Mark Dean Veca. The competitive selection process began a decade ago, drawing over 1,200 applicants, with finalists judged by a panel of art professionals including curators from Miracle Mile museums. Metro deputy executive officer Zipporah Yamamoto leads the agency's public art program, which is funded by a 0.5% construction budget set-aside.

Collaged Denim Sculptures by Nick Doyle Unravel American Mythology

Brooklyn-based artist Nick Doyle creates large-scale wall sculptures using layered and bleached denim, exploring American mythology and its contradictions. His solo exhibition "Collective Hallucinations" at Perrotin features works such as stylized cacti, landscapes, tarot cards, and a fortune teller's shop, all rendered in denim. Doyle's practice began after finding a discarded roll of denim in 2018, which he saw as a metaphor for the complexities of American history, including slavery, masculinity, and Manifest Destiny.

Li Yi-Fan “Screen Melancholy” at Palazzo delle Prigioni, Venice

The Taipei Fine Arts Museum of Taiwan is presenting a collateral event titled "Screen Melancholy" by Taiwanese artist Li Yi-Fan at the 61st Venice Biennale. The exhibition will take place at the Palazzo delle Prigioni from May 9 to November 22, 2026, featuring a new work by the artist.

Interview with Ramuntcho Matta: Brion Gysin: The Last Museum Musée d’Art Moderne de Paris

The article is an interview with Ramuntcho Matta about the exhibition "Brion Gysin: The Last Museum" at the Musée d’Art Moderne de Paris. It explores the life and work of Brion Gysin, a multifaceted artist associated with Surrealism, the Beat Generation, and the invention of the Dreamachine. The exhibition traces Gysin's career through his calligraphy, painting, and multimedia works, including collaborations with William S. Burroughs and Ian Sommerville. A complementary show, "Underwood 2246449-5 (Les diables de Brion)," organized by Matta at New Galerie, features Burroughs's typewriter and related instruments.

Experience the Joy of “From MacArthur Park, with Love” at Charles White Elementary School

Charles White Elementary School in Los Angeles, in collaboration with LACMA, is presenting the exhibition "From MacArthur Park, with Love" opening May 21, 2025. The show features artworks by over 100 students from the school's Visual Arts Magnet program, celebrating the MacArthur Park neighborhood through diverse media including collaborative diptychs, observational drawings, and paintings of local landmarks and bird species. The exhibition runs Saturdays from May 23 to August 1, with free drop-in art workshops.

Exhibitions set to open in Paris in May 2026: what's new to discover this month

A roundup of new art and cultural exhibitions opening in Paris and the Île-de-France region in May 2026 is announced. Highlights include the annual Rambolitrain toy train fair at Rambolitrain museum on May 1, free evening hours at the Bourse de Commerce on May 2, free entry to castles and museums in Yvelines and Seine-et-Marne on May 3, the Tour Auto classic car display under the Grand Palais glass roof on May 3-4, the Circle of Parisian Artists' 24th annual exhibition at Parc Floral from May 4-31, a new garden art exhibition "Jardin des Lumières" at the Grand Trianon in Versailles from May 5 to September 27, and a major Hilma af Klint exhibition at the Grand Palais.

8 Art Films Worth Watching in May

8 Kunstfilme, die sich im Mai lohnen

Monopol magazine presents eight art films worth streaming in May, including a documentary featuring 40,000 slides from critic Jerry Saltz capturing the 1990s New York art scene, Shirin Neshat's film "Women Without Men" about women in 1953 Tehran, Christian Petzold's new film "Miroirs No. 3," and a documentary on the Shroud of Turin. The roundup also includes a politically charged drama directed by Yael Bartana and a Dada-metal film, offering a diverse selection of art-related cinema.

Without Consciousness, No Creativity

"Ohne Bewusstsein keine Kreativität"

Matthias Hornschuh, a speaker at the German Creative Economy Summit in Hamburg, discusses artificial intelligence and its impact on art and creativity in an interview with Monopol. He argues that AI systems lack intentionality and true creativity, describing them as "probability-based imitation" rather than genuine creative tools. Hornschuh warns against the hype surrounding AI, noting that efficiency gains are often overstated and that users can become trapped in unproductive interactions with these systems.

148 News: Awards & Obituaries

This article from ArtAsiaPacific reports on three recent art awards. Iraqi artist Ali Eyal received the Hammer Museum's $100,000 Mohn Award for emerging artists in Los Angeles. Japanese artist Mari Katayama won the inaugural ¥10 million Mori Art Award from the Mori Contemporary Art Foundation in Tokyo. Korean media artist Jeamin Cha secured the Hermès Foundation's 21st Missulsang, receiving KRW 30 million and production support for a solo exhibition at Atelier Hermès in Seoul in 2027.

For the Obama Center, Mark Bradford Paints a Fierce and Luminous Chicago

Mark Bradford has completed "City of the Big Shoulders," a monumental painting for the Obama Presidential Center in Chicago. The work, which took five years to create, maps migration patterns and structural racism, reflecting the city's strength and complexity through Bradford's signature abstract, layered style.

Michael Joo Steps Into the Art World’s Spotlight

Michael Joo, a contemporary artist known for his multidisciplinary work, is currently featured in multiple exhibitions spanning New York, the San Francisco Bay Area, a Mediterranean island, and Venice. These shows highlight his ongoing engagement with themes of identity, ecology, and cultural exchange, bringing his practice to a broader international audience.

Matthew Wong’s Grieving Mother Protects His Artistic Legacy

Matthew Wong, a troubled painter whose star was on the rise, died at age 35. His mother, Monita Wong, is now actively working to protect and promote his artistic legacy, ensuring that his work continues to be seen by the public.

At 90, the Korean artist Lee Ufan Finds Energy in His Art

The Korean artist Lee Ufan, now 90 years old, remains actively engaged in his artistic practice, working daily and preparing for three upcoming exhibitions. Among these is a display of his pivotal paintings at the Venice Biennale, underscoring his enduring creative output and continued relevance in the contemporary art world.

Nine Artists on the Gardens They’ll Never Forget

Nine artists, including Hiroshi Sugimoto, Irene Neuwirth, and Umberto Pasti, share personal reflections on unforgettable gardens from around the world. Each contributor describes a specific garden that left a lasting impression, ranging from historic estates to wild natural landscapes, highlighting the sensory and emotional impact of these spaces.

With ‘Sister Dreamer’ Park, Lauren Halsey Brings Her Heroes Home

Artist Lauren Halsey has unveiled a new installation titled 'Sister Dreamer' Park in South Central Los Angeles. The work features stone monuments that elevate familiar faces from the neighborhood, celebrating local heroes and community members. The installation is part of Halsey's ongoing practice of centering Black and brown communities in her art, using architecture and sculpture to create spaces of empowerment and memory.

Mary Lovelace O’Neal, painter and activist, 1942–2026

Mary Lovelace O’Neal, the American painter, professor, and civil rights activist, has died at age 84. Born in Jackson, Mississippi, she was a co-founder of the Non-Violent Action Group while a student at Howard University, later earning an MFA from Columbia University. Known for monumental abstract works on soot-black surfaces, she developed her signature technique through the Lampblack series (1960s–70s) and continued evolving her practice through series such as Whales Fucking (1970s–80s) and Panthers In My Father’s Palace (1980s–90s). In 1985, she became the first African American woman to receive tenure in the Department of Art Practice at the University of California, Berkeley, where she taught for nearly three decades and served as chair from 1999 until her retirement in 2006.

Dana Awartani on Representing Saudi Arabia at the 61st Venice Biennale

Dana Awartani, an artist based in Jeddah, will represent Saudi Arabia at the 61st Venice Biennale in 2026, with her pavilion located in the Arsenale under the theme 'Celebrating Visions.' In an interview with ArtReview, Awartani discusses her exhibition, which builds on her practice of foregrounding Arab cultural histories and preserving the region's material heritage. She connects her work to the Biennale's theme 'In Minor Keys' by focusing on repair, healing, and the quiet consequences of conflict, emphasizing craft as a form of quiet resistance against mechanization. The pavilion, she says, reflects the diversity of voices within Saudi Arabia's artistic community rather than a single national narrative.

Marisol Mendez wins 2026 Saltzman-Leibovitz Photography Prize

Bolivian artist Marisol Mendez has won the 2026 Saltzman-Leibovitz Photography Prize for her work *MADRE*. The award includes a $15,000 cash prize, and Mendez's winning piece will be exhibited alongside works by other nominees at Photo London from May 13 to 17. The prize was founded in 2025 by photographers Lisa Saltzman and Annie Leibovitz. Miranda Barnes took second place, with Cole Ndelu, Lindeka Qampi, and Bettina Pittaluga also nominated.

81 artists withdraw from Venice Biennale competition

Primitivism to Reinvent Art

Le primitivisme pour réinventer l’art

Philippe Dagen has published the third and final volume of his series on primitivism, covering the period from World War II to the late 1970s. The book traces how Western artists, from Barnett Newman and Jackson Pollock to members of the CoBrA movement and figures like Jean Dubuffet, Lucio Fontana, and Yayoi Kusama, engaged with so-called "primitive" art from Africa, Oceania, and the Americas, often as a means of rejecting or redefining modern civilization. Dagen also examines the intellectual debates surrounding primitivism, including the critiques of colonized peoples who refused the label "primitive," and the shifting attitudes of thinkers like Claude Lévi-Strauss, Michel Leiris, and Aimé Césaire.

Krakow’s MOCAK Sacks Director Adam Budak, Angering Artists

The City of Krakow dismissed Adam Budak as director of the Museum of Contemporary Art in Krakow (MOCAK) on May 16, citing improper performance of duties related to work organization and team management. Budak, who took the helm last summer, was replaced by acting director Grzegorz Kuźma, formerly the museum's deputy director, and will be officially terminated when his contract ends June 30. The dismissal followed an internal investigation spurred by a complaint signed by thirty-seven MOCAK staffers. In response, artists and curators including Paulina Olowska, Sabine Breitweiser, Alison Gingeras, and Candice Breitz signed a petition demanding Budak be heard, while several artists withdrew from MOCAK's 2026–27 programming.

Thomas J. Price and Tavares Strachan Make Shortlist for Billie Holiday Monument Designs

The New York City Department of Cultural Affairs has announced a shortlist of six finalists for a public monument honoring jazz singer Billie Holiday, to be installed outside the Jamaica Performing Arts Center in Queens. Among the top contenders are British sculptor Thomas J. Price and Bahamian conceptual artist Tavares Strachan, whose proposals include abstract bronze forms and a mirrored column, respectively. Other finalists are La Vaughn Belle, Nikesha Breeze, Nekisha Durrett, and Tanda Francis, all of whom consulted with Holiday scholars and family members to develop their designs.

Sainsbury Centre Receives £91.2 Million Donation for Refurbishments

The Sainsbury Centre in Norwich, England, has received a £91.2 million donation from politician and philanthropist Lord David Sainsbury, one of the largest gifts ever made to a UK museum. The funds will support a major refurbishment of the Grade II* listed building, originally designed by Norman Foster, including the conversion of the south cafe terrace into a sustainable space and the installation of photovoltaic panels. The museum was founded in 1973 through a donation from Lord Sainsbury’s parents, Sir Robert and Lady Lisa Sainsbury, who also commissioned Foster to design the gallery.

Christie’s Auction Rakes in $1.1 Billion as Pollock Sells For Triple Record Price

Christie’s generated $1.1 billion in back-to-back evening sales on May 18, driven by record-breaking prices for major artworks. The top lot was Jackson Pollock’s 1948 drip painting *Number 7A*, which sold for $181.2 million with fees, tripling the artist’s previous auction record. Other highlights included Constantin Brancusi’s *Danaïde* (ca. 1913) at $107.6 million, Mark Rothko’s *No. 15 (Two Greens and Red Stripe)* (1964) at $98.4 million, and Alice Neel’s *Mother and Child (Nancy and Olivia)* (1967) at $5.7 million. The sales featured works from the collections of S. I. Newhouse and Agnes Gund.

Trevor Paglen Will Curate Art Basel’s ‘Zero 10’ Digital Initiative

Trevor Paglen, an artist and geographer known for exploring surveillance technology, has been named curator of the third edition of Art Basel's 'Zero 10' digital art initiative, set to debut at Art Basel in Switzerland. He will co-curate the program with digital art strategist Eli Scheinman, featuring twenty exhibitors under the theme 'The Condition,' which examines life saturated by digital media and AI. The presentation will include works such as Hito Steyerl's 'Green Screen' (2023) and pieces by pioneering digital artist Vera Molnar.

Father Daughter Counterfeiting Duo Face Twenty Years in Prison

A father-daughter duo from New Jersey, Erwin Bankowski (50) and Karolina Bankowska (26), pleaded guilty to creating and selling over 200 counterfeit artworks falsely attributed to artists including Andy Warhol, Pablo Picasso, Fritz Scholder, and Banksy. They admitted to wire fraud conspiracy and misrepresentation of Native American-produced goods, defrauding buyers out of at least $2 million. The pair fabricated provenances and collection histories, forged gallery stamps, and attempted to auction the works for up to $160,000 each. They each face up to 20 years in prison.

Frist Art Museum Presents Exhibition Spanning 100 Years of Contemporary Indigenous Art, Highlighting a Continuum of Elders and Emerging Makers

The Frist Art Museum is presenting a new exhibition that spans 100 years of contemporary Indigenous art, featuring works from both established elders and emerging makers. The show aims to highlight the continuity and evolution of Indigenous artistic practices across generations.

Telfair Museums presents Impressionism and Modernity: French and American Painting opening May 15

Telfair Museums will present "Impressionism and Modernity: French and American Painting" at the Jepson Center for the Arts from May 15 through August 16, 2026. Organized for the museum's 140th anniversary, the exhibition brings together Telfair's collection of American Impressionist works with key French Impressionist paintings from the National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C., featuring artists such as Edgar Degas, Alfred Sisley, and Vincent van Gogh. The show explores Impressionism's origins in France, its transatlantic influence, and its impact on American art and identity, with works addressing themes of modern life, leisure, the city, and nostalgia for nature.