How to Keep a Gallery Open: Lessons From One of London’s Longest-Operating Dealers

London gallerist David Juda of Annely Juda, one of the city's longest-operating dealers, shares his strategies for keeping a gallery open amid a wave of closures. He emphasizes staying small, avoiding expensive art fairs for newcomers, and planning succession—handing responsibilities to co-director Nina Fellmann as he approaches 80. The gallery is moving to a new space on Hanover Square, inaugurating with new paintings by David Hockney.

The Centre Pompidou Expands to South Korea

Le Centre Pompidou s’exporte en Corée du Sud

The Centre Pompidou has opened a new satellite institution, the Centre Pompidou Hanwha, in Seoul, South Korea. The 11,000-square-meter venue, located in the 63 Tower and designed by the Wilmotte et Associés agency, is a partnership with the Hanwha Foundation of Culture and coincides with the 140th anniversary of Franco-Korean diplomatic relations. The opening was highlighted by a recent site visit from French President Emmanuel Macron and Centre Pompidou president Laurent Le Bon.

NBA Star Devon Booker Finds Perspective at James Turrell’s Fabled Roden Crater

NBA star Devin Booker has developed a significant connection with James Turrell’s Roden Crater, visiting the massive land art project in a dormant Arizona volcano three times since 2020. The Phoenix Suns guard has formed a mutual friendship with Turrell, who praised Booker’s artistic sensibility, while Booker credited the immersive installation with providing a sense of presence and perspective that transcends his professional basketball career.

pierre huyghe las foundation

Pierre Huyghe has unveiled his most ambitious project to date in Berlin, a major exhibition titled 'Liminals' staged at the cavernous Halle am Berghain. Commissioned by the LAS Art Foundation as part of its 'Sensing Quantum' program, the installation features a massive 50-minute film projected in a former electrical station, accompanied by a droning, atmospheric soundscape. The work continues Huyghe’s exploration of AI-driven systems and 'unworlding,' attempting to create a space that transcends human subjectivity through bio-technological environments.

Anish Kapoor Condemns Inclusion of US in Venice Biennale

Anish Kapoor has publicly condemned the inclusion of the United States in the upcoming 61st Venice Biennale, calling for its exclusion due to what he describes as the country's 'abhorrent politics of hate and its incessant warmongering.' In an interview with The Guardian, Kapoor praised the five-person jury that resigned en masse after refusing to consider Israel and Russia for the event's top prize, both nations having been accused by the International Criminal Court of crimes against humanity. Kapoor's remarks come amid the ongoing US war with Iran under the Trump administration, and he previously threatened to sue the Trump administration over a photo taken at his Cloud Gate sculpture in Chicago.

Repeat art fraudster arrested for stealing Courbet painting

London gallery owner Patrick Matthiesen consigned a Gustave Courbet painting, *Mother and Child on a Hammock* (1844), to the Nicholas Hall Gallery in New York for Tefaf Maastricht 2023, listed at $650,000. After it failed to sell, Matthiesen was contacted by a man calling himself Thomas Doyle (also A.J. Doyle), who claimed to be a former US Air Force pilot, government contractor, and art dealer with family ties to Doyle Auctions. Despite Doyle having 11 prior fraud convictions—including stealing a bronze Degas statue in 2007—Matthiesen was convinced by artworks Doyle sent for inspection, including works attributed to El Greco, Rubens, and a Michelangelo drawing. In 2024, Doyle borrowed the Courbet to show a potential buyer and never returned it. Doyle has now been arrested for the theft.

An Art Fair for the "Global Majority" Debuts in Brooklyn

The inaugural Conductor Art Fair debuted at Powerhouse Arts in Brooklyn, running through May 3. Co-curated by fair director Adriana Farietta and PHA president Eric Shiner, the event features 28 gallery exhibitors and 20 special projects, with a focus on representing "the global majority and Indigenous nations." Highlights include an immersive yurt installation by Vuslat and Sana Frini, works by Palestinian artist Khaled Jarrar, Puerto Rican sculptor Margarita Vincenty, Venezuelan artist Esmelyn Miranda, and Bangladeshi artist Bishwajit Goswami. The fair offers affordable booth fees starting at $2,500 for nonprofits and free participation for self-representing artists with a 30% sales donation to PHA.

Art Biennale: artists reject the popular jury

Fifty-two artists and curators, along with sixteen National Participants of the 61st Venice Art Biennale, have withdrawn from the newly introduced 'Lions of the Visitors' (People's Prizes) competition. The boycott follows the resignation of the jury appointed by artistic director Koyo Kouoh, who died in 2025, and is a protest against the inclusion of Russia and Israel in the prize—countries initially excluded by the international jury. The controversy escalated after Italian Minister of Culture Alessandro Giuli publicly opposed the Biennale president Pietrangelo Buttafuoco's decision to allow Russia's participation, drawing in the European Commission and even Ursula von der Leyen, who warned of potential sanctions violations. The signatories include artists and curators from France, Belgium, Luxembourg, Turkey, Switzerland, Spain, the Netherlands, and several other nations.

Lebanon’s Art Scene Is Living in ‘War Mode’

On April 8, 2025, a wave of Israeli airstrikes across Lebanon killed 357 people and injured over 1,200, a day now known as 'Black Wednesday.' Amid the violence, Lebanese artist Abed Al Kadiri, who grew up during Lebanon's civil war and Israeli occupation, has been working with displaced children in shelters, using art to help them process trauma. He collects their drawings and plans to combine them with sketches by other artists reflecting their own war experiences, creating concertina-style books to be exhibited and sold to raise funds for over 1.1 million displaced people.

MAD, 제시카 리히텐스타인 개인전 'Jessica Lichtenstein: Rewilding'(5/30, 2026-4/18, 2027)

The Museum of Arts and Design (MAD) in New York will present "Jessica Lichtenstein: Rewilding," the artist's first solo museum exhibition, from May 30, 2026, to April 18, 2027. The immersive installation transforms the third-floor gallery into a lush, overgrown terrain featuring thousands of digitally rendered female nudes that form forests, ruins, and flowering canopies. The exhibition is divided into four sections—Secret Garden, After the Fall, Leave Your Thoughts Here, and Shadow Play—and includes site-specific works like the 2026 piece "Secret Garden" and a 70-foot-long modular sculpture titled "Leave Your Thoughts Here" (2025).

10 Exhibitions to See in Venice Which Aren’t Part of the Biennale

Ocula's editors have curated a list of 10 must-see collateral exhibitions in Venice that are not part of the main Biennale. Highlights include Shirin Neshat's film trilogy "Do U Dare!" about YouTuber Nasim Aghdam, Hernan Bas's ironic paintings of tourists at Ca' Pesaro, and the group show "Outta Love" featuring Francesca Woodman, Jenny Saville, and Wolfgang Tillmans. Another notable exhibition is "Turāndokht" from Parasol unit, which brings together 11 female artists from Central Asia to challenge Orientalist stereotypes.

Stories That Shape Us: Building Stories Reflections

Staff at the National Building Museum share their favorite children's books in celebration of World Book Day, as part of the exhibition 'Building Stories.' Each staff member selects a book that has influenced their imagination or professional work, ranging from century-old illustrated alphabets like C.B. Falls' 'ABC Book' to contemporary picture books such as Christian Robinson's 'Another' and Tony Hillery's 'Harlem Grown.' The selections highlight how storytelling and the built environment intersect, with books like 'Goodnight Moon,' 'Eloise,' and 'The Snowy Day' offering personal and professional insights.

Izmir opens new art center backed by Centre Pompidou

The Lucien Arkas Art Center has officially opened in Izmir, Turkey, marking the seventh venue in the Arkas Sanat network. Launched by collector Lucien Arkas in collaboration with the Centre Pompidou, the multidisciplinary space debuted with a preview exhibition titled "Sonia & Robert Delaunay: The Invention of Modern Color." The center is designed to host a diverse range of programming, including exhibitions, educational initiatives, and various forms of artistic production.

Why do we like watching women die, asks Marina Abramović in Copenhagen

Marina Abramović has unveiled her latest immersive exhibition, "Seven Deaths," at Cisternerne in Copenhagen, a subterranean former reservoir. The installation features seven films where Abramović reimagines the tragic ends of famous operatic heroines—such as Tosca and Madame Butterfly—originally made famous by Maria Callas. Accompanied by actor Willem Dafoe, Abramović uses these cinematic vignettes to explore themes of heartbreak, endurance, and the cultural fascination with the "tragic feminine."

With 'Normes Corps' at the Palais de Tokyo, vulnerable bodies unite their strength

The Palais de Tokyo in Paris has unveiled 'Normes Corps' (Body Norms), a major group exhibition that explores the intersection of vulnerability, disability, and physical resistance. The show brings together a diverse array of international artists who challenge traditional societal standards of the 'ideal' body, instead highlighting the strength found in fragility and the collective power of marginalized physicalities.

New biography offers well-crafted story of Louise Bourgeois’s rich life

Marie-Laure Bernadac’s new biography, 'Knife-Woman: The Life of Louise Bourgeois', provides a comprehensive look at the French-American artist’s prolific career and traumatic upbringing. The book explores how Bourgeois transformed childhood wounds—specifically her father’s infidelity and psychological cruelty—into a radical body of work spanning sculpture, installation, and textiles. From her early encouragement by Fernand Léger to her late-career fame with the 'Maman' spider sculptures, the biography traces her evolution from a painter to a boundary-defying sculptor who utilized materials ranging from latex to marble.

Fairfield University Explores 250 Years of the American Experiment

Fairfield University has launched America250: The Promise and Paradox, a suite of programming marking the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence. The spring 2026 lineup includes the exhibition "For Which It Stands…" at the Fairfield University Art Museum, featuring over 70 works that trace depictions of the American flag from World War I to the present. Additional events include a conversation with filmmaker Ken Burns, lectures by CNN's Kaitlan Collins and Whitney Museum Director Scott Rothkopf, performances such as "Big River" and "Jazz at Lincoln Center's Great American Crooners," and a screening of the short film "Reclaim the Flag."

Local Art Books to Gift This Holiday Season

Several artists with ties to Baltimore have released new art books just in time for the holiday season. The featured publications include a debut monograph on Derrick Adams from Phaidon's Monacelli imprint, a book by rising painter Jerrell Gibbs titled 'No Solace in the Shade' published by Rizzoli, the exhibition catalogue for Amy Sherald's retrospective 'American Sublime' at the Baltimore Museum of Art, and Jackie Milad's debut art book 'Shabtis Gather' produced in partnership with BmoreArt. The article also recommends gifting a subscription to BmoreArt magazine.

Phillips Collection sells O’Keeffe and other masterpieces amid outcry from supporters

The Phillips Collection in Washington, D.C., sold three masterworks from its permanent collection at auction on Thursday evening for a combined $13,413,000. The deaccessioned works were by Georgia O’Keeffe, Arthur Dove, and Georges Seurat. The sale proceeded despite strong outcry from some of the museum's influential supporters, who viewed the decision as a betrayal of the founders' vision and accused the director and board of prioritizing financial gain over the institution's mission.

Dog in Rembrandt’s The Night Watch was copied from widely available book, suggests new research

New research suggests that the barking dog in the lower right corner of Rembrandt's *The Night Watch* (1642) was copied from a title-page illustration by the Dutch artist Adriaen van de Venne. Anne Lenders, curator of 17th-century Dutch paintings at the Rijksmuseum, recognized the resemblance while visiting an exhibition on Van de Venne at the Zeeuws Museum. Macro X-ray fluorescence scans of the painting's underdrawing confirmed the similarity, though Rembrandt modified the dog's posture and added a tongue to make it appear alert and barking at a drum.

‘A really pivotal moment’: 6 neurodivergent artists highlighted in a sensory-dense, striking exhibition

An exhibition titled 'LOOK HERE' opens at Haverford College's Cantor Fitzgerald Gallery, featuring six neurodivergent artists from Greater Philadelphia who are connected with the Center for Creative Works (CCW). Curated by Jennifer Gilbert alongside CCW artists Paige Donavan and Mary T. Bevlock, the show highlights diverse works including mixed-media sculptures by blind artist Cindy Gosselin, textured ceramics by Clyde Henry, marker drawings by Allen Yu, and contributions from Kelly Brown, Tim Quinn, and Brandon Spicer-Crawley. The gallery is designed for accessibility, with lowered paintings, sensory backpacks, braille booklets, ASL-embedded videos, and custom seating by artists.

Walker Art Center hosts the work of Jessi Reaves in her first major museum show

The Walker Art Center in Minneapolis has opened "Jessi Reaves: process invented the mirror," the New York-based artist's first major solo museum exhibition. Curated by Walker director Mary Ceruti, the show features a single body of new work that blends readymade furniture, found objects, and recycled materials, exploring the tension between functionality and absurdity. Ceruti, who previously worked with Reaves at the SculptureCenter in 2016, describes the work as playful yet rigorous, pushing viewers to reconsider how objects function in daily life.

New $31m art-filled park planned for downtown Pittsburgh

The Pittsburgh Cultural Trust (PCT) will open a four-acre art-filled park called Arts Landing in 2026, part of a $600 million government plan to revitalize the city's cultural district. The $31 million project will feature ten regional artists, including Pittsburgh-based vanessa german, whose work 'Lifted' honors local elders, and Thaddeus Mosley, whose exhibition 'Touching the Earth' will travel from New York's City Hall Park via a partnership with the Public Art Fund. Other commissions include Darian Johnson's wildlife sculptures with VaultArt Studio and John Peña's interactive kinetic work with the Children's Museum of Pittsburgh.

Exhibition at The Met Highlights Role of Photography in Cross-Dressing Community in 1960s New York

The Metropolitan Museum of Art's exhibition "Casa Susanna," on view from July 21, 2025 to January 25, 2026, brings together approximately 160 photographs and publications created by and for a community of cross-dressers who gathered in New York City and the Catskills Mountains during the 1960s. The works, discovered at a Manhattan flea market in 2004, document safe spaces provided by Susanna Valenti and Marie Tornell at two modest resorts, where guests used cameras—especially Polaroids—to affirm their femme identities and connect a nationwide community. The exhibition is organized by the Art Gallery of Ontario and Les Rencontres d’Arles in collaboration with The Met, and includes collections from the Art Gallery of Ontario, artist Cindy Sherman, and donor Betsy Wollheim.

Lawren Harris leads the way in Heffel’s all-Canadian marquee spring auctions in Toronto

Heffel Fine Art Auction House held its spring sales in Toronto on May 22, featuring an all-Canadian lineup of 85 lots with an estimated value of C$18m to C$22m. Despite rain and economic concerns, the two-session sale achieved C$22m total, led by Lawren Harris's *Northern Lake* (1926) at C$3.1m. Other highlights included record-breaking prices for Franklin Carmichael, Arthur Lismer, and A.Y. Jackson, plus strong results for Emily Carr and Tom Thomson works.

THE MONUMENTALITY OF THREAD OLGA DE AMARAL AT MALBA

The Museo de Arte Latinoamericano de Buenos Aires (Malba) has opened a major retrospective of Colombian artist Olga de Amaral, titled 'Olga de Amaral: Textile Body,' to celebrate the museum's 25th anniversary. The exhibition, running until May 11, features over fifty works from six decades, including key series like Entrelazados and Brumas, drawn from collections across the Americas.

Chicago: Model City by Mark Acciari

Native Chicagoan architect and artist Mark Acciari reflects on the architectural identity of Chicago from the distance of Mexico City. Using the iconic imagery of a Chicago-style hot dog as a metaphor for the city's construction, he explores how the city's legacy is often reduced to the 'skeleton frame' of early modernism by critics, while ignoring its more playful, symbolic, and postmodernist undercurrents.

The soap opera continues. Minister Giuli will boycott the inauguration of the Venice Biennale

La telenovela continua. Il Ministro Giuli diserterà l’inaugurazione della Biennale di Venezia

Alessandro Giuli, Italy's Minister of Culture, has announced he will boycott the pre-opening and inauguration ceremony of the 61st Venice Biennale on May 9, 2026, escalating a political and cultural crisis. The dispute began when Biennale president Pietrangelo Buttafuoco allowed the Russian pavilion to reopen, absent since 2022 due to the Ukraine invasion, citing artistic freedom. Giuli demanded the removal of ministry representative Tamara Gregoretti from the Biennale board for failing to oppose the decision. Tensions flared during the Italy Pavilion press conference, where journalists were confined to a separate streaming room and questions were restricted. The European Commission condemned the Russian pavilion's reopening, cutting €2 million in funding and issuing a 30-day ultimatum, while 22 European countries signed a letter pressuring the institution. The Biennale's international jury, led by Solange Oliveira Farkas, then excluded Russia and Israel from award consideration, citing ethical guidelines against countries whose leaders face International Criminal Court charges for crimes against humanity.

Protection and Constraint are Two Sides of the Same Coin: An Exhibition in Rome Proves It

Protezione e costrizione sono due facce della stessa medaglia. Una mostra a Roma lo dimostra

The gallery Monti8 in Rome is hosting a group exhibition titled "The Bell Jar," co-curated by Massimiliano Maglione. Inspired by Sylvia Plath’s 1963 novel, the show features seven international artists—Camilla Alberti, Ruby Chen, Mounir Eddib, Stephen Buscemi, Naomi Hawksley, Steffen Kern, and Amber Wynne-Jones. The exhibition explores the dual nature of the glass bell jar as both a protective shield for precious objects and a suffocating barrier that isolates the subject from the world.

The MAGA Theory of Art

The article examines the aesthetic dimensions of the MAGA movement, comparing and contrasting it with historical fascist regimes, particularly Nazi Germany. It argues that while both movements share a theatrical, media-savvy approach to politics and a resentment of cultural elites, MAGA lacks the disciplined, sophisticated aesthetic program and the cadre of high-profile artists and designers that characterized Nazi cultural production.