Arch Hades will hold a breakfast conversation with ArtReview editor Fi Churchman on May 8, 2026, at the Scoletta Battioro e Tiraoro di Venezia in Venice. The event coincides with the opening of Hades's solo exhibition 'Return | Ritorno,' a major presentation of large-scale paintings, immersive sculptures, and installations supported by the Erarta Foundation during the Venice Biennale preview week.
A new exhibition at MoMu in Antwerp, guest-curated by Geert Bruloot, explores the enduring legacy of the 'Antwerp Six'—a group of visionary designers who graduated from the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in the 1980s. The show features dedicated rooms for members including Walter Van Beirendonck and Dirk Van Saene, showcasing their distinct aesthetics ranging from maximalist rave-wear to surrealist runway recreations. It traces their journey from a self-funded trip to a London trade fair in 1986 to becoming global icons who challenged the dominance of Parisian couture.
The contemporary art fair Art Collaboration Kyoto (ACK) has announced a major leadership change, transitioning from a single director to a seven-member leadership committee. The new committee, effective April 1, includes Doi Miho, Hattori Yoko, Mine Keiko, Ohishi Masako, Suzuki Hidenori, Takamura Miwa, and Tezen Wakako. Current director Yamashita Yukako will step down and assume the role of chair of ACK Ambassadors. The fair's sixth edition is scheduled for November 7–9 at the Kyoto International Conference Center.
Le primitivisme pour réinventer l’art
Philippe Dagen has published the third and final volume of his series on primitivism, covering the period from World War II to the late 1970s. The book traces how Western artists, from Barnett Newman and Jackson Pollock to members of the CoBrA movement and figures like Jean Dubuffet, Lucio Fontana, and Yayoi Kusama, engaged with so-called "primitive" art from Africa, Oceania, and the Americas, often as a means of rejecting or redefining modern civilization. Dagen also examines the intellectual debates surrounding primitivism, including the critiques of colonized peoples who refused the label "primitive," and the shifting attitudes of thinkers like Claude Lévi-Strauss, Michel Leiris, and Aimé Césaire.
The May 19 evening sales at Sotheby’s and Phillips generated a combined $419.1 million, signaling a potential recovery in the contemporary and modern art market. Sotheby’s brought in $303.9 million—60% more than the previous year—led by a record-breaking $48.4 million Matisse, while Phillips achieved $115.2 million, more than double its 2025 sales. Both auctions saw high sell-through rates, with 98% and 100% of lots sold respectively. Notable lots included a $42.6 million Picasso, a $29.4 million van Gogh drawing, and strong performances by female artists like Lee Bontecou, Joan Mitchell, and Helen Frankenthaler.
A new report from Artnet reveals that online-only auctions at Sotheby’s, Christie’s, Phillips, Bonhams, and Artnet Auctions generated $423.9 million in 2025, an 8% increase from 2024. The average price of artworks sold online also rose 8.6% to $14,309, with some platforms like Fair Warning finding success through hyper-specific sales, such as one centered on Andy Warhol’s 1974 portrait of Brigitte Bardot. Christie’s reported that 63% of new buyers made their first purchase online in 2025, where the average price point was $22,700.
A unique set of fifteen mirrors custom-made for fashion designer Yves Saint Laurent and his partner Pierre Bergé sold at Sotheby’s for $33.5 million, setting a new auction record for the artist Claude Lalanne. The gilt bronze, copper, and mirrored glass mirrors, created between 1974 and 1985, were originally displayed in the couple’s Paris apartment and were purchased from the collection of Jean and Terry de Gunzburg.
필라델피아미술관 '라이징업: 록키와 기념비 제작(Rising Up: Rocky and the Making of Monuments, 4/25-8/2)' - Lounge
The Philadelphia Museum of Art has announced a major exhibition titled "Rising Up: Rocky and the Making of Monuments," scheduled to open in April 2026. Curated by Paul Farber of Monument Lab, the show will feature over 150 works by more than 50 artists, including Keith Haring, Kara Walker, and Andy Warhol. The exhibition uses the iconic Rocky statue—a fictional character that has become one of the city's most visited landmarks—as a focal point to explore the history, mythology, and evolving role of public monuments from antiquity to the present day.
Il museo MAR di Ravenna apre una galleria permanente dedicata al fotografo di moda Paolo Roversi
The MAR museum in Ravenna, Italy, is opening a permanent gallery dedicated to fashion photographer Paolo Roversi, set to launch on May 20. The space, curated by Chiara Bardelli Nonino, will showcase Roversi's poetic and visual universe, featuring his iconic portraits of models like Kate Moss, Naomi Campbell, and Rihanna, along with his fashion work and still lifes. The gallery is designed by scenographer Ania Martchenko with lighting by Silvestrin & Associati, and includes areas such as the Studio, the Archive, and the Room of the Muses.
Berlino è la capitale della performance contemporanea. Ecco perché
Berlino si conferma capitale della performance contemporanea, con musei e spazi non teatrali che diventano luoghi di azione e sperimentazione. L'articolo descrive quattro recenti performance: 'Glitch Choir – Vocal Variations' di Deva Schubert allo Schinkel Pavillon, dove il corpo e la voce esplorano il glitch come condizione fisica e politica; 'Roses Rising – The Movement' di Leila Hekmat al Gropius Bau, un rituale collettivo di danza e musica; e altre opere che trasformano istituzioni come l'Hamburger Bahnhof in dispositivi di produzione sensoriale. Anche il Bode Museum partecipa con 'The Healing Museum', uno spazio di meditazione interreligioso.
Artisti internazionali parlano della vita come resistenza, ispirandosi a George Grosz. La mostra a Roma
Tim Van Laere Gallery in Rome is hosting "Lust for Life," a group exhibition that explores the human impulse for creative resistance against societal fragility and global conflict. The show is anchored by the historical works of German artist George Grosz, whose drawings from 1912 to 1947 depict the alienation, loss of identity, and physical decay caused by world wars and totalitarian power.
Milano Art Week 2026 top e flop: il meglio e il peggio della settimana dell’arte
The 2026 edition of Milano Art Week, anchored by the 30th anniversary of the miart fair, presented a mixed bag of organizational shifts and high-quality artistic programming. Key highlights included the successful Milanese debut of Paris Internationale at Palazzo Galbani and the emergence of new cultural hubs like Mulino Factory, which continue Milan's trend of repurposing industrial heritage. However, the primary fair's relocation to the Allianz MiCo South Wing drew criticism for its labyrinthine layout and logistical hurdles despite the scenic park setting.
La prima edizione della fiera Paris Internationale a Milano convince. Il report
The Parisian satellite fair Paris Internationale successfully launched its first international edition in Milan during the city's 2026 Art Week. Hosted in the modernist Palazzo Galbani, the fair distinguished itself from traditional models like miart through a non-hierarchical layout designed by Christ & Gantenbein and NM3. The event featured 34 carefully selected galleries, emphasizing solo and duo presentations from artists such as Leonora Carrington, Benni Bosetto, and Ibuki Inoue.
Un giro in 10 stand da non mancare alla fiera miart 2026 a Milano
The 30th edition of miart, Milan’s international modern and contemporary art fair, has launched at the Allianz MiCo South Wing under the artistic direction of Nicola Ricciardi. Titled "New Directions," the 2026 edition features 160 galleries from 24 countries, organized into sections like Emergent, Established, and Established Anthology. Despite some logistical complaints regarding the new layout, the opening saw high attendance and early optimism from dealers regarding sales.
Frieze New York 2026 offers a selection of artworks priced under $10,000 in its online Viewing Room, making the fair more accessible to a broader range of collectors. Featured works include Esther Pearl Watson's UFO-themed paintings of rural America and Nobuyoshi Araki's intimate photographs of his cat, among other affordable pieces from various galleries.
New York: An Artist’s City
Milan's art scene is currently anchored by several major exhibitions, ranging from Cao Fei’s exploration of global agricultural shifts at Pirelli HangarBicocca to Anselm Kiefer’s monumental tributes to female alchemists. Other highlights include solo presentations by emerging and established artists across the city's commercial galleries and institutional spaces, coinciding with the Miart fair.
Milan's art scene is currently anchored by a series of high-profile exhibitions coinciding with the Miart fair. Key highlights include Cao Fei’s exploration of global agricultural shifts at Pirelli HangarBicocca and Anselm Kiefer’s monumental tributes to female alchemists at Palazzo Reale. The city's galleries and institutions are showcasing a diverse range of media, from intricate textile works that challenge traditional hierarchies to immersive digital installations.
Loveland artist Annie O'Brien Gonzales, who specializes in bold, colorful floral paintings, is featured in 'The Bright Side' exhibition at The Lincoln Center in Fort Collins, Colorado. The show, which runs until June 12, includes her expressive acrylic and mixed-media works alongside pieces by Laura Merage, Tricia Soderberg, and Randall Steinke. O'Brien Gonzales, a former labor and delivery nurse and medical professor who became a full-time artist in 2004, will also teach a floral still life workshop at The Gardens on Spring Creek on May 31.
The Art Gallery of New South Wales will open 'Avatar: Forms of Vishnu' in June, its largest exhibition of South and Southeast Asian art in over two decades. Featuring more than 200 works spanning 1,500 years, the show includes ancient sculptures, paintings, textiles, photography, and contemporary installations from institutions such as the British Museum, Ashmolean Museum, and National Museum of Cambodia. Curated by Melanie Eastburn and Chaitanya Sambrani, the exhibition explores artistic interpretations of Vishnu and his avatars across cultural, political, and spiritual contexts, with new commissions by Desmond Lazaro and Sumakshi Singh, and works by Nalini Malani, Pushpamala N, Gulammohammed Sheikh, and Jumaadi.
The Metropolitan Museum of Art's Costume Institute will debut its spring 2026 exhibition, “Costume Art,” on May 10, preceded by the Met Gala on May 4. The exhibition explores the dressed body in all forms—nude, pregnant, plus-size, disabled, aging, and internal—and features fashion designer Renata Buzzo’s hand-stitched “Corset Anatomia” from her 2024 collection “The Body.” Buzzo was personally selected by curator Andrew Bolton and donated her pieces. The exhibition will be housed in the new Condé M. Nast Galleries, an 11,500-square-foot space that will make fashion galleries the first thing visitors see upon entering the Great Hall. The Met Gala, co-chaired by Beyoncé, Nicole Kidman, Venus Williams, and Anna Wintour, raised a record $31 million in 2025 and will follow the dress code “Fashion is Art.”
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The Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) has opened its new David Geffen Galleries building to the public. Designed by architect Peter Zumthor, the 900-foot-long structure features a non-linear, single-level layout with abundant natural light, intentionally encouraging visitors to wander without a set path. The inaugural exhibition, organized by 45 curators, abandons traditional art historical categories in favor of a thematic presentation centered on major bodies of water and global trade routes.
The Surrey Art Gallery has launched "In the Shadow of the Pavilions," an exhibition exploring the complex artistic legacy of Vancouver’s Expo 86. Curated by Jordan Strom, the show features works and archival materials from over 50 artists, including those officially commissioned for the world’s fair and those who were excluded or responded critically to the event. Highlights include documentation of Michael Snow’s pioneering holography and Bill Reid’s Haida canoe, Loo Taas, alongside works by Stan Douglas and Rodney Graham.
Artist Melissa McGill has announced "Marea," a large-scale public art intervention set to debut in Venice's Corte Nova during the 61st Venice Biennale in 2026. The project features approximately 100 paintings created on bedsheets, which will be hung from traditional laundry lines spanning the historic street. Developed in collaboration with local residents and students from Università Iuav di Venezia, the installation uses shades of blue and green to mirror the Venetian Lagoon and celebrate the city's enduring community spirit.
The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York is hosting "Wifredo Lam: When I Don’t Sleep, I Dream," the first comprehensive U.S. retrospective of the Cuban modernist's career. Running from November 2025 to April 2026, the exhibition traces Lam’s artistic evolution from his formative years in Europe to his return to the Caribbean, where he integrated Afro-Caribbean histories and spirituality into the language of modern painting. The show features major loans, a documentary film, and a scholarly catalogue exploring his unique synthesis of Surrealism and decolonial thought.
Artists Space in New York is hosting the first comprehensive U.S. survey of photographer David Armstrong, featuring over 90 works spanning three decades. While often associated with Nan Goldin and the Boston School, the exhibition highlights Armstrong’s distinct evolution from raw black-and-white 1970s downtown portraits to his later blurred landscapes and Renaissance-inspired color photography.
Philadelphia’s major art institutions are entering an unprecedented era of collaboration, launching a series of joint exhibitions that pool resources and collections. The centerpiece of this movement is “Bodies and Souls,” a dual-site exhibition hosted by the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts (PAFA) and the Woodmere Art Museum featuring the contemporary art collection of Robert and Frances Coulborn Kohler. Other notable partnerships include a three-museum retrospective of sculptor Syd Carpenter and an upcoming 18-gallery initiative titled “Radical Americana” led by the Clay Studio.
The Moore Art Gallery has opened a new exhibition titled "All Hands on Deck: Edward Steichen and the WWII Naval Photographic Unit." The show presents black-and-white photographs taken by the influential photographer Edward Steichen and his team during World War II, offering an intimate look at the lives of sailors and aviators through dramatic and compositionally striking images. The exhibition includes prints annotated by Steichen with editorial instructions, revealing his meticulous process.
Two concurrent exhibitions in Plymouth, England, are re-evaluating the work of the late British artist Beryl Cook, long dismissed by critics for her popular, humorous paintings of plump, joyful people. The Box gallery presents "Beryl Cook: Pride and Joy" (until 31 May), which places Cook within the Western art canon by tracing her influences from Peter Paul Rubens and Pieter Brueghel the Younger to Stanley Spencer and Edward Burra. The show features over 80 paintings, sculptures, textiles, and a personal archive, and is curated by Terah Walkup. A parallel exhibition at Karst gallery, "Discord and Harmony" (until 18 April), pairs Cook's legacy with contemporary artists like Olivia Sterling, Rhys Coren, and Flo Brooks, who similarly champion overlooked communities.
London's Art on the Underground programme has announced its 2026 lineup, featuring new public artworks by Hurvin Anderson, Caroline Walker, Phoebe Boswell, and Ain Bailey. Anderson will create a commission for Brixton station tied to his long-standing studio in the area, while Walker will depict women working night shifts on the Jubilee line. Boswell will install photographic assemblages at Bethnal Green and Notting Hill Gate stations focusing on Black swimming communities, and Bailey will produce an audio piece for Waterloo station highlighting closed London venues.
The Penn Museum at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia will open its new 2,000-square-foot Native North America Gallery on Saturday, November 22, after two years of planning. The long-term exhibition replaces the 2014 show "Native American Voices: The People—Here and Now," which was curated by Lucy Fowler Williams with around 80 Native consultants but felt fragmented. This time, Williams and co-curator Megan C. Kassabaum worked closely with eight Native American curators—not just advisors—to determine the stories told. The gallery highlights moments of rupture, loss, and betrayal alongside resilience, and includes an empty vitrine to acknowledge repatriation efforts and culturally sensitive objects that tribes prefer not to display.