Carole Harris’ Origin Story in “This Side of the River” at MOCAD

The article reviews Carole Harris's solo exhibition "This Side of the River" at the Museum of Contemporary Art Detroit (MOCAD), curated by Abel Gonzalez Fernandez. The show features twenty fiber pieces and archival materials spanning from 1966 to the present, tracing Harris's creative evolution and her responses to Detroit's social and urban changes. It highlights early works like "Potpourri" (1976) and "Black Jack" (1976) from her 1977 debut at Gallery 7, a Black Power-era space founded by Charles McGee, and later pieces such as "Down the Road a Piece" (2003) that mark her shift toward improvisational, abstract compositions.

Pro Arts Jersey City presents A Margin of Influence: Artists and the books that inform them

Pro Arts Jersey City presents "A Margin of Influence: Artists and the books that inform them" at ART150 Gallery from May 8-31, 2026. Curated by Raymond E. Mingst and Arthur Bruso, the group exhibition features ten artists—including Agnieszka Wszolkowska, Alvin Quiñones, Brad Terhune, Dorie Dahlberg, Elliot Appel, Hank Yaghooti, Josephine Barreiro, Laura Lou Levy, Nanette Reynolds Beachner, and Peter Delman—who explore how books shape their creative practice. The show runs weekends with an opening reception on May 8.

Parliamentary report calls for major changes at French museums in the wake of Louvre heist

A French parliamentary report published on 13 May, following the October 19 heist of the crown jewels at the Louvre, issues a damning assessment of the country's museum security and management. The commission heard around 100 testimonies and examined some 2,000 museums, dedicating a special chapter to the Louvre. It blames former director Laurence des Cars's leadership for a "dysfunctional drift" that prioritized contemporary art interventions and fashion shows over basic infrastructure and collection protection, allowing the heist to occur. The report lists rising threats including riots, burglaries, cyberattacks (which forced the National Museum of Natural History in Paris to cancel an exhibition after a ransomware attack in July 2025), and terrorist plots. It proposes 40 recommendations, including raising budgets by an estimated €20–25 billion over a decade, enhancing staff training, and overhauling museum leadership.

Marina Abramovic on bringing audiences inside art

Performance art pioneer Marina Abramović, now 80, has opened a major exhibition titled "Transforming Energy" at the Gallerie dell'Accademia in Venice, making her the first living woman to receive such a show at the institution. The exhibition, running until October, features interactive "transitory objects" like crystal structures and minerals, alongside re-enactments of her iconic works including a performance with her late partner Ulay. In an interview with Reuters, Abramović discusses her shift from being the subject of her work to focusing on audience participation, a realization she had after her landmark 2010 performance "The Artist Is Present" at MoMA.

List of small Italian museums dedicated to writing. Among diaries, typewriters and memories

Lista dei piccoli musei d’Italia dedicati alla scrittura. Tra diari, macchine da scrivere e memorie

The article highlights the phenomenon of cultural overbooking, where major museums like the Louvre, Vatican Museums, and British Museum attract millions of visitors, turning art appreciation into a physical endurance test. It then pivots to a series of small, specialized museums across Italy dedicated to writing, diaries, and memory, offering a quieter, more intimate alternative. Featured institutions include the Piccolo Museo del Diario in Pieve Santo Stefano, which houses over 10,000 personal diaries and letters, and the Museo della Lettera d’Amore in Torrevecchia Teatina, with 25,000 love letters. Other stops include the Parco Poesia Pascoli in San Mauro Pascoli, dedicated to the poet Giovanni Pascoli.

Art Problems: WTF Is an A-Corp?

The article explains the concept of an Artist Corporation (A-Corp), a new business structure for artists introduced in a bill before the Colorado state legislature, originally proposed by entrepreneur Yancey Strickler. It allows artists to form a legally recognized business entity without hiring a lawyer, simply by filling out a form, and provides liability protection by separating personal assets from business assets. The bill is expected to reach the governor's desk by mid-May and be enacted within six months, with five or six other states, including New York, expressing interest.

Art and technology meet in the augmented reality of artist Lois He

Arte e tecnologia si incontrano nella realtà aumentata dell’artista Lois He

Lois He, a Chinese-born artist now based in New York, creates immersive XR installations that blend art and technology, transforming viewers into active participants. Her works, such as "Rising River," an AI-driven virtual reality experience, and "The Silent Carnival," a digital reinterpretation of Goethe's Faust, explore identity, emotion, and the impact of external agents like technology and culture. He also collaborates with institutions like the Museo Dalí and the NYU Neuroscience Institute, merging art with literature and science.

Casabianca is the name of the new art space to visit in Como

Si chiama Casabianca il nuovo spazio per l’arte da visitare a Como

A new art space called Casabianca has opened in Como, Italy, housed in a 1930s building designed by Piero Ponci. The project is spearheaded by hoteliers Paolo and Antonella De Santis, who have transformed the former luxury villa and bank into a domestic-style exhibition venue for their contemporary art collection. The space features works by artists such as Giulio Paolini, Stefano Arienti, Alighiero Boetti, Mario Merz, Marina Abramovic, and Joseph Kosuth, with no labels or didactics to preserve the feel of a private home.

The Biennale releases the rules for voting on the Visitors' Lions while many artists and pavilions renounce competing for the prizes

La Biennale diffonde il regolamento per votare i Leoni dei Visitatori mentre molti artisti e padiglioni rinunciano a concorrere ai premi

The 61st Venice Biennale has opened to the public, introducing a controversial new voting system for the Golden Lions. After the entire jury resigned en masse on April 30, the Biennale decided to let the public decide the winners of the so-called "Leoni dei Visitatori" (Visitors' Lions). Voting is open from May 9 to November 22, 2026, and requires ticket holders to visit both main venues (Giardini and Arsenale) to receive a voting link. One vote per person is allowed for each of two categories: an artist in the main international exhibition "In Minor Keys" curated by Koyo Kouoh, and a national pavilion.

Nick Cave at the 2026 Biennale. Seven works between loss, memory and protest

Nick Cave è alla Biennale 2026. Sette opere tra perdita, memoria e protesta

Nick Cave presents "Two Points in Time at Once" at the 2026 Venice Biennale, a project spanning seven locations across Venice. The installation features a series of bronze works, including the "Amalgam" series (Seated, Origin, Plot, Resuscitation, Meditation) along with "Grapht" and "Siren." This marks a significant material shift from Cave's iconic fabric Soundsuits to bronze, exploring themes of loss, memory, trauma, and protest through a more static yet politically charged presence.

The 2026 Venice Biennale is light and conscious

Quella del 2026 è una Biennale di Venezia leggera e consapevole

The 2026 Venice Biennale, titled "In Minor Keys" and curated by the late Koyo Kouoh, has opened with a focus on ecology and humanity's relationship with nature. The central pavilion at the Giardini presents a festive, craft-heavy exhibition that emphasizes connections with plants and animals, while the Arsenale offers a more spacious, symphonic experience featuring standout works such as Alfredo Jaar's "End of the World" (2023-2024) and Kader Attia's "Whisper of Traces" (2026). National pavilions, including those of Austria, Denmark, France, Germany, and Spain, explore themes of the body, memory, and ruin with notable installations.

Since 1968, Protests Have Revealed the Real Impact of the Venice Biennale

The article recounts the 1968 protests at the Venice Biennale, where artists, students, and activists clashed with police over the event's perceived ties to bourgeois power and capitalist commodification. It draws parallels to the 2024 Biennale, where groups like Art Not Genocide Alliance, Pussy Riot, and Femen demonstrated against the participation of Russia and Israel, while artists staged strikes and performances like the Solidarity Drone Chorus to highlight the Gaza conflict.

‘Africa in the Spotlight’ exhibition in Lisbon

An exhibition titled 'Africa in the Spotlight' has opened at the Lisbon Alliance Française, curated by Tatyana Jolivet. The show features seven contemporary African artists from Burkina Faso, Angola, and São Tomé e Príncipe, including Casimir Bationo (CasziB), SDZabila, Flore Kaboré, and Valdemar Dória. Jolivet, a Russian-born curator based in Lisbon who runs the online Jolie Art Gallery, organized the exhibition to promote cultural diversity and dialogue, highlighting the deep-rooted African presence in Portugal dating back five centuries.

Art Basel Hong Kong 2026: Where The World Comes To See

Art Basel Hong Kong 2026 returned to the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre from March 25–27, featuring 240 galleries from 42 countries and territories. The 13th edition introduced new sectors including Echoes, dedicated to works made within the past five years, and Zero 10, a digital art initiative making its Asia debut. The fair also transformed its Encounters sector with a collective curatorial framework based on the Five Elements, led by Mami Kataoka and three other Asia-based curators. Robb Report India covered the event through the perspectives of Indian artists Siddharth Kerkar and Jayesh Sachdev.

Tuan Vu | Nhat Binh (2026) | Art & Prints

This article presents the artwork "Nhat Binh" (2026) by Vietnamese Canadian artist Tuan Vu, offered through Kristin Hjellegjerde Gallery. The painting, executed in oil and oil stick on linen, measures 35 2/5 × 29 1/2 inches and is a unique, hand-signed work accompanied by a certificate of authenticity. The listing includes details about the artist's background, his immigration to Canada as a refugee, his shift from engineering to full-time art practice in 2021, and his exhibition history including a solo show at Simard Bilodeau Contemporary in 2023 and subsequent shows in Berlin, London, New York, and across Canada.

In Venice, the Passion of Life and the Ghost of Art

The 2026 Venice Biennale, the world’s oldest art exhibition, has opened with a theme centered on vitality and the celebration of life. The edition is described as both a passionate embrace of energy and a reminder of art’s lingering ghosts, offering a mixed but compelling experience for visitors.

Leigh Magar, High-End Milliner Turned Indigo Artist, Dies at 57

Leigh Magar, a celebrated milliner who crafted bespoke hats for celebrities including Beyoncé and members of the royal family, has died at age 57. After building a high-profile career in Charleston, South Carolina, she relocated to a remote island off the coast, where she shifted her artistic focus to cultivating indigo and creating natural dyes, becoming a dedicated practitioner of the ancient craft.

Nancy Holt: MoonSunStarEarthSkyWater

The first UK presentation of Nancy Holt's work, titled "MoonSunStarEarthSkyWater," opens at the Goodwood Art Foundation in Sussex from 2 May to 1 November 2026. The exhibition includes both a gallery-based show and works in the landscape, featuring key pieces such as the monumental site-responsive installation "Ventilation System" (1985-92) and the earthwork "Hydra's Head" (1974). The show aims to highlight Holt's exploration of perception, language, and light, and includes works from her diverse practice spanning concrete poetry, film, photography, and public sculpture.

Qatar makes Venice Biennale debut with pavilion built on collaboration, food and live art

Qatar has made its debut at the Venice Biennale with an official national pavilion, marking a major cultural milestone as the first new national pavilion in the Giardini in 30 years. Led by artist Rirkrit Tiravanija, the project titled "Untitled 2026: A gathering of remarkable people" transforms the space into a living environment featuring live music, film screenings, shared meals, and ongoing performances. The pavilion brings together artists, musicians, and chefs from across the Arab world and its diasporas, emphasizing cultural exchange rather than a single national narrative.

Venice Biennale opens without a jury amid strife over Russian and Israeli participation

The Venice Biennale, one of the world's most prestigious contemporary art exhibitions, opens its most contested edition in memory without a jury after the jury resigned in protest over the participation of Israel and Russia, both under investigation by the International Criminal Court for human rights abuses. Protests have erupted outside the Israeli and Russian pavilions, with demonstrators clashing with police, while feminist groups from Ukraine and Russia converged on the Russian Pavilion and Palestinians remembered artists killed in Gaza. The Biennale has replaced the jury with a public vote via email, with winners announced at the close on November 22.

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.

Art Beat feature: A gallerist rooted in craft

Leana Hoadley has opened Hoadley Gallery West in downtown Edmonds, Washington, a boutique gallery specializing in handmade ceramics, jewelry, glass, and sculptural objects. The gallery builds on the legacy of the original Hoadley Gallery in Lenox, Massachusetts, founded over 40 years ago by her aunt and uncle, Stephanie and Thomas Hoadley. After a winding career that included studying at the School of the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston and working as a creative director for an AI company, a 2023 layoff prompted Hoadley to reassess her path and pursue opening her own gallery. The space features works including porcelain vessels by Thomas Hoadley made using the ancient Japanese Nerikomi technique, which are held in collections such as the Smithsonian American Art Museum's Renwick Gallery and the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.

Bonner David Galleries to open Francis Livingston exhibition in New York

Bonner David Galleries will open 'Reverie in Paint,' a new exhibition by artist Francis Livingston, on May 14 at its New York City location. The show features Livingston's abstract, memory-infused interpretations of New York City architecture, including bridges like the Brooklyn, Manhattan, and Queensboro Bridges, rendered in a restrained palette of blues and greens with expressive paint application.

Hyderabad galleries host long-duration exhibitions this summer

Two Hyderabad galleries are hosting long-duration summer exhibitions this year, breaking from the city's traditional lean season. Kalakriti Art Gallery in Banjara Hills opened "Prakriti: A Quiet Continuum," a group show of contemporary artists including Lal Bahadur Singh and Sumanto Chowdhury, alongside "Living Lineages," featuring folk and indigenous artists such as Bhuri Bai and Venkat Raman Shyam. Meanwhile, Srishti Art Gallery in Jubilee Hills is presenting the fifth edition of its annual exhibition "Triloka," with works by Moumita Basak, Nayanjyoti Barman, and Nirmal Mondal that explore everyday materials and social change.

At Joy Machine, ‘Feel Free’ Plumbs the Tension Between Chaos and Control

Joy Machine presents 'Feel Free', a group exhibition featuring new works by Rachel Hayden, Paulina Ho, Hanna Lee Joshi, and Jeremy Miranda. The show opens with a reception on May 15, 2026, and runs through June 27, 2026. Each artist explores the tension between chaos and control, using diverse media—from acrylic and gouache to Japanese indigo on thrifted textiles—to capture moments of impermanence and unexpected harmony.

Building Through Change, Jean-David Malat, Founder of JD Malat Gallery on resilience, risk and the evolving art scene in Dubai

Jean-David Malat, founder of JD Malat Gallery, opened a new outpost in Downtown Dubai in early 2025, expanding from his established Mayfair space in London. The gallery launched with a group show, *Carte Blanche*, and has since hosted solo exhibitions, with plans for a *Made in UAE* initiative that received over 1,000 applications. Malat cites the slowing London market and growing momentum in the UAE as key factors in his decision to invest in Dubai, where he spent a month building relationships with collectors and the local community before opening.

Two photographers tried to tell Tuscany beyond the usual clichés

Due fotografi hanno provato a raccontare la Toscana oltre i soliti cliché

The article profiles photographers Gioconda Rafanelli and August Kaciuruba, who are contributing to the "How Italy Feels" project curated by Marina Serena Cacciapuoti and Cesare Cacciapuoti of Italy Segreta. The project involves twenty local photographers capturing Italy beyond stereotypes. In the Tuscany chapter, Rafanelli and Kaciuruba present a lived, off-duty vision of the region, blending fashion, architecture, and cinematic influences. They discuss their collaborative process, their shared gaze, and how their work shifts between the fast pace of Milan and the slower rhythms of Tuscany, drawing inspiration from filmmakers like Wong Kar-wai, Stanley Kubrick, Luchino Visconti, and Michelangelo Antonioni.

The Paradox of Contemporary Art: The World Is Violent, but the Works Are Correct and Inoffensive

Il paradosso dell’arte contemporanea: il mondo è violento, ma le opere sono corrette e inoffensive

The article examines a paradox in contemporary art: as the world grows more violent and chaotic, art has become increasingly 'correct,' morally irreproachable, and inoffensive. The author argues that over the past fifteen years, artworks have been judged primarily by their moral and identity credentials, with curators acting as moral gatekeepers and censors. This shift coincides with a period when geopolitics, history, and public behavior have spiraled out of control, creating a strange compensatory dynamic where art is expected to be perfectly controlled and polite while reality grows brutal.

Delicacy as Resistance. Interview with the Curator of the Turkey Pavilion at the Venice Biennale

La delicatezza come resistenza. Intervista alla curatrice del Padiglione Turchia alla Biennale di Venezia

For the 2026 Venice Biennale, the Turkey Pavilion, commissioned by the Istanbul Foundation for Culture and Arts (İKSV), will present "A Kiss on the Eyes" by artist Nilbar Güreş, curated by Başak Doğa Temür. The exhibition takes its title from a Turkish expression conveying affectionate closeness without intrusion, and features a mix of new productions and earlier works spanning sculpture, installation, painting, and works on paper and fabric. In an interview, curator Temür explains that the project avoids a retrospective or didactic approach, instead creating a spatial rhythm of approach, pause, and slight withdrawal, where intimacy, politics, irony, and fragility press against one another.

3 Questions with Gallerist Daniel Cooney

Santa Fe gallerist Daniel Cooney of Daniel Cooney Fine Art discusses his gallery's focus one year after relocating from New York City. In an interview, Cooney explains that while his gallery prominently features LGBTQ artists, its core mission is supporting underrepresented artists broadly—including emerging talents, overlooked older artists, and estates. He notes a continued emphasis on photography, his own background, but also shows other mediums. Cooney expresses interest in featuring more local New Mexico artists but has not yet integrated deeply into the local scene.