DO Savannah: Ella Langley, TEDxSavannah, and more

This article is a local events calendar for Savannah, Georgia, covering the week of May 12–21, 2026. Highlights include a SCAD Jewelry Trunk Show, a Telfair Museums anniversary preview of Impressionism and Modernity: French and American Painting with a lecture by National Gallery of Art curator Mary Morton, the opening of the Seven Ladies Exhibit at the Davenport House Museum, the 15th annual TEDxSavannah, a country concert by Ella Langley, a brewery anniversary party, a jazz fundraiser, and several preservation-focused lectures including one by National Preservation Partners Network CEO Kim Trent and a talk on landscape architect Clermont Lee. The Courtyard Concert Series at SCAD MOA concludes with local bluegrass band Swamptooth.

Gimpo Transforms into an Exhibition Space... Gimpo Cultural Foundation Showcases Local Artists' Achievements

The Gimpo Cultural Foundation announced it will host a series of visual arts exhibitions through June as part of the '2026 Gimpo Arts Activity Support Project.' The program features solo and group shows across multiple genres—including crafts, painting, ceramics, installation, photography, and sculpture—at local venues such as the Gimpo Peace Culture Center, Boreumsan Museum of Art, Janggi Library Exhibition Hall, Willow Tree Gallery, and Bukbyeon Gallery. Artists include Kim Jiyong, Kim Wakon, Lee Kyooho, Yoon Jeonghye, Park Younggyun, and Choi Nakjun, along with groups like Gongbang Dowon-yo and Susaranghoe.

Celebrity artists support Oxford primary school art exhibition

An Oxford primary school is hosting an art exhibition on 16-17 and 23-25 May as part of Oxford Art Weeks, featuring works by celebrity artists to raise funds for improving the school's deteriorating adventure playground and restoring a community green space. The exhibition, themed 'inspired by birds,' is accompanied by talks from historian Mark Davies on how Jericho and Oxford inspired figures like Lewis Carroll and the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood.

Irina Werning Chronicles 18 Years of Photographing ‘Las Pelilargas’ in a New Book

Photographer Irina Werning has spent 18 years traveling across Latin America to document Indigenous women with exceptionally long hair for her series "Las Pelilargas." Her new book, published by GOST Books, features nearly 90 portraits taken between 2006 and 2024, starting with the Kolla community in Argentina. Werning sought subjects by posting signs in remote mountain towns and organizing hair competitions, capturing a tradition rooted in ancestral beliefs that hair connects to life, thoughts, and the land.

Play ‘Liminal Bingo,’ Pat Perry’s Participatory Photo Treasure Hunt

Detroit-based artist Pat Perry has launched "Liminal Bingo," a participatory photo treasure hunt open to anyone with an internet connection. Participants are encouraged to go outside, gather friends, and photograph a series of illustrated prompts—such as capturing a handshake with a stranger while both wear sunglasses—using a camera or phone. When five prompts are completed in a row, players have a bingo and submit their images via Instagram or email. Photos submitted by August will be considered for a fall exhibition at Hashimoto Contemporary in New York and a potential book.

DENMARK S PAVILION AT VENICE BIENNALE EXAMINES PORNOGRAPHY SCIENCE AND HUMAN REPRODUCTION

The Danish Arts Foundation has opened 'Things To Come', an exhibition by Danish artist Maja Malou Lyse at the Danish Pavilion in the Giardini, Venice, as part of the 61st International Art Exhibition – La Biennale di Venezia. Curated by Chus Martínez, the show runs until November 22, 2026, and features a film developed with the collective DIS, shot in a real sperm bank and special effects studio, alongside an installation titled 'Stars in My Pocket' that incorporates cryogenic fertility bank boxes and online 'sperm races' clips. The exhibition title references H.G. Wells' 'The Shape of Things to Come' and draws on scientific studies linking virtual sexual stimuli to increased sperm motility.

Agitate, Educate, Organize. A Conversation with the Indonesian Collective That Is in Venice with Two Projects

Agitare, educare, organizzare. Una conversazione con il collettivo indonesiano che è a Venezia con due progetti

Sale Docks, an activist art space born from a 2007 occupation in Venice, has invited the Indonesian collective Taring Padi to collaborate on two projects. The first is the exhibition "Taring Padi: People's Liberation," which reactivates banners as tools for propaganda, mobilization, and resistance. The second is a public intervention in Venice, where the collective and local community will repaint the walls of the historic social center Laboratorio Occupato Morion. The article includes an interview with Taring Padi, which was founded in 1998 in Yogyakarta by students and activists, and discusses their use of wayang shadow-puppet imagery and collaborative processes to agitate, educate, and organize communities.

The perceptual effects of Alessandro Gioiello's paintings are on show in Rome

Gli effetti percettivi dei dipinti di Alessandro Gioiello sono in mostra a Roma

Alessandro Gioiello's solo exhibition "Pensieri Sparsi" is on view at Galleria Richter Fine Art in Rome, featuring oil-on-canvas works such as "Broken Flowers" (2026), "Quarantatreesimo" (2025), and "Tiscert" (2026). The show presents a stream-of-consciousness approach where color and composition emerge from a lengthy process of selection and transformation, inviting viewers to reconstruct meaning through the creative gesture rather than a linear narrative.

London artist Irum Rahat’s ‘Yeh Kab Ki Baat Hai’ is a house full of memories

London-based artist Irum Rahat presents her first solo exhibition in India, 'Yeh Kab Ki Baat Hai', at Pristine Contemporary in Delhi. The show features 16 new works that draw from her upbringing in a South Asian household, transforming mundane domestic scenes—making chai, sitting in rooms, family interactions—into a visual archive of memory and intimacy. Rahat's paintings, influenced by cinema and her own photography, use soft, hazy colors to evoke nostalgia and the ambiguity of time.

Guild Hall Presents Exhibition Walkthrough & Artist Talk With Artist Claire Watson

Guild Hall in East Hampton will host an exhibition walkthrough and artist talk with artist Claire Watson on Thursday, May 21, from 7:30 to 8:30 PM. The event accompanies her exhibition “Claire Watson: Re-Paired,” which runs through July 19 and features sculptures and mixed-media assemblages made from salvaged leather garments, deconstructed and reconfigured using traditional sewing and pattern-making techniques. The exhibition includes over fifteen works spanning from 2012 to the present, and the talk will be led by Melanie Crader, museum director and curator of visual arts at Guild Hall.

AKKA Venice Project: Beyond the Exhibition

Lidija Khachatourian, founder of AKKA Project, discusses her gallery's evolution from Dubai to Venice, where it remains the only gallery dedicated to African and diasporic artists. In an interview with ART AFRICA, she explains her shift from a market-driven model toward a research-led, custodial approach that prioritizes long-term relationships and slowness over high-volume programming. The gallery, established in Venice in 2019, operates with a deliberate resistance to market pressures, focusing on care, continuity, and direct material support for its artists.

Iran Pushes Back on Venice Biennale Withdrawal Reports: ‘We’re Still Coming’

Iran has pushed back against reports that it withdrew from the 2024 Venice Biennale, with Aydin Mahdizadeh Tehrani, director-general of visual arts at Iran's ministry of culture, stating that the country never withdrew and is still in negotiations to participate. Tehrani told the Iran Students News Agency that Iran submitted a plan for a pavilion and is awaiting a final response, despite unresolved issues including sanctions, high rental costs, and the ongoing war with Israel and the US. Meanwhile, a separate unofficial pavilion called the Hyperstitional Pavilion of Iran, curated by Pouya Jafari and Nazli Jan Parvar, has been announced, featuring works by Iranian artists and organized by Finland-based nonprofit Perpetuum Mobile.

Iran has not withdrawn from 2026 Venice Biennale, pavilion commissioner says

Iran has denied withdrawing from the 2026 Venice Biennale, despite the Biennale's announcement that the country would not participate. Aydin Mahdizadeh Tehrani, director-general of visual arts at Iran's ministry of culture and Islamic guidance and the country's pavilion commissioner, stated that Iran requested more time rather than submitting a withdrawal. He cited the US-Israel war with Iran, political and economic challenges, and a sharp currency devaluation that tripled projected costs as reasons for the delay. Iran proposed a shorter two-to-three-month participation, which was rejected, but has since sent a letter insisting on opening its pavilion even after the opening. The foreign ministry has intervened to support Iran's participation, and a final response from the Biennale is expected soon.

Today’s war, tomorrow’s loot: attempts at stemming the illicit trade in art

The article examines the ongoing challenge of preventing the illicit trade in cultural property looted from conflict zones. It discusses the Hague Convention of 1954 and its protocol, which require signatory countries to prevent theft and pillage during armed conflict and to seize and repatriate unlawful exports. However, the protocol only applies to situations of 'occupation,' leaving a gap for looting that occurs in the chaos of war beyond formal occupation. The article also notes UN Security Council Resolutions that restrict unlawfully removed cultural property from Iraq and Syria, but no similar consensus exists for countries like Afghanistan, Libya, Ukraine, Lebanon, Yemen, Sudan, and Iran. EU Regulation 2019/880 is highlighted as a measure that prohibits introducing goods removed unlawfully from their place of origin into the EU, though its scope has expanded beyond its original anti-terrorist financing purpose.

‘Was she going to an appointment, maybe even a romantic one?’: ASA’s best phone picture

ASA, an anonymous photographer, captured a candid iPhone X image in Bastia, Corsica, during the summer of 2018. The photograph shows a woman walking through strong sunlight, reduced to a silhouette against burned facades. ASA waited patiently for the right passerby, later imagining the woman might be heading to a romantic appointment, though they emphasize the work is about shape, movement, and contrast rather than identity.

‘It’s Been a Long Journey’: Lebanese-Australian Artist Khaled Sabsabi on His Difficult Path to Venice

Lebanese-Australian artist Khaled Sabsabi reflects on his challenging journey to representing Australia at the Venice Biennale. The article details his personal and professional struggles, including his background as a refugee and the political controversies surrounding his work, which have shaped his path to one of the art world's most prestigious international exhibitions.

How Artists Shaped West London Exhibition

The Acton Open 2026, a community art exhibition in West London, brought together fifteen artists from diverse backgrounds to explore themes of life, place, and identity. Organized by ARTification and held at W3 Gallery from March 26 to May 12, the free exhibition featured works in painting, photography, drawing, printmaking, and ceramics, with artists including Ife Olowu, Obiora Nwankwo, Pippa Brill, and others.

Local art exhibition brings mental health into focus through collaboration

A new art exhibition called "TWOgether" has opened at Spare Room Gallery in Barrie, Ontario, running for a month during Mental Health Awareness Month. Curated by Sean William Dawson and Katie Green, the show pairs 12 emerging artists with 10 established artists from Simcoe County to create collaborative works exploring mental health. The project includes a limited-edition art catalogue of 200 signed copies, with 100% of sales proceeds going to the Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA). A public reception and catalogue launch is scheduled for May 22, and the exhibition also features a panel discussion series titled Start Making Sense.

'Celebrate Arts & Aging': Philadelphia Corporation for Aging hosting 24th annual senior art show

The Philadelphia Corporation for Aging (PCA) is hosting its 24th annual senior art show, 'Celebrate Arts & Aging,' across three locations: the West Philadelphia Senior Community Center, the South Philadelphia Older Adult Center, and Center on the Hill in Germantown. The exhibition features 140 artists aged 55 to 101, displaying works in various mediums including painting, photography, textiles, and pencil drawings. Notable pieces include Elizabeth Richburg-Durand's painting of Maya Angelou, Denise Ballinger's 'Peace on the Horizon,' and Russell Williams's 'Brilliant in Blue,' this year's signature artwork. The physical exhibits run through May, while a virtual show remains online for the year at PCACares.org.

6 Nigerian Gen Z Painting Artists We Should All Recognize By Now

This article profiles six Nigerian Gen Z painting artists who are gaining international recognition for their vibrant, culturally reflective works. The featured artists include Anthony Azekwoh, known for blending classical and digital styles; Olaolu Slawn, a former skateboarder turned graffiti-style artist with collaborations like Rolex and Formula 1; Chigozie Obi, whose multidimensional art explores activism and mental health; Ayanfe Olarinde, a self-taught multidisciplinary artist; Adeoluwa Oluwajoba, a mixed-media artist and curator; and Meju Lawrence, known for colorful, animated pieces displayed in notable galleries.

Ashfika Rahman's art lands in New York Times Critics' Top 6

Bangladeshi visual artist Ashfika Rahman has been recognized by The New York Times as one of the six must-see shows at the Venice Biennale, with her work "Than Para — No Land Without Us" featured in the collateral exhibition "Still Joy — From Ukraine into the World." The installation, presented by the PinchukArtCentre and curated by Björn Geldhof and Oleksandra Pohrebnyak, incorporates thousands of small temple bells gathered from different spiritual traditions and draws on testimonies from Ukraine as well as the struggles of Indigenous communities in Bangladesh's Hill Tracts.

Chandra Bhattacharjee magnifies lives pushed to the margins in his latest Kolkata showcase

Artist Chandra Bhattacharjee presents a new body of work titled "A Star Amongst Too Many" at the Sarala Birla gallery within the Birla Academy of Art and Culture in Kolkata. Curated by Uma Ray, the exhibition features large-scale charcoal drawings that depict marginalized figures such as ragpickers, trash collectors, beggars, and street vendors. The works use black-and-white charcoal with occasional bursts of yellow and rust—the latter symbolizing neglect—to highlight the overlooked lives of these individuals. The show runs until May 24, 2026.

Artist Amadour Explores Nevada’s Hidden Histories in New TMCC Exhibition

Artist Amadour presents his first solo institutional show in Nevada, titled *Nevada Proscenium*, at Truckee Meadows Community College’s Main Gallery from May 18 to June 18. The exhibition reexamines Nevada’s landscape through the lens of mining history, labor, and cultural memory, using layered geometric forms to challenge frontier myths and highlight overlooked Latinx histories. A public reception is scheduled for June 10.

in venice, ukrainian artists reclaim joy with tender force

The article reports on 'Still Joy — From Ukraine Into the World,' a collateral exhibition at the 61st Venice Biennale presented by the Victor Pinchuk Foundation and PinchukArtCentre. The show features works by Ukrainian artists including Malashchuk & Khimei, Simone Post, and Zhanna Kadyrova, exploring themes of joy, survival, and resilience amid war. Highlights include a two-channel video juxtaposing a Kyiv rave before and after Russia's full-scale invasion, letters from Ukrainian soldiers printed on foam panels, and installations that transform everyday objects into meditations on sweetness and endurance.

Inside Saudi Arabia’s pavilion at the Venice Biennale

Saudi Arabia's national pavilion at the 61st Venice Biennale features a new installation by Saudi-Palestinian artist Dana Awartani titled "May your tears never dry, you who weep over stones." Curated by Art Jameel's director Antonia Carver and assistant curator Hafsa Alkhudairi, the work comprises over 29,000 handmade clay bricks arranged in intricate mosaics referencing 23 threatened cultural heritage sites across the Arab world, including Syria, Lebanon, and Palestine. The installation, which took more than 30,000 labor hours with 32 artisans, has become a crowd favorite since the biennale opened on May 9.

Muskegon Museum of Art Announces ‘HerStory of Animation: Mary Blair & Beyond’ Exhibit

The Muskegon Museum of Art has announced a new exhibition titled 'HerStory of Animation: Mary Blair & Beyond,' premiering June 6 through September 27. The show redefines animation history by highlighting the contributions of women animators and artists, from early pioneers like Helena Smith Dayton and Lotte Reiniger to contemporary figures. Curated by Mindy Johnson, the exhibition features production artwork, studio artifacts, rare imagery, films, and newly uncovered research spanning over a century of innovation.

Faith Art Prize

Christian Art has launched the Faith Art Prize, a rebranded international award formerly known as the Laudamus Award, celebrating contemporary art that engages with faith, prayer, and the sacred. The prize offers a total fund of £30,000, including a £25,000 first prize donated by John J Studzinski CBE, and is open to artists worldwide working in any medium. Up to 100 shortlisted works will be exhibited at Westminster Cathedral and Westminster Cathedral Hall from 9–13 November 2026, with a People's Choice Award of £5,000 selected by public vote. The exhibition coincides with the Christian Art Conference 2026 at the QEII Centre, London.

Art: UOB Painting of the Year set to elevate artistic excellence in its 45th edition with a festival and more

The UOB Painting of the Year competition, now in its 45th edition, is expanding beyond its traditional awards format to launch its first-ever arts festival in Singapore. Running from late August to early September, the festival will feature exhibitions, workshops, and artist talks, showcasing semi-finalists from the Emerging Artist category alongside veteran winners. The competition, established in 1982, has grown into one of Southeast Asia's most recognized art awards, with editions in Singapore, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, and Vietnam, and has launched over 1,000 artists' careers. This year also introduces stricter criteria for the Established Artist category, requiring a stronger professional track record.

Venice Biennale performances confront war and climate fears

At the 2026 Venice Biennale, visitors encountered provocative performances and installations addressing war, climate anxiety, and human coexistence. Highlights include a naked performer acting as a human bell clapper in Florentina Holzinger's "Seaworld Venice" at the Austrian Pavilion, lifelike baby dolls in Ei Arakawa-Nash's caregiving-focused work at the Japanese Pavilion, and drone-powered flying carpets in Moldova's pavilion that transform symbols of war into tools of peace. The Nordic Pavilion also presented surreal installations exploring coexistence and environmental fears.

Bowen artist behind 'Above the Flood, Watching for the Light'

Bowen Island artist Corey Bulpitt presents his new series "Above the Flood, Watching for the Light" at the Hearth Gallery Community Centre, on view until July 28. The six-painting series follows his earlier "Daalkaatlii Diaries" works, which depicted the great flood of Haida territories and are now held in collections including Paris’ Musée du Quai Branly–Jacques Chirac and Gallery Jones in Vancouver. This new body of work shifts from historical catastrophe to speculative imagination, drawing on Haida cosmology while embracing invention and exploring unseen energies, microscopic spaces, and ephemeral light.