Photo London, the UK’s leading photography fair, is relocating

Photo London, the UK's leading photography fair, is relocating from Somerset House to the newly renovated Olympia in west London starting with its 11th edition in May 2026. The move follows a decade at Somerset House and coincides with Olympia's £1.3bn redevelopment co-designed by Heatherwick Studio and SPPARC. Director Sophie Parker cited feedback from galleries and collectors requesting a more flexible, cohesive space, while co-founder Michael Benson called the relocation a 'thrillingly adventurous reimagining' of the fair's future.

Pompidou moves in as Grand Palais reopens after £395m revamp

The Grand Palais in Paris reopens after a €466m (£395m) four-year restoration led by Chatillon Architectes, the most significant transformation since its 1900 inauguration. The building will serve as a temporary venue for the Centre Pompidou while the museum undergoes its own renovation until 2030. The project restored original sightlines, added over 40 lifts and 30 staircases, and created modular exhibition spaces to meet contemporary curatorial demands.

Paris gallery directors join forces to launch ‘open-ended’ advisory

Two Paris-based art dealers, Samy Ghiyati and Nicolas Nahab, have launched NG, a new multi-pronged art advisory business. The venture combines traditional advisory services with a roving exhibition programme, collection management, and foundation management. Nahab previously led Mendes Wood DM’s Paris gallery and worked at Marian Goodman and Yvon Lambert; Ghiyati was a director at David Zwirner’s Paris gallery after a stint at Kamel Mennour. Their first public project will be a selling exhibition of videos by Meriem Bennani in Essaouira, Morocco, opening in December.

Marco Island Center for the Arts and Miami museum exchange exhibitions that feature Latinx art and artists

The Marco Island Center for the Arts and the Miami Museum of Contemporary Art of the Americas (MoCAA) are exchanging exhibitions focused on Latinx art and artists. The Marco Island Center is currently hosting works by 15 contemporary artists from Latin America and the Caribbean, including Ivonne Ferrer, Ruben Torres Llorca, and Luis Cruz Azaceta, on view through July 1. In exchange, MoCAA will present "Marco to Miami" from June 20 to July 20, featuring 14 artists from Collier County.

Pompidou to launch outpost near Unesco heritage site of Iguaçu falls in Brazil

The Centre Pompidou has signed a five-year partnership with Brazil to open its first South American outpost near the Iguaçu falls, a UNESCO World Heritage site, in the city of Foz do Iguaçu. Scheduled to launch in November 2027, the 10,000 sq. m. museum will be designed by Paraguayan architect Solano Benitez, with a construction budget of R$200 million ($36 million). The venue will host exhibitions, live performances, festivals, film screenings, lectures, and artist residencies focused on the cultures of Brazil, Argentina, and Paraguay.

Paris is getting a huge new art museum this year

The Fondation Cartier, a contemporary art gallery in Paris for the past 30 years, is opening a new flagship location at 2, place du Palais-Royal, opposite the Louvre and near the Ministry of Culture. Occupying an 8,500-square-meter space in a building dating to 1852, the interior has been redesigned by architect Jean Nouvel. The new venue, set to open on October 25, 2025, will be the largest private art center in Paris, with half its space dedicated to exhibitions and the other half housing a restaurant, bookshop, auditorium, and offices. The inaugural exhibition, 'Exposition Générale,' will feature nearly 600 works from the foundation's collection of over 2,500 pieces.

Fire-damaged room at Castle Howard brought back to life by meticulous restoration

The Tapestry Drawing Room at Castle Howard, a historic stately home in Yorkshire, England, has been meticulously restored after being gutted by a fire in 1940. The room, originally adorned with early 18th-century tapestries woven by John Vanderbank and based on scenes by David Teniers, was reduced to a scorched shell. Nick Howard, whose family has lived in the house for three centuries, oversaw the restoration, which involved reinstalling the original tapestries—found rolled up in the attic—after conservation by Alison Stanton. The centerpiece, a painting by Marco Ricci titled *Judgment of Paris*, and a newly built fireplace based on archival photographs complete the revival.

Modern and Contemporary African and Middle Eastern Art: Olympia Auctions’ Largest Sale to Date

Olympia Auctions will hold its largest-ever sale of Modern and Contemporary African and Middle Eastern Art on May 7, 2025, in London. The auction features over 100 lots including works by pioneering Nigerian artists appearing at auction for the first time, Egyptian modernists from the Zulficar collection, classic South African paintings from a major collection, and Botswanan works on paper. Highlights include a portrait of Oum Kalthoum by George Bahgoury (estimate £25,000-30,000) and satirical portraits by Kingsley Obasi. Olympia Auctions expert Janet Rady, who has led the secondary market for Middle Eastern art since 2013, curated the sale.

Water leaks into the Louvre’s Cimabue exhibition, landing close to the master’s greatest early painting

On May 3, a hailstorm caused water to leak into the Musée du Louvre in Paris, nearly damaging Cimabue's "Maestà" (1280-85), the centerpiece of the exhibition "A New Look at Cimabue: At the Origins of Italian Painting." Drops fell close to the painting, which is displayed without glass protection, and also landed on the base of a nearby sculpture by Nicola Pisano's studio. Guards initially struggled to respond, but the exhibition was closed within half an hour, and the Louvre confirmed no works were damaged.

Immediately after the Second World War, how did six exhibitions attempt to make sense of the atrocities?

Berlin's Deutsches Historisches Museum has opened an exhibition titled "On Displaying Violence: First Exhibitions on the Nazi Occupation in Europe, 1945-48," which revisits six post-World War II exhibitions that attempted to process the atrocities of the war. These shows took place in venues ranging from the Grand Palais in Paris to a Czech villa formerly occupied by a Nazi official, and included displays such as the UK's Daily Express "The Horror Camps" (1945), the French traveling show "Hitlerian Crimes" (1945), "Warsaw Accuses" (1945) at the National Museum in Warsaw, and "Our Path to Freedom" (1947) at the Bergen-Belsen concentration camp. The Berlin exhibition uses original objects, film footage, photographs, and recordings to recreate the experience of these early post-war shows.

Speed Art Museum discusses 'Brilliant Exiles: American Women in Paris, 1900-1939' exhibit

Erika Holmquist-Wall, chief curator of the Speed Art Museum in Louisville, Kentucky, discussed the museum's new exhibition "Brilliant Exiles: American Women in Paris, 1900-1939" in a televised interview. The show, on loan from the Smithsonian Institution's National Portrait Gallery, features nearly 80 works including paintings, photographs, works on paper, and sculptures that portray American women who moved to Paris during the early 20th century to pursue careers in the arts. The exhibition includes portraits of figures such as singer Ethel Waters, and offers interactive elements like a participatory portrait-making room and curated Spotify playlists.

Who Owns These Artworks? Musée d’Orsay Hopes Visitors Can Help Find Out.

The Musée d’Orsay in Paris has opened a new room in its permanent display featuring 13 artworks recovered from Germany and Austria after World War II, whose provenance remains unknown. The museum is inviting visitors to help identify the original owners of these pieces, which were looted or displaced during the war and later restituted to France.

New Flagship Space for SAMoCA Announced As Part of Saudi Vision 2030

The Saudi Arabia Museum of Contemporary Art (SAMoCA) will receive a new flagship space as part of the government-backed Diriyah Company's Saudi Vision 2030 initiative. The museum, financed by a $490 million grant from the Diriyah Company (owned by the Public Investment Fund), will be designed by British architecture firm Godwin Austen Johnson and built by Albawani Company and Hassan Allam Construction – Saudi Arabia. Spanning 77,000 square meters, the project is part of the $63.2 billion Diriyah giga-project aimed at transforming the city into a premier cultural destination.

Stockholms Auktionsverk Presents: The Modern Art Sale and The Contemporary Art Sale

Stockholms Auktionsverk is holding two live auctions, The Modern Art Sale and The Contemporary Art Sale, on May 20 and 21, 2026, at Nybrogatan 32 in Stockholm. The sales feature a curated selection of Swedish and international artists from the early 20th century to the present day, including works by Andy Warhol, Jasper Johns, Tony Cragg, Lena Cronqvist, and a newly discovered painting by Gösta Adrian-Nilsson. The Modern Art Sale highlights modernist masterpieces by Otte Sköld, Sigrid Hjertén, and Ragnar Sandberg, while The Contemporary Art Sale pays tribute to Ola Billgren and includes works by David LaChapelle, Cindy Sherman, and Britta Marakatt-Labba.

Monet auction drives Sotheby’s Paris sale to 35 million euros

Sotheby's Paris sale on April 16, 2026, achieved a total of 35 million euros, an 84% increase over the previous year's equivalent auction. The event was dominated by two rediscovered Claude Monet paintings, with 'Vétheuil, effet du matin' setting a new auction record for the artist in France at 10.2 million euros. Strong results were also posted for works by Marc Chagall, Lucio Fontana, and Gerhard Richter, with 62.5% of lots selling above their high estimates.

Exhibition | Andrea Torres Balaguer, 'T-10 Project' at Alzueta Gallery, Séneca, Barcelona, Spain

Alzueta Gallery in Barcelona is presenting 'T-10 Project', an exhibition by artist Andrea Torres Balaguer. The show is part of the gallery's ongoing program, which spans five locations across Barcelona, Madrid, Casavells, and Paris, and includes exhibitions, art fairs, residencies, and collaborative projects.

In Venice, famous street artist JR completely wraps a historic palazzo with an installation

A Venezia il famoso street artist JR avvolge completamente un palazzo storico con un’installazione

Street artist JR has wrapped the historic Palazzo Ca' da Mosto in Venice—now the Venice Venice Hotel—with a large-scale installation timed to the 61st Venice Biennale. The project, titled "Il Gesto," reinterprets Paolo Veronese's 1563 masterpiece "The Wedding at Cana" as a contemporary fresco featuring 176 people from the Refettorio Paris community kitchen. Inside the palazzo, an immersive installation combines photographic portraits, reflective surfaces, and audio recordings to create a layered narrative. A monumental tapestry woven by Giovanni Bonotto and the Fondazione Bonotto, made from recycled plastic, wool, cotton, and washi paper, extends the work into a durable, contemplative form.

À Deauville, un vitrail monumental de Clara Rivault fête les cinq ans des Franciscaines

Les Franciscaines de Deauville, a former convent turned cultural center, celebrates its fifth anniversary by unveiling its first permanent commission: a monumental contemporary stained glass window by Clara Rivault. Titled "Ceux qui traversent," the double-sided work spans the entrance of the Grande Galerie, blending traditional glass techniques with photographic transfers, lead, and light. Rivault, born in 1991 and trained at Montpellier's École supérieure des beaux-arts, La Cambre in Brussels, and the Centre international d'Art verrier de Meisenthal, has previously created works for the Institut français in Paris and the church of Saint-Paterne in Saint-Pair-sur-Mer.

Legendary Looks: My Ballroom Story Felix Rodriguez

Filmmaker Felix Rodriguez's archival work is featured in "Legendary Looks: My Ballroom Story," a multi-site exhibition running across Pioneer Works, ArtsWestchester, and City Lore throughout summer 2025. Co-curated by prominent ballroom leaders Jonovia Chase Lanvin, Twiggy Pucci Garçon, and Michael Roberson Maison-Margiela, the exhibition explores the artistry and cultural legacy of the house ballroom community. Rodriguez has documented this community since 1991, amassing an encyclopedic archive of New York's ballroom figures, and his multimedia installation at Pioneer Works highlights the role of commentators who live-narrate balls, presented along a red carpet evoking ball runways.

This Family Made Gin on Zoom During Covid. Here’s How It Became an Art World Staple.

During the pandemic, the Mordant family—Simon, Catriona, Brielle, and Angus—began making gin from wild juniper on their Umbria property, splitting operations between Italy, London, and upstate New York. After enrolling in a master gin-making course and refining recipes via Zoom, they entered their creation into the World Gin Awards, earning a triple-gold medal with a score of 97 out of 100. Despite initially producing only 502 bottles not intended for sale, global demand prompted them to scale up commercially, leading to Quattro Gatti becoming the official gin of the Venice Biennale.

Where It Doesn’t Reach at Lo Brutto Stahl

Lo Brutto Stahl presents "Where It Doesn’t Reach," a group exhibition featuring works by Bas Jan Ader, Hélène Janicot, and Park McArthur, running from March 27 to May 2, 2026, at both its Basel and Paris locations. The show brings together three artists whose practices explore absence, gesture, and the limits of perception, with the press release and floor plan available on the gallery's website.

The Slow Tomorrow at Air de Paris

Le lent demain at Air de Paris

The group exhibition "Le lent demain" (The Slow Tomorrow) was held at the Air de Paris gallery in Romainville from February 14 to March 21, 2026. Curated by Sebastián Quevedo Ramírez, it featured works by 17 artists, including Nicolas Aguirre, Devendra Banhart, and Hudinilson Jr., among others.

This Day in History: Van Gogh paintings shown in first retrospective exhibit

On March 15, 1901, the Bernheim-Jeune gallery in Paris opened the first major retrospective exhibition of Vincent van Gogh's work, featuring 71 paintings. Organized by gallery owners Joseph and Gaston Bernheim-Jeune, the exhibition marked a pivotal turning point in Van Gogh's posthumous recognition, transforming him from an obscure artist who sold only one painting in his lifetime into a globally celebrated master. The article details Van Gogh's life and career, from his early dark works like 'The Potato Eaters' to his vibrant Post-Impressionist period in Arles, where he painted masterpieces like his 'Bedroom' series and 'Sunflowers'. It notes his struggles with mental health, his death in 1890, and emphasizes that the 1901 retrospective was the crucial event that cemented his fame, long after the gallery itself closed in 2019.

Sculpture as a Form of Architecture: Happening at the Foundation of Super Artist Anish Kapoor in Venice

La scultura come forma di architettura. Succede alla Fondazione del super artista Anish Kapoor a Venezia

Anish Kapoor has opened a major solo exhibition at Palazzo Manfrin in Venice, a 16th-century building he purchased in 2018, now home to his foundation. The show, running until August 8 during the 61st Venice Biennale, spans over fifty years of his practice, featuring models, studies, and installations that blur the line between sculpture and architecture. Works include the Monte Sant'Angelo metro station in Naples, the ArcelorMittal Orbit tower for the 2012 London Olympics, the inflatable concert hall Ark Nova, and the environmental installation Temenos. The palazzo itself remains under restoration, with exposed construction elements and workspaces visible, reinforcing the exhibition's theme of continuous transformation.

A Firenze c’è da vedere una mostra sulla creatività degli Anni Venti

A new exhibition titled "Firenze Déco. Atmosfere degli anni Venti" has opened at Palazzo Medici Riccardi in Florence, running until August 25, 2026. Curated by Lucia Mannini and promoted by Città Metropolitana di Firenze with Fondazione MUS.E, the show explores the creative explosion of the 1920s in Florence, focusing on decorative arts, fashion, graphic design, and manufacturing. It highlights figures such as Gio Ponti for Richard-Ginori, Galileo Chini, Thayaht, Ferragamo, and Gucci, tracing how the city absorbed influences from Paris and the 1925 Exposition des Arts Décoratifs to forge its own distinctive Deco style. The exhibition features ceramics, furniture, jewelry, costumes, and period photographs, and is accompanied by an interview with the curator.

Casabianca is the name of the new art space to visit in Como

Si chiama Casabianca il nuovo spazio per l’arte da visitare a Como

A new art space called Casabianca has opened in Como, Italy, housed in a 1930s building designed by Piero Ponci. The project is spearheaded by hoteliers Paolo and Antonella De Santis, who have transformed the former luxury villa and bank into a domestic-style exhibition venue for their contemporary art collection. The space features works by artists such as Giulio Paolini, Stefano Arienti, Alighiero Boetti, Mario Merz, Marina Abramovic, and Joseph Kosuth, with no labels or didactics to preserve the feel of a private home.

In her Venice exhibition, Hanna Rochereau wants to archive the archive

Nella sua mostra a Venezia, Hanna Rochereau vuole archiviare l’archivio

Hanna Rochereau (Paris, 1995) presents her first solo exhibition in Italy, titled "Data Divas," at Mare Karina gallery in Venice. The show explores archival systems through a dialogue between painting and sculpture: canvases depict orderly shelves and filing cabinets filled with impenetrable boxes, while sculptural elements—tailor's mannequins, scattered papers, open drawers—introduce disorder. Rochereau uses a restrained palette of white and wood tones, referencing early 20th-century cubist and metaphysical art, particularly Morandi. The exhibition runs until July 18, 2026.

Un big della fotografia del Novecento è in mostra a Venezia: tanti scatti inediti

A major exhibition dedicated to 20th-century photography master Horst P. Horst has opened at Le Stanze della Fotografia on San Giorgio Maggiore Island in Venice. Titled "La Geometria della Grazia" (The Geometry of Grace), it is the largest and most significant show ever devoted to the photographer, featuring over 400 works—about half of which are exhibited for the first time. The display pairs original vintage prints with archival materials such as period magazines, preparatory drawings, sketches, letters from Coco Chanel and Salvador Dalí, and slide projections. The exhibition is organized into eight sections exploring Horst's constant search for balance and proportion, moving beyond his famous fashion photography for Vogue to highlight the classical and modernist influences in his work.

Fellow Painters and Also Friends. Zandomeneghi and Degas Are on Show in Rovigo

Colleghi pittori e anche amici. Zandomeneghi e Degas sono in mostra a Rovigo

Palazzo Roverella in Rovigo is hosting the exhibition "Zandomeneghi e Degas. Impressionismo tra Firenze e Parigi," curated by Francesca Dini. The show brings together works by Italian 19th-century painter Federico Zandomeneghi and French Impressionist Edgar Degas, featuring about fifteen paintings and sculptures by Degas alongside works by Zandomeneghi. It explores their friendship, mutual artistic influence, and shared commitment to realism, tracing their connections from Florence's Caffè Michelangiolo to Paris, where their paths fully converged. Themes such as dance and the nude are highlighted, with works like Degas's "Classe de ballet" (1888) and Zandomeneghi's "Visita in camerino" and "Donna che si asciuga" on view.

Aste a Parigi: nuovo record per Claude Monet da Sotheby’s e per Ettore Spalletti da Christie’s

Sotheby's Paris achieved a new French auction record for Claude Monet on April 16, 2026, with 'Vétheuil, effet du matin' (1901) selling for €10.2 million, far above its €6-8 million estimate. The evening sale generated €35 million total, an 84% increase over the 2025 session, also featuring strong results for Marc Chagall, Lucio Fontana, and Rembrandt Bugatti. Meanwhile, Christie's Paris celebrated the 25th anniversary of its 'Thinking Italian' section with a complete sell-out of 11 lots, including a new auction record for Ettore Spalletti's 'Mobile' (1974) at €203,200. The overall Paris modern and contemporary art week reached a record €80.9 million, up 39% year-on-year.