Notte Europea dei Musei 2026: tornano le aperture serali con biglietto a 1 euro. Il programma

The European Night of Museums returns on Saturday, May 23, 2026, with participating museums across Europe opening their doors for special evening hours. In Italy, the Ministry of Culture organizes extraordinary openings from 8 PM to midnight at the symbolic price of 1 euro, alongside events in theater, music, dance, literature, and cinema. Highlights include Rome's Notte dei Musei (16th edition) with civic museums open until 2 AM, Villa Adriana and Villa d'Este in Tivoli offering evening access and contemporary performances, and the Royal Savoy Residences in Piedmont featuring guided tours, exhibitions, and family activities.

Giuli Buys Everything! The Ministry of Culture Also Wants to Take Over Rome's Teatro delle Vittorie and Venice's Palazzo Labia?

Giuli compra tutto! Il Ministero della Cultura vuole prendersi anche Il Teatro delle Vittorie di Roma e Palazzo Labia a Venezia?

Italian Minister of Culture Alessandro Giuli is pursuing an aggressive acquisition campaign for cultural properties. After high-profile purchases including Antonello da Messina's *Ecce Homo* and Caravaggio's *Portrait of Monsignor Maffeo Barberini* (€30 million), the Ministry has now expressed interest in acquiring Rome's Teatro delle Vittorie and Venice's Palazzo Labia—both part of a real estate portfolio being sold by state broadcaster Rai. The Ministry also recently bought Verona's historic Cinema Astra (with a €7.5 million restoration plan) and Naples' Teatro Sannazzaro after a fire.

At the Casa di Goethe in Rome, two controversial episodes in the history of science in Mischa Kuball's light installations

Alla Casa di Goethe di Roma due episodi controversi della storia della scienza nelle installazioni di luce di Mischa Kuball

The Casa di Goethe in Rome is hosting a solo exhibition of German conceptual artist Mischa Kuball from April 30 to October 4, 2026. The show features two light installations: "Newton/Goethe luce nera," which contrasts Johann Wolfgang von Goethe's and Isaac Newton's opposing theories on color and light refraction, and "five suns / after Galileo," which visualizes Galileo Galilei's observations of sunspots and his conflict with the Catholic Church. The exhibition is curated by the museum's director, Gregor H. Lersch.

In Pol Taburet’s New Show, Being Paranoid Is the Point

French artist Pol Taburet has opened a solo exhibition titled *Paranoia as Method* at Villa Medici in Rome, on view through July 15. The show features sculptures, large-format paintings, and charcoal drawings created during his spring residency at the institution, transforming the villa’s gardens, loggias, and salons into tense psychic landscapes. Taburet’s figures drift between human and animal, evoking transformation, mortality, and spiritual tension, drawing on his Caribbean roots, voodoo traditions, contemporary culture, and classical painting.

Major Exhibition Surveys 60 Years of Chicano Art Across the United States

The Cheech Marin Center for Chicano Art & Culture in Riverside, California, has opened a major exhibition titled "We the People: Chicano Art in the U.S.A.," surveying 60 years of Chicano art across the United States. Organized by artist and curator Benito Huerta, the show features 126 works by 61 artists drawn from the collection of Cheech Marin, the museum's permanent holdings, recent acquisitions, and artist loans. The exhibition spans painting, sculpture, installation, printmaking, and mixed media, including works by historic collectives like Los Four and Con Safo alongside contemporary artists, exploring themes of migration, labor, cultural memory, identity, and everyday life.

Major, International Touring Exhibition ‘Treasures of the Pharaohs’ Coming to the Kimbell Art Museum in 2027

The Kimbell Art Museum in Fort Worth, Texas, announced it will host the major international touring exhibition 'Treasures of the Pharaohs' from March 14 to September 19, 2027. Featuring 130 artifacts from the Egyptian Museum in Cairo and the Luxor Museum, the exhibition spans 3,000 years of ancient Egyptian history, including royal treasures, newly discovered objects from the 'Golden City' in the Valley of the Kings, and works from Dynasty I to the Ptolemaic period. The exhibition is currently on view at the Scuderie del Quirinale in Rome and will travel to the de Young museum in San Francisco before arriving at the Kimbell.

Fight Club Denounces the System From Within the System

Cameroonian artist Pascale Marthine Tayou's first major institutional exhibition in Brazil, "Knockout!," has opened at the Pinacoteca de São Paulo's Pina Luz building. The show spans over 25 years of Tayou's career, featuring installations, sculptures, and paintings across seven rooms. Each room is themed around a historical international conference—including the Berlin Conference of 1884, Yalta, San Francisco, Rome, Rio de Janeiro, Bandung, and a fictional Avignon conference—using these as political and historical axes to critique colonial power structures and global inequality.

May First Friday 2026: 20+ events, exhibition openings in Lancaster city this Friday

Lancaster city's May First Friday 2026 features over 20 events, including exhibition openings, concerts, and performances. Highlights include a new exhibition 'Hybrids' by artist Jeremy Waak at Curio Gallery & Creative Supply, the Demuth Museum's 'Demuth Invitational: American Reflections' tied to the U.S. 250th anniversary, and the Lancaster Living Poetry Museum II with performers embodying poets at venues like the Lancaster Public Library and Lancaster Art Vault. Other offerings include salsa dancing at Binns Park, works by York County painters at The Framing Concept, and a show inspired by Yayoi Kusama at Friendship Heart Gallery + Market.

Gerard van Honthorst

A major retrospective of the Dutch Golden Age painter Gerard van Honthorst has opened at the Centraal Museum in Utrecht, running from April 25 to September 13, 2025. The exhibition brings together numerous large-format works that trace Honthorst's full career, from his early Caravaggesque phase to his later stylistic and thematic diversification across Utrecht, Rome, London, and The Hague. The show is praised for its successful mix of chronological and thematic hanging, offering a comprehensive view of the artist's complexity.

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.

Biennale de Venise 2026 : les saturnales éblouissantes d’Yto Barrada pour le pavillon français

Yto Barrada has been selected to represent France at the 61st Venice Biennale in 2026 with her exhibition "Comme Saturne" (Like Saturn) in the French Pavilion. The installation features rebellious stage curtains hiding wasp nests and a copper daguerreotype plate of a planet, a large rock, a Wheel of Fortune, and a nostalgic vanitas arrangement around a missing mirror frame. Curated by Myriam Ben Salah, the show explores textile and natural dyeing, with three cabinets addressing the transmission of know-how, migration of plants and people, postcolonial history, and Enlightenment imperialism. A central room displays 70 pieces forming a symmetrical frieze of red natural dyes, while a black monochrome patchwork highlights the difficulty of achieving black in dyeing. Barrada is the fifth woman to represent France at the Biennale.

New space dedicated to Oleg Prokofiev—whose abstract art was censored by Soviet Russia—opens in London

A new art space called Prokofiev Studio has opened in Hackney, London, dedicated to the Russian artist Oleg Prokofiev. Its inaugural exhibition, 'Bending Time,' presents abstract works from the 1950s that were banned under Soviet censorship and long thought lost. The space was founded by Prokofiev’s children, including composer Gabriel Prokofiev, in collaboration with curator Anzhela Popova. The works were rediscovered in 1994 when Prokofiev returned to his former Moscow home and found them preserved by the new owner.

I cantieri che restaurano i saloni rinascimentali di Palazzo Venezia a Roma si possono visitare (gratis!). Ecco come

Palazzo Venezia in Rome is opening its monumental Renaissance halls to the public for free guided tours on three dates in 2026—May 23, June 6, and June 20—as part of the "VIVE Cantiere Aperto" project. Visitors will be led by restorers and art historians onto scaffolding to observe the restoration of the Loggia Grande, Sala del Mappamondo, and Sala delle Battaglie, including their wooden ceilings, sculptural decorations, and wall paintings. The halls have served as Venetian embassy, Austro-Hungarian imperial seat, and Mussolini's government headquarters before becoming a museum space.

Ayotunde Ojo Maps Interiority Under the Public Gaze

The article, a critic's guide review by Andrew Durbin, contrasts the US national pavilion presentation at an unspecified biennial with those of Britain and Germany. The US presentation is described as vacuous and lacking in meaning, while the British and German installations are praised for being incisive and moving. The review critically examines the thematic and conceptual approaches of each national pavilion, highlighting a disparity in artistic depth and engagement.

In Pictures: Opening-Day Action From Frieze New York

Frieze New York opened with a flurry of activity, drawing collectors, curators, and art enthusiasts to the fair's latest edition. The event featured a wide range of contemporary galleries and presentations, with notable early sales and strong attendance signaling a vibrant start to the fair season in New York.

Studio SALES presents Concetto Pozzati. 50 years later exhibition in Rome

Studio SALES in Rome presents "Concetto Pozzati. 50 years later," an exhibition revisiting the artist's 1976 retrospective at the Palazzo delle Esposizioni. Organized in collaboration with the Archivio Concetto Pozzati, the show focuses on Pozzati's experimental work from the 1970s, featuring four large canvases from the original exhibition alongside works on paper displayed using plexiglass. The pieces, some unseen since 1976, explore mixed techniques like spray painting and screen-printing, highlighting a period when Pozzati moved away from his signature style.

Farm Projects to host 'Little Happiness' and 'Considering Change'

Farm Projects in Hudson, New York, will host two concurrent exhibitions from May 2 through 18, 2026: "Susan Carr: Little Happiness" and "Nancy Berlin: Considering Change." Carr's exhibition features colorful wooden sculptures that treat color as structure, while Berlin's show explores climate change and shifting knowledge through layered paintings and works from her series "Flight Patterns" and "Constant Revisions." An opening reception is scheduled for May 9.

The 2026 Met Gala Theme and Dress Code, Explained

The 2026 Met Gala, held at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City, is set for tonight with the theme "Costume Art" and the dress code "Fashion is Art." The event, which takes place annually on the first Monday in May, serves as a high-profile fundraiser for the Costume Institute and a fashion spectacle. Co-chairs include Beyoncé, Nicole Kidman, Venus Williams, and Anna Wintour. The theme is tied to the Met's upcoming exhibition of the same name, which will debut the Costume Institute's first permanent galleries—the Condé M. Nast Galleries—and explore "the centrality of the dressed body" by pairing garments with art spanning 5,000 years.

Raphael: Sublime Poetry

This article announces the first comprehensive U.S. exhibition on Raphael, titled "Raphael: Sublime Poetry," which offers an immersive look at the artist's meteoric career through drawings, paintings, prints, and tapestries. It traces Raphael's journey from his birth in Urbino in 1483, through his training under his poet-painter father Giovanni Santi and later Pietro Perugino, to his rise as a peer to Leonardo and Michelangelo in Florence and his final decade as the favorite artist of the popes in Rome, where he was celebrated as the "prince of painters."

The 10 best pavilions to see at the 2026 Venice Art Biennale. Artribune's top ten

I 10 migliori padiglioni da vedere alla Biennale d’Arte di Venezia 2026. La top ten di Artribune

Artribune presents its top ten must-see national pavilions at the 2026 Venice Biennale, which features a record 100 participating countries. The article highlights standout projects including Greece's escape room by Andreas Angelidakis critiquing nationalist populism, Belgium's participatory dance installation by Miet Warloop, and Canada's greenhouse-like pavilion by Abbas Akhavan exploring colonial botany. The Biennale, curated by Koyo Kouoh under the theme "In Minor Keys," is marked by last-minute jury resignations leading to public voting for the Golden Lions, as well as protests over the participation of Russia and Israel.

Adrian Ghenie: Roman Campagna | Exhibition review

Adrian Ghenie's exhibition "Roman Campagna" at a Paris gallery presents a series of paintings and charcoal drawings that subvert the romantic cliché of an artist's transformative encounter with Rome. Ghenie populates landscapes inspired by the Appian Way with grotesque, alien-headed figures hunched over smartphones, urinating on monuments, or weeping at sunsets, using brown and grey tones punctuated by bright colors. The works reference Francis Bacon and William S. Burroughs, and include direct allusions to Bacon's reinterpretation of van Gogh's self-portrait, as well as a copy of a Pompeii mosaic. The show also features large charcoal drawings on paper that reveal Ghenie's process of constructing his contemporary, alienated figures.

Marshall Vernet - all exhibitions and events about the artist

An exhibition titled "Vernet meets Piranesi" opens on May 14, 2026, at Antonacci Lapiccirella Fine Art in Rome, featuring a photographic project by New York-based artist Marshall Vernet. The show presents a dialogue between Vernet's photographs and the Vedute of Giovanni Battista Piranesi, the 18th-century Italian etcher known for his architectural views.

Mario Ceroli on display in Florence: forty works at Tornabuoni Arte

The Tornabuoni Arte gallery in Florence is hosting "Mario Ceroli. Myth and Matter," an anthological exhibition featuring forty sculptures and installations by the Roman artist Mario Ceroli. The show traces his career from the 1960s to 2000, including his iconic wooden silhouettes, works inspired by Leonardo da Vinci's Vitruvian Man, and pieces referencing Greek myth and the Riace Bronzes. The exhibition runs until May 29 at the gallery's Lungarno Benvenuto Cellini 3 location.

In the heart of Trastevere, an exhibition by an artist paying homage to an ancient Roman goddess

Nel cuore di Trastevere la mostra di un artista che omaggia un’antica dea romana

Diego Gualandris presents 'Floralia,' a solo exhibition at ADA gallery in Rome's Trastevere district, running until May 24, 2026. The show blends painting and music to create a modern homage to Flora, the ancient Roman goddess of spring and fertility. Gualandris displays a series of medium- and small-scale canvases from 2026 alongside a 1970s gramophone playing two original tracks—'The world in a flowerbed' improvised by the artist on piano with saxophonist Francesca Pegurri, his mother. The exhibition also references Hermann Nitsch through works like 'Prinzendorf,' and features playful, erotic botanical compositions that invite viewers to lie down and experience the space through sound and imagery.

100 anni tra arte e poesia per annullare i confini. Intervista a Lamberto Pignotti

Lamberto Pignotti, the 100-year-old Florentine artist and poet and a leading figure in visual poetry, is celebrated with two concurrent exhibitions: "Pignotti 100. Pop-esie visive" at the Mart in Rovereto (in collaboration with the Collegio Cairoli of Pavia) and the dual solo show "Identikit di Pignotti e Hogre" curated by Marco Giovenale at Galleria Bianco Contemporaneo in Rome. The latter exhibition, born from a dialogue between Pignotti and the anonymous artist Hogre, centers on a collection of envelopes Pignotti has saved for over fifty years—each addressed to him with varying titles (architect, artist, poet, professor) or altered names (Alberto, Lorenzo, Mario, Giuseppe)—revealing his fragmented identity. Pignotti co-founded the Gruppo '70 in Florence in 1963 with Eugenio Miccini, a movement that brought together multidisciplinary artists including Lucia Marcucci, Ketty La Rocca, and musicians Giuseppe Chiari and Sylvano Bussotti.

SHE: Exhibition of street art at Rome gallery

Rosso20sette arte contemporanea in Rome is hosting a group exhibition titled 'SHE Street (Art) – Her (Art) – Exhibition,' featuring six internationally acclaimed female street artists: Swoon, Faith XLVII, Sandra Chevrier, Jacoba Niepoort, Handiedan, and Patrícia Mariano. Curated by Giorgio Silvestrelli, the show presents works on paper and canvas, some never previously exhibited and others created specifically for the occasion. The exhibition runs until 10 July at the gallery on Via del Sudario 39.

May First Friday: 8 shows to see this month around Missoula

Missoula artist Julia LaTray presents a solo exhibition titled "Animal Pleasures" at Bob's Your Uncle gallery in May, featuring paintings of animals on glitchy, digitized backgrounds alongside lighting and other works. The gallery is only open to the public on dedicated nights, so the exhibition is paired with performances, comedy, and readings on May 1, 8, 15, and 29. Separately, Hanis Coos artist Sara Siestreem brings her major exhibition "Acts of Love, Refusal and Resistance" to the Missoula Art Museum, filling the museum's main galleries with large-scale mixed-media paintings and sculpture, including handmade baskets and ceramic molded versions with gilded flourishes. The museum hosts a First Friday reception on May 1 and a "Coffee and Conversation" with the artist on May 2.

Denver Art Museum Luncheon by Design, a fundraiser event for DIVA exhibition, opening fall 2026

The Denver Art Museum (DAM) held its annual Luncheon by Design fundraiser, celebrating the 60-year career of costume designer Bob Mackie as a prelude to the upcoming DIVA exhibition opening in fall 2026. The event featured a conversation between Joe McFate, Mackie's long-time design director, and Jill D'Alessandro, DAM's director and curator of the Avenir Institute of Textile Arts, sharing stories behind Mackie's iconic costumes worn by Cher, Tina Turner, and P!NK. Funds raised support the DIVA exhibition, which will run from October 4, 2026, to January 31, 2027, at the museum.

Munson Community Arts exhibition showcases adult students

Munson Community Arts is hosting an exhibition that highlights the work of adult students enrolled in its programs. The show features a range of visual art created by these students, celebrating their creative achievements and the skills they have developed through the organization's classes.

The regeneration of Rome's former barracks begins, where the Museum of Science will also rise. Objectives and timeline of the construction site

Parte la rigenerazione delle ex caserme di Roma, dove sorgerà anche il Museo della Scienza. Obiettivi e tempi del cantiere

The Italian government, through Cassa Depositi e Prestiti (CDP) and COIMA Sgr, has launched the regeneration of the former Guido Reni military barracks in Rome's Flaminio district. The 5-hectare site, abandoned since 2019 and located opposite the MAXXI museum, will be transformed into a mixed-use urban district including housing, retail, a hotel, green spaces, and a new Museum of Science. Demolitions are set to begin in October 2026, with the project expected to be completed by 2029. The museum will be designed by Rome-based studio ADAT, which won an international competition in 2023.