Venice verdicts: art world figures give their thoughts on the 2026 Biennale

Art world figures including Naomi Beckwith, Beatrix Ruf, and Diana Campbell Betancourt share their reflections on the 2026 Venice Biennale, curated by Koyo Kouoh under the title "In Minor Keys." Beckwith praises the exhibition's focus on post-war African art with an emphasis on women artists like Werewere Liking and Ranti Bam, describing it as a "peri-spiritual project" that asks audiences to shift their art-consumptive behavior. Ruf notes the Biennale felt "major" rather than minor, highlighting how national pavilions and projects responded to the theme with political and poetic urgency, citing works by Florentina Holzinger, Sung Tieu, and others. Campbell Betancourt emphasizes Kouoh's curatorial approach as expansive and inclusive.

Eine andere Schönheit, die bleibt

Elfie Semotan, the internationally renowned Austrian photographer who began her career as a model, has died at the age of 84. The article recounts her life and work, including a 2024 visit to her exhibition "Inspiration Comes from Everyday Life" at the Austrian Cultural Forum New York, where her photographs were shown alongside designs by Nina Hollein. Semotan was born in Wels in 1941, studied at the Modeschule Hetzendorf in Vienna, and worked as a model in Paris before turning to photography in the late 1960s. Her images appeared in magazines such as Vogue, Elle, Esquire, Marie Claire, Harper’s Bazaar, and The New Yorker. She was married to artist Martin Kippenberger and moved between New York, Vienna, and a farmhouse in Jennersdorf, Austria.

The Third Space

Der dritte Raum

The article reports on a new exhibition at the Georg Kolbe Museum in Berlin dedicated to British Constructivist artist Marlow Moss (1889–1958). Moss, who inspired Piet Mondrian and was part of the Parisian avant-garde, developed the 'double line' as a compositional element before Mondrian, yet her work remained largely unknown for decades. Curated by Lucy Howard and Elisa Tamaschke, the exhibition takes a thoughtful approach, presenting Moss's fragmented oeuvre alongside works by contemporary artists Leonor Antunes, Tacita Dean, Florette Dijkstra, and Ro Robertson to open up dialogues across time and space. The show highlights Moss's life marked by persecution, exile, and queer identity, as well as the loss of much of her early work in World War II and the mysterious disappearance of her late work after a 1994 posthumous exhibition in Arnheim.

JR's Caverne: No Reopening Date

Caverne de JR : pas de date de réouverture

The article reports that the reopening date for JR's "Caverne" installation remains undetermined. The piece is part of a broader issue of Le Journal des Arts (n°796, June 1, 2026) that also covers tensions at Venice pavilions, avant-garde scenes in Barcelona, the restored Musée des Augustins, and features on Hilma af Klint, Leonardo Cremonini, and Monet in Le Havre.

La galerie Pace réduit drastiquement la voilure

Pace Gallery CEO Marc Glimcher announced a major restructuring in the New York Times, cutting 50 artists from its roster (reducing from 135 to 85) and laying off 50 staff members. The mega-gallery, which operates in six countries and seven cities, aims to refocus on established blue-chip artists like Julian Schnabel, David Hockney, and Pablo Picasso, while dropping less familiar names such as teamLab, Keith Coventry, and John Gerrard. Artist Glenn Kaino confirmed his departure, citing a divergence in vision.

Fashion recognized by art history at the Festival de Fontainebleau

La mode reconnue par l’histoire de l’art au Festival de Fontainebleau

The 15th edition of the Festival de l'histoire de l'art (FHA), held June 5-7 at the Château de Fontainebleau, has declared fashion a full-fledged artistic medium, a category long neglected by the humanities. The event features over 300 events, including a keynote by Moroccan architect and anthropologist Salima Naji, and Morocco is the first African country to be the festival's guest of honor. The program explores fashion as both aesthetic object and identity marker, with discussions on textile circulations, pre-classical Greek footwear, and a screening of Mounia Meddour's film *Papicha*.

State of the Bayeux Tapestry

État de la Tapisserie de Bayeux

The article, titled "État de la Tapisserie de Bayeux" (State of the Bayeux Tapestry), presents a roundup of current art news and exhibitions across Europe. It highlights several major shows and topics: the tense atmosphere of national pavilions at the Venice Biennale, Barcelona as a hub for avant-garde movements, the renewed splendor of the Musée des Augustins, a mystical retrospective of Hilma af Klint, the psychological depth in Leonardo Cremonini's work, and an exhibition on Monet's early development in Le Havre.

In Bangkok, an art scene in full boom

À Bangkok, une scène artistique en plein boom

Dib, Thailand's first major private contemporary art museum, has opened in Bangkok in a converted industrial warehouse. The project was initiated by late businessman and pop star Petch Osathanugrah and completed by his son Chang, a university president and guitarist. Designed by architect Kulapat Yantrasast—a protégé of Tadao Andō who has worked on the Grand Rapids Art Museum and the Met's Rockefeller Wing—the museum features a minimalist restoration with a social piazza, reflective pools, and a James Turrell light installation. Its collection highlights overlooked Thai artists such as Montien Boonma, Somboon Hormtientong, and Surasi Kusolwong, alongside international names like Louise Bourgeois and Anselm Kiefer.

Found after 80 years, a fascinating lost painting by Leonora Carrington soon to be exhibited in London

Retrouvé après 80 ans, un fascinant tableau perdu de Leonora Carrington bientôt exposé à Londres

A long-lost painting by surrealist artist Leonora Carrington, titled *Villa Pilar* (1940), has been rediscovered after more than 80 years. The work was created during Carrington's internment in a Spanish sanatorium and was kept privately by the descendants of the psychiatrist who treated her. It will be publicly exhibited for the first time starting July 1 at the Freud Museum in London as part of the exhibition "Leonora Carrington: The Symptomatic Surreal."

Sur Arte, un documentaire lève le voile sur l’occulte Hilma af Klint

A new documentary titled "La Double Vie d'Hilma af Klint – Peintre et pionnière de l'art abstrait," directed by Manuelle Blanc, is now available on Arte's website. It explores the life and work of Swedish artist Hilma af Klint (1862–1944), who created abstract paintings years before Kandinsky, Mondrian, and Malevich, but kept them secret per her will until 20 years after her death. The film sheds light on her mystical practice, her dual existence as an academic painter and a spiritual medium, and the cosmic, geometric works that challenge conventional art history.

À Fontainebleau, Alès ou Châlons-en-Champagne, 10 idées de sorties à faire en juin

The article, from Beaux Arts Magazine, lists ten cultural outings in France for June 2026, beginning with a Nuit Blanche in Paris on June 6, curated by DJ Barbara Butch, featuring dance, concerts, and performances from the Hôtel de Ville to the Grand Palais. Other highlights include the Furies circus festival in Châlons-en-Champagne (June 2-6), the ManiFeste festival at IRCAM in Paris (June 3-27) with concerts and installations, dance nocturnes at the Fondation Louis Vuitton (June 4-5) inspired by Alexander Calder's works, and the Festival de l'Histoire de l'Art at the Château de Fontainebleau (June 5-7).

What Drives the Enduring Popularity of Nancy Holt?

ArtReview publishes an essay by Jenny Wu examining Nancy Holt's Land art masterpiece *Sun Tunnels* (1973–76) in Utah's Great Basin Desert. The piece contrasts the work's intended framing of the landscape with its real-world context: bullet scars from local target practice, a nearby bar displaying a Trump 2024 banner, and the voices of 'Pineys' in Holt's film *Pine Barrens* (1975). Wu argues that Holt's framing devices both focus and exclude, revealing tensions between curated experience and the disorder of wider society.

Private Jackson Pollock Auction Falls Apart at Sotheby’s: Report

Sotheby’s attempted a private auction for Jackson Pollock’s *Number 19, 1951* on June 2 in New York, with an asking price of $50 million. The painting is owned by Pace Gallery founder Arne Glimcher. The sale failed after the auction house could not attract enough bidders, and Sotheby’s chairman Oliver Barker reportedly sent a video to prospective buyers noting Glimcher’s reluctance to sell. The auction was called off entirely, marking what sources describe as Sotheby’s first significant attempt at a private auction.

Da Vinci’s ‘Codex Atlanticus’ is Brought Back Together With New Online Archive

A new online platform called Leonardotheka launched on Monday, reuniting for the first time in over 400 years two major collections of Leonardo da Vinci's writings and drawings: the Codex Atlanticus, held by the Veneranda Biblioteca Ambrosiana in Milan, and around 550 sheets from the Royal Collection Trust in Windsor Castle. The manuscripts were originally part of the same group created between the mid-1470s and 1519, but were separated shortly after da Vinci's death by sculptor Pompeo Leoni, who divided the folios into empirical and artistic categories. The digital archive, the result of a decade-long collaboration among the Royal Collection Trust, the Veneranda Biblioteca Ambrosiana, and the Biblioteca Leonardiana in Vinci, includes fifty confirmed page reconstructions and digitally restored pages.

Julio Le Parc, Father of Interactive Art, Dies at 97

Franco-Argentinian artist Julio Le Parc, a pioneer of kinetic and Op art whose interactive works presaged contemporary participatory art, died in Paris on May 30 at age 97. The last surviving cofounder of the Groupe de Recherche d’Art Visuel (GRAV), Le Parc spent nearly seven decades creating works that harnessed light, color, movement, and reflection, completed by viewer participation. He won the International Grand Prize for Painting at the 1966 Venice Biennale, was expelled from France for his protest involvement, and continued experimenting with virtual reality into his nineties.

Makeda Best to Lead MoMA’s Photography Department

The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York has appointed Makeda Best as its new Joel and Anne Ehrenkranz Chief Curator of Photography, effective September. Best comes from the Oakland Museum of California, where she served as deputy director of curatorial affairs. She succeeds Clément Chéroux, who left in 2022, and takes over from acting chief curator Roxana Marcoci. Best previously held roles at the Harvard Art Museums, including curator of photography and interim head of the Division of Modern and Contemporary Art, where she led the ReFrame reinstallation initiative. She holds a Ph.D. from Harvard and an MFA from CalArts.

Artist Danielle Mckinney Explains the Story Behind Her Painting on CULTURED’s Cover

Artist Danielle Mckinney discusses her painting *Recess* (2026), featured on the cover of CULTURED magazine's Indulgence issue. The work depicts a woman reclining on a couch under a glowing light, wearing a face mask, and is part of Mckinney's ongoing exploration of private, restorative moments. The article includes Mckinney's reflections on motherhood, emotional labor, and the act of painting as a space for unorganized feeling. It also notes that her exhibitions "Forest for the Trees" is on view at Marianne Boesky Gallery in New York through June 13, and "Shelter" is on view at the Norton Museum of Art in West Palm Beach through October 4.

Farm Equipment on the Lower East Side? Our Critic Investigates a Few Unexpected Art Shows

Art critic Emily Watlington investigates two unexpected exhibitions on New York's Lower East Side. At Hoffman Donahue gallery, Altoon Sultan presents 13 small egg tempera paintings of agricultural machinery on parchment-covered panels, zooming in on mechanical details with a luminous, almost devotional treatment of light. At Company gallery, Hayden Dunham's third solo show "NEVER IS OVER" transforms a dark basement into a multisensory installation with video projections, ambient whale sounds, and sculptural egg- or stone-shaped forms that evoke 1990s installation art.

Almine Rech now represent Keita Morimoto

Almine Rech has announced representation of Japanese artist Keita Morimoto in New York and Paris. Morimoto, born in Osaka in 1990, immigrated to Canada in 2006 and earned his BFA from OCAD University. Now based in Tokyo, he is known for night cityscapes and portraits that blend Baroque lighting, American Realism, and pre-modern Genre Painting. His inaugural solo exhibition with the gallery took place in New York in 2025, and his work will be shown at Art Basel in Switzerland in June 2025, with a solo exhibition planned for Almine Rech Paris in 2027. The gallery also noted recent institutional acquisitions of his work.

Ogunquit Museum exhibit speaks truth to power at a critical moment in American history | Column - Portland Press Herald

The Ogunquit Museum of American Art is presenting "Looking for America," an exhibition featuring the work of Black conceptual artist Hank Willis Thomas and his collaborators. The show, on view through July 19, uses innovative materials like UV-printed retroreflective vinyl to reveal hidden imagery, such as a civil rights demonstration beneath a decorative pattern, encouraging viewers to look beyond surface appearances.

What Makes a Good Gallery Weekend?

During a panel discussion at Frieze’s No. 9 Cork Street space, dealer Thaddaeus Ropac argued that London needs lobbying to help its galleries navigate a shifting market, as the sixth edition of London Gallery Weekend launched with over 120 participating galleries. The event runs through Sunday, but faces challenges from Brexit, a cost of living crisis, dwindling arts funding, and political instability, while rival cities like Paris and Milan benefit from chic foundations and friendlier tax regimes.

The Sun Is Shining on Saif Azzuz

Saif Azzuz, a Bay Area-based artist of Libyan and Yurok descent, is experiencing a surge in his career with multiple exhibitions and projects across the globe. His first solo museum show at the Blaffer Art Museum at the University of Houston, a second solo exhibition at Anthony Meier Fine Arts in Mill Valley, and a temporary outdoor sculpture commission at Storm King Art Center are among his recent achievements. He also has an installation at the Oakland Museum of California, which recently acquired the work, and his first monograph has been published by Sming Sming Books. Azzuz's practice connects Indigenous land practices in California, the Hudson Valley, and beyond, incorporating foraged plant matter and ancestral knowledge.

"Man biegt die Röhren wie Makkaroni"

This roundup of art news covers several stories: Sotheby's failed private auction of Jackson Pollock's "Number 19, 1951" from Arne Glimcher's collection; a restitution lawsuit filed in New York for Gustav Klimt's "Fräulein Lieser" against the Austrian owner and auction house im Kinsky; a critical reflection on the purpose of Gallery Weekends amid market pressure; a tribute to the late Hilde Lynn Helphenstein, creator of the Instagram account "Jerry Gogosian"; and a feature on the 100-year anniversary of Marcel Breuer's Wassily Chair and the Bauhaus tubular steel furniture revolution.

Georgia O’Keeffe Ignored Advice to Mimic Great European Masters. Her Goal Instead Was to Be a Great American Painter

Georgia O’Keeffe, one of America’s most celebrated painters, is the subject of a Smithsonian Magazine feature that traces her artistic journey from a frustrated art student in New York to a visionary who rejected European influences in favor of a distinctly American style. The article recounts how a male classmate painted over her work to demonstrate Impressionist techniques, an experience that solidified her resolve to paint only as she saw. It follows her career through early charcoal exhibitions, her iconic flower paintings, and her eventual move to New Mexico, where the desert landscape and its bones became central to her work. The piece includes photographs of her Ghost Ranch studio and home, as well as a portrait by her husband Alfred Stieglitz.

Protests, picket lines and Indigenous pride: examining US democracy – in pictures

FotoFocus, a non-profit organization, has opened its inaugural exhibition titled "Big Tent" at the new FotoFocus Center in Cincinnati, Ohio. The show, on view until 22 August 2026, features the work of more than 50 photographers, including Dawoud Bey, Robert Frank, and RaMell Ross. Partly inspired by Amanda Gorman's poem "In This Place (An American Lyric)," the exhibition examines the present state of US democracy through documentary and artistic photography, with images ranging from civil rights protests to contemporary border issues.

Alma Allen Doubles Down on Accusations Against Publicist David Resnicow of Working Against His Venice Biennale Pavilion

Artist Alma Allen has publicly accused veteran art publicist David Resnicow of working against his U.S. Pavilion at the 2026 Venice Biennale. In an Instagram post, Allen claimed that two of three galleries that withdrew their support did so on Resnicow's advice, and that Resnicow warned arts writers, museum directors, funders, and curators not to support the pavilion. Resnicow denied the allegations, calling them "baffling" and stating he never told anyone not to work with Allen. This marks the second time Allen has named Resnicow, following a New York Times article in March.

Guimi You’s Ethereal Paintings Capture the Art of Starting Over

Lehmann Maupin in New York is presenting “Guimi You: When the Sun Shines Again,” the South Korean artist’s first major solo exhibition in the city, opening June 11, 2026. The show features a new body of atmospheric paintings that explore the theme of starting over after a period of artistic dormancy, using light as a metaphor for growth and transformation. Works such as *Spring Walk* (2026), *Golden* (2026), and *Violet Haze* (2026) depict solitary figures in quiet, luminous landscapes, blending Eastern ink-painting traditions with Western oil techniques.

Terry Winters review – flashes of magic in patterns science has yet to explain

Terry Winters presents eight new paintings at Modern Art in London, titled after geometric and mathematical terms like Area, Array, Field, and Locus. The works explore patterns inspired by botany, engineering, computer modeling, and cybernetics, using optical illusions and layered compositions to evoke natural and scientific systems. The review highlights how Winters' paintings create a push-pull effect through color and form, blending sensory pleasure with intellectual inquiry.

Monet in dialogue, Kiki Smith... 5 must-see exhibitions in Paris galleries in June

Monet en dialogue, Kiki Smith… 5 expos coups de cœur à voir en galeries à Paris en juin

Five standout gallery exhibitions opening in Paris this June are highlighted, including a dialogue with Claude Monet at Galerie Larock-Granoff featuring eleven contemporary artists, the first Parisian solo show of Swedish painter Martin Jacobson at Andréhn-Schiptjenko, a cosmic-themed group show at Galerie Mitterrand with Yves Klein, Lita Albuquerque, and Jack Goldstein, a salon-style homage to Sonia Delaunay at Galerie Zlotowski, and a new exhibition of Kiki Smith's symbolic works at Galerie Lelong.

Top 15 exhibitions to see with kids this summer in Paris and Île-de-France

A guide to the top 15 family-friendly exhibitions in Paris and Île-de-France for summer 2026 has been published, highlighting shows designed for children. Featured exhibitions include the sound-and-light show AURA INVALIDES at the Dôme des Invalides, immersive experiences at Paradox Museum and Atelier des Lumières (including "The Little Prince" and "Van Gogh, Starry Night"), the free urban art exhibition "We are (still) here" at the Petit Palais, the free exhibition "Simulacres" at Magasins Généraux in Pantin, and "Bricks of Wonder" built with construction bricks. The guide emphasizes interactive setups, shorter formats, workshops, and activity booklets to make culture accessible without oversimplification.