“100% L’Expo”: 5 Young Talents Shaping Today’s Art at La Villette

« 100 % L’Expo » : 5 jeunes talents qui font l’art d’aujourd’hui à La Villette

The Grande Halle de La Villette in Paris is hosting "100% L’Expo," a major showcase featuring emerging talents from art schools across France. Curated by Inès Geoffroy, this year’s edition highlights a diverse range of multidisciplinary installations focusing on themes of living ecosystems, diasporic memories, and new spiritualities. Notable participants include Zoé Saudrais, whose work blends activism with ceramics and textiles, and Joséphine Berthou, who presents a tense, two-screen video installation exploring social aggression.

Required Reading

This week's cultural roundup connects diverse stories from art conservation to literary analysis. Novelist Karma Brown draws parallels between restoring artworks and revising novels, inspired by visits to the Art Gallery of Ontario, while an interview with Namwali Serpell examines the complex "monumentalization" of Toni Morrison's legacy. The column also includes a poignant image from Tehran—a framed artwork hanging in a bomb-damaged apartment—and touches on topics ranging from celebrating Eid in Gaza to discussions about "girl games" and the Lindy West drama.

A CONTEMPORARY QUIPU TRAVERSES CASTELLO DI RIVOLI

Castello di Rivoli Museo d’Arte Contemporanea has opened Cecilia Vicuña's first solo museum exhibition in Italy, titled 'El glaciar ido (The vanished glacier).' The exhibition, curated by Marcella Beccaria and running until September 2026, features a major new site-specific commission: a monumental, horizontal 'quipu acostado' installation suspended in the Manica Lunga gallery, created from raw wool and incorporating participatory elements from local communities.

Cosanti Originals Debuts New Artist Exhibition

Mesa-based artist Talia Dudley has unveiled her latest solo exhibition, “SHROUD,” at the Cosanti Originals Gallery in Paradise Valley. The collection features large-scale paintings, some measuring up to 80 by 60 inches, which were developed during Dudley’s recent artist residency at Arcosanti. The works utilize gestural strokes and heavy layering to explore the "architecture of the unconscious," drawing direct inspiration from the unique structural environment and hidden spaces of the Arcosanti site.

US Government Submits Plans for Triumphal Arch to Commission

US-Regierung reicht Plan für Triumphbogen bei Kommission ein

President Donald Trump has submitted formal plans to the Commission of Fine Arts for a monumental triumphal arch to be located near Washington, D.C. Proposed to stand at 76 meters tall, the structure would significantly surpass the height of Paris's Arc de Triomphe. The project, which Trump describes as the "largest and most beautiful" in the world, is slated for a site near the Arlington Memorial Bridge leading to the Lincoln Memorial.

The Order of Symbolism, Signs and Sensibility

The Museum of Modern Art of Rio de Janeiro (MAM Rio) is hosting a major retrospective titled 'Rubem Valentim: a ordem do sensível,' featuring approximately 180 works spanning four decades. Curated by Raquel Barreto and Phelipe Rezende, the exhibition showcases Valentim’s unique fusion of modernist abstraction with the spiritual symbols of Afro-Brazilian and Indigenous cosmologies. The presentation includes paintings, reliefs, and sculptures, culminating in monumental works like 'Templo de Oxalá.'

Gê Viana: Afterlives of the African Diaspora

Artist Gê Viana's monumental sound system installation, 'A colheita de Dan (The Harvest of Dan, 2025)', was a standout work at the most recent Bienal de São Paulo. The piece, a towering radiola painted in black, white, and red, combines photomontages of Black reggae parties, Afro-Indigenous religious shrines, and medicinal plants, while playing a loop of Brazilian reggae and songs from Maranhão's quilombo communities.

Symbiotic Communion Flourishes in Laura Berger’s Expansive Paintings

Chicago artist Laura Berger presents a new suite of monumental paintings exploring themes of communion and interdependence. Her signature minimal, nude figures are depicted merging with natural elements like waves, flowers, and clouds, rendered in varying states of translucence to symbolize a deep connection with the earth and each other.

Portland artist Ami Maki debuts body-positive ‘Obese Landscapes’ exhibit at Multnomah Arts Center

Portland-based artist Ami Maki has unveiled her latest exhibition, "Obese Landscapes," at the Multnomah Arts Center. The showcase features eight large-scale charcoal drawings, some reaching seven feet in height, that draw visual parallels between the human form and natural topographies like rolling hills and rock formations. By utilizing earth tones and monumental scale, Maki seeks to reframe bodies often marginalized by societal beauty standards as majestic, natural environments.

Conduit Gallery presents Kendall Glover: "Dynamatic" opening reception

Conduit Gallery in Dallas is hosting "Dynamatic," a solo exhibition by Brooklyn-based artist Kendall Glover featuring sculptures and textiles produced within the last year. The show highlights three distinct series: large-scale tubular steel sculptures, experimental bronzes cast from rattan and thread, and a collection of silver-leafed crocheted works known as "Quasars."

In Wiesbaden, Wolfgang Hollegha Understands Abstraction Physically

In Wiesbaden begreift Wolfgang Hollegha Abstraktion körperlich

The Museum Reinhard Ernst in Wiesbaden is hosting a major retrospective dedicated to the late Austrian painter Wolfgang Hollegha. The exhibition showcases Hollegha’s signature monumental canvases, characterized by a unique technique of pouring paint to create eruptive yet precise compositions that bridge the gap between physical movement, memory, and spatial abstraction.

Alain Passard’s Art Recipe: An Island of Tastes Wrapped in the Style of Christo and Jeanne-Claude

La recette d’art d’Alain Passard : un îlot de goûts emballé façon Christo et Jeanne-Claude

Michelin-starred chef Alain Passard pays tribute to the monumental environmental installations of Christo and Jeanne-Claude through a culinary creation. The article highlights the duo's 1983 project 'Surrounded Islands,' where they encircled eleven islands in Miami's Biscayne Bay with 600,000 square meters of floating pink polypropylene fabric, a work that exemplified their commitment to self-funded, accessible, and ephemeral public art.

The Top Exhibitions To See In London: May 2026

London’s art scene prepares for a major influx of high-profile exhibitions in May 2026, headlined by a comprehensive survey of Francisco de Zurbarán at the National Gallery and the grand opening of the Quentin Blake Centre for Illustration in Clerkenwell. Other significant highlights include a sprawling outdoor installation of Henry Moore’s monumental bronzes at Kew Gardens, the debut of the 'Rising Voices' contemporary art exhibition at the newly opened V&A East, and a rare European retrospective of James McNeill Whistler at Tate Britain featuring the iconic 'Whistler's Mother'.

Swizz Beatz and Alicia Keys’ ‘Giants’ art exhibition opens in La Jolla this weekend. Here are 5 things to see.

The Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego (MCASD) is debuting "Giants," a major exhibition featuring over 130 works from the private collection of Kasseem "Swizz Beatz" Dean and Alicia Keys. The West Coast premiere showcases monumental paintings, sculptures, and installations by nearly 40 Black artists, including Kehinde Wiley, Mickalene Thomas, and Nick Cave. The show is organized around themes of scale and cultural impact, beginning with personal artifacts from the Deans' early careers before transitioning into significant contemporary masterpieces.

7 Shows to See in Milan Right Now

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Milan's art scene is currently anchored by several high-profile exhibitions coinciding with the Miart fair. Highlights include Cao Fei’s exploration of global farming and technology at Pirelli HangarBicocca, alongside Anselm Kiefer’s monumental portraits of female alchemists. Other notable shows feature diverse practices ranging from historical rediscoveries to contemporary installations across the city's major institutions and galleries.

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Edmonia Lewis’s monumental marble sculpture, 'The Death of Cleopatra', debuted to massive acclaim at the 1876 Centennial Exhibition in Philadelphia before vanishing into a bizarre century-long obscurity. After failing to sell, the two-ton masterpiece transitioned from Chicago saloons to a racetrack—where it served as a grave marker for a horse—and eventually sat neglected at a shopping mall construction site, exposed to vandalism and the elements.

Exhibition Opening | Rina Banerjee: Take me, take me, take me . . . to the Palace of love at the Yale Center for British Art

The Yale Center for British Art is set to debut its 2023 acquisition, Rina Banerjee’s monumental sculpture "Take me, take me, take me . . . to the Palace of love," in a dedicated exhibition running from February to July 2026. The work is a translucent, pink cellophane reimagining of the Taj Mahal, suspended from the ceiling and filled with a mix of colonial relics and mass-produced consumer goods like plastic beads and foam balls.

Open Studio #4 ARNALDO POMODORO. Places, Memories and Visions

Open Studio #4 ARNALDO POMODORO. Luoghi, memorie e visioni

Fondazione Arnaldo Pomodoro has launched the fourth edition of its "Open Studio" exhibition series, titled "Luoghi, memorie e visioni." This recurring program, initiated in 2022, provides the public with intimate access to the sculptor’s creative process by showcasing lesser-known themes and archival materials from his long career. The current iteration focuses on the intersection of memory and physical space within Pomodoro's monumental practice.

'Something Borrowed, Something New' at the Sarasota Art Museum headlines 35 exhibitions on view in April

The Sarasota Art Museum is headlining a busy month for the Southwest Florida art scene, featuring 35 exhibitions across the region this April. Key highlights include the opening of "Something Borrowed, Something New," a diverse group show featuring artists like William Villalongo, alongside major closing exhibitions such as Molly Hatch’s site-specific plate installation "Amalgam" and Janet Echelman’s career retrospective "Radical Softness." Other notable displays include Jillian Mayer’s interactive "Slumpies," which explores the physical impact of digital device usage.

president trump plans presidential library skyscraper miami 1234779509

President Donald Trump has unveiled a rendering for his planned presidential library in downtown Miami, envisioned as a 47-story skyscraper. The proposal features a gold entranceway, a 20-foot-tall golden statue of the former president, and a replica of the Oval Office, alongside a hotel and office space. The project is being designed by architecture firm Bermello Ajamil and is reportedly seeking to raise nearly $1 billion in donations to fund the construction on highly valuable waterfront land.

thaddeus mosley sculptor dead 1234775273

Thaddeus Mosley, the acclaimed American sculptor known for his monumental wood abstractions, has died at the age of 99 in Pittsburgh. Throughout a career spanning seven decades, Mosley transformed salvaged walnut, sycamore, and cherry wood into curvaceous, gravity-defying forms that balanced immense weight with a sense of lightness. Though he was a long-standing pillar of the Pittsburgh creative community, he achieved widespread national recognition and major museum representation only in his 90s.

Raphael Met Museum Retrospective Review

raphael met museum retrospective review 1234778857

The Metropolitan Museum of Art has launched "Raphael: Sublime Poetry," the first major retrospective of the Renaissance master ever staged in the United States. Curated by Carmen C. Bambach, the exhibition features 237 works, including rare loans of drawings and monumental tapestries that have not left Madrid since the 16th century. While some of his most famous paintings remain in Europe, the show provides an exhaustive look at the artist's development from a teenage prodigy to a papal favorite.

new museum reopening expansion new humans review 1234778022

The New Museum in New York has officially reopened following a two-year closure for a major expansion designed by OMA. The renovation doubles the institution's footprint to 60,000 square feet, introducing a central spiral staircase that seamlessly connects the original SANAA-designed building with the new structure. The reopening is marked by the massive group exhibition "New Humans: Memories of the Future," a sprawling survey featuring over 200 artists curated by artistic director Massimiliano Gioni.

From Bottle Caps and Seals Has Come Colorful, Cascading Art

Renowned Ghanaian artist El Anatsui is currently experiencing a significant professional moment with concurrent exhibitions at White Cube in Hong Kong and Seoul, timed to coincide with Art Basel Hong Kong. The artist, known for his monumental sculptures crafted from discarded liquor-bottle caps and copper wire, recently saw his 2023 work "G6" sell for $995,000 at Sotheby’s London to benefit the Royal Academy of Arts. Now living back in Ghana after decades teaching in Nigeria, Anatsui continues to explore the fluidity of his medium, which mimics the organic processes of growth and decay.