Singapore Art Museum at 30: tough decisions

The Singapore Art Museum (SAM) is celebrating its 30th anniversary while navigating the challenges of its 2022 relocation to Tanjong Pagar Distripark, a remote industrial building that has drawn mixed reactions—some visitors find it too inaccessible, while younger audiences applaud the move away from the colonial civic district. Director and CEO Eugene Tan defends the decision, citing the building's high ceilings and flexible spaces as ideal for contemporary art, and announces a fifth gallery opening by 2026 that will bring total exhibition space to 3,800 square meters. The museum also plans to experiment with open-air exhibition techniques in the new space, aiming to reduce energy demands.

Art: Passion is Volcanic – Desire in Southeast Asian Art at National Gallery Singapore

National Gallery Singapore has opened a major exhibition titled 'Passion is Volcanic: Desire in Southeast Asian Art.' The show, which carries an unprecedented R18 rating and prohibits photography, presents a comprehensive exploration of eroticism, pleasure, and the body through a wide range of artworks from the region's collection and loans. It is curated by Dr. Patrick Flores, Dr. Adele Tan, and Dr. Kathleen Ditzig, who frame desire as a culturally specific yet universal force shaped by history and power.

Groundbreaker Private Tour of the Spirit House Contemporary Art Exhibition at UW's Henry Gallery [SOLD OUT]

On January 8, 2026, Asia Society Seattle will host a private tour of the exhibition "Spirit House" at the Henry Art Gallery at the University of Washington, led by Associate Curator Swagato Chakravorty. The event is invite-only for the society's Advisory Council, Corporate Members, Groundbreaker and Innovator members, and donors. The exhibition, organized by the Cantor Arts Center at Stanford University, features 34 contemporary artists of Asian descent exploring themes of life, death, spirituality, and diaspora through works that engage with spirit houses and ancestral connections.

lotus l kang on channeling poetry memory and spirits into her new work

Lotus L. Kang's latest exhibition, "Already," is on view at 52 Walker in New York through June 7, 2025. The Brooklyn-based Canadian artist transforms the gallery into a diasporic memoryscape using steel greenhouses, mixed-media paintings, sculpture, and found objects like oversized kelp knots and soju bottles. The show takes its title from a poem in Kim Hyesoon's "Autobiography of Death" (2016), and Kang's installation explores themes of presence and absence, memory, and the transmutative qualities of photography and film. In an interview, Kang discusses how Korean poetry helps her understand her own origins as a Korean-Canadian gyopo, and how translation—both linguistic and material—shapes her work.

Secret Asian Man presents: 언니 언니(unni) at Whistle

Whistle gallery in Seoul presents "언니 언니(unni)," a group exhibition curated by the collective Secret Asian Man. The show features a diverse roster of contemporary artists including Dongho Kang, Muyeong Kim, Young Joon Kwak, Kang Seung Lee, Grim Park, Isaac Chong Wai, and Carrie Yamaoka. The exhibition is a collaborative effort involving works and support from both Whistle and the Los Angeles-based gallery Commonwealth and Council.

“It’s about how to speak the unspeakable”: artist Lotus Kang's new work explores absence as an opportunity

Artist Lotus L Kang has created a new installation titled 'The Face of Desire is Loss' for the inaugural Bulgari Pavilion at the 61st Venice Biennale. The pavilion, located at the Giardini entrance, features Kang's signature use of light-sensitive photographic film that reacts to the environment, suspended from steel joists with large holes inspired by the lotus root motif. The work draws on a line by poet Lara Mimosa Montes and explores themes of absence, loss, and the void, with the film changing color over time from deep purple to hues resembling bruise, blood, and bile.

Suki Seokyeong Kang’s Works Are Still Unfolding

Suki Seokyeong Kang's posthumous exhibition at Tina Kim Gallery in New York presents a body of work characterized by its mobility and open-ended nature. The show features paintings and sculptures that are designed to be rearranged, challenging static notions of display and completion.

"One of the most dramatic Biennales": 11 unmissable art shows to see at Venice

Theo Christelis reports from the opening week of the 2024 Venice Biennale, describing it as one of the most dramatic editions in recent memory. Key events include the death of main curator Koyo Kouoh and German Pavilion artist Henrike Naumann, the resignation of the prize jury over the participation of Israel and Russia, a protest by Pussy Riot, and a boycott by half the participating artists. Amid the turmoil, Christelis highlights unmissable shows including the Indian Pavilion (returning after seven years), Jenny Saville at Ca' Pesaro, Michael Armitage at Palazzo Grassi, and presentations at the British, Japanese, and Saudi Arabian Pavilions.

In Minor Keys A Cacophony At 61st Venice Biennale – Miranda Carroll

The 61st Venice Biennale, titled 'In Minor Keys,' opened with a central exhibition curated by the late Koyo Kouoh, who died in 2025. The show features 110 artists and collectives, realized by a team of five curators known as 'la squadra di Koyo.' The exhibition spans the Giardini and Arsenale venues, with works including Otobong Nkanga's living facade installation, Theo Eshetu's dying olive tree, and Nick Cave's vibrant sculptures. Poems and quotes by Refaat al-Areer, Etel Adnan, Toni Morrison, and Ben Okri punctuate the spaces, encouraging visitors to pause and reflect.

The Greenport Group: Vintage art at Floyd Memorial Library’s new exhibition

The Floyd Memorial Library in Greenport, New York, has opened a new exhibition titled "Stow Wengenroth + The Flacks: The Greenport Group," featuring works by lithographer Stow Wengenroth, his wife Edith Flack Ackley, and her sister Marjorie Flack. The show includes Wengenroth's lithographs, watercolors, and drawings, alongside Ackley's handmade dolls and books, and Flack's children's books, many on loan from the private collection of Joanna Lane. The exhibition opened on April 24 and highlights the artistic legacy of these former Greenport residents.

50 years of art-inspired floral installations at the MFA

The Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, is celebrating the 50th anniversary of its annual 'Art in Bloom' event, where floral designers and volunteers from 50 garden clubs and community organizations create arrangements inspired by artworks in the museum's collection. This year, participants were assigned to 50 objects, including John Singer Sargent's 1895 painting 'Helen Sears,' which was featured in the inaugural 1976 event. The tradition was conceived by Chuck Thomas to boost early spring attendance, and has grown from 18 arrangements drawing 4,300 visitors to becoming the museum's largest public event, attracting 29,000 visitors in 2025.

Forgotten 'environment' of 11 women artists brought back to life at Leeum

The Leeum Museum of Art in Seoul has opened "Inside other spaces: Environments by women artists 1956-1976," an exhibition restoring immersive artworks by 11 women artists from Asia, Europe, and South America, including Jung Kang-ja, Judy Chicago, Tsuruko Yamazaki, and Aleksandra Kasuba. The show revives pieces that were often dismantled after their original displays, such as Jung Kang-ja's "Incorporeal Exhibition," which was destroyed in 1970 after being deemed political propaganda under South Korea's authoritarian regime. Curators Andrea Lissoni and Marina Pugliese, who first organized the project at Haus Der Kunst in Munich, worked with researchers to reconstruct the works using archival materials, correspondence, and blueprints.

Queer Art Converges at Art Sonje Center, Opening a New Chapter in Korean Modern and Contemporary Art History

Art Sonje Center in Seoul has launched 'Spectrosynthesis Seoul,' a landmark exhibition featuring 74 artists and collectives that explores the history and current state of queer art. The show, organized in collaboration with the Hong Kong-based Sunpride Foundation, features major international figures like Mark Bradford and Shin Wai Kin alongside prominent Korean artists such as Ayoung Kim and Mire Lee. By moving beyond small-scale independent shows into a major institutional space, the exhibition aims to map a comprehensive landscape of LGBTQ+ artistic practices.

Biennale Arte 2026: the invited artists

The Venice Biennale has officially announced the list of invited artists for its 61st edition in 2026. The selection features a diverse global cohort including established figures like Laurie Anderson, Nick Cave, and Carsten Höller, alongside influential collectives such as fierce pussy and blaxTARLINES KUMASI. The list also includes significant posthumous inclusions like Marcel Duchamp and Beverly Buchanan, signaling a curatorial approach that bridges contemporary practice with historical legacies.

Venice Biennale Names 111 Artists for International Exhibition

The Venice Biennale has officially announced the 111 artists, duos, and collectives selected for the 61st International Art Exhibition, titled "In Minor Keys." The exhibition follows the vision of the late Cameroonian curator Koyo Kouoh, who passed away in May 2024 after conceptualizing the show and selecting the majority of its participants. The roster features a diverse global lineup including Wangechi Mutu, Kader Attia, Khaled Sabsabi, and Laurie Anderson, with a curatorial focus on quiet resistance, poetic improvisation, and the "lower frequencies" of social and psychic life.

Inside Brussels's €230m Kanal-Centre Pompidou museum—opening in November

The Kanal-Centre Pompidou, a major new modern and contemporary art museum in Brussels, will open on November 28. Housed in a converted 1930s Citroën garage, the €230m institution will launch with ten exhibitions, including a 350-work show drawn from the Centre Pompidou's collection in Paris and installations by artists like Otobong Nkanga.

Practice what you preach: artists reflect on ocean crisis at England's Baltic as centre wins sustainability award

Baltic Centre for Contemporary Art in Gateshead, England, has opened a major group exhibition titled "For All at Last Return," featuring 13 international artists whose work addresses the ocean crisis. Inspired by Rachel Carson's 1950 book, the show explores marine habitats from the surface to the deep seabed, with works by Bianca Bondi, Kristina Ollek, Joan Jonas, Taloi Havini, Michael Toisuta, Shezad Dawood, Otobong Nkanga, and Michele Allen. The exhibition includes installations, videos, tapestries, and a public program that engages local communities and examines the fragile balance between industry and ecology on Britain's North East coast.

Winslow Homer’s mountaineer and Bob Ross's valley view: our pick of the January auctions

The article highlights five notable artworks heading to auction in January 2025, spanning sales at Christie’s, Sotheby’s, Bonhams Skinner, and Heritage Auctions. Featured lots include Winslow Homer’s *A Mountain Climber Resting* (est. $1.5–2.5M) from the Max N. Berry Collection, Otobong Nkanga’s tapestry *The Pursuit of Bling: The Transformation* (est. £20,000–30,000), Bob Ross’s *Valley View* (est. $30,000–50,000), and Claes Oldenburg’s lithograph *Three Way Plug* (est. $3,000+). Each work comes with distinct provenance—from a Standard Oil heiress to a hardware pioneer—and reflects diverse market segments from blue-chip American painting to contemporary African art and pop-culture collectibles.

Blockbuster Frida Kahlo exhibit and 8 more new Houston art openings

The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston unveils a monumental Frida Kahlo exhibition, alongside eight other new art openings across Houston museums and galleries. Shows include Cynthia Isakson's "Anachronous" at Holocaust Museum Houston, "norMAL and unreMARKable" at Throughline, "The Uncanny In-Between" at Blaffer Art Museum, "End Cash Bail" at Lawndale Art Center, and "Magic Mirrors" at Art League Houston, among others, spanning photography, ceramics, multimedia, and social justice themes.

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.

Dozens of Venice Biennale Artists Withdraw From Awards En Masse

Almost half of the artists in the 61st Venice Biennale's international exhibition, along with 16 national pavilion teams, have withdrawn from awards consideration in solidarity with the jury's resignation. The jury resigned on April 30 after stating it would not consider countries whose leaders are charged with crimes against humanity by the ICC, effectively disqualifying Israel and Russia. The Biennale Foundation then replaced the traditional Golden Lions with new "Visitor Lions" decided by public vote, reinstating all pavilions including Israel and Russia. The withdrawal follows protests at the Russian and Israeli pavilions and a historic labor strike that shuttered multiple pavilions.

A Decade of Contemporary Art: Gallery Weekend Beijing Turns 10

Gallery Weekend Beijing (GWBJ) will celebrate its 10th anniversary with the 2026 edition running from May 22 to May 31, opening with three VIP days before going public on May 26. Founded in 2017, the event features curated exhibitions from 30 galleries and 10 non-profit institutions across Beijing, anchored in the 798 Art District and extending to Caochangdi and the CBD Art District. A new Academic Committee—comprising Guo Xi, Leng Lin, Tian Yuan, Xi Tao, and Yang Beichen—selected the participating galleries, with 25 returning from previous editions and five newly nominated. Highlights include institutional presentations at UCCA Center for Contemporary Art, Red Brick Art Museum, and SONG Art Museum, as well as a special exhibition titled "Nirvana" by Ouyang Chun.

Exhibition | Kang Cheol Gyu, 'KANG Cheolgyu: Discarded Host' at Arario Gallery, Seoul, South Korea

Arario Gallery Seoul presents 'Discarded Host', a solo exhibition by South Korean artist Kang Cheolgyu (b. 1990), running from May 1 to June 20, 2026. The show features new paintings that transform personal emotions and psychological sensations into visual narratives, exploring themes of anxiety, tension, identity, and transformation through fictional environments and indirect self-confrontation.

Sixth Kochi Biennale: what’s on show and who is funding it

The sixth edition of the Kochi-Muziris Biennale (KMB) in Kerala, India, titled "For the Time Being," will open on December 12, 2025, and run until March 31, 2026. Curated by artist Nikhil Chopra and his collective HH Art Spaces, the biennial features 66 artists or groups, including Marina Abramović, Tino Sehgal, Otobong Nkanga, Ibrahim Mahama, and Adrián Villar Rojas. South Asian artists make up about two-thirds of the lineup, with works addressing political themes such as the Kashmir conflict and the Gaza genocide, despite a climate of censorship in India. The central venue, Aspinwall House, will be partially used after previous access issues with developer DLF.

Venice Biennale 2026: The Pavilions Not to Be Missed

Biennale de Venise 2026 : les pavillons à ne surtout pas manquer

The 61st Venice Biennale, curated by Koyo Kouoh as an invitation to slow down and reconnect with emotions, features a constellation of contemplative and powerful proposals across the city. Notable national pavilions include the Holy See transforming a monastic garden into an immersive sound experience by Soundwalk Collective, Canada exploring colonial heritage through giant water lilies by Abbas Akhavan, and Austria electrifying the Giardini with radical performances by Florentina Holzinger. Other highlights include Spain dissecting collective memory through postcards, Poland imagining new forms of language between human and underwater worlds, and India's pavilion exploring notions of home.

For the 61st Venice Biennale, a quest for beauty despite a troubled world

Pour la 61e Biennale de Venise, une quête de beauté malgré un monde troublé

Koyo Kouoh, the Swiss-Cameroonian curator who was set to become the first African woman to direct the Venice Biennale, died suddenly on May 10, 2025, at age 57, just weeks before the opening of the 61st edition she had conceived. Titled "In Minor Keys," the exhibition at the Giardini and Arsenale will proceed posthumously based on her detailed directives, featuring 111 artists including Laurie Anderson, Wangechi Mutu, and Kader Attia, with a focus on beauty, resilience, and radical emotional connection amid global turmoil.

FKA Twigs, Brian Eno and Dev Hynes to show in the Vatican Pavilion at the 2026 Venice Biennale.

The Vatican has unveiled the roster for its Pavilion of the Holy See at the 2026 Venice Biennale, featuring a high-profile multidisciplinary lineup. Curated by Hans Ulrich Obrist and Ben Vickers, the exhibition titled “The Ear is the Eye of the Soul” will showcase new works from 24 contributors, including FKA Twigs, Brian Eno, Devonté Hynes, Patti Smith, and Precious Okoyomon. The presentation aims to bridge the gap between contemporary art, music, and spirituality through a diverse array of creative mediums.

Venice Biennale’s Visitor Lions Face Artist Boycott

Sony world photography awards 2026 – in pictures

The 2026 Sony World Photography Awards have announced their top honors across professional, open, student, and youth categories. Notable winners include Citlali Fabián for her series on Indigenous activists in Mexico, Seungho Kim for a project exploring the intersection of parenting and pet ownership in South Korea, and Dafna Talmor for her abstracted, collaged landscapes. The winning works span a diverse range of subjects, from the documentation of a fire at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Stockholm to intimate portraits of faith at the Vatican.

Fondazione Bvlgari Bets on the Venice Biennale: Beyond the Pavilion in the Giardini, an Exhibition at the Biblioteca Marciana

Fondazione Bvlgari scommette sulla Biennale di Venezia: oltre al padiglione ai Giardini, una mostra alla Biblioteca Marciana

Fondazione Bvlgari is making its debut at the Venice Biennale with a collateral exhibition at the Biblioteca Nazionale Marciana, featuring site-specific works by Monia Ben Hamouda and Lara Favaretto. The show runs from May 9 to November 22, 2025, alongside the 61st International Art Exhibition. Ben Hamouda presents 'Fragments of Fire Worship,' neon sculptures in the Vestibule that explore language and cultural heritage, while Favaretto installs the final edition of 'Momentary Monument – The Library' in the Salone Sansovino, inviting public consultation of donated books. Additionally, Bvlgari has a pavilion in the Giardini featuring Canadian artist Lotus L. Kang, as part of a three-edition partnership with the Biennale through 2030.