Star of the Wilderness Exhibition celebrating the Publication of "Paint of This Planet” Volume III

ShugoArts in Tokyo presents 'Star of the Wilderness,' an exhibition by Japanese artist Masato Kobayashi celebrating the publication of the final volume of his autobiographical novel trilogy *Paint of this Planet*. The show features new works, including two large-scale paintings—'Artist and the Model' (over 2.6 meters) and 'Star of the Wilderness'—that exemplify Kobayashi's distinctive method of stretching canvas onto its frame while painting directly with his hands. The exhibition traces his journey from Kunitachi, Tokyo, to Ghent, Belgium, where he was discovered by curator Jan Hoet, and later to Tomonoura, Hiroshima, highlighting how his paintings emerge from specific places and moments.

New bronze sculptures on display in downtown Palm Springs

Two new bronze sculptures by internationally recognized artist J.D. Hansen have been installed in downtown Palm Springs. Titled "Resonance" (10 feet tall) and "Family Group" (8 feet tall on its base, reaching approximately 10 feet overall), the works are now on display in front of the Kimpton Rowan Palm Springs Hotel as part of a temporary public art exhibition presented in collaboration with Grit Development and HOHMANN Fine Art. The sculptures will remain on view for about a year.

New show Art Spectrum opens door for San Diego’s LGBTQ+ artists in Balboa Park

Art Spectrum, a new exhibition in Balboa Park’s Village to Gallery 21, showcases the work of twelve professional San Diego LGBTQ+ artists throughout May. Curated by painter RD Riccoboni and produced by gallerist Patric Stillman, the show was initiated by the Village Arts and Education Foundation, which lacked community connections to organize an LGBTQ+ exhibition. The selected artists, including Carole Kuck, Miguel Camacho-Padilla, and Stefan Talian, are mature professionals whose practices span painting, pottery, and stained glass.

Where Parts Meet: Yu Ji’s “Origin of the Tiger”

Shanghai-based artist Yu Ji presents her first solo exhibition in New York, "Origin of the Tiger," at P.P.O.W gallery from March 6 to April 11, 2026. The show features multimedia sculptures and installations made during a self-organized residency in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, where she collaborated with Khmer artisans and local children through the project PKA (PLAY KNOW ATTENTION). Works incorporate reed mats, concrete knees, snail shells, and modular furniture, emphasizing joints, fragmentation, and reassembly.

Regarding the Pain of Images: Dinh Q. Lê at 10 Chancery Lane

A posthumous exhibition titled "Remembrance: A Tribute to the Work of Dinh Q. Lê" is on view at 10 Chancery Lane in Hong Kong from March 20 to May 23, 2026. Curated by David Elliott, the show features key works by the late Vietnamese artist, including his series of manipulated photographs that slice and weave the iconic 1972 image "The Terror of War" into pixelated grids, alongside pieces like "Skin on Skin Black Mixed No. 9" that critique the influx of Western pornography into Vietnam after internet legalization.

Minor Keys and Major Silences: Yoshiko Shimada and the Art of Outrage

Yoshiko Shimada, a Japanese feminist and antiwar artist, is featured in a conversation with ArtAsiaPacific ahead of her inclusion in the 2026 Venice Biennale, curated by Koyo Kouoh under the theme "In Minor Keys." The article explores Shimada's decades-long practice of excavating the gendered scars of Japanese imperialism, focusing on her collaborative work with BuBu de la Madeleine, which uses drag and irony to critique imperial frameworks and the erasure of wartime atrocities. It also highlights her revival of the Chū-pi-ren movement, a 1970s feminist group that fought for abortion rights and access to birth control, arguing that their legacy remains urgent in 2026 given Japan's slow progress on women's bodily autonomy.

Up Close: Liang Yuanwei

Liang Yuanwei's latest painting cycle, "Pluviophile," culminated in the work "im Kugelhagel Wh·YeGrUm·Br-" (2025), exhibited at Beijing Commune in 2026. The large oil-on-linen piece, tucked at the far end of the gallery, features a burnt reddish-brown field scarred with gouged arcs and scraped-away paint that reveals a gold underlayer, creating an effect of violent impact and luminous aftermath.

Chiara Camoni on Representing Italy at the 61st Venice Biennale

Chiara Camoni, the artist representing Italy at the 61st Venice Biennale, discusses her upcoming pavilion installation titled "Con te con tutto" in an interview with ArtReview. The single installation will fill the entire Italian Pavilion in the Arsenale, combining existing and new works that incorporate ceramic, stone, plant elements, industrial waste, plastics, and found objects. Camoni emphasizes the choral dimension of her practice, involving family, neighbors, friends, schools, and museum groups in the creative process, thereby expanding the concept of authorship. She notes that her project aligns with the Biennale's curatorial theme "In Minor Keys" by Koyo Kouoh, focusing on monumentality defined not by scale but by reiteration and presence.

Your guide to free self-care: 8 L.A. wellness events you can’t miss in May

The Los Angeles Times article highlights a curated list of free wellness events in Los Angeles for May, with a focus on the first annual Sacred Music and Healing Festival at the World Stage Performance Gallery in Leimert Park on May 23. Executive Director Dwight Trible explains that the festival blends jazz, Indigenous traditions, and healing arts to offer a wellness experience rooted in culture and community, featuring music, yoga, tai chi, and presentations on herbs and meditation.

On Arte and France Culture, all the secrets of the unicorn

Sur Arte et France Culture, tous les secrets de la licorne

The article discusses the enduring cultural presence of the unicorn, from churches to toy stores and LGBTQIA+ parades, coinciding with the exhibition "Licornes!" at the Musée de Cluny (through July 12, 2026), which centers on the museum's famed tapestry *La Dame à la licorne*. It highlights two complementary media programs: an episode of the radio show *Le Cours de l'histoire* on France Culture and a documentary on Arte, both exploring the mythical animal's many transformations across history.

Venice Biennale’s jury resigns

The entire jury of the 61st Venice Biennale, presided by Brazilian curator Solange Farkas and comprising four other curators, resigned just nine days before the exhibition's scheduled opening on 9 May 2026. The jury had announced it would not award prizes to countries whose leaders are charged with crimes against humanity by the International Criminal Court, a move widely understood to target Israel and Russia. In response, the Biennale's organisers cancelled the prize-giving ceremony and will instead award Golden Lions via a popular vote among ticketholders. The row escalated further when the Israeli representative, sculptor Belu-Simion Fainaru, accused the jury of discrimination and threatened legal action, prompting intervention from Italy's culture ministry.

KMSKA stages major Antony Gormley exhibition across museum and city

The Royal Museum of Fine Arts Antwerp (KMSKA) is opening 'Geestgrond', the largest solo exhibition by British sculptor Antony Gormley ever staged on the European mainland. Curated by Carolyn Christov-Bakargiev, the show spans all of the museum's modern galleries and extends to the roof, Museumplein, and Antwerp quays, featuring over 100 works including sculptures, installations, early sketches, notebooks, and new pieces. Highlights include 'The Heart', an intimate Wunderkammer of Gormley's process, and 'Cave', a monumental walk-in steel installation.

Lorna Simpson Comes Full Circle in Venice with ‘Third Person’

American artist Lorna Simpson has opened a major solo exhibition titled 'Third Person' at Punta della Dogana in Venice, featuring over 50 works across painting, collage, sculpture, installation, and film. The show surveys her practice from the last decade, including new works created in response to the venue, and runs through November 22. Curated by Emma Lavigne of the Pinault Collection, the exhibition also includes pieces from her 2015 Venice Biennale participation and series such as 'Ice,' 'Special Characters,' and 'Earth and Sky.'

Tang Museum presents Pursuing Possibilities: Explorations in Glaze

The Tang Museum at Skidmore College will present 'Pursuing Possibilities: Explorations in Glaze,' a student-curated exhibition running from May 30 to September 12, 2026. Organized by Emily Lin, the 2025–26 Charina Endowment Fund Endowed Intern, the show features works from the Tang collection that examine the chemical composition of ceramic glazes and their expressive possibilities. Lin used X-ray fluorescence to analyze glazes and consulted with ceramics professor Matt Wilt, bringing together art history, chemistry, and studio practice.

Sotheby’s $304M Modern Evening Auction Confirms the Market Has Found Its Footing

Sotheby's Modern Evening Auction on May 19 achieved $304 million with a 98% sell-through rate across 45 lots, more than doubling the total from the equivalent sale in November. The auction was anchored by fresh-to-market masterpieces, including Henri Matisse's "La Chaise Lorraine" from the Barbier-Müller collection, which sold for $48.4 million—the second-highest price for a Matisse painting at auction. Other highlights included works from the Enrico Donati collection, which generated a combined $58.9 million, and Pablo Picasso's "Arlequin (Buste)" (1909) selling for $42.6 million. The sale contributed to a running combined total of $839.6 million for Sotheby's marquee sales, following strong results from the Mnuchin collection and Contemporary Day Auction.

People and places

Elisa Contemporary Art Riverdale Gallery will open a new group exhibition titled "People and places" on May 20, 2026, running through September 2. The show features works by six artists: Betty Ball, Carol Bennett, Sherry Karver, Mitch McGee, Dean Moore, and Jeffrey Palladini, with a focus on uplifting summer themes including water scenes, poolside figures, and bright yellow elements. The exhibition includes new works from Ball's Land & Sea series and introduces Sherry Karver as a new gallery artist.

Japan’s Art Museums and Creative Spaces Offer Travelers a Unique Cultural Journey Across Modern and Traditional Design

Travel And Tour World published an article highlighting Japan's art museums and creative spaces as a unique cultural journey for travelers, blending modern and traditional design. The piece showcases various institutions across Japan, emphasizing their architectural significance and the immersive experiences they offer, from contemporary art galleries to historic venues that reflect the country's rich aesthetic heritage.

Step into artist Francis Picabia’s experimental world in London

A new exhibition titled 'Francis Picabia. Expanding Horizons' has opened at Hauser & Wirth London, showcasing five decades of the artist's experimental work. The show includes dense, layered postwar paintings from his return to Paris with his wife Olga, as well as earlier pieces spanning Impressionism, Dada, and his Transparencies series. Organized with the Comité Picabia, the exhibition features works such as 'Composition abstraite' (1947) and 'Le Zèbre' (c. 1909-1933), highlighting Picabia's habit of revisiting and painting over canvases across decades.

Picasso, the figure: Inside Louvre Abu Dhabi’s transformative exhibition

Louvre Abu Dhabi has opened "Picasso, the Figure," its first exhibition dedicated entirely to Pablo Picasso, running until May 31. The show brings together around 60 works exploring Picasso's fascination with the human figure, spanning his cubist experiments, neoclassical portraits, surrealist compositions, and late works. It is presented in collaboration with Musée National Picasso-Paris and France Muséums, housed within Jean Nouvel's iconic floating dome on Saadiyat Island.

From Obama Presidential Center opening to Anne Frank to Pokemon: Chicago museums unveil ambitious summer exhibitions

Chicago museums have announced a slate of ambitious summer exhibitions, including the opening of the Obama Presidential Center, an Anne Frank exhibition, and a Pokemon-themed show. These exhibits span a range of cultural and historical topics, aiming to attract diverse audiences to the city's major cultural institutions.

‘Picasso-Klee-Matisse’ exhibit brings modernist masterpieces to the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston

The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston (MFAH) is hosting "Picasso-Klee-Matisse: Masterpieces from the Museum Berggruen" from May 20 to September 13, 2026. The exhibition features dozens of works by Pablo Picasso, Paul Klee, and Henri Matisse from the private collection of dealer and collector Heinz Berggruen, on loan from the Museum Berggruen – Neue Nationalgalerie in Berlin. The show is organized thematically—portraits, landscapes, still life, and the human figure—and includes paintings, drawings, collages, sculptures, and archival materials, alongside pieces from MFAH's own collection. It has already attracted over 1 million visitors on its international tour.

Louvre Abu Dhabi exhibition to trace connections across the Indian Ocean, from trade to algebra and astronomy

Louvre Abu Dhabi has announced the sixth edition of its Art Here exhibition, titled "Confluences," opening November 11, 2026 and running until February 28, 2027. For the first time, the annual exhibition will include artists from India alongside those from the GCC, expanding its geographic scope to trace centuries of cultural exchange across the Indian Ocean. Curated by Kamini Sawhney, the exhibition will feature contemporary works installed throughout the museum’s outdoor spaces, including the courtyard and Jenny Holzer’s permanent marble installation, with commissions responding to the architecture, light, and water of Jean Nouvel’s iconic dome. The exhibition is organized in partnership with Swiss watchmaker Richard Mille and coincides with the museum’s broader programming on historical trade routes.

Tang Museum announces summer tours

The Tang Museum at Skidmore College in Saratoga Springs, New York, has announced its summer 2026 public tour program, beginning May 24 with weekly Tang Guide Tours led by trained student ambassadors. The museum will also host three curator-led tours: Rachel Seligman will lead tours of 'All These Growing Things' (June 11) and 'Sheila Pepe: When & Where We Rest' (August 27), while Dayton Director Ian Berry will guide a tour of 'Kathy Butterly: Assume Yes' (July 16). Additional summer programming includes the Upbeat on the Roof concert series, Frances Day community open house, and Family Saturday art-making events.

Virginia Museum of Fine Arts receives major gift of photography

The Virginia Museum of Fine Arts (VMFA) announced a major gift of 1,986 photographs from Joy of Giving Something, Inc. (JGS), a nonprofit founded by financier Howard Stein. The donation includes works by over 450 artists, spanning the 19th century to the present, with highlights such as rare daguerreotypes by Joseph-Philibert Girault de Prangey, prints by Gustave Le Gray and Eugène Atget, and significant holdings in American documentary photography from figures like Dorothea Lange and Walker Evans. The gift follows an earlier 2023 donation of portfolios and series, and positions VMFA to open five new photography galleries in 2027 as part of its expansion.

BmoreArt’s Picks: May 12-18

BmoreArt's Picks for May 12-18 highlights a range of visual art events in Baltimore, including an exhibition of video works by Martha Rosler and Pipilotti Rist at the Elizabeth Myers Mitchell Museum, the Sondheim Art Prize 2026 Semifinalist Exhibition at the Reginald F. Lewis Museum, a conversation with artist Louis Fratino at the Baltimore Museum of Art, and the Scout Art Fair. Other events include a monologue workshop inspired by the 'Shoes at the Door' exhibit at SNF Parkway Theatre, a talk with artists Christine Stiver and Dominic Terlizzi at SBM Gallery, and the CPM 5th anniversary show. The article also notes open submissions for BAD's Creative Placemaking RFQ and other opportunities.

Wallace Chan in Venice and Shanghai

Wallace Chan will present "Vessels of Other Worlds," a monumental dual-site exhibition across Venice and Shanghai in 2026, coinciding with his 70th birthday and the 61st Venice Biennale. The exhibition premieres on May 8, 2026, at the Chapel of Santa Maria della Pietà in Venice, featuring a new series of titanium sculptures inspired by the three sacred oils of the Catholic Church, with a parallel exhibition opening on July 18, 2026, at the Long Museum (West Bund) in Shanghai, where the sculptures will be displayed at a dramatically larger scale. Curated by James Putnam, the project also includes a complementary site-specific exhibition, "Mythos," at Scala Contarini del Bovolo in Venice from April to October 2026.

Yoo Young-kuk’s inner landscapes spotlighted in Seoul retrospective

The Seoul Museum of Art (SeMA) has opened its largest-ever retrospective of pioneering Korean abstract painter Yoo Young-kuk, titled "Yoo Youngkuk: A Mountain Within Me," marking the 110th anniversary of his birth. Running through Oct. 25 at SeMA's Seosomun branch, the exhibition brings together 178 works, including 115 oil paintings, drawings, photographs, archival materials, and previously unseen pieces, as well as BTS RM's collection "Mountain." Rather than a chronological format, the show begins in 1964—the year of Yoo's first solo exhibition—and moves backward and forward through time, highlighting his geometric compositions and bold primary colors inspired by the mountains and sea of his hometown Uljin.

“Edmonia Lewis: Said in Stone” Reconstructs a Life Across Fragments

Boston Art Review (BAR) has published an article titled “Edmonia Lewis: Said in Stone” that reconstructs the life of the 19th-century sculptor Edmonia Lewis across fragmented historical records. The piece examines Lewis’s career, her neoclassical marble works, and the challenges of piecing together her biography due to limited archival materials.

National Gallery takes art to town centres

The National Gallery is displaying high-quality reproductions of masterpieces by Claude Monet, Pablo Picasso, J.M.W. Turner, and Vincent van Gogh in town centres across the UK, starting with Croydon. The three-year initiative, called Art on Your Doorstep, places artworks in locations such as Croydon Minster and Queen’s Gardens, and will expand to Torquay, Derry, Birstall, and the Isle of Wight in 2026. Local residents help select the pieces and contribute creative responses, embedding the project within each community.

Taipei Fine Arts Museum unveils 'Surrealism: The World in Dialogue'

Taipei Fine Arts Museum (TFAM), in collaboration with the Institute for Cultural Exchange in Tübingen, Germany, has launched its major spring exhibition "Surrealism: The World in Dialogue." Featuring over 120 works by nearly 60 international artists, the exhibition marks a century since André Breton's 1924 "Surrealist Manifesto." It juxtaposes historical avant-garde works with contemporary practices, organized into sections such as "Collective Dreams," "Body of Desire," and "Absurd Play." Highlights include Yves Tanguy's dreamscapes, Lauren Moffatt's augmented reality installation, Max Ernst's scraping-method works, Patricia Piccinini's hybrid sculptures, and works by Man Ray, Meret Oppenheim, Sarah Lucas, Luis Buñuel, and Salvador Dalí.