On the Met Gala’s Cy Gavin-designed blue carpet, art was front and centre

The 2025 Met Gala, held on May 5 at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, raised a record $31 million while celebrating the opening of the Costume Institute's new exhibition, "Superfine: Tailoring Black Style" (May 10-October 26). The event's dress code, "Tailored for You," inspired attendees to embrace Black-dandy fashion, with guests including Rihanna, Cynthia Erivo, Stevie Wonder, and Kamala Harris. The exhibition, curated by Andrew Bolton and Monica L. Miller, explores the evolution of Black style in the Atlantic diaspora from the 18th century to today, drawing on Miller's 2009 book "Slaves to Fashion: Black Dandyism and the Styling of Black Diasporic Identity." It is the Costume Institute's first show to directly address race's impact on style and the Met's first menswear exhibition in over 20 years.

8 Must-See Solo Gallery Shows in May

Galerie magazine has curated a list of eight must-see solo gallery shows across the United States for May, spanning from New York to Miami and Los Angeles. Featured artists include Takako Yamaguchi at Ortuzar in New York, Enzo Cucchi at Vito Schnabel Gallery, Iván Argote at Perrotin, and Kang Seung Lee, among others, with exhibitions showcasing a range of styles from hybrid transnational paintings to Neo-expressionist works and conceptual installations.

MoMA acquires works featured in monumental Adam Pendleton installation

The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) has acquired the 35 individual paintings, drawings, and video works that comprised Adam Pendleton's monumental installation *Who Is Queen?* (2019-21), which was on view in the museum's atrium from 2021 to 2022. The installation explored Pendleton's conceptual framework of "Black Dada," a term he first outlined in his *Black Dada Manifesto* (2008), and included works such as *Notes on the Robert E. Lee Monument, Richmond VA (Figure)* (2021), a film reflecting on the 2020 racial justice protests. The acquisition marks a significant institutional commitment to Pendleton's practice, which continues to evolve in his current exhibition at the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden in Washington, DC.

7 Artists Who Capture the Essence of Black Dandyism

The article highlights seven contemporary artists whose work embodies Black dandyism, timed to the 2025 Met Gala theme 'Superfine: Tailoring Black Style' and the corresponding exhibition at the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Costume Institute. It traces the history of Black dandyism from its 18th-century European roots through its evolution during slavery and the 20th century, emphasizing its role as a defiant, empowering form of self-expression that challenges gender norms and racial stereotypes. Featured artists include Barkley L. Hendricks, Derek Fordjour, and Tyler Mitchell, among others.

How To Do New York Art Week 2025 Like An Insider

Sophia Penske, founder of Penske Projects and an art advisor at Gagosian Art Advisory, provides an insider guide to New York Art Week 2025, running May 5–12. She highlights three main fairs: Frieze New York at The Shed (May 7–11), Independent Art Fair at Spring Studios (May 8–11), and TEFAF. The guide includes notable artists to see—such as Daisuke Fukunaga at Tomio Koyama Gallery, Doron Langberg at Victoria Miro, Moka Lee at Carlos/Ishikawa, Julia Jo at Charles Moffett, Laura Footes at SHRINE, and Nicole Economides at Callirrhoe—along with nearby dining, spa, and gallery recommendations.

6 Under-the-Radar Art Shows to See in New York Right Now—and 3 to Look Forward To

The article highlights six under-the-radar art shows currently on view in New York, including Lotus L. Kang's solo presentation "Already" at 52 Walker, featuring light-sensitive film installations and greenhouses; Silät, a collective of Indigenous Wichí weavers from Argentina, showing at James Cohan; and a major solo exhibition of pioneering Korean artist Kim Yun Shin at Lehmann Maupin. It also previews three upcoming shows to look forward to, as the city prepares for a burst of art fairs next month.

When—and why—did Van Gogh paint a pair of crabs?

An article explores the story behind Vincent van Gogh's still life "Two Crabs," revealing that the two crabs are likely the same individual—a female Cancer pagurus missing its first pair of walking legs. Paul Clark, a crustacean specialist at London's Natural History Museum, confirmed the sex based on the broad abdomen visible in the painting. The work is on long-term loan to London's National Gallery, where it was recently redisplayed as part of the gallery's major rehang ahead of the Sainsbury Wing reopening on May 10. The article also traces the painting's provenance: it was the first Van Gogh bought by a British collector, William Cherry Robinson, in 1893 for 200 guilders, later sold at auction in 1906 for half that amount, and eventually resold at Sotheby's in 2004 for £5.2 million to an anonymous collector who lent it to the National Gallery.

teamLab in Abu Dhabi, Christine Sun Kim and Thomas Mader, Vermeer’s final painting?—podcast

The article covers three major art stories: the opening of Christine Sun Kim and Thomas Mader's exhibition "1880 THAT" at the Wellcome Collection in London, which explores the 1880 Milan Conference that banned sign language in Deaf education; the launch of a new teamLab museum in Abu Dhabi's Saadiyat Cultural District; and new conservation findings on Johannes Vermeer's "Young Woman seated at a Virginal" (1670-75), which may be his final painting, with 17th-century pollution helping to date the work.

Regional strength helps insulate Art Dubai from tariff-related turbulence

Art Dubai, running until 20 April, opened as the first major art fair since US President Trump announced global tariffs that nearly triggered a financial crisis. Sales were solid, with most works priced in the low six figures or thousands, insulating the fair from market anxieties. A divide emerged between regional SWANA galleries—which presented the strongest booths—and international galleries from the US, Europe, and Latin America, which seemed uncertain about what to bring. Notable sales included works by Rana Begum, Mehdi Ghadyanloo, Ali Cherri, and Shaikha Al Mazrou, while galleries like Sfeir-Semler, Vigo Gallery, and Experimenter reported strong results.

Artist interview

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Arielle and the Politics of Beautiful Things

Arielle und die Politik der schönen Dinge

Josefine Reisch presents new works at Noah Klink gallery during Berlin Gallery Weekend. Her paintings combine mermaids, shipping containers, and Euroboxes to explore themes of standardization, global capitalism, and the politics of beauty. The exhibition, titled "Poxy Proxy," is a duo show with Miriam Umiń. Reisch's studio visit reveals her interest in how objects like Eurokisten (standardized plastic crates) and shipping containers symbolize economic progress and power structures, while mermaid imagery from Disney's "Arielle" questions the equation of beautiful things with moral goodness.

Franco Vaccari Recasts the Viewer as Creator

Franco Vaccari, a pioneering Italian artist associated with Arte Povera and conceptual art, is the subject of a new exhibition that repositions the viewer as an active participant in the creative process. The show, featured in Frieze's Critic's Guides, highlights Vaccari's interactive works, including his famous photomatic booth installations where visitors become both subject and author of the artwork.

What Not to Miss in Venice’s Arsenale and Giardini

Frieze has published a critic's guide titled "What Not to Miss in Venice’s Arsenale and Giardini," though the provided text appears to be a truncated excerpt that actually promotes a different article: "7 Must-See Shows During Art Brussels," featuring Richard Tuttle at Galerie Greta Meert and Lutz Bacher at WIELS, written by Emile Rubino on April 21, 2026. The guide likely highlights key exhibitions and artworks within the historic Arsenale and Giardini venues during a major art event in Venice.

Emily Kraus’s Glitchy Paintings Challenge Aesthetic Authority

Emily Kraus’s solo exhibition at Frieze presents a series of glitchy, digitally inspired paintings that disrupt traditional notions of aesthetic authority. The works employ pixelated distortions and vibrant color fields to question the boundaries between digital error and artistic intention, drawing attention to the role of technology in contemporary art-making.

Marina Xenofontos Recreates an Empty Nightclub

Marina Xenofontos recreates an empty nightclub in her latest exhibition, transforming the gallery space into a hauntingly still environment that evokes the aftermath of a night out. The installation features meticulously crafted details such as discarded drinks, abandoned furniture, and dim lighting, capturing the melancholic atmosphere of a venue devoid of its usual crowd. The show is part of the broader Art Brussels programming, with the critic's guide highlighting it among seven must-see exhibitions during the fair.

Silvestre Pestana’s LED Signs Give Language Charge

Silvestre Pestana, a Portuguese artist and poet, is presenting a solo exhibition of his LED text-based works at Galeria Quadrado Azul in Porto. The show, titled 'Silvestre Pestana: The Light of Words', features his pioneering 'Poemas Pornográficos' (Pornographic Poems) from the 1980s and newer LED pieces that transform language into pulsating, illuminated objects.

Historical Downtown Icons in ‘Focus’ at Frieze New York

Frieze New York is spotlighting historical downtown icons in a new 'Focus' section at its upcoming fair. The initiative will feature curated presentations of works by artists who were central to New York's downtown art scene, highlighting their enduring influence and the cultural history of the era.

Hyperallergic’s Guide to the 2026 Venice Biennale

Hyperallergic has published its guide to the 2026 Venice Biennale, detailing what to see and do at this year's edition. The guide covers the three main categories of the Biennale—the Giardini with 29 permanent national pavilions, the Arsenale with temporary rented spaces, and collateral events across the city. Key developments include the return of Russia to its permanent Giardini pavilion and Israel's participation with a new contractual stipulation preventing its artist from closing the pavilion, after Ruth Patir's protest in 2024. South Africa withdrew following the cancellation of Gabrielle Goliath's video installation 'Elegy,' which mourns victims of Israel's genocide in Gaza and will now be shown at a historic church. The United States will be represented by Alma Allen after Barbara Chase-Riboud stepped down, and Qatar is set to become the first country in decades to build a new pavilion in the Giardini.

Affaire Indiana : un éditeur d’art condamné à 102 millions de dollars

A federal jury in Manhattan has ordered Michael McKenzie and his company American Image Art to pay $102 million (€95 million) to the Morgan Art Foundation for unauthorized exploitation of works by artist Robert Indiana (1928-2018), including his iconic LOVE image. The case, filed in May 2018 just before Indiana's death, alleged that McKenzie—a former agent of the artist—produced and sold unauthorized editions, sculptures, and merchandise under Indiana's name, violating exclusive reproduction and commercialization rights granted to the foundation in the 1990s. The jury found McKenzie guilty of trademark infringement, copyright violation, and contractual interference, with $6.2 million specifically tied to 44 LOVE works. The defense, weakened by sanctions for hiding evidence and refusing to cooperate, plans to appeal.

Hong Kong Marquee Art Sales Total $164.9 M., Up 18 Percent From Equivalent 2025 Auctions

Christie's, Phillips, and Sotheby's spring marquee auctions in Hong Kong generated a combined $164.9 million, an 18% increase from the equivalent sales in spring 2025. The auctions, strategically timed to coincide with Art Basel Hong Kong, saw strong demand for trophy works, with Christie's leading the season at $83.8 million. Key sales included a Gerhard Richter painting for $11.77 million and a Sanyu work for $8.17 million, while Sotheby's sold a Joan Mitchell painting for $17.6 million, the season's top lot.

Why Beatriz González’s Haunting Paintings Are More Relevant Than Ever

Why Beatriz González’s Haunting Paintings Are More Relevant Than Ever

A major retrospective of Colombian artist Beatriz González, "Beatriz González: A Retrospective," is touring internationally, with recent stops at the Pérez Art Museum Miami and the Museo de Arte Miguel Urrutia in Bogotá. The exhibition, the largest of her 60-year career, showcases over 150 works, including her iconic paintings that appropriate and rework images from art history and mass media to critique political violence, social inequality, and cultural memory in Colombia.

The Nearly Sixty-Year Career of Legendary Gallerist Enzo Cannaviello: A Wide-Ranging Interview

I quasi sessant’anni di carriera del leggendario gallerista Enzo Cannaviello. Intervista a tutto campo

Legendary Italian gallerist Enzo Cannaviello reflects on a career spanning nearly sixty years, marked by the opening of his ninth gallery space in Milan. The interview traces his journey from founding his first space in Caserta in 1968 to his influential years in Rome and his ultimate establishment in Milan, which he considers the only true art market in Italy. Cannaviello discusses his unwavering commitment to painting, his pivotal role in promoting the German Neo-Expressionists (Neue Wilde), and the current exhibition dedicated to Mimmo Rotella.

Remembering Pearl Fryar, Siri Aurdal, and Frank Stack

The art world mourns the loss of several influential figures, including self-taught topiary artist Pearl Fryar, who transformed a South Carolina cornfield into a botanical landmark, and painter Celeste Dupuy-Spencer, known for her politically charged works featured in the Whitney Biennial. The week's memorials also include Norwegian sculptor Siri Aurdal, a pioneer of industrial materials in the 1960s Scandinavian scene, and Frank Stack, the educator and cartoonist credited with creating the first underground comic.

MFAH's blockbuster modern art exhibit and 7 more openings in Houston this month

The article highlights eight major art exhibitions and events opening in Houston in May 2025, including the U.S. debut of "Picasso–Klee–Matisse: Masterpieces from the Museum Berggruen" at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston (MFAH), which features works by Picasso, Klee, Matisse, and Giacometti. Other notable events include the "Freedom Plane National Tour" of founding-era documents at the Houston Museum of Natural Science, the 20th Annual Empty Bowls fundraiser at Silver Street Studios, and "No Longer, Not Yet" by Marisol Valencia at Art League, which uses materials from a migrant shelter. The article also mentions shows at CAMH, Moody Art Center, and Sawyer Yards.

5 noteworthy art gallery exhibitions to check out during Expo Chicago

Expo Chicago returns to Navy Pier from April 9-12, featuring over 130 international galleries and anchoring a city-wide week of major art programming. Local institutions and commercial galleries are strategically timing their most significant exhibitions to coincide with the fair, including a major presentation of Chicago Imagist Roger Brown at Gray gallery and architectural collages by Marshall Brown at Western Exhibitions.

Exhibitions Coming to Houston Area Art Venues In Spring 2026

A comprehensive guide details spring 2026 exhibitions at Houston-area art venues, including Blaffer Art Museum, Galveston Arts Center, Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, Moody Center for the Arts, Houston Center for Contemporary Craft, Lawndale Art Center, and Art League Houston. Key shows include "The Uncanny In-Between" (contemporary Korean ceramics), "Mud + Corn + Stone + Blue" (U.S.-Central America histories), Bruce Lee Webb's "CURIOS," "End Cash Bail" (incarceration-themed poetry and visual art), Jamie Ho's "magic mirrors" (Chinese American identity), and Hammonds + West's "The River Entered My Home" (environmental grief).

The extraordinary boom in modern Indian art

Despite a general art market downturn, modern Indian art auctions have seen extraordinary demand. Over the past two weeks, sales at Christie’s in New York, Saffron Art in New Delhi, Pundole’s in Mumbai, and Sotheby’s in London all sold out. Sotheby’s London sale raised £19 million, more than five times its estimate, led by record-breaking works from Francis Newton Souza, including *Houses in Hampstead* (1962) sold for £5.6 million and *Emperor* (1957) sold for £5.2 million. The article traces Souza’s rebellious career, from his expulsion from school in Mumbai for pornographic graffiti, to his founding role in the Progressive Artists’ Group, his struggles in England and the US, and his eventual death in 2002 with little recognition.

9 Must-See Summer Shows in Upstate New York

Galerie magazine has compiled a curated list of nine must-see summer art exhibitions in upstate New York, highlighting the region's growing cultural significance. Featured shows include a Leonora Carrington survey at the Katonah Museum of Art, a historical exhibition on the Baghdad Modern Art Group at CCS Bard Galleries, and a collaborative installation by Antonio Marras and Maria Lai at Magazzino Italian Art. Other venues include The School in Kinderhook, The Campus near Hudson, Sky High Farms in Germantown, and the Edward Hopper House Museum & Study Center.

Il mitico artista-ceramista italiano Nanni Valentini torna negli Stati Uniti con una mostra sulla sua storia. Le immagini

The Everson Museum of Art in Syracuse, New York, is hosting "Interspaces," a retrospective exhibition dedicated to Italian artist Nanni Valentini (1932–1985), a pivotal figure in ceramic art. Curated by Garth Johnson of the Everson Museum and Luca Bochicchio of the Museo della Ceramica di Savona, with oversight by art historian Flaminio Gualdoni, the show runs until September 6, 2026. It traces Valentini's evolution from functional pottery to conceptual wall works, featuring pieces like "I segni della terra" (1981) and "Impronta-totem" (1979), on loan from ABC-ARTE gallery. The exhibition marks Valentini's return to the U.S., where he first gained international recognition at the museum's 1958 Ceramic International, introduced by Lucio Fontana.

The Colors of Mark Rothko Conquer Florence: A Major Exhibition Across Three Venues

I colori di Mark Rothko conquistano Firenze: una grande mostra in tre sedi

The city of Florence is hosting a major three-venue retrospective dedicated to Mark Rothko, centered at Palazzo Strozzi with extensions into the Museo di San Marco and the Biblioteca Medicea Laurenziana. Curated by Christopher Rothko and Elena Geuna, the exhibition features 70 works spanning the artist's career, from his early Surrealist-influenced paintings of the 1930s and 40s to his iconic 'Multiform' and classic color-field abstractions. A unique highlight of the show is the installation of Rothko’s smaller works within the historic cells of the Museo di San Marco, directly alongside frescoes by Beato Angelico.