In pictures: flora and fauna at Design Miami

Design Miami celebrates its 20th anniversary with the theme "Make. Believe.," curated by Glenn Adamson, emphasizing the evolving possibilities of collectible design. The fair features the 10th anniversary of the Curatorial Lab Annual Design Commission, including a mirrored carousel by ceramicist Katie Stout, alongside works by artists such as Bea Pernia, Pia-Maria Raeder, Joyce Billet, Teemu Salonen, Jennifer Trask, Roham Shamekh, and Clotilde Ancarani. Pieces range from a chrome-and-stone chair inspired by marine life to benches that double as planters, reflecting a pervasive focus on flora and fauna.

This New Britain art exhibit is a call to decolonize Puerto Rico

Artist Pablo Delano has brought his provocative installation, “The Museum of the Old Colony,” to New Britain, Connecticut, a region with a significant Puerto Rican population. The exhibition utilizes enlarged archival photographs, historical texts, and consumer goods to document the United States' colonial relationship with Puerto Rico since 1898. By juxtaposing derogatory 19th-century media captions with images of mass sterilization, military enlistment, and the aftermath of Hurricane Maria, Delano challenges viewers to confront a legacy of systemic racism and exploitation.

Burnished: Pueblo Pottery at NMWA

The National Museum of Women in the Arts (NMWA) presents 'Burnished: Pueblo Pottery,' a focus exhibition running from May 8 to September 27, 2026, showcasing 24 clay vessels by women Pueblo potters. The show features works by historic and contemporary artists including Maria Martinez, Margaret Tafoya, LuAnn Tafoya, Stephanie Tafoya, Emma Lewis Mitchell, Dorothy Torivio, and Iris Youvella Nampeyo, drawn from NMWA's collection and donations from founders Wilhelmina Cole Holladay and Wallace F. Holladay, as well as their son Hap Holladay. It marks the first time the museum's pottery collection is presented in a dedicated exhibition and is part of the Handwork: Celebrating American Craft 2026 initiative.

DIVA

Denver has been announced as the exclusive US venue for 'DIVA,' a major fashion and iconography exhibition organized by the Victoria and Albert Museum, London. The show will run from October 4, 2026, to January 31, 2027, at the Denver Art Museum’s Hamilton Building, featuring over 200 objects and more than 50 costumes worn by legendary performers including Maria Callas, Cher, Lady Gaga, Rihanna, RuPaul, Prince, Tina Turner, and Marilyn Monroe.

A rare jewellery box identified in Vermeer paintings sheds new light on the artist’s connections

New research by curator Alexandra van Dongen of Rotterdam’s Boijmans Van Beuningen Museum reveals that a rare Indo-Portuguese jewellery casket depicted in two Johannes Vermeer paintings—Mistress and Maid and A Lady Writing (both 1664-67)—is a real, surviving object. Van Dongen tracked down the sole known example in the Távora Sequeira Pinto collection in Porto, with help from Amsterdam dealer Dickie Zebregs. Her findings, published in the book De tastbare wereld van Johannes Vermeer, suggest the casket likely belonged to Vermeer’s patron Maria de Knuijt, a wealthy Dutch East India Company shareholder who may have asked the artist to include it in her paintings.

India Phillips Appointed Managing Director, Modern & Contemporary Art, Europe at Phillips

Phillips has appointed India Phillips as Managing Director, Modern & Contemporary Art, Europe, effective February 2026. Based in London and reporting directly to the CEO, she will focus on expanding the auction house's presence across Europe. Phillips joins after a decade at Bonhams, where she most recently served as Managing Director, EMEA. The announcement also includes promotions for Marianne Hoet to Chairman, Modern and Contemporary Art Europe, Olivia Thornton to Deputy Chairwoman, and Matt Langton to Deputy Chairman, Modern and Contemporary Art, Europe.

Young students from Kent Talents Art Studio in Broadstairs receive top honours for miniature works

Young students from Kent Talents Art Studio in Broadstairs have won top honors at the Royal Society of Miniature Painters, Sculptors and Gravers (RMS) Annual Exhibition for the third consecutive year. Emilia Kalnikaite, age 17, won first prize in the Young Artist Award category for her miniature painting “Ladybird,” while Maria Belousova, age 14, received the President’s Special Award for her bone china sculpture “Creature of No Ocean.” The exhibition took place from 18–22 November at Bankside Gallery in London, featuring works from leading miniature artists and emerging talents worldwide.

Art world news selected by Artbox on Sky Arte

Le novità del mondo dell’arte selezionate da Artbox su Sky Arte

The new episode of Artbox, a weekly program on Sky Arte airing April 28, surveys current exhibitions across Italy. It features Isaac Julien's show "Museum Dreams" at gres art 671 in Bergamo, running until October 4, where the British artist presents five multi-screen video installations from the late 1990s to today. The episode also covers the exhibition "Etruschi e Veneti. Acque, culti e santuari" at Palazzo Ducale in Venice, exploring water cults through ancient artifacts including recent finds from San Casciano dei Bagni; the show "Giovanni Antonio Bazzi detto il Sodoma. Alla conquista del Rinascimento" at Museo Accorsi-Ometto in Turin; and a profile of Spanish artist Almudena Romero, who uses photosynthesis to create images on leaves. Regular segments include a feature on Symbolism by Maria Vittoria Baravelli and an arts news roundup.

Prada's Cultured Symposium on Fashion and Design Will Take Place This Year at Santa Maria delle Grazie in Milan

Il colto simposio su moda&design di Prada quest’anno si svolgerà nella chiesa di Santa Maria delle Grazie a Milano

The fifth edition of Prada Frames, an annual multidisciplinary symposium curated by the design studio Formafantasma, is set to take place from April 19 to 21, 2026, at the historic Santa Maria delle Grazie in Milan. Hosted within the Renaissance sacristy attributed to Donato Bramante, the event coincides with the Salone del Mobile and features a series of lectures and discussions. This year's theme, "In Sight," explores the evolving power of images, the blurring lines between human and machine-generated content, and the material environmental impact of digital image production.

Near Parma, the Timeless Elegance of Erté is on Display at Labirinto della Masone

Vicino a Parma c’è l’intramontabile eleganza di Erté in mostra al Labirinto della Masone

The Labirinto della Masone near Parma is hosting a comprehensive exhibition titled "Erté. Lo stile è tutto," showcasing the work of the Russian-born Art Déco master Romain de Tirtoff, known as Erté. The display features a diverse array of drawings, gouaches, models, and sketches, many of which were originally acquired by the late publisher Franco Maria Ricci. The exhibition traces Erté's journey from his aristocratic Russian roots to his rise in Paris as a collaborator of Paul Poiret and a visionary of theatrical and couture design.

Best of the Year: Check Out the Most Voted Exhibitions of 2025

A public poll with over 8,500 votes has determined the top ten exhibitions of 2025 in Brazil. The number one spot went to conceptual artist Ana Amorim's show at MAC USP, followed by Goya Lopes' exhibition at MAM Bahia in second place. Other notable entries include a group show "Floresta de Espíritos" in Salvador, Thiago Martins de Melo's first solo exhibition in his hometown São Luís, and the Monet exhibition at Masp, which broke visitation records with 502,642 visitors. A special highlight is "Memórias do Inconsciente" by Jhonyson Nobre at Sesc Arapiraca, the only exhibition outside the initial shortlist to make the top ten. Maria Bonomi at Paço Imperial received the most votes according to public comments as a bonus.

Israeli Authorities Plan to Seize Major Archaeological Site in West Bank, Sparking Outrage

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Israeli authorities have announced plans to seize a 182-hectare archaeological site in the West Bank town of Sebastia, the largest such land seizure for an archaeological project since 1967. The plan includes building a visitor center, parking lot, and a fence that would separate the site from the Palestinian town, cutting off local access to both the ruins and surrounding olive groves. The move has been denounced by Palestinian residents and officials as an aggression that threatens livelihoods and erases Palestinian identity.

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The Gallerist, a new satire directed by Cathy Yan, premiered at the Sundance Film Festival. The film follows struggling gallerist Polina Polinski (Natalie Portman), who is betting everything on a one-artist debut at Art Basel Miami Beach. After an obnoxious art influencer, Dalton Hardberry (Zach Galifianakis), dies accidentally by impalement on a sculpture titled The Emasculator, Polina and her assistant Kiki (Jenna Ortega) conspire to pass off his corpse as part of the artwork, duping wealthy clients. The ensemble cast also includes Catherine Zeta-Jones as a legendary dealer reminiscent of Marian Goodman, Da'Vine Joy Randolph as the earnest artist Stella Burgess, and Sterling K. Brown as Polina's ex-husband.

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Performance artist Maria De Victoria spent Tuesday chanting the last words of Renee Nicole Good—a poet and mother killed by an ICE agent in Minneapolis—outside the ICE field office in New York City's Jacob K. Javits Federal Building. Dressed in a coat bearing Good's phrase "I'm not mad at you, dude," De Victoria performed the endurance piece from sunrise to sunset as an act of dissent against federal immigration crackdowns. The work concluded with a silent vigil, and De Victoria, an immigrant from Peru represented by Desnivel Gallery, has a history of politically charged endurance performances.

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A newly discovered 1877 chalk portrait of the poet Christina Rossetti by her brother, the Pre-Raphaelite master Dante Gabriel Rossetti, has been unveiled at Wightwick Manor. The drawing, recently acquired by the National Trust, serves as the centerpiece for the exhibition "The Rossettis – Siblings and Spouses." Created during a period of shared family mourning following the death of their sister Maria, the work departs from Rossetti’s typical idealized style to offer a somber, realistic depiction of grief and resilience.

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A rare Fabergé Imperial egg, the Winter Egg, sold for £22.8 million ($30.2 million) at Christie’s London on December 2, 2025, setting a new world auction record for any Fabergé work. The egg was a 1913 Easter gift from Tsar Nicholas II to his mother, Maria Feodorovna, and was designed by Alma Pihl, one of the few women working in Fabergé’s St. Petersburg workshops. It had previously sold at Christie’s in 1994 and 2002, each time setting records.

Puerto Rico’s rainforest center reborn: in pictures

Puerto Rico’s El Yunque National Forest has unveiled the reconstructed El Portal visitor’s center, a $18 million project designed by Marvel Architects to withstand future climate disasters. Following the devastation of Hurricanes Maria and Irma, the new facility features elevated structures, advanced stormwater management, and solar capabilities, serving as both a sustainable tourism hub and an emergency command post.

57th CIMAM Annual Conference: Together Forever

The 57th CIMAM Annual Conference brought together 300 museum professionals in Turin for discussions on pressing institutional issues. The event featured keynote speeches from figures like political scientist Francoise Vergès and economist Mariana Mazzucato, who addressed themes of power structures and public arts funding. Performances by artists such as Alessandro Sciarroni and Abdullah Miniawy served as central, unifying experiences for the attendees.

Gallery: New Tallinn art show explores illusions of safety and control

A new international group exhibition titled "Safe Traps" opened at Tütar Gallery in Tallinn, exploring the dual nature of control as both a source of safety and a restrictive cage. Curated by Maria Helen Känd, the show features works by French artist Anaïs Goupy, Latvian artist Līga Spunde, and Estonian artists Ruudu Ulas and Madlen Hirtentreu, examining how contemporary Western society's pursuit of control can become a trap that confines rather than liberates.

Studio Ahead’s installation for The Future Perfect recalls the pre-internet days of IRL antique hunting

Studio Ahead, led by curators Homan Rajai and Elena Dendiberia, has created an installation for The Future Perfect titled 'The Houses Are Haunted by White Night-Gowns,' running as a satellite to the 12th edition of FOG Design+Art in San Francisco through January 25, 2026. The show features 13 designers who each produced unique bowls, displayed on a stacked arrangement of vintage furniture sourced from Berkeley-based Mid Century Møbler and San Francisco's C. Mariani Antiques, blending Scandinavian design from the 1940s–1970s with 17th–19th century antiques.

Vanderbilt Artists Showcased at Prestigious Venice Biennale

Vanderbilt University has announced its inaugural participation in the Venice Biennale, marking a major milestone for the institution's arts program. Faculty artists Maria Magdalena Campos-Pons and Kamaal Malak have been selected to present works in the 61st International Art Exhibition, curated by the late Koyo Kouoh. To complement the exhibition, the university will launch "Resonance: Vanderbilt University in Venice," a two-month public program series featuring sonic inquiries, performances, and scholarly convenings.

Students Worked on Exhibit of Gowns Worn at La Scala by Maria Callas

Six opera gowns worn by Maria Callas onstage at La Scala in Milan are on display at the Luther W. Brady Art Gallery in Washington, D.C., as part of the exhibition “Callas at La Scala.” The exhibition, located within the Corcoran School of the Arts and Design, features costumes from roles including Anna Bolena and Ifigenia, alongside costume sketches by designers Nicola Benois and Piero Tosi and photographs of Callas. Students from the Corcoran School, guided by assistant professor Tanya Wetenhall, contributed by researching, writing labels, and installing the show, while ambassadors from Greece and Italy spoke at the opening.

Karachi celebrates global creativity

The fourth edition of the international art exhibition 'Peace & Pieces' opened in Karachi on Thursday, inaugurated by Mayor Barrister Murtaza Wahab as part of the 39-day World Culture Festival 2025. Held at the Ahmed Pervez Art Gallery, the exhibition features works by global artists including Kelechi Nwaneri (Nigeria), Adjaratou Ouedraogo (Burkina Faso), Sofia Maria Xenaki and Aglaia Perraki (Greece), alongside Pakistani artists such as Amin Gulgee, Akram Spaul, Basil Habib, Hamza Qazi, and Haider Ali Naqvi. The event was attended by Marc Piton, Counsellor for Cooperation and Cultural Affairs at the French Embassy, and drew a diverse crowd of art enthusiasts.

Outsourcing a service is not prohibited, but managing the provider's employees is

Externaliser un service n’est pas interdit, diriger les salariés du prestataire l’est

A wave of legal complaints has been filed against several major French cultural institutions, including the Louvre, the Pinault Collection, and the MuCEM, alleging illegal labor practices. Labor unions Sud-Culture, SUD-PTT, and Solidaires claim these museums are engaging in "illicit lending of labor" and "bargaining" by exercising direct authority over outsourced staff from third-party agencies like Marianne International and Pénélope. While outsourcing services like ticketing and reception is legal in France, the lawsuits argue that museums are illegally managing these external employees' daily schedules, rotations, and disciplinary actions as if they were their own staff.

Comment | After a market shake up in 2025, it's time to create a right-sized art trade

The article reflects on the art market's turbulent 2025, marked by gallery closures, weak auction results, and canceled art fairs. Rather than viewing this as a collapse, the author argues it represents a necessary "right-sizing" of an industry that over-expanded during boom years. Key figures like Philip Hoffman of the Fine Art Group advocate for leaner, more agile business models, such as his new advisory firm New Perspectives Art Partners. Meanwhile, dealers in New York and Los Angeles are adapting through shared exhibition spaces and strategic mergers, including Marian Goodman Gallery hosting Jenkins Johnson Gallery and the formation of Hoffman Donahue.

‘Bándearg’ exhibition to bring bold colourful art to Mayo

The contemporary art exhibition “Bándearg” is set to open at the Books At One gallery in Louisburgh, County Mayo, featuring the work of five Ireland-based female artists. Running from April 18 to May 13, the show brings together Olivia Jones, Tina Poole, Anna Marie Savage, Nickie Harrington, and Maria Mollohan to explore the multifaceted nature of the color pink through diverse styles ranging from geometric precision to nature-inspired abstraction.

Santa Maria’s Betteravia Gallery seeking art submissions

The Santa Barbara County Office of Arts and Culture, in partnership with the Santa Barbara County Arts Commission, has announced an open call for local artists to submit works for "Post-Wild: Nature in the 21st Century," a juried exhibition at the Betteravia Art Gallery in Santa Maria. The online submission window runs from January 19 to February 15, 2026, with no application fee; selected artists will be notified in early March, and a public opening reception is scheduled for May 21. The exhibition seeks small-format works across mediums—including traditional and digital art, photography, and conceptual pieces—that address themes of environmental change, urbanization, and human impact on natural spaces.

A new open-air art gallery is being created at 8 Marvila, and you can watch the murals being created live

A new open-air urban art gallery called "Walls That Matter – 8 Take Over" has launched at 8 Marvila in Lisbon, Portugal. Running from October to November, the project features live mural creation by artists including RAM, Mário Belém, Gonçalo MAR, Jacqueline de Montaigne, L7 Matrix, Patrícia Mariano, Rita Ravasco, Arm Collective, Binau, Burry, and Buermans. Curated and produced by Because Art Matters, the gallery is free and open to the public, with visitors able to watch artists paint in real time.

Kazuko Miyamoto @ Take Ninagawa

宮本和子 @ Take Ninagawa

Kazuko Miyamoto is the subject of a comprehensive solo exhibition at Take Ninagawa in Tokyo, running from February 14 to April 11, 2026. The showcase features a diverse array of the artist's signature string constructions, maquettes, and drawings, spanning several decades of her career from the early 1970s through the late 2000s. Key works on display include her intricate string maquettes from 1973 and large-scale geometric explorations like "Study of Lines in Ring #3" and "Mariana."

Eleven new artistic pieces have been added to the Yukon Permanent Art Collection.

The Government of Yukon has added 11 new works to the Yukon Permanent Art Collection (YPAC), featuring artists Eugene Alfred, Misha Donohoe, Basia Hinton, Jane Isakson, Stephanie Luneta-Stevens, Jeneen Frei Njootli, Margret Njootli, Andy Pelletier, Dustin Sheldon, Maria Rose Sikyea, and Michelle Williams. Eight of these artists are represented in the collection for the first time. The pieces were selected from 134 submissions by 64 artists through an annual call for submissions process managed by the Yukon government and the Friends of Yukon Permanent Art Collection. An exhibition of the works is planned for fall 2026, and images are available on Yukon.ca.