Sotheby's May Marquee Sales unveiled | Led by Rothko's $70 - 100M Canvas

Sotheby's has unveiled its May marquee sales, headlined by Mark Rothko's monumental painting "Brown and Blacks in Reds" (1957), estimated at $70–100 million. The sales open with a dedicated auction of works from dealer and collector Robert Mnuchin, followed by The Now & Contemporary Art Evening Auction on May 14, led by a Jean-Michel Basquiat painting valued at over $45 million. Additional highlights include works from the collections of Jean and Terry de Gunzburg, Jennifer Gilbert, and David and Shoshanna Wingate, alongside a Modern Evening Auction on May 19 featuring Pablo Picasso's "Arlequin (Buste)" (est. over $40 million) and Vincent van Gogh's "La Moisson en Provence" (est. $25–35 million).

St. Gregory’s College unveils inaugural art exhibition in Lagos

St. Gregory's College in Lagos, Nigeria, launched its inaugural Gregorian Art Exhibition on April 25, 2026, at Jubilee Hall. Organized by the St. Gregory's College Old Boys Association in honor of legendary artist Bruce Onobrakpeya, the three-day event features established and emerging artists under the theme “Celebrating Legacy, Excellence and Continuity.” Speakers included former association chairman Dr. Michael Omolayole and current president Francis Kudayah, who announced plans for an annual art clinic and a digital platform called the “Gregorian Art Mart.” Onobrakpeya, who could not attend in person, delivered a vote of thanks reflecting on his career and the school's role in his development.

Arts Center donates works for library sale

The Davis Arts Center (DAC) has donated approximately 100 artworks from its permanent collection to the Friends of the Davis Public Library for a sale starting this weekend. The works, mostly from the 1960s-1980s, include pieces by notable Davis-area artists such as Richard Nelson, Robert Arneson, Margery Mann, and Roland Petersen, and are priced under $100. The donation follows DAC's 2019 transformation from an exhibition space to a studio-focused nonprofit offering classes and camps, which led to most of its collection being placed in storage. DAC executive director Sam King enlisted Davis High School art teacher Luke Turner—a former museum professional—to help curate and place select pieces with institutions like the Mills College Art Museum and the Manetti Shrem Museum, while the remaining works are now being offered to the community at bargain prices.

In "Dancing the Revolution," Puerto Rico Pushes Back

The article reviews "Dancing the Revolution," a multi-genre collective exhibition at the Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago that explores the music of dancehall and reggaetón, their roots, history, and evolution, and their inextricable link to colonial oppression. The show is inspired by the massive 2019 protests in Puerto Rico against then-Governor Ricardo Rosselló, where music and dance were used as forms of resistance, drawing on centuries of Black Atlantic protest in the Caribbean.

The World’s First Museum Of AI Arts Is Finally Opening In L.A. This Summer — Here's How To Get Insider Access Before It Opens

Los Angeles will open DATALAND, the world's first Museum of AI Arts, on June 20, 2026. Co-founded by Refik Anadol and Efsun Erkılıç, the 35,000-square-foot museum is located in Frank Gehry's Grand LA complex within the Grand Avenue Cultural District. Its inaugural exhibition, "Machine Dreams: Rainforest," runs through January 31, 2027, and features the Large Nature Model—the first open-source generative AI model dedicated to nature. The exhibition uses real-time audience biofeedback and ecological datasets to create a shifting digital rainforest, including an Infinity Room that plays the extinct Kauaʻi ʻŌʻō bird's call. Pioneer Memberships are now on sale, offering exclusive pre-opening access and a generative print.

Exhibition of engravings and lithographs based on Raphael's work held in Vitebsk

A unique exhibition of engravings and lithographs based on the works of Renaissance master Raphael Santi has opened at the Vitebsk Art Museum, a branch of the Vitebsk Regional Museum of Local Lore in Belarus. The show features 92 works, including 30 engravings from the 1774 copper-plate series illustrating Apuleius's novel "Cupid and Psyche" (originally created 1530-1560), 52 toned lithographs of Raphael's Vatican Loggias frescoes executed in 1866 by Ludwig Gruner and Niccola Consoni, and a series of engravings from drawings of the Chigi Chapel dome. This marks the first time the complete set of 52 lithographs has been displayed together.

Caravaggio ‘Baroque Masterpieces’ on view in Charlotte

An exhibition titled 'Caravaggio | Revolution: Baroque Masterpieces from the Roberto Longhi Foundation' opens to the public on April 26 at Mint Museum Uptown in Charlotte, North Carolina. The show centers on Caravaggio's painting 'Boy Bitten by a Lizard' and includes 40 other works by leading Baroque masters from the Roberto Longhi Foundation. A section of the exhibition also explores Caravaggio's influence on modern visual storytelling through music videos, films, and photography, featuring works by artists such as David LaChapelle and Tom Hunter. Opening weekend includes a talk by Professor Cristina Acidini, president of the Roberto Longhi Foundation.

Beyond the Needle: Chilean Artist Felipe Abel on Chiaroscuro, Symbolism, and the Evolution of Modern Tattooing

Chilean tattoo artist Felipe Abel (born Felipe Arriagada), who has a background in graphic design and a decade of experience in black-and-grey micro-realism, is preparing to join Noble Art Studio in Brooklyn. He is also developing a new series of oil paintings focused on mythology, theology, and esotericism, expected to debut in a formal exhibition around 2027. Abel, who has held guest spots in over 20 cities across 10 countries including studios like Sasha Tattooing in Paris and The White Whale in Milan, uses chiaroscuro and a recurring floating orb motif in his work, drawing influence from photographer Sebastião Salgado and painter Guillermo Lorca.

I wanted to hate the new LACMA. Then I went back

The article describes the author's evolving impression of the newly opened David Geffen wing at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA), designed by architect Peter Zumthor. Initially visiting at 11am, the author found the $724 million, 110,000 sq ft building to be a "dismal, dated, inelegant brute," with thick bronze windows, dark concrete slabs, and bunker-like galleries. However, returning at 4pm, the author experienced a transformation: golden afternoon light warmed the concrete, illuminated the interiors, and revealed the building as a "brilliant innovation and true gift to the city." The article details the building's 20-year design evolution, challenges including fossil discoveries on site, and Zumthor's public frustrations with the compromised details.

Muzeu Braga, Portugal’s newest art museum bridging art and critical thought

Portuguese construction and engineering group DST has opened Muzeu, a contemporary art museum in Braga's historic center, housed in a former courthouse redesigned by architect José Carvalho Araújo. The inaugural exhibition, 'Sejamos realistas, exijamos o impossível' (Let us be realistic, let us demand the impossible), features works by international artists Alex Katz, Nan Goldin, Annie Leibovitz, and Anselm Kiefer alongside leading Portuguese artists such as Ângela Ferreira, Pedro Calapez, and Ana Vidigal. DST CEO José Teixeira, who has built one of Portugal's most significant private art collections, aims to position the museum as a cultural anchor for the city.

Museum of the Moving Image announces record attendance

Museum of the Moving Image (MoMI) in Astoria, New York, announced record attendance of 311,000 visitors in 2025, a 105% increase from 2024 and a 147% increase from 2023. The opening day of the exhibition 'Stories and Set Design for the Sopranos' on February 14, 2026, marked the highest single-day attendance in the museum's history, with 3,600 visitors. Growth was driven by special programs like the 'Open Worlds' initiative, community events such as Lunar New Year and Iftar celebrations, and popular exhibitions including 'Mission: Impossible—Story and Spectacle,' which drew over 81,500 guests. The museum also hosted more than 500 screenings in its upgraded Sumner M. Redstone Theater.

Haiti’s Visionary: Edouard Duval-Carrié previews Venice-Bound work in Little Haiti

Haitian-American artist and curator Edouard Duval-Carrié has been selected to represent Haiti at the 61st Venice Biennale, titled "Smaller Keys." Ahead of the exhibition, he is opening his Little Haiti studio for a rare one-night preview on Friday, April 24, organized alongside the Tout-Monde Art Foundation. The preview includes a conversation with art historian Erica Moiah James and features works that were not sent to Venice but share the same themes of Haitian history, African connections, and diaspora. Duval-Carrié's Biennale theme centers on the question, "What did Africa bring to the world?" His selection was posthumously confirmed from the notes of chief curator Koyo Kouoh, the first African woman appointed to the role, who passed away last year.

Jennifer Gilbert selling art worth millions to aid Detroit nonprofit

Detroit philanthropist and entrepreneur Jennifer Gilbert is selling major artworks from her personal collection at Sotheby’s this spring, with proceeds going to Lumana, a new Detroit-based arts nonprofit she founded. The collection will be offered across multiple sales, including The Now and Contemporary Evening Auction and Contemporary Day Auction in May, followed by Important Design in June. Highlights include Kenneth Noland’s 1958 painting “Circle” (estimated $4–6 million, a record for the artist) and Joan Mitchell’s 1976 painting “Loom II” (estimated $5–7 million).

Meijer Gardens Chihuly exhibit to bring art, nature and light together ‘on a grand scale’

Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park in Grand Rapids will host its largest exhibition of Dale Chihuly's work from May 2 to November 1. The show will feature outdoor installations at twelve locations across the 158-acre campus, with additional indoor works in the sculpture galleries, allowing visitors to experience the large-scale glass pieces within natural landscapes.

Evanston Art Center to host immersive ‘Walldrawings’ exhibit by two artists

The Evanston Art Center will present 'Walldrawings,' a collaborative exhibition by artists Maria Burundarena and Friedhard Kiekeben, from April 25 through May 17. The show features large-scale, immersive wall drawings and digital works designed to transform the gallery space and envelop the viewer.

Dem Djupatonen (The Deep Tone), 1984 by Everlyn Nicodemus

The article is a promotional statement from an art platform, not a news report. It describes a partnership model where the platform collaborates with leading galleries to present artists and exhibitions, with membership granted through application and invitation. The platform positions itself as an art advisory leader with high-level access to influential galleries, collectors, and auction houses.

In the Ocean, 1986 by Everlyn Nicodemus

The article is a promotional statement from an art advisory or gallery partnership platform, not a news report about a specific event. It describes a service that partners with leading galleries to showcase artists and exhibitions, vetted by industry peers, and positions itself as a leader in art advisory with access to influential galleries, collectors, and auction houses.

Unpacking the Venice Biennale controversies and highlights

The 2026 Venice Art Biennale is proceeding with a posthumous main exhibition, "In Minor Keys," curated by the late Cameroonian-born artistic director Koyo Kouoh, who died in May 2025. The event features 100 national participations, including seven first-time countries, and has reinstated Russia's pavilion after its voluntary withdrawal following the 2022 invasion of Ukraine.

Poly Auction Hong Kong concludes spring sales - Vietnam Investment Review

Poly Auction Hong Kong concluded its Spring 2026 auction series with total sales exceeding HKD 255 million, representing a 23% increase over the previous autumn season. The sales were led by Liu Wei’s 1995 masterpiece "You Like Pork?", which fetched HKD 27.6 million, and a Ming Dynasty Blue and White 'Grapes' Dish that realized HKD 24.6 million. The auction saw participation from collectors across 17 countries, with significant growth in the Modern and Contemporary Art segment, which rose over 63% compared to the prior season.

Cultural Losses Across West Asia

Since February 28, 2026, US-Israeli strikes on Iran have escalated into a major military confrontation across the Middle East, causing heavy casualties and infrastructure damage. Multiple UNESCO World Heritage sites have been hit, including Tehran's Golestan Palace (damaged on March 2), Isfahan's Chehel Sotoun palace and Naqsh-e Jahan Square (attacked March 9), and Tel Aviv's White City Bauhaus architecture, which suffered severe damage from Iranian counterattacks.

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.

Due giovani artisti in una mostra a Matera si confrontano sulle tracce della memoria

The article reports on "Remain(s)," a dual exhibition at Momart Gallery in Matera, Italy, featuring young artists Luca Granato and Michela Rondinone. Curated by Antonella Marino, the show explores the aesthetics of fragments and memory through installations, sculptures, and video works. Granato's pieces address loss, migration, and climate change, while Rondinone's works focus on childhood, play, and relational practices. The exhibition runs until May 26, 2026.

Animated Bodies

Animierte Körper

Latefa Wiersch presents her exhibition "Atlas Studios" at the Istituto Svizzero in Rome, featuring unsettling, puppet-like sculptures that resemble film sets. The works explore themes of bodily helplessness, imperfection, and geopolitical displacement, drawing on her earlier project "Hannibal" at the Dortmunder Kunstverein, which addressed post-migrant German realities and the demolition of a housing complex. The new installation references the Atlas Studios in Ouarzazate, Morocco, and the history of cinema, with figures made from rags and nylon stockings that appear as actors or set workers.

Russia and Israel cannot win any prizes at the next Venice Art Biennale 2026. The jury takes a stand

Russia e Israele non potranno vincere nessun premio alla prossima Biennale Arte di Venezia 2026. La giuria prende posizione

The international jury for the 61st Venice Biennale, led by Solange Farkas, has unanimously declared it will not consider countries whose leaders are currently accused of crimes against humanity by the International Criminal Court. This means Russia and Israel are excluded from competing for the Golden Lion awards, including Best National Participation and Best Artist. The jury's statement, published on e-Flux Notes, emphasizes the Biennale's historical role as a platform connecting art with contemporary urgencies and acknowledges the complex relationship between artistic practice and state representation.

À Florence, une touriste poursuivie pour avoir endommagé la fontaine de Neptune

In Florence, Italy, a 28-year-old tourist is being prosecuted for damaging the historic Neptune Fountain during a bachelorette party on the night of April 18-19. She allegedly climbed the monument on Piazza della Signoria after a dare from friends to touch the statue's intimate parts, causing an estimated €5,000 in damages to the horses' legs and a decorative frieze. This follows a similar incident in September 2023, when a 22-year-old German tourist caused €5,000 in damage to the same fountain while posing for photos.

Commentary: This year's Met Gala proved one thing: The real devil who wears Prada is Jeff Bezos

Jeff Bezos and his wife Lauren Sánchez Bezos served as honorary co-chairs and sponsors of this year's Met Gala, sparking widespread protests and calls for boycotts. Guerrilla activist group Everyone Hates Elon plastered New York with anti-Bezos signage, and activists placed 300 bottles filled with fake urine inside the Metropolitan Museum of Art to highlight Amazon workers' bathroom break complaints. New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani declined his invitation, and the absence of celebrities like Meryl Streep and Zendaya fueled speculation about a boycott, though representatives denied any coordinated protest. Despite the controversy, the gala proceeded with many attendees and is expected to raise more than last year's $31 million for the Costume Institute.

Grapeshot. Nancy Lupo by Maya Tounta

Artist Nancy Lupo is preparing a new exhibition titled "Meow Meow Real Estate" at the Nicoletta Fiorucci Foundation in London. The show shares its name with a novel she is writing, both projects emerging from a period of personal displacement and a fixation on finding a home. The exhibition continues a trajectory of shows that serve as interconnected, physical manifestations of her literary and emotional exploration of place.

New Seoul art fair HIVE drops booth fees in market experiment

The inaugural HIVE Art Fair in Seoul, opening May 21 at COEX Magok, is testing an alternative business model that eliminates fixed booth fees. Instead, galleries can choose which services and installations to pay for through a "selective purchase system," with the fair relying on ticket sales, corporate partnerships, and promotional lounges for revenue. The fair features 48 galleries (36 South Korean, 12 international) and 158 artists, with no overlapping artists between galleries, and will display exhibition titles and curatorial statements alongside gallery names.

❤️ Atlanta, with love

This article from Rough Draft's Sketchbook newsletter highlights two Atlanta-focused art stories. Painter Carlos Solis, who left Venezuela for Kennesaw nearly two decades ago, curates "In the Beginning," a group exhibition opening May 9 at the Hudgens Center's Fowler Gallery in Duluth, featuring 15 artists from around the world who now call Georgia home. Separately, designer and illustrator George F. Baker III, originally from Nebraska and shaped by Detroit, was commissioned by the Mayor's Office of Cultural Affairs to create the key art for the 49th annual Atlanta Jazz Festival, and he discusses how the musical souls of both Detroit and Atlanta influenced his design.

This exhibition by Aurore Guez invites you to talk to the paintings—our photos.

Artist Aurore Guez presents 'LE CAFÉ,' a free, immersive exhibition at the Wilde Galerie in Paris on April 25-26, 2026. The installation transforms the gallery into a fictional café featuring interactive painted portraits that visitors can converse with via recorded voice clips and AI, alongside a fully designed environment that blurs the line between artwork, décor, and performance.