Four years on from the Taliban takeover, Afghan women are asserting themselves through art

Four years after the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan in 2021, Afghan women are using art as a means of expression and resistance. The article profiles artist Alina Gawhary, who fled to study art in Belfast, and highlights the work of the UK-based NGO Turquoise Mountain, which collaborates with women carpet weavers in Bamiyan. Afghan-British artist Maryam Omar collected poetry from illiterate weavers and designed watercolor patterns that were woven into carpets, displayed in the selling exhibition "Weaving Poems" at Sotheby's in London. The exhibition foregrounds the women's creative voices and returns profits to the weavers.

Longtime Grounds for Sculpture resident artist Clifford Ward has first exhibition on view there

Clifford Ward, a longtime artist-in-residence at Grounds for Sculpture in Hamilton Township, New Jersey, has opened his first solo exhibition at the venue, titled 'I'll Make Me A World.' The show, on view in the Museum Building through January 11, 2026, features his 'Animism' series—24 large-scale figures standing six to nine feet tall, created over twelve years using plaster bandage. Ward, who began his art career around age 40 and has been at Grounds for Sculpture since 1997, draws inspiration from indigenous cultures, the African diaspora, Native American traditions, and the Māori people of New Zealand.

Maitland Regional Art Gallery turns up the heat this winter

Maitland Regional Art Gallery (MRAG) is launching its winter exhibition season with a free public event on Friday 25 July, featuring seven new exhibitions. Highlights include a solo show by Hunter-based artist Rebecca Rath, a video art collection from ACMI, and the exhibition '9.5 – The Elliott Eyes Bequest,' which celebrates a major donation of over 460 contemporary artworks from collectors Gordon Elliott and Michael Eyes. Other exhibitions include works by local artist Steffie Yee and Ken Unsworth, with guided tours and artist talks scheduled throughout the season.

New photography venue to open in Dublin’s gentrifying east docklands

PhotoIreland, the organization behind Ireland's longest-running photography festival, will open the International Centre for the Image in Dublin's east docklands on July 17. The 1,000-square-metre underground venue, located beneath a mixed-use complex developed by Kennedy Wilson, will feature an inaugural exhibition titled Foreword, showcasing works by artists including Anna Safiatou Touré, Alex Prager, and Basil Al-Rawi. The space includes a studio, artist workspace, and PhotoIreland's library, which is relocating from its Temple Bar location. The project is jointly funded by Kennedy Wilson and Ireland's Arts Council.

Pook & Pook Presents Exceptional Works of Modern and Post-war Art in its Upcoming Auction

Pook & Pook will hold an online auction on July 16, 2025, featuring over 500 lots of modern and post-war art deaccessioned from a distinguished East Coast educational institution. Highlights include eight works by Romare Bearden, over one hundred pieces by Leonid Sokov, paintings by Mikhail Turovsky, conceptual works by Lydia Dona, and a sculpture by Frederick Eversley. The auction will be accessible via PookLive, Bidsquare, and Invaluable, with in-person previews at Pook & Pook's Downingtown, Pennsylvania gallery on July 14-15.

Towering ambition: the Swiss artist Not Vital's Alpine playground

Swiss artist Not Vital, known for his multidisciplinary practice and SCARCH hybrids, owns Schloss Tarasp, an 11th-century castle in the Engadin region of Switzerland, which he bought in 2016. The castle is part of a foundation he established that also includes Parkin Sent, a sculpture park he acquired in 1998, and the 17th-century Planta House Ardez. Vital's installations in the park, such as "Punt dals asens (Donkey Bridge)" (2001) and "JOSÜJO (Disappearing House)" (2007), invite visitors to explore nature, while at the castle he installed "House to Watch the Sunset" (2018), a tower-like sculpture that challenges architectural logic.

Taylor Swift's former neighbour pleads guilty to selling fake Basquiat, Warhol and Picasso works

Carter Reese, a 77-year-old Pennsylvania man and former neighbor of Taylor Swift, has pleaded guilty to wire fraud and mail fraud for selling forged artworks by Francis Bacon, Keith Haring, Jean Cocteau, Andy Warhol, Roy Lichtenstein, Pablo Picasso, and Jean-Michel Basquiat between February 2019 and March 2021. Reese misled buyers with false affidavits and signatures, claiming the forgeries came directly from the artists or from a deceased collector and a supplier using the alias "Ken James," who was later convicted of selling counterfeit art. Reese faces up to 40 years in prison, with sentencing set for September 12.

‘Cultural innovation comes from the margins’—tales of artists pushing boundaries in 1960s New York

J. Hoberman, the longtime Village Voice film critic, has published a new book titled *Everything Is Now: The 1960s New York Avant-Garde—Primal Happenings, Underground Movies, Radical Pop*. The book expands his focus from cinema to a broad array of artists, poets, theater makers, musicians, and other figures in New York City's 1960s arts scene, including Andy Warhol, Barbara Rubin, Edie Sedgwick, Yoko Ono, and Jonas Mekas. Hoberman emphasizes collective and marginal cultural innovation, tracing how these figures influenced each other and responded to events of the era, such as Robert Moses's urban redevelopment plans.

Important Fritz Scholder painting, 'Four Indian Riders' (1967) being auctioned by Freeman’s | Hindman

Freeman's | Hindman is auctioning Fritz Scholder's iconic painting 'Four Indian Riders' (1967) as the headlining lot of its spring Post War and Contemporary Art sale on May 13, 2025, in New York. The work, estimated at $400,000–$600,000, was featured on the cover of the Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian's 2008–2009 retrospective 'Indian/Not Indian' and is considered a groundbreaking piece that redefined Indigenous representation in American art.

A new ‘anti-biography’ rips apart the myth of Leonardo as a solitary genius

Stephen J. Campbell, a professor of art history at Johns Hopkins University, has published a new book titled *Leonardo da Vinci: An Untraceable Life*, which he frames as an "anti-biography." The book aims to dismantle the mythology surrounding Leonardo da Vinci, arguing that the fragmentary archival record has led to speculative and often outlandish theories that portray him as a solitary genius ahead of his time. Campbell repositions Leonardo within the artistic and intellectual context of late 15th- and early 16th-century Europe, critiquing how media, the art market, and popular culture have commercialized his legacy.

Mainframe Studios becomes a free, interactive art museum on First Fridays, drawing thousands of Des Moines art lovers

On the first Friday of every month, Mainframe Studios in Des Moines transforms into a free, interactive art museum, drawing over 2,400 visitors. Approximately 200 artists open their studios to the public, and each event features a different theme. The April edition, curated by Iowa-based artist Jill Wells, featured the exhibition "Diverse by Design," showcasing works by more than 35 contemporary Iowa artists of all abilities and identities, with a focus on multi-sensory engagement and inclusivity.

Timor-Leste Pavilion Reveals Details for 2026 Venice Biennale

Timor-Leste has announced the details of its national pavilion for the 2026 Venice Biennale. Titled "Across Words," the exhibition will be directed by curator Loredana Pazzini-Paracciani and feature works by artists Verónica Pereira Maia, Etson Caminha, and Juventino Madeira, focusing on the nation's ethnolinguistic diversity. The pavilion will be located in the Arsenale and run from May 9 to November 22.

Dismantling Orbán's 16-Year Grip on Hungary's Art World

Following the recent electoral defeat of Viktor Orbán’s Fidesz-KDNP coalition by the opposition party Tisza, the Hungarian art world faces a monumental task of institutional restoration. For 16 years, the regime’s 'System of National Cooperation' (NER) systematically co-opted cultural institutions, installing loyalists in leadership roles at major venues like the Kunsthalle and Ludwig Museum to promote an ethno-nationalist agenda. This period was marked by the exodus of independent curators, the occupation of museums by activists, and a fractured ecosystem where state funding was tied to political compliance.

HOW TO READ A POROUS WORK AT PINTA LIMA 2026

Casa Miraflores presents the RADAR section titled "Porous Systems" at Pinta Lima 2026, curated by Ilaria Conti. The section features Guatemalan center La Galería Rebelde and artist Angélica Serech, whose textile works draw from Maya Kaqchikel knowledge, alongside artists Diana Eusebio, Luciano Giménez, Alberto Casari, and Carlos Luis "Pajita" García Bes. The exhibition explores permeability, process, and the meeting of inherited knowledge with contemporary languages.

author rob franklin great black hope interview

Rob Franklin, a professor, poet, critic, and co-founder of Art for Black Lives, has released his debut novel "Great Black Hope" on June 10. The book follows Smith, a queer Black Stanford graduate, who is arrested for cocaine possession in the Hamptons after his best friend's death, leading him through New York's nightclubs, courtrooms, and recovery meetings. The novel is described as a satirical, intellectually incisive, and mournful addition to the canon of New York party literature, blending social commentary with a bildungsroman and elegy.

❤️ Atlanta, with love

This article from Rough Draft's Sketchbook newsletter highlights two Atlanta-focused art stories. Painter Carlos Solis, who left Venezuela for Kennesaw nearly two decades ago, curates "In the Beginning," a group exhibition opening May 9 at the Hudgens Center's Fowler Gallery in Duluth, featuring 15 artists from around the world who now call Georgia home. Separately, designer and illustrator George F. Baker III, originally from Nebraska and shaped by Detroit, was commissioned by the Mayor's Office of Cultural Affairs to create the key art for the 49th annual Atlanta Jazz Festival, and he discusses how the musical souls of both Detroit and Atlanta influenced his design.

Paradise at Stove Works in Chattanooga

Paradise, an exhibition at Stove Works in Chattanooga, Tennessee, curated by Graham Feyl and J. Sova, presents works by thirteen artists centered on queer futurity and abundance. The show features installations, sculptures, paintings, and textiles, including Lisa Waud's artificial flower installation 'tread/tender' (2026), Nicholas Elbakidze's erotic Meissenettes (2026), Brian Smith's beaded nets, Aaron McIntosh's quilted 'Invasive Queer Kudzu' (2015-ongoing), and works by Yu Yan, E. Saffronia Szanton Downing, Angie Jennings, Michael Childress, and Hannah Banciella. The exhibition transforms the former foundry into a space of playful, erotic, and joyful refusal, drawing on Audre Lorde's definition of the erotic as a source of power.

Two photographers tried to tell Tuscany beyond the usual clichés

Due fotografi hanno provato a raccontare la Toscana oltre i soliti cliché

The article profiles photographers Gioconda Rafanelli and August Kaciuruba, who are contributing to the "How Italy Feels" project curated by Marina Serena Cacciapuoti and Cesare Cacciapuoti of Italy Segreta. The project involves twenty local photographers capturing Italy beyond stereotypes. In the Tuscany chapter, Rafanelli and Kaciuruba present a lived, off-duty vision of the region, blending fashion, architecture, and cinematic influences. They discuss their collaborative process, their shared gaze, and how their work shifts between the fast pace of Milan and the slower rhythms of Tuscany, drawing inspiration from filmmakers like Wong Kar-wai, Stanley Kubrick, Luchino Visconti, and Michelangelo Antonioni.

Nesting Seagull Becomes Unexpected Star of Venice Biennale

A seagull nesting near the Polish pavilion at the Venice Biennale has become an unexpected attraction, drawing bemused visitors and media attention. The bird laid eggs in the Giardini grounds, and a fence with a warning sign in English and Italian was erected around the nest. Organizers say this is the first known instance of a seagull nesting in such a prominent area of the exhibition. The Polish pavilion was closed on May 8 as part of a historic strike protesting the inclusion of aggressor states in the Biennale, with a sign supporting the Ukrainian Pavilion.

Interview with Nina Wakeford of the Swiss Pavilion at the 2026 Venice Biennale

Intervista a Nina Wakeford del Padiglione Svizzero alla Biennale di Venezia 2026

Nina Wakeford, artist and curator of the Swiss Pavilion at the 2026 Venice Biennale, discusses the pavilion's project "The Unfinished Business of Living Together." The exhibition draws on two Swiss television broadcasts from 1978 and 1984—Telearena and Agora—in which gay, lesbian, and trans individuals spoke on national television. Rather than treating these as historical artifacts, Wakeford and her team (Gianmaria Andreetta, Luca Beeler, Miriam Laura Leonardi, Lithic Alliance, and Yul Tomatala) reactivate them as points of tension, creating a multimedia environment that explores unresolved issues of coexistence, visibility, and social difference.

Interview to discover Theo Eshetu, the only Italian artist at the 2026 Venice Biennale

Intervista per scoprire Theo Eshetu, unico artista italiano alla Biennale di Venezia 2026

Theo Eshetu (London, 1958), the only Italian artist invited to the central exhibition "In Minor Keys" of the 2026 Venice Biennale curated by Koyo Kouoh, is profiled in an interview. Born to an Ethiopian father and Dutch mother, Eshetu trained in the Netherlands and London before settling in Rome in the early 1980s. He discusses his cosmopolitan background, his early struggles with belonging, and how he transformed that into artistic strength. The interview covers his career, his memories of the Roman art scene in the 1980s and 1990s, and his current work presented at the Biennale, including the piece "The Return of the Axum Obelisk" (2010).

At the 2026 Venice Biennale, Spain transforms its Pavilion into a museum of accumulation with artist Oriol Vilanova

Alla Biennale Arte 2026 la Spagna trasforma il suo Padiglione in museo dell’accumulo con l’artista Oriol Vilanova

Spain has announced its participation in the 61st Venice Biennale Arte 2026, selecting Catalan artist Oriol Vilanova to represent the country in its newly renovated national pavilion. The project, titled "Los restos," transforms the pavilion into a pseudo-museum of accumulation, featuring Vilanova's vast personal archive of postcards collected over twenty years from flea markets and secondhand circuits. The installation presents these ephemeral fragments as an infinite, non-narrative mural, exploring themes of accumulation and loss. Curated by Carles Guerra, the project also includes a performative intervention titled "Il fantasma della libertà" (2026), which will unfold across the Giardini and Arsenale during the Biennale.

Cosmic Province. Between bar and studio, or the punk life of Jacopo Benassi

Provincia Cosmica. Tra bar e studio, ovvero la vita punk di Jacopo Benassi

Italian artist Jacopo Benassi, born in 1970 and shaped by the punk scene, discusses his return to his hometown of La Spezia after years in Milan, where he worked as a photographer for Rolling Stone. He describes his life revolving around his studio and local bars, and reflects on founding the underground club B-Tomic in 2011, which became a hub for his artistic and photographic work blending music and performance. He also mentions an upcoming book of drawings and texts by Renzo Daveti (alias Benzo), a formative figure from the Italian punk scene.

Two American artists have invented a pedal-powered basketball court that now arrives in Milan to regenerate the suburbs

Due artisti americani hanno inventato un campo da basket a pedali che ora arriva a Milano per rigenerare le periferie

Artists Marisa Morán Jahn and Rafi Segal, both faculty members at MIT, have brought their 'HOOPCycle' project to Milan for Design Week. The installation consists of a mobile basketball hoop mounted on a cargo bike, designed to transform urban spaces into spontaneous playgrounds and community hubs. This Italian iteration features backboards made from recycled plastic by the design collective IlVespaio and includes a vertical hoop inspired by the ancient Mesoamerican game of pok-ta-pok.

Dice Are 6,000 Years Older Than Previously Believed, Study Says

Archaeologist Robert J. Madden has published a groundbreaking study in the journal American Antiquity identifying over 600 prehistoric objects as two-sided dice. These artifacts, found across 57 sites in the American West, date back more than 12,000 years to the Late Pleistocene era. By applying criteria from historic Native American gaming traditions to these bone and wood fragments, Madden argues that dice-based games of chance existed 6,000 years earlier than previously recorded in the archaeological record.

Before Language: An Interview with Song E Yoon at Biennale Arte 2026

Song E Yoon's exhibition "Songs Across Time" at Spazio 996/A in Venice, presented as a Collateral Event of the 61st International Art Exhibition – La Biennale di Venezia, pairs her Song E Code with Frédéric Bruly Bouabré's Bété alphabet. In an interview with Kun Sok, Yoon discusses how her work uses dots, intervals, and repetition to create a visual language that exists before conventional meaning, emphasizing bodily encounter, sensation, and the productive role of misreading.

International Friendship Park, at the western end of the U.S.-Mexico border, is focus of new art exhibition

A new art exhibition titled “Occupy Thirdspace III: The Park” opens at San Diego’s Central Library, focusing on International Friendship Park, a state park at the western end of the U.S.-Mexico border. Co-curated by Sara Solaimani and Natalia Ventura, the show features three artist collectives—Las Comadres, Art Made Between Opposite Sides (AMBOS), and Friends of International Friendship Park—to visually tell the park’s story. The park opened in 1971 as a meeting place for families divided by the border but has been closed on the U.S. side since 2020, while remaining open on the Mexico side. The exhibition is the third installment in Solaimani’s series exploring Henri Lefebvre’s concept of “third spaces” as symbolic sites that challenge systems of power.

Helena Samarasinghe at Camberwell Space

British-South Asian artist Helena Samarasinghe is presenting her debut solo exhibition, "Reaching, Touching, Shedding," at Camberwell Space in London. The show features a series of vibrant drawings and sculptural cut-out installations that explore the intersections of sport, power, and identity. Developed during her residency as the 2024 Vanguard Prize winner, the works utilize oil, soft pastels, and charcoal to depict brown women engaged in activities like football, wrestling, and athletics, drawing stylistic inspiration from 19th-century Bengali Kalighat painting.

In Kelantan, 'After Monsoon: Tera-Kota' project connects art with local community

The National Art Gallery of Malaysia, in collaboration with Art Matters Trading, launched the 'After Monsoon Project: Tera-Kota' exhibition series from October 24–30 at Pantai Pulau Kundur in Kota Baru, Kelantan. Themed 'Tanah, Tubuh, Tapak' (Land, Body, Site), the site-specific event featured clay sculptures, a community art feast (bekwoh), cultural performances, and a traditional ceramic firing facility (gok), engaging local residents—nearly 90% of whom practice traditional crafts like batik, pottery, and weaving—alongside students from Universiti Malaysia Kelantan.

On Parkinson’s: Three Artists’ Journeys- Kristin Rehder, C. David Thomas, and Torrance York

The Richard F. Brush Art Gallery at St. Lawrence University is hosting an exhibition titled "On Parkinson’s: Three Artists’ Journeys" from October 20 to December 11, featuring works by Kristin Rehder, C. David Thomas, and Torrance York. Each artist uses photography and printmaking to explore their personal experiences with Parkinson’s disease: York’s "Semaphore" project uses metaphorical photographs to document her diagnosis in 2015; Thomas’s "FINDING PARKINSON’S, Doing Battle with My Brain" combines MRI scans, selfies, and lithographs; and Rehder’s "TREMOR" employs a slow shutter to transform her body’s tremors into creative energy.