New Building at Burg Halle Takes Shape

Neubau an der Burg Halle nimmt Form an

The long-delayed new building for the Burg Giebichenstein Kunsthochschule Halle (University of Art and Design Halle) is moving forward, with a construction start now planned for autumn 2027. The Finance Committee of the Saxony-Anhalt state parliament has approved the updated cost estimate of around 42 million euros, clearing the way for the project. While the building was originally slated for completion in 2027, a more realistic finish date is now 2030, with preparatory moves and demolition work scheduled to begin in late 2026.

Design Theft in Platform Capitalism

Designklau im Plattformkapitalismus

The article details a growing trend of design plagiarism within the platform economy, where large interior trade platforms and fast-design companies systematically copy the original work of small, independent design studios. These copies are then mass-produced and sold globally at lower prices, often marketed directly through social media channels. The original designers find it nearly impossible to defend their intellectual property due to the high cost and complexity of legal action, especially against international entities.

Why Contemporary Photographers Are Rejecting the Camera

Contemporary photographers are increasingly rejecting traditional cameras in favor of alternative, camera-less techniques such as photograms, cyanotypes, and chemigrams. These artists draw inspiration from early scientific experiments with light-sensitive materials, like those of Johann Heinrich Schulze and Thomas Wedgwood, who created temporary images using silver nitrate and sunlight before photography was formally invented.

Meet the Psychologist Who Reads People Through the Art They Live With

Dr. Dimitrios Tsivrikos, an academic psychologist at University College London, describes how he reads people's personalities and emotional states through the art they choose to display in their homes. In an interview with Artsy, he explains that the visual and emotional enrichment of one's environment—whether through expensive artworks or simple posters—reveals deeper psychological insights about the individual.

An Anthology on Time

Une anthologie sur le temps

The publishing house Citadelles & Mazenod has released a new anthology titled "Écrire le temps. De l’Antiquité à nos jours" (Writing Time: From Antiquity to the Present Day). Edited by Pascal Dethurens, the 480-page volume compiles a vast array of literary sources on the concept of time, from ancient thinkers to contemporary writers, and pairs these texts with a wide variety of artistic representations.

The Postal Museum recovers its name

Le Musée postal retrouve son nom

The Musée de La Poste in Paris has reverted to its original name, Musée postal, as part of a major rebranding effort. The institution, approaching its 80th anniversary, has introduced a new visual identity and aims to reposition itself within the Parisian cultural landscape, seeking to distance itself from the image of a corporate museum.

In Bordeaux, the MADD unveils its sublime metamorphosis and pays tribute to a shooting star of design

À Bordeaux, le MADD dévoile sa sublime métamorphose et rend hommage à une étoile filante du design

The Musée des Arts décoratifs et du Design (MADD) in Bordeaux has unveiled a significant architectural renovation and expansion of its public spaces. The project, led by the architecture firm Antoine Dufour, transformed the 18th-century Hôtel de Lalande, creating a new open-air passage, a café-restaurant, a ticket office-shop, and improving accessibility and circulation between the historic mansion and the adjacent former prison used for temporary exhibitions. The redesign emphasizes natural light, reveals original stone walls, and incorporates contemporary, clearly distinguishable interventions.

Excerpt from the Iliad in a mummy's abdomen and gold tongues: rare discoveries made in Egypt

Extrait de l’Iliade dans l’abdomen d’une momie et langues en or : de rares découvertes effectuées en Égypte

Archaeologists working at the necropolis of Oxyrhynchus in Egypt have made a series of rare discoveries, the most significant being a fragment of papyrus from Homer's Iliad found inside the abdominal cavity of a Roman-era mummy. This marks the first time a Greek literary text has been found incorporated into the ancient Egyptian embalming process, suggesting a unique hybridization of funerary practices.

An Interactive Archive Celebrates the Wide Ranging Projects Inviting ‘Unruly Play’

Amsterdam-based studio Imagination of Things, co-founded by Vitor Freire and Monique Grimord, has launched "Unruly Play," an interactive digital archive featuring 169 artworks, designs, games, and participatory projects. The repository includes notable works such as Rael San Fratello's "Teeter-Totter Wall" and the Wind Phone project, alongside a 12-foot puppet that travels the world. The archive is searchable by theme or through a shuffle feature, aiming to showcase projects that invite surprise, camaraderie, and unexpected encounters with imagination and joy.

How One Cooperative Champions the Quechua Weavers of Peru’s Sacred Valley

The nonprofit organization Awamaki was founded in 2009 to support Quechua communities in Peru's Sacred Valley, particularly women weavers, as they navigate economic shifts and climate change. It now assists nine cooperatives comprising 174 artisans, providing structural support for selling traditional textiles and coordinating tourism to generate income while preserving cultural practices.

Albert Yuk Shuttered Light Exhibit Opens in Reed Gallery

On April 12, the Reed Gallery opened 'Shuttered Light,' an exhibition of photographs by Deerfield Academy student Albert Yuk (class of 2026). The show juxtaposes staged war scenes from a Beijing film set with real wartime documentation from Israel and Iran, aiming to highlight media bias and the blurring of authenticity in news imagery. Yuk, who has traveled to conflict zones including Israel, Iran, Kazakhstan, and Afghanistan, began his photography career working for Pulitzer Prize-winning Chinese photojournalist Liu Heung Shing. The exhibition includes personal favorites like 'Intersection of Tradition and Modernity' and 'Warrior’s Respite,' reflecting themes of freedom, liberty, and gender roles.

New gallery highlighting artists from South Asian diaspora opens in Leamington

Runjeet Singh Gallery, a new commercial gallery focusing on artists from the South Asian diaspora, has opened in Leamington at 37 Chandos Street. The gallery launched with an opening exhibition from April 24 to 26, featuring work by 11 emerging and established contemporary artists. Founder Runjeet Singh, who has 26 years of experience in antiques and contemporary art collecting, aims to provide a platform for UK-based South Asian diasporic artists and those whose practices are informed by South Asian narratives and traditions.

Hannah Powell: Pushing the University Art Gallery forward

Hannah Powell, a University of Pittsburgh alumna, has been appointed as the first official coordinator of the University Art Gallery (UAG) at Pitt. After earning a degree in anthropology and a minor in museum studies from Pitt in 2016, she pursued a master's in museum studies from the University of Glasgow, then worked at the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington, D.C., and later at Pittsburgh institutions like the Heinz History Center and Carnegie Science Center. Since starting her role at the UAG in 2024, Powell coordinates exhibitions, plans educational programming, and improves accessibility to a collection of over 3,000 pieces, working alongside one other full-time employee.

Quincy Art Center celebrates grand opening of Gallery on 6th

Quincy Art Center is celebrating the grand opening of its new downtown space, Quincy Art Gallery on 6th, on Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at 127 N. Sixth St. The debut exhibit features works by five regional artists, who will give talks about their work and process throughout the day. Activities include a pottery wheel throwing demonstration, and neighboring businesses are offering specials such as themed cocktails, lattes, and desserts to mark the occasion.

Boyne Arts Center seeks artists for new installation honoring donors

The Boyne Arts Center in Boyne City, Michigan, is calling for artists to submit proposals for a commissioned installation that will honor donors at its new gallery at 211 Water Street. The permanent piece will initially feature 50 to 100 donor names and be expandable. Artists may propose designs for one of three locations: an exterior courtyard, a gallery window, or a moveable interior piece. Proposals are due May 26, with selection by June 15 and installation by September 7, ahead of an October ribbon-cutting ceremony.

South County Art Association’s ‘Earthworks Open Juried Clay Annual’ exhibition illuminates the art of sculpting

The South County Art Association has opened its 53rd annual 'Earthworks Open Juried Clay Annual' exhibition at the Kingston gallery in Rhode Island. The show features a variety of clay-based pieces from multiple artists, celebrating the versatility of the medium.

Redwood Art Association Gallery Hosting Humboldt Youth Exhibition on May 2

The Redwood Art Association Gallery in Eureka, California, will host the Humboldt Youth Exhibition on Saturday, May 2, from 6 to 9 PM. The event will feature music by guitarist Ron Hoenig and is open to the public at the gallery's location on 603 F Street.

MixHaus Gallery opens new exhibit

MixHaus Gallery in Comfort, Texas, has opened a new exhibition titled "Songs of the Ocotillo," featuring a collaboration between local poet Lucy Griffith and Marfa-based mixed-media artist Darlene Marwitz. The show, which launched on April 10, combines Griffith's poetry with Marwitz's textured artworks to explore themes of the ocotillo plant and the landscape of the southern borderlands.

Wildlife Photographer of the Year Exhibition opens Saturday 25 April

The Wildlife Photographer of the Year exhibition opens at Shrewsbury Museum and Art Gallery on 25 April 2026, running until 20 June. The exhibition, on loan from London's Natural History Museum, showcases winning images from an international competition that received over 60,000 entries. A local community photography competition focusing on 'Wildlife on your doorstep' will be displayed alongside the main show.

Umbrella Gallery presents "Afrocentric" artist reception

The Umbrella Gallery is hosting an exhibition titled "Afrocentric," which showcases visual and mixed media art celebrating the African diaspora. The show focuses on African and Afro-descendant perspectives, exploring themes of heritage, cultural memory, identity, self-definition, migration, resistance, joy, and futurism. It aims to present history as a living presence through echoes of ancestral storytelling.

Grand opening of Quincy Art Gallery on 6th set for April 25 | Daily Gate City - Keokuk, Iowa

The Quincy Art Center is opening a new downtown gallery called Quincy Art Gallery on 6th at 127 N. 6th Street in Quincy, Illinois. The grand opening event on Saturday, April 25 will feature work from five artists, scheduled artist talks, a wheel throwing demonstration, and light refreshments.

Through the eyes of artist T.C. Steele: IU’s campus 100 years ago

Indiana University's University Collections at McCalla has opened "Capturing the Campus: T.C. Steele," a collaborative exhibition with the Indiana State Museum and Historic Sites that brings together many paintings by Hoosier artist T.C. Steele for the first time in decades. Steele, who served as IU's first artist in residence from 1922 until his death in 1926, created impressionist works depicting campus scenes, portraits of university presidents and faculty, and landscapes that capture what the campus looked like a century ago. The exhibit, which opened April 17, features paintings sorted by geographic location on campus, alongside a historic map, letters, documentaries, and 3D renderings.

“La preistoria non è stata solo violenza, ma anche cura”. Intervista all’archeologa femminista Marga Sánchez Romero

Marga Sánchez Romero, a professor of Prehistory at the University of Granada and a leading voice in feminist archaeology in Spain, argues in an interview that prehistory has been misrepresented as a sequence of violence and hierarchies. She emphasizes that new questions are reshaping our understanding of the past, highlighting that care, cooperation, and solidarity were as crucial as conflict in human evolution. The conversation covers biases in archaeological interpretation, the famous Viking tomb of Birka, the origins of inequality, and the role of museums in creating more inclusive narratives.

In Piazza Navona the École française de Rome opens a space for exhibitions (all will be free admission)

A Piazza Navona l’École française de Rome apre uno spazio per le mostre (saranno tutte ad accesso gratuito)

The École française de Rome, founded in 1875 and housed at Palazzo Farnese, has opened a permanent exhibition space at Piazza Navona 62 in Rome. A current exhibition running until April 30, 2026, traces the institute's 150-year history of historical, archaeological, and social science research, highlighting its Italian and Mediterranean focus and the collaborative spirit between France and Italy. The new gallery will host a regular program of free-admission exhibitions and events dedicated to cultural heritage, archaeology, and history, starting with the show "Isole e santi – Monasteri e santuari dell’Adriatico orientale, da san Girolamo a Gregorio VII" from May 27, 2026.

Transforming (and Transforming) to Survive. Interview with sculptor and designer Tadeáš Podracký

Trasformarsi (e trasformare) per sopravvivere. Intervista allo scultore e designer Tadeáš Podracký

Czech sculptor and designer Tadeáš Podracký (b. 1989) presents new works during Milan Design Week 2026, including three carved wooden lamps and sculptures exploring hybridity. The pieces are inspired by the rare Sorbus sudetica tree, a hybrid species that has survived for nearly 20,000 years through asexual reproduction. The exhibition, titled "Before the Shape Appears," is produced by 5 Vie and hosted at Cavallerizze in Via Olona. Podracký's practice bridges fine art and collectible design, using techniques such as carving, waxing, patination, and pigment infusion to create objects that appear to have grown organically.

The Dragon's Coils, the Flower and the Cloud. The Museo del Tappeto Antico of Brescia Looks to China

Le spire del drago, il fiore e la nuvola. Il Museo del Tappeto Antico di Brescia guarda alla Cina

The Museo Internazionale del Tappeto Antico (MITA) in Brescia, Italy, has opened a new exhibition titled "Le trame del dragone. Tappeti cinesi delle dinastie imperiali" (The Dragon's Wefts: Chinese Carpets of the Imperial Dynasties). The show presents around forty antique Chinese carpets from the MITA collection, the world's most important private collection of antique rugs, assembled by Romain Zaleski and housed in a glass cube designed by OBR. Curated by Giovanni Valagussa, the exhibition traces the history of Chinese carpet-making from the 15th to the 19th century, highlighting two main typologies: red-ground rugs from the Xinjiang region with geometric and floral motifs, and gold-and-blue rugs from the Ming and Qing capitals featuring dragon and auspicious symbols. The exhibition is free and runs until June.

The Animals We Are. The New Metamorphosis of the Apartment-Showroom Casaornella in Milan

Gli animali che siamo. La nuova metamorfosi dell’appartamento-showroom Casaornella a Milano

Interior designer Maria Vittoria Paggini has unveiled the 2026 edition of Casaornella, her apartment-showroom in Milan's Via Conca del Naviglio 10, during Design Week. Titled "L'animale sociale" (The Social Animal) with the subtitle "Nessuno mi può giudicare" (Nobody Can Judge Me), the space is completely restructured each year. For this edition, Paggini removed all doors to create a fluid, open-plan layout, using curtains for privacy. The project explores themes of authenticity and human relationships in the digital age, inspired by Italian pop songs from Mina to Luigi Tenco, which form the exhibition's soundtrack.

Cultural heritage reform. The 'Italia in scena' law gives some answers but raises many questions

Riforma dei beni culturali. La legge “Italia in scena” dà alcune risposte ma produce tante domande

Italy's parliament approved the "Italia in scena" law in March 2026, a cultural heritage reform aligned with right-wing priorities: territorial valorization, local identity promotion, autonomy, and private-sector involvement. The law establishes a digital registry (Anagrafe), a roster of accredited operators, and a framework for private management of cultural assets, but allocates only €4.5 million annually—a symbolic sum compared to France's cultural mediation budgets. It also opens participation to the Third Sector (cooperatives, community foundations) but defers all critical details to implementing decrees with no strict deadlines or enforcement mechanisms.

In Milan, the furnishings of the White House go on display. Design and architecture to talk about propaganda

A Milano vanno in mostra gli arredi della Casa Bianca. Design e architettura per parlare di propaganda

An exhibition titled 'The White House. Domestic Propaganda' has opened at Dropcity, an experimental center in the tunnels beneath Milan's Central Station, as part of the city's Design Week. Curated by students from the Politecnico di Milano's Interior Design Laboratory, the show critically examines the White House as a domestic space for political propaganda, using installations, models, and drawings to explore how its architecture and furnishings project cultural and social meanings.

Does Art Move You? The University of Pisa is Looking for You to be an Artwork Observer

L’arte ti emoziona? L’Università di Pisa ti cerca per fare l’osservatore di opere

The University of Pisa's Department of Biology is recruiting adult volunteers to participate in a study on emotional responses to visual art. Participants will observe images of artworks on a computer and describe their emotional reactions, with the aim of gathering a diverse sample to understand the processes behind emotion and perception.