Bharti Kher Makes a Powerful Return to Painting: ‘I Wanted to Break This Sort of Spell’

Artist Bharti Kher has returned to painting after a long period focused primarily on sculpture, with a new exhibition titled “The Sun Splitting Stones” opening at Perrotin Paris. The show features monumental, vividly colored oil paintings alongside sculptures, exploring themes of animism, the female body, and the harmony of nature and energy. Kher describes her painting process as introspective and fluid, moving between canvases to create works that feel both intimate and expressive.

From New York to Cape Town: Discover 9 new galleries at Art Basel Paris

Art Basel Paris returns to the Grand Palais in 2025 with 206 exhibitors from 41 countries, including 29 first-time participants. The article highlights nine new galleries in the main sector, such as Stevenson (Cape Town), Lodovico Corsini (Brussels), Crèvecœur (Paris), Jan Kaps (Cologne), The Approach (London), and 47 Canal (New York), each presenting distinctive artists and works that reflect global contemporary art trends.

A Husain horse painting, a portrait of Max Ernst’s soulful dog, and a Fini cat mask: our pick of the September auctions and fairs

The article highlights several notable artworks heading to auction and art fairs in September 2024. These include M.F. Husain's "Untitled (Horses)" (1971) at Christie's New York, estimated at $100,000–$150,000, following a record-breaking sale of another Husain work earlier this year. Also featured are Leonor Fini's embroidered cat mask (around 1960) at Weinstein Gallery during Independent 20th Century in New York, Dorothea Tanning's "Katchina and Her Soul" (1951) at Sotheby's London, and Alberto Giacometti's "Small Head of Elsa Schiaparelli" (around 1935) at FAB Paris.

Timely rediscoveries await at Independent 20th Century

The fourth edition of Independent 20th Century fair takes place at Casa Cipriani from September 4-7, featuring 31 exhibitors and works by around 40 overlooked 20th-century artists. Highlights include solo presentations of visionaries like Gertrude Greene, Jacci Den Hartog, and Judy Pfaff, alongside lesser-known works by icons such as Pablo Picasso and Edvard Munch. New exhibitors like Mariposa Gallery (devoted to queer icon Peter Berlin) and established names like Gmurzynska (showcasing Dan Basen) join the fair, which emphasizes self-taught artists and politically poignant themes.

Border Crossings: Ten Scottish Masters of Modern Art

The McManus: Dundee's Art Gallery & Museum presents 'Border Crossings: Ten Scottish Masters of Modern Art,' an exhibition running from 28 June 2025 to 14 June 2026. Curated by Janet McKenzie, the show highlights ten Scottish-born artists—including Wilhelmina Barns-Graham, Eduardo Paolozzi, and William Turnbull—who left Scotland to train and build careers in London, Paris, and New York, contributing significantly to international modernism.

Meet Paris’s new art vanguard

The article profiles a new wave of artist-run spaces and independent art venues that have emerged in Paris over the past decade. It highlights collectives like Le Wonder, which began in 2013 and has moved through several post-industrial locations before settling in Bobigny in 2023, and DOC, founded by graduates of the École nationale supérieure d’art de Paris Cergy in 2015. Smaller initiatives such as Tonus, run by artist-graphic designers Jacent, and the bookstore-publisher After 8 Books, which grew out of the earlier space castillo/corrales, are also featured. The Anglo-French duo behind Goswell Road, Coralie Ruiz and Anthony Stephinson, round out the portrait of a decentralized, peer-driven ecosystem.

New dealer-run fair aims to fill gap left by Design Miami

A group of 11 mostly French galleries, led by Charlotte Ketabi-Lebard of Parisian gallery Ketabi Bourdet, have launched Maze Design Basel, a new dealer-run design fair to fill the gap left by the cancellation of Design Miami Basel. The fair is held in the 19th-century Elisabethenkirche church next to Basel's Kunsthalle, with stands arranged throughout the nave, mezzanines, chancel, pulpit, and clerestory. The vernissage on June 16 was playful and relaxed, with sales reported by all exhibitors and about 1,000 guests attending the preview.

‘Where there’s a will, there’s a way’: Georg Baselitz incorporates his wheelchair into his art

Georg Baselitz, the 87-year-old German painter, has incorporated his wheelchair into his artistic process for a new series of 22 large-format paintings, 14 ink-on-paper drawings, and his first sculpture in over a decade. The works, made by spreading canvases on the floor and using the wheelchair's tracks to create swirling parallel lines, are on view at Thaddaeus Ropac in Pantin, Paris, in an exhibition titled 'Ein Bein von Manet aus Paris' (until 26 July). The show continues Baselitz's long exploration of the human figure, particularly his wife Elke, while introducing a novel technique that turns his mobility aid into a mark-making tool.

New Manhattan gallery slips into historic property

Slip House, a new Manhattan gallery co-founded by Ingrid Lundgren and Marissa Dembkoski, has opened in a historic carriage house on East 5th Street. Its inaugural group exhibition, "As if a line" (9 May–14 June), features a cross-generational lineup of painters including Jack Whitten, Claude Viallat, and emerging talents like Lizzy Gabay and Alix Vernet. The show was organized with former Sprüth Magers director Jessica Draper, and the space also includes lamps by ceramicist Gordon Moore on consignment. The building, built in the 1880s, once belonged to fashion designer and artist Charles Kritsky, who allegedly had Jean-Michel Basquiat contribute to its penny mosaic facade.

In ‘I’m Listening,’ Barry McGee Celebrates Positivity Amid Distress and Overwhelm

Barry McGee, a key figure of the Mission School, presents his solo exhibition 'I'm Listening' at Perrotin in Paris, running through May 24. The show features sculptures, paintings, prints, and assemblages that draw from West Coast subcultures like skating and graffiti, incorporating grimacing cartoon faces, optical patterns on surfboards, and repurposed everyday objects. McGee describes the work as addressing global distress while celebrating human resilience and positivity.

The Illuminated Room

The article presents an excerpt from Nathaniel Dorsky's book "Devotional Cinema," focusing on a chapter titled "The Illuminated Room." Dorsky explores the historical and perceptual relationship between cinema, vision, and spirituality, comparing the experience of watching a film in a dark theater to medieval conceptions of self-luminosity, as exemplified by stained glass windows in cathedrals like Chartres.

Where are the Louvre Jewels?

Wo sind die Louvre-Juwelen?

Six months after a high-profile heist at the Louvre, investigators remain in pursuit of stolen jewelry valued at approximately €88 million. While four suspects are currently in custody, the bulk of the Second Empire-era treasures remains missing, leading to fears that the pieces may have been dismantled or melted down. The investigation has shifted focus toward how the thieves obtained a sensitive 2018 security audit that detailed vulnerabilities in the museum's defenses.

Air de Paris, a Radical Stalwart of the French Gallery Scene, Is Closing

After 36 years and over 400 exhibitions, the radical Parisian gallery Air de Paris is closing due to bankruptcy. Co-founders Florence Bonnefous and Edouard Merino decided to shutter the gallery after its financial situation became fragile, compounded by Bonnefous's health issues (Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease) and their refusal to adapt to the increasingly profit-driven, corporatist art market. The gallery's final show, titled “Oh What a Time,” in Romainville featured works by artists including Joseph Grigely, Amy Vogel, Allen Ruppersberg, Pierre Joseph, Mona Varichon, Pati Hill, Lily van der Stokker, and Trisha Donnelly.

art nicole saikalis bay london milan beirut patron

Nicole Saikalis Bay, an architect and patron, divides her time between Milan, London, Beirut, and Paris, where she has built a triple-pronged artist support network: the Saikalis Bay Foundation, a Milan exhibition space called Circolo, and the nonprofit WeAre Projects. Her collection began as a private impulse to live with art, focusing on modern Italian masters like Enrico Castellani and Fausto Melotti, and has expanded to contemporary artists such as William Kentridge, Nari Ward, and Tacita Dean. This month, Circolo presents work by ten rising artists of Lebanese heritage, reflecting her commitment to supporting artists from regions in need.

Aux Catacombes, une visite réinventée

After five months of closure, the Catacombs of Paris have reopened with a major modernization project. The site now features a new immersive audio guide narrated by the voice of its historical founder, Louis Étienne Héricart de Thury, along with improved lighting that highlights previously invisible details and a revamped climate-control system to better preserve the bones. The €5.5 million renovation, led by Paris Musées and funded by the City of Paris, also included structural repairs to the bone stacks using dry-stone techniques instead of cement.

A young but already highly competitive profession

Un métier jeune mais déjà très concurrentiel

The museum visitor services sector in France is undergoing rapid professionalization as specialized outsourcing firms compete for lucrative contracts. Companies like Marianne International, Pénélope, and City One—originally rooted in corporate reception and event management—are now managing front-of-house operations for major institutions including the Palais de Tokyo, MuCEM, and the Musée d'Orsay. This shift reflects a broader trend of museums treating visitors as customers and seeking the high-volume staffing expertise found in the corporate world.

Reopening of the Catacombs

Réouverture des Catacombes

The Catacombs of Paris have officially reopened to the public following a five-month renovation project. These extensive works were primarily focused on upgrading the site's infrastructure to enhance the overall visitor experience and improve the flow of traffic through the historic underground ossuary.

Six months after the Louvre heist, a 'Complément d'enquête' takes stock, with never-before-seen images broadcast tonight on France 2

Six mois après le casse du Louvre, un « Complément d’enquête » fait le point, avec des images inédites diffusées ce soir sur France 2

On October 19, 2025, eight historic and priceless jewels were stolen from the Galerie d'Apollon at the Louvre Museum in Paris in just over three minutes, using a hoist and an angle grinder. Six months later, the French investigative program "Complément d'enquête" airs a 50-minute documentary titled "Musée du Louvre : dans les coulisses du casse du siècle" on France 2, featuring exclusive surveillance footage, interviews with guards, police, experts, and ministers, and new details about the four suspects arrested within weeks.

Károly Ferenczy, Elusive Inventor of Hungarian Modernity at the Petit Palais

Károly Ferenczy, insaisissable inventeur de la modernité hongroise au Petit Palais

The Petit Palais in Paris is presenting a major exhibition dedicated to Károly Ferenczy, a pivotal figure in Hungarian modernism. The show features works like his 1896 painting 'Le Sermon sur la montagne,' exploring his role within the Nagybánya artists' colony and his synthesis of plein air painting with a European artistic education.

Galleries condemned, bones exploding… The National Museum of Natural History is in a serious state of disrepair, warns its president

Galeries condamnées, ossements qui explosent… Le Muséum national d’Histoire naturelle est dans un grave état de vétusté, alerte son président

The president of the Muséum national d’Histoire naturelle in Paris, Gilles Bloch, has issued a public alarm about the institution's severe state of disrepair. He warns that 74% of the museum complex is in grave danger, with urgent repairs costing an estimated €500 million needed to prevent collapse and reopen closed galleries. The deterioration includes mold-infested herbariums, flooded archives, and mineralized bones exploding due to heat and humidity, threatening the museum's world-class collection of over 70 million specimens.

In Shanghai, a spectacular spiral opera house designed by Snøhetta is revealed

À Shanghai, un spectaculaire opéra en spirale conçu par l’agence Snøhetta se dévoile

The Shanghai Grand Opera House, a massive 147,000-square-meter cultural landmark designed by the Norwegian architectural firm Snøhetta, has reached structural completion in the Houtan district. Inspired by the form of a traditional Chinese fan, the building features a dramatic white helical roof that doubles as a public walkway, connecting the urban landscape to the waterfront. The interior, which includes a 2,000-seat main hall and various modular spaces, is currently being finalized ahead of a scheduled opening in the second half of 2026.

"Uber Life": The powerful photographic narrative of Tassiana Aït-Tahar, the delivery driver turned artist

« Uber Life » : le récit photographique percutant de Tassiana Aït-Tahar, livreuse devenue artiste

Tassiana Aït-Tahar, a student at the Beaux-Arts de Paris and former delivery rider, has released "Uber Life," a hybrid photobook and sociological inquiry published by Fisheye Éditions. The project documents her five years working for Uber Eats, combining raw photography, screenshots of delivery apps, and personal journals to chronicle the grueling reality of the gig economy. Encouraged by mentors like the artist JR, Aït-Tahar transitioned from documenting her daily survival to presenting a formal artistic narrative that was previously showcased at the Centquatre in 2022.

Kim Gordon Was Never Just the “Girl in the Band”

Kim Gordon, best known as co-founder of the influential indie rock band Sonic Youth, is the subject of a new exhibition titled "Count Your Chickens" at Amant in New York. Curated by Patricia Margarita Hernández, the show surveys Gordon’s visual art from 2007 to the present, including paintings, drawings, ceramics, and video works such as "Jeanetta and Alex" (2026). The exhibition explores themes of celebrity, gender, electricity, and the tension between public image and private reality, featuring pieces like "Paris, Paris" (2025) and the "Airbnb Series" (2019).

Brett Goodroad at Crèvecoeur, Left Bank

Brett Goodroad at Crèvecoeur, rive gauche

San Francisco-based artist Brett Goodroad presents a solo exhibition titled "Bells" at Crèvecoeur’s Rive Gauche location in Paris. The exhibition features a series of new paintings that showcase Goodroad’s signature style of fluid, gestural abstraction and figurative ambiguity, documented through an extensive digital archive of installation views and individual work shots.

In ‘Piercing the Veil,’ Marina Kappos Gets to Know the Spectre of Grief

Artist Marina Kappos opens her solo exhibition 'Piercing the Veil' at SHRINE gallery in New York City, running from May 15 to June 27. The show features her signature acrylic-on-wood-panel paintings that use thin layers of pigment to create gauzy, prismatic effects. Inspired by the sculptural figures of grieving women she encountered at Père Lachaise Cemetery in Paris, Kappos explores themes of loss, memory, presence and absence, and the threshold between life and death. Works like 'Veil Study (Eclipse)' (2026) and 'Quantum Study (Green Entanglement)' (2025) depict hazy landscapes and keyhole-shaped portals that invite viewers to contemplate the unknown and the spiritual.

The Art and History Museum of Sainte-Anne Hospital showcases the emblematic works by artist-patients.

The Museum of Art and History of Sainte-Anne Hospital (MAHHSA) in Paris is presenting an exhibition titled "Masterpieces at the Heart of the Sainte-Anne Collection" from April 16 to July 26, 2026. The show features 145 works by artist-patients from the 19th century to today, including pieces by Aloïse Corbaz, Unica Zürn, Guillaume Pujolle, Maurice Blin, and Caroline Macdonald. Curated by Anne-Marie Dubois, the exhibition is organized into six thematic sections—such as "History of asylum and refuge" and "Imaginary universes"—to allow the works to dialogue without being reduced to the artists' illnesses. The museum also highlights Yayoi Kusama, who has long described her art as therapy.

Mirna Bamieh “Sour Things: The Door” at NIKA Project Space, Paris

NIKA Project Space in Paris presents "Sour Things: The Door," a new installation by Palestinian artist Mirna Bamieh, on view from April 17 to May 23, 2026. Curated by Anne Davidian, the exhibition marks Bamieh's return to the gallery following her solo presentation that inaugurated NIKA's Paris space in 2024, and serves as the latest chapter in her ongoing "Sour" series.

“Where it doesn’t reach” at Lo Brutto Stahl, Paris

Lo Brutto Stahl in Paris is hosting a group exhibition titled "Where it doesn’t reach," featuring the works of Hélène Janicot, Park McArthur, and the late conceptual artist Bas Jan Ader. The show creates a dialogue between contemporary sculpture and installation by Janicot and McArthur and historical lens-based media by Ader. Notably, the exhibition's reach extends beyond the Parisian gallery space to include a presence in Basel.

"Gesundheitseffekt der Künste auf biologischer Ebene"

A roundup of art news covers multiple stories: Stefan Trinks criticizes Berlin's 'MuseumsMeileMitte' as a symptom of urban and cultural misdevelopment, where museums are co-opted by real estate marketing. At the Venice Biennale, the German Pavilion by Henrike Naumann and Sung Tieu explores East German identity and post-reunification trauma, while Patti Smith performed a 'sonic prayer' at the Vatican Pavilion curated by Hans Ulrich Obrist and Ben Vickers. A study from University College London suggests regular arts engagement may slow biological aging.

Where to go for the next scandal?

Wo bitte geht's zum nächsten Skandal?

The article reports on the 2024 Venice Biennale preview days, where the atmosphere is dominated by political protests, media stunts, and social-media pressure rather than the art itself. Incidents include a solidarity drone choir for Gaza, a Pussy Riot and FEMEN protest at the Russian Pavilion, and a planned demonstration near the Israeli Pavilion, all amplified by PR agencies and WhatsApp alerts. A journalist describes being pressured by editors to cover scandals and political controversies instead of art reviews, which they say no longer attract clicks.