Inside Wendy McMurdo’s unsettling portraits as major show opens at Portrait Gallery

Edinburgh-born photographer Wendy McMurdo is the subject of a major retrospective exhibition titled "Wendy McMurdo: The Digital Mirror," opening May 30 at the National Galleries Scotland: Portrait (formerly the Scottish National Portrait Gallery) in Edinburgh. The show features around 50 works spanning her career, including her early series "In A Shaded Place: The Digital And Uncanny," which explores doppelgangers and psychological unease, as well as later projects like "Pollinators," "Radical Road," and "Night Garden." The exhibition occupies the Mapplethorpe Gallery, Library area, and Upper Great Hall, and includes a video wall, text installation "Chat Rooms," and objects that influenced her, such as Henry Raeburn's painting "The Reverend Robert Walker Skating On Duddingston Loch."

Indian Art In London: Sakshi Gallery Marks 40 Years With Landmark Show By Contemporary Indian Artists This June

Sakshi Gallery, a Mumbai-based gallery founded in 1986 by Geetha Mehra, is presenting a contemporary art show titled 'Unfolding Narratives: Perspectives in Contemporary Indian Art' at London's Mall Galleries from June 30 to July 8, 2026, marking its 40th anniversary. The exhibition features works by six artists—Amit Ambalal, Manjunath Kamath, Ravinder Reddy, Rekha Rodwittiya, Shine Shivan, and Surendran Nair—with several pieces created specifically for the show. It serves as a prelude to a larger institutional exhibition planned for 2027 in London.

New Exhibitions Unveiled At Expanded Art Gallery

Newcastle Art Gallery in Australia has unveiled the first three exhibitions from its 2026 program, marking the first changeover since its major expansion reopened in February. The shows include "Multiverse," a survey of Torres Strait Islander artist Brian Robinson featuring over 30 new and rarely seen works, including his first immersive installation; a debut solo exhibition by Newcastle-based artist Tiyan Baker; and "The Mordant Family Gift," presenting 25 works donated by philanthropists Simon Mordant AO and Catriona Mordant AM from artists including Ian Abdulla, María Fernanda Cardoso, and Rafael Lozano-Hemmer.

Unfolding narratives (...)

Sakshi Gallery is marking its 40th anniversary with an exhibition titled "Unfolding narratives: perspectives in contemporary Indian art" at the Mall Galleries in London, opening June 30, 2026. The show features works by six artists—Amit Ambalal, Manjunath Kamath, Ravinder Reddy, Rekha Rodwittiya, Shine Shivan, and Surendran Nair—who have significantly shaped Indian contemporary art. Many works were created specifically for the exhibition, offering insight into the artists' current directions. The presentation serves as a prelude to a larger institutional exhibition planned for 2027 in London.

Free Summer Exhibitions in 2026 Across Paris and Île-de-France: This Season’s Must-See Events

A curated guide lists free summer exhibitions across Paris and Île-de-France for 2026, including shows at Fluctuart, Perrotin Gallery, Petit Palais, Bourse de Commerce, Rachel Hardouin Gallery, and Domaine de Chamarande. Highlights include "Everybody's Searching for Their Cat" at Fluctuart (May 7–August 23), JR's "Les Esquisses de la Caverne" at Perrotin (June 5–July 25), the return of "We are (still) here" street-art exhibition at Petit Palais (June 20–September 20), and free late hours at Bourse de Commerce on the first Saturday of each month.

Meet Ese Onojeruo: the exciting new talent behind the Venice Biennale’s British Pavilion

Ese Onojeruo has been appointed the Shane Akeroyd associate curator for the British Pavilion at the 2025 Venice Biennale, working with Turner Prize-winning artist Lubaina Himid on her exhibition 'Predicting History: Testing Translation'. The show features Himid's paintings—including 'Boatbuilders', 'Architects', 'Chefs', 'Tailors', and 'Gardeners'—which depict two figures negotiating belonging in a place they did not originally come from. Onojeruo, who previously held roles at South London Gallery, Chisenhale, and Tate, describes the collaboration as a 'full circle moment', having discovered Himid's work only after her formal art education.

Adelaide’s Tarnanthi is going on tour

Tarnanthi, the Art Gallery of South Australia's annual exhibition of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander art, is launching a national tour titled 'Tarnanthi on Tour: Too Deadly' starting July. The touring exhibition features over 30 works from the past decade of the festival, many conceived for Tarnanthi and never seen outside Adelaide. It will visit six regional galleries across Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria, and Western Australia over the next two years, including Rockhampton Museum of Art, Maitland Regional Art Gallery, Ngununggula, Caboolture Art Gallery, Geelong Gallery, and Lawrence Wilson Art Gallery.

South Florida artists scale up for Orlando Museum’s Florida Prize

The article reports that South Florida artists are creating large-scale works for the Orlando Museum of Art's Florida Prize exhibition. The Florida Prize is an annual competition that showcases contemporary artists from across the state, and this year's edition features several artists from the Miami area who have expanded their typical studio practices to produce ambitious, oversized pieces specifically for the museum's galleries.

Auctions of the week: manuscripts, design and ancient art

A roundup of auctions scheduled between June 11 and 17, 2026, highlights a busy week for the art and collectibles market across Italy and internationally. Italian houses including Pandolfini, Il Ponte, Capitolium Art, Cambi Casa d’Aste, Finarte, and Bertolami Fine Art hold timed and live sales in Florence, Milan, Genoa, and Rome, covering categories from manuscripts and design to jewelry, modern art, and ancient art. The week also features online sessions by Blindarte and Maison Bibelot, with international giants in Paris, London, and New York drawing global buyers.

Crystal Bridges unveils major expansion, new galleries

Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art in Bentonville, Arkansas, will open a major expansion on June 6-7, adding 114,000 square feet of gallery, education, and community space. Designed by Safdie Architects, the expansion includes two new art galleries, a creative learning center called the Hub with studios and classrooms, and a bridge featuring sculpture, pottery, and a café. The first exhibition in the new temporary gallery is "Keith Haring in 3D," and a new Contemporary American Art Gallery will showcase works by Yayoi Kusama and Teresita Fernández. The museum has also reimagined its existing galleries, placing greater emphasis on Indigenous art and featuring nearly 200 works displayed for the first time.

The best exhibitions to see this autumn in Paris and the Île-de-France region

This article is a guide to the best art exhibitions in Paris and the Île-de-France region for autumn 2026, covering the period from September 22 to December 20, 2026. It highlights a diverse range of shows, including a Jean-Paul Belmondo exhibition at the Cinémathèque française, a Nicolas Flamel exhibition at the Cluny Museum, the Art Shopping contemporary art fair at the Carrousel du Louvre, a nature exhibition at the Jardin des Plantes, a fashion exhibition at the Palais Galliera, a 400th-anniversary exhibition at the National Museum of Natural History, a photography exhibition at the National Archives, and a Jenny Holzer exhibition at the Orsay Museum.

San Diego Museum of Art is Celebrating 100 Years With its Most Ambitious Exhibition Yet

The San Diego Museum of Art is marking its 100th anniversary with what it describes as its most ambitious exhibition to date. The show brings together a wide range of works from the museum's collection and loans, aiming to celebrate a century of artistic achievement and institutional history.

Sainsbury Centre receives one of largest ever UK museum donations

The Sainsbury Centre, an art museum in Norwich, England, has received a £91.2 million donation from British politician and businessman David Sainsbury through his charitable foundation, Gatsby. The funds will be used to renovate the grade II* listed building, originally designed by Norman Foster and completed in 1978. The renovation, led by Foster + Partners, includes improvements to the building envelope, photovoltaic panels, and upgraded visitor facilities, aiming to halve the museum's energy use and support the University of East Anglia's net zero campus goal by 2045.

James McNeill Whistler was more than just a combative ‘coxcomb’

Carol Jacobi, curator of a new exhibition at Tate Britain in London, aims to reframe the legacy of James McNeill Whistler (1834-1903), an artist often reduced in public memory to his 1877 libel lawsuit against critic John Ruskin. The show, the UK's first full Whistler survey since 1994, highlights his prolific output, evolving style, and belief that art should seek "a more fundamental beauty" beyond mere impression. It brings together many of his celebrated nocturnes and, for the first time, his sketchbooks, though the infamous Nocturne in Black and Gold: The Falling Rocket (1875) could not be loaned.

Sophie Von Hellerman “After a Dream” at Greene Naftali, New York

Greene Naftali presents Sophie von Hellermann's eighth solo exhibition, "After a Dream," featuring pairs of figures drawn from literature, art history, the artist's personal acquaintances, and imaginative constructs. The show explores creative relationships through the charged dynamic of the couple, presenting narrative chimeras that examine different forms of alignment and connection.

From erupting volcanoes to Elon Musk’s swaddling satellites: the cosmic, chaotic art of Caragh Thuring

Caragh Thuring, a London-based artist, discusses her chaotic and cosmic paintings in her east London studio. Her works blend medieval and contemporary imagery, from US military airplanes morphing into knights to Elon Musk's Starlink satellites depicted as a celestial map. Thuring, who grew up watching nuclear submarines on Holy Loch, creates without preparatory drawings, allowing her imagination to guide layered, open-ended compositions that explore themes of war, peace, religion, and technology.

Nick Doyle’s AI Oracle at Perrotin is Part Influencer, Part Therapist, Part Snake Oil Salesman

Nick Doyle's exhibition "Collective Hallucinations" at Perrotin New York features an AI oracle named Ava, an interactive chatbot that offers therapy-like advice in the style of a Gen Z influencer. The installation, centered around a structure called Mirror, Mirror that resembles a psychic storefront, uses ChatGPT, ElevenLabs voice software, and the HeyGen avatar platform. Doyle developed Ava's persona to sound like a blend of Cher from Clueless, a life coach, and a reality-TV confessional, complete with an accidentally acquired Australian accent. The show closes on May 30.

A Land Artist Asks: What Will Be Left When I’m Not Here?

Meg Webster, a land artist known for creating ephemeral works using natural materials like soil, salt, and plants, is now 82 and grappling with her legacy. Her current exhibition at the Paula Cooper Gallery in New York marks a reflective turn, as she considers what will remain of her practice after she is gone.

PARAÍSO: A NEW FAIR THAT CHALLENGES SIMPLIFIED NARRATIVES ABOUT LATIN AMERICA

PARAÍSO: UNA NUEVA FERIA QUE DESAFÍA LAS NARRATIVAS SIMPLIFICADAS SOBRE AMÉRICA LATINA

A new art fair called Paraíso will launch in London from October 15 to 18, 2025, at Ambika P3, University of Westminster, coinciding with Frieze London. Directed by Javier Calderón of Somers Gallery, with Manuela Rodríguez of The LAAC handling communications, the fair focuses on Latin American art. Its first edition features Mexico as the guest country and pays tribute to artists Felipe Ehrenberg and Pola Weiss, blending contemporary art with design and gastronomy.

Nora Turato creates three exclusive editions for Monopol

Nora Turato schafft drei exklusive Editionen für Monopol

Nora Turato, a Croatian-born artist known for her intense, language-driven performances, has created three exclusive screenprints on Plexiglas for Monopol magazine and Zurich-based Edition VFO. The editions explore the heart as an empty yet charged symbol, featuring the speculative text "I could be, I could live, I could love." Turato, who studied art in Amsterdam and typography in Arnhem, has exhibited at major institutions including MoMA in New York, the Secession in Vienna, and the Stedelijk Museum in Amsterdam.

Inside the technicolour world of Jack White

Jack White, the musician best known as the frontman of The White Stripes, has begun showing his visual art, which he has been creating since his teenage years. The article offers a glimpse into his vibrant, technicolour artistic practice, marking his debut as a visual artist in the public eye.

'Tony Bechara: An Artist of Many Worlds' at The Parrish Art Museum, NY, USA

The Parrish Art Museum in New York will host 'Tony Bechara: An Artist of Many Worlds' from June 27 to November 1, 2026, the first comprehensive survey of the Puerto Rican artist. The exhibition features over fifty works spanning Bechara’s sixty-plus-year career, including archival drawings, photographs, and a monograph with contributions from Domitille d’Orgeval and Hans Ulrich Obrist. Bechara (1942–2025) was known for his dedication to color theory and abstraction, drawing on his bicultural upbringing and global experiences.

An Art-Lover’s Guide to Tunis’ Ground-Up Contemporary Scene

The article profiles Selma Feriani, a Tunisian gallerist who opened a new purpose-built gallery in the industrial El Kram district of Tunis in January 2024. Designed with architect Chacha Atallah, the three-story space features a concrete exterior referencing traditional Tunisian hand-application techniques and a garden of olive, palm, and orange trees. Feriani, who previously ran a gallery in London's Mayfair, returned to Tunisia after the Revolution to contribute to the country's cultural renaissance. The gallery currently hosts simultaneous exhibitions: Nadia Ayari's paintings of menacing plants and Nidhal Chamekh's "Frictions," part of his broader historical project "Et si Carthage…" exploring Mediterranean power dynamics.

If fashion is art, why doesn’t CNZ fund it?

Creative New Zealand (CNZ) explicitly states on its website that it does not fund fashion design, classifying it as primarily part of the commercial creative industries. The article highlights the contradiction that while major institutions like The Dowse Art Museum, Auckland Art Gallery, and World of WearableArt treat fashion as art, CNZ denies funding to fashion designers, with rare exceptions for non-commercial, cross-cultural, or collaborative projects. Fashion designer Doris de Pont, founder of The New Zealand Fashion Museum, notes that even when her trust received CNZ support, it was for the art connection, not the fashion itself.

Insider’s Look at Curating a Show Inspired by the Declaration of Independence’s 250th Anniversary [Interview]

The Fabric Workshop and Museum (FVM) in Philadelphia has opened "Some American Dreams," an exhibition marking the 250th anniversary of the U.S. Declaration of Independence. Curated by Hilde Nelson, FVM curatorial fellow, the show features 27 works by 20 artists created during the museum's Artist-in-Residence Program over four decades. The exhibition includes pieces in furniture, sculpture, textiles, clothing, video, and photography, and is on view until June 14, 2026. In an interview with My Modern Met, Nelson discusses her curatorial approach, which poses the question, "What if 'America' is not one project, but many?" and explores how these multiple Americas are affirmed, resisted, or remade through the artworks.

59th Carnegie International tests the limits of connection and inclusion

The 59th Carnegie International, titled "If the word we," opens at the Carnegie Museum of Art in Pittsburgh, curated by Ryan Inouye, Danielle A. Jackson, and Liz Park. The exhibition emphasizes community and collaboration, featuring immersive installations by artists such as Shala Miller, Jasleen Kaur, and Georges Adéagbo, whose work incorporates local thrift-store finds like Pittsburgh Steelers merchandise. Offsite programming extends to venues including the Mattress Factory and Children's Museum of Pittsburgh.

‘Just Dudes Hanging Out’: Dustin Yellin and Paul Rudd on Making the Artist’s First Film

Dustin Yellin, known for his glass sculptures and as founder of Pioneer Works, has made his first film, *Goodnight Lamby*, produced by Darren Aronofsky's A.I.-focused studio Primordial Soup. The short film, a hero's journey to rescue his daughter Zia's favorite stuffed animal, premiered at Cannes. Yellin discusses the project with his friend actor Paul Rudd, who voices the character "Papa," exploring how fatherhood and his existing artistic practice of "frozen cinema" inspired the animation.

A Drawn Letter for the Rubenshuis

Une lettre dessinée pour le Rubenshuis

The Rubenshuis in Antwerp has acquired a rare double-sided sketch by Peter Paul Rubens, consisting of a draft letter written in September 1607 to the painter Cristoforo Roncalli (known as il Pomarancio) on one side, and a quick drawing of three men in antique tunics on the other. The sheet was exhibited at TEFAF Maastricht in March by the London gallery Day & Faber, and was purchased by the King Baudouin Foundation, which has deposited it at the Rubenshuis. The museum is currently closed for renovation until at least 2030.

Baade et Boberg à Minneapolis

The Minneapolis Institute of Art has acquired works by two Nordic painters: Norwegian Knud Baade and Swedish Anna Boberg. Baade's 1844 painting, along with its preparatory drawing, was purchased from London's Benappi Fine Art gallery. The painting reflects the influence of Caspar David Friedrich, depicting a shipwreck and a lone survivor adrift at sea, emphasizing human vulnerability before nature.

From an Artist to His Dealer

D’un artiste à son marchand

A new book titled "Miró-Loeb. Correspondance. 1926-1936" has been published by Éditions Norma, presenting the previously unpublished correspondence between Spanish painter Joan Miró and his Parisian dealer Pierre Loeb from 1926 to 1936. The volume includes photographs, reproductions of artworks, an illustrated record of Miró's exhibitions at Galerie Pierre, a prologue by art historian Joan Punyet Miró (the artist's grandson), and contributions from Albert Loeb (Pierre's son) and Sonia Loeb (his granddaughter), contextualizing a decade of exchanges amid cultural ferment and rising tensions. The book also features sparser letters from 1945 until Loeb's death in 1963, tracing the evolution of their relationship.