A historic section of the original Eiffel Tower staircase is set to be auctioned by Artcurial in Paris on May 21. The nearly nine-foot-tall segment consists of 14 spiral steps that once connected the monument's second and third levels before being dismantled in 1983 to make way for elevators. Estimated to fetch between $140,000 and $175,000, the piece has been held in a private collection for over forty years.
Reena Spaulings Fine Art in New York is currently hosting "On The Never Never," a group exhibition curated by Galerie Tenko. The show features a diverse array of works by artists Stephan Dillemuth, Seiji Inagaki, Sabina Maria van der Linden, Danny McDonald, Josephine Pryde, and Thomas Cap de Ville. Running through April 11, 2026, the presentation brings together a multi-generational group of artists known for their critical and often idiosyncratic approaches to contemporary image-making and sculpture.
The New-York Historical Society has launched a major exhibition exploring the 17th-century origins of New York City during its era as the Dutch settlement of New Amsterdam. The show utilizes a diverse array of artifacts, maps, and historical documents to trace the colony's development from a fur-trading outpost to a diverse maritime hub, highlighting the complex interactions between Dutch settlers, Indigenous populations, and enslaved Africans.
White Cube Paris is hosting a major retrospective of Park Seo-Bo’s 'Ecriture' paintings, covering five decades of the artist’s career. The exhibition notably features the debut of his 'Newspaper Ecritures' in Paris—a series he originally conceived in the city during the late 1970s—presented alongside the final works completed before his death in 2023.
Pitzhanger Manor & Gallery in West London has announced a major retrospective of Sir Peter Blake, scheduled to open in November 2026. The exhibition, titled 'Peter Blake: In the Studio,' features a full-scale reconstruction of the artist's Hammersmith workspace, providing an immersive look at the environment where his seven-decade career unfolded. The show will display a wide range of media, including his iconic Pop Art paintings, sculptures, and recent collages that respond to the works of William Hogarth.
The city of Pécs, Hungary, has reopened the Victor Vasarely Museum following a comprehensive renovation to mark the 120th anniversary of the artist's birth. The updated institution features a modernized building and a redesigned curatorial approach that showcases approximately 400 works, including monumental screen prints from the "VI-VA Album" that have been in storage for over 50 years. New interactive spaces and a focus on international dialogue place Vasarely’s Op Art legacy within the broader context of 20th-century geometric abstraction.
The Portland Japanese Garden has launched its first major exhibition of 2026, "Enduring Impressions: Contemporary Woodblock Prints," running through June 16th. This showcase explores the evolution of mokuhanga, a traditional Japanese woodblock printing technique that originated in the 17th century as an accessible art form for the masses. The exhibition features a diverse array of works ranging from historical masterpieces to contemporary interpretations by artists from Portland, Japan, and across the United States.
The Smithsonian’s National Museum of Asian Art has announced a comprehensive suite of exhibitions and programs to commemorate the 250th anniversary of the United States in 2026. The programming centers on the museum's unique history as America’s first national art museum, founded through the 1906 bequest of Charles Lang Freer. Key highlights include the exhibition "A Museum in the Making," which examines the institution's Detroit origins, and three major shows dedicated to the collections of American women philanthropists featuring Indian paintings, Chinese textiles, and Japanese lacquerware.
Two of Keith Haring’s rare art cars, a 1963 Buick Special and a 1983 Land Rover Series III, are going on public display in New York City for a limited 10-day engagement. The exhibition, titled "Keith Haring: In the Street," serves as the inaugural show for Free Parking, a new gallery space located in a West Village carriage house. The presentation includes original 3D works and photographs, complemented by a series of talks featuring figures from the 1980s downtown scene like Muna Tseng and Carlo McCormick.
The Art Gallery of Peterborough is set to host "Elizabeth Thompson Advises," a multimedia exhibition by Cavan-based artist JoEllen Brydon running from April to June 2026. The show centers on the work of Brydon’s late mother, Jean Armstrong Brydon, who wrote a progressive advice column for The Globe and Mail under the pseudonym Elizabeth Thompson between 1966 and 1978. The exhibition integrates original letters and columns with JoEllen’s bold paintings, audio recordings, and short films to bring these mid-century narratives to life.
Interior designers Tony Walker and Max Jones have established Jones Walker of Taos, a gallery on Bent Street that emphasizes a welcoming, domestic atmosphere. After relocating from Dallas in 2018, the duo transitioned from award-winning interior design careers to gallerists, curating a diverse collection of local talent that includes descendants of Taos Pueblo and Spanish carving families. The gallery showcases a mix of modern and traditional paintings, carvings, pottery, and weaving, focusing on authentic regional craftsmanship that appeals to both local residents and international collectors.
The Silverman Gallery of Bucks County Impressionist Art is hosting a solo exhibition titled “Jean Childs Buzgo: Dreamscapes & Discoveries,” running from April 11 through May 3. The showcase features a diverse collection of the artist's newest paintings, including large-scale florals, local Bucks County landscapes, and works inspired by her travels to Scotland and Ireland. Many of the pieces originated during the pandemic in 2020 and have been recently revisited and resolved using a mix of oil, acrylic, wax crayon, and collage.
« 36 Clics du mont Fuji » : le photographe Julien Rocheblave réinvente les mythiques estampes d’Hokusai
French photographer Julien Rocheblave has completed a contemporary photographic reimagining of Katsushika Hokusai’s iconic print series, "Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji." By locating the exact geographical vantage points used by the ukiyo-e master in the 1830s, Rocheblave captures the sacred mountain through a modern lens, juxtaposing Hokusai's original compositions with the realities of 21st-century Japan. The project, titled "36 Clics du mont Fuji," has been compiled into a book and will be showcased at the Rencontres d’Arles via Fisheye Gallery.
The Nevada Museum of Art has launched 'Into the Time Horizon,' a massive, multi-year exhibition occupying its entire 120,000-square-foot building. Featuring 193 artists from across the globe, the show is organized into seven thematic sections that survey environmental art and confront the climate crisis, while proposing hopeful pathways forward grounded in care and collective responsibility. It will be on view in full until September 2026, with parts remaining until 2027.
The Longmont Museum in Colorado has successfully raised $10.2 million for a 7,000-square-foot expansion, surpassing its original funding goal. The project, largely funded by a $6 million gift from the Stewart Family Foundation, will introduce a dedicated children's gallery, a permanent history gallery, and a larger 4,000-square-foot space for major art exhibitions. Construction is set to begin in July 2025, with the first major art show, a photographic portrait of Frida Kahlo, scheduled for October 2026.
The Fairbanks Arts Association has issued a call for entries for its upcoming juried exhibition, "Interdependence," scheduled to run from May 1 to May 30 at the Bear Gallery in Pioneer Park. Open to artists aged 18 and older living in Interior Alaska, the show will kick off with a First Friday opening reception and an awards ceremony on May 1.
South Korean artist Lee Bae has opened a major solo exhibition titled "En attendant" at Museum SAN in Wonju, marking the first time the institution has dedicated its entire grounds to a single Korean artist. The retrospective spans thirty years of Lee’s career, showcasing his deep engagement with charcoal as a medium that bridges his heritage as a farmer’s son with the traditions of East Asian ink painting. The exhibition features monumental sculptures, installations, and video works that transform the museum’s indoor and outdoor spaces into a meditative journey.
The Department for Culture, Media and Sport has granted Grade II* listed status to "Henry’s Castle," a mysterious limestone structure in the Lake District previously used as a livestock shelter. Following a four-year restoration project involving archaeologists and conservation engineers, experts identified high-status architectural features including a 14th-century oak roof truss, a corbelled chimneystack, and a garderobe. These elements suggest the building was originally a significant residence, such as a hunting lodge or a lookout dwelling, rather than a simple barn.
In un maestoso ex mulino di Milano sta per nascere un nuovo polo culturale: studi, residenze, alberghetto creativo
A historic 1929 flour mill in Milan, originally designed by Cesare Chiodi and Gio Ponti, is being transformed into 'Mulino Factory,' a multidisciplinary creative hub. Spearheaded by Ludovica Virga, the granddaughter of the building's mid-century owner, the site eschews traditional real estate development in favor of a community-focused ecosystem. The complex already houses artist studios, including that of Lola Montes Schnabel, an art gallery, and a gym, with a boutique hotel designed by Tom Dixon set to open following the 2026 Milan Design Week.
Una importante mostra a Milano racconta il Man Ray meno conosciuto: intervista al curatore
The Gió Marconi gallery and Fondazione Marconi in Milan have launched a major retrospective titled "Man Ray: M for Dictionary," marking fifty years since the artist's passing. Curated by Yuval Etgar and Deborah D’Ippolito, the exhibition moves beyond Man Ray’s famous photography to highlight his role as a pioneer of conceptual and multimedia art. The show is organized into five thematic sections that explore his use of visual puns, experimental "Rayographs," and the transformative power of language across painting, drawing, and sculpture.
Ladji Diaby’s solo exhibition at Lafayette Anticipations, titled “Who’s Gonna Save the World?”, features furniture repurposed as vitrines for discarded objects. By collecting and displaying artifacts that have lost their original utility, Diaby creates a symbolic dialogue between himself and the anonymous former owners of these items, elevating mundane debris into the realm of high art.
99 Variationen eines Vulkans
Julian Charrière has released a new artist's book titled "After the Smoke Cradle," documenting a series of 99 lithographs originally exhibited at the Verein für Originalgraphik in Zurich. The project features 33 variations of three different volcanoes, created using a unique process where the artist transformed collected lava, ash, obsidian, and sulfur into printing pigments. This material-focused approach ensures that the physical essence of the volcanic sites is literally embedded into the photographic imagery.
À Rodez, les ombres envoûtantes de Sugimoto et de Soulages se rencontrent dans une exposition cosmique
The Musée Soulages in Rodez is hosting a major exhibition titled "Hiroshi Sugimoto. Reprendre la mélodie," which creates a visual dialogue between the Japanese photographer and the late French master of black, Pierre Soulages. Curated and scenographed by Sugimoto himself, the show pairs iconic series such as "Theaters," "Seascapes," and the colorful "Opticks" with Soulages’ "Outrenoir" paintings. The exhibition highlights their shared fascination with the horizon, the origins of humanity, and the architectural presence of art within a space.
Protestations au Mexique contre le transfert en Espagne d’une rare collection
A coalition of nearly 400 art professionals in Mexico is protesting the planned transfer of the prestigious Gelman Collection to Spain. The collection, which includes iconic works by Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera, is slated to move to the Faro Santander museum in northern Spain under a five-year management agreement with Banco Santander. Critics describe the move as a "public disaster," citing the opaque 2023 sale of the collection to the Zambrano family and the potential violation of Natasha Gelman’s original will, which stipulated the works remain in Mexico.
Un métier jeune mais déjà très concurrentiel
The museum visitor services sector in France is undergoing rapid professionalization as specialized outsourcing firms compete for lucrative contracts. Companies like Marianne International, Pénélope, and City One—originally rooted in corporate reception and event management—are now managing front-of-house operations for major institutions including the Palais de Tokyo, MuCEM, and the Musée d'Orsay. This shift reflects a broader trend of museums treating visitors as customers and seeking the high-volume staffing expertise found in the corporate world.
A groundbreaking study from Colorado State University reveals that Native Americans in the western Great Plains were using dice for gaming over 12,000 years ago. Researcher Robert J. Madden identified two-sided dice made of bone or wood from archaeological sites in Wyoming, Colorado, and New Mexico, pushing the known history of games of chance back significantly further than previously recorded.
Yuga Labs, the creator of the Bored Ape Yacht Club (BAYC), has reached a confidential settlement with artist Ryder Ripps and his partner Jeremy Cahen, ending a multi-year legal battle over trademark infringement and appropriation art. The dispute began in 2022 when Ripps launched his RR/BAYC NFT collection, which used identical imagery to the original Bored Apes to protest alleged racist and alt-right symbolism within the project. As part of the agreement, Ripps and Cahen are now under a permanent injunction preventing them from using any Yuga Labs trademarks or images.
Archaeologists at Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello estate have unearthed a 250-year-old kiln used to fire bricks for the plantation’s original construction. Located on the East Lawn just feet from the main house, the site was identified through the discovery of specialized curved bricks, including cyma-shaped and ovolo-molded specimens. These architectural details confirm the kiln dates back to the "Monticello I" period (1768–1782), as these specific water table features were omitted during Jefferson’s later 18th-century renovations.
Author Bruce Pascoe and a new generation of Australian chefs are spearheading a movement to revive Indigenous agricultural practices and native ingredients. Drawing from Pascoe’s influential book *Dark Emu*, which challenges the colonial narrative of Aboriginal people as purely nomadic hunter-gatherers, the movement highlights sophisticated ancient systems of aquaculture, irrigation, and grain harvesting. From kangaroo grass to Kakadu plums, these native foods are being reintegrated into the Australian landscape and high-end culinary scene.
A bronze statue of the iconic literary and film character Bridget Jones has been granted permanent residency in London’s Leicester Square. Originally intended for a three-year temporary stay, the sculpture was unveiled in November as part of Westminster Council’s 'Scenes in the Square' trail, joining other cinematic figures like Harry Potter and Mary Poppins. The decision to make the installation permanent coincides with the 25th anniversary of the first film's release.