Time as Witness: Ai Weiwei at Nature Morte

Ai Weiwei has launched his first major solo exhibition in India at Nature Morte gallery in New Delhi, timed to coincide with the India Art Fair 2026. The show features a range of works spanning three decades, including his signature large-scale Lego compositions and porcelain sculptures. Notably, the artist debuted new pieces that engage specifically with Indian art history, reimagining works by modernists SH Raza and VS Gaitonde, as well as traditional Rajasthani Pichwai paintings, through his modular toy-brick medium.

Ai Weiwei's first solo show in India features a Pichwai in his iconic toy-brick style

Globally renowned conceptual artist Ai Weiwei has opened his first solo exhibition in India at the Nature Morte gallery in New Delhi. The show, presented in collaboration with Galleria Continua, features his iconic toy-brick canvases, including new commissions inspired by Indian modernist painters like Raza and Gaitonde, and a unique LEGO-brick interpretation of a traditional Pichwai painting. Other works address themes of migration, history, and censorship through mediums like Neolithic stone axes, porcelain urns, and repurposed furniture.

Heavy in more ways than one: Confederate statues hit the road for Los Angeles exhibition

The exhibition "Monuments" opens this week at the Museum of Contemporary Art (Moca) and the Brick in Los Angeles, featuring decommissioned Confederate statues alongside contemporary artworks. The show includes a double monument of Robert E. Lee and Stonewall Jackson on loan from Baltimore, which required road closures and careful logistics to install, as well as works by Kara Walker, Hank Willis Thomas, and Karon Davis that recontextualize these symbols of white supremacy. Curators Hamza Walker, Bennett Simpson, and Kara Walker collaborated on the exhibition, which runs from October 23 through May 3, 2026.

Another gallery gone: Anderson-Brickler space closes after 9 years on Adams Street

Dr. Celeste Hart, a Tallahassee endocrinologist and daughter of the late Dr. A.D. Brickler, is closing the Anderson-Brickler Gallery after nine years on Adams Street. Opened in 2016, the gallery focused on Modern and Contemporary artists of the African Diaspora, hosting exhibitions by artists such as Joe Roache, Romare Bearden, and Kabuya Bowens-Saffo, as well as lectures, workshops, and thesis shows for Florida State University fine arts students. The space will be taken over by Stan J. Johnson, a professional photographer and FAMU professor, who plans to rename the gallery and continue exhibiting paintings while expanding into spoken word and music.

‘Maintenance Artist’ Highlights Mierle Laderman Ukeles’ Radical, Caring Approach to Public Art

A new documentary titled 'Maintenance Artist,' premiering at the Tribeca Film Festival, profiles New York City artist Mierle Laderman Ukeles, who has served as artist-in-residence at the city's Department of Sanitation since 1977. The film traces her radical practice, which began with her 1969 'Manifesto for Maintenance Art' and includes performances like 'Touch Sanitation Performance' (1980), where she shook hands with all 8,500 sanitation workers, thanking each for keeping the city alive. Ukeles' work elevates overlooked labor—trash collection, street-cleaning—as a form of public art.

Jenny Holzer and Arthur Jafa among nominees for Art Basel Awards 2026.

Art Basel has announced the 33 nominees for the second edition of the Art Basel Awards, held in partnership with the fashion brand BOSS. The diverse shortlist features high-profile contemporary artists such as Jenny Holzer, Arthur Jafa, and Barbara Kruger, alongside multidisciplinary figures including architect Kulapat Yantrasast and critic Hilton Als.

art charles porch instagram art collecting

Charles Porch, VP of Global Partnerships for Instagram, moved from Venice Beach to a historic West Village brownstone in 2020. He enlisted sculptor-turned-designer Jed Lind to renovate the property, blending vintage furnishings with contemporary artworks collected from emerging artists. The home features pieces by Pierre Augustin Rose, Michael O’Connell, and artworks by Whitney Bedford, Robert Natkin, and Brett Cody Rogers. Porch later married Robert Denning, a philanthropist on the Met’s Board of Trustees, and the couple has since moved to a Chelsea space, combining their collections.

Italy’s Uffizi Hit by Cyberattack, Says Security Wasn’t Compromised

The Uffizi Galleries in Florence suffered a significant cyberattack in February, with hackers reportedly stealing access codes, internal maps, CCTV camera information, and the institution's entire photographic archive. The attackers issued a ransom demand to director Simone Verde. In response, the museum moved valuable jewels to the Bank of Italy, sealed emergency exits at the Palazzo Pitti with bricks, and closed a section of the palace, though it attributes some actions to planned renovations and fire-safety compliance.

With Nearly 30,000 Clay Earth Bricks, Dana Awartani Remakes History in the Saudi Arabia Pavilion

Dana Awartani, a Jeddah- and New York-based artist of mixed Palestinian, Saudi, Jordanian, and Syrian descent, has created the Saudi Arabia Pavilion at the Venice Biennale using nearly 30,000 clay earth bricks. The installation, titled "May your tears never dry, you who weep over stones," replicates traditional mosaic motifs sourced from over 20 cultural heritage sites across the Arab world that have been destroyed by human conflict. Awartani emphasizes collaboration, crediting numerous skilled craftsmen—economic migrants to Saudi Arabia—who worked alongside her, and her practice blends formal training at Central St. Martins with Islamic geometry and illumination studies in Turkey.

250-Year-Old Kiln Discovered on Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello Estate

Archaeologists at Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello estate have unearthed a 250-year-old kiln used to fire bricks for the plantation’s original construction. Located on the East Lawn just feet from the main house, the site was identified through the discovery of specialized curved bricks, including cyma-shaped and ovolo-molded specimens. These architectural details confirm the kiln dates back to the "Monticello I" period (1768–1782), as these specific water table features were omitted during Jefferson’s later 18th-century renovations.

Long Live the King?

Sam Jacob's essay in ArtReview uses the upcoming Baz Luhrmann film 'EPIC: Elvis Presley in Concert' (2026) as a springboard to explore the cultural and technical implications of digital restoration. The film, a spinoff from Luhrmann's 2022 Elvis biopic, draws on 59 hours of previously unseen footage from Elvis Presley's 1970 and 1972 Las Vegas performances, recovered from Warner's Kansas salt-mine archive. Using Peter Jackson's Park Road Post technology—including Machine Assisted Learning (MAL) for demixing audio and video—the damaged, fragmented material has been digitally scanned, reconstructed, and enhanced to 4k resolution with 12-channel sound, presented in IMAX cinemas.

HistoryMiami rebrands as Museum of Miami, a ‘museum without walls’

HistoryMiami, the historical museum of South Florida, has rebranded as the Museum of Miami, adopting a 'museum without walls' concept. The change reflects a shift away from a traditional brick-and-mortar institution toward a more flexible, community-engaged model that will operate across various locations and digital platforms throughout Miami.

'Cigars!' exhibit at Florida Museum of Photographic Arts captures a fading history

The Florida Museum of Photographic Arts has launched "Cigars! Photography, Industry and Identity," a new exhibition by local photographer Zack Wittman. The show documents the architectural remnants of Tampa’s historic cigar industry, which once boasted over 200 factories but has dwindled to approximately 25 standing brick buildings. Through a collaboration with the J.C. Newman Cigar Company, Wittman captured both preserved and derelict structures that define the unique personality of Ybor City.

What To Expect at the Denver Museum of Nature and Science’s New Brick Planet Exhibition

The Denver Museum of Nature and Science has opened "Brick Planet: A Magical Journey Made With LEGO® Bricks," a temporary exhibition by award-winning Lego artist Sean Kenney. Featuring 1.5 million bricks, the show includes life-size animal sculptures like a polar bear, a ruby-throated hummingbird, and a Galapagos tortoise, along with interactive elements such as a "Mystery Mosaic." Kenney, a former Lego Masters guest judge, has toured his Lego exhibitions globally since 2012, with this installation emphasizing nature and environmental responsibility.

Newport Art Museum opens tennis-themed exhibition featuring artist-athletes

The Newport Art Museum will open "THE COURT: Art in Play" on September 24, an exhibition featuring works by seven artists who also compete in court tennis, the historic precursor to modern tennis. Organized by artist and court tennis champion Frederika Adam, the show runs through April 2026 at the Historic Griswold House and includes animation, book art, painting, photography, and memorabilia. Items from the International Tennis Hall of Fame’s permanent collection are displayed alongside the artists’ works.

7 new art and culture books in bookstores. Maps of the present: between art, work, memory and forms of perception

7 nuovi libri d’arte e cultura in libreria. Mappe del presente: tra arte, lavoro, memoria e forme della percezione

This article from Artribune presents a curated selection of seven new art and culture books recently released in Italy. The featured titles range from a theoretical lexicon for 21st-century arts edited by Nicolas Martino, which redefines key terms like 'author,' 'AI,' and 'care,' to a poetic pop-up book by Japanese designer Katsumi Komagata titled 'Piccolo Albero,' which uses paper engineering to narrate the cycle of life. Other works explore themes of labor, memory, domestic space (Giorgio Morandi), inner labyrinths (Andrea Bocconi), and direct testimony from Gaza, all aiming to provide new frameworks for understanding a fractured present.

Weekend of Art, Artists and Open Studios in Riebeek Valley

Solo Studios returns to the Riebeek Valley from October 24 to 26, 2025, featuring over 60 artists opening their studios in Riebeek Kasteel and Riebeek West. The weekend includes curated exhibitions such as LANDscape[s] at Die Kunshuis, showcasing works from Modern Art Projects South Africa (MAPSA), and a display of Ardmore Ceramics at EcoPlace, a home built from recycled materials. Other highlights include Red Hot, Pink Spot, a group show of 13 female artists from Kommetjie, and FEAST, a Porterville artist exhibition. Talks on art collecting and live music complement the open studios.

2026 Future Fair: Everything You Need To Know About the Art Fair Before It Opens Next Month

Future Fair, a contemporary art fair focused on community and emerging talent, will hold its sixth edition at Chelsea Industrial in New York from May 14 to 16, 2026. The fair brings together nearly 70 exhibitors, including brick-and-mortar galleries, artist-run initiatives, and collaborative platforms from nine countries, with nearly half hailing from the New York tri-state area. Highlights include the return of the Pay-It-Forward Fund, which allocates 15% of annual profits as grants to participating galleries and dealers, and a VIP preview day on May 13.

Colosseum Facelift Restores Ancient Southern Entrance to Its Former Glory

Rome’s Colosseum has unveiled a major four-year restoration of its southern entrance, a project led by Stefano Boeri Interiors in collaboration with the Colosseum Archaeological Park. The renovation lowered the surrounding piazza to its original Roman-era height, reintroduced travertine flooring sourced from ancient quarries, and installed seating blocks that mark the locations of long-lost marble columns. During the excavation process, archaeologists recovered a wealth of historical artifacts, including ancient coins, statues, and gold jewelry, while leaving a specific section untouched to showcase the arena's complex hydraulic foundations.

art udo kittelmann julia stoschek los angeles

German curator Udo Kittelmann and leading time-based art collector Julia Stoschek have collaborated on "What a Wonderful World," an audiovisual poem on view at Los Angeles's Variety Arts Theater from February 6 through March 20. The project interweaves early film entries by Alice Guy-Blaché, Georges Méliès, and Walt Disney with contemporary video works from Stoschek's collection, featuring artists such as Lu Yang, Bunny Rogers, and Paul Chan. Kittelmann and Stoschek insist the work is not an exhibition but a "poem," designed to challenge how audiences consume art and moving images, urging viewers to move beyond entertainment toward a raw, emotional experience.

Myth, Masks, and LEGO: Ekow Nimako’s Elaborate Afrofuturistic Sculptures

Ghanaian-Canadian artist Ekow Nimako creates intricate Afrofuturistic sculptures using exclusively black LEGO bricks. His work explores African diaspora mythology, folklore, and cultural phenomena, with recent series drawing inspiration from ceremonial masks, interstellar travel, and geometric forms.

Ccucu Gall-Art – The Brickell Key Gallery aka B K G -Makes History as the First Art Gallery on Brickell Key, Opening on March 13th with a Solo Exhibition by Ricardo Garcia… Inspired by the Old Masters

The Brickell Key Gallery (BKG), also known as Ccucu Gall-Art, is set to make history as the first art gallery to open on Miami’s Brickell Key. The inaugural event, scheduled for March 13th, features a solo exhibition by artist Ricardo Garcia, whose contemporary works are heavily influenced by the techniques and aesthetics of the Old Masters.

Serpentine announces 25th pavilion artists—and anniversary project honouring Zaha Hadid

The Serpentine Gallery in London has announced that Mexican architecture studio Lanza Atelier, founded by Isabel Abascal and Alessandro Arienzo, will design the 25th Serpentine Pavilion, titled "a serpentine," on view from June 6 to October 25. The pavilion draws inspiration from the English crinkle-crankle wall, featuring a translucent roof, brick columns, and a winding outdoor bench. To mark the anniversary, the Serpentine is collaborating with the Zaha Hadid Foundation on a dedicated architecture program at Serpentine South, exploring Hadid's legacy and contemporary architectural issues. The project is sponsored by Goldman Sachs, which has supported the pavilion for 12 years.

Eye on Art: Whistler House hosts 200th Anniversary of Lowell Exhibition

The Whistler House Museum of Art is launching a special exhibition to commemorate the 200th anniversary of Lowell, Massachusetts. Running from April 18 to June 20, the show features a diverse array of media—including painting, sculpture, and photography—created by members of the Lowell Art Association, Inc. The works focus on the city’s identity as the cradle of the American Industrial Revolution, capturing its historic textile mills, urban landscapes, and cultural heritage.

Summer at the Pearl Fincher Museum: Fun for the whole family starts June 13

The Pearl Fincher Museum of Fine Arts announces its 2026 summer programming, including Summer Art Camps for ages 5 to 13 running June 16 through July 31, with weekly themes such as "Color World" and "Kinetic Canvas." The museum will also open two exhibitions on June 13: "Chromatica: A World in Color" in the Main Gallery, organized like a color wheel with works from Texas and beyond, and "Fragments, Remnants, and Remains" by artist Curtis Gannon in the Cole Gallery. Additional activities include a Maker Space, Wild Art Wednesdays, and a free artist talk by children's author and illustrator Steven Weinberg on June 19.

Frustrated by Chicago's Jewish institutions, anti-Zionist artists are forming their own Jewish cultural center

Anti-Zionist Jewish artists in Chicago, led by Gabriel Chalfin-Piney-González, founded the Jewish Museum of Chicago in 2023 as a decentralized cultural center without a permanent physical space. The initiative emerged from frustration with the lack of a Jewish museum in the city and a desire to create a welcoming community for anti-Zionist Jews, especially galvanized by the war in Gaza. The museum has since hosted over a dozen exhibitions and events, including a Liberation Seder and an artists collective, and is planning a brick-and-mortar space.

Lucas Museum of Narrative Art Announces 'Star Wars In Motion' As Part of Inaugural Cinema Exhibition

The Lucas Museum of Narrative Art has announced details of its inaugural Cinema exhibition, titled 'Star Wars In Motion,' set to open on September 22. Curated by George Lucas and Mellody Hobson, the exhibition will feature vehicle designs, props, costumes, and illustrations from the first six Star Wars films, including Luke's Landspeeder and General Grievous's Wheel Bike. The museum, located at Exposition Park in Los Angeles, will launch with over 30 installations tracing visual storytelling from ancient sculptures to modern cinema, drawing from a founding collection of more than 40,000 works.

[Interview] Framing Space Through the Human Experience: Michael Najjar x Samsung Art Store

German artist and future astronaut Michael Najjar has partnered with the Samsung Art Store to feature his work "europa" (2016) as part of the Art Basel Hong Kong 2026 Collection. Najjar, who is scheduled to become the first contemporary artist in space via a 2027 Virgin Galactic flight, uses his practice to explore the intersection of technology, space exploration, and human ambition. The collaboration allows his large-scale digital constructions to be displayed on Samsung Art TVs, bridging the gap between the physical art fair and domestic environments.

Museum of Contemporary Art Los Angeles acquires Kara Walker sculpture made from dissected Confederate monument

The Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA) Los Angeles has acquired "Unmanned Drone" (2023), a significant bronze sculpture by Kara Walker. The work was created by dissecting and reassembling a decommissioned 1921 monument of Confederate General Stonewall Jackson, which was removed from Charlottesville, Virginia, following the 2017 "Unite the Right" rally. The acquisition was announced alongside more than 150 other new additions to the museum's permanent collection, including major works by Cynthia Daignault and Paul Pfeiffer.

The Big Review | Monuments, The Geffen Contemporary at Moca and The Brick, Los Angeles ★★★★★

A major exhibition titled 'Monuments' is on view at two Los Angeles venues, The Geffen Contemporary at Moca and The Brick. The show places nine decommissioned Confederate monuments, some already defaced, into dialogue with works by 19 contemporary artists, most of whom are Black. The centerpiece is Kara Walker's 'Unmanned Drone' (2023), a radical reworking of a removed statue of Confederate general Stonewall Jackson, which occupies its own venue at The Brick.