Bringing history to life: Abu Dhabi’s Zayed National Museum is becoming a major research hub

Abu Dhabi's Zayed National Museum has completed a historically accurate reconstruction of a 4,000-year-old Bronze Age trading vessel, the Magan Boat, which was sailed successfully in the Arabian Gulf. The project involved over 20 specialists including archaeologists, shipwrights, and engineers, and was led by the museum in partnership with Zayed University and New York University Abu Dhabi. The museum also features other research-driven recreations, such as the forensic reconstruction of an 8,000-year-old woman known as the Marawah Woman, discovered on Marawah Island.

Raymonde Arcier, Feminist Artist Who Worked With Fabric in France, Dies at 86

Raymonde Arcier, a French feminist artist known for her fabric and textile-based works, died in May at age 86. Self-taught, she began her most striking pieces in 1970, crocheting wool, cotton, and knitting metal, with each work taking up to a year. Her notable artworks include *Faire ses provisions* (1971) and *Au nom du père* (1975–1976), a giant sculpture held in the Centre Pompidou's collection. Her death was acknowledged by curators and the magazine *Textile/Art*.

This Masterwork by Irish Painter Gerard Dillon Just Crushed Its Auction Estimate by 450 Percent

A painting by Irish artist Gerard Dillon, titled *Tea Party* (1955), sold for €1.4 million ($1.6 million) at Adam's Auctioneers in Dublin on May 27, crushing its presale estimate of €150,000–€200,000 by approximately 450 percent. The work, acquired by an unknown phone bidder, set a new auction record for the 20th-century artist, tripling his previous record of £378,000 set at Sotheby's London in 2020.

Jerry Gogosian Dies at 40

Hilde Lynn Helphenstein, the artist, curator, and art-world satirist known for her popular meme account Jerry Gogosian, was found dead at age 40 in a hotel room in São Paulo, Brazil. Local police have opened a “suspicious death” investigation, and the Rosewood São Paulo hotel confirmed she was found deceased on Sunday, May 31. The news, first reported by Globo, has shocked the art world, which knew Helphenstein for her sharp, humorous critiques of the art industry.

Liste Art Fair Is Where You Go to See What’s Next

Liste Art Fair Basel is preparing for its largest edition ever, with 106 exhibitors from 36 countries, including 41 first-time participants. The fair, now in its 29th year, will feature emerging galleries and artists such as Pangée (Montreal), Matta (Milan), and Gallery Ver (Bangkok), alongside 65 returning galleries. Programming includes performances, talks, film screenings, and the expanded "Wall" initiative, with projects by artist-run initiatives from Stockholm, Cologne, Basel, Athens, and Los Angeles. The fair will take place June 15–21, 2026, at Messe Basel.

Milan’s Beloved Bull Mosaic Gets Restored—and Locals Have Thoughts

Milan's beloved bull mosaic in the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II, a 19th-century shopping arcade, has been restored after decades of wear from tourists spinning their heels on the bull's testicles for good luck. Professional restorer Gianluca Galli replaced damaged tiles with hand-cut stone and used epoxy resin for durability, completing the work between May 27 and 30 in full view of the public. However, the restoration sparked backlash on social media, with commenters criticizing the tile colors, messy joints, anatomical inaccuracy, and the €30,000 cost.

British Museum director responds to pushback after Jewish Culture Month event postponed

British Museum director Nicholas Cullinan defended the postponement of a Jewish Culture Month talk scheduled for 28 May, citing concerns over planned protests. The event, led by curator Paul Collins on the ancient kingdoms of Israel and Judah, was postponed after the museum estimated up to 50% of registered attendees were suspected protesters. Critics including historian Simon Schama called the decision wrong, but Cullinan argued the talk was not cancelled and that the museum must not abandon difficult conversations.

French Filmmaker Romain Gavras Is Turning the $102 M. Louvre Heist Into a Movie

French filmmaker Romain Gavras is set to direct a film adaptation of the Louvre heist, in which thieves stole $102 million in jewels from the museum in broad daylight. The film will be based on the book "Main Basse sur le Louvre" (A Grab at the Louvre), released Wednesday in France by publisher Flammarion, written by journalists from Le Parisien, Le Monde, and Paris Match. Film rights were sold to Iconoclast, the production company behind Harmony Korine films and Gavras's previous works like "Athena" (2022). A separate documentary series about the heist is also in development with a British producer.

Reason Is Very Sleepy Right Now

"Die Vernunft ist gerade sehr schläfrig"

Irish artist Isabel Nolan presents her installation "Dreamshook" at the Irish Pavilion of the 61st Venice Biennale, exploring late medieval parallels to contemporary crisis through tapestries, drawings, and metal sculptures. The exhibition centers on the figure of Aldus Manutius, the 15th-century Venetian printer and humanist, and examines liminal states, dream worlds, and the fluid boundaries between the immaterial and the real. Nolan, who invented the title word "Dreamshook" to evoke being shaken by a dream, discusses the political and existential dimensions of dreaming in an interview.

$102 Million Louvre Heist Is Getting the Film Treatment

A feature film is in development about the October 2025 Louvre heist, in which two thieves disguised themselves, smashed into the museum, and stole eight historic jewels worth an estimated €88 million ($102 million) in under eight minutes. Paris-based production company Iconoclast has acquired the rights to the book "A Grab at the Louvre" by journalists Jean-Michel Décugis, Jérémie Pham-Le, and Nicolas Torrent, and French director Romain Gavras is attached to helm the project, which could hit theaters in 2028. A separate documentary series by an anonymous British producer is also in the works.

Barrage of Russian missiles damages museums, library and theatre in Kyiv

A massive Russian missile and drone strike on Kyiv over the weekend of 24 May damaged multiple cultural institutions, including the National Art Museum of Ukraine, the Yaroslav Mudryi National Library of Ukraine, the Kyiv Opera Theatre, and the National Chornobyl Museum. The National Chornobyl Museum suffered the worst damage, with around 40% of its exhibition hall exhibits destroyed. Ukraine's culture ministry reported the hits, and President Volodymyr Zelensky visited the museum. Russia claimed the barrage was retaliation for a Ukrainian strike, while Ukraine stated it hit a drone unit. The attack killed four people and injured approximately 100.

How Garry Trudeau’s Doonesbury cartoons captured America: ‘One of our nation’s greatest journalists’

A new biography titled "Trudeau & Doonesbury: The Cartoonist Who Turned the News into Art" by Joshua Kendall explores the life and career of Garry Trudeau, creator of the long-running comic strip Doonesbury. Published on Tuesday, the book is the first major biography of Trudeau, who won a Pulitzer Prize for editorial cartooning and whose characters age and evolve over 56 years, unlike those in other iconic strips. Kendall, a Yale alumnus, conducted original interviews and examined thousands of archival documents, though Trudeau—known for his reclusive nature—only agreed to limited email exchanges and some interviews, making the book unauthorized.

An Artist’s MFA Show Confronts Columbia University Over Gaza

Artist Alejandro Valencia's MFA thesis installation at Columbia University, titled "DYNAMO (RATM01)" (2026), confronts the institution's response to the Gaza genocide. The multipart work, on view at the Miriam and Ira D. Wallach Art Gallery, includes a keffiyeh worn by fellow student Ridwana Rahman—who was banned from campus and denied her MFA degree after a protest—along with sundials, pencils, and a broken microphone referencing Palestinian scholar Edward Said. The piece critiques Columbia's crackdown on pro-Palestinian student activism and the suppression of dissenting voices.

London exhibition explores untold history of how homelessness was criminalised

A new exhibition titled "Criminal: The Untold History of Homelessness" opens at the Museum of Homelessness in London, exploring the origins of homelessness in the UK and how it has been criminalized. The exhibition challenges the typical focus on the 19th-century Vagrancy Act, instead tracing the "Homelessness Big Bang" to the early 1600s, when land enclosures, economic shifts, and colonial expansion began penalizing unhoused people. Staged in a meadow at Finsbury Park, the show features artists and activists including the anonymous graffiti artist 10 Foot, designer Matt Bonner, and poet Gemma Lees, with works such as 10 Foot's first sculpture "Fairie Newbuild"—a skip-shaped object made from palisade fencing containing a hawthorn tree.

Museums in England largely oppose proposal to charge admission for foreign tourists

The UK government is exploring a proposal to charge admission fees for foreign tourists at national museums in England, sparking widespread opposition from cultural institutions. The idea was raised in a review of Arts Council England by Labour peer Margaret Hodge, who suggested digital ID checks could enable such a system, though she noted it would bring in less than £10 million and may not be worth the hassle. Museums like the Royal Armouries have condemned the plan as undermining universal access and projecting a lack of generosity, while the Cultural Policy Unit warns it would be logistically complex and ideologically problematic given the colonial origins of many collections.

Zohran Mamdani Visited MoMA PS1’s Greater New York—and Loved It

New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani visited MoMA PS1's recurring survey exhibition "Greater New York" alongside New York State Representative Claire Valdez. PS1 director Connie Butler shared the news on Instagram, posting images of the politicians smiling and raising their arms near an installation by Palestinian American photographer Dean Majd. Majd's work features photographs of communities in New York and the West Bank, including a portrait of Mahmoud Khalil, an Algerian Palestinian activist detained by ICE. The exhibition, which runs through August 17, includes 53 artists and focuses on themes of urban decay, infrastructural failure, and survival.

Wem die Glocke schlägt

The Kunsthalle Wien has revived its recurring exhibition format "Lebt und arbeitet in Wien" (Lives and Works in Vienna) for the fifth time since 2000, presenting 56 artists selected from a pool of 700 local practitioners. Curated by Daniel Baumann, Monika Georgieva, and Michelle Cotton, the show spans two venues—the Museumsquartier and Karlsplatz—featuring works in painting, sculpture, installation, film, and video that reflect the city's diverse artistic landscape. The exhibition marks a return after a decade-long hiatus, filling gaps left since the previous edition under the curatorial collective WHW.

How Former Fashion Designer Emma Safir Turns Fabric into Beguiling Paintings

Emma Safir, a former fashion designer and printmaker, creates beguiling paintings and tapestries that blend textiles, digital printing, and traditional embroidery techniques. Her works, such as "APRICOT SILK" (2025) and "BABY DARLING" (2025), use smocking, glass beads, and shells to produce organic, jewel-toned surfaces that resist easy reflection or entry, challenging viewers to engage with layered material hierarchies.

Hong Kong Artists Bring Quiet Reflection to Venice

The 61st Venice Biennale, themed “In Minor Keys” by late curator Koyo Kouoh, emphasizes quiet reflection over spectacle. A collateral exhibition titled “Fermata: Hong Kong in Venice,” curated by the Hong Kong Museum of Art (HKMoA), runs through November 22, 2026, and features two Hong Kong-born artists: Kingsley Ng and Angel Hui. Ng’s installation *Laundry Nocturne* (2026) uses projections and sound to connect the shared laundry-drying traditions of Venice and Hong Kong, while Hui’s *I Would Like to Open a Window for You* (2026) incorporates wrought-iron window frames crafted with local metalsmiths. Both artists explore everyday experiences, memory, and quiet emotions, aligning with the Biennale’s call for a slower, more reflective engagement with art.

Tilda Swinton to Perform at Guggenheim Bilbao in June

Actress and performance artist Tilda Swinton will stage a performance titled 'House of Gestures' at the Guggenheim Bilbao on June 5 and 6. The work, a collaboration with fashion historian and curator Olivier Saillard, is commissioned by Dom Pérignon as part of its 'Creation is an eternal journey' series. The piece explores gesture, presence, and transformation, set in the museum's atrium, and is free and open to the public with advance registration.

‘These are artifacts from history’: exhibition celebrates objects of sporting victory

A new exhibition at the American Museum of Natural History in New York, titled "For the Win," showcases championship rings, trophies, medals, and jewelry spanning nearly 150 years of US sports history. Highlights include Jesse Owens's 1936 Olympic gold medal, Breanna Stewart's 2024 WNBA championship ring, the 1877 NYPD Medal of Valor, and items from Kevin Durant and the Seattle Seahawks. The exhibition, timed to the upcoming World Cup, is housed in the museum's gems and minerals space to emphasize craftsmanship.

Marianna Simnett schafft eine exklusive Edition für Monopol

Marianna Simnett, one of the most radical contemporary artists known for exploring metamorphosis, myth, ecstasy, sex, and pain, has created an exclusive edition titled "The Healer" for the German art magazine Monopol. The work is a watercolor depicting a naked female figure licking a lion lying on the ground, with other lions roaring in the background. The edition is an archival pigment print in a size of 60 x 79 cm, published in an edition of 25 plus two artist's proofs, priced at 950 euros plus VAT.

After Whistleblower Complaint, Palm Springs Art Museum Declines to Release Report on Allegations of Fraud and Theft, Claims They Are ‘Not Substantiated’

The Palm Springs Art Museum in California has released a three-page statement claiming that an investigation into a whistleblower complaint alleging mismanagement, fraud, and theft found no wrongdoing. The complaint included allegations of improper reclassification of endowment funds, a $3 million discrepancy in investment accounts, and the forced departure of a former director. The museum hired law firm Barnes & Thornburg and forensic accounting firm RSM US to conduct a six-month review, but declined to release the resulting report to ARTnews or the public. The museum acknowledged that proceeds from deaccessioned artworks were used for operating expenses, calling it a long-standing board-approved practice with an internal loan being repaid by 2030.

British artist says the Met ‘should take responsibility’ for dress copyright dispute

British artist Anouska Samms has publicly criticized the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York over a copyright dispute involving a dress displayed in the Met Gala opening exhibition. Samms claims the museum included a garment called the Nervina Hair Dress, which she says is a copy of her collaborative work Hair Dress, created with fashion designer Yoav Hadari during their residency at the Sarabande Foundation. The Met had expressed interest in acquiring the original dress for its Costume Art exhibition but shelved those plans in December. Samms says she was not credited or paid, while Hadari acknowledges her IP rights over the textile but asserts the design and construction are his own. The Met has declined to comment, directing the artists to resolve the matter themselves.

Finnish museum creates a new and radical support model for artists

Finland's largest art museum, the Espoo Museum of Modern Art (Emma), has launched a radical new artist support model under director Krist Gruijthuijsen. The program commits to four artists—P. Staff, Tarik Kiswanson, Jenna Sutela, and Eglė Budvytytė—over several years, providing financial backing through acquisitions, production support, a part-time stipend, and health insurance. It will culminate in mid-career survey exhibitions in 2029 and 2030, which the museum plans to tour with partner institutions. Three of the artists are currently showing at the Venice Biennale with Emma's support.

Watching the Great Form Shatter

Der großen Form beim Zerbrechen zuschauen

Marc Brandenburg, a Berlin-based artist born in 1965, is the subject of a comprehensive survey exhibition titled "20th Century Debris" at the Berlinische Galerie. The show presents his meticulous pencil drawings on paper, which invert light and dark and are viewed under blacklight to create ghostly, dissolving images. Brandenburg's works fragment urban spaces, faces, and everyday objects into shimmering, unstable forms, drawing on photography and photocopying to produce a sense of eerie stillness and motion. The exhibition also includes his first films, tracing his stylistic evolution from early 1990s fragmented portraits to large-scale panoramic works with metallic surfaces.

Prize commemorates Henrike Naumann – MMK takes over estate

Preis erinnert an Henrike Naumann – MMK übernimmt Nachlass

A new prize named after the late artist Henrike Naumann has been established by the Institut für Auslandsbeziehungen (ifa) and the Zeit Stiftung Bucerius, coinciding with her posthumous presentation at the German Pavilion of the Venice Biennale. The €15,000 Henrike-Naumann-Preis für Bildende Kunst, plus €5,000 in production funds, will be awarded regularly starting this year to early- to mid-career artists whose work engages with social transformation, political fault lines, or transnational contexts. Meanwhile, the Museum für Moderne Kunst Frankfurt (MMK) has acquired Naumann's estate, which will be catalogued and made publicly accessible to ensure her work receives long-term scholarly and curatorial attention.

The Basque Museum of Bilbao reopens its doors after 4 years of renovation

Le Musée Basque de Bilbao rouvre ses portes après 4 ans de travaux

The Basque Museum of Bilbao (Euskal Museoa) will reopen to the public on June 10 after four years of closure since October 2021. The museum underwent a major expansion and restructuring project costing over 20 million euros, funded by the Biscay Provincial Council and the Bilbao city council. The renovation added more than 6,000 square meters of exhibition space, acquired nearby buildings for conferences and educational workshops, and introduced an immersive architectural design by the Navarrese studio Vaíllo + Igaray, centered on the metaphor of a "living oak." New features include a gastronomic laboratory and a restoration workshop open to the public from September.

Death of Marjane Satrapi

Disparition de Marjane Satrapi

Marjane Satrapi, the Franco-Iranian artist best known for her graphic novel "Persepolis," has died at age 56, according to the Académie des beaux-arts, where she had been a member since 2024. Born in Rasht, Iran, in 1969, Satrapi rose to prominence with "Persepolis" (2000-2003), a four-volume autobiographical account of her childhood during the Iranian Revolution and her exile. The work established her as a central figure in European comics, blending stark black-and-white drawings with a deeply personal narrative of political and social upheaval. She later adapted "Persepolis" into an acclaimed animated film (2007), winning the Prix du Jury at Cannes and two César awards, and expanded into painting and public activism, notably coordinating the 2023 collective book "Femme, vie, liberté" after the death of Mahsa Amini.

When Museums Stir Visitors' Senses

Quand les musées mettent en émoi les sens des visiteurs

French museums are increasingly incorporating sensory experiences—smell, sound, and touch—into their exhibitions to attract broader audiences. The Musée des arts décoratifs in Paris, for example, has introduced ambient scents like horse manure, jasmine, and tobacco in its exhibition "Une Journée au XVIIIe siècle," alongside reconstructed sounds and dimmed lighting, to immerse visitors in an 18th-century atmosphere. Other institutions, such as La Piscine, Musée du Quai Branly, and the Musée des beaux-arts de Lyon, are offering olfactory walks, soundscapes, and multisensory rooms, often originally designed for disabled visitors but now opened to all.