The Unsettling Museum

ArtReview's feature 'The Museum in Crisis' presents a critical diagnosis of contemporary museums, questioning their foundational authority, purpose, and relevance. The article compiles perspectives from professionals, highlighting challenges like restitution claims, alienated audiences, and the need to dismantle colonial hierarchies embedded in language and display practices. It argues that museums must move beyond being mere preservers to become active producers of public knowledge.

The arrival of the Orient Express hotel in Venice reopens the historic Palazzo Donà Giovannelli (filling it with contemporary art)

L’arrivo dell’hotel Orient Express a Venezia riapre lo storico Palazzo Donà Giovannelli (riempiendolo di arte contemporanea)

Palazzo Donà Giovannelli, a 15th-century Venetian palace, has reopened as the flagship Orient Express hotel after an eight-year restoration led by architect and interior designer Aline Asmar d’Amman. Located in the Cannaregio district, the 5-star luxury hotel features 47 rooms, suites, and residences, blending historical frescoes and neogothic details with contemporary sculptures, Murano glass chandeliers, and custom furnishings. The property, owned by Arsenale Group since 2019, includes a transformed courtyard lobby, a secret garden, and a rotating selection of contemporary artworks displayed in a passage called Calle Meraviglia.

The Myth of Sandokan on Display in Monza Between History and Imagination. The Curators Speak

Il mito di Sandokan in mostra a Monza tra storia e immaginario. Parola ai curatori

A new exhibition titled "Sandokan. La Tigre ruggisce ancora" has opened at the Reggia di Monza, exploring the enduring myth of the fictional pirate Sandokan, who first appeared in Italian serialized fiction in 1883. Curated by Francesco Aquilanti and Loretta Paderni, the show brings together ethnographic materials, costumes from the 1970s television series, weapons, books, illustrations, and archival items, including the original Dayak collection donated by Sir Charles Brooke to the King of Italy. The exhibition traces Sandokan's evolution across literature, comics, film, and television, presenting him as a layered, ambivalent hero—both ruthless pirate and justice fighter—whose story remains relevant today.

In Turin, a Confrontation Between Masters: The Exhibition of Beato Angelico and Bartholomeus Spranger

A Torino c’è un confronto tra maestri: la mostra di Beato Angelico e Bartholomeus Spranger

The Musei Reali in Turin has unveiled a specialized study exhibition titled "Beato Angelico negli occhi di Bartholomeus Spranger," which brings together two versions of the Last Judgment. The show features the return of Beato Angelico’s "Madonna of Humility" to Turin, accompanied by his "Last Judgment" on loan from the Museo di San Marco in Florence. This masterpiece is displayed alongside a later interpretation of the same subject by the Flemish Mannerist Bartholomeus Spranger, painted over a century later.

Interior design in dialogue with natural elements: Fòco is the new project by Studiopepe and Archiproducts

Interior design che dialoga con gli elementi naturali. Si chiama Fòco il nuovo progetto di Studiopepe e Archiproducts

Archiproducts Milano has unveiled "FÒCO. Living notes by Studiopepe," the final chapter of a four-part curatorial series exploring natural elements. Located in the Via Tortona showroom, the project features over 50 invited brands integrated into twenty distinct environments unified by a warm, burnished color palette. Designed by Studiopepe’s Arianna Lelli Mami and Chiara Di Pinto, the installation moves beyond a literal interpretation of fire to explore its symbolic power as both a creative spark and a communal hearth.

A young artist has designed exhaust pipes to be played like trumpets: A traveling concert in Milan

Un giovane artista ha progettato delle marmitte da suonare come trombe. A Milano il concerto itinerante

Emerging artist Aronne Pleuteri will debut a mobile performance titled "Mototrombe!" during Milan Art Week on April 17, 2026. The event features a parade of sound sculptures crafted from salvaged automotive exhaust pipes, which have been welded and reconfigured into hybrid instruments. Led by composer Dario Buccino, the procession will travel from Milan’s Central Station to the Church of Santa Maria degli Angeli, where the sculptures will remain on display through April 26.

In China, the Margiela Show is Staged Inside a Series of Containers

In Cina la sfilata di Margiela è allestita dentro una serie di container

Maison Margiela has launched a major traveling exhibition in China titled "Artisanal: Our Creative Laboratory," debuting in Shanghai before moving to Chengdu. Designed by OMA/AMO, the open-air showcase features over forty couture creations from the Artisanal line dating back to 1989, uniquely displayed within weathered shipping containers. The project aims to demystify the fashion house's secretive creative process, highlighting the techniques of deconstruction and manipulation that define the brand's aesthetic.

Design and Motorcycle Collector Opens a Museum Dedicated to the Piaggio Vespa in Milan: Unique 80-Year-Old Specimens

Collezionista di design e moto ha aperto un museo dedicato alla Vespa Piaggio a Milano: esemplari unici di 80 anni fa

Former Ikea executive Stefano Biffi has transformed a 700-square-meter former tire workshop in Milan into "My Vintage," a private museum and event space housing one of the world's most significant collections of Piaggio Vespa scooters. The venue features rare specimens from the 1940s, 50s, and 60s, including original 1946 models displayed without kickstands to reflect the muddy road conditions of post-war Italy. The space is designed to be a sustainable cultural hub, offering guided tours alongside rentals for events, film shoots, and ceremonies.

CUBA PRESENTS FREE MEN AT THE VENICE BIENNALE

Cuba presents Roberto Diago's installation "Hombres Libres (Free Men)" at the 61st Venice Biennale, curated by Nelson Ramirez de Arellano Conde and commissioned by Daneisy García Roque. The work, on view from May 9 to November 22, 2025, features a group of sculpted heads made from oxidized metals, wood, plastics, and reclaimed materials that advance toward viewers, bearing scars that evoke a history of pain and resistance.

MARCELO BRODSKY IN WIESBADEN MEMORY AS AN ACTIVE PRACTICE

The Kunsthaus Wiesbaden is hosting a comprehensive survey of Argentine artist Marcelo Brodsky titled "Memory in Action," running through June 2026. The exhibition showcases Brodsky’s unique practice of intervening in archival photographs to address global human rights abuses, political violence, and the persistence of historical trauma. Key series on display include his seminal work on the Argentine military dictatorship, "Buena Memoria," alongside explorations of 1968 global protests and African liberation movements.

Seabreeze artists shine in OMAM’s Tradewinds exhibit

More than 100 works of art by Seabreeze High School students are on display at the Ormond Memorial Art Museum (OMAM) in Ormond Beach, Florida, for the annual 'Tradewinds' juried exhibit, running through May 24. The show features 2D and 3D art, including ceramics, jewelry, and mosaics, and is judged by OMAM's Guest Curator Ruth Grim, who holds a Master of Arts from the New York University Institute of Fine Arts.

The Center Announces Community Art Gallery for HopeFest 2026

The Center for Counseling & Consultation in Great Bend, Kansas, has announced a community art gallery titled "Because Every Story Deserves to Be Seen" as part of HopeFest 2026. The gallery invites local artists, community members, and classrooms of all ages to submit artwork exploring themes of mental health, healing, resilience, and hope. Submissions in various mediums including painting, photography, mixed media, sculpture, poetry, and fiber art will be accepted through August 1, 2026, with selected works displayed at the event on September 19 and some pieces potentially shown for an extended period afterward.

Emerging Indigenous artists reveal their stories in major showcase

Four emerging Indigenous artists from Nagula Jarndu, a women's art centre in Broome, have been selected to present their work at Revealed, an annual Perth showcase of new and emerging Western Australian Aboriginal artists. The artists—including Ebony Pierik—created large-scale silk pieces using hand-carved linocut blocks, now displayed in the main gallery of the Perth Institute of Contemporary Art (PICA). The exhibition, curated by Whadjuk, Balladong and Wilman Noongar artist Zali Morgan, also features a large-scale art market where thousands of works are sold directly to buyers, with 100% of proceeds going to the artists.

Emerging artists up for exhibition award

The 53rd Riversdale Mixed Media Arts Exhibition will take place in June at the Riversdale Community Centre in New Zealand, featuring a $1,000 emerging artist award for artists aged 13-25 from Southland, Queenstown-Lakes, and West Otago. The award received a record 44 entries in 2025, with judges Marcella and Jim Geddes selecting the top 10 artworks for display on opening day. Last year's winner, 18-year-old Finn Young from Southland Boys' High School, won with a woodcut printmaking piece depicting native birds and the extinction of the huia.

Open Art Gallery coming to Saluda on May 1

Open Art Gallery will open its doors on May 1, 2026, at 32 West Main Street, Unit C, in Saluda. Owner Hector DelCampo, a silhouette artist who moved to the area three years ago, is launching the space to foster community and showcase local talent. The inaugural featured artist is 15-year-old Sila, whose vibrant works will be on display. The grand opening runs from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. with refreshments and meet-the-artist opportunities.

Artists call-out for 2026 Open Exhibition submissions

The Ferens Art Gallery in Hull has issued an open call for artists across the UK to submit work for its 2026 Open Exhibition. The submission window runs from April 30 to May 21, 2025, with a panel of judges selecting works for display from October 2026 to January 2027. There is a fee per submission, with a concessionary rate for younger and disabled artists, and selected artists are eligible for cash prizes.

Peer Bode’s video art exhibition at VSW recalls the 1970s and ‘80s

Artist Peer Bode’s experimental video works from the 1970s and 1980s are currently on display at the Visual Studies Workshop (VSW) in the exhibition "Signal into Memory." The show features twelve screens and two digital prints, showcasing Bode’s "Process Tapes" created during his time at the Experimental Television Center (ETC). The works utilize analog technology, such as Portapak cameras and cathode ray tube televisions, to explore the nature of video signals, temporal dissonance, and the physical process of image-making.

Call for artworks to celebrate Goole's 200th anniversary

Goole Museum in East Yorkshire has issued a call for entries for its annual open exhibition, which this year is themed to celebrate the town's 200th anniversary. The Bicentenary Open Art Exhibition welcomes submissions in all subjects and mediums, including paintings, illustrations, textiles, sculptures, ceramics, and digital works, from local artists. Selected works will be displayed from March 21 to May 16.

Return of popular Goole open art showcase sparks call-out for local artists

Goole Museum has issued a call for local artists to submit works for its 12th annual Open Art Exhibition, which will open on March 21, 2026. The museum welcomes all mediums including paintings, illustrations, textiles, sculptures, ceramics, and digital entries, with a particular invitation for pieces inspired by Goole's bicentenary—200 years since the town was built as a purpose-built port. Submissions can be dropped off on specified dates in early March, and the exhibition runs until May 16.

Art and Design Capstone Exhibition goes on display at Marietta College

Marietta College's Art Department is presenting its Art and Design Capstone Exhibition, featuring work by graduating seniors in graphic design and studio art. The show opened January 13 and runs through March 4 at the Atrium Gallery in the Hermann Fine Arts Center, with an artist reception on January 24. Projects include paintings, digital designs, branding, and textile works, such as Jazlyn Ingold's multi-canvas oil painting "Fragmented Skies" and Renee Mulvaney's mobile app concept "Studiio."

CookieRun to open art exhibition featuring high-quality works and media displays

CookieRun: Kingdom, the mobile game franchise, is opening a new art exhibition titled "Legacy of the Kingdom" at the Ara Art Center in Insa-dong, Jongno District, central Seoul, running from Friday through April 23. The exhibition features 10 high-quality collaborative artworks by Korea's master artisans, including lacquerware inlaid with mother-of-pearl (najeon chilgi) by Sohn Dae-hyun, a buncheong vase by Park Sang-jin, and gold-leaf work by Kim Gi-ho, alongside interactive media art by Nerdy Artist Union. Visitors can use special wristbands to trigger projections and visual effects. Devsisters CEO Cho Kil-hyeon announced plans to expand the exhibition to the United States, Australia, Britain, Canada, Taiwan, and Thailand, given that 70% of players are from outside Korea.

Philadelphia museum brings Rocky statue inside after decades of tension

The Philadelphia Museum of Art has moved the iconic Rocky statue inside its premises, ending decades of tension between the museum and the beloved film prop. The statue, originally created for the 1976 film *Rocky* and long displayed at the museum's base, was relocated indoors as part of a new exhibition.

Upcoming exhibit at Oceanside Museum of Art highlights burnout and rest

The Oceanside Museum of Art is set to launch a new exhibition titled "The Art of Burnout and Rest," exploring the psychological and physical impacts of modern exhaustion. The show features a diverse range of contemporary works that examine the societal pressures leading to burnout while offering visual meditations on the necessity of recovery and stillness.

Artists sought for binational Border Biennial art exhibit

The El Paso Museum of Art (EPMA) and the Museo de Arte de Ciudad Juárez (MACJ) have launched an open call for the eighth edition of the Border Biennial/Bienal Fronteriza. Scheduled to open in September 2026, the exhibition invites artists living within 300 miles of the El Paso-Juárez border to submit works under the theme "Imagining the Border." This iteration will expand its scope to include multi-sensory art, poetry, and spoken word, with 30 selected artists displaying works across both international venues.

KABARIN-JAVAKANTO: Speaking in Many Tongues

Fondation H in Antananarivo, Madagascar, presents 'Kabarin-javakanto: A Reading of the Fondation H Collection,' an exhibition curated by Abdellah Karroum that reinterprets the foundation’s international holdings through the Malagasy oratorical tradition of kabary. Rather than a conventional display, the show activates works from Africa and its diasporas across three galleries, emphasizing dialogue, community, and relational viewing.

Goss Opera House unveils open, accessible Art Alley gallery

The Goss Opera House in Watertown has launched Art Alley, a new gallery space located in the hallway between the Goss and Mavericks. The grand opening took place on May 2 in partnership with the Downtown Collective's “ART of Downtown” event. The inaugural exhibit features local photographer Patrick “PJ” Anderson and his #JunkOnPavement series, titled “Taking Out the Trash: #JunkOnPavement,” which captures overlooked objects found in everyday spaces. The gallery will host rotating artwork by local and regional artists, with QR codes linking visitors directly to artists' online profiles.

Cincinnati Art Museum Announces Major Charley Harper Exhibition

The Cincinnati Art Museum has announced its first full-scale scholarly exhibition of works by Cincinnati-based artist Charley Harper, titled "The Art of Charley Harper: Creatures Wild and Tame." The exhibition will run from October 16, 2026, through March 7, 2027, featuring around 150 works, including ten large paintings commissioned by the U.S. National Park Service that were only briefly displayed in Washington, D.C., in the 1990s. The show is presented in partnership with the Charley Harper Art Studio and marks the artist's first museum retrospective.

The Met’s ‘Costume Art’ Exhibit Puts Every Type of Body on Display

The Metropolitan Museum of Art has opened a new exhibition titled 'Costume Art' that showcases a diverse range of body types through fashion and costume design. The display features garments and ensembles designed to celebrate inclusivity, with mannequins and presentations representing various shapes, sizes, and abilities, challenging traditional fashion norms.

Presenting the Condé M. Nast Galleries

The Metropolitan Museum of Art has announced the opening of the Condé M. Nast Galleries, a new exhibition space within the museum. The galleries are named after the late publishing magnate Condé Montrose Nast, founder of Condé Nast Publications.

Rare Pahari Paintings Go On Display In Washington Exhibition

An exhibition titled “Of the Hills: Pahari Paintings from India’s Himalayan Kingdoms” has opened at the Arthur M. Sackler Gallery, part of the Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of Asian Art in Washington, D.C., running through July 26. The show features 48 rare paintings created for Hindu kings in the Pahari region of northern India between the 1620s and 1830s, highlighting diverse styles from lyrical and naturalistic to boldly colored and abstracted. Key works include pieces acquired from art historian Catherine Glynn Benkaim and collector Ralph Benkaim, some never publicly exhibited before, along with loans from the Cleveland Museum of Art.