Met Gala guests arrive on carpet in dramatic works of art

The 2026 Met Gala, held at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, featured celebrities arriving in dramatic, custom outfits adhering to the dress code 'Fashion is art.' Notable attendees included Naomi Osaka in a Robert Wun white sculptural dress with red feathers and dripping red paint, Emma Chamberlain in a hand-painted Mugler gown by Miguel Castro Freitas, and co-chair Anna Wintour in a mint ensemble by Matthieu Blazy for Chanel. The event celebrated the opening of the Costume Institute's exhibition 'Costume Art.'

Lucas Museum of Narrative Art unveils opening exhibitions

The Lucas Museum of Narrative Art in Los Angeles has announced its inaugural exhibitions ahead of its opening on September 22. Founded by filmmaker George Lucas and philanthropist Mellody Hobson, the museum was designed by MAD Architects founder Ma Yansong. The opening will feature 18 thematic exhibitions showcasing over 1,200 works across 30 galleries, spanning genres such as cinema, photography, comics, manga, and anime, with dedicated shows for illustrators like Norman Rockwell, Jessie Willcox Smith, and Frank Frazetta. The collection also includes works by Beatrix Potter, Frida Kahlo, Winsor McCay, Alison Bechdel, Gordon Parks, and Dorothea Lange, alongside the Lucas Archives containing props and costumes from Lucas's film career.

At Yale: the commercial empire within the British empire

The Yale Center for British Art presents 'Painters, Ports, and Profits,' an exhibition of 115 items spanning a century of art and history, focusing on the East India Company's commercial empire. The show includes paintings, prints, drawings, books, and artifacts such as a 37-foot watercolor scroll of Lucknow (1826) and works by Indian artist Gangaram Chintaman Navgire Tambat, who emerges as the artistic star with 20 pieces. It also features prints of the company's opium factory and 'The Opium Fleet Descending The Ganges' by Walter Stanhope Sherwill, highlighting the company's role in the Opium Wars with China.

It’s not all movies: LA’s art, museums and exhibitions are world class

Los Angeles is expanding its cultural offerings with several new and renovated art institutions. The Museum of AI Arts, called Dataland, is set to open this spring at the Grand L.A. complex, created by artist Refik Anadol. It claims to be the world's first museum dedicated to AI art, featuring immersive installations like an Infinity Room with AI-generated scents. Meanwhile, the Natural History Museum completed a $75 million renovation in 2024, adding a 60,000-square-foot wing and displaying a unique green-boned dinosaur named Gnatalie, along with Barbara Carrasco's previously censored mural. The Los Angeles County Museum of Art is opening the David Geffen Galleries on May 4, a 110,000-square-foot space for its permanent collection.

‘Get in the Game’ at PAMM puts sports and art on a level playing field

The Pérez Art Museum Miami (PAMM) presents 'Get in the Game: Sports, Art, Culture,' an exhibition running through August 23 that bridges the worlds of sports and visual art. Featuring over 100 works by international artists alongside sports memorabilia—including vintage sneakers, racing equipment, and FIFA World Cup soccer balls from 1930 to 2023—the show is organized by the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art and adapted for Miami with local additions. Curated by PAMM director Franklin Sirmans and co-curator Fabiana A. Sotillo, the exhibition is divided into six thematic sections such as Fandom, Winning and Losing, and Mind and Body, aiming to make both sports and art accessible to all visitors.

Self-Made at the American Folk Art Museum explores a century of artists inventing themselves

The American Folk Art Museum has launched "Self-Made: A Century of Inventing Artists," an exhibition exploring the work of self-taught creators who operated outside traditional institutional frameworks. Featuring a diverse array of drawings, paintings, and sculptures by figures such as Henry Darger, Bill Traylor, and Sister Gertrude Morgan, the show examines how these artists used their practice to construct identities and narratives in environments that often offered little formal recognition.

Between Tropes and Treats at NADA New York

The 12th annual New Art Dealers Alliance (NADA) fair opened at the Starrett-Lehigh Building in Manhattan, featuring a wide array of contemporary works. Critic Rhea Nayyar notes that while many booths felt interchangeable due to prevalent trends like zany sculptures, shiny materials, and kitschy vibrancy, several standout pieces offered genuine engagement. Highlights include Elena Roznovan's maternal ephemera embedded in concrete with bondage tape, Kelly Tapia-Chuning's deconstructed serapes addressing colonial violence, and Niniko Morbedadze's folkloric illustrations.

acquavella and nahmad contemporary billionaire jan koum

WhatsApp co-founder Jan Koum has filed a lawsuit against interior designer Remi Tessier, alleging that Tessier inflated prices and misrepresented the quality and origin of luxury goods purchased on his behalf, including several artworks. Koum hired Tessier for nine projects, including residences in the US and Europe and two superyachts. The suit claims Tessier received kickbacks on art purchases, including a $7.8 million Picasso painting, and a judge has granted discovery orders against three galleries—Acquavella Galleries, Nahmad Contemporary, and Perrotin New York—to produce records and testimony. Koum intends to use the evidence to file a criminal complaint against Tessier in France.

art luz carabano young artist

Luz Carabaño, a 30-year-old Venezuelan-born artist based in Los Angeles, is featured in Cultured's 2025 Young Artists list. Known for her small, candy-hued canvases with glossy, imperfect surfaces, Carabaño's work has attracted attention from galleries such as Nina Johnson, Lulu, Hoffman Donahue, and April April. In the profile, she discusses her creative process, including a formative painting called 'araña' made from a bandsaw offcut, her admiration for writer John Berger, and her reliance on a single palette knife. She also expresses a dislike for iPad art and names her dream dinner party guests: Natalia Goncharova, Luchita Hurtado, and Etel Adnan.

art ivan argote paris studio pigeon

The article profiles Colombian-born, Paris-based artist Iván Argote, focusing on his monumental aluminum-cast pigeon sculpture *Dinosaur* (2024), currently installed on the High Line Plinth in New York. It discusses his broader practice, which includes performance, video, and installation, often addressing themes of power, resistance, and public space. Argote is preparing for his second exhibition at Albarrán Bourdais in Madrid, centered on a civic performance where he fills sidewalk cracks with colored concrete. The piece also includes a studio visit during Paris Art Week, revealing his creative process, team, and personal touches like a stocked champagne fridge.

raisonne weekend tournament zito madu

Cultured magazine's article "Weekend Tournament" reviews a group exhibition at Raisonné Gallery in New York, organized by Raquel Cayre and Ariel Ashe, that explores the intersection of sport, art, and design. The show features 63 works by 27 artists including Paul Pfeiffer, Adam McEwen, Le Corbusier, Cory Arcangel, and Rachel Harrison, with pieces ranging from a graphite replica of a school water fountain to an active ping-pong table and a mini-golf course. The author, Zito Madu, draws parallels between his own background as a professional soccer player turned writer and the exhibition's invitation to engage physically and playfully with art.

daniel humm annabelle dexter jones engagement wedding

Michelin-starred chef Daniel Humm proposed to actor Annabelle Dexter-Jones during a portrait sitting with artist Francesco Clemente in New York on February 6. Humm commissioned Clemente to paint Dexter-Jones as a birthday gift, then revealed the completed portrait—Clemente's first nude—with an engagement ring painted on her hand and a matching ring from jeweler Joel Arthur Rosenthal of JAR in his pocket. The couple, who met at Vito Schnabel's wedding in spring 2024, plan a low-key wedding in New York later this month.

adrien brody art exhibition eden gallery

Two-time Academy Award winner Adrien Brody has opened a solo art exhibition titled “Made in America” at Eden gallery on Madison Avenue, running through June 28. The show features collages, paintings, and a gum wall installation that reflect on Brody’s New York youth, with themes of fast food, gun violence, and industrial decay. Brody discusses his inspirations, including Jean-Michel Basquiat and Hieronymus Bosch, and describes his artistic process as akin to acting—distilling human behavior into a personality.

bottega veneta julianne moore tyler the creator

Bottega Veneta has launched a new campaign titled "Craft is Our Language" to celebrate 50 years of its signature Intrecciato weave. The campaign, photographed by Jack Davison and choreographed by Lenio Kaklea, features a diverse group of talents including actor Julianne Moore, writer Zadie Smith, producer Jack Antonoff, tennis star Lorenzo Musetti, actor Lauren Hutton, former design director Edward Buchanan, sculptor Barbara Chase-Riboud, actor Terrance Lau, and performer Thanaerng. It includes short films and a forthcoming book inspired by Bruno Munari's 1963 publication, cataloguing 50 gestures that embody the brand's craftsmanship.

woven danielle barr los angeles

Woven and CULTURED hosted their second annual luncheon at Alba in Los Angeles, celebrating visionary women in design. The event brought together gallerists Megan Mulrooney and Anat Ebgi, interior designers Jane Hallworth and Sarah Weichel, and other creative professionals for a relaxed gathering that included fresh flowers, copies of the CULT100 issue, and a vintage car display. Attendees included jewelry designer Kim Dunham, gallerist Rosa Park, lighting designer Analuisa Corrigan, and others, with photography by Madison McGaw/BFA.

new york art guide jenni crain gordon hall 2

Gordon Hall's exhibition "Hands and Knees" at the Kitchen in New York features sculptures made from chrome cantilevered chairs with seats and backs removed, arranged in configurations that evoke bodies on all fours. The show includes unannounced performances where performers are carried in on stretcher-like sculptures and placed on the chair forms, exploring themes of submission, rest, and bodily interaction. Separately, the article reviews Martha Diamond's posthumous exhibition "After Image" at David Kordansky Gallery, highlighting her 1986 painting "White Light" and her abstract depictions of New York City.

kasmin artistic noise auction

Kasmin gallery hosted its third annual benefit auction for Artistic Noise, a nonprofit supporting youth impacted by the juvenile justice, foster care, and mental health systems. The event honored artist Jordan Casteel as the inaugural featured artist, with over 40 donated works curated by Olivia Toups, including pieces by Lee Dawson, Julia Garciá, Ficus Interfaith, and Milly Skellington. The auction, which ended today, is projected to surpass its $100,000 goal, funding art therapy and resources for system-impacted young people.

artist mother interview mothers day balance

Cultured magazine interviewed five artist-mothers—including Lita Albuquerque, Sheree Hovsepian, and Catherine Opie—ahead of Mother’s Day to explore how motherhood and artistic practice intersect. The artists describe how raising children has made them more efficient, intuitive, and present in their studios, while their art has deepened their capacity for love and patience as parents. Specific examples include Hovsepian turning to photograms during limited childcare hours and Opie creating intimate portraits of her son.

SACHA INGBER: TWO

Brazilian artist Sacha Ingber presents 'Two,' a solo exhibition at Uffner & Liu in New York, featuring works in pigmented resin, ceramics, and functional objects that explore themes of pairing, connection, and codependence. The show includes paired notebooks, ceramic figures sharing handles, and a backgammon board designed for two players, all emphasizing the relational space between objects and bodies.

Historic Architecture Emerges from Stone in Matthew Simmonds Ethereal Sculptures

Historic Architecture Emerges from Stone in Matthew Simmonds Ethereal Sculptures

Sculptor Matthew Simmonds meticulously carves miniature, hyper-realistic architectural interiors—including gothic cathedral arches, vaulted ceilings, and stairwells—directly into hunks of Carrara marble and limestone. His recent works, often based on real sites like Bamberg Cathedral or Tuscan cities, reveal ornate, smooth interiors that contrast with the stone's raw exterior, and he is currently using a quieter period to experiment with how light and space within the sculptures can express a sacred quality.

Gedi Sibony “The Invisible Point” at Greene Naftali, New York

Gedi Sibony presents "The Invisible Point" at Greene Naftali in New York, an exhibition featuring sculptures made from remnants and castoffs that aggregate toward the center of the gallery. The artist describes the process as adaptive, driven by intuitive momentum and organized through allegorical structure, with background landscapes depicting interacting beings that emerge from and create their own conditions.

Editor’s Letter: Still, Listening

The 61st Venice Biennale, titled "In Minor Keys" and curated by the late Koyo Kouoh, opens in May 2026, shifting focus from Eurocentric narratives to quieter, relational, and improvisational voices from the Global South. ArtAsiaPacific's May/June issue honors Kouoh's vision with features on artists including Gala Porras-Kim (a 2025 MacArthur Fellow), Khaled Sabsabi (representing Australia), and others like Liang Yuanwei, Yuko Mohri, Mona Hatoum, Tadanori Yokoo, Gayane Umerova, Li Yi-Fan, Hyeree Ro, and Ei Arakawa-Nash, with contributions from a curatorial team that carried Kouoh's work forward after her death in 2025.

‘Your homes will be destroyed, your family killed’: the US has dropped millions of war propaganda leaflets – but do they work?

The United States military has been dropping propaganda leaflets in psychological operations (psyops) for over a century, from World War I through the Gulf War and the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. A new interactive exhibit at Pioneer Works in Brooklyn, organized by the digital archive group Khajistan, displays hundreds of these leaflets, including those dropped on Japan during World War II and in more recent conflicts. However, declassified internal documents, such as a 1971 US Air Force report, reveal that leaflets were often used as toilet paper, cigarette rolling paper, or souvenirs by enemy soldiers, undermining the official narrative of their effectiveness.

Morto l’artista Tullio Brunone. Il ricordo

Italian artist Tullio Brunone died on April 21. Born in 1946 in Alexandria, Egypt, to an Italian family, he trained at the Accademia di Brera in Milan. A pioneer of video art and new media, Brunone was a key figure in the Laboratorio di Comunicazione Militante (1976-1978) and later co-founded the Scuola di Nuove Tecnologie at Brera in the 1990s. His work explored interaction, temporality, and the selfie phenomenon, anticipating contemporary digital culture. He was represented by Galleria Clivio in Milan, which dedicated part of its stand to him at the most recent miart fair.

johnny depp add the light art drop

Hollywood star Johnny Depp is releasing limited-edition prints of two personal watercolors originally painted in the early 2000s at his French estate, Le Hameau. The collection, titled "Let the Light in," includes a self-portrait called *Add the Light* and a rose painting *A Rose Is a Rose Is a Rose*, a tribute to his daughter Lily-Rose. Each work is offered in 195 signed editions through London's Castle Fine Art on July 18, priced individually at £2,950 framed or £2,500 unframed. The paintings reflect Depp's life with former partner Vanessa Paradis and their children in the south of France.

Luscious Hair Sculptures Sprout Like Branches in a Symbiotic Exhibition

Artists Merryn Omotayo Alaka and Sam Frésquez have created a collaborative exhibition titled "Your Birth is My Birth" at Jane Lombard Gallery in Chicago. The show features synthetic hair sculptures made from Kanekalon, suspended from the ceiling and spread across the floor like organic growths. Five distinct "species" of sculptures—Listening Roots, Hearing Bells, Mother & Child, Stacking Pearls, and Umbra Pods—draw inspiration from epiphytes, non-parasitic plants that grow on host specimens. The works explore themes of symbiosis, interdependence, and genetic inheritance, with mirrored forms emerging within vertical tendrils.

Tony Cokes “SM BNGR2” at FELIX GAUDLITZ, Vienna

Tony Cokes' solo exhibition "SM BNGR2" at FELIX GAUDLITZ in Vienna centers on club culture as a space for celebrating life through love, desire, queerness, music, art, aesthetics, and moving bodies. The show de-marginalizes club culture by examining its significance for subcultures, activist movements, and political resistance through the lens of writers and academics.

Uri Aran “Untitled (I love you)” at Museo d’Arte Contemporanea Donnaregina – MADRE, Naples

The Fondazione Donnaregina per le arti contemporanee – museo Madre in Naples presents "Untitled (I love you)," the first retrospective in an Italian museum dedicated to American artist Uri Aran (born Jerusalem, 1977). Curated by museum director Eva Fabbris, the exhibition opens on Thursday, February 12, at 6 pm, with President Angela Tecce and the director in attendance.

Russian Museum to host an exhibition with eleven Indian artists

The State Hermitage Museum in St. Petersburg will host its first contemporary Indian art exhibition, 'Sediments of Becoming: Fossilised Present, Summoned Pasts', opening June 4. Curated by Marina Schulz and Tunty Chauhan in collaboration with Delhi's Threshold Art Gallery, the four-month show features eleven Indian artists—including Afrah Shafiq, Ravinder Reddy, and Pushpamala N.—who have created new works responding to the museum's collections and architectural context.

Free Summer Exhibitions in 2026 Across Paris and Île-de-France: This Season’s Must-See Events

A curated guide lists free summer exhibitions across Paris and Île-de-France for 2026, including shows at Fluctuart, Perrotin Gallery, Petit Palais, Bourse de Commerce, Rachel Hardouin Gallery, and Domaine de Chamarande. Highlights include "Everybody's Searching for Their Cat" at Fluctuart (May 7–August 23), JR's "Les Esquisses de la Caverne" at Perrotin (June 5–July 25), the return of "We are (still) here" street-art exhibition at Petit Palais (June 20–September 20), and free late hours at Bourse de Commerce on the first Saturday of each month.