“Living Archive” Converge+Vertex: Traversing the Minor Gesture of Timeliness concludes exhibition at Barrett Art Gallery

Barrett Art Gallery at Santa Monica College held a closing reception for "Converge+Vertex: Traversing the Minor Gesture of Timeliness" on May 6, featuring DJ sets by artist Leah King, dinner from Alta Adams, and works by Black artists from Los Angeles. Curator Cole James described the exhibition as a "living archive" exploring positive Black representation in a post-racial environment. The show, which had been delayed after a shooting at SMC's media campus, marked the first gallery display for artist Cassidy Everage, recipient of the Otis College Charles White scholarship.

Kemper Art Museum wins best monograph award

The Kemper Art Museum at Washington University in St. Louis has won the 2024 best monograph award from the Midwest Art History Society (MAHS) for its exhibition catalog "Adam Pendleton: To Divide By." The catalog, published by the museum and distributed by the University of Chicago Press, was honored during the society's Outstanding Catalog Awards ceremony in Denver on April 4. Edited by Kemper curator Meredith Malone, the volume features essays by Malone, Joshua Chambers-Letson, Hal Foster, and a conversation between Pendleton and critic Isabelle Graw, along with transcripts of two film portraits by the artist.

In the Heart of Washington, Adam Pendleton’s Work Demands Deep Thought

Adam Pendleton, a contemporary artist known for his abstract and text-based works, has a major exhibition in Washington, D.C., that challenges viewers to engage in deep contemplation. The show, likely at a prominent institution, features his signature blend of painting, collage, and language, exploring themes of history, identity, and social justice.

Exploring Memory, Material, and Movement: Highlights From Third Week of Senior Art Studio Thesis Exhibition

The third week of the University's 2025 art studio senior thesis exhibitions opened on April 9, 2025, at the Ezra and Cecile Zilkha Gallery, featuring works by eight seniors: Kerri Bel, Beatrice Campomori Garuti, Olivia Gomez, Vicky Gong, Will Hardison, Aleah Hurwitz, Ava Liberace, and Alp Yücel. The exhibition spans diverse mediums and themes, including Vicky Gong's "Ether," which explores technology, intimacy, and alienation through material and affect; Will Hardison's "The Sand Remembers the Waves," a monotype series about memory and landscape; and Alp Yücel's "Obstructed View," a sculptural installation that challenges visual perception and physical movement through the gallery space.

Kochi-Muziris Biennale

The Kochi-Muziris Biennale, a major contemporary art exhibition in India, is the subject of this article. The piece likely covers the event's programming, participating artists, or organizational updates, though the provided text is truncated and primarily consists of a newsletter subscription prompt and footer information, obscuring the full details of the biennale's activities.

Four Galleries to Watch in Milan

Four Milanese galleries—eastcontemporary, MATTA, Martina Simeti, and zaza’—are gaining significant attention for their dynamic programming and role in shaping the city's contemporary art scene. These spaces are championing emerging and mid-career artists, often with a focus on conceptual and research-based practices, and are contributing to a shift in the city's artistic energy, particularly beyond its traditional commercial centers.

A Pioneering Exhibition at the MAC in Barranco

A PIONEERING EXHIBITION AT THE MAC IN BARRANCO

The Museum of Contemporary Art (MAC Lima) and the Lima Art Museum (MALI) have launched "Thought is a Hybrid Garden," a comprehensive exhibition spanning six decades of work by Francesco Mariotti and María Luy. The show draws from the Mariotti-Luy Archive and features light installations, acoustic works, and silkscreens that blend technology with Amazonian myths and environmental activism. Curated by Miguel A. López and José-Carlos Mariátegui, the exhibition includes never-before-seen works in Peru, such as the "Hybrid Gardens" series which uses bioluminescence as a metaphor for ecological health.

DANCING OUR PROBLEMS LATIN AMERICAN PRESENCE AT MOCA S ART ON THE PLAZA 2026 AWARDS IN MIAMI

Peruvian multidisciplinary artist Joan Jiménez Suero, known as Entes, has been named one of three winners for the Museum of Contemporary Art North Miami’s (MOCA) Art on the Plaza 2026. His winning installation, "Bailando Nuestros Problemas" (Dancing Our Problems), features kinetic metal sculptures inspired by Afro-Peruvian traditions and salsa culture. The work, which officially opens on April 15, 2026, transforms rigid industrial materials into fluid figures of musicians and dancers to celebrate the resilience of the Latin American diaspora.

TWO GENERATIONS OF KAQCHIKEL ARTISTS ENGAGE IN DIALOGUE IN GUATEMALA

An exhibition titled 'Xa jun ruk’oxomal qanima—A Shared Heartbeat' at La Nueva Fábrica in Guatemala brings together the work of two Kaqchikel Maya artists, Rosa Elena Curruchich and Angélica Serech, for the first time in their homeland. It features over 100 paintings by the late Curruchich, a pioneering self-taught painter, alongside recent and newly commissioned textile sculptures by Serech, creating a dialogue between painting and weaving.

Kazuhito Kawai & Alexa Kumiko Hatanaka "Tsuitayo: Becoming by Making" @ KOTARO NUKAGA (Roppongi)

川井雄仁&アレクサ・クミコ・ハタナカ「ついたよ：Becoming by Making」@ KOTARO NUKAGA（六本木）

Artists Kazuhito Kawai and Alexa Kumiko Hatanaka are presenting a joint exhibition titled "Tsuitayo: Becoming by Making" at KOTARO NUKAGA in Roppongi, Tokyo. Running from March 14 to April 10, 2026, the show features Kawai’s expressive ceramic sculptures alongside Hatanaka’s textile-based works, including her signature "Noren" and "Tabi" pieces. The exhibition highlights a dialogue between Kawai’s tactile, often grotesque ceramic forms and Hatanaka’s exploration of heritage and craft through traditional Japanese materials.

Jon Pestoni at Zodiac Pictures

Jon Pestoni's exhibition "More Bermuda Than Pizza" is on view at Zodiac Pictures in Los Angeles from April 11 to May 9, 2026. The show presents a series of new paintings by the artist, documented through 32 images on the exhibition page, with a press release and works list available for reference.

Spring Exhibitions Opening at the Tom Thomson Art Gallery

The Tom Thomson Art Gallery (TOM) in Owen Sound is launching two new exhibitions this spring. 'Liz Zetlin: More Than Human – a year in my garden' is an immersive video installation documenting the seasonal cycles of the artist's garden, while 'Emergence 2026' showcases works by regional high school students.

Diego Gualandris “Floralia” at ADA, Rome

Diego Gualandris presents "Floralia" at ADA gallery in Rome, an exhibition that explores themes of growth, nature, and human intervention through a poetic lens. The show features works that evoke the cycle of life and decay, using floral motifs to reflect on the fragility of existence and the tension between natural processes and external forces.

ECUADOR UNVEILS KANUA IN THE CANALS OF VENICE

Ecuador has unveiled "Kanua: listening practices," a public program for its pavilion at the 2026 Venice Biennale, launching on May 8 with solar-powered boat tours through Venice's canals. Developed by the anticolonial film collective Tawna in collaboration with the Kara Solar Foundation and curated by Manuela Moscoso, the project features six intimate boat journeys with discussions on extractivism, aqua-feminism, and territorial resistance, involving artists such as Carolina Caycedo, Mariana Castillo Deball, and Tabita Rezaire. The initiative reactivates Tawna's floating Amazonian film festival, which originally brought cinema to remote communities in Ecuador via a solar-powered boat.

A JOURNEY THROUGH LATIN AMERICAN PHOTOGRAPHY AND A REFLECTION ON THE ROLE OF COLLECTING

The Miraflores Palace of Arts (PLAM) in Lima is hosting "A Collection Is a Desire," a major exhibition featuring over 100 works from the Jan Mulder Collection. This presentation is an expanded version of a landmark 2012 showcase at the Rencontres d'Arles, which was the first time a private Latin American photography collection was featured at the prestigious French festival. The exhibition includes works by iconic figures such as Martín Chambi, Graciela Iturbide, and Vik Muñiz, spanning various periods and geographical contexts.

QUESTIONING POWER AND COLONIAL STRUCTURES CINTHIA MARCELLE INTERVENES AT SERRALVES

Brazilian artist Cinthia Marcelle has unveiled a major site-specific installation titled "beginning, middle, beginning" at the Serralves Museum in Porto. Developed in collaboration with the architecture collective vão and curated by Inês Grosso, the work transforms the museum’s Central Gallery into a space governed by cycles of repetition. Drawing inspiration from the philosopher and Quilombola leader Nêgo Bispo, the installation challenges Western linear conceptions of time and highlights the persistence of colonial structures in modern social organization.

GARAICOA AND IBARRA FEATURED IN CAAM S INAUGURAL GROUP SHOW

The Centro Atlántico de Arte Moderno (CAAM) in Gran Canaria has opened a new group exhibition titled 'Construyendo Colección. Últimas adquisiciones,' featuring five recently acquired works. The show highlights pieces by artists Carlos Garaicoa and Karlo Andrei Ibarra, as well as Canarian artists Esther Aldaz, Teresa Arozena, and Yapci Ramos, presenting a mix of photography, sculpture, and site-specific installation.

valentino new york art week tefaf

Valentino CEO of the Americas Daniel Paltridge and CULTURED Editor-in-Chief Sarah Harrelson hosted a dinner at Casa Tua New York to celebrate the opening of TEFAF New York art fair. The private event gathered collectors, curators, and exhibitors, including Komal Shah, Dana Farouki, Kinga Lampert, Away founder Jen Rubio, TEFAF Executive Committee President Hidde van Seggelen, and exhibitor Lucas Ratton, for conversation and Italian cuisine.

Opening Reception | 21st Annual SDSU Art Council Scholarship Exhibition | Athenaeum Art Center

The Athenaeum Art Center in San Diego is hosting the 21st Annual SDSU Art Council Scholarship Exhibition from May 16 to July 3, 2026, with an opening reception on May 16. The exhibition features new work by five graduate and undergraduate students from San Diego State University's School of Art and Design: Andrea Mendoza, Tina Mardan, Todd Bradley, Ana Saad, and Isa Ybarra. Their works explore themes of the body as a site of history, resistance, and reinvention, addressing chronic pain, immigrant memory, queerness, and colonial boundaries through diverse media including painting, metalsmithing, photography, installation, clay, fiber, and printmaking.

Local artist featured in exhibition in Italy

Medicine Hat artist Poul Nielsen, 78, is exhibiting his work in Venice, Italy, as part of the exhibition 'Anima Mundi (Rituals)' held in conjunction with the Venice Biennale. Nielsen, who has shown his art in around 100 solo and collaborative exhibitions across decades, began his international career with a show in Copenhagen in 2000 and has since exhibited in England, the United States, and China. His current series, 'Atmospheric Possibilities,' was started around 2015 after his retirement from teaching at Medicine Hat College, where he helped develop a pioneering program merging fine art and graphic design.

❤️ 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.

In Paris, this exhibition invites you to engage in a dialogue with paintings.

Artist Aurore Guez is transforming the Wilde Galerie in Paris into an immersive, imaginary café for a two-day exhibition titled "LE CAFÉ" on April 25 and 26, 2026. The installation features interactive paintings and talking portraits of figures such as Kalash and Lujipeka, where visitors can trigger recorded dialogue to converse with the artworks. The 80-square-meter space will utilize warped scenography and actors playing waiters to blur the lines between traditional painting, performance art, and stage design.

Mafalda meets Pimpa. In Rome, the dialogue between two authentic comic icons: interview with the curators

Mafalda incontra Pimpa. A Roma il dialogo tra due autentiche icone del fumetto: intervista ai curatori

A new exhibition in Rome titled "Mafalda & La Pimpa" brings together two iconic comic strip characters for the first time. Created by Quino (1964) and Altan (1975) respectively, Mafalda and Pimpa represent different approaches to childhood: Mafalda critically questions adult society, while Pimpa explores a gentle, wonder-filled world. The show runs from May 14 to July 11 at the Instituto Cervantes, featuring over 120 original strips and plates, and is organized in collaboration with ARF! Festival and other partners. Curators Stefano Piccoli and Daniele Bonomo designed the exhibition to highlight both the contrasts and surprising analogies between the two beloved figures.

L’antica certosa vicino Siena dove il disegno è diventato una performance condivisa. Il report

The third edition of the De Linea Art Festival took place on May 2-3 at the Certosa di Pontignano near Siena, Italy. Curated by Matteo Marsan and Riccardo Guasco, the event transformed the historic monastery into a living laboratory of drawing, illustration, and performance. Nine illustrators—including Marina Marcolin, Francesco Poroli, Elisa Macellari, Gianluca Folì, Ale Giorgini, Gloria Pizzilli, Matteo Berton, Giovanna Giuliano, and Daniele Caluri—participated in a week-long residency, producing works inspired by the site and the festival's theme "Crepe e spiragli" (Cracks and Glimmers), a contemporary interpretation of a Leonard Cohen quote. Over 500 visitors attended workshops, talks, and shared creative sessions, including a workshop by Fondazione Il Bisonte and performances by actress Daniela Morozzi and graphic poet Alessandro Valenti (Alvalenti).

The exhibition that aims to make you remember the Seventies appears in a former newsstand in Siena

La mostra che punta a farti ricordare gli Anni Settanta spunta in una ex edicola di Siena

The former newsstand in Siena, transformed into an exhibition space by the association Giallo Menta in 2023, opens its seventh artistic intervention. From May 9 to June 20, 2026, artist Luigi Presicce presents a site-specific installation titled "La Mamma," which turns the small architectural space into a scenic device exploring the concept of birth while reappropriating elements of Italian popular culture from the 1970s. The installation simulates an underwater environment, an aquarium where "sea monkeys" live under human gaze, referencing a 1970s pop myth where these fantastic creatures were sold in packets and dissolved in water.

Curiosities at the 2026 Venice Biennale: the Tanzania Pavilion is full of Italian artists

Curiosità alla Biennale di Venezia 2026: il Padiglione della Tanzania è pieno di artisti italiani

The Tanzania Pavilion at the 2026 Venice Biennale, titled "Minor Frequencies: The Inner Life of a Nation," features a significant number of Italian artists alongside Tanzanian voices. Curated by Lorna Benedict Mashiba and Martina Cavallarin, the exhibition is housed across the Gervasuti Foundation, Palazzo Canova, and Supernova in Cannaregio. It includes works by 14 Italian artists such as Alice Andreoli, Christian Balzano, and Silvia Canton, as well as artists from Europe and Asia, while centering the practices of Tanzanian artists like Turakella Editha Gyindo, Lazaro Samuel, Valerie Asiimwe Amani, and Amani Abeid.

Alphabet of bread and love for animals. Uri Aran's exhibition at the Museo Madre in Naples

Alfabeto di pane e amore per gli animali. La mostra di Uri Aran al Museo Madre di Napoli

Uri Aran's solo exhibition at the Museo Madre in Naples, curated by director Eva Fabbris, explores language, communication, and connection through a range of works including video, sculpture, and an edible alphabet made of bread. The show, titled "Untitled (I love love)" after a video work, invites viewers into a space where meaning is fluid and inclusive, challenging rigid linguistic structures. Key pieces include the video "Untitled (I love you)" (2012), where Aran addresses plastic animals, and "Untitled (Bread Library)" (2025), a bread alphabet that visitors can rearrange to create new messages.

Il Padiglione Italia alla Biennale? “Deve essere uno spazio di possibilità”. Intervista alla curatrice

The article announces Chiara Camoni's project "Con te con tutto" for the Italian Pavilion at the 61st Venice Biennale in 2026, curated by Cecilia Canziani. The project emphasizes relational and communal practices, rejecting the identity-driven rhetoric of national representation. It stems from a fifteen-year dialogue between artist and curator, incorporating workshops, shared readings, and collaborative works like "La Giusta Misura." The pavilion is conceived as an ecosystem of artworks, texts, and activations rather than a linear exhibition, with a catalog designed as a critical reader.

The Works of Alfredo Pirri for the Very First Exhibition of the Polytropon Arts Center in Tuscany

Le opere di Alfredo Pirri per la primissima mostra del Polytropon Arts Center in Toscana

The Polytropon Arts Center, founded by Greek-born architect Maria Papadaki Badanjak, opens its inaugural exhibition "Quello che avanza" featuring works by Italian artist Alfredo Pirri. The venue, a converted former spinning mill located between Pelago and Pontassieve near Florence, hosts the show through June 21, 2025. The exhibition includes 144 cyanotypes created between 2014 and 2017, along with Pirri's "Arie" series in plexiglass, crystal, feathers, and colors. The show is accompanied by a musical program curated by artistic director Andrea Cavallari, with concerts scheduled for May 17 and June 21. Pirri and Cavallari previously collaborated in 2019 at the Museo Novecento in Florence as part of the "Firenze Suona Contemporanea" festival.

At the Baths of Diocletian in Rome, a show by a Chinese artist is a hit. The curator explains why

Alle Terme di Diocleziano di Roma spopola la mostra di un’artista cinese. Il curatore spiega perché

Chinese artist Wu Jian'an (born 1980, Beijing) is the subject of a major solo exhibition at the Baths of Diocletian in Rome, part of the Museo Nazionale Romano. Titled "Metamorphoses. L'arte che trasforma," the show explores connections between Chinese and Italian cultures, as well as broader Eastern and European traditions. Curated by Umberto Croppi, president of the Accademia di Belle Arti di Roma, the exhibition features works such as the monumental leather installation "The Heaven of Nine Levels" (2008–2009) and the series "The Eternal Cycle – Running Through the Seasons" (2024–2025), which combines intricate paper cutouts, silk, wax, and cotton thread. The artist, who represented China at the 57th Venice Biennale in 2017, was inspired by the ancient Roman spaces, creating a dialogue between his contemporary pieces and the site's classical mosaics and architecture.