Sharjah Biennial 17 Assembles 109 Artists Across a Restless Global Landscape.

What Biennials Reveal About the Art World

Ben Davis and Jo Lawson-Tancred of Artnet News have published complementary projects analyzing global art biennials. Davis compiled data from major biennials including Istanbul, Gwangju, São Paulo, Sharjah, and Venice over the past four years, tracking which artists have been shown most frequently worldwide since the 2022 Venice Biennale. Lawson-Tancred examined the upcoming Venice Biennale, titled "In Minor Keys" and curated by the late Koyo Kouoh, comparing the demographics of its artists to previous editions to trace shifts in the global art conversation.

The Art of the Chosen Family

Die Kunst der Wahlfamilie

Mike D, co-founder of the Beastie Boys, has co-curated an exhibition titled "Mishpocha. The Art of Collaboration" at the Jewish Museum Frankfurt. The show explores the concept of family beyond biological ties, featuring works such as Ira Eduardovna's video installation "The Library Room," which depicts a family packing for emigration, and immersive audiovisual spaces evoking techno, hip-hop, punk, and Riot Grrrl subcultures. The exhibition includes contributions from artist Jan Ove Hennig, photographer Jan Zappner, design studio Atelier Markgraph, and hospitality group Ima Clique, with Mike D serving as artistic director and ambassador.

Dyani White Hawk: LISTEN at the Nasher Museum of Art at Duke University

Dyani White Hawk's eight-channel video installation "LISTEN" (2020–ongoing) is on view at the Nasher Museum of Art at Duke University. The work features Indigenous women speaking in their native languages on their tribal homelands, with no subtitles or explanatory text, encouraging viewers to physically move closer to each screen to hear and engage with the speakers' voices and surrounding environments.

Show White: Academy of Visual Arts, University of the Arts Sharjah exhibition

The Academy of Visual Arts at the University of the Arts Sharjah is presenting a faculty exhibition titled 'Show White,' curated by Tor Seidel and assisted by Maryam AlQassimi. The show, first hosted at Rawaq Gallery (April 8–23) and currently at XVA Gallery in Al Fahidi (April 25–May 21), explores the multifaceted concept of 'white' through diverse mediums and techniques. Participating faculty artists include Georgina Abood, Dr. Mohammed Yousif Alhammadi, Muatasim Alkubaisy, Alina Erimia, Muhammad Asad Iqbal, Thaier Helal, Dr. Iman Ibrahim, and Andreea Lonhardt-Muresan, each presenting works that engage with white as a symbol of minimalism, purity, emptiness, or cultural memory.

UPSTATE ART WEEKEND: OPEN HOURS to Return to Kaatsbaan Cultural Park

Upstate Art Weekend is bringing back its OPEN HOURS program to Kaatsbaan Cultural Park in Tivoli, New York. The event, organized by BroadwayWorld, offers extended hours for visitors to explore the park's artistic and cultural offerings, including exhibitions and performances, during a dedicated weekend in the Hudson Valley region.

All you need to know about world’s highest art biennale 2026 that is set to be hosted in Ladakh

The sā Ladakh Biennale, billed as the world's highest art biennale, returns to Ladakh from August 1-10, 2026, after a previous edition. Held at 3,600 meters above sea level, the event transforms the corridor between Leh and Kargil into an open-air exhibition titled 'Signals from Another Star', curated by Vishal K Dar and Tsering Motup across eight locations including Basgo, Lamayuru, and Kargil. It features 24 artists, including international figures like Jitish Kallat, Anna Jermolaewa, Peter Kogler, and Agnieszka Kurant, alongside local artists such as Tundup Dorjay, Chemat Dorjey, and Stanzin Samphel. Works are created using natural materials like stone, clay, and wool, and are designed to eventually disintegrate, reflecting the fragile ecosystem.

PRESS RELEASE: OK Arts Council announces historic gift of artworks for the Oklahoma State Art Collection

The Oklahoma Arts Council has announced a historic gift of artworks for the Oklahoma State Art Collection. The donation, described as one of the largest in the collection's history, includes a significant number of works by Oklahoma artists and will be formally added to the state's holdings.

Sharjah Biennial 2027 dates, artists and theme revealed

Sharjah Art Foundation has announced details for the 17th edition of the Sharjah Biennial, titled “What remains, sits restive,” running from January 21 to June 13, 2027. The large-scale contemporary art event will feature 109 participants across multiple sites in the emirate, including Sharjah City, Al Dhaid, Khor Fakkan, and Kalba. Confirmed artists include Anri Sala, Hassan Khan, Ibrahim Mahama, Oscar Murillo, Zina Saro-Wiwa, and Angela Ferreira. The biennial will be curated by Angela Harutyunyan and Paula Nascimento, each presenting separate sections under a shared theme examining how past political and cultural histories shape present-day realities through time, memory, and space.

The Contemporary Lore: Sojourn of Styles and Generations Unfurled

The exhibition "The Contemporary Lore: Sojourn of Styles and Generations Unfurled" brings together 23 artists at various career stages, from senior practitioners to emerging voices, in a non-chronological display of paintings, sculptures, and mixed media. Curated by Kiran K. Mohan with a critical essay by art historian Johny ML, the show rejects linear art historical narratives in favor of a living conversation across generations, materials, and conceptual concerns. Featured artists include Anil Gaekwad, Ashok Bhowmick, Asit Patnaik, Bharti Prajapati, Bipin Kumar, Charudatt, Dilip Sharma, Haren Thakur, Harshwardhan Devtale, Hemraj, Jaikrishna Agarwal, Manoj Kumar Agarwal, Milan Das, Meenakshi Jha Banerjee, Mukesh Bijole, Nilisha Phad, Pandurang Thate, Prem Singh, Rakhi Kumar, Sanjay K. Srivastava, Sekhar Kar, Shaji Apukuttan, and Yusuf.

Exhibition brings together 23 contemporary artists in exploration of styles across generations | Hindustan Times

An exhibition titled "The Contemporary Lore: Sojourn of Styles and Generations Unfurled" has opened at Bikaner House in New Delhi, bringing together 23 contemporary Indian artists. Curated by Kiran K Mohan with a critical essay by art historian Johny ML, the show features works by veterans like Ashok Bhowmick and emerging talents like Nilisha Phad, spanning paintings, sculptures, and mixed media. The non-chronological arrangement aims to present artistic lineages as a landscape rather than a linear progression, encouraging dialogue across generations. The exhibition runs until May 14 before moving to Shailja Art Gallery in Gurugram from May 17 to June 13.

Infectious creativity

CIMA Gallery in Kolkata is hosting an exhibition titled "Outsider Art," on view until May 2, featuring works by a diverse group of individuals without formal artistic training. Participants include entrepreneur Dilip De, chartered accountant Amartya Mukherjee, danseuse Amala Shankar, musician Ayaan Ali Bangash, and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, among others. The show highlights a wide range of media, from digital paintings and watercolors to photography and stoneware, all united by a raw, instinctive creativity.

London artist Irum Rahat’s ‘Yeh Kab Ki Baat Hai’ is a house full of memories

London-based artist Irum Rahat presents her first solo exhibition in India, 'Yeh Kab Ki Baat Hai', at Pristine Contemporary in Delhi. The show features 16 new works that draw from her upbringing in a South Asian household, transforming mundane domestic scenes—making chai, sitting in rooms, family interactions—into a visual archive of memory and intimacy. Rahat's paintings, influenced by cinema and her own photography, use soft, hazy colors to evoke nostalgia and the ambiguity of time.

London’s Wellcome Collection to Transfer 2,000 Manuscripts to Jain Community, But They Will Stay in UK

The Wellcome Collection in London has announced plans to transfer 2,000 Jain manuscripts to the Jain community, but they will remain in the UK at the University of Birmingham’s Dharmanath Network in Jain Studies. The manuscripts, ranging from the 15th to 19th centuries, were largely purchased in 1919 from a temple in India and from sources in present-day Pakistan. The transfer follows years of dialogue with the UK-based Institute of Jainology and aims to maximize community access and research opportunities.

Chandra Bhattacharjee magnifies lives pushed to the margins in his latest Kolkata showcase

Artist Chandra Bhattacharjee presents a new body of work titled "A Star Amongst Too Many" at the Sarala Birla gallery within the Birla Academy of Art and Culture in Kolkata. Curated by Uma Ray, the exhibition features large-scale charcoal drawings that depict marginalized figures such as ragpickers, trash collectors, beggars, and street vendors. The works use black-and-white charcoal with occasional bursts of yellow and rust—the latter symbolizing neglect—to highlight the overlooked lives of these individuals. The show runs until May 24, 2026.

Oklahoma Arts Council receives largest gift to state art collection

The Oklahoma Arts Council has received the largest gift in the history of the Oklahoma State Art Collection: ten works by influential Native artists from The Howard L. and Mary Ellen Meredith Collection, donated by America Meredith and Samonia Byford in honor of their parents. The donated works include pieces by Benjamin Harjo Jr., Norma Howard, Vanessa Paukeigope Jennings, Ruthe Blalock Jones, Shan Goshorn, Doc Tate Nevaquaya, Jane Osti, Juanita Pahdopony, Jeri Redcorn, and Dick West. The artworks are now on display in the Betty Price Gallery at the Oklahoma State Capitol, alongside two other recent acquisitions.

Discover contemporary works across styles and generations by 23 artists at this exhibition in New Delhi

An exhibition titled "The Contemporary Lore: Sojourn of Styles and Generations Unfurled" has opened in New Delhi, featuring works by 23 artists across different career stages and artistic styles. Curated by Kiran K. Mohan with a critical essay by art historian Johny ML, the show includes paintings, sculptures, and mixed media by artists such as Anil Gaekwad, Ashok Bhowmick, Harshwardhan Devtale, and others. The display is deliberately non-chronological, aiming to foster dialogue between seasoned practitioners and emerging voices.

Pelham Art Center presents ‘Relics: Ancient to Modern,’ a teen-curated exhibition, from May 7 through May 31

Pelham Art Center will host 'Relics: Ancient to Modern,' a teen-curated exhibition organized by its Teen Artist Council, from May 7 through May 31. The show opens with a public artist talk on May 7 and a reception on May 9, featuring works by over 50 artists from the United States and abroad, including Pakistan. The council, composed of high school students, developed the theme, issued an open call, and curated the final selection under the guidance of Gallery and Teen Programming Coordinator Fiona Agababian.

‘Wild, Ordinary, Enchanting, Excruciating Beauty’: an art exhibition

A group exhibition titled 'Wild, Ordinary, Enchanting, Excruciating Beauty' is on view at Thapar Contemporary in New Delhi until June 21. Curated by Vaibhav Raj Shah in collaboration with Jasone Miranda-Bilbao, the show brings together eleven contemporary artists—including Amitabh Kumar, Bhrigudev Ranade, Chandrashekhar Koteshwar, Harmeet Singh Rattan, Harsha Durugadda, Jagadeesh Tammineni, Madhurjya Dey, Raj Jariwala, Vanshika Babbar, Vasudha Kapadia, and Yogesh Ramkrishna—whose works in sculpture, installation, drawing, and moving image explore the blurred boundaries between personal anxiety and collective crisis.

May Events at Lynden Sculpture Garden

The Lynden Sculpture Garden in Milwaukee announces its May 2026 events, including exhibitions, workshops, and outdoor installations. Featured exhibitions include Faythe Levine's "Time is Running Out," which explores the legacy of Charlotte Partridge and Miriam Frink, co-founders of the Layton School of Art, and "Slow Growing in the Time of Trees" by the mycology-focused collective mycollective. A bonsai exhibit opens on World Bonsai Day in collaboration with the Milwaukee Bonsai Society and Milwaukee Bonsai Foundation, alongside free community events like Knit @ Lynden with Sara Caron.

Ngununggula unveils major women artists exhibition 2026

Ngununggula, the Southern Highlands regional art gallery, has opened a major all-women exhibition titled *Old Days, New Days | Arlta-imankinya, Arlta-errama*, featuring artists from Tangentyere and Yarrenyty Arltere alongside Arrernte and Kalkadoon artist Thea Anamara Perkins. The show includes painting, sculpture, textiles, video, and works on paper, with a focus on women's roles in sustaining family and community life through care, gathering, and storytelling. Key works include Perkins' portrait series from The Slattery Collection and an immersive installation by Marjorie 'Nunga' Williams. The exhibition runs until 14 June 2026.

IFAC provides pathway to folk art show in Mumbai through ‘Harshit’ exhibition

Dubai-based Indian Folk Art Corridor (IFAC) held its first-ever exhibition in Mumbai, titled 'Harshit — Experience the Joy of Indian Arts' (April 6–11). The show featured 30 artists—15 from the UAE and 15 from India—curated by IFAC founder Vidisha Pandey. It showcased diverse Indian folk and tribal art forms including Kalighat, Madhubani, Sohrai, Bhil, Warli, Pichwai, Miniature, Jogi, Manjusha, and Tholu art. Dignitaries such as Maharashtra Minister Ashish Shelar, singer Anup Jalota, and actress Sadhna Singh attended. Several artworks were acquired, including a Tholu piece by Shelar and two works by Shoma Banerjee purchased by Jalota; Pandey's works were placed at the Ministry of Culture in Mumbai.

In Minor Keys and legacies held in common

The article reflects on the 61st Venice Biennale, curated by Koyo Kouoh, who passed away on 10 May 2025 at age 57 after a cancer diagnosis. Her curatorial concept, "In Minor Keys," will be realized posthumously by her team. The Biennale preview opens on 6 May 2026, with the public opening on 9 May. Additionally, artist Henrike Naumann, selected for the German Pavilion, died on 14 February 2025 at age 41, also from cancer; her work will be shown in her name.

Tenacious: Funun Arts Group and Novotel Sharjah Expo Center join hands for show

Funun Arts Group, in collaboration with Novotel Sharjah Expo Center, launched the fourth chapter of its Epochs of Art series titled 'Light in Motion: Impressionism to Post-Impressionism' at the hotel in Sharjah, UAE. The exhibition runs from April 24 to June 24 and was inaugurated by artist-guests including Ahmed Al Awadhi, Abdul Jabbar Weiss, Majd Faraj, and Anjini Prakash Laitu, alongside Robin Solomon, General Manager of Novotel Sharjah Expo Center. The event featured an immersive meditative painting session and direct artist-visitor interactions, showcasing works by international artists exploring the interplay of light, movement, and emotion.

New exhibition created by three talented artists comes to Waterford amid major success

A joint painting exhibition titled 'Creations of a Colourful Mind' by three artists—Marja van Kampen, Olivia O’Keeffe, and Martina Furlong—has opened at The Old Market House Arts Centre in Dungarvan, Waterford. The national touring exhibition, which previously appeared in counties Cork, Clare, Tipperary, Wicklow, Wexford, and Laois, marks the trio's tenth collaborative show, following their success at the Tramore Coastguard Cultural Centre last spring.

Young artists make a strong impression at juried art show

The 15th Annual High School Juried Art Show at the Mann Art Gallery in Prince Albert, Saskatchewan, held its awards ceremony at the E.A. Rawlinson Centre, drawing students, families, teachers, and community leaders. Peter Smallboy, a Grade 12 student from Big River Public High School, won Best in Show for his charcoal work "Inner Sight," inspired by the beauty of the human eye. Other award winners included Alice Rosetti, Tatianna Trautmann, Cristyn Mitchell, Jorja Hanson-Lemaigre, Arrow Anderson, Kiara Levesque, and Abeedah Saka-Bello, with 67 artists exhibiting works in media ranging from painting and sculpture to photography and textiles.

Gijs Van Vaerenbergh Gracefully Reimagines a 16th-Century Belgian Abbey Church in Steel

Gijs Van Vaerenbergh, the Belgian design studio founded by Pieterjan Gijs and Arnout Van Vaerenbergh, has created "CLAUSURA," a life-size steel sculpture tracing the footprint of the vanished 16th-century Gothic church at Herkenrode Abbey in Hasselt, Belgium. The ethereal framework of slender steel rods rises from the original site, offering a transparent, abstract reconstruction that evokes the abbey's lost architecture through suggestion rather than literal rebuilding. The first phase opens to the public on June 18 as part of a broader restoration led by Herita.

PlayLab to open Saturday at Southwest Art Gallery and Science Center

PlayLab, a new hands-on learning and play space for children and families, will officially open on Saturday, May 16, at the Southwest Art Gallery and Science Center in Dickinson, North Dakota. Located beneath the gallery's main floor, the interactive space features 12 themed labs—including motion, discovery, building engineering, design, spark, construction, magnet, sensory, logic, space, and eco areas—each equipped with materials to foster creativity, motor skills, critical thinking, and problem-solving. Admission is $10 per child, and regular hours will be Saturdays from 10 a.m. to noon and Sundays from 1 to 3 p.m.

Southwest Art Gallery showcases women’s Western art exhibition, to host artist reception May 14

The Southwest Art Gallery and Science Center in Dickinson, North Dakota, is presenting a women’s Western art exhibition titled “Women Artists of the Western Plains” from May 7 through June 12. The show features 88 artworks including paintings, bronze sculptures, and historic saddles by regional artists Daphne Clark, Afton Ray Rossol, Barb Kalenze Kraft, Oksana Zvyagelskiy, Trish Stevenson, and Kelsey Jacobson. A public reception will be held May 14 with wine, cheese, and classical guitar. The exhibition was organized in collaboration with the Long X Arts Foundation and includes works by sculptor Linda Little and saddles from the North Dakota Cowboy Hall of Fame.

film mohammad gorjestani iran even odd

Filmmaker Mohammad Gorjestani, director of the SXSW Grand Jury Award-winning documentary short *Exit 12*, is preparing for the fall release of his feature debut *From the Mat*, which explores wrestling in Iran. He is also continuing to tour the installation “1-800 Happy Birthday,” dedicated to Black and Brown individuals killed by police. In an interview, Gorjestani reflects on diaspora, double consciousness, and his creative process, emphasizing the importance of making work free from dominant cultural interference.