parties cultured at home anthony roth costanza

Cultured magazine hosted a launch party at opera singer Anthony Roth Costanzo's New York apartment to celebrate the debut issue of its interiors magazine, 'CULTURED at Home.' Guests including artists Cassie Griffin and Francesca DiMattio, curator Jarrett Earnest, fashion designers Jackson Wiederhoeft and Tanner Richie, and other creative figures gathered in Costanzo's historic Chelsea home, a former residence of architect David Webster, for cocktails, snacks, and a striking ice sculpture featuring the magazine.

parties performa anniversary performance art

Performa celebrated its 20th anniversary and the opening of its 2025 biennial with a multi-venue event in New York, starting at Harlem Parish and moving to a Lower East Side hub at 424 Broadway. The evening featured experimental music by Luciano Chessa, Eric Mingus, Elliott Sharp, and Joan La Barbara, a silent auction of custom wine blends by artists Julie Mehretu, Paul Pfeiffer, and Jessica Rankin, and a feast by chef Marcus Samuelsson. The party was co-chaired by artist Rashid Johnson and the late Agnes Gund, with guests including RoseLee Goldberg, Anne Imhof, Joan Jonas, Sanford Biggers, Laurie Simmons, and many others. The event also launched Performa's first magazine, *Works in Practice*.

parties studio museum gala usher spike lee

On Monday, more than 750 artists, patrons, and friends gathered at the riverside Glasshouse in New York to celebrate the Studio Museum in Harlem's upcoming reopening after seven years of renovations. The event, hosted by director and chief curator Thelma Golden, featured performances by the Hudson Horns, honored five longtime trustees, and awarded the Joyce Alexander Wein Artist Prize to Kenturah Davis. Notable attendees included Spike Lee, Usher, Colson Whitehead, and numerous artists such as Nina Chanel Abney, Derrick Adams, and Carrie Mae Weems.

parties ruba katrib lawrence kumpf hosting

Blank Forms celebrated its ninth anniversary with performances by Dez Andrés, Douglas Sherman, and 7038634357 at the Ukrainian National Home in the East Village. The article, written by Ruba Katrib and Lawrence Kumpf, offers a personal glimpse into their New York apartment, filled with books, records, art from friends, and a curated sound system, alongside recipes and anecdotes about hosting artists, musicians, and curators for dinners and listening sessions.

art met roof garden jennie c jones

The Metropolitan Museum of Art has unveiled its 2025 Roof Garden Commission, titled *Ensemble*, by artist Jennie C. Jones. The installation features three upright sculptures made from concrete travertine and powder-coated steel, whose angular forms are inspired by musical instruments—a zither, an Aeolian harp, and a one-string instrument. A fourth red floor piece acts as a "conductor." The works are equipped with frets and strings that vibrate in the wind, inviting viewers to engage with them as both visual and sonic objects. The exhibition also includes collaborative programming, performances, and a publication with contributions from curator Lauren Rosati and artist Glenn Ligon.

art daisy parris frieze london interview

Daisy Parris, a 32-year-old painter once dubbed an "IBA" (Instagram British Artist) by Elle magazine, is navigating post-pandemic art market success by pursuing experimental textile work. Their painting sold for $254,000 at Phillips in September 2024, eight times its estimate. To coincide with Frieze London, Parris debuts "Kiss the Storm," a 16-foot-wide hand-knotted wool textile created with Textorial, an initiative by Artwise Curators, on view at the Royal College of Physicians from October 14–16. The piece incorporates painted canvas scraps and embroidered text, reflecting Parris's shift toward medium experimentation alongside their signature large-scale canvases.

art made in la biennial hammer museum

The Hammer Museum has announced the lineup for the seventh edition of its biennial survey "Made in L.A.," curated by Essence Harden and Paulina Pobocha. Starting with a list of over 1,000 artists and no predetermined theme, the curators visited numerous studios over six months to select 28 participants. The exhibition includes artists working beyond traditional definitions, such as online archivist Jerald Cooper and DJ programmer Michael Donte, alongside experimental filmmakers, choreography, ceramics, and installations. The show features works by Pat O'Neill, Carl Cheng, Greg Breda, and others, reflecting Los Angeles's car culture, light, and evolving landscape.

food daniel humm eleven madison park sothebys

Daniel Humm, the chef behind Eleven Madison Park, has curated a selection of artworks for Sotheby's Contemporary Curated sale, drawing parallels between composing a meal and assembling an exhibition. In an interview with CULTURED, Humm discusses his approach, which was influenced by a transformative encounter with Claude Monet's Water Lilies at the Musée de l'Orangerie in Paris, and his selections include works by Roni Horn, Alex Katz, Keith Haring, and Sarah Crowner.

art basel unlimited ruba katrib curator

Art Basel has appointed Ruba Katrib, Chief Curator and Director of Curatorial Affairs at MoMA PS1, as the curator for the Unlimited sector at its 2026 Swiss edition. Katrib succeeds Giovanni Carmine, who held the role since 2021. Known for championing emerging and cult artists like Jumana Manna and Rirkrit Tiravanija, Katrib has shaped MoMA PS1's curatorial direction for eight years, with prior experience at SculptureCenter and SITE Santa Fe's biennial. Unlimited is a platform for large-scale works beyond traditional booths, and Katrib will oversee installations, sculptures, and ambitious new projects. Art Basel 2026 runs June 18-21 at Messe Basel, with preview days June 16-17.

art studio museum harlem reopening

The Studio Museum in Harlem will reopen on November 15 after a seven-year closure, unveiling a new seven-floor, 82,000-square-foot building designed by Adjaye Associates and executed by Cooper Robertson. To mark the occasion, Cultured magazine convened three conceptual artists—Nikita Gale, Camille Norment, and Sable Elyse Smith—who received early support from the museum, each reflecting on how the institution shaped their careers. Norment, featured in the 2001 exhibition "Freestyle," is creating a new installation for the reopening; Gale and Smith both participated in the 2017 show "Fictions."

site santa fe international

Site Santa Fe has announced its 12th International exhibition, titled "Once Within a Time," opening June 27 and running through January 2026. Curated by Cecilia Alemani, who previously curated the 59th Venice Biennale, the show draws its name and dreamlike logic from a 2022 film by Santa Fe artist Godfrey Reggio. Featuring over 70 artists and more than 300 works—including new commissions, archival interventions, and contemporary selections—the exhibition uses 20 figures with ties to New Mexico as narrative catalysts, among them Navajo code talker Chester Nez, novelist Willa Cather, and the Fire Spirit from local folklore. For the first time, the International will be fully embedded within Santa Fe's urban fabric, activating sites such as a historic foundry, a toy store, and a dispensary alongside traditional cultural partners. Participating artists include Simone Leigh, David Horvitz, and Dominique Knowles, with contributions from writers Tommy Orange, Lucy R. Lippard, and Estevan Rael-Gálvez.

artadia artists tennis court benefit

Artadia, a nonprofit grantmaker, held its third annual tennis tournament at the Los Angeles Tennis Club in May 2025, moving the event from its traditional pre-Frieze slot in response to the year's wildfires. The fundraiser, co-chaired by Charles Gaines, Jennie Lamensdorf, and Rafael Flores, gathered over 130 guests including gallerists from Gagosian, Hauser & Wirth, and David Zwirner, as well as curator Mia Locks and artists Ally Hilfiger, Todd Gray, and Roksana Pirouzmand. Forty-five participants played in a rotating doubles format, while others socialized; Locks gave remarks and won the tournament.

guggenheim ycc party new york

The Guggenheim Young Collectors Council (YCC) hosted its 2025 party at the museum's New York rotunda, honoring Korean artist Ayoung Kim as the recipient of the LG Guggenheim Award. The event featured a multisensory experience with tarot readings, motion-capture avatars, a performance by YCC Artist Collaborator LaJuné McMillian using LG OLED technology, and a DJ set by Kito, drawing a crowd of artists, curators, and collectors including Naomi Beckwith, Ella Emhoff, Tschabalala Self, and Moses Sumney.

LATIN AMERICA AT THE VENICE BIENNALE: A VISUAL TOUR OF THE CENTRAL EXHIBITION

LATINOAMÉRICA EN LA BIENAL DE VENECIA: UN RECORRIDO VISUAL POR LA MUESTRA CENTRAL

The 61st Venice Biennale, titled "In Minor Keys," opened its preview days on May 8, 2025, curated by the late Koyo Kouoh (1967–2025). The central exhibition, realized by a team she selected before her death, features 110 participants from around the world, with a strong Latin American presence of 15 artists, collectives, and organizations. The show explores themes of colonial history, plantation economies, geological memory, and environmental crisis through works that emphasize shared materials, politics, and poetics across geographies from Dakar to San Juan.

Form in the Age of Living Materials. Interview with Curator Pablo José Ramírez

LA FORMA EN LA ERA DE LOS MATERIALES VIVOS. ENTREVISTA AL CURADOR PABLO JOSÉ RAMÍREZ

The Hammer Museum in Los Angeles is presenting "Several Eternities in a Day: Form in the Age of Living Materials," an exhibition curated by Pablo José Ramírez running until August 23. Featuring 22 artists from the Americas, the show explores materials such as avocado, cacao, achiote, cochineal, stone, clay, and natural dyes that evolve, degrade, or transform over time. Organized into three acts, the exhibition challenges conventional notions of the art object by treating these materials as living agents with memory and agency, rooted in Indigenous knowledge and the concept of "brownness." In an interview, Ramírez discusses how these materials destabilize extractivist logics and institutional frameworks, forcing a rethinking of conservation protocols and the very conditions of exhibition-making.

Arts of the Earth

ARTES DE LA TIERRA

The Guggenheim Museum Bilbao has inaugurated "Artes de la Tierra" (Arts of the Earth), a multidisciplinary exhibition curated by Manuel Cirauqui that examines the relationship between contemporary art and the soil. Spanning from the mid-20th century to the present, the show integrates visual arts, architecture, and ancestral Basque knowledge to explore themes of composting, terraforming, and ecological repair. Featured artists include pioneers of Land Art and Arte Povera such as Ana Mendieta, Fina Miralles, and Meg Webster, whose works are presented alongside archival materials and architectural models.

CARTIER FOUNDATION. A THIN LINE BETWEEN EXTRACTIVISM AND CULTURAL RECLAMATION

FUNDACIÓN CARTIER. UNA DELGADA LÍNEA ENTRE EXTRACTIVISMO Y REIVINDICACIÓN CULTURAL

The Cartier Foundation inaugurated its new Paris headquarters on October 25 with the exhibition "Exposition Générale." The curatorial approach and, most notably, the labyrinthine architectural design by Jean Nouvel have drawn criticism from the specialized press, described as disappointing and patchwork. The new space, a dense black cube in central Paris, represents a radical departure from the foundation's previous luminous, glass-walled hall, forcing a complete rethinking of how to present its 40-year collection.

Everything is Common

TODO ES COMÚN

The exhibition 'Todo es común' (Everything is Common) is on view until June 21, 2026, at the Sala Europa in Badajoz, Spain. Curated by Adonay Bermúdez, it brings together works by fifteen international artists to examine the agricultural landscape as a space where practices, memories, and political tensions intersect, moving beyond its purely material condition.

Montclair Art Museum Names Kate Kraczon Chief Curator

The Montclair Art Museum (MAM) has appointed Kate Kraczon as its new Chief Curator, effective June 15, 2026. Kraczon, a nationally respected curator with over two decades of experience, joins MAM from Brown University, where she served as Director of Exhibitions and Chief Curator of the David Winton Bell Gallery. At Brown, she oversaw a program of more than 7,000 works and developed partnerships with major institutions including the Andy Warhol Foundation and the Terra Foundation for American Art. Her previous roles include Laporte Associate Curator at the Institute of Contemporary Art at the University of Pennsylvania, where she organized over 30 exhibitions.

The International Jury of the Biennale Arte 2026

The International Jury for the Biennale Arte 2026 has been announced, with Solange Oliveira Farkas serving as president. The jury includes curators Zoe Butt and Elvira Dyangani Ose, each bringing extensive experience in contemporary art from the Global South, biennial curation, and institutional leadership. Farkas is the founder of Associação Cultural Videobrasil, Butt founded the in-tangible institute, and Dyangani Ose is artistic director of the 2nd Public Art Abu Dhabi Biennial and former director of MACBA Barcelona.

‘Be really great. No alternative’: what Mary Boone has learned from a half-century in the art world

Mary Boone, the legendary New York art dealer, has returned to the gallery world with a new curatorial project titled 'Downtown/Uptown: New York in the Eighties' at Lévy Gorvy Dayan on the Upper East Side. The exhibition, co-curated with Brett Gorvy, features over 60 works by iconic artists of the 1980s including Jeff Koons, Barbara Kruger, Julian Schnabel, Cindy Sherman, Keith Haring, Richard Prince, and Jean-Michel Basquiat. It marks Boone's first major project in more than five years, following the closure of her namesake gallery and her 2019 tax-evasion conviction, for which she served 13 months in prison.

Embracing independence: meet the artists giving galleries a swerve

A growing number of artists are bypassing traditional galleries to sell their work directly to collectors, a trend that echoes pre-19th-century practices when artists like Michelangelo and Rembrandt dealt directly with patrons. High-profile examples include Damien Hirst's 2008 Sotheby's auction that raised £111.4m without dealer commissions, Banksy's Pest Control system, and Marina Abramović's independent collaborations during Frieze Week and at Glastonbury. Emerging and mid-tier artists, such as Bristol-based Matthew Callaby, are also selling via Instagram and organizing their own pop-up shows, often keeping more profit than the typical 50% gallery commission.

Prize commemorates Henrike Naumann – MMK takes over estate

Preis erinnert an Henrike Naumann – MMK übernimmt Nachlass

A new prize named after the late artist Henrike Naumann has been established by the Institut für Auslandsbeziehungen (ifa) and the Zeit Stiftung Bucerius, coinciding with her posthumous presentation at the German Pavilion of the Venice Biennale. The €15,000 Henrike-Naumann-Preis für Bildende Kunst, plus €5,000 in production funds, will be awarded regularly starting this year to early- to mid-career artists whose work engages with social transformation, political fault lines, or transnational contexts. Meanwhile, the Museum für Moderne Kunst Frankfurt (MMK) has acquired Naumann's estate, which will be catalogued and made publicly accessible to ensure her work receives long-term scholarly and curatorial attention.

Venice in Crisis Mode

Venedig im Krisenmodus

The 61st Venice Biennale has opened under extraordinary circumstances, marked by political protests, a jury resignation, and canceled awards. The Biennale's jury resigned en masse after announcing they would exclude Israeli and Russian contributions from their decisions, leading to the cancellation of the Golden Lion awards and a crisis over the international competition's legitimacy. A newly introduced audience prize also faced boycotts from artists in solidarity. Protests, closed pavilions, and pro-Palestinian actions dominated the preview days, with artists pasting protest posters directly onto their works, reflecting heightened tensions.

Deutscher Pavillon wird zum Plattenbau

The German Pavilion at the Venice Art Biennale has been transformed into a prefabricated concrete slab building (Plattenbau) for this year's edition, designed by artists Sung Tieu and the late Henrike Naumann, who died suddenly in February at age 41 from cancer. Curator Kathleen Reinhardt described the pavilion as part of a highly political Biennale, with Tieu covering the 1938 fascist-era building with a mosaic of over three million tiles depicting a Berlin apartment block that once housed Vietnamese contract workers. Naumann's interior installation features mint-green references to Soviet barracks in East Germany, a cartography of war, and works including a relief of chairs, a curtain of chainmail, and the performance "Trümmerfrau."

Where to go in May?

Wohin im Mai?

The article, published by Monopol magazine, previews a selection of art exhibitions and biennials opening in May. Highlights include the 61st Venice Biennale, a solo show by Lina Lapelytė at Hamburger Bahnhof in Berlin (part of the CHANEL COMMISSION series), a group exhibition titled "Lebt und arbeitet in Wien. Contemporary Art from Vienna" at Kunsthalle Wien, and a presentation of Christoph Schlingensief's work "The African Twin Towers" (2005) at MAK Wien. Also featured is Maximiliane Baumgärtner's exhibition at Kunstverein für die Rheinlande und Westfalen in Düsseldorf.

Drones, Uncle Sam, and Grand Master Rafael: 10 Must See Exhibits This Spring

New York City’s museum landscape is entering a major spring season characterized by high-profile retrospectives, institutional reopenings, and the 82nd Whitney Biennial. Key highlights include a massive Raphael survey at the Metropolitan Museum of Art featuring over 200 works, the reopening of the expanded New Museum with a tech-focused exhibition on the future of humanity, and a major survey of sculptor Carol Bove at the Guggenheim. The season also features thematic shows exploring American folk art, Dutch Golden Age masterpieces, and the relationship between Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera.

Morad Montazami appointed artistic director of 2026 Dakar Biennale

Morad Montazami has been named the artistic director for the 16th edition of the Dakar Biennale, scheduled to run from November 19 to December 19, 2026. Titled "(Anti)Fragility: Arts of Repair and Counter-Shock Strategies," the exhibition will explore themes of community-led restoration and the transformation of vulnerability into collective strength. Montazami, a former Tate Modern curator and founder of the platform Zamân Books & Curating, brings an extensive background in postcolonial art histories and global modernisms to the prestigious African forum.

Au Louvre, des directeurs de département entre responsabilités internes et rôle national

Maximilien Durand has been reappointed as head of the Department of Byzantine and Eastern Christian Arts at the Louvre Museum, a role that carries both internal museum responsibilities and national duties on behalf of the French state. Two decrees signed by Culture Minister Catherine Pégard formalize his renewal: one as head of the museum department, and another as head of the corresponding major heritage department, a status held by only nine of the Louvre's departments.

First Indigenous Representative of Peru at the Venice Biennale, Sara Flores Opens the Doors of Her Studio in the Heart of the Amazon

Première représentante autochtone du Pérou à la Biennale de Venise, Sara Flores ouvre les portes de son atelier au cœur de l’Amazonie

Sara Flores, a 76-year-old artist from the Shipibo-Konibo Indigenous community in the Peruvian Amazon, has been selected as the first Indigenous artist to represent Peru at the Venice Biennale. In her open-air studio deep in the rainforest, she creates large-scale geometric compositions in the kené ("true drawing") tradition, using natural dyes from local plants. She is also co-founder of the Bakish Mai Multiversity, an educational institution dedicated to Indigenous knowledge and artist residencies, alongside Matteo Norzi, one of the two curators of the Peruvian pavilion. The article offers an intimate portrait of her life, her matriarchal family, and her creative process.