Marat Guelman and the group + - Komma: First of all, it’s beautiful

Marat Guelman's exhibition at Ethan Cohen Gallery in New York (April 23–May 30, 2026) features AI-generated monoprints created in collaboration with the Montenegrin digital art group + - Komma. None of the works were painted by Guelman himself; instead, he programmed AI outputs based on historical models by artists like Picasso, Gauguin, Monet, Warhol, Lichtenstein, Turner, Matisse, and Richter. Every piece in the show incorporates an image of an atomic mushroom cloud, a motif Guelman uses to respond to Vladimir Putin's nuclear threats during the Ukraine war.

‘A watershed moment’: Major Brisbane art exhibition opens at prestigious London museum

The Queensland Art Gallery | Gallery of Modern Art (QAGOMA) has exported a major exhibition, "Rising Voices: Contemporary Art from Asia, Australia and the Pacific," to the Victoria & Albert Museum in London. The show, which runs until January 10, 2027, features works collected over 30 years through QAGOMA's Asia Pacific Triennial of Contemporary Art, including pieces by Australian artists Michael Cook, Naomi Hobson, Shirley Macnamara, Ken Thaiday Sr, and Judy Watson, as well as artists from China, Japan, New Zealand, Sri Lanka, Papua New Guinea, and beyond.

Your guide to Christie's 20/21 auction week in New York

Christie's is holding its 20/21 auction week in New York from May 9–22, 2026, featuring seven live auctions and two online sales at its Rockefeller Center galleries. Highlights include the dedicated sale "MASTERPIECES: The Private Collection of S.I. Newhouse" (led by Constantin Brancusi's *Danaïde* and Jackson Pollock's *Number 7A, 1948*), the Impressionist and Modern Art Day Sale, and "Defined Space: The Collection of Henry S. McNeil, Jr.," which focuses on Minimalist works by Donald Judd and Dan Flavin. Other consignors include prominent collectors Agnes Gund, Marian Goodman, and Joanna Carson. The public can view works for free from May 9–21.

Francisco de Zurbarán: Paintings So Real, You Can Hardly Resist Believing

An exhibition of works by Spanish Baroque painter Francisco de Zurbarán has opened at London’s National Gallery, showcasing his strikingly realistic still lifes and religious scenes. The show highlights Zurbarán’s masterful use of light, texture, and dramatic composition to create paintings that feel almost tangible, drawing viewers into their intimate, contemplative worlds.

An Iranian museum holds a rare exhibit of American art, reflecting on war

The Tehran Museum of Contemporary Art is hosting a rare exhibition of American art, featuring works from its collection that were acquired before the 1979 Islamic Revolution. The show includes pieces by artists such as Andy Warhol, Jackson Pollock, and Mark Rothko, and is presented as a reflection on the complex history of U.S.-Iran relations, including themes of war and cultural exchange.

Le CMN perd le Mont-Saint-Michel

The article reports on several developments in the art world: the Centre des Monuments Nationaux (CMN) loses management of Mont-Saint-Michel; the Venice Biennale opens amid controversy; a law on the restitution of cultural property looted during colonization is definitively adopted; the V&A East museum targets younger audiences; in Giverny, the Monet legacy does not benefit everyone; and the market for the Nabis artists is becoming more structured.

Art Lovers Movie Club: Elisabeth Brun, ‘Big Tech Blues’, 2025

ArtReview's Art Lovers Movie Club presents Elisabeth Brun's film 'Big Tech Blues' (2025), an auto-documentary that follows a small village in northern Norway as it resists the installation of a SpaceX Starlink 'Gateway' transmission site. The film blends personal essay, documentary footage, and interviews with residents who protest the hub over concerns about noise pollution, radiation, and environmental impact on the rural coastline. Brun contrasts slick Starlink promotional material with slow, intimate scenes of the landscape and community organizing on Facebook, highlighting the irony of using digital tools to fight digital infrastructure.

Ça bouchonne à Venise

The latest issue of Le Journal des Arts (No. 677, May 15, 2026) leads with the opening of the Venice Biennale amid a tense climate. Other top stories include the final adoption of a French law on the restitution of cultural property looted during colonization, the V&A East museum's strategy to attract younger audiences, tensions in Giverny over the uneven economic benefits of Monet's legacy, and a market analysis showing the structuring of the Nabis art market.

Décès de Jacques Gairard

Jacques Gairard, a figure in the French art world, has died. The announcement appears in Le Journal des Arts, which also covers the opening of the Venice Biennale amid controversy, the final adoption of a law on the restitution of cultural property looted during colonization, the V&A East's focus on young audiences, the uneven economic impact of Monet's legacy in Giverny, and the structuring of the Nabis art market.

V&A East targets young people

Le V&A East vise les jeunes

The Victoria and Albert Museum has opened a new branch called V&A East in Stratford, east London, within the former Olympic Park. The £135 million (€155.8 million) building, designed by O'Donnell and Tuomey, features 479 sand-colored concrete panels and houses around 500 objects from the V&A's collection across two permanent galleries titled "Why We Make." The museum opened on April 18 and is part of the East Bank cultural complex supported by the London municipality. It prioritizes local engagement and mediation tailored to attract younger audiences, with exhibitions addressing social justice and environmental themes.

Martin Schongauer en toute majesté

The Louvre Museum in Paris has opened a major retrospective dedicated to Martin Schongauer (c. 1445–1491), the German engraver and painter from Colmar, bringing together a large portion of his known works. The exhibition features around one hundred pieces, including fifty engravings, five of his rare drawings, and nearly all of his attributed paintings—such as the "Virgin and Child at the Window" (c. 1480) from the Getty Museum and the "Orlier Altarpiece" (c. 1470–1475) from the Musée Unterlinden. The centerpiece is Schongauer's "Virgin of the Rose Bush" (1473), displayed at low height to reveal its botanical precision. Co-curated by Pantxika Béguerie De Paepe and Hélène Grollemund, the show also highlights Schongauer's influence on contemporaries and later artists through comparative works by Rogier van der Weyden and others.

What Has the American Inquisition Done to Art?

An exhibition titled "American Inquisition" opened in mid-March at No Place Gallery, an artist-run space in Columbus, Ohio. Featuring paintings by Shiva Addanki and Nikholis Planck, the show draws its name from a statement by the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine supporting detained activist Mahmoud Khalil, and its critical framework from Mike Davis's book "Buda's Wagon." Addanki's works depict scenes of US imperial violence, including downed drones and counterinsurgents at detention centers, while Planck's paintings map extractive infrastructure, subverting traditional landscape painting with industrial detritus and petroleum tankers.

Israeli Pavilion artist issued legal warnings before Biennale jury resignation

Belu-Simion Fainaru, the artist representing Israel at the 2026 Venice Biennale, issued legal warnings to the Biennale, the Italian Ministry of Culture, and the Italian Prime Minister’s office after the Golden Lion jury announced it would not consider pavilions from countries whose leaders are charged with crimes against humanity by the International Criminal Court, including Israel and Russia. Fainaru’s legal threats cited alleged antisemitism and nationality-based discrimination. Shortly after, the Biennale jury resigned, prompting organizers to postpone the awards ceremony to the closing day and replace the Golden and Silver Lions with two 'Visitors’ Lions' voted on by attendees, with all national participations eligible.

Au Louvre, des directeurs de département entre responsabilités internes et rôle national

Maximilien Durand has been reappointed as head of the Department of Byzantine and Eastern Christian Arts at the Louvre Museum, a role that carries both internal museum responsibilities and national duties on behalf of the French state. Two decrees signed by Culture Minister Catherine Pégard formalize his renewal: one as head of the museum department, and another as head of the corresponding major heritage department, a status held by only nine of the Louvre's departments.

Bogna Burska and Daniel Kotowski on Representing Poland at the 61st Venice Biennale

Bogna Burska and Daniel Kotowski, representing Poland at the 61st Venice Biennale, plan to exhibit a project inspired by the Choir in Motion (a phonic/sign-language ensemble of hearing and Deaf people), underwater role reversals, and whale communication. Their work explores alternate forms of communication, Deaf Gain, and the retrieval of voices—both human and non-human—aligning with the Biennale's theme "In Minor Keys." The Polish pavilion is located in the Giardini.

The Delicate Bouquet of Roses and Peonies by Redouté and Thilo Westermann at Malmaison

Le délicat bouquet de roses et de pivoines de Redouté et de Thilo Westermann à Malmaison

An exhibition titled "Roses & Pivoines" has opened at the Château de Bois-Préau in Malmaison, France, pairing the 19th-century botanical watercolors of Pierre-Joseph Redouté with contemporary glass-painting works by German artist Thilo Westermann. Redouté, famous for his meticulous rose and peony illustrations commissioned by Empress Joséphine Bonaparte, is shown alongside Westermann's pointillist technique on glass, which he developed from 2014 onward. The show also includes works by Jan-Frans van Dael and Cornelis van Spaendonck, plus scent stations for visitors to smell rose essences.

À Nîmes, la peinture sans entrave de Tursic & Mille envahit le Carré d’art

The article covers the retrospective exhibition of French artist duo Ida Tursic and Wilfried Mille at the Carré d'art in Nîmes. Titled "Dissonances à géométries variables," the show traces their career from student works at the École nationale supérieure d'art de Dijon to recent paintings, featuring a critical, humorous, and materially rich approach to figurative painting. The duo draws from press images, internet sources, art history, and archives, disrupting reproductions with paint splatters and odd details, and the exhibition is organized thematically from "happiness" to "melancholy."

Beyond the Sagrada Família: These 6 Surprising Places in Barcelona Reveal a Lesser-Known Gaudí

Au-delà de la Sagrada Família, ces 6 lieux étonnants à Barcelone qui révèlent un Gaudí méconnu

Beaux Arts Magazine highlights six lesser-known architectural works by Antoni Gaudí in Barcelona, beyond his famous Sagrada Família. The article features Casa Vicens (1883–1885), his first private commission; Torre Bellesguard (1900–1909), a medieval-inspired tower with panoramic views; Casa Calvet (1897), a residential building with textile-themed details; and the Finca Güell and Palau Güell, experimental projects for his patron Eusebi Güell. These sites showcase Gaudí's organic style, fusion of nature and architecture, and influences from Japanese, Arabic, and Catalan Gothic traditions, with several recently opened to the public.

Centenary of Elizabeth II: Two colossal statues of the queen to be erected in London's St James's Park

Centenaire d’Elizabeth II : deux statues colossales de la reine seront érigées à Londres, dans St James’s Park

London has unveiled the final design and models for a colossal memorial to Queen Elizabeth II in St James's Park, to be completed by 2028. The centerpiece is a seven-meter bronze statue of the queen at age 28, inspired by a Pietro Annigoni portrait and created by sculptor Martin Jennings. It will be accompanied by a statue of Prince Philip by Jennings and a second, more intimate statue of the queen in old age by Karen Newman. The project marks the centenary of Elizabeth II's birth (1926–2022) and is designed by Foster + Partners. Models are on display at the British Museum until June 21.

Federal Bill Creating Smithsonian Women’s Museum Scuttled Over Demand That It Honor Only “Biological” Females

Legislation to advance the construction of the Smithsonian American Women’s History Museum in Washington, DC, failed in the House on May 21 after Democrats rejected amendments added by Republicans. The bill, introduced by Republican Representative Nicole Malliotakis, was defeated 216-204, with six Republicans joining Democrats in opposition. Key changes included language specifying the museum would honor only “biological women” and explicitly barring the depiction of any “biological male as a female,” which critics said would exclude transgender women. Other provisions would have given President Donald Trump unilateral authority to choose an alternative site for the museum, originally planned for the National Mall, and granted approval power over design and construction to commissions controlled by Trump appointees.

Parliamentary Report Outlines Major Issues In French Museums After The Louvre Heist

A French parliamentary commission released a report on May 13 detailing severe security deficiencies in French museums, following a December 2025 heist at the Louvre where French Crown Jewels worth $100 million were stolen. The report, overseen by MPs Alexis Corbière and Alexandre Portier, draws on over 20 hearings and highlights that only 25% of surveyed museums have a finalized security plan, with the Louvre itself criticized for dilapidated conditions and ignored audit warnings from 2017 and 2019 that predicted the thieves' modus operandi. Former Louvre director Laurence des Cars, who resigned in February, faced criticism for delays in implementing a security master plan.

Ittai Gradel, Whistleblower in British Museum Gem Theft, Dies at 61

Ittai Gradel, the Israel-born Danish gem expert who alerted the British Museum to the theft of thousands of antiquities from its collection after discovering them for sale on eBay, died on April 28 of renal cancer at age 61. Days before his death, British Museum officials visited him in hospice and presented him with a rarely awarded medal for his service. Gradel first warned deputy director Jonathan Williams in 2021 that artifacts were being sold online, identified veteran curator Peter Higgs as the culprit, and provided detailed evidence. After the museum failed to act, Gradel contacted then-director Hartwig Fischer; two years later, Higgs was fired, and Fischer and Williams left the institution amid the scandal.

LILIA CARRILLO IN NEW YORK THE MEXICAN PAINTER WHO WAS AHEAD OF HER TIME

Americas Society in New York has opened "Lilia Carrillo: Ruptures and Premonitions," curated by Tobias Ostrander. The exhibition presents 24 paintings by Mexican artist Lilia Carrillo (1930–1974), created between 1961 and 1974, alongside archival materials. It introduces Carrillo to New York audiences as a key figure of the Generación de la Ruptura, a postwar movement that broke with Mexican muralism in favor of abstraction. The show highlights her experimental techniques—carving and scraping paint, embedding fabric and paper—and her engagement with mortality, Surrealism, and political turmoil, including the 1968 Tlatelolco massacre.

Billboards celebrating peace will arrive in L.A. as part of the Broad's Yoko Ono exhibit

Yoko Ono will install seven digital billboards across Los Angeles bearing peace messages like "THINK PEACE" and "IMAGINE PEACE," as part of her upcoming exhibition "Yoko Ono: Music of the Mind" at the Broad museum opening May 23. The billboards echo her 1969 "WAR IS OVER!" campaign with John Lennon. Ancillary programming includes re-creations of her performance works "Cut Piece" (1964) and "Sky Piece to Jesus Christ" (1965), plus a concert series "Yoko Only" guest-curated by Yuka Honda featuring Yo La Tengo, Nels Cline, Sleater-Kinney, and others.

South Korean ceramic artist Jongjin Park wins 2026 Loewe Foundation Craft Prize.

South Korean ceramic artist Jongjin Park has won the 2026 Loewe Foundation Craft Prize for his piece "Strata of Illusion" (2025), a partially-collapsed seat-like form made from paper and coated in porcelain slip. The award comes with a €50,000 ($58,700) prize, and Park's work will be exhibited alongside other shortlisted entries at the National Gallery Singapore, opening tomorrow and running through June 14.

Meet four artists behind the public art you'll see at L.A. Metro's new D Line stations

L.A. Metro opened the first phase of its D Line extension on Friday, May 1, 2026, adding three new underground stations connecting downtown Los Angeles to Beverly Hills: Wilshire/La Brea, Wilshire/Fairfax, and Wilshire/La Cienega. The stations feature nine site-specific public artworks by artists including Mariana Castillo Deball, Eamon Ore-Giron, Ken Gonzales-Day, Todd Gray, Karl Haendel, Soo Kim, Fran Siegel, Susan Silton, and Mark Dean Veca. The competitive selection process began a decade ago, drawing over 1,200 applicants, with finalists judged by a panel of art professionals including curators from Miracle Mile museums. Metro deputy executive officer Zipporah Yamamoto leads the agency's public art program, which is funded by a 0.5% construction budget set-aside.

Stripteases, ecstatic embraces and a dog in a dress: the full-on photos celebrating queer dancefloors worldwide

A new photo book titled *Sex, Clubs, Dissent: Visualising Queer Nightlife*, edited by writer Amelia Abraham, collects photographs from the 1960s to today that document queer nightlife around the world. The anthology features works by artists such as Wolfgang Tillmans, Sunil Gupta, Kia LaBeija, Phyllis Christopher, Roxy Lee, Ajamu X, and Del LaGrace Volcano, alongside images from trans community archives in Mexico City and Buenos Aires. The book is organized into sections on sex, clubs, and dissent, and includes a range of media from film stills to a Grindr screenshot, aiming to capture the messy, sexy, and politically charged atmosphere of queer social spaces.

Detroit’s MOCAD Reopens with a New Vision and a New Kind of Leadership

The Museum of Contemporary Art Detroit (MOCAD) has reopened after an eight-month renovation, marking its 20th anniversary with a new vision centered on artists and community. Co-directors Jova Lynne and Marie Madison-Patton have titled this new chapter "A Practice of Multiplicity," emphasizing the wholeness of artists' lives beyond their work. The renovation includes infrastructural upgrades like an HVAC system, a new Learning Studio, a transformed café for programming, and a facade that opens to the street. Two inaugural surveys highlight Detroit artists Olayami Dabls and Carole Harris, whose practices explore the city's history, culture, and social transformation.

Trophy Buyers Drive Decorative Art Sales

Sales in the decorative-art category—including design objects, furniture, jewelry, and watches—reached approximately $3.9 billion in 2025, a 7.1% increase from 2024 but still well below the 2023 peak of $5.7 billion. The number of lots sold fell by 11.9%, yet the average price rose 21.6% to $15,247, indicating a shift toward trophy buying. A standout was François-Xavier Lalanne's 1976 Hippopotamus bar, which sold for $31.4 million at Sotheby's after a 26-minute bidding war, setting an auction record. Sotheby's led the category with $1.1 billion in sales, followed by Christie's at $1 billion and Phillips at $369.7 million. Europe remained the largest market at $1.4 billion, while North America overtook Asia for second place with $1.2 billion.

Leonora in the Morning Light review – pioneering British artist who fled convention for the surrealists

A new biopic titled *Leonora in the Morning Light* chronicles the life of British surrealist painter Leonora Carrington, who fled her aristocratic upbringing in London to join the surrealist circle in Paris. The film, adapted from Elena Poniatowska's biographical novel, follows Carrington from her affair with the older Max Ernst through her mental health crisis in Spain and eventual settlement in Mexico, where she created art on her own terms. Olivia Vinall portrays Carrington with a fierce, uncompromising spirit, though the film is criticized for uneven storytelling and clunky dialogue.