For the 61st Venice Biennale, a quest for beauty despite a troubled world

Pour la 61e Biennale de Venise, une quête de beauté malgré un monde troublé

Koyo Kouoh, the Swiss-Cameroonian curator who was set to become the first African woman to direct the Venice Biennale, died suddenly on May 10, 2025, at age 57, just weeks before the opening of the 61st edition she had conceived. Titled "In Minor Keys," the exhibition at the Giardini and Arsenale will proceed posthumously based on her detailed directives, featuring 111 artists including Laurie Anderson, Wangechi Mutu, and Kader Attia, with a focus on beauty, resilience, and radical emotional connection amid global turmoil.

Gallery of Peter Zumthor’s LACMA David Geffen Galleries Open in Los Angeles - 4

The Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) has opened its new David Geffen Galleries, a major building designed by Pritzker Prize-winning architect Peter Zumthor. The structure, which replaces four older buildings on the museum's campus, is a single-story, concrete-and-glass pavilion spanning Wilshire Boulevard, designed to create a more unified and accessible visitor experience.

Dozens of Venice Biennale Artists Stage ‘Drone’ Perfomance in Protest of Israel’s Participation

On the opening day of the Venice Biennale, around 60 artists and dozens of other participants staged a protest titled “Solidarity Drone Chorus” at the Giardini entrance, humming a viral song by Gazan composer Ahmed “Muin” Abu Amsha to sonically occupy the space. The action, organized by artists in the main exhibition over several months, protested Israel’s participation in the Biennale and expressed support for Palestine, with participants wearing T-shirts bearing the names and artworks of Gazan and Palestinian artists, many of whom have been killed. The protest follows an open letter from the Art Not Genocide Alliance demanding Israel’s exclusion.

Oleg Prokofiev’s Lost Trove of Paintings Comes to Light After Decades in Hiding

A trove of abstract paintings and sculptures by Russian artist Oleg Prokofiev, hidden for decades in Moscow after he fled the Soviet Union, has been rediscovered and is now on public display for the first time. Prokofiev concealed the works in the 1950s and 1960s to avoid state persecution—abstract art was banned in the USSR, and his relationship with British scholar Camilla Gray made marriage impossible until 1969. After Gray's death and his move to England, the artworks remained safely stored in Moscow, where he found them intact after the Soviet collapse. The collection, including paintings, sculptures, sketchbooks, and letters, is now exhibited at the newly founded Prokofiev Studio in Hackney, London, established by his four children and curator Anzhela Popova.

New space dedicated to Oleg Prokofiev—whose abstract art was censored by Soviet Russia—opens in London

A new art space called Prokofiev Studio has opened in Hackney, London, dedicated to the Russian artist Oleg Prokofiev. Its inaugural exhibition, 'Bending Time,' presents abstract works from the 1950s that were banned under Soviet censorship and long thought lost. The space was founded by Prokofiev’s children, including composer Gabriel Prokofiev, in collaboration with curator Anzhela Popova. The works were rediscovered in 1994 when Prokofiev returned to his former Moscow home and found them preserved by the new owner.

The 2026 Met Gala Theme and Dress Code, Explained

The 2026 Met Gala, held at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City, is set for tonight with the theme "Costume Art" and the dress code "Fashion is Art." The event, which takes place annually on the first Monday in May, serves as a high-profile fundraiser for the Costume Institute and a fashion spectacle. Co-chairs include Beyoncé, Nicole Kidman, Venus Williams, and Anna Wintour. The theme is tied to the Met's upcoming exhibition of the same name, which will debut the Costume Institute's first permanent galleries—the Condé M. Nast Galleries—and explore "the centrality of the dressed body" by pairing garments with art spanning 5,000 years.

Finding art in the uncanny aesthetics of MAGA

Spielzeug gallery, founded in 2025 in Bushwick by Evan Karas and Eleanor Hicks, opened a pop-up show titled MAR-A-LAGO FACE on May 13 at a former restaurant on Allen Street in New York. The exhibition critiques the plastic-surgery aesthetics associated with Republican figures like Matt Gaetz, Laura Loomer, Kimberly Guilfoyle, and Kristi Noem, featuring works by queer, trans, and Latin American artists. The opening blurred the line between exhibition and party, with a DJ, themed drinks, and a bouncer checking bags.

The Picasso of India: Amrita Sher-Gil exhibit opens in Drents Museum

The Drents Museum in Assen, Netherlands, has opened a major exhibition of works by Amrita Sher-Gil (1913-1941), the Hungarian-Indian painter often called the Picasso of India. Titled “Europe is Picasso’s, India is Mine,” the show features nearly 50 paintings and drawings on loan from the National Gallery of Modern Art in New Delhi, marking the first-ever Sher-Gil exhibition in the Netherlands and the first in Europe in nearly two decades. Originally scheduled for March, the opening was delayed due to geopolitical tensions linked to the war in Iran, which postponed the transport of the artworks. The museum worked for six years to secure the loan, and 23 Dutch museums stepped in to create an alternative exhibition during the delay.

PHOTOS: Celebrities interpret 2026 Met Gala theme ‘Fashion is Art’

On May 4, 2026, celebrities including Emma Chamberlain, Anna Wintour, Nicole Kidman, Kylie Jenner, and Janelle Monae attended the Met Gala at The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, celebrating the opening of the "Costume Art" exhibition. The event featured arrivals at the museum and departures from The Mark Hotel, with performances by Joshua Henry, and was captured by photographers Evan Agostini, Andy Kropa, and Jamie McCarthy.

Exhibit Features Works by Ward Nichols

An exhibition titled “From Reality to Realism, A Lifetime Perspective,” featuring works by veteran artist Ward Nichols, opened at the Wilkes Art Gallery in North Wilkesboro, North Carolina on April 17. The opening event included a jazz performance by the Todd Wright Trio, hors d’oeuvres and drinks, and a street closure on C Street / Ward Nichols Way. Nichols, a full-time professional artist for over 60 years, has participated in 200 group shows, more than 170 solo exhibitions across 94 galleries and museums in 24 states, and has received 30 major awards including the Grumbacher Award of Merit from the El Paso Museum of Art. The exhibit runs through June 17.

Robert McLaughlin Gallery Opens New Summer Exhibits in Oshawa

The Robert McLaughlin Gallery in Oshawa, Ontario, will launch its summer exhibition season on June 13, 2026, featuring five new displays. The season includes solo shows by artists Stephen Andrews, Oliver Husain, and Austin Henderson. Andrews presents 'The sum of the parts,' a display of 125 drawings examining media coverage of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars. Husain offers an immersive video installation titled 'I ♥ Snail,' exploring the history of IMAX cinema. Henderson, the RBC emerging artist in residence, debuts works investigating queer history and the HIV/AIDS epidemic in Canada through his family history. A free public event with curator remarks, artist-led tours, and a complimentary shuttle from OCAD University in Toronto will mark the opening.

The Bronx Museum of the Arts hosts Seventh AIM Biennial open house

The Bronx Museum of the Arts hosted its Seventh AIM Biennial Open House on April 18, a free family day that combined hands-on art-making activities with the ongoing biennial exhibition. Visitors participated in button-making, print-making, screen printing, and memory box creation, led by AIM artists including Skip Brea, Hedwig Brouckaert, Ricki Dwyer, Leekyung Kang, Juyon Lee, lauren mcavoy, Piero Penizzotto, Motohiro Takeda, and V Yeh. The day also featured a critique session with artist V Yeh and a panel discussion titled “Tender Monuments,” moderated by co-curator Nell Klugman, exploring themes of personal, communal, and environmental grief.

This Is Where Max Mara Will Hold Its Resort 2027 Show in Shanghai

Max Mara has chosen the Long Museum West Bund in Shanghai as the venue for its Resort 2027 runway show on June 16. The event will coincide with the opening of an exhibition titled “The Max!”, curated by Olivier Saillard, celebrating the brand’s 75th anniversary. The Long Museum is a private art museum founded by collectors Liu Yiqian and Wang Wei, with three locations across China. This marks Max Mara’s second show in Shanghai, following a 2016 presentation at the Shanghai Exhibition Center.

Early visitors share first impressions of LACMA’s sprawling new building

The David Geffen Galleries, the new $724-million building at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA), opened to members, drawing thousands of visitors on its first day. The massive concrete structure, which has been a subject of public debate for its cost and design, finally allowed Angelenos and dedicated travelers to experience its spaces and inaugural installations firsthand.

A Monument to Chocolate Is Wrapped in Layers of Mexican History

The article reports on the opening of the Museum of Cacao & Chocolate in Mexico City, which combines a colonial-era house with a contemporary architectural addition. The museum is built on a site that was once an Aztec monument, adding layers of historical significance to the institution dedicated to the history and culture of cacao.

Inside LACMA’s Eye-Popping New Home, How Do You Find the Art?

The Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) has opened its new David Geffen Galleries building, a major architectural project designed to be a glamorous cultural beacon. The building itself is a striking landmark, but the exhibition spaces within present significant challenges for the display of art, creating a complex, maze-like environment for visitors.

A New Museum in California Aims to Draw Children to Science

KidSTREAM, a new $7 million children's museum, has launched in Camarillo, California, transforming a former library site into an interactive educational hub. Founded by Kristie Akl, a former teacher, the museum focuses on hands-on learning across science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics (STEAM) to engage young learners through play.

After the Heists: Securing Museums Without Closing Them Off

Museums worldwide are grappling with the escalating need for heightened security measures following a series of high-profile thefts, including a recent bold robbery at the Louvre. Institutions are forced to re-evaluate their surveillance protocols and physical barriers to protect priceless cultural heritage from increasingly sophisticated criminal tactics.

The Craziest Venice Biennale Ever: One Week Before Opening, the Jury Resigns (The Public Will Decide the Lions!)

La Biennale di Venezia più pazza di sempre: a una settimana dall’apertura si dimette la giuria (I Leoni li deciderà il pubblico!)

The entire international jury of the 61st Venice Biennale has resigned en masse just one week before the opening. The jury, chaired by Solange Oliveira Farkas and including Zoe Butt, Elvira Dyangani Ose, Marta Kuzma, and Giovanna Zapperi, had publicly announced they would not consider countries whose leaders are accused of crimes against humanity by the International Criminal Court—effectively excluding Russia and Israel from the Golden Lion competition. This decision came amid ongoing tensions between Italian Culture Minister Alessandro Giuli and Biennale President Pietrangelo Buttafuoco over Russia's participation, as well as controversy surrounding Israel's presence. After a meeting with Buttafuoco, the jury resigned, leaving the Biennale without a key body to award its top prizes.

Cultural workers at Venice Biennale to strike over Israel’s participation

Cultural workers and participants at the Venice Biennale plan to strike on 8 May during the opening week of the 61st edition, protesting Israel’s participation in the event. The strike, organized by the Art Not Genocide Alliance (ANGA) and supported by Italian trade unions, includes a rally near the Arsenale site. ANGA previously sent a letter signed by over 230 artists and curators demanding the cancellation of the Israeli pavilion, citing opposition to "genocide normalisation in culture" and precarious labor conditions. Israel is represented this year by sculptor Belu-Simion Fainaru, who opposes cultural boycotts.

In Lombardia la Fondazione dello scultore Giancarlo Sangregorio inaugura un nuovo spazio dentro un parco

The Fondazione Giancarlo Sangregorio in Sesto Calende, near Varese, has inaugurated a new exhibition space called Spazio Luce, created from the renovation of an old rural building. The space opens with the show "Incontri. Da Fontana a Baj, da Rotella a Mondino. Una collezione svelata," curated by Lorella Giudici, featuring 34 works from Sangregorio's personal collection, including pieces by Lucio Fontana, Enrico Baj, Mimmo Rotella, Aldo Mondino, and Giancarlo Sangregorio himself. The exhibition runs from May 16 to September 27, 2026.

Italian culture minister will not attend opening of Venice Biennale

Italian culture minister Alessandro Giuli has announced he will not attend the opening of the Venice Biennale next week, protesting Russia's involvement in the exhibition. Russia, which has a permanent pavilion in the Giardini, has been absent from the Biennale since 2022 but is returning this year, sparking widespread criticism. The European Union recently cut its €2 million grant to the Biennale following Russia's return, and Golden and Silver Lion jurors have stated they will not consider pavilions from countries whose leaders are charged with crimes against humanity by the International Criminal Court, effectively excluding Russia.

Los Angeles Metro’s Stunning D Line Art Turns Stations Into Galleries

Los Angeles Metro unveiled a major public art installation on May 8 with the opening of the 3.92-mile D Line extension, connecting downtown to Beverly Hills. Nine artists were selected from over 1,400 applicants to create works across three stations—Wilshire/La Brea, Wilshire/Fairfax, and Wilshire/La Cienega. Notable pieces include Karl Haendel's "Hands and Things" at the Wilshire/Fairfax station, featuring photorealist pencil drawings of hands holding objects sourced from nearby cultural institutions, and Susan Silton's "WE, OUR, US." The artworks are mounted using durable porcelain enameling that resists corrosion, scratching, fading, and graffiti.

Contemporary Gallery Debut Events

Hearts Gallery made its debut on May 2, 2026, in Los Angeles with an exclusive group exhibition at Modern Multiples, a historic print studio in Chinatown. The opening attracted artists, collectors, celebrities, and style leaders from fashion, film, and contemporary art, featuring works by Richard Duardo, Erika Galvez, Julian Prolman, Shepard Fairey, Ed Ruscha, Chaz Bojorquez, Estevan Oriol, and others, while celebrating Modern Multiples' legacy with icons like Diana Ross, Madonna, Keith Haring, Jean-Michel Basquiat, Andy Warhol, and RuPaul.

Southern Guild Stakes Its Claim in Tribeca

Southern Guild, a South African gallery founded by Trevyn and Julian McGowan in 2008, has opened a new outpost in Tribeca, New York, after closing its Los Angeles location. The gallery, which began in Cape Town and expanded to a 32,000-square-foot campus, now occupies a 19th-century heritage building with 17-foot ceilings and cast-iron columns. Its inaugural exhibitions feature South African artists Usha Seejarim and Mmangaliso Nzuza, showcasing large-scale works that take advantage of the dramatic vertical space.

Russia's Venice Pavilion to Close to the Public in Compliance With Sanctions

Russia will return to the 61st Venice Biennale with its national pavilion, but the exhibition will only be physically open to the press and select guests during the vernissage dates of May 5–8. From May 9 onward, the pavilion will remain closed to the public, with multimedia documentation of performances displayed on screens at the windows. The arrangement follows leaked emails among Biennale Foundation President Pietrangelo Buttafuoco, General Director Andrea Del Mercato, and Russian Pavilion Commissioner Anastasia Karneeva, revealing efforts to comply with EU sanctions while still allowing Russia's participation after two consecutive absences since its invasion of Ukraine.

EU Says It ‘Intends’ to Cut Funding to Venice Biennale Because of Russian Pavilion

The European Union has declared its intention to cut its €2 million funding contribution to the Venice Biennale in response to the exhibition's decision to host a Russian national pavilion for the first time since Russia's 2022 invasion of Ukraine. EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas stated that allowing Russia to exhibit while it "bombs museums, destroys churches and seeks to erase Ukrainian culture" is morally wrong, marking the union's strongest condemnation to date.

The 10 Best Venice Films

Die 10 besten Venedig-Filme

Monopol magazine has published a ranking of the ten best films set in Venice, timed to coincide with the opening of the Venice Art Biennale. The list includes titles such as Steven Spielberg's "Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade" (1989), Joseph L. Mankiewicz's "The Honey Pot" (1967), and Kenneth Branagh's "A Haunting in Venice" (2023), highlighting how the lagoon city serves as a central character in action films, comedies, and love dramas.

LACMA inaugurates its new building

Le Lacma inaugure son nouveau bâtiment

The Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) has inaugurated its new David Geffen Galleries building, a massive horizontal structure spanning Wilshire Boulevard. Designed by architect Peter Zumthor, the $720 million project features 32,000 square meters of exhibition space across 90 non-hierarchical galleries, a free public park level, and a radical departure from traditional museum departmental organization.

Brittany Invites Itself to the Venice Biennale: An Unusual Pavilion Dedicated to Breton Creation Moors in the Lagoon

La Bretagne s’invite à la Biennale de Venise : un insolite pavillon dédié à la création bretonne s’est amarré dans la lagune

For the 61st Venice Biennale, a group of artists and art figures from Brittany have created an unofficial "Breton pavilion" in the form of a spectacular sailboat moored on the island of San Giorgio Maggiore. The boat, designed by artist Joachim Monvoisin, features contributions from Morgane Tschiember (who sewed a sail with a black cross, the 11th-century Breton flag) and master glassmaker Andrew Erdos (who made the navigation lights). Performances during the opening week included readings by Breton authors and traditional music concerts with binious and bombardes on the Via Garibaldi.