In Greece, the Thessalonikéon Métropolis Archaeological Museum Opens Its Doors

En Grèce, le musée archéologique Thessalonikéon Métropolis ouvre ses portes

The Thessalonikéon Métropolis archaeological museum opened on May 7 in Thessaloniki, Greece, inside the renovated Pavlos Melas barracks (Building A3). Its collection of over 300,000 objects—including ceramics, jewelry, mosaics, sarcophagi, and architectural fragments—was unearthed during the construction of the city's metro system, which began in 2006 and became the largest rescue excavation in northern Greece. The centerpiece is the Decumanus Maximus, a well-preserved Roman-Byzantine commercial street discovered at the Venizelou station, nicknamed "Byzantine Pompeii." The museum's restoration cost about €14.5 million, partly funded by European Union funds, while the total archaeological interventions cost between €75 and €203 million.

Aristophil : Gérard Lhéritier obtient une peine aménagée

Gérard Lhéritier, founder of the investment firm Aristophil, has had his prison sentence reduced to two years under electronic monitoring after pleading guilty in a French plea-bargaining procedure. Originally sentenced in December 2025 to five years in prison for fraud, Lhéritier's scheme involved selling shares in manuscripts and historical documents, causing losses estimated at several hundred million euros to nearly 18,000 investors.

In Berlin, a controversy over subsidies sweeps away the culture official

À Berlin, une polémique sur des subventions emporte l’élue à la Culture

Sarah Wedl-Wilson, Berlin's senator for culture, resigned after the Berlin Court of Auditors ruled that €2.6 million in public subsidies for 13 antisemitism-fighting projects were awarded illegally, bypassing regulatory checks and violating budget law. The controversy intensified when a parliamentary inquiry revealed that CDU politicians, including Christian Goiny and Dirk Stettner, pressured her to approve the funds immediately, coordinating with the Israeli embassy, despite warnings from state secretary Oliver Friederici, whom she later dismissed. Stefan Evers, the finance senator, has been appointed interim successor until Berlin's parliamentary elections in September.

Aristophil : Gérard Lhéritier reconnaît sa culpabilité et obtient une peine réduite

Gérard Lhéritier, founder of the art investment firm Aristophil, has pleaded guilty in a French court under a procedure known as comparution sur reconnaissance préalable de culpabilité (CRPC), effectively a plea bargain. On April 14, he admitted responsibility for fraud and deceptive commercial practices after more than a decade of denial. This late admission, made just before his expected incarceration, reduces his sentence from the five years of imprisonment handed down in December 2025 to two years under electronic monitoring. The case stems from Aristophil’s collapse, which involved selling shares in manuscripts and historical documents as attractive investments, leaving thousands of investors heavily impacted.

Mirei Monticelli’s Hand-Woven Banana Leaf Lamps Swell Between Material and Movement

Milan-based Filipina designer Mirei Monticelli creates biomorphic lighting fixtures from hand-woven Banaca fabric, made from Abacá fiber sourced from the Philippines. Her studio collaborates with a community of weavers in the Bicol province, developing the material through a long-term relationship. The lamps, which blend sculpture and utility, were recently featured in an installation titled 'Pleasure Garden' at Milan Design Week. Monticelli’s process incorporates techniques from garment construction, learned from her mother, a fashion designer.

Rachel Mentzer Transforms Discarded Cartons into Dusky Collagraphs

Ohio-based artist Rachel Mentzer creates collagraph prints using discarded cartons as printing plates, carving them with images of birds, trees, and energy infrastructure. Her process involves carving the cardboard, sealing it with polyurethane, inking it, and transferring the image via an etching press, often incorporating chine collé for color. Her work was recently shown at the Manhattan Graphics Center, and she will participate in the Suzanne Wilson Artist-in-Residence Program at Glen Arbor Arts Center this summer.

MARGARET WHYTE TURNS FRAGILITY INTO LANGUAGE AT THE 2026 VENICE BIENNALE

The Uruguay Pavilion at the 2026 Venice Biennale presents "ANTIFRAGIL," a new installation by artist Margaret Whyte, curated by Patricia Bentancur. The work combines textiles with obsolete technological objects such as old machines, motorcycle helmets, and waste fragments, embodying the concept of antifragility developed by Nassim Taleb—systems that grow stronger through disorder and instability. Whyte's practice transforms fragility and vulnerability into poetic resistance, challenging traditional hierarchies between craft and contemporary art.

‘MANA’ Exhibit to showcase the richness of Masungi through art - Pressenza

The National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA) invites the public to 'MANA', a contemporary art exhibition organized by the Silaw Artist Collective at the NCCA Gallery in Manila from May 7 to 30, 2026. Curated by Eghai Roxas, the show features works by 15 artists including Melvin Culaba, Henri Cainglet, and Derick Macutay, exploring the tension between commodification and environmental conservation, with a focus on the Masungi Georeserve landscape.

From war zones to the White House: Christopher Anderson’s photography

Christopher Anderson, a photographer known for his work in war zones, has shifted his focus to capturing intimate and emotional moments, including assignments at the White House. His approach emphasizes connecting viewers with feelings that transcend factual data, reflecting a broader evolution in his photographic practice.

Photo London 2026

Photo London 2026, the upcoming edition of the capital's premier photography fair, is being promoted with a special feature in which four artists present London through their own photographic perspectives. The article also covers feminist photo collage, a project by Thomas Duffield exploring father-son relationships, and an interview with the director of The Photographer's Gallery.

Artist talk with photographer Ralph Maratta

Award-winning photographer Ralph Maratta will present a freewheeling artist talk at Northwind Art's Jeanette Best Gallery in Port Townsend, Washington, on December 13, 2025. The event coincides with his exhibition "Showcase 2025," where his photograph "Stay the Night, You Can Make Your Way Home Tomorrow" is on view. Maratta will discuss art and the creative process, and attendees can ask him about his unusual titles.

"Hungry Eyes" Opens at 49 Oak Street

"Hungry Eyes" has opened at 49 Oak Street in Portland, Maine, featuring emerging artists Cam Fox, Bets Ondrey, Sophia Sutherland, and Tom Dailey. The group exhibition explores themes of appetite, the animal, and the sensation of consuming art through layered abstraction, figurative imagery, and mixed-media works such as stitched sugar packets on canvas. A public reception is scheduled for June 5 from 5:00 to 8:00 pm.

Opening Reception: Tallahassee Watercolor Society's 2026 Tri-State Annual Juried Water Media Exhibition

The Tallahassee Watercolor Society (TaWS) is hosting the opening reception for its 2026 Tri-State Annual Juried Water Media Exhibition on May 28, 2026, at the FSU Museum of Fine Arts in Tallahassee, Florida. The exhibition features works by local artists from Florida, Georgia, and Alabama, and is juried by nationally renowned watercolor artist Don Andrews, a past board director of the American Watercolor Society whose paintings have earned multiple awards including three from the American Watercolor Society and two Best of Show awards from the New England Watercolor Society.

Studio B Boyertown Welcomes New Gallery Director, Announces New Exhibit

Studio B Boyertown has appointed Bob Hakun as its new gallery director. Hakun, an assemblage artist who creates works from found objects, previously worked as a computer graphic designer and prepress manager after his career designing Halloween masks and costumes moved overseas. He is a 1976 graduate of Kutztown University with a BFA in painting. The gallery is also presenting the exhibition “Form & Fiber: 3-Dimensional Expression in Art,” featuring 3-D and fiber works by Hakun and fifteen other artists, running through June 21.

Katara exhibition showcases 170 artworks by 29 artists

The Katara Cultural Village Foundation in Doha, Qatar, inaugurated the “Contemporary Graphic Art” exhibition on Monday evening, featuring 170 artworks by 29 artists from Qatar and various Arab and international countries. The exhibition showcases diverse modern printing techniques, including relief, intaglio, porous, flatbed, and monochrome printing, and will run until May 18 in Hall 18 at Katara.

California State Univ hosts artist Tutul’s exhibition

California State University hosted a five-day solo exhibition titled 'Lost Symbiosis' by Bangladeshi artist and graphic design professor Md Harun-ar-Rashid Tutul at its Media Art Gallery from April 27 to May 1. The exhibition featured 24 oil and acrylic paintings on recycled paper mesh and canvas, exploring the fragile relationship between humanity and the natural world. Tutul also delivered a lecture on visual communication to students at California State University, Bakersfield, and a separate showing of the exhibition was organized by the Los Angeles Acting Academy and the local Bangladeshi community at the Church of Scientology in Los Angeles on May 3.

Art charity takes over vineyard for exhibition

Art for Cure, a charity founded in 2014 by Belinda Gray after her own breast cancer diagnosis, is holding its annual exhibition at Wyken Vineyards near Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk, from May 1 to June 28. The show features over 200 sculptures and artworks by 30 sculptors and numerous other artists, displayed across the vineyard grounds and in the Leaping Hare restaurant. Up to 50% of sales commissions go to breast cancer research charities; the charity has raised £1.5 million to date from £3 million in art sales.

This art exhibition wants to leave you ‘a bit happier’

Architect and artist François Valentiny, together with his wife Edith Burggraff, has opened a joint exhibition titled "L'art en partage" at the Valentiny Foundation in Remerschen, Luxembourg. Running until 10 May, the show features paintings and sculptures by the couple and is accompanied by concerts, workshops, and community events. Valentiny, known for designing landmarks like KPMG Luxembourg's headquarters and the Bijou building, studied architecture in Vienna and splits his time between Luxembourg and Austria.

Parkville exhibit celebrates 99-year-old artist who began drawing later in life

Nita Draut, a 99-year-old artist who began drawing at age 70, is being honored with a new exhibition at Fusion Art Gallery in Parkville. Staff at Ascend Healthcare noticed her graphite drawings and helped organize the show as she approaches her 100th birthday while receiving hospice care. Draut sketches people she encounters in everyday life, often asking strangers for permission to draw them.

Daylight Chaser exhibit features Kalispell artist

A new exhibition titled "Daylight Chaser" opens May 1 at Phillips Gallery in Kalispell, featuring oil paintings by self-taught artist Brian Braunberger. The works depict Flathead Valley landscapes, drawing on Braunberger's background in graphic design and marketing to create what he describes as an interpretation of nature's "emotional fingerprint of lighted rhythm." A reception with an artist's talk will be held on opening night, and the show runs through May 30.

West Kootenay Camera Club opening show at Castlegar art gallery

The West Kootenay Camera Club is hosting its 35th Annual Photo Show at the Kootenay Gallery of Art in Castlegar from June 4-13, 2026. The exhibition features judged photo entries across categories such as nature, human interest, places and landscapes, creative, black and white, after dark, and alternate media, with an opening reception on June 4 from 5-7 p.m.

The gardens are beautiful but we have stopped designing them. Analysis by architect Gabriele Mulè

I giardini sono bellissimi ma abbiamo smesso di progettarli. L’analisi dell’architetto Gabriele Mulè

Architect Gabriele Mulè analyzes the garden of Bruce Ginsberg in Hampshire, England, describing it as a masterful blend of Eastern and Western traditions. The garden, cultivated for over thirty years, features fluid curves, geometric hedges, a Tibetan stupa, and a labyrinth, embodying the concept of sharawadgi—planting without apparent order—while integrating elements from ancient Greece, the Renaissance, and Buddhist philosophy.

Story of Stampé is the new social atelier in Turin: art gallery, workshop, laboratory of ideas and participation

Storia di Stampé è il nuovo atelier sociale di Torino: galleria d’arte, bottega, laboratorio di idee e di partecipazione

Stampé, a new community atelier in Turin, Italy, has opened at Via Stampatori 5, a historic street once home to printers. The space is a hybrid cultural hub combining an art gallery, a workshop, a showroom for artisanal and food products, and a social enterprise incubator. It launched with a group exhibition featuring seven cultural associations and the communication agency Hello Tomorrow, showcasing works by emerging artists and graphic artworks from past events. The initiative is part of the "Piani Generativi 2" social enterprise development project, funded by the city of Turin and the Compagnia di San Paolo foundation.

Here's what the much-talked-about Russian Pavilion at the Venice Biennale looks like. Photos and video

Ecco com’è il chiacchieratissimo Padiglione Russia della Biennale di Venezia. Foto e video

The Russian Pavilion at the 2026 Venice Biennale has opened amid intense controversy over its unauthorized participation. The pavilion, housed in a 1914 building recently restored by Italian architects 2050+, features a program of musical improvisations, ensemble performances, techno concerts, and interactive actions, including free used clothing. The space is designed as a fragrant flower shop with a chill-out room featuring a conifer grove and video installations. The exhibition, titled "L’Albero Radicato nel Cielo" (The Tree Rooted in the Sky), is organized by young poets, musicians, and philosophers who prefer to remain anonymous as a collective, coordinated by the Gnessin Russian Academy of Music. However, due to sanctions, the pavilion is only open from May 5 to 8, as organizers cannot obtain the necessary permit to operate beyond the private opening.

Cultural Observatories: Dinosaurs or Subjects Capable of Interpreting the Present?

Osservatori culturali. Dinosauri o soggetti in grado di interpretare il presente?

The Cultural Observatory of Canton Ticino has published a study on cultural observatories worldwide, including a map and list of surveyed organizations. The analysis reveals that cultural observatories are not a global phenomenon but are concentrated mainly in Europe and South America, with occasional presence in North America (especially Canada and Hispanic-oriented organizations in the US). Africa, Asia, and Oceania are almost entirely absent from the map. The study also highlights a high rate of inactive observatories: among the top 10 countries by active observatories, only Germany shows an effective activity ratio. Spain has 26 active observatories out of about 45 total, while Italy has 11 active out of over 20 inactive. The research defines observatories as non-profit organizations that combine cultural and statistical expertise to deepen and transfer knowledge about the cultural sector, and classifies as inactive those with no recent activity on web or social channels.

ART OSAKA 2026 RETURNS WITH EXPANDED VENUES

ART OSAKA 2026 will take place from 28 May to 1 June with an expanded two-venue format, featuring over 60 galleries from Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, the Philippines, and beyond. The fair is split between the Galleries Section at Grand Green Osaka in the Umekita district and the Expanded Section at Creative Center Osaka, a former shipyard. A special exhibition, "Another 1990s—Kansai Artists Beyond Time," revisits regional art practices from the 1990s.

Lifework: An Exhibition by KCAT Studio Artists

Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council presents "Lifework," an exhibition of artworks by seven artists from the Kilkenny Collective for Arts Talent (KCAT) Studio. The show runs from May 9 to August 26, 2026 at the Municipal Gallery, dlr LexIcon in Dún Laoghaire, featuring artists Thomas Barron, Declan Byrne, Lorna Corrigan, Sinéad Fahey, Fergus Fitzgerald, Andrew Pike, and Jason Turner. Curated by Dominic Thorpe, the exhibition pairs each artist's earliest work with recent pieces to highlight their long-term artistic development. A concurrent showcase of inclusive artwork from the county will be displayed in Gallery Two, accompanied by workshops programmed by Moran Been-noon and Rayne Booth.

Gallery 100 Presents “Juxtaposition,” a Textile Art Exhibition

Gallery 100 in Chelsea, Michigan, will present “Juxtaposition,” a textile art exhibition featuring quilted photographic works by fiber artist Charlotte Wyche, from May 12 through July 5, 2026. An opening reception on May 14 offers guests a chance to meet the artist and view her work, which blends traditional quilting techniques with photographic inspiration to create layered, tactile compositions.

First Friday Art Walk showcases student exhibitions

The May First Friday Art Walk in downtown Springfield features student exhibitions from Drury University, Missouri State University, and Ozarks Technical Community College, alongside Route 66-themed shows. Seventeen venues participate in the self-guided tour, with college artists displaying work at four locations, including the Robert & Margaret Carolla Arts Exhibition Center, Brick City Gallery, the Pool Arts Center, and Ozarks Technical Community College's Art and Design Department. The Route 66 Centennial Traveling Exhibit, created by documentary filmmaker Katrina Parks, is on display at the Historic Gillioz Theatre, and photographers Vance Clark and Andrew Mann present their 'Unique Lens' exhibit at the Park Central Branch Library.

‘Scattered Memories’: Fragments That Refuse to Fade

The Goethe-Institut Sudan, in collaboration with the Humboldt Forum Berlin, presents 'Scattered Memories,' a transcontinental exhibition at the Goethe-Institut Kairo from 1 to 3 May 2026. The show features Sudanese artists working across collage, film, music, performance, food, and storytelling to explore themes of loss, remembrance, and cultural memory. Public programs include discussions, guided tours, and a traditional coffee corner, transforming the exhibition into a space for communal gathering and exchange.