FLESH, FREQUENCY, FLIGHT: Acra’s Angels descend on the ICA

The Institute of Contemporary Arts (ICA) in London is hosting 'Angels', a new exhibition of paintings by the multidisciplinary Venezuelan artist Arca. Returning to the venue where she gave her first live vocal performance over a decade ago, Arca presents a series of works created with paint, marker, and mixed media. These pieces explore themes of instability and transformation, featuring fluid forms that hover between figuration and abstraction.

German Provocateur Artist Sentenced to 8.5 Years in Prison in Russia After Mocking Putin

German carnival float artist Jacques Tilly has been sentenced in absentia to 8.5 years in a Russian prison. A Moscow court convicted him on charges of spreading false information about the Russian military and insulting religious feelings due to his satirical floats depicting President Vladimir Putin, including one showing Putin in a blood-filled bathtub painted like the Ukrainian flag.

Cledie Taylor, Detroit’s ‘First Lady’ of Art Exhibition and Education, Dies at 100

Cledie Taylor, a pioneering Detroit artist, gallerist, and educator who championed the city's Black artisans and shaped its art curriculum, has died at the age of 100. Born in Arkansas in 1926, she moved to Detroit as a child and became a central figure in the local art scene, co-founding the influential artist collective Arts Extended in the 1950s.

The Cost of Love: Rugby Art Museum and Gallery presents joint exhibition by artists Charlie Kirkham and Robert Walker

Artists Charlie Kirkham and Robert Walker are set to debut a joint exhibition titled "The Cost of Love" at the Rugby Art Gallery and Museum this May. The showcase features contemporary paintings that reimagine classical mythological figures—such as Narcissus, Apollo, and Adonis—to explore psychological themes of desire, transformation, and vulnerability. While both artists maintain a focus on technical rigor and the human figure, the works shift away from traditional storytelling to focus on the emotional tensions of modern life.

Jennie Jieun Lee Transforms Community-Sourced Kilns into Sculptural Installations

Artist Jennie Jieun Lee has unveiled a series of new sculptural installations that utilize community-sourced kilns as their primary medium. By repurposing these industrial tools into expressive, ceramic-based works, Lee explores the intersection of domestic labor, communal history, and the physical transformation of clay.

Student Artists Explore Identity, Love in ‘Searching for Meaning’ Art Exhibit at New Providence Memorial Library

High school seniors Olivia Dai and Maggie Liu debuted their joint exhibition, "Gen-Z: Searching for Meaning," at the New Providence Memorial Library. The show features a diverse range of media, including painting, mixed media, and experimental video, focusing on the specific anxieties and hopes of the current generation. Works such as "Doom Scrolling" and "Normalcy" tackle themes of digital addiction, academic pressure, and identity formation.

UAE pavilion announces Venice Biennale exhibition inspired by Arabic word for whispering

The National Pavilion UAE has unveiled details for its exhibition at the 2026 Venice Biennale, titled "Washwasha." Curated by Bana Kattan with assistant curator Tala Nassar, the show features six artists—Mays Albaik, Jawad Al Malhi, Farah Al Qasimi, Alaa Edris, Lamya Gargash, and Taus Makhacheva—whose works explore contemporary soundscapes, memory, and transformation in the UAE. The exhibition will be housed in a pavilion designed by Buro Koray Duman Architects, featuring a series of chambers that transition from intimate listening spaces to areas of sonic overlap.

The language of termites: Liss Fenwick’s The Colony – in pictures

Artist Liss Fenwick has created a photobook titled 'The Colony' by feeding a collection of historical Australian novels, described as 'settler fan fiction,' to a colony of termites. The insects consumed the books over several years, leaving behind hollowed, sculptural remains that Fenwick photographed. The resulting work documents this process of organic transformation, where the physical texts are digested and reshaped.

The Vienna Climate Biennale Contrasts Chaos with Hope

The Vienna Climate Biennale, an art festival addressing ecological, social, and political crises, has opened with a focus on sparking dialogue and encouraging audiences to envision a better future. The event contrasts themes of chaos with hope, using contemporary art to engage visitors in critical conversations about climate change and societal transformation.

In Turin, a Confrontation Between Masters: The Exhibition of Beato Angelico and Bartholomeus Spranger

A Torino c’è un confronto tra maestri: la mostra di Beato Angelico e Bartholomeus Spranger

The Musei Reali in Turin has unveiled a specialized study exhibition titled "Beato Angelico negli occhi di Bartholomeus Spranger," which brings together two versions of the Last Judgment. The show features the return of Beato Angelico’s "Madonna of Humility" to Turin, accompanied by his "Last Judgment" on loan from the Museo di San Marco in Florence. This masterpiece is displayed alongside a later interpretation of the same subject by the Flemish Mannerist Bartholomeus Spranger, painted over a century later.

Two spectacular libraries are under construction in Milan: photos of the construction sites

A Milano sono in costruzione due spettacolari biblioteche: le foto dei cantieri

Milan is currently undergoing a significant cultural transformation with the construction of two major public libraries: the European Library of Information and Culture (BEIC) and the Lorenteggio Library. The BEIC, a massive 30,000-square-meter project designed by Onsitestudio and funded by the PNRR, is rising in the Porta Vittoria district as a national-level cultural hub. Meanwhile, the Lorenteggio Library, designed by a team led by Grau Magaña Urtzi, is taking shape in a strategic suburban area to provide essential community services and social integration.

Biennale Tecnologia Begins in Turin: Five Days of Theater, Performance, Artificial Intelligence, and Distorted Futures

A Torino inizia la Biennale Tecnologia. Cinque giorni tra teatro, performance, intelligenze artificiali e futuri distorti

The Biennale Tecnologia has launched in Turin, featuring over 120 events across 20 venues, including lectures, exhibitions, and a significant performing arts program. The festival utilizes theater and audiovisual performances to translate complex technological themes—such as artificial intelligence, environmental infrastructure, and ethics—into accessible narratives. Key highlights include Marco Paolini’s exploration of the Po River at OGR Torino and the play 'Retrofuturo,' which uses a comedic time-travel premise to critique societal reliance on algorithms.

The concept of 'Italian Capital of Culture' needs a rethink

Il concetto di “Capitale Italiana della cultura” avrebbe bisogno di un ripensamento

Ancona has been named the Italian Capital of Culture for 2028, a decision that was widely anticipated but has sparked debate regarding the selection process. While Ancona’s proposal was praised for its depth and quality, critics point out that nine out of the ten shortlisted cities are led by center-right mayors, raising concerns about political influence and the independence of the evaluation commission.

Artists sought for binational Border Biennial art exhibit

The El Paso Museum of Art (EPMA) and the Museo de Arte de Ciudad Juárez (MACJ) have launched an open call for the eighth edition of the Border Biennial/Bienal Fronteriza. Scheduled to open in September 2026, the exhibition invites artists living within 300 miles of the El Paso-Juárez border to submit works under the theme "Imagining the Border." This iteration will expand its scope to include multi-sensory art, poetry, and spoken word, with 30 selected artists displaying works across both international venues.

In Salento c’è una residenza che mette gli artisti in contatto con territorio e storia della Puglia. Intervista

In Casamassella, in the heart of Salento, Red Lab Gallery's residency program has produced "Chiedete al vento, all’onda, alla stella, all’uccello," a project by artists Agata Ferrari Bravo and Thomas Michael Saccuman with an intervention by Flavio Favelli, curated by Leonardo Regano. The centerpiece is a large bird-cart, a hybrid sculpture and performative device made from papier-mâché, fragments of festive lights, and objects collected from the local area, designed to be disassembled and reactivated. Favelli's installation transforms decommissioned luminarie into a suspended environment that amplifies the work's ambiguous, almost ritualistic quality.

Portland artist Ami Maki debuts body-positive ‘Obese Landscapes’ exhibit at Multnomah Arts Center

Portland-based artist Ami Maki has unveiled her latest exhibition, "Obese Landscapes," at the Multnomah Arts Center. The showcase features eight large-scale charcoal drawings, some reaching seven feet in height, that draw visual parallels between the human form and natural topographies like rolling hills and rock formations. By utilizing earth tones and monumental scale, Maki seeks to reframe bodies often marginalized by societal beauty standards as majestic, natural environments.

Mint Museum exhibit reimagines feminine form as art

The Mint Museum Uptown is set to debut "Mint to Be: The Feminine Body as Costume Art" on May 1, an exhibition that explores the feminine form through the lens of fashion and identity. Curated by Professor Perrine DeShield-Jenkins, the showcase serves as a Met Gala–inspired experience featuring interactive narratives, photo activations, and a high-stakes runway competition where 20 Charlotte-based designers will vie for a $1,000 prize for couture that best reimagines the body as a living canvas.

Still We Rise: Art Behind the Walls Exhibit at Fort Frederik Museum

The Fort Frederik Museum in St. Croix has unveiled "Still We Rise: Art Behind the Walls," an exhibition showcasing original works created by incarcerated individuals at the John A. Bell Correctional Facility. The collection features a variety of media, most notably locally sourced calabash gourds that have been transformed into intricate cultural vessels. Developed through a volunteer-led art and literacy program, the show highlights the personal narratives and creative growth of participants who used the project as a vehicle for self-reflection.

25/8 Art Gallery – when blue meets blue

Artist Joanna Tam's solo exhibition "when blue meets blue" opened at the 25/8 Art Gallery on April 13, 2026. The show, presented in partnership with the Harvard Square Business Association and Intercontinental Management, features photographic works and installations exploring the ocean and sky as motifs tied to migration, memory, and the complex duality of nature. Tam, who grew up in Hong Kong and moved to the US, draws from personal experience to create a space for meditation on comfort, freedom, trauma, and tension.

Rebirth art exhibition celebrates spring and new beginnings

Heart Café and Church in Liverpool is hosting an art exhibition titled 'Rebirth' until May 3rd. Curated by café employee Emily Blackmore, the show features 25 works by 21 local artists, interpreting themes of spring and new beginnings. It opened on Good Friday to align with ideas of spiritual transformation.

New exhibition in Torre del Mar explores the art of calligraphy

Calligraphy artist Gema Martínez has opened a new solo exhibition titled 'Evocâre' at the tourist information office in Torre del Mar on Spain's Costa del Sol. The exhibition presents a series of works that use distorted, superimposed, and invented calligraphic signs to explore the mechanisms of memory, transforming personal recollections into visual, often illegible, writing.

"Adorata: The Path of Enlovement" art exhibition and book debut in Phoenix

Rogue Valley artist and spiritual teacher Tiziana DellaRovere has launched a multi-media exhibition and book debut titled "Adorata: The Path of Enlovement" at the Langford Art Gallery in Phoenix, Oregon. The project features a collection of sculptures, paintings, and an illustrated book that explores the divine feminine through the figure of Mother Mary, focusing on themes of compassion and introspection.

Dittmar Gallery presents community art exhibition ‘I was here’

The Dittmar Gallery at Northwestern University is hosting a community art exhibition titled “I was here,” featuring works by 24 local artists. Curated by Jasmine Ametovski and Clare Kirwan, the show highlights diverse mediums ranging from photography of the Berlin Wall to beeswax sculptures and multimedia installations. The exhibition focuses on how personal perspectives can redefine traditional art spaces and reclaim cultural identities through creative practice.

Order of Canada Artist Tom Wilson Tehohàhake Joins Toronto’s Nicholas Metivier Gallery

The Nicholas Metivier Gallery in Toronto has officially announced the representation of Tom Wilson Tehohàhake, a multidisciplinary artist, musician, and Order of Canada appointee. Wilson’s latest paintings are set to make their debut with the gallery at the upcoming Dallas Art Fair in April 2026. His work is characterized by vibrant, intricate patterns that incorporate elements of Mohawk beadwork and excerpts from his own literary writings.

Experience Art in Motion at the Lynnwood Event Center’s free ‘Meet the Artists’ Reception

The Lynnwood Event Center is hosting a free 'Meet the Artists' reception on April 14 to celebrate its current exhibition, "Flight Patterns: The Art & Motion of Winged Life." The event features a diverse range of works including painting, sculpture, and glass that explore themes of migration and transformation. Highlights include a live participatory installation by artist Alexandra Nason, where guests can decorate aluminum butterflies for a modular sculpture, and an educational presence by the conservation nonprofit Birds Connect Seattle.

Luca Vanello at Z33

The contemporary art center Z33 in Hasselt is hosting a solo exhibition by artist Luca Vanello titled "Withering into breath, wetness undoes itself." Running from February 12 through April 12, 2026, the presentation features a series of sculptural installations documented through extensive photography by Silvia Cappellari. The exhibition explores themes of materiality and transformation, characteristic of Vanello's practice of manipulating organic and inorganic substances.

Through the eyes of artist T.C. Steele: IU’s campus 100 years ago

Indiana University's University Collections at McCalla has opened "Capturing the Campus: T.C. Steele," a collaborative exhibition with the Indiana State Museum and Historic Sites that brings together many paintings by Hoosier artist T.C. Steele for the first time in decades. Steele, who served as IU's first artist in residence from 1922 until his death in 1926, created impressionist works depicting campus scenes, portraits of university presidents and faculty, and landscapes that capture what the campus looked like a century ago. The exhibit, which opened April 17, features paintings sorted by geographic location on campus, alongside a historic map, letters, documentaries, and 3D renderings.

Transforming (and Transforming) to Survive. Interview with sculptor and designer Tadeáš Podracký

Trasformarsi (e trasformare) per sopravvivere. Intervista allo scultore e designer Tadeáš Podracký

Czech sculptor and designer Tadeáš Podracký (b. 1989) presents new works during Milan Design Week 2026, including three carved wooden lamps and sculptures exploring hybridity. The pieces are inspired by the rare Sorbus sudetica tree, a hybrid species that has survived for nearly 20,000 years through asexual reproduction. The exhibition, titled "Before the Shape Appears," is produced by 5 Vie and hosted at Cavallerizze in Via Olona. Podracký's practice bridges fine art and collectible design, using techniques such as carving, waxing, patination, and pigment infusion to create objects that appear to have grown organically.

The Animals We Are. The New Metamorphosis of the Apartment-Showroom Casaornella in Milan

Gli animali che siamo. La nuova metamorfosi dell’appartamento-showroom Casaornella a Milano

Interior designer Maria Vittoria Paggini has unveiled the 2026 edition of Casaornella, her apartment-showroom in Milan's Via Conca del Naviglio 10, during Design Week. Titled "L'animale sociale" (The Social Animal) with the subtitle "Nessuno mi può giudicare" (Nobody Can Judge Me), the space is completely restructured each year. For this edition, Paggini removed all doors to create a fluid, open-plan layout, using curtains for privacy. The project explores themes of authenticity and human relationships in the digital age, inspired by Italian pop songs from Mina to Luigi Tenco, which form the exhibition's soundtrack.

From Prison to Cultural Space: New Life for the Former Austrian Jails of Busto Arsizio

Da prigione a spazio per la cultura: nuova vita per le ex carceri austriache di Busto Arsizio

The city of Busto Arsizio has officially inaugurated the transformation of its mid-19th-century Austrian prison into a vibrant cultural hub. Following a €2.35 million restoration project largely funded by the EU’s PNRR (NextGenerationEU), the historic structure on Via Borroni now serves as an extension of the "G.B. Roggia" Civic Library. The facility features three levels of study rooms, multi-purpose exhibition spaces, and a literary café, all while preserving original architectural elements like cell doors and prisoner graffiti.