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.

Salomé: Henner and Moreau Confront the Myth

Salomé. Henner et Moreau face au mythe

The Musée National Jean-Jacques Henner in Paris is hosting a focused exhibition exploring the iconographic myth of Salomé through the lenses of Jean-Jacques Henner and Gustave Moreau. The show examines how these two 19th-century masters interpreted the biblical figure who demanded the head of John the Baptist, contrasting their stylistic approaches to her seductive and fatal power. While the Gospels provide no physical description of Salomé, the exhibition highlights how these artists moved away from traditional fleshy depictions to create more ethereal, haunting versions of the femme fatale.

Speaking in Signs: Kwame Akoto’s Worlds Across Contexts.

Ghanaian painter Kwame Akoto, known for his vibrant signboard works blending bold imagery with urgent text, is the subject of his first major French exhibition, 'Almighty God Art Works', at the Musée du quai Branly – Jacques Chirac in Paris. In an interview with ART AFRICA, Akoto discusses how his paintings transform when moving from the streets of Kumasi—where they function as everyday spiritual and commercial communication—into a European museum context, addressing themes of translation, shared authorship, and the shifting meanings of images across cultural and institutional boundaries.

Fragments of Belonging in ‘Black Bricolage’.

Photographer and writer Johny Pitts presents 'Black Bricolage' at MEP Studio, a visual essay spanning two decades of work documenting Black life across European cities like Paris, Lisbon, and Berlin. The exhibition utilizes a mix of photography, personal notes, and lived encounters to map the 'Afropean' experience, focusing on the quiet textures of daily life rather than grand spectacles.

Diane Victor at Académie des Beaux-Arts.

South African artist Diane Victor has been awarded the 10th Mario Avati Engraving Prize 2025 by the Academy of Fine Arts in Paris. Her work is currently the subject of an exhibition at the Académie des Beaux-Arts, which runs until May 31, 2026.

design matter and shape paris fair

Matter and Shape, a design salon held concurrently with Paris Fashion Week, returns for its third edition from March 6–9 at the Jardin des Tuileries. Curated by artistic director Dan Thawley and founder Matthieu Pinet, the fair transforms two pavilions into a temporary city of objects, featuring collectible design, practical luxury, and emerging studios. This year's theme, “scale,” prompts visitors to consider both micro craft gestures and macro production systems, with a focus on ethical and sustainable practices. Exhibitors include Lindsey Adelman Studio, a reading room with Villa Hegra, a collaboration with Byredo, and the return of the Zara Home x Dreamin’ Man café, alongside a new restaurant concept from Balbosté.

parties kid cudi documentary screening

Filmmaker Joshua Charow premiered his short documentary *Echoes of the Past* at the Miami Beach Edition, offering an intimate look at Kid Cudi's painter alter ego, Scotty Ramon, as he prepares for his first solo exhibition in Paris in 2026. The screening, attended by collector Larry Warsh and other art-world figures, showcased Cudi's experimental paintings and marked a new creative chapter for the musician-turned-visual artist.

travel le royal monceau paris hotel

Le Royal Monceau — Raffles Paris has partnered with Art Basel Paris to offer guests an immersive art experience, featuring over 300 works in its collection and a curated exhibition of paintings by French-American artist Jaouad Bentama. Bentama's latest series, "Déchirures," includes sliced canvases that explore themes of physical vulnerability and resilience, inspired by a life-threatening accident. The works are displayed in the hotel's lobby through October 30, and the hotel provides a dedicated Art Concierge service to guide visitors through Paris's art scene.

design virgil abloh mcintosh speaker grand palais paris fashion week

An exhibition titled "Virgil Abloh: The Codes" opened at the Grand Palais in Paris during Paris Fashion Week, showcasing the late designer's跨界 work. The centerpiece is a one-of-a-kind McIntosh amplifier, the MA8950 x Virgil Abloh Integrated Amplifier, based on a design Abloh conceived in 2020 and completed posthumously by his team. The show also features a recreation of his sound setup, a wall of collaborative shoes, his original work table, archival pieces from Pyrex Vision and Chrome Hearts, and a Nike customization station.

Harta Space's 'A Third Eye' exhibition pays tribute to late multi-dimensional artist Askandar Unglehrt

Harta Space in Penang is hosting 'A Third Eye', an exhibition paying tribute to the late multi-dimensional artist Askandar Unglehrt. Born in Germany, Unglehrt studied at the Sorbonne in Paris during the 1960s, where he was influenced by Dadaism and surrealist poet Jean Hans Arp. He later settled in Malaysia, taught at Universiti Sains Malaysia, and developed a distinctive artistic practice rooted in collage, assemblage, and the concept of a 'third eye' that synthesizes Eastern and Western perspectives. The exhibition explores his humorous, esoteric works and his lifelong questioning of art's seriousness.

El Greco Painting Found Hidden Beneath a Forgery in the Vatican

El Greco Painting Found Hidden Beneath a Forgery in the Vatican

A painting by El Greco, titled 'The Redeemer' (c. 1590–95), was discovered in the Vatican after restorers removed a later forgery that had been painted over it. Scientific analysis confirmed the authenticity of the original work, which had been donated in 1967 and hung in the Apostolic Palace without prior study. The restored painting is now part of a two-work exhibition at the Papal Palace of Castel Gandolfo.

fashion van cleef arpels paris atelier

Van Cleef & Arpels opened its Paris atelier to Cultured magazine for a rare behind-the-scenes look at the jewelry house's craft traditions. The article profiles artisans such as a smelter, diamond cutter, threader, quality controller, polisher, and jeweler, who describe their work on iconic pieces like the Zip necklace—a design originally conceived in 1938 at the suggestion of the Duchess of Windsor and perfected over decades.

Auntiescapes at Load Gallery asks: Can the hyperreal impact social reality?

The article covers the exhibition 'Auntiescapes' at Load Gallery in Barcelona, featuring the work of Singaporean artist Wenhui Lim, who works under the moniker niceaunties. The show includes a central AI-powered mirror that transforms viewers into the face of an Asian auntie, offering blunt, loving remarks, alongside surreal digital landscapes like Auntlantis and Auntiecity that reimagine aunties as protagonists in fantastical worlds. Lim, a former architect, uses AI and editing software to create these hyperreal, expansive works.

Between here and home

Carrie Haddad Gallery in Hudson, NY, presents "Between here and home," a group exhibition running from May 22 through July 12, with an opening reception on May 23. The show features works by Fred Cohen, Frank DePietro, Deb Lawrence, Olan Quattro, and ransome, exploring the concept of home as an evolving construct shaped by memory, material, and experience. The exhibition draws on the Welsh idea of hiraeth—a longing for a lost or imagined home—and includes paintings, collages, and mixed media works that reflect each artist's personal engagement with place, interior space, and inherited histories.

The Kaldea street-art exhibition at Espace Cinko plunges us into kawaii Japan — photos

French street artist Kaldea has unveiled a major solo exhibition titled "Identity" at Espace Cinko in Paris’s 2nd arrondissement. Hosted by Galerie Roussard, the immersive show transforms a 200-square-meter former printing press into a reconstructed Japanese landscape complete with sakura blossoms and paper lanterns. The exhibition features approximately forty works across five thematic narratives, ranging from porcelain animal figures to reimagined manga icons like Godzilla and Pikachu, blending Art Deco, futuristic, and Asian influences.

Paris Internationale in Milan

Paris Internationale à Milan

Paris Internationale has announced its first-ever edition outside of France, scheduled to take place in Milan from April 18 to 21, 2026. Hosted at the Palazzo Galbani during Milano Art Week, the satellite fair will feature 34 galleries, including notable participants such as Jocelyn Wolff, Kaufmann Repetto, Luisa Delle Piane, and Sylvia Kouvali.

More Drawings Put Up for Sale in Paris

Encore des dessins mis en vente à Paris

An album containing fifty-two drawings by the Van Blarenberghe family of painters and miniaturists is being auctioned in Paris on March 31, 2026, by Wattebled & Portay at Drouot. The collection includes three watercolor studies by Louis-Nicolas Van Blarenberghe directly related to the celebrated Choiseul snuffbox, a major acquisition by the Louvre in 2022.

Façade collapse and vandalism at the Saint-Roch church in Paris

Effondrement de façade et vandalisme à l'église Saint-Roch de Paris

A significant portion of the cornice on the right side of the façade of the historic Saint-Roch church in Paris collapsed on March 9, 2026. Fortunately, no one was injured. The incident follows a pattern of similar structural failures at Parisian churches like Saint-Paul, Saint-Merry, and Saint-Augustin. Almost simultaneously, the church was targeted by vandals who severely damaged a gilded wooden altar in the shape of the Ark of the Covenant, a work from 1840 designed by architect Charles Lelong, just before its planned restoration was set to begin.

Magnum Gallery Celebrates the Enduring Vision of Martin Parr

Magnum Gallery in Paris is opening a solo exhibition titled "Martin Parr: In Plain View" from March 28 to June 6, 2026, dedicated to the late English photographer Martin Parr. The show features works from his three-decade tenure with the Magnum Photos cooperative, tracing his evolution from black-and-white documentary work to his influential color photography, and includes archival materials and interactive experiences.

world monuments fund 2026 commitment heritage sites 1234773184

The World Monuments Fund (WMF) has pledged $7 million for 2026 to fund 21 new heritage preservation projects globally. These projects, selected from its 2025 Watch List and other sites, range from restoring mural paintings at the Church of Saint-Eustache in Paris and gardens at Safdar Jang’s Tomb in New Delhi, to repairing earthquake damage in Japan and supporting community-led stewardship at Bear’s Ears National Monument in Utah.

w david marx blanks space 2734880

W. David Marx joins Artnet News senior editor Kate Brown on the podcast 'The Art Angle' to discuss his new book, *Blank Space: A Cultural History of the Twenty-First Century*. The book argues that creativity across art, media, and popular culture has stagnated over the past 25 years, driven by commercialization, rapid technology shifts, and a preference for profit-driven formulas over experimentation. Marx identifies a 'conspicuous blank space where art and creativity used to be' and proposes five strategies to revive cultural inventiveness.

nifty gateway nft platform shutters 1234771081

Nifty Gateway, one of the earliest and most prominent NFT marketplaces, announced it will shut down on February 23, 2026, citing sharply declining activity. The platform, founded in 2018 by twins Duncan and Griffin Cock Foster and acquired by Gemini in 2019, has entered withdrawal-only mode, advising users to move their assets before the deadline. At its peak in 2021, Nifty Gateway reported $300 million in gross merchandise value, boosted by a Sotheby's partnership for a $17 million NFT drop by the artist Pak. The closure follows the collapse of the NFT boom, with trading volumes plummeting and other platforms like Async Art, KnownOrigin, and MakersPlace already shuttered.

trump administration withdraws cultural organizations 1234769313

The Trump administration has withdrawn the United States from 66 international organizations, conventions, and treaties, including 31 UN-affiliated bodies, as announced in a presidential memorandum. Among the cultural organizations dropped are the International Centre for the Study of the Preservation and Restoration of Cultural Property (ICCROM), the International Federation of Arts Councils and Culture Agencies (IFACCA), the Freedom Online Coalition, and the UN Alliance of Civilizations. The withdrawal follows a review ordered by President Trump in February 2025, with Secretary of State Marco Rubio asserting that many of these groups are "dominated by progressive ideology."

nft paris and rwa paris shelved with one month notice due to crypto and nft market collapse founder says 1234768992

NFT Paris and its sister event RWA Paris have been canceled just one month before they were scheduled to take place at the Grande Halle de la Villette in Paris. Founder Alexandre Tsydenkov announced the cancellation on LinkedIn, citing the collapse of the crypto and NFT markets as making the events financially impossible despite drastic cost cuts. Both conferences had run for four years, showcasing digital art, NFT galleries, and AI-generated works, but had recently shifted toward broader tech and blockchain topics. All tickets will be refunded.

alserkal design miami dubai launch 1234764528

Alserkal, a Dubai-based cultural enterprise, and Design Miami have announced a multi-year partnership to launch a new regional platform for collectible design in Dubai. The initiative, centered on a flagship fair and year-round programming, will debut in early 2027, marking Design Miami's first expansion into the Middle East. The collaboration leverages Alserkal's 15-year history in developing Dubai's contemporary art scene and Design Miami's two decades of experience in Miami and Paris, aiming to create a network that connects these hubs and elevates Middle Eastern design globally.

christies paris suspends sale pascaline calculating machine 1234762433

Christie’s Paris suspended the sale of a rare Pascaline calculating machine, one of only nine surviving examples built by 17th-century French mathematician Blaise Pascal, after a court-ordered export ban prevented it from leaving France. The device, expected to fetch between $2.3 million and $3.5 million, was part of an auction of the collection of late manuscript collector Léon Parcé. French scientists and researchers argued the calculator is a national treasure, prompting the ban despite an export certificate issued in May.

mutter museum expansion philadelphia 1234762184

Philadelphia's Mütter Museum is expanding into the adjacent Swedenborgian Church and Parish House, which it purchased for $9.3 million in 2023. Construction is set to begin in phases in early 2026, funded by $27 million raised so far. The expansion will unify the campus, add new rotating galleries, a larger museum store, and more educational spaces, allowing the museum to display more of its nearly 500,000 objects currently not on view. The Gothic Revival church, designed by Theophilus Parsons Chandler Jr., was built in 1881 and closed in the mid-1980s before being used as medical offices.

christies website down microsoft outage 1234759356

Christie's website experienced a temporary outage on Wednesday, October 29, due to a global Microsoft 365 and Azure cloud platform disruption. Visitors saw an error message apologizing for the inconvenience and providing contact numbers for Christie's branches in London, New York, Paris, and Hong Kong. A Christie's spokesperson confirmed the outage was caused by the Microsoft issue, and the site was restored after Microsoft pushed a recovery configuration. No live auctions were scheduled that day.

frances culture minister to stand trial for accused abuse of power and corruption 1234748129

France's culture minister, Rachida Dati, will stand trial on charges of abuse of power and corruption stemming from her time as a Member of the European Parliament. She is accused of receiving €900,000 in lawyer's fees from a Renault-Nissan subsidiary between 2010 and 2012 while allegedly lobbying for the carmaker in the European Parliament, a prohibited activity. Dati, who has denied the allegations, was charged in 2019. The trial date is expected to be set at a hearing on September 29, and could occur after the Paris municipal elections in March 2026, for which Dati has expressed her candidacy.

birkin bag buyer revealed shinsuke sakimoto 1234747725

Shinsuke Sakimoto, CEO of luxury reseller Valuence Holdings, revealed himself as the buyer of a Hermès Birkin bag that sold at Sotheby’s Paris for €8.6 million ($10 million). The handmade black leather bag, originally commissioned in 1984 for actress Jane Birkin by then-Hermès CEO Jean-Louis Dumas, had been in a private French collection since its last auction in 2000. Sakimoto, previously anonymous, told the Khaleej Times that winning the bag was a personal milestone and a defining moment for his company.