The article provides a critic's guide to seven notable exhibitions to see in Brussels during the Art Brussels fair. It highlights Richard Tuttle's assemblages at Galerie Greta Meert, an expansive Lutz Bacher show at WIELS, and other presentations by artists like Tarek Lakhrissi, Mire Lee, and Tiona Nekkia McClodden across various galleries and institutions.
Frieze has published a critic's guide highlighting seven must-see exhibitions during Art Brussels, including Richard Tuttle's restless assemblages at Galerie Greta Meert and an expansive show of Lutz Bacher at WIELS. The guide, written by Emile Rubino, provides a curated selection of notable shows for visitors to the Brussels art fair.
« Un changement radical » : Art Brussels se réinvente pour ses collectionneurs
Art Brussels, the Belgian art fair, is implementing a significant strategic overhaul for its 42nd edition. The fair is reducing its size by 18%, featuring 136 galleries, and consolidating into a more compact layout to prioritize visitor experience and quality over quantity. It is introducing a new artistic advisory desk to guide collectors and launching a curated section for monumental works.
Mills Morán, cofounder of the Los Angeles gallery Morán Morán, is stepping away from its day-to-day operations to focus on Felix Art Fair, the fair he cofounded with his brother Al Morán and collector Dean Valentine in 2018. The fair, held at the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel alongside Frieze Los Angeles, has staged eight editions. Morán announced the decision in a statement shared with artists and colleagues, citing personal recalibration after nearly two decades in the art world and a desire to be more present for loved ones.
Jonathan Travis, a realtor and art collector who has helped drive the migration of New York galleries to Tribeca, discusses his collecting habits in an interview with The Art Newspaper. Travis, a partner at Redwood Property Group, has found Tribeca homes for around 40 galleries and co-founded the Wolf Hill artist residency in Chappaqua, New York, with Ethan Rafii. He shares details about his first purchase (a Nicole Eisenman painting), his most recent acquisition (a Masanori Tomita painting), and his strong gut reactions when buying art in person. He also mentions works in his collection by artists such as Sasha Gordon, Jenna Gribbon, and Arcmanoro Niles, and expresses excitement for the Salvador Dalí show at Di Donna and the May auctions.
Gratin Gallery, founded by Talal Abillama, is opening a new outpost in Tribeca at 15 White Street, leased for ten years. The space will debut on May 15 with “Blinds and Shutters,” the first U.S. solo exhibition of Spanish sculptor Mónica Mays. The gallery, which started on Avenue B in 2022 and later moved to Grand Street, is expanding despite a challenging art market. Abillama cites the need to be closer to collectors who avoid the 15-minute walk from Tribeca to Chinatown. The new location sits near Luhring Augustine and Ortuzar Projects, and will officially open in November after renovations.
The Sherman Family Foundation Acquisition Fund has launched at Frieze New York, providing $50,000 annually to help US museums acquire works from the fair's Focus section, which features solo stands by galleries under 12 years old. In its first year, the Baltimore Museum of Art acquired works by Reika Takebayashi, Seba Calfuqueo, and Joanne Burke, while the Brooklyn Museum acquired two works by Bettina (Bettina Grossman). Each artist also receives an unrestricted $5,000 award.
Mary Lovelace O’Neal, an abstract painter known for her gestural, unruly works that defied categorization, died on Sunday in Mérida, Mexico, at age 84. Her galleries, Jenkins Johnson and Marianne Boesky, announced her passing. O’Neal produced sprawling paintings characterized by tangles of drippy strokes, often using lamp black pigment to create intensely black canvases. She rejected labels like Abstract Expressionist or Minimalist, insisting she was simply a painter. Her series "Whales Fucking" (1979) and a 2020 exhibition at Mnuchin Gallery revived her profile, leading to inclusion in the 2024 Whitney Biennial.
Hyperallergic surveyed 13 New York art fairs about their booth pricing, revealing a wide range of costs from $3,500 at NADA Projects to over $105,000 for large booths at Frieze. The article details specific pricing tiers at Frieze ($31,977–$105,717), NADA ($3,500–$11,000), and Independent ($110 per square foot), noting that Frieze has kept 2025 prices for its 2026 edition and that NADA's costs have remained stable since 2022. The investigation also highlights the debut of the Sherman Family Foundation Acquisition Fund at Frieze and the partnership between Independent and the Henry Street Settlement.
London-based gallery Stephen Friedman has accumulated debts of approximately $10.6 million, according to official documents filed with Companies House. Creditors include Coutts & Co. bank (£3.2 million), Pentland Group Ltd. (£1.4 million), the UK tax authority, the Pollen Estate, art logistics company Crozier, and several prominent artists—Alexander Diop (£341,905), Deborah Roberts (£289,232), and Kehinde Wiley (£163,849). The gallery closed its New York space in November 2024 after just two years, then abruptly shut its London location and entered insolvency proceedings in February 2025, shortly after pulling out of Art Basel Qatar. A restructuring proposal by FRP Advisory was approved on 22 April.
Artist Alma Allen has been selected as America's representative at the Venice Biennale, sparking controversy due to the unusual selection process under President Trump. The pavilion is commissioned by the newly formed American Arts Conservancy, led by Jenni Parido, who previously ran a pet food lifestyle shop and entered Trump's orbit through Mar-a-Lago pet charity events. Following the announcement, Allen's galleries Olney Gleason and Mendes Wood DM dropped him, but he was quickly picked up by high-profile gallery Perrotin. The article examines how the Biennale and its attendant drama might affect Allen's market, noting his longtime collectors include Beth Rudin DeWoody, Peter Morton, Jack Pierson, and others, while his auction prices have remained modest.
The 20th edition of Stockholm's Market Art Fair for Modern and contemporary art opens in a new waterfront venue at Magasin 9 in the Frihamnen docks area, running until 26 April. This year, 54 dealers—mostly from the Nordics—are joined by international galleries from the US and UK, including Anthony Wilkinson gallery (London) and albertz benda (New York). The fair expanded its reach last year by opening applications to galleries without existing Nordic ties. Notable presentations include new works by Ólafur Elíasson (i8 gallery, Iceland), dystopian paintings by Munan Øvrelid (Galleri Haaken, Oslo), and textile works by Petra Lindholm (Magnus Karlsson gallery). Prices range from SEK 28,000 to €195,000, with strong early sales reported.
The Association of International Photography Art Dealers (Aipad) has opened the 45th edition of The Photography Show at New York's Park Avenue Armory. The fair features around 65 exhibitors in its main section, with a new Focal Point sector highlighting 13 solo presentations by boundary-pushing artists. Returning participants include major New York photography galleries, alongside first-time exhibitors and galleries returning after an absence.
Fraenkel Gallery has partnered with New York's Metrograph theater to present a film series curated by six of its represented artists. The series, titled "Fraenkel Gallery Presents," runs from May 8–17, with each artist selecting a film and several introducing their screenings. The collaboration includes an opening event featuring artist Carrie Mae Weems and director Joel Coen.
Aipad: The Photography Show is taking place at the Park Avenue Armory in New York from April 22-26, 2026, featuring works from over 70 galleries. The exhibition highlights include Bill Brandt's 1952 nude, Rania Matar's portrait of a young woman in Lebanon, and Zanele Muholi's 2009 portrait of a lesbian pageant queen, alongside works by Tania Franco Klein, Ruth Thorne-Thomsen, and others that explore themes of identity, anxiety, and alternative realities.
ArtReview and Dirimart London are hosting a conversation between artist Çağla Ulusoy and ArtReview editor Fi Churchman about Ulusoy's book 'Overworked', which features 83 selected abstract paintings and accompanying collages. The event takes place on 6 June 2026 at Dirimart's London gallery, coinciding with the group exhibition 'Colour is the Place', which includes Ulusoy's work alongside artists Hashel Al Lamki, Tala Worrell, and Berke Yazıcıoğlu. Ulusoy's practice integrates lived experiences from various cultures into abstract compositions using materials like acrylic, oil paint, sand, and wax.
TEFAF New York returned to the Park Avenue Armory with record attendance on its Collector Preview day, May 14, featuring 90 exhibitors showcasing modern and contemporary masterpieces, antiques, decorative arts, and jewelry. Dealers reported strong sales across price tiers, including an Andy Warhol Mao sold by ML Fine Art within the first hour, a Lucio Fontana *Concetto Spaziale* for $2.3 million at Mennour, and works by Giorgio Morandi, Giosetta Fioroni, and Meret Oppenheim sold by Galleria d’Arte Maggiore g.a.m. A new secondary-market partnership, Pace Di Donna Schrader Galleries, debuted with a booth anchored by a 1956 Rothko, signaling renewed confidence in the market.
The 2026 edition of VARIOUS OTHERS in Munich featured a tightly curated program of exhibitions across participating galleries, institutions, and artist-run spaces. For the first time, the event awarded the "VARIOUS OTHERS Prize" (VO Award) to both a gallery and an off-space: Gallery Sperling and space n.n. won for their respective exhibitions. Notable presentations included solo shows by Paola Siri Renard at nouveaux deuxdeux, Milena Muzquiz at Galerie Rüdiger Schöttle, and a dual exhibition at Knust Kunz Gallery Editions featuring Robert Motherwell and Merce Cunningham. Museum Brandhorst also opened the "Carrying" project with works by international artists.
Frieze New York 2026 took place from May 13 to 17 at The Shed in Manhattan, featuring nearly 70 galleries. Highlights included Cindy Sherman’s new photographs at Hauser & Wirth (many sold on preview day, with Leonardo DiCaprio visiting), the Focus section curated by Lumi Tan and sponsored by Stone Island, and the Frame section where Diedrick Brackens’ woven works were acquired by the Brooklyn Museum. Frieze Sculpture at Rockefeller Center, curated by Brett Littman, showcased 14 international artists including Nick Cave and Hank Willis Thomas. Mapuche artist Seba Calfuqueo won the Focus Stand Prize for hair-centered works exploring feminism and indigenous heritage.
Jean-Michel Basquiat's 1983 painting 'Museum Security (Broadway Meltdown)' sold for US$52.7 million at Sotheby's Now and Contemporary Evening Auction in New York, becoming the fifth-most expensive Basquiat ever auctioned. The work, estimated at over US$45 million and backed by an irrevocable bid, hammered at US$45.3 million to a telephone bidder represented by Sotheby's Lucius Elliott. The auction totaled US$266.8 million with fees, selling 40 of 44 lots, and combined with the preceding Robert Mnuchin collection sale—led by Mark Rothko's 'Brown and Blacks in Reds' at US$85.8 million—the evening brought in US$433.1 million.
Frieze New York closed its 15th edition at The Shed with strong sales, major museum acquisitions, and 25,000 visitors from 75 countries. The fair featured 68 galleries from 26 countries and launched the inaugural Sherman Family Foundation Acquisition Fund, enabling the Brooklyn Museum and Baltimore Museum of Art to acquire works by Bettina from Ulrik, Reika Takebayashi, Seba Calfuqueo, and Joanne Burke. Notable sales included El Anatsui works for $2.2 million and $1.9 million at White Cube, a Georg Baselitz painting for €1.4 million at Thaddaeus Ropac, and a James Turrell light work in the $900,000–$1 million range at Almine Rech. Latin American representation grew to 14 galleries, and the Focus section curated by Lumi Tan drew strong institutional attention.
An auction listing for Christo and Jeanne-Claude's limited edition print 'The Pont-Neuf Wrapped' (1976-2020) has closed. The work is an archival digital print on wove paper, part of an edition of 450, accompanied by the exhibition book 'Christo et Jeanne-Claude Paris!'. The listing includes details on the artists' legacy, their monumental public projects like 'The Gates' and 'Wrapped Reichstag', and notes that similar works by Christo are available for purchase from various galleries.
Frieze New York 2026 opened at the Shed with 68 galleries from 26 countries, marking the fair's 15th year. The event drew art-world elite including curators, gallery owners, and advisers, with notable attendees such as Paulina Kolczynska, Jim Kelly, Larry Ossei-Mensah, and Ludlow Bailey. Latin American and African galleries had a strong presence, and conversations highlighted increased diversity and representation from the Global South. The fair is part of a broader art sprint that includes the Whitney and Venice Biennials, TEFAF, and the Independent Art Fair.
The Lisa Yuskavage exhibition has opened at David Zwirner's 533 West 19th Street location in New York, running from May 14 through June 26, 2026. The show features new and recent paintings, works on paper, and a body of collages made on green Color-aid paper, incorporating pastel, egg tempera, gouache, and pasted elements. Many paintings expand on the theme of the artist's studio, with recurring figures appearing across compositions. This marks Yuskavage's tenth solo exhibition with David Zwirner, twenty years after her first show with the gallery in 2006. The exhibition follows her first comprehensive museum presentation of works on paper, 'Lisa Yuskavage: Drawings,' at The Morgan Library and Museum in New York from June 2025 through January 2026.
Art Basel 2026 has announced that artist Trevor Paglen will co-curate the latest edition of Zero 10, the fair's global initiative dedicated to digital art, alongside digital art strategist Eli Scheinman. Making its debut at Art Basel's flagship Swiss edition, Zero 10 will take over the Event Hall on Messeplatz from June 17–21, 2026, with a Preview Day on June 16. The expanded presentation will feature 19 exhibitors showcasing artists working at the forefront of digital, generative, and media-based practices, and is themed "The Condition," examining life within algorithmic systems and AI. Highlights include works by Hito Steyerl, Avery Singer, Andreas Gursky, Vera Molnar, Ryoji Ikeda, John Gerrard, and Rafael Lozano-Hemmer, presented by galleries such as Hauser & Wirth, Marian Goodman Gallery, Sprüth Magers, Esther Schipper, Almine Rech, bitforms gallery, Art Blocks, and HEK (Haus der Elektronischen Künste).
Art Basel has announced that artist Trevor Paglen and digital art strategist Eli Scheinman will co-curate the third edition of Zero10, the fair's initiative dedicated to digital art, at its flagship Swiss edition in Basel from June 17–21, 2026 (with a preview on June 16). The presentation will feature 20 exhibitors, including major galleries such as Hauser & Wirth, Marian Goodman, and Sprüth Magers, and will be freely accessible to the public in the Event Hall on Messeplatz. The curatorial theme, "The Condition," explores life in a world saturated by digital imagery, computational systems, and artificial intelligence, bringing together historical and contemporary voices across digital, generative, and media art.
Frieze Art Fair returns to New York from May 13th to 17th, 2026, at The Shed for its 15th edition, featuring over 65 galleries from 26 countries. The fair emphasizes Latin American practices and includes a Focus section curated by Lumi Tan highlighting younger galleries and experimental works. Notable presentations include Reika Takebayashi’s ecological dreamscapes, Bruno Cançado’s meditations on Brazilian vernacular architecture, and Abraham González Pacheco’s graphite works. Beyond the fair, performances and installations extend to institutions like the Whitney Museum of American Art and Dia Art Foundation. The article also previews concurrent exhibitions: "Costume Art" at the Metropolitan Museum of Art (May 2026–January 2027), a David Hammons and Jannis Kounellis show at White Cube (May 1–June 13, 2026), and Carol Bove’s exhibition at the Guggenheim (March 5–August 2, 2026).
The article profiles six rising artists at the 2026 Venice Biennale, focusing on Sung Tieu and Gala Porras-Kim. Tieu transforms the German Pavilion with a tile shell recreating a former housing complex for Vietnamese contract workers, while inside she scatters chocolate ladybugs as a symbol of occupation. Porras-Kim presents work in the Arsenale examining 'institutionally defined damage' and how decay can realign objects with their natural state.
LACMA has opened its new David Geffen Galleries, a single-story building spanning Wilshire Boulevard that houses the museum's permanent collection spanning 6,000 years of art. The galleries feature a revolutionary curatorial approach organized around bodies of water—Atlantic, Mediterranean, Indian, and Pacific—creating nonhierarchical displays that mix works across time and geography, such as 17th-century Dutch paintings alongside 20th-century photography. The building also includes 3.5 acres of shaded public space below, outdoor sculptures by artists like Alexander Calder and Jeff Koons, and a 220,000-square-foot pavement artwork by Mariana Castillo Deball.
The article examines Stockholm's art scene and its role in building one of Europe's most stable art markets. It highlights Market Art Fair, the city's main contemporary fair founded in 2006 by Nordic galleries, which has become the leading commercial art fair in the region and the anchor of Stockholm Art Week. The piece profiles several galleries, including Steinsland Berliner and ISSUES Gallery, and artists such as Linnéa Sjöberg and Arvida Björström, whose work explores identity, digital culture, and emotional labor. The scene is described as small but lively, with galleries collaborating closely and collectors showing patience.