EFG LATIN AMERICA ART AWARD PRESENTS THE NOMINATED ARTIST AT SP ARTE 2026

The EFG Latin America Art Award, in partnership with ArtNexus, has named Brazilian artist Cristiano Lenhardt as the nominated artist at SP-Arte 2026. Lenhardt, represented by Fortes D'Aloia & Gabriel, was selected for his work *Lieoe* (2025), a mixed-media piece combining ceramic and embroidery on cotton that responds to the devastating floods in Rio Grande do Sul in May 2024. The selection was made with input from Fernando Oliva, curator of MASP, and Celia Sredni de Birbragher, director and editor of ArtNexus.

Franco Bellucci “Works (c. 2010–2018)” at a. SQUIRE, London

Franco Bellucci's exhibition "Works (c. 2010–2018)" is on view at a. SQUIRE gallery in London. The show features his sculptures, which are composed of knotted, humble, and mass-produced materials like socks, bandages, cables, and plastic bags, reflecting a direct engagement with his immediate surroundings.

Smithsonian Exhibition Spotlights Pahari Painting Traditions From The Himalayan Kingdoms

The Smithsonian’s National Museum of Asian Art in Washington, D.C., has opened "Of the Hills: Pahari Paintings from India’s Himalayan Kingdoms," an exhibition featuring 48 paintings and colored drawings that trace the evolution of Pahari painting across three key periods between 1620 and 1830. The show highlights the genre’s ties to the region’s landscapes, courtly life, and devotional practices, with works created using opaque watercolors, beetle wings, and gold, many of which have not been publicly displayed before. The exhibition runs until July 26.

An Ancient Ballad at Emami Art Brings Generations of Artists Together in Kolkata

A new group exhibition titled 'An Ancient Ballad' opens at Emami Art in Kolkata on 22 May 2026, bringing together 12 artists across generations. The show examines recurring motifs of nature, the human body, and animal forms in modern and contemporary art through photography, painting, printmaking, textile, ceramics, and sculpture. Historical works by L. M. Sen and K. C. Pyne are displayed alongside contemporary artists including Arunima Choudhury, Ajit Kumar Das, Alakananda Sengupta, Raja Boro, and Rahul Sarkar, creating an intergenerational dialogue on memory, mythology, and lived experience.

Berlin Modern Museum Construction Delayed Until 2030

Museumsbau Berlin Modern verzögert sich bis 2030

The completion of Berlin Modern, a major new museum in Berlin, has been delayed again until 2030 due to moisture damage and microbial infestation found in parts of the raw structure. The Stiftung Preußischer Kulturbesitz (SPK) announced an estimated eight-month postponement, though no construction stop was required. The museum, designed by Herzog & de Meuron, is being built near Potsdamer Platz to expand the Neue Nationalgalerie's exhibition space. Costs have risen from an initial €200 million to a projected €507 million.

Kanal-Centre Pompidou sans tête

Yves Goldstein, the general director of the Brussels branch of the Centre Pompidou, has announced his departure just before the scheduled opening of Kanal-Centre Pompidou on November 28. Goldstein stated that his mission is nearly complete and that the museum's daily management phase requires a different leader. A call for applications will be launched by the board of directors, with the selection made by the board of the Fondation Kanal based on profiles proposed by a jury led by president Michèle Sioen. The new director will face immediate challenges, including negotiating a new management contract with the Brussels Region for 2029-2033 and securing an increased annual subsidy, currently set at €10 million, which is deemed insufficient.

Andy Warhol exhibition at Saint Laurent Rive Droite turns Paris boutique into pop art gallery

Since April 23, 2026, the Saint Laurent Rive Droite boutique in Paris has been hosting an exhibition dedicated to Andy Warhol titled “Objets banals”. Curated by Anthony Vaccarello, the show features a selection of Polaroids and 35 mm photographs taken from the 1960s onward, revealing a more intimate and personal dimension of the pop art master. The installation is immersive and minimalist, with photographs interacting with Saint Laurent collections, design pieces, and exclusive objects, blurring the boundaries between commerce, museum, and artistic manifesto. All works on display are available for sale, distinguishing the boutique from a traditional museum.

Biennale, rules announced for Visitor's Lion. But dozens of artists withdraw

The Venice Biennale has announced the voting rules for the new Visitors' Lion awards, which replace the traditional Golden Lions after the original jury resigned before the opening. On the same day the popular voting opened, dozens of artists from the central exhibition 'In Minor Keys' and several National Pavilions announced their withdrawal from the competition in solidarity with the resigned jury, releasing a statement via e-flux on May 9, 2026. The voting system requires visitors to have attended both the Giardini and Arsenale venues, with anonymous voting open until November 22, 2026.

According to the Turner Prize, one of the year’s best British artists is… French

The 2026 Turner Prize shortlist has been announced, featuring four nominees including French-born artist Marguerite Humeau, who is considered the front-runner despite the award's requirement of honoring a "British artist." Humeau, known for her futuristic biomorphic sculptures made from unusual materials like wasp venom and seaweed, lives in London but was born and raised in the Loire Valley. Other nominees include London-born Kira Freije, Simeon Barclay for his spoken-word performance "The Ruin," and Tanoa Sasraku, whose ICA show is described as "dreary" by the critic. The winner will be announced at Middlesbrough Institute of Modern Art in December.

The 15th-century Ca' Giustinian Faccanon reopens in Venice. It will be a space for exhibitions and events

A Venezia riapre il quattrocentesco Ca’ Giustinian Faccanon. Sarà uno spazio per mostre ed eventi

The historic Ca' Giustinian Faccanon, a rare example of Venetian Gothic architecture in the San Marco district, has reopened in Venice after over a year of restoration work. The 15th-century palace, acquired by entrepreneur Andrea Parisotto, will now serve as a space for exhibitions and events managed by Art Events and Cultural Real Estate Studio. During the 61st Venice Biennale, it will host the Vietnam Pavilion with the exhibition "Arte nel flusso globale" curated by Do Tuong Linh, marking Vietnam's first official participation, as well as a solo show by Korean sculptor Shim Moon-Seup titled "Harnessed From Nature."

Working in Art and Culture: Opportunities from Premio di Pittura Casciaro, Fondazione MUS.E, Comune di Roma, Fondazione Officine Saffi

Lavorare nell’arte e nella cultura: opportunità da Premio di Pittura Casciaro, Fondazione MUS.E, Comune di Roma, Fondazione Officine Saffi

This article from Artribune compiles five current job and grant opportunities in the Italian visual arts and culture sector. It lists open calls for the Premio di Pittura Giuseppe Casciaro (a painting prize with a career award and a solo exhibition prize), a residency program for artists and curators under 36 at Fondazione MUS.E's MAD Murate Art District, an open call for artists on the theme of play by Associazione Circuiti Dinamici, a search by the Comune di Roma for a three-year artistic director for the La Vaccheria cultural space, and a stage (internship) position at Fondazione Culturale Officine Saffi for exhibition programming and project coordination.

What Artists Sign Away

Artist and writer Sarah Hotchkiss recounts two personal experiences where galleries and residency programs used standard contracts to limit artists' rights. In the first, a new gallery refused to shorten a six-month consignment period after an exhibition, leaving her work in "contractual limbo" where she would owe the gallery half of any sale even if she found the buyer herself. In the second, a residency required her to waive moral rights under the Visual Artists Rights Act, protections that allow artists to prevent distortion and control attribution of their work.

Berlin Museum to Return Almost 600 Skulls

Berliner Museum will fast 600 Schädel zurückgeben

The Prussian Cultural Heritage Foundation in Berlin has announced plans to repatriate hundreds of human skulls to West African nations following a multi-year provenance investigation. The research identified the origins of 574 skulls, with 336 linked to present-day Cameroon, 151 to Togo, 23 to Ghana, and one to Nigeria, while 63 could not be precisely located. The skulls were part of a historical anthropological collection transferred from Berlin's Charité university hospital in 2011.

Historical Museum Returns Painting

Historisches Museum gibt Bild zurück

The German Historical Museum (DHM) in Berlin has restituted a 19th-century portrait of historian Leopold von Ranke to the von der Schulenburg family. The painting by Adolf Jebens, dated 1876, was seized in 1945 during a land reform in the Soviet Occupation Zone from the family's Schloss Lodersleben estate. The museum's director, Raphael Gross, confirmed the return after provenance research identified the work's history.

La loi sur les restitutions des biens culturels pillés pendant la colonisation définitivement adoptée

The French Parliament has definitively adopted a permanent law on the restitution of cultural property looted during colonization, replacing the previous case-by-case legislative approach. The Senate unanimously approved the final text on May 7, 2026, following agreement in a joint committee on April 30, and the National Assembly had approved it the day before. The law creates a general derogation from the principle of inalienability of public collections, establishing a bilateral scientific committee to examine provenance, with final decisions made by decree of the Council of State. Key amendments from the National Assembly—including binding parliamentary votes on restitution and conditions on conservation and public access—were removed by the joint committee to avoid perceptions of neocolonial tutelage.

La loi-cadre sur les restitutions définitivement adoptée par le Parlement

The French Parliament has definitively adopted a framework law on the restitution of cultural property that was illicitly acquired. The Senate unanimously approved the conclusions of the joint committee on May 7, following the National Assembly's approval on May 6, after an agreement was reached on April 30. The law establishes a general mechanism for returning objects from French public collections without requiring a specific law for each case, covering items acquired through looting, theft, forced sale, or other illicit means before the 1970 UNESCO Convention. It creates a permanent national commission and a bilateral scientific committee to assess claims, with restitution ultimately decided by government decree subject to legal review by the Council of State.

Artnet et Artsy amorcent leur intégration

Artnet and Artsy, both acquired in 2025 by British fund Beowolff Capital, are beginning their integration under a shared management structure while maintaining separate brands and websites. The reorganization has already involved job cuts and aims to more closely align market data, online visibility, and transactions amid a fragile online art sales environment.

Une souscription pour la Maison-atelier Lurçat

The Académie des beaux-arts has launched a subscription campaign to acquire a monumental tapestry by Jean Lurçat, recently rediscovered by Christie's. The tapestry, titled *Bestiaire* (1930), measures 3 by 6.45 meters and was originally created for the artist's home-studio in Paris's 14th arrondissement. It will be publicly unveiled at Christie's Paris on May 6–7, 2025, before a private sale between the Académie and the auction house for €110,000. Donations are being collected online or by check to fund the purchase.

A reading room for the Epstein files opens in New York

A pop-up exhibition in Tribeca, New York, has transformed Mriya Gallery into the Donald J. Trump and Jeffrey Epstein Reading Room, displaying over 3,000 bound volumes of printed Epstein files. Organized by the Washington, DC-based Institute for Primary Facts, the room holds 3,437 volumes encompassing 3.5 million pages of released documents, printed over about a month. The free exhibition runs until 21 May and requires advance booking.

Artist Day at Flanders Nature Center May 9

Flanders Nature Center & Land Trust in Woodbury, Connecticut, will host Artist Day on Saturday, May 9, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Van Vleck Sanctuary. Artists, craftspeople, and photographers are invited to create work en plein air on the sanctuary's 200-acre grounds, which include woodlands, meadows, ponds, and historic buildings. The event is free and requires pre-registration. Participants may later be eligible to exhibit their work in Flanders’ 5th Annual Exhibition of Art in October at the Van Vleck Gallery.

Bayeux Tapestry: A Blank Voyage That Tests Nothing

Tapisserie de Bayeux : un voyage à blanc qui ne teste rien

A confidential interim report obtained by La Tribune de l'Art reveals that the "blank voyage" test transport of the Bayeux Tapestry from Bayeux to London in February 2026 failed to measure actual risks to the artwork. The report admits that the vibration threshold used (2 mm/s) is arbitrary and based on paintings, not on a textile of this size and fragility. Because the tapestry has been stored and inaccessible since September 2025, no mechanical tests could be conducted beforehand to determine safe vibration levels, rendering the test meaningless. A second test took place on April 15, 2026, but its report has not yet been finalized; the actual loan is planned for July 2026, with transport via Eurostar.

Deux nouveaux tableaux français du XVIIIème siècle pour le Musée Fabre

The Musée Fabre in Montpellier has acquired two 18th-century French paintings at auctions held by Artcurial in September 2025. The first is an "Allégorie de la Poésie" (1774) by Élisabeth Louise Vigée Le Brun, purchased for €250,000 with support from the museum's corporate foundation and a special grant from the Fonds du patrimoine. The painting, which depicts the early struggles of the future portraitist, was previously owned by Henry and Catherine Robert and had been exhibited in a major retrospective at the Grand Palais a decade ago.

Today’s war, tomorrow’s loot: attempts at stemming the illicit trade in art

The article examines the ongoing challenge of preventing the illicit trade in cultural property looted from conflict zones. It discusses the Hague Convention of 1954 and its protocol, which require signatory countries to prevent theft and pillage during armed conflict and to seize and repatriate unlawful exports. However, the protocol only applies to situations of 'occupation,' leaving a gap for looting that occurs in the chaos of war beyond formal occupation. The article also notes UN Security Council Resolutions that restrict unlawfully removed cultural property from Iraq and Syria, but no similar consensus exists for countries like Afghanistan, Libya, Ukraine, Lebanon, Yemen, Sudan, and Iran. EU Regulation 2019/880 is highlighted as a measure that prohibits introducing goods removed unlawfully from their place of origin into the EU, though its scope has expanded beyond its original anti-terrorist financing purpose.

UK’s Brighton & Hove Museums to return 45 artefacts to Botswana

Brighton & Hove Museums in southern England will return 45 artefacts to Botswana. The objects, including clothing, accessories and hunting implements, were acquired by English reverend William Charles Willoughby in the 1890s and will be housed at the Khama III Memorial Museum in Serowe, where they will form part of a permanent exhibition opening on 27 May. A team from Brighton & Hove Museums is working with Botswanan curators on the return, which is scheduled for April.

Was This Anne Boleyn’s Seat? Rare 500-Year-Old Chair Linked to Tudor Queen

A rare, intricately carved wooden chair, potentially used by Anne Boleyn during her time in the French courts between 1510 and 1520, has been acquired and is now on display at Hever Castle. The chair was purchased by antiques dealer Paul Fitzsimmons from an online American auction in 2022, and its carvings—featuring dolphins, a Tudor rose, and the initials "AB" intertwined with a cordelière emblem of Queen Claude—suggest a strong link to the Tudor queen's early life.

Manitowoc Rahr-West offers monthly summer gallery tours with experts

The Rahr-West Art Museum in Manitowoc, Wisconsin, is offering free, monthly drop-in gallery tours throughout summer 2026, led by museum staff and guest experts. Tours include sessions on the art of David Roberts, recent acquisitions, salon-style installations, and a local artists exhibition, with no registration required. Additionally, docent-led tours of the historic Vilas-Rahr Mansion will be available on Thursdays from June through September.

Art, war and memory: Military History Museum marks May 6 with exhibition

The National Museum of Military History in Bulgaria will open an exhibition titled “Created in War, Preserved through Art” on May 5, marking the Day of Bravery and the Bulgarian Armed Forces as well as the museum’s 110th anniversary. The exhibition transports visitors to 1916, during World War I, when the museum was founded to preserve the memory of the Bulgarian Army, and highlights how Bulgarian artists participated in an international exhibition in Berlin that year, with many of their war-inspired works later acquired by the Ministry of War to form a major art collection.

Leepa-Rattner Museum of Art highlights dynamic spring exhibition season

The Leepa-Rattner Museum of Art in Tarpon Springs, Florida, has launched a dynamic spring 2026 exhibition season featuring four shows that highlight regional artists and student creativity. Exhibitions include "Richard Heipp: Reliquaries & Artifacts" (through July 26), which uses hyper-realistic paintings to explore how museums shape cultural memory; "Dallas Jackson: Unsung Heroes, The Fabric of America" (through June 14), a mixed-media tribute to overlooked community figures; and "David Anderson: Now and Again" (through June 14), presenting eight newly acquired works never before publicly exhibited. The season also includes student-focused programming from kindergarten through middle school.

Aaron Goldschmidt of The Shine Studio on Art, Inspiration, and Creativity

Aaron Goldschmidt, founder and director of The Shine Studio in Bridgehampton, discusses the studio's first art exhibition, "The Lost Works" by multidisciplinary artist Adam Baranello. The show features 70 pieces of "lost art" recovered from a gallery that closed, representing Baranello's work from 2015 to 2020. The exhibition runs through the end of April, with works sold at original prices.

Sherman Fund Acquires Work by Emerging Artists for US Museums

The Sherman Fund has acquired works by emerging artists for donation to US museums, supporting new talent and expanding institutional collections. The initiative focuses on acquiring pieces from lesser-known contemporary artists and placing them in public institutions to increase accessibility and representation.