Elucidating the Esoteric with Hilma's Ghost

The feminist art collective Hilma’s Ghost, founded by artists Dannielle Tegeder and Sharmistha Ray, is reclaiming the role of alternative spiritualities and the occult within art history. Sparked by the 2018 Hilma af Klint retrospective at the Guggenheim, the collective emerged during the COVID-19 pandemic as a research-based project that bridges artmaking with esoteric practices like tarot, witchcraft, and neo-tantric cosmologies. Through workshops and collaborative paintings, the duo explores how women and queer artists have historically been erased from the canon due to their unconventional, mystical methods.

Dolores Huerta Is the GOAT

A new exhibition in Los Angeles celebrates the 96th birthday of labor leader Dolores Huerta, featuring works by over 30 local artists. The show reframes the history of the United Farm Workers movement by centering Huerta and everyday laborers rather than co-founder Cesar Chavez, whose legacy has been complicated by recent abuse allegations.

Nine Lessons on My Path From Engagement to Leadership

The article is an excerpt from the forthcoming field resource 'Curating Engagement,' featuring a first-person reflection by an arts professional. The author outlines nine lessons learned over two decades of practice, moving from engagement-focused roles to institutional leadership. Key lessons emphasize curiosity as a foundational practice, engagement as a form of service to communities rather than extraction, and the importance of site and history as collaborators in curatorial work.

Taking a Seat at Robert Therrien’s Table

The Broad museum in Los Angeles has opened a major retrospective, "Robert Therrien: This is a Story," dedicated to the late artist Robert Therrien. The exhibition, featuring over 120 works from five decades, aims to move beyond Therrien's most famous piece—the monumental "Under the Table" sculpture—to present the full scope of his obsessively iterative practice, which transformed personal memories into universal forms.

Frida-Mania Hits MoMA

The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) has opened the exhibition 'Frida and Diego: The Last Dream,' a collaboration with the Metropolitan Opera tied to its upcoming production of the opera 'El Último Sueño de Frida y Diego.' The show, designed by stage and costume designer Jon Bausor, transplants theatrical elements like a tree-of-life set model and blue tarp drapes into the gallery, alongside a reshuffling of key Kahlo and Rivera works from MoMA's collection.

What Makes a Good Protest Sign?

The article's main feature is a guide on creating effective protest signs for the upcoming No Kings protest, compiled by comic artist Steven Weinberg with input from artists, writers, and curators including Hyperallergic's Editor-at-Large Hrag Vartanian. It offers practical advice for crafting visually and rhetorically powerful signs that challenge authority.

The Sartorial Is Political in “The New York Sari”

An exhibition titled "The New York Sari" is on view at the New York Historical Society, exploring the sari as a living art form, heirloom, document, and political statement for the South Asian diaspora in New York City. The show features contemporary artworks, historical materials, and personal garments, framing the sari not as a static cultural artifact but as a dynamic site of identity, labor, and community history.

A Visual Journey Through 150 Years of the Legal Aid Society

A Visual Journey Through 150 Years of the Legal Aid Society

The New York Historical Society has unveiled a special exhibition, "Delivering Justice: 150 Years of The Legal Aid Society," chronicling the history and impact of the nation's largest public defense provider. The display features archival photographs, newspaper clippings, and artwork that trace the organization's evolution from its 1876 founding as a small office aiding German immigrants to its modern role in landmark cases, including its defense of Attica prison uprising leaders and a recent lawsuit against brutality at Rikers Island.

Brian Eno and 200+ Artists Urge British Museum to “Stop Erasing Palestine”

Brian Eno and 200+ Artists Urge British Museum to “Stop Erasing Palestine”

Over 200 artists and cultural groups, led by musician Brian Eno, have published an open letter demanding the British Museum stop what they call the "erasure of Palestine." The letter accuses the museum of altering wall texts in its Middle East Galleries, such as replacing "Palestinian descent" with "Canaanite descent," following pressure from the pro-Israel group UK Lawyers for Israel. The signatories also criticize the institution's past ties to the Israeli embassy and sponsor BP, issuing demands for an expert review of labels and an apology for hosting an Israeli embassy gala.

picasso kahan gallery ann norton sculpture

A new exhibition titled “Picasso: Clay, Line and Legacy” has opened at the Ann Norton Sculpture Gardens in West Palm Beach, produced in collaboration with Kahan Gallery. The show features an expansive collection of Pablo Picasso’s ceramics, linocuts, prints, drawings, and tapestries from his Vallauris period (mid-1940s to early 1970s), when he worked with the Madoura pottery workshop and the printmaking studio of Hidalgo Arnéra in Vallauris, France. Works on view include pieces like *Femme (A.R. 301)* (1955) and *Quatre Profils Enclases (A.R.87)* (1949), highlighting his experimentation with medium, composition, and form.

purat chang osathanugrah interview

Purat 'Chang' Osathanugrah, a longtime art collector, has taken over the leadership of Dib Bangkok, Thailand's first international contemporary art museum, following the death of his father Petch Osathanugrah in 2023. The museum, housed in a repurposed 75,000-square-foot warehouse in Bangkok's Khlong Toei district, is set to open on December 21. In an interview with Artnet News, Osathanugrah discusses the transition from private collector to institutional steward, recent acquisitions including works by Peihang Benoit and Frederic Anderson, and the museum's mission to make art accessible to the public while honoring his father's legacy.

athens emst why look at animals lin may saeed

The National Museum of Contemporary Art in Athens has opened "Why Look at Animals: A Case for the Rights of Non-Human Lives," a major exhibition curated by Katerina Gregos that spans seven floors and features over 60 artists. The show confronts animal exploitation through works such as Ang Siew Ching's video "High-Rise Pigs" (2025), depicting a 26-story factory farm in China, and Art Orienté Objet's charcoal map of endangered species slowly erased by a robotic arm. Other artists include Sue Coe, Igor Grubić, and Janis Rafa, with the exhibition taking its title from a John Berger essay.

agustina ferreyra joins mexico city gallery omr

Agustina Ferreyra, a prominent Mexico City-based dealer known for championing young Latin American artists, has been appointed director of OMR, a leading gallery in Mexico City. Ferreyra founded her own gallery in San Juan, Puerto Rico in 2013 before relocating it to Mexico City, and will shutter that eponymous space on April 30. She previously collaborated with OMR during Mexico City Art Week in February through Bodega, a joint initiative that featured a solo exhibition by Argentine artist Ad Minoliti. In her new role, Ferreyra will continue to lead Bodega as artistic director.

Opinion: In galleries across Canada, too much art is being hidden away

Don LePan, a novelist, book publisher, and painter, argues that public art galleries across Canada are failing to display their permanent collections, using the MacKenzie Art Gallery in Regina as a prime example. During a visit in early March, LePan found that none of the gallery's extensive permanent collection—which includes works by Group of Seven artists, European masters like Picasso and Gauguin, and modernists such as Agnes Martin—was on view. Instead, the entire exhibition space was devoted to three special shows: a photographic and conceptual art exhibition by Plains Cree artist Joi T. Arcand, a selection of works by 2025 Governor General’s Awards in Visual and Media Arts recipients, and an Indigenous art exhibition. LePan praises these exhibits but criticizes the gallery's decision to completely exclude its permanent collection.

Is the art market slump over?

Ist die Flaute im Kunstmarkt vorbei?

The New York spring auctions saw explosive top prices, with Jackson Pollock's drip painting "Number 7A" (1948) selling for $181.2 million at Christie's, making it the fourth most expensive artwork ever auctioned. Christie's evening sales alone generated $1.1 billion, including $630.8 million from 16 works from the S.I. Newhouse collection. Sotheby's opened the season with a Mark Rothko from the estate of dealer Robert Mnuchin, achieving $85.8 million, while Phillips sold all 40 lots for $115 million, double the previous year. Younger artists like Joseph Yaeger also saw prices far exceed estimates.

Watching the Great Form Shatter

Der großen Form beim Zerbrechen zuschauen

Marc Brandenburg, a Berlin-based artist born in 1965, is the subject of a comprehensive survey exhibition titled "20th Century Debris" at the Berlinische Galerie. The show presents his meticulous pencil drawings on paper, which invert light and dark and are viewed under blacklight to create ghostly, dissolving images. Brandenburg's works fragment urban spaces, faces, and everyday objects into shimmering, unstable forms, drawing on photography and photocopying to produce a sense of eerie stillness and motion. The exhibition also includes his first films, tracing his stylistic evolution from early 1990s fragmented portraits to large-scale panoramic works with metallic surfaces.

On High Heels into the Museum

Auf High Heels ins Museum

The Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) closed its newly opened David Geffen Galleries just days after their official debut to host a Dior fashion show. The show, designed by Dior creative director Jonathan Anderson, featured a Cruise collection inspired by Hollywood glamour, with models walking through the museum's outdoor spaces amid vintage cars and historical lamps. The event highlighted the ongoing tension between the museum's architectural ambitions—Peter Zumthor's amoeba-like concrete structure has drawn both criticism and praise—and its use as a venue for luxury brand marketing.

Some cry censorship, others cry antisemitism

"Die einen schreien Zensur, die anderen Antisemitismus"

A constitutional law scholar, Christoph Möllers, warns in an interview with Die Zeit about the dangerous escalation of cultural policy conflicts, sparked by Documenta 15, where accusations of censorship and antisemitism collide. In Poland, Adam Budak was removed as director of MOCAK in Krakow after just a few months, facing 79 allegations including mobbing and problematic leadership. Meanwhile, the New York spring auctions have launched, and Jason Farago's review of the Venice Biennale in the New York Times criticizes the shift from aesthetic innovation toward identity-driven art. Robin Pogrebin also reports on the merger of the Met and the Neue Galerie, described as a rare convergence of two museum models.

"Man besitzt Kunst nicht, man ist nur ihr Verwalter"

The 61st Venice Biennale opened on Saturday without ceremony or an opening celebration, amid political turmoil over the participation of Russia and Israel. Italy's Culture Minister Alessandro Giuli criticized Biennale director Pietrangelo Buttafuoco for not informing the government about Russia's participation request, suggesting it could have been used as leverage for a ceasefire in Ukraine. The entire jury resigned after attempting to exclude both Russia and Israel from prize awards, leading to the cancellation of the traditional jury decision in favor of a public vote, which over 70 participating artists have protested by withdrawing from this year's prizes. Separately, a rare photograph from the early 1940s has surfaced showing Lucas Cranach the Elder's painting "Venus with Cupid as Honey Thief" in Adolf Hitler's Munich apartment, raising unresolved questions about whether the work was looted from Jewish owners before 1935.

Here You Have the Feeling That Reality Is a Different One

"Man hat hier das Gefühl, dass die Realität eine andere ist"

Austrian artist Erwin Wurm discusses his exhibition at the Museo Fortuny in Venice, where he confronts the overwhelming collection of the 19th-century polymath Mariano Fortuny. In an interview, Wurm describes the venue as a historic atelier house filled with tapestries and artifacts, and reflects on how his contemporary sculptures and performances will engage with the dense, time-capsule atmosphere of the space.

Fondation Beyeler: Freier Eintritt im Bikini

The Fondation Beyeler in Riehen, Switzerland, invited visitors to enter the museum for free if they came wearing swimwear, as part of a "Bathing Day" promotion. The event was inspired by Paul Cézanne, whose famous paintings of bathers are the subject of a current exhibition at the museum. The museum reported strong attendance and stated that the unusual setting brings art and visitors closer together, changing perception and reducing distance.

Gropius Bau öffnet abends länger

The Gropius Bau in Berlin has extended its evening opening hours by one hour, now open until 8 PM (closed Tuesdays), due to high demand for its exhibition of performance artist Marina Abramović. The show, titled "Balkan Erotic Epic," opened two weeks ago and drew long queues from the start. It features both new and older works, including performances where Abramović carved a star into her abdomen or lay in a burning installation until losing consciousness. The exhibition explores eroticism, politics, Balkan folklore, sexual energy, death, the political dimension of the body, and the Yugoslav wars.

Monopol gives away 5 × 2 tickets for Peter Hujar and Liz Deschenes at the Gropius Bau

Monopol verlost 5 × 2 Tickets für Peter Hujar und Liz Deschenes im Gropius Bau

Monopol magazine is giving away 5 × 2 tickets to the exhibition "Peter Hujar / Liz Deschenes: Persistence of Vision" at the Gropius Bau in Berlin. The show pairs Hujar's iconic black-and-white photographs of New York's downtown scene—featuring figures like Susan Sontag, Divine, and David Wojnarowicz—with Liz Deschenes' abstract, material-focused works on glass and photosensitive paper. To enter, readers must email their name with the subject line "Hujar" by May 30.

"Etwas zaghaft, etwas ängstlich, etwas sicher"

The article surveys recent art-world commentary, focusing on a critical review of the Turner Prize shortlist in The Guardian, where Eddy Frankel calls the selection "timid, anxious, safe" and laments a self-perpetuating, elitist system. It also covers a Hyperallergic essay by Lisa Siraganian questioning whether artworks can possess personhood, sparked by Pierre Huyghe's Venice exhibition. Additionally, it reports on controversy at the Venice Biennale, where the jury preemptively excluded countries whose leaders are sought by the International Criminal Court—namely Russia and Israel—drawing sharp criticism from Die Welt's Marcus Woeller. A podcast interview with US sculptor Alma Allen, selected for the US Pavilion, rounds out the coverage.

Because the Ego Suddenly Dissolves

"Weil das Ego sich plötzlich auflöst"

The art world is facing significant structural and political shifts, highlighted by the merger of Artnet and Artsy which has resulted in mass layoffs, particularly within the Artnet News editorial team and its Berlin operations. Simultaneously, tensions are rising in German cultural policy as gallery owner Rupert Pfab raises concerns over government interference in the Stiftung Kunstfonds jury selection, reflecting a broader climate of unease that includes recent controversies at the Berlinale.

39 Kid-Friendly Exhibitions & Museums In Singapore, Including FREE Museums & Art Installations

Singapore is currently hosting a wide array of kid-friendly art exhibitions and museum installations across major cultural venues. Key highlights include the immersive 'Van Gogh Inside: Love Vincent' at Parkview Square, David Hockney’s 'Bigger & Closer' at the newly opened IMBA Theatre, and various interactive digital experiences at the revamped Keppel Centre for Art Education. These offerings range from high-tech multimedia nature zones like Exploria to traditional art museum settings tailored for younger audiences.

Contemporary US Art is Sick with Problems

"Die zeitgenössische US-Kunst ist von Problemen krank"

Artist Josh Kline has sparked a heated debate with a scathing critique of the American art scene, particularly targeting New York City as an unsustainable hub driven by market logic and inequality. Kline argues that contemporary art is "sick with problems" and urges young artists to abandon the city, calling for a shift from institutional critique to a broader industry-wide analysis of class and power. Meanwhile, the German art world sees significant movement with the upcoming auction of Georg Kolbe’s "Tänzerinnen-Brunnen" following a Nazi-looted art settlement, and the Berlin State Museums announcing a phased reopening of the Pergamon Altar starting in 2027.

Behind All Beautiful Things Lies Suffering

"Hinter allen schönen Dingen liegt ein Leiden"

The art market is undergoing a profound structural transformation as a new generation of collectors shifts focus away from traditional blue-chip masters like Cy Twombly and Mark Rothko. These 'NextGen' buyers, socialized through the internet and Instagram, prioritize identity-building over status, favoring streetwear, digital art by figures like Refik Anadol, and music memorabilia over classical painting. Meanwhile, institutional shifts are occurring globally: Greece has introduced specific legislation to criminalize the production of art forgeries, and LACMA director Michael Govan is defending the $724 million Peter Zumthor-designed expansion as a necessary 'magnet' for attracting major donations.

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Brian Eno, FKA Twigs, Jim Jarmusch Among Sound Artists Commissioned for Vatican Pavilion at Venice Biennale

The Vatican has announced a star-studded lineup of musicians and artists for its pavilion at the 2026 Venice Biennale, titled "The Ear Is the Eye of the Soul." Curated by Hans Ulrich Obrist and Ben Vickers in collaboration with Soundwalk Collective, the exhibition features commissioned sound works from figures including Brian Eno, FKA Twigs, Patti Smith, and the late Alexander Kluge. The project is inspired by the 12th-century mystic Saint Hildegard of Bingen and will be staged across two historic Venetian locations: the Mystical Garden of the Discalced Carmelites and the Complesso di Santa Maria Ausiliatrice.