Alexandria Biennale—third-oldest after Venice and São Paulo—announces return following 12-year hiatus

The Alexandria Biennale, the third-oldest biennial in the world after Venice and São Paulo, is relaunching in September 2026 after a 12-year hiatus. Curated by Egyptian artist Moataz Nasr under the title "This Too Shall Pass," the event will feature artists mainly from the Mediterranean basin, along with performances, music, and lectures. In a shift from its previous state-funded model, the biennial now operates as a private-public partnership, with seed money from the Egyptian and Alexandria governments and pledges from local businesses. The exhibition will take place at historic venues across Alexandria, including the Roman amphitheatre, the Alexandria Library, and the Qaitbay Citadel.

It's hard for green-themed art shows to garner credibility—the Helsinki Biennial deserves more than most

The Helsinki Biennial's third edition, titled "Shelter: Below and beyond, becoming and belonging," opens on Vallisaari Island, featuring 37 artists and collectives. Co-curated by Blanca de la Torre and Kati Kivinen, the biennial deliberately shifts focus away from humans, centering instead on flora, fauna, and the natural environment under the slogan "Non-humans first!" The event continues its founding commitment to carbon neutrality by 2030, employing measures like a carbon footprint calculator, promotion of slow travel, and rejection of artificial lighting to protect local bat populations.

‘Fearless exploration’: visionary Australian artist Janet Dawson gets her first retrospective aged 90

The Art Gallery of New South Wales (AGNSW) has opened 'Janet Dawson: Far Away, So Close,' the first-ever retrospective for Australian artist Janet Dawson, now aged 90. The exhibition spans over six decades of her career, from her teenage years at the National Gallery of Victoria Art School—where she was the only child student accepted by realist painter H. Septimus Power—through her abstract period in Europe, her defiant practice in conservative 1960s Melbourne, and her later retreat to rural NSW. The show includes major works, photos, and ephemera, arranged chronologically across four rooms, highlighting Dawson's evolution from tonal realism to abstraction and her 1973 Archibald Prize win for a portrait of her husband, theatre director Michael Boddy.

Christie’s celebrates the late Syrian artist Marwan with non-selling London show

Christie’s is presenting a non-selling exhibition titled "Marwan: A Soul in Exile" at its London headquarters this summer, featuring over 150 works by the late Syrian artist Marwan (1934-2016). The show draws from major private and institutional collections including the Barjeel Art Foundation, the Ramzi and Saeda Dalloul Art Foundation, the Pinault Collection, and the Berlinische Galerie. This marks Christie’s third such non-selling exhibition of Arab art in London over the past three summers, following shows focused on Arab artists from the Barjeel collection and Saudi artist Ahmed Mater. The exhibition coincides with Christie’s 25th anniversary in the UAE and a broader surge in the Middle Eastern art market, including a recent white-glove sale for its online Modern and contemporary Middle Eastern art auction in Dubai.

Taste test: artist-made desserts will be shown (and eaten) in New York gallery’s one-night exhibition

On Saturday, June 28, the Lower East Side gallery Olympia will host CAKE, a one-night exhibition and feast featuring desserts donated by dozens of New York-based artists, including Hannah Beerman, Mie Yim, Wells Chandler, Robin F. Williams, Hein Koh, and Melissa Joseph. The event functions as a fundraiser for the gallery and a participatory performance art piece, with tickets priced at $45. The gallery's founder and director, Ali Rossi, conceived the show as a community-centric alternative to typical summer group exhibitions, and all desserts will be photographed before consumption to preserve documentation.

Ahead of new fair in 2026, Qatar takes centre stage at Art Basel

Qatar is making a major push at Art Basel this week, highlighted by the announcement of Art Basel Qatar, a new fair launching in February 2026. Models of upcoming cultural venues, including the Herzog & de Meuron-designed Lusail Museum, are on display in the Collectors Lounge, while Qatar Airways has announced a global partnership with Art Basel. Sheikha Al-Mayassa bint Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani made a rare public appearance, speaking on a panel about the country's cultural ambitions and the role of art in addressing post-colonial identity and conflict.

Protection and Constraint are Two Sides of the Same Coin: An Exhibition in Rome Proves It

Protezione e costrizione sono due facce della stessa medaglia. Una mostra a Roma lo dimostra

The gallery Monti8 in Rome is hosting a group exhibition titled "The Bell Jar," co-curated by Massimiliano Maglione. Inspired by Sylvia Plath’s 1963 novel, the show features seven international artists—Camilla Alberti, Ruby Chen, Mounir Eddib, Stephen Buscemi, Naomi Hawksley, Steffen Kern, and Amber Wynne-Jones. The exhibition explores the dual nature of the glass bell jar as both a protective shield for precious objects and a suffocating barrier that isolates the subject from the world.

Meet Paris’s new art vanguard

The article profiles a new wave of artist-run spaces and independent art venues that have emerged in Paris over the past decade. It highlights collectives like Le Wonder, which began in 2013 and has moved through several post-industrial locations before settling in Bobigny in 2023, and DOC, founded by graduates of the École nationale supérieure d’art de Paris Cergy in 2015. Smaller initiatives such as Tonus, run by artist-graphic designers Jacent, and the bookstore-publisher After 8 Books, which grew out of the earlier space castillo/corrales, are also featured. The Anglo-French duo behind Goswell Road, Coralie Ruiz and Anthony Stephinson, round out the portrait of a decentralized, peer-driven ecosystem.

Fake Warhol, Haring and Banksy works seized in Italy

Des faux Warhol, Haring et Banksy saisis en Italie

Italian authorities have seized 143 counterfeit artworks attributed to Andy Warhol, Keith Haring, and Banksy. The works were on display in the exhibition "Pop to Street Art: Influences" in Reggio Calabria, Italy, and were provided on loan by a Belgian company. The carabinieri, in a transnational investigation extending to Liège, Belgium, identified the operation as part of a larger forgery network known as "Operation Cariatide." Eleven works remain under expert examination.

2026 Art Basel Award Winners Announced

Art Basel has unveiled the 33 medalists for its 2026 global honors program, recognizing a diverse group of artists, curators, and institutions. The selection highlights a strong Southeast Asian presence, including architect Kulapat Yantrasast and filmmaker Apichatpong Weerasethakul, alongside international figures like Laurie Anderson and Julie Mehretu. These awards celebrate practitioners across categories such as Emerging Artist, Established Artist, and Cross-Disciplinary Creator, with winners to be celebrated at the upcoming Basel fair in June.

sleep artist lee hadwin

Artist Lee Hadwin creates elaborate drawings and paintings while sleepwalking, with no memory of making them. His nocturnal creativity began at age four and intensified at 15 when he produced three pencil drawings of Marilyn Monroe overnight. Now based in London, Hadwin has made hundreds of works while asleep, selling them for $1,500 to $10,000 each. His art is currently featured in a sleep-themed exhibition in Albury, Australia, and he is working on a book titled *The Awakening*.

Sasaoka Yuriko’s Violent Puppeteering

The Shiga Museum of Art is hosting "Paradise Dungeon," a comprehensive exhibition of Sasaoka Yuriko’s video and sculptural works. The show traces the artist's career from her 2011 response to the Tōhoku earthquake to her latest large-scale installations, characterized by a "grotesque" aesthetic involving marionettes with digitally superimposed human faces. Her work utilizes mediated artifice—including fairground-style soundtracks, repurposed toys, and violent puppetry—to explore themes of consumption, sacrifice, and the dehumanizing nature of digital observation.

Immersive experience featuring ‘costumed folk’ shortlisted for world's biggest museum prize

Five British museums have been shortlisted for the 2025 Art Fund Museum of the Year, the world's largest museum prize. The finalists are Beamish, The Living Museum of the North in County Durham; Chapter arts centre in Cardiff; Compton Verney gallery in Warwickshire; Golden Thread Gallery in Belfast; and Perth Museum in Scotland. Beamish, a 55-year-old open-air museum, recently completed its "Remaking Beamish" project recreating a 1950s town with 32,000 community members. Perth Museum opened in March 2024 after a £27m renovation and houses the Stone of Destiny. The winner will be announced on 26 June at the Museum of Liverpool, receiving £120,000, while each of the other finalists gets £15,000.

Senior Art Exhibition 2026 Showcases the ‘Incredible Crossroads’ of Studio Art Majors

The Senior Art Exhibition 2026 at Colby College Museum of Art's Joan Dignam Schmaltz Gallery of Art in Waterville showcases capstone projects from 17 graduating studio art majors. The works span painting, photography, printmaking, digital media, and sculpture, created after a yearlong capstone course coordinated by Associate Professor Bradley Borthwick. The exhibition runs through May 23 and includes a catalog with artist statements and critical essays.

'To Paint Is To Love Again' at Crèvecoeur, Paris–Cascades, France on 9 Apr–27 May 2026

The group exhibition 'To Paint Is To Love Again' at Crèvecoeur gallery in Paris explores the theme of artistic freedom, play, and a childlike approach to creation. The article examines this through the lens of Henry Miller's writings on painting, the influence of Jean Dubuffet's Art Brut, and the practices of contemporary artists Whitney Clafin, Sadie Benning, and Françoise Lapeyre, who incorporate found objects, toys, and a 'Sunday painter' ethos into their work.

ukraine russia icom expulsion open letter

A group of arts professionals, including art historian Konstantin Akinsha and Francesca Thyssen Bornemisza, has published an open letter in Le Monde calling for the International Council of Museums (ICOM) to expel Russia for violating its code of ethics. The group threatens to take ICOM to court in France if it fails to act, citing Russia's systematic erasure of Ukraine's cultural identity since the 2022 invasion, including looting of museum collections and destruction of cultural sites documented by UNESCO. Signatories demand the exclusion of ICOM Russia and Russian museum staff involved in looting, and seek either negotiation or legal proceedings in a French court.

In Venice, Su Xiaobai will fill a historic palazzo with works crafted in natural lacquer

Artist Su Xiaobai will present a major solo exhibition titled "Alchemical Universe" at the Palazzo Soranzo Van Axel as an official Collateral Event of the 61st Venice Biennale. Curated by Stephen Little of LACMA, the show features 35 works spanning two decades, highlighting Su’s transition from oil painting to the mastery of natural lacquer. The exhibition includes his latest series, "Niao Niao," which utilizes mineral and metallic powders to create monochromatic, ethereal surfaces that emphasize material spontaneity over rigid artistic control.

How China’s private museums are navigating a post-boom era

China's private museum sector, which boomed in the 2010s with hundreds of new institutions often tied to property developments or vanity projects, is now contracting. Notable closures include Guangzhou's Times Museum (shuttered in 2022, later relaunched as a project space), OCAT Shanghai (closed indefinitely in 2021), and Qingdao's TAG Museum (suspended operations in 2024). Other prominent museums like Sifang Art Museum, Yinchuan MoCA, and Shanghai MoCA have scaled back, while Long Museum's future appeared uncertain after its owners auctioned part of their collection. The downturn follows the collapse of China's property sector, Covid-19 restrictions, and a broader economic slump.

Affordable Art Fair Hampstead Returns

The Affordable Art Fair is returning to Hampstead Heath in London from May 6th to 10th, featuring over 100 galleries and more than 1,000 artworks. A key highlight is the inaugural 'Ceramics Unbound' exhibition, curated by Caroline Jackman, showcasing 27 boundary-pushing ceramic artists, including featured programme artist Sara Dodd. The fair also includes curated displays like 'Heath & Heart' and 'Finds Under £500,' outdoor painting workshops, evening 'Summer Lates' events with music, and family-friendly activities including a children's art competition.

Jack White’s first visual art show to open in London this spring

Musician Jack White is set to debut his first solo visual art exhibition, titled ‘These Thoughts May Disappear’, at Damien Hirst’s Newport Street Gallery in London. Running from May 29 to September 13, the show will feature a diverse array of mediums including sculpture, furniture design, and large-scale installations, many of which are constructed from reclaimed industrial materials and hardware remnants.

In with the bold: the new players igniting Hong Kong art week

Hong Kong’s art week is shifting from a post-pandemic recovery phase to a more exploratory period defined by innovative fringe events. A standout newcomer is the Central Yards Edible Art Fair, a 20,000-square-foot immersive experience at the Central Harbourfront that blends art history with culinary treats. The fair features ten zones themed after major movements like Impressionism and Surrealism, including a neo-pop installation where visitors can win jelly balloon dogs inspired by Jeff Koons.

Mandopop Icon Jay Chou Curates Two Dazzling Sales of Art and Memorabilia

Taiwanese Mandopop superstar Jay Chou has curated two simultaneous auctions on Pharrell Williams's platform Joopiter: one featuring 14 personal memorabilia items from his three-decade career, and another titled "The Contemporary Take: A Look With Jay Chou" offering 25 paintings and prints by international artists. Highlights include works by Oscar Yi Hou, Young-il Ahn, Daniel Richter, Hajime Sorayama, Diane Dal-Pra, Ernie Barnes, and Yoshitomo Nara. Bidding closes on October 31 for the art sale and November 4 for the memorabilia. Proceeds from the memorabilia sale will support a charitable initiative backed by Chou.

An artist told the incredible story of a Calabrian village that no longer exists. The interview

Un artista ha raccontato l’incredibile storia di un borgo della Calabria che non c’è più. L’intervista

Italian artist Martin Errichiello has created [campanamuta], a six-part audio work broadcast on RAI Radio 3's Zazà program in late 2025 and now available on RaiPlay Sound. The piece tells the story of Eranova, a farming community founded in 1896 near Reggio Calabria that was destroyed by 1980 after the Christian Democratic party planned—but never built—a steel center on its land, now the site of the Port of Gioia Tauro. Errichiello weaves together interviews with former residents and his own original texts, using non-linear narration to explore the village's utopian origins and forced disappearance.

Art and politics: to take a stand or not? Nine artists and curators respond

Arte e politica: bisogna esporsi o no? Rispondono in 9 tra artisti e curatori

Nove tra artisti e curatori italiani rispondono alla domanda se l'arte debba esporsi politicamente, in un articolo pubblicato su Artribune. Marco Trulli, responsabile Cultura Arci e curatore, sostiene che l'arte non possa prescindere dal contesto storico e geopolitico, e che il mondo dell'arte debba mettere in discussione le connessioni tra istituzioni culturali, guerre e violenze sistemiche. Gabi Scardi, curatrice, rifiuta la categoria di 'arte politica' e invita gli artisti ad agire politicamente, citando esempi di padiglioni nazionali alla Biennale di Venezia (Turchia 2017, Israele 2015) come modelli di critica radicale dall'interno. Un altro contributo, legato al progetto 'Francesco 2026' per il Padiglione Internet a Venezia, propone una regola etica: l'arte deve minimizzare il danno alle persone più vulnerabili.

The Biomorphic Sculptures of Alma Allen in the U.S. Pavilion at the 2026 Venice Art Biennale (Amid Controversy)

Le sculture biomorfiche di Alma Allen nel Padiglione USA alla Biennale d’Arte di Venezia 2026 (tra le polemiche)

Alma Allen, a self-taught American sculptor, has been selected to represent the United States at the 61st Venice Biennale in 2026 with the exhibition "Call Me the Breeze." The pavilion, curated by Jeffrey Uslip, will feature site-specific biomorphic sculptures that explore the concept of "elevation" through a hybrid creative process combining pre-industrial carving and hand-modeling with advanced robotic sculpting. Works will incorporate local American materials such as walnut burl, Cantera green volcanic rock, and Yule marble from Colorado, and the pavilion is tied to America250, the celebration of the 250th anniversary of the U.S. Declaration of Independence.

Indian art is having its breakout moment. Here's who's driving it

Three record-breaking auctions in New York and Mumbai have vaulted Indian modern art into global headlines. At Christie’s New York, M.F. Husain’s *Gram Yatra* sold for ₹118 crore, the highest price ever for an Indian artwork. Tyeb Mehta’s *Trussed Bull* fetched ₹61.8 crore at Saffronart’s Mumbai sale, nearly nine times its high estimate, while Jagdish Swaminathan’s *Homage to Solzhenitsyn* crossed ₹39 crore at Sotheby’s New York. Together, these sales raked in over ₹220 crore.

A Persian Garden Blooms on Governors Island

Artist Bahar Behbahani organized a four-hour event called "Damask Rose: A Gathering" on Governors Island, transforming three shallow fountains with handwoven carpets and crocheted canopies. The gathering featured West African musical improvisation, Kurdish poetry, a cyanotype workshop, and communal activities like hair braiding and tea ceremonies, involving over two dozen community groups including the Asia Contemporary Art Forum and Eat Offbeat. The event was part of Governors Island Arts's annual Interventions series, curated with associate curator Juan Pablo Siles.

vanessa horabuena trump painter

Vanessa Horabuena, a Christian speed painter known for her rapid, faith-driven artworks, made headlines after a $2.75 million charity art auction with President Donald Trump on New Year's Eve at Mar-a-Lago. Horabuena, who sells original paintings for $15,000 to $40,000, creates what she calls 'worship paintings' in front of live audiences, blending art, prayer, and dance. She has also promoted conspiracy theories, including denying the moon landing and questioning the Earth's shape.

curtis yarvin venice biennale

Far-right political blogger Curtis Yarvin has floated a proposal to take over the U.S. pavilion at the Venice Biennale with an "art ho"–themed exhibition centered on Titian's painting *The Rape of Europa* (1559–62). Yarvin discussed the idea in a New Yorker profile and promoted it in a YouTube video, which includes AI-generated imagery and a fake press release. He also reportedly rented a flat near Art Basel in Switzerland to host a party announcing the proposal. The article dismisses the initiative as a troll and a bid for MAGA cultural credibility, noting its lack of real momentum or institutional backing.

art mamadou abou catherine sarr collectors

Chicago-based collectors Mamadou-Abou and Catherine Sarr discuss their art collection, which spans works from West Africa, France, and the U.S., in an interview with Cultured. The couple, an investor and a jewelry designer, share how their collection began with Mamadou-Abou's discovery of contemporary African photography and emphasize a patient, conviction-driven approach to acquiring art. They also detail the SARR Prize, an initiative supporting emerging France-based artists with cash awards and a residency at Villa Albertine in Chicago.