In La Défense, a Plunge Between Art and Science into Abyssal Wonder

À La Défense, une plongée entre art et science d’un émerveillement abyssal

The exhibition "Sous l’horizon" (Under the Horizon) has opened in the Salle des colonnes, a massive underground space beneath the La Défense business district in Paris. Guided by a poetic narrative from writer Mariette Navarro and the voice of singer Emily Loizeau, visitors navigate a darkened 1,000-square-meter environment equipped with headlamps and audio headsets. The immersive journey features works by artists including Antoine Bertin, Ugo Schiavi, Jérémie Brugidou, and Shivay La Multiple, exploring the mysteries of the deep sea through bioluminescence, oceanic soundscapes, and futuristic sculptures.

Probing the Intergalactic Art Installations of Thai Artist Torlarp “Hern” Larpjaroensook

Thai artist Torlarp “Hern” Larpjaroensook creates immersive sci-fi sculptures and installations using found and ready-made objects. His recent work 'Cosmos of Nostalgia' was displayed at the NTU Museum in Singapore from January to April 2026, part of a campus-wide exhibition featuring three Southeast Asian artists. Earlier notable works include 'U.S.O. – Unidentified Standing Object' (2018) at Subhashok The Arts Centre in Bangkok and 'Spiritual Spaceship' (2018) at the Bangkok Art Biennale, which explored the contrast between modern technology and traditional Thai spirituality.

Fresh voices of Pakistani art

The Islamabad Art Gallery has launched 'Souch Say Saqafat Tak,' a landmark exhibition showcasing the debut works of recent art school graduates from across Pakistan. Curated by Raheel Arshad in collaboration with Khyal Art Space, the show features a diverse array of mediums including digital glitches, traditional calligraphy, and abstract portraiture. The opening event drew significant cultural figures, including writer Irfan Ahmed Urfi and photographer Mobeen Ansari, highlighting a collective effort to bridge the gap between academic training and professional practice.

First Friday unfolds tonight with free museum hours, art galleries open late

Major cities across the United States are hosting First Friday events tonight, featuring extended gallery hours, free museum admissions, and live cultural programming. A central highlight is the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles, which is celebrating the 20th anniversary of its after-hours series with a sold-out evening of live music, DJ sets, and science discussions led by experts.

Iris van Herpen: Sculpting the Senses

The Brooklyn Museum is presenting "Iris van Herpen: Sculpting the Senses," a major exhibition dedicated to the Dutch fashion designer known for her avant-garde, sculptural garments that blend art, science, and technology. The show features over 80 of van Herpen's most iconic creations, alongside works by contemporary artists and scientific artifacts that inspired her designs.

Arise Sir Tristram—V&A director is knighted in UK New Year Honours

Tristram Hunt, director of the Victoria & Albert Museum in London, has been knighted in the UK New Year Honours list for 2026, recognized for his services to museums. Other art-world figures honored include curator Ekow Eshun (OBE), art historian Marcia Pointon (OBE), cultural heritage expert Janet Blake (OBE), Jo Quinton-Tulloch of the National Science and Media Museum (OBE), Susan Bowers of the Pilgrim Trust (MBE), and Hilary McGrady of the National Trust (CBE).

From controversy to clarity: how a Philadelphia medical museum is rethinking the display of human remains

The Mütter Museum in Philadelphia, known for its collection of medical artifacts including human remains, has been embroiled in controversy since a 2023 ProPublica investigation revealed it held Native American remains without repatriating them as required by NAGPRA. The museum's executive director Kate Quinn and then-president Mira Irons responded by removing digital content mentioning human remains, sparking a petition signed by over 30,000 people accusing them of reactive decisions. High-level staff departed, donors requested their body parts back, and both Quinn and Irons eventually resigned. The museum is now led by science historians Erin McLeary and Sara Ray.

From controversy to clarity: how a Philadelphia medical museum is rethinking the display of human remains

The Mütter Museum in Philadelphia, known for its collection of medical artifacts including human skulls and skeletons, faced a major controversy after a 2023 ProPublica investigation revealed it held Native American remains without proper repatriation under NAGPRA. Executive director Kate Quinn and president Mira Irons responded by removing digital content mentioning human remains, sparking a petition signed by over 30,000 people accusing them of reactive decisions. High-level staff left, donors demanded their body parts back, and both Quinn and Irons eventually resigned. The museum is now led by science historians Erin McLeary and Sara Ray, who introduced a new policy on human remains in August 2024.

From controversy to clarity: how a Philadelphia medical museum is rethinking the display of human remains

The Mütter Museum in Philadelphia, known for its collection of medical artifacts including human skulls and skeletons, faced a major controversy after a 2023 ProPublica investigation revealed it held remains of at least 52 Native Americans without proper repatriation under NAGPRA. The museum's executive director Kate Quinn and president Mira Irons responded by removing digital content mentioning human remains, sparking a petition signed by over 30,000 people accusing them of reactive and fear-based decisions. Several staffers left, donors requested their body parts back, and both Quinn and Irons eventually resigned. The museum is now led by science historians Erin McLeary and Sara Ray.

‘When you’re working with clay, you’re working with the earth’: Studio’s new exhibition offers ‘Clay as Care’

The Clay Studio in Philadelphia has opened a new exhibition titled 'Clay as Care: Ceramic Art and Wellbeing,' which explores the therapeutic and restorative benefits of working with ceramics. Co-curated by Jennifer Zwilling and Nicole Pollard, the show features four artists—Adebunmi Gbadebo, Jennifer Ling Datchuk, Ehren Tool, and Maia Chao—each using clay to address personal healing journeys, from fertility struggles to trauma recovery. The exhibition includes interactive elements like communal clay for visitors and is part of a research project partnering with the University of Pennsylvania Center for Neuroaesthetics, Jefferson University Art Therapy Department, and Drexel University Art Psychotherapy team to study the wellness effects of art exhibitions.

Naples, Marco Island, Everglades CVB pays tribute to local Hispanic cultures in a year-long celebration

The Naples, Marco Island, Everglades Convention and Visitors Bureau (CVB) has launched ¡ARTE VIVA!, a yearlong celebration honoring the Hispanic cultures that make up nearly 30% of the region's population. The 2025-2026 season includes Día de los Muertos events at venues like the Marco Island Center for the Arts, Naples Botanical Garden, and Artis—Naples, featuring Calaveras sculptures by Ricardo Soltero, photography by Lizette Morales, and performances by Ballet Folklorica Jaliscience. Visual arts highlights include a Joan Miró exhibition at Naples Art Institute, a permanent collection show at The Baker Museum, and a public art installation by Michelle Tricca at Lipman Farms. Musical programming features Gulfshore Opera's Carmen, Latin Grammy nominee Leslie Cartaya, and Opera Naples Festival under Ramón Tebar.

The Interview: Sea Art Festival 2025

The 2025 Sea Art Festival, titled "Undercurrents: Waves Walking on the Water," is co-directed by Keumhwa Kim and Bernard Vienat, who were selected via an international open call. The biennial, established in 1987 as part of the Seoul Olympic Games, takes place on the beaches of Busan, Korea, alternating between Dadaepo Beach and Songdo. This year it returns to Dadaepo, focusing on outdoor installations and sculptures that engage with the natural landscape. The festival emphasizes collaboration with local communities and scientists, including paleontologists and bioacoustic researchers, to highlight invisible ecological and social structures.

New public art biennial to take over Dallas’s urban greenbelt park

Dallas is set to launch the KTX Biennial in spring 2027, marking Texas’s first biennial dedicated exclusively to public art. Curated by Jovanna Venegas of New York’s SculptureCenter, the exhibition will feature nearly a dozen contemporary works installed along the Katy Trail, a popular 3.5-mile urban greenbelt. The inaugural edition is themed around a science-fiction story by Ursula K. Le Guin, focusing on the interconnectedness between humans and their environment.

Six key works by M.F. Husain to see at Lawh Wa Qalam

Amita Shenoy, former curator of the M.F. Husain Museum in Bangalore, has selected six key works by the renowned Indian artist M.F. Husain that are now part of the collection at Lawh Wa Qalam in Doha. The selection includes pieces like 'The Raman Effect series' (1987), 'Arab Astronomy' (2008), and 'Quit India Movement' (1985), which illustrate major themes in Husain's life and artistic practice.

Comment | Art and science rely on freedom of thought—and on each other

The article argues that art and science are deeply interconnected, both relying on freedom of thought and cross-disciplinary collaboration. It cites examples like birds' colorful feathers being explained by a study supported by Schmidt Sciences, which found that birds use a layer of white and black feathers to accentuate color—a technique painters have used for centuries. The piece highlights the Artist-at-Sea programme aboard the Schmidt Ocean Institute's research vessel Falkor (too), where artists like Constance Sartor and Jill Pelto collaborate with scientists to communicate marine science to broader audiences. The author, who works with scientists and is married to one, emphasizes that both disciplines pursue truth through different but complementary methods, from Leonardo da Vinci's anatomical studies to medieval Islamic tilework and Alexander von Humboldt's naturalist drawings.

Live conservation reveals hidden surprises of unfinished Spencer painting

A new exhibition at the Stanley Spencer Gallery in Cookham, titled *Revealing Genius, Conserving Art: Stanley Spencer’s Final Masterpiece*, offers visitors a rare chance to watch conservator Olivia Leake work on Spencer’s unfinished painting *Christ Preaching at Cookham Regatta*. The large canvas, which Spencer labored over for over a decade but left incomplete at his death in 1959, has been lowered from its usual high hanging for live conservation. Using UV light and paint analysis, Leake has discovered surprising details: extremely thin paint layers, a green water area later overpainted in blue, and multiple changes to underdrawings—contradicting anecdotes that Spencer never altered his initial drawings.

THE WIND AS PROTAGONIST AT THE FINLAND PAVILION

Artist Jenna Sutela has been selected to represent Finland at the 61st Venice Biennale in 2026 with a multisensory installation titled Aeolian Suite. Curated by Stefanie Hessler and commissioned by Frame Contemporary Art Finland, the project transforms the Alvar Aalto-designed pavilion into a dynamic windscape using meteorological data, wind machines, and a children’s woodwinds orchestra. The work personifies five specific Venetian winds as protagonists in an elemental drama that blends scientific data with the theatrical traditions of Commedia dell’arte.

How Photography Helped Build the Atomic Bomb

The feminist artist collective Slow War Against the Nuclear State (SWANS) presents the exhibition "Atomic Dragons" at Pitzer College Art Galleries. The show features works by seven intergenerational artist-academics, focusing on photography's historical role in developing atomic weapons and the enduring human and environmental costs of nuclear politics.

Gallery openings and exhibits in Central Oregon this week

Central Oregon’s art scene is hosting a diverse array of exhibitions this week across Bend, Sisters, Sunriver, and Redmond. Notable highlights include Jana Charl’s mixed-media showcase "This is not a Love Story" at Art Adventure Gallery, Hilary Baker’s moth-themed "Prophets" at the High Desert Museum, and a collection of literary-inspired quilts at the Deschutes Historical Museum. The offerings span various mediums, from nomadic woven macramé and custom jewelry to volcanic science explorations and historic cartography.

Arts & Science Center hosting artwork by instructor at University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff

The Arts & Science Center for Southeast Arkansas is hosting the exhibition 'Blaque' by University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff art instructor Jonathan Rashad Wright as a highlight of its 2026 Black History Month programming. The exhibition, on display through July 3, explores themes of identity, heritage, grief, and resilience within the African diaspora through Wright's innovative blend of traditional printmaking and modern technology, using black ink on black paper to create layered, introspective works.

October 2025 Opportunities: Open Calls, Residencies, and Grants for Artists

The article lists numerous open calls, residencies, and grants for artists in October 2025, including the Hopper Prize offering $4,500 and $1,000 artist grants, the Abbey Harris Mural Fund in the UK providing up to £7,000 for public murals, and the 2026 Black Creativity Juried Art Exhibition at the Griffin Museum of Science and Industry. Other opportunities include the Contemporary Reflection Art Exhibition in London, an open call for 2027-29 exhibitions at Municipal Gallery, dlr LexIcon in Ireland, the Glen Arbor Arts Center's INteriors exhibition, the Sight/Geist Film & Performance open call in New York City, and a creative commission for the Sycamore Gap Tree by the National Trust. Deadlines range from October 10 to November 17, 2025.

October 2025 Opportunities: Open Calls, Residencies, and Grants for Artists

This article compiles a list of open calls, residencies, and grants for artists in October 2025, including opportunities such as the Hopper Prize offering $4,500 and $1,000 artist grants, the Abbey Harris Mural Fund in the UK providing up to £7,000 for public murals, and the 2026 Black Creativity Juried Art Exhibition at the Griffin Museum of Science and Industry. Other listings include the Contemporary Reflection Art Exhibition in London, an open call for exhibitions at Municipal Gallery dlr LexIcon in Ireland, the Glen Arbor Arts Center's INteriors show, the Sight/Geist Film & Performance open call in New York City, a creative commission for the Sycamore Gap tree by the National Trust, and the Discovery Art Fair Frankfurt.

massive moai statues walked to platforms easter island new study 1234756846

A new study in the Journal of Archaeological Science by archaeologists Carl Lipo of Binghamton University and Terry Hunt of the University of Arizona proposes that the 92-ton moai statues on Easter Island, Chile, were transported in a vertical position using ropes to “walk” them onto their stone platforms. The research combines three-dimensional modeling, field experiments with a scaled replica, and analysis of 62 abandoned statues along ancient roads, finding that wider bases and a forward lean of 6–15 degrees enabled a rocking motion that allowed a team of 18 people to move a statue 328 feet in about 40 minutes.

6 Kansas City art exhibits you'll love seeing this spring

Kansas City’s spring art season features a diverse lineup of exhibitions across several key local venues, highlighting regional talent and identity-driven narratives. Notable shows include a group exhibition by the Kansas City Art Institute’s AAPI Association at Leedy-Voulkos Art Center and a collaborative project between Kansas City and Chicago galleries titled "Queer Ecologies II" at the Charlotte Street Foundation, which explores the intersection of queer identity and environmental science.

Student artists explore creative compassion in new art exhibit | Emory University | Atlanta GA

Student artists at Emory University are exhibiting works from a compassion-focused visual arts course in a new show titled "Between Shadow and Light: Artwork on Compassion" at the Emory Center for Ethics' hallway gallery. The assignment, part of the Creative Conscience Project in partnership with the Emory Center for Ethics, asked students in Aaron Putt's "Introduction to Painting and Drawing" class to write personal notes on paper, crumple them, and create photorealistic still-life drawings incorporating intimate objects like family recipes, flowers, or seashells. The exhibit features drawings, paintings, and photographs by 13 students and will remain on display through January 2027.

June Leaf Made Art Like a Mad Scientist, a Dancer, an Aviator and an Archer

The New York Times profiles artist June Leaf, whose multidisciplinary practice blended elements of science, dance, aviation, and archery. The article explores her unconventional approach to art-making, which defied easy categorization and drew from a wide range of influences and techniques.

Long Island Sound Exhibition at AVS Gallery Highlights Its Beauty, History, Sense of Home

The Alexey von Schlippe Gallery of Art at UConn Avery Point presents "Sight and Sound: Artists Consider Long Island Sound," a group exhibition curated by Richard Klein featuring 14 artists including Brechin Morgan, James Prosek, Martha Willette Lewis, and Marion Belanger. The show explores the ecology, cultural history, and geology of Long Island Sound through diverse media, with works inspired by personal experiences and scientific insights about the body of water.

A Whole New World: Microscope Art Exhibit Makes Major Community Connections

Michigan Technological University's Rozsa Art Galleries has opened "Nanowonder: Images from the Microscopic World," an exhibition featuring photographs taken with a Hitachi scanning electron microscope. The show displays magnified images of everyday objects like butterfly wings, toy cars, and spider legs, and is part of Hitachi's Inspire STEM Education Outreach Program. The opening reception on September 27 drew a diverse crowd, with attendees bringing their own samples for live magnification, and included special guest Sonnet the Pigeon, whose feather was featured in the exhibit.

A Whole New World: Microscope Art Exhibit Makes Major Community Connections

Michigan Technological University's Rozsa Art Galleries has opened "Nanowonder: Images from the Microscopic World," an exhibit featuring photographs taken by a Hitachi Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM). The show displays magnified images of tiny objects like butterfly wings, toy cars, and yarn, captured during outreach events at local schools and libraries. The opening reception on Sept. 27 allowed community members to bring their own samples for magnification, with researchers projecting the images on a large screen. The exhibit is a collaboration across Michigan Tech campus, involving the A. E. Seaman Mineral Museum, the College of Sciences and Arts, and other departments, and runs through Nov. 7.

Iconic ‘Star Trek’ Costumes and Props Beam Into London’s Science Museum

London's Science Museum has opened a free exhibition titled 'Star Trek Warp Trail' to celebrate the franchise's 60th anniversary. The display features iconic costumes, props, and models from various Star Trek series and films, including uniforms worn by characters like Captain Pike and Jean-Luc Picard, the prototype android B-4 prop head, and a model of the U.S.S. Enterprise.