Artist Olafur Eliasson brings the outside world thrillingly to life inside the art gallery

Icelandic-Danish artist Olafur Eliasson's major survey exhibition 'Presence' has opened at the Gallery of Modern Art (GOMA) in Brisbane, Australia. Curated by Geraldine Kirrihi Barlow, the show synthesizes three decades of Eliasson's immersive installations, photography, and sculpture, including iconic works like 'Riverbed' (2014) and 'The cubic structural evolution project' (2004), both from QAGOMA's permanent collection. A spectacular new installation also titled 'Presence' features a pulsing artificial sun using mirrors and monofrequency light to create an illusion of infinite space.

Rosalind Fox Solomon and Larry Fink reunited with mentor Lisette Model at Paris Photo

At this year's Paris Photo, the MUUS Collection presented "Looking Out, Looking In: Larry Fink and Rosalind Fox Solomon with Lisette Model," an exhibition that placed the work of photographers Larry Fink (1941-2023) and Rosalind Fox Solomon (1930-2025) in dialogue with that of their teacher, Lisette Model (1901-83). The MUUS Collection, founded by Michael W. Sonnenfeldt, owns the archives of Fink and Solomon, acquired in 2024 and 2021 respectively, and partnered with the French gallery baudoin lebon to include Model's prints. The presentation was organized by Anne E. Havinga, curator of photography at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, and highlighted Model's pedagogical legacy as a teacher at the New School for Social Research who emphasized personal vision and creative independence.

December Book Bag: from a photographic record of a lost nightclub to the tale of an accidental art heist

This article presents a roundup of four new art-related book releases for December. It covers Liz Johnson Artur's photographic monograph 'PDA' documenting a queer Black club night in London from 2011 to 2021; a survey of William Nicholson's career edited by Simon Martin, accompanying an exhibition at Pallant House Gallery; a monograph on Sandy Skoglund's surreal installations tied to a show at the McNay Art Museum; and Whit Rummel and Noah Charney's true-crime memoir 'The Accidental Picasso Thief' about a stolen Picasso painting that ended up in a forklift operator's home.

12 art exhibits to explore this fall

Greater Boston's fall art exhibitions feature a range of shows that reflect on social issues and artistic traditions. Notable exhibits include Jean Shin's "Fabricated Imaginaries: Crafting Art" at the Rose Art Museum, which explores textile consumption and Asian stereotypes; "Sketch, Shade, Smudge: Drawing from Gray to Black" at Harvard Art Museums, showcasing monochromatic works; "Andrew Gn: Fashioning the World" at the Peabody Essex Museum, highlighting the designer's blend of Eastern and Western aesthetics; and "List Projects 33: Every Ocean Hughes" at MIT List Visual Arts Center, examining the process of dying through video installation.

July Book Bag: from a monograph of Vincent Namatjira’s headline-grabbing portraits to a book of Chinese art heists

This article presents a roundup of five new art books released in July, covering a diverse range of topics. The featured titles include a monograph on Vincent Namatjira, whose unflattering portrait of mining billionaire Gina Rinehart sparked controversy at the National Gallery of Australia; a study of Palestinian embroidery in contemporary art by Joanna Barakat; a guide to New York City monuments of Black Americans by David Felsen; and a true-crime investigation into Chinese art heists by Ralph Pezzullo.

Foreign Office Reprimands Goethe-Institut for Exhibition

Auswärtiges Amt rügt Goethe-Institut für Ausstellung

The German Foreign Office has formally reprimanded the Goethe-Institut for its involvement in an exhibition in Vilnius, Lithuania, featuring Palestinian-American artist Basma al-Sharif. The ministry stated that events organized by German cultural intermediaries must leave no doubt about the government's firm rejection of antisemitism and hatred of Israel, and demanded greater care in planning and conceptualizing such events with partners. The exhibition, "Bells and Cannons - Contemporary Art in Times of Militarization," was a collaboration between the Goethe-Institut Vilnius, the Contemporary Art Centre Vilnius, and the Berlin Academy of Arts.

korean dansaekhwa artist chung sang hwa dies 1234771675

Chung Sang-hwa, a leading figure of the Korean Dansaekhwa (monochrome painting) movement, died on January 28 at the age of 93. His death was reported by the Korea Times following a prolonged illness.

suzanne duchamp retrospective zurich kunsthall schirn frankfurt 1234753306

A new retrospective at Kunsthaus Zurich, soon traveling to Schirn Kunsthalle in Frankfurt, spotlights Suzanne Duchamp (1889–1963), a French artist often overshadowed by her brothers Marcel Duchamp, Raymond Duchamp-Villon, and Jacques Villon. The exhibition, titled “Suzanne Duchamp: Retrospective,” showcases her highly individual painterly practice rooted in Cubism and Dada, featuring works like *Radiation of Two Solitary Separates Apart* (1916–20) and *Marcel’s Unhappy Readymade* (1920), which reappropriates her brother’s readymade concept. The show includes a new catalog commission by painter Amy Sillman, who created digital drawings inspired by Duchamp’s formal dynamics.

deleuze seminars painting 1234749008

A newly translated English edition of Gilles Deleuze's 1981 seminars on painting, originally published in French as 'Sur la peinture' in 2023, has been released by the University of Minnesota Press. Translated by Charles J. Stivale, the eight lectures explore what concepts painting can offer to philosophy, rather than the reverse. Deleuze discusses terms like catastrophe, the diagram, and figure, focusing on artists such as Titian, Turner, Cézanne, van Gogh, Klee, Mondrian, Pollock, and Bacon, offering a chaotic yet magnificent counterpoint to his more systematic book 'Francis Bacon: The Logic of Sensation'.

Michaelina Wautier Finally Known by Her Name

The Royal Academy of Arts in London has launched a monographic exhibition dedicated to Michaelina Wautier, a 17th-century Brussels-based painter whose work was misattributed to male contemporaries for centuries. Despite her mastery across diverse genres—including portraiture, floral still lifes, and large-scale history paintings typically reserved for men—her identity was obscured by patriarchal societal norms and a lack of biographical documentation. The show highlights her technical brilliance, notably in works like "The Triumph of Bacchus," which was long credited to male artists due to the era's restrictions on women studying nude models.

The Canonization of Frida Kahlo

A major exhibition, 'Frida: Making of an Icon,' at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, re-examines the legacy of Frida Kahlo. It moves beyond her iconic status by presenting her early works, influences, and, most significantly, over a hundred works by artists she inspired, demonstrating her impact across generations and cultures.

Haroutiun Galentz: The Form of Colour

Haroutiun Galentz: The Form of Colour

A new English-language monograph, *Haroutiun Galentz: The Form of Colour*, repositions the Armenian-Lebanese painter as a major cosmopolitan modernist. The book assembles his work from international collections, arguing his career—spanning formative years in Beirut's pre-war art scene and a later period in the Soviet Union—must be understood beyond national art historical frameworks.

‘Barbara Windsor smacked our bottoms!’ Pet Shop Boys on showstopping visuals, horrified bosses – and snubbing the queen

The Pet Shop Boys have released a comprehensive 600-page visual monograph titled 'Pet Shop Boys: Volume,' documenting over 40 years of their aesthetic evolution. The book explores the duo's collaboration with high-profile artists, photographers, and directors including Wolfgang Tillmans, Alasdair McLellan, Derek Jarman, and long-time designer Mark Farrow. It highlights how Neil Tennant and Chris Lowe utilized the music industry's 1980s boom to treat pop music as a 'Gesamtkunstwerk' (total work of art), merging avant-garde fashion, minimalist graphic design, and cinematic music videos.

Here You Have the Feeling That Reality Is a Different One

"Man hat hier das Gefühl, dass die Realität eine andere ist"

Austrian artist Erwin Wurm discusses his exhibition at the Museo Fortuny in Venice, where he confronts the overwhelming collection of the 19th-century polymath Mariano Fortuny. In an interview, Wurm describes the venue as a historic atelier house filled with tapestries and artifacts, and reflects on how his contemporary sculptures and performances will engage with the dense, time-capsule atmosphere of the space.

Master of Madonnas and the Market

Meister der Madonnen und des Marktes

A major exhibition titled "Raphael: Sublime Poetry" has opened at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, exploring how the Renaissance master Raphael's work was deeply intertwined with money, prestige, and patronage. The show traces his career from early mentorship under his father and influences from Leonardo da Vinci to his rivalry with Michelangelo, highlighting commissions from wealthy supporters like the aristocrat Elena Duglioli and Pope Leo X, who commissioned Raphael's extravagant tapestries for the Sistine Chapel.

Fondation Beyeler: Freier Eintritt im Bikini

The Fondation Beyeler in Riehen, Switzerland, invited visitors to enter the museum for free if they came wearing swimwear, as part of a "Bathing Day" promotion. The event was inspired by Paul Cézanne, whose famous paintings of bathers are the subject of a current exhibition at the museum. The museum reported strong attendance and stated that the unusual setting brings art and visitors closer together, changing perception and reducing distance.

Gropius Bau öffnet abends länger

The Gropius Bau in Berlin has extended its evening opening hours by one hour, now open until 8 PM (closed Tuesdays), due to high demand for its exhibition of performance artist Marina Abramović. The show, titled "Balkan Erotic Epic," opened two weeks ago and drew long queues from the start. It features both new and older works, including performances where Abramović carved a star into her abdomen or lay in a burning installation until losing consciousness. The exhibition explores eroticism, politics, Balkan folklore, sexual energy, death, the political dimension of the body, and the Yugoslav wars.

Monopol gives away 5 × 2 tickets for Peter Hujar and Liz Deschenes at the Gropius Bau

Monopol verlost 5 × 2 Tickets für Peter Hujar und Liz Deschenes im Gropius Bau

Monopol magazine is giving away 5 × 2 tickets to the exhibition "Peter Hujar / Liz Deschenes: Persistence of Vision" at the Gropius Bau in Berlin. The show pairs Hujar's iconic black-and-white photographs of New York's downtown scene—featuring figures like Susan Sontag, Divine, and David Wojnarowicz—with Liz Deschenes' abstract, material-focused works on glass and photosensitive paper. To enter, readers must email their name with the subject line "Hujar" by May 30.

How much Berlin fits on 230 square meters?

Wie viel Berlin passt auf 230 Quadratmeter?

The Neue Nationalgalerie in Berlin has opened a compact exhibition titled "Ruin und Rausch: Berlin 1910–1930," featuring 35 works across just 230 square meters in a side cabinet of the lower floor. The show uses paintings, sculptures, film clips, and audio poems to tell the story of Berlin between World War I and the Nazi takeover, contrasting themes of excess and poverty, emancipation and extremism. It is structured in three chapters: "Berlin im Taumel" (Berlin in Frenzy), "Schatten der Großstadt" (Shadows of the Big City), and "Die Urbane Frau" (The Urban Woman), with works by artists such as Ernst Ludwig Kirchner, Otto Dix, and Otto Nagel.

Big Crisis, Small Gestures

Große Krise, kleine Gesten

The article reviews the second edition of the Klima Biennale Wien, which opened in early April in Vienna. It notes that while the biennale aims to address the urgent triple crisis of climate change, biodiversity loss, and pollution, its execution falls short. The exhibition features symbolic works such as a beached whale, a broken boat, and a compostable SUV sculpture, but these motifs feel repetitive and lack the necessary impact. The author contrasts these with historical precedents like Menashe Kadishman's 1978 Venice Biennale installation and Joseph Beuys' "7000 Eichen" (1982), arguing that the themes of nature and sustainability are not new, only the urgency has intensified.

"Du bist nun in die ewigen Jagdgründe der Kunst entschwunden"

This week's art news roundup covers several stories: Jonathan Meese publishes an obituary for his mother Brigitte Meese in Der Spiegel, describing her as a central figure in his life and work. Pussy Riot seeks to take over the Russian Pavilion at the Venice Biennale. The European Media Art Festival (EMAF) in Osnabrück faces controversy over antisemitism allegations linked to Palestinian-American filmmaker Basma al-Sharif, leading the city and state government to distance themselves from the festival. In the NZZ, Christian Wildhagen reports on conflicts over official political portraits, citing examples like Swiss councilor Martin Neukom rejecting paintings and Donald Trump criticizing his portrait. Art historian Horst Bredekamp pays tribute to Italian philosopher Federico Vercellone (1955–2026) in the FAZ, highlighting his theory of the 'self-activity of form.'

Salon des Refusés 2.0

Salon des Refusés 2.0

A group exhibition titled "we refuse_d" has opened at the Museum van Hedendaagse Kunst (M HKA) in Antwerp, bringing together 15 artists, many of whom faced cancellations or disinvitations from exhibitions following the October 7, 2023 attacks. The show, referencing the historic 1863 Salon des Refusés, aims to reclaim reputation and amplify marginalized voices, specifically focusing on Palestinian history and artists affected by the cultural fallout.

How Alexander Calder Set Sculpture in Motion

Wie Alexander Calder die Skulptur in Bewegung setzte

The Fondation Louis Vuitton in Paris has launched a major retrospective titled "Rêver en Équilibre," dedicated to the American sculptor Alexander Calder. Featuring over 300 works, the exhibition traces Calder’s journey from his 1926 arrival in Paris to his invention of the "mobile," a term coined by Marcel Duchamp. The show includes iconic large-scale hanging sculptures like "Rouge triomphant," wire figures from his famous "Cirque Calder," and rarely seen private loans, alongside paintings and jewelry that highlight his engineering background and poetic approach to abstraction.

Imitations of a Mediocre Teenager on Tranquilizers

"Nachahmungen eines mittelmäßigen Teenagers auf Tranquilizern"

The Victoria & Albert Museum has reportedly censored exhibition catalogs following pressure from Chinese printing firms, removing images and maps related to sensitive topics like Tibet and Tiananmen Square. This editorial roundup also highlights artist Molly Crabapple’s sharp critique of generative AI as a massive intellectual property theft and a profile of Rirkrit Tiravanija’s communal home in Thailand, which functions as a social sculpture.

Phallus, Vagina, Universe

Phallus, Vagina, Universum

Marina Abramović is presenting a major retrospective at the Neue Nationalgalerie in Berlin, shifting focus from her well-known explorations of physical pain to the erotic energy of the human body. The exhibition draws heavily on Slavic folklore and pagan traditions from her Balkan heritage, exploring how ancient rituals used sexuality and the body as tools for spiritual and cosmic connection.

Is the Mallorca Edition of Art Cologne Any Good?

Was taugt die Mallorca-Ausgabe der Art Cologne?

The Art Cologne has launched a new satellite edition in Palma de Mallorca, returning to the island 19 years after a previous attempt failed. Held at the modern Palau de Congressos, the fair adopts a 'boutique' format designed to tap into the local market of wealthy European expatriates and second-home owners. Unlike the high-stakes environment of major fairs like Art Basel, this iteration features an innovative pricing model that allows smaller, younger galleries to showcase curated, riskier presentations at more affordable entry points.

Contemporary US Art is Sick with Problems

"Die zeitgenössische US-Kunst ist von Problemen krank"

Artist Josh Kline has sparked a heated debate with a scathing critique of the American art scene, particularly targeting New York City as an unsustainable hub driven by market logic and inequality. Kline argues that contemporary art is "sick with problems" and urges young artists to abandon the city, calling for a shift from institutional critique to a broader industry-wide analysis of class and power. Meanwhile, the German art world sees significant movement with the upcoming auction of Georg Kolbe’s "Tänzerinnen-Brunnen" following a Nazi-looted art settlement, and the Berlin State Museums announcing a phased reopening of the Pergamon Altar starting in 2027.

The Narrow Corridor of Normality

Der schmale Korridor der Normalität

Artist Beate Gütschow reflects on Pieter Bruegel the Elder’s 16th-century engraving "Spes" (Hope), which she encountered during a visit to the Kunstmuseum Basel. The artwork depicts a personified figure of Hope standing amidst a chaotic scene of shipwrecks and flooding, symbolizing the necessity of maintaining focus and action even in the face of overwhelming disaster.

Behind All Beautiful Things Lies Suffering

"Hinter allen schönen Dingen liegt ein Leiden"

The art market is undergoing a profound structural transformation as a new generation of collectors shifts focus away from traditional blue-chip masters like Cy Twombly and Mark Rothko. These 'NextGen' buyers, socialized through the internet and Instagram, prioritize identity-building over status, favoring streetwear, digital art by figures like Refik Anadol, and music memorabilia over classical painting. Meanwhile, institutional shifts are occurring globally: Greece has introduced specific legislation to criminalize the production of art forgeries, and LACMA director Michael Govan is defending the $724 million Peter Zumthor-designed expansion as a necessary 'magnet' for attracting major donations.

Where Does "Guernica" Belong?

Wohin gehört "Guernica"?

Basque Prime Minister Imanol Pradales has formally requested the temporary transfer of Pablo Picasso’s masterpiece "Guernica" from Madrid to the Basque Country. The proposal seeks to exhibit the monumental 1937 anti-war painting at the Guggenheim Museum Bilbao for nine months starting in late 2026 to coincide with the 90th anniversary of the town's bombing. While the work depicts the destruction of the Basque town of Gernika by Nazi and Italian fascist forces, it has resided at the Museo Reina Sofía in Madrid since 1992.