Croissant, pigeon… At Nothing Serious gallery, artist Paa Joe transforms Parisian clichés into pop coffins

Croissant, pigeon… À la galerie Nothing Serious, l’artiste Paa Joe transforme les clichés parisiens en cercueils pop

Ghanaian artist Paa Joe has transformed iconic Parisian symbols into vibrant "fantasy coffins" for his solo exhibition, "From Paa Joe to Paaris," at Galerie Nothing Serious. The show features 25 large-scale sculptures, including a Café de Flore cup, a croissant, a Renault 4L, and a bottle of Pouilly-Fumé, all handcrafted in the tradition of Ga burial customs. Created alongside his son Jacob Tetteh-Ashong, these works reinterpret French clichés through a playful yet surreal lens, marking the gallery's return after a four-year hiatus.

1815, a Key Year for the Question of Art Restitution at the Heart of an Enlightening Book

1815, année clé de la question des restitutions d’œuvres d’art au cœur d’un ouvrage éclairant

Art historian Bénédicte Savoy has released a new book, "1815, le temps du retour," which examines the massive wave of art restitutions following the collapse of the Napoleonic Empire. Between 1794 and 1811, French revolutionary and imperial forces seized thousands of artworks and cultural objects from across Europe to fill the Louvre under the guise of creating a universal museum. After Napoleon's defeat in 1815, the subsequent return of these works sparked a global debate involving intellectuals and politicians regarding national identity, cultural property, and the legal status of looted heritage.

Colours of Time review – Monet meets Mamma Mia in charming French artist comedy

Director Cédric Klapisch’s new film, *Colours of Time* (originally *La Venue de L’Avenir*), is a sentimental French comedy that weaves a fictional romantic history around Impressionist master Claude Monet and pioneering photographer Félix Nadar. The plot follows a group of modern-day descendants who discover a trove of historical secrets in a derelict cottage, leading to a whimsical, time-bending exploration of their ancestors' lives in Belle Époque Paris.

‘One simple gesture says it all’: the world in black and white – in pictures

Photographer Marina Sersale has released a new monograph titled 'Liminal Space,' published by Gost, which compiles over a decade of monochrome photography. The collection features dramatic black-and-white images captured between 2013 and 2021 across diverse locations including Italy, Japan, Iran, and the United States. Sersale, a former documentary filmmaker, focuses on the interplay of light and shadow to document fleeting, everyday moments—from sunbathers in Positano to commuters in Naples.

And this one shows the police evicting me: the fabulous fabric visions of Elizabeth Allen

The British textile artist Elizabeth Allen, who lived in a dilapidated hut and gained brief international fame in the 1960s after being discovered by artist Patrick Heron, is the subject of a major rediscovery. A new exhibition at Compton Verney in Warwickshire features works that have been hidden in storage or private collections for nearly fifty years, including the first public display of 'Autobiraggraphy,' a textile work documenting her wrongful eviction in 1934.

Segregation stories: Gordon Parks in the US south – in pictures

Jackson Fine Art in Atlanta is hosting a significant exhibition of Gordon Parks’ color photography, titled "The South in Colour." Curated by photographer Dawoud Bey, the show features over 30 works from Parks’ 1956 "Segregation Story" series, including previously unshown images and a new portfolio from The Gordon Parks Foundation. The collection documents the daily lives of the Thornton, Causey, and Tanner families in Alabama, capturing the quiet dignity of Black Americans living under the oppressive Jim Crow laws of the postwar era.

Segregation stories: Gordon Parks in the US south – in pictures

Jackson Fine Art in Atlanta is hosting "Gordon Parks: The South in Colour," a major exhibition curated by photographer Dawoud Bey. The show features over 30 works from Parks’ seminal 1956 "Segregation Story" series, including several previously unshown images of the Thornton, Causey, and Tanner families in Alabama. The exhibition coincides with the 70th anniversary of the series' original publication in Life magazine and the 20th anniversary of The Gordon Parks Foundation.

Gangnam styles: South Korea’s brutalist gems – in pictures

Photographer Paul Tulett has captured the stark, concrete landscapes of South Korea in his new book, *Brutalist Korea*, published by Prestel. The photo series highlights a range of architectural landmarks, from Tadao Ando’s minimalist Jeju Glass House and Zaha Hadid’s futuristic Dongdaemun Design Plaza to the playful geometry of the Paju Kindergarten. Tulett’s work documents how the raw, monumental aesthetic of Brutalism has evolved from the country’s postwar industrialization into a sophisticated tool for modern urban experimentation.

What can 160-million-year-old clay tell us about AI and ethics? Inside Es Devlin’s tech and pottery summit

Artist and stage designer Es Devlin convened a diverse group of AI researchers, tech experts, and academics at the Oxford Kilns for a unique summit blending pottery with ethical debate. Participants engaged in the tactile process of shaping 160-million-year-old Jurassic clay while discussing the moral implications of artificial intelligence, ranging from the Turing test to Isaac Asimov’s laws. This collaborative workshop serves as a precursor to Devlin’s upcoming installation, "360 Vessels," created in partnership with composer Nico Muhly.

Björk, Rihanna and a passionate embrace: visions of love – in pictures

A new book titled 'Can Love Be a Photograph: 40 Years of Inez and Vinoodh' has been published, accompanied by an exhibition at the Kunstmuseum Den Haag. The publication celebrates four decades of work by the influential fashion photography duo Inez van Lamsweerde and Vinoodh Matadin, featuring celebrity portraits and surrealist visions organized around 16 thematic connections.

A Mirrored Monet review – painter reflects on his past in a musical with heart and humour

A new musical titled 'A Mirrored Monet' explores the life of Impressionist painter Claude Monet, focusing on his later years as he reflects on his youth, his artistic struggles, and the personal sacrifices he made, particularly regarding his first wife Camille. The production uses innovative set design to immerse the audience in the Impressionist style and features a strong cast portraying Monet and his contemporaries.

Love & Fury: how poster artists responded to the Aids crisis – in pictures

A new exhibition titled 'Love & Fury: New York’s Fight Against AIDS' showcases posters created by grassroots groups and artists in response to the AIDS crisis from the late 1970s to the 2000s. The show features works from collectives like the Silence=Death Project and Gay Men’s Health Crisis, as well as artists including Keith Haring and Howard Cruse, highlighting how graphic design was used to promote safe sex, demand government action, and build community resilience.

‘The way the world is, something daft is appealing’ – why everything from pizzas to podcasts has a cartoon character on it

A distinctive cartoon illustration style, rooted in 1920s 'rubber hose' animation and influenced by graffiti, vintage Americana, and underground comics, has become ubiquitous in contemporary branding. This aesthetic, characterized by exaggerated, jointless limbs and friendly faces, now adorns everything from independent pizza shops like London's Yard Sale Pizza to wine labels for Top Cuvee, podcasts, and even global fashion collaborations.

Gilles Bloch: "The Museum needs 1.1 billion euros"

Gilles Bloch : « Le Muséum a besoin de 1,1 milliard d’euros »

Gilles Bloch, president of the Muséum national d’histoire naturelle in Paris, has issued an urgent call for €1.1 billion in funding to address the critical state of the institution's infrastructure. Ahead of its 400th anniversary in 2026, a diagnostic report reveals that 74% of the museum's 120 buildings are in poor condition, with several galleries currently closed to the public or suffering from inadequate climate control. The requested funds would cover €500 million in emergency repairs to stabilize decaying structures and a further €600 million for long-term modernization and energy efficiency upgrades.

A Centre Pompidou in Korea

Un Centre Pompidou en Corée

The Centre Pompidou has officially announced the opening date for its new satellite branch in Seoul, South Korea, scheduled for June 26, 2026. This international expansion is being developed in partnership with the Hanwha Foundation of Culture, a philanthropic arm of the South Korean conglomerate Hanwha, and will be housed in a space designed by architect Jean-Michel Wilmotte.

Renoir: A festival of loans for a double exhibition

Renoir : un festival de prêts pour une double exposition

The Musée d'Orsay in Paris has launched a major two-part exhibition dedicated to Auguste Renoir, titled "Renoir dessinateur" (Renoir as a Draughtsman) and "Renoir et l'amour" (Renoir and Love). The initiative began with a study for Renoir's controversial painting *Les Grandes Baigneuses* and has grown into an international loan effort, featuring over 150 rarely seen drawings, watercolors, pastels, and paintings from major museums and private collections worldwide, including the Philadelphia Museum of Art, the MET, and the Barnes Foundation.

Giuditta Branconi “Cannon Fodder” at Collezione Maramotti, Reggio Emilia

Italian artist Giuditta Branconi has unveiled her first institutional solo exhibition, titled "Cannon Fodder," at the Collezione Maramotti in Reggio Emilia. The exhibition features a series of new large-scale paintings and a site-specific installation characterized by dense, chaotic compositions where multiple narratives unfold simultaneously. Branconi describes her approach as fostering an "anarchic gaze," intentionally refusing to guide the viewer through her crowded, vibrant visual landscapes.

Kaari Upson “Dollhouse – A Retrospective” at Kunsthalle Mannheim

The Kunsthalle Mannheim is presenting "Dollhouse – A Retrospective," a major posthumous exhibition dedicated to the work of American artist Kaari Upson. The show brings together her sculptures, installations, videos, and drawings, which explore memory, identity, and social reality through the lens of her personal biography.

A Sculptor’s Life, in Constant Motion

A major retrospective of Alexander Calder’s work has opened in Paris, offering a comprehensive look at the sculptor’s career-long obsession with movement and balance. The exhibition invites visitors to engage directly with his iconic mobiles and wire sculptures, emphasizing the physical and temporal experience of art that shifts with the surrounding air and light.

Honoring Frederic Church: Beyond the Hudson River School

Art historians and curators are re-evaluating the legacy of Frederic Church, arguing that his contributions extend far beyond his traditional classification as a Hudson River School landscape painter. New research highlights his sophisticated engagement with 19th-century science, his architectural achievements at his estate, Olana, and his role as a global traveler who captured the spirit of the Andes and the Arctic.

Linda Dresner, Old-School Guru of Avant-Garde Fashion, Dies at 88

Linda Dresner, the influential fashion retailer known for her minimalist, gallery-like boutiques, has died at the age of 88. Operating high-end spaces on New York’s Park Avenue and in Birmingham, Michigan, Dresner was a pioneer in treating avant-garde fashion as fine art, curating collections from designers like Comme des Garçons, Yohji Yamamoto, and Maison Margiela long before they became household names.

How Duchamp Inspired These 4 Artists

Contemporary artists continue to grapple with the legacy of Marcel Duchamp, specifically his 1917 readymade "Fountain." This analysis highlights four modern creators who have directly referenced or reinterpreted the iconic porcelain urinal to explore themes of gender, domesticity, and institutional critique.

A Brief History of 4 Urinals

Marcel Duchamp’s seminal Dadaist work, "Fountain," famously disappeared shortly after its 1917 debut at the Society of Independent Artists exhibition. To satisfy growing institutional demand and ensure the work's legacy, Duchamp authorized and oversaw the creation of several editions and replicas in the 1950s and 60s, which now reside in major museum collections worldwide.

Duchamp Made a Urinal Into Art in 1917. We’re Still Discussing It.

Marcel Duchamp's 1917 submission of a porcelain urinal titled 'Fountain' to the Society of Independent Artists remains one of the most provocative acts in art history. By selecting a mass-produced object and designating it as art, Duchamp introduced the concept of the 'readymade,' effectively decoupling the value of an artwork from the manual skill of the artist.

Pedro Friedeberg, Whose Hand Chair Drew Outsize Attention, Dies at 90

Pedro Friedeberg, the Mexican surrealist artist and designer, has died at age 90. He was best known for his iconic "Hand Chair," a functional sculpture shaped like a hand that became a symbol of 1960s and '70s pop culture and design, as well as for his intricate, fantastical paintings of impossible architectures.

At Hong Kong Art Basel, an Exhibition of Works by El Anatsui

El Anatsui, the celebrated Ghanaian artist, is presenting a major exhibition of new works at Art Basel in Hong Kong. The presentation, titled "The Way of the Earth," features large-scale metallic tapestries and sculptures created from found materials like bottle caps and copper wire, reflecting his signature style.

9 Art Shows to Catch Before They Close This Spring

Several major art exhibitions are concluding their runs this spring, offering a final chance for public viewing. Highlights include a rare Caravaggio painting on display, immersive installations featuring streetscapes covered in orchids, and a showcase of colorful figurative works by German Expressionist Gabriele Münter.

Ida Ekblad’s Experimental Space Where Artists Come to Play

Artist Ida Ekblad has converted a 1960s Brutalist villa in Oslo into a dynamic, non-commercial studio and project space named 'Villa Ekblad.' The space serves as her primary studio but is also designed to host spontaneous collaborations, workshops, and experimental projects with other artists, functioning as a creative laboratory removed from market pressures.

Art Gallery Shows to See in March

From 1999: Charlotte Perriand, Designer, Is Dead at 96

Charlotte Perriand, the pioneering French designer and architect, has died at age 96. Her career spanned most of the 20th century, during which she collaborated with giants like Le Corbusier and Pierre Jeanneret, creating iconic modernist furniture and championing a vision of functional, democratic design.