Guangzhou Image Triennial 2025 Review: The Case for Sensitivity

The Guangzhou Image Triennial 2025, titled 'The Case for Sensitivity,' has opened at the Guangdong Art Museum. The exhibition, featuring over 50 artists and artist groups, directly addresses a perceived crisis of technological mediation, arguing that digital existence deprives us of direct contact with the natural world. It aims to foster new forms of attention by emphasizing the materiality of images—what they are made of—over what they represent.

Faig Ahmed on Representing Azerbaijan at the 61st Venice Biennale

Artist Faig Ahmed will represent Azerbaijan at the 61st Venice Biennale in 2026 with a project exploring the intersections of mystical poetry and quantum physics. Located in the Campo de la Tana, the pavilion aims to create a contemplative space where technology and ancient oral traditions facilitate a personal dialogue for the viewer. Ahmed’s presentation responds to the Biennale’s overarching theme, 'In Minor Keys,' by focusing on subtle, often overlooked phenomena.

Galle Facing

Colombo’s skyline has undergone a radical transformation into a forest of glass and steel towers, epitomized by projects like the Lotus Tower and Port City. This rapid urbanization, driven by a state ambition to create a 'world-class city' following decades of civil war, has resulted in the displacement of local neighborhoods and the burial of historical layers under new infrastructure.

The Politics of Russia’s Return to the Venice Biennale

Russia has announced its intention to return to the Venice Biennale in 2026, marking its first participation since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. The proposed pavilion, titled "The Tree is Rooted in the Sky," plans to feature 38 participants from Russia and several Global South nations. The announcement has sparked intense backlash from the European Commission and culture ministers across 22 countries, who argue that Russia’s presence undermines democratic values and serves as a tool for "dark cultural diplomacy."

Five Artists on Representing India at the 61st Venice Biennale

India has announced its artist lineup for the 61st Venice Biennale, featuring Alwar Balasubramaniam, Sumakshi Singh, Ranjani Shettar, Asim Waqif, and Skarma Sonam Tashi. The national pavilion, located in the Arsenale, will showcase a diverse range of installations that explore themes of architectural memory, environmental sustainability, and the physical processes of nature. From Tashi’s recreations of Ladakhi homes using recycled materials to Singh’s spectral thread-based architectural fragments, the works collectively examine the fragility of heritage and the shifting relationship between humans and their environments.

Free Newmarket museum exhibition to celebrate equine art

The National Horseracing Museum in Newmarket is set to host a new free exhibition titled "We Give You The Horse," running from April 29 to May 21. The showcase features paintings and sculptures by prominent members of the Society of Equestrian Artists, including a special loan of an original work by the renowned Sir Alfred Munnings from the Munnings Art Museum.

Museum of Nebraska Art hosts Brian Corr solo exhibition through Sept. 20

The Museum of Nebraska Art (MONA) is currently presenting a solo exhibition of works by artist Brian Corr, which will remain on view through September 20. The exhibition showcases Corr’s specialized approach to glass sculpture, highlighting his technical mastery and exploration of light and space within the medium.

The Great Festival of Contemporary Creativity in Parma Celebrates Its First 10 Years: The Events to See

Il grande festival di Parma sulla creatività contemporanea festeggia i suoi primi 10 anni: gli eventi da vedere

The Parma 360 Festival, a major contemporary creativity festival in Parma, Italy, celebrates its tenth edition with the theme "Lux. Visioni sulla Luce" (Lux: Visions of Light). Curated by Chiara Canali and Camilla Mineo, the festival features five exhibitions across special city locations, transforming Parma into a diffuse museum. Highlights include Antonio Barrese's "Morphology Light. Viaggio nella forma della luce" at Galleria San Ludovico, exploring light as plastic matter, and Michael Kenna's photographic exhibition "Il fiume Po. Scritture di luce" at Palazzo Pigorini, capturing the Po River through contemplative black-and-white imagery. Over its nine previous editions (2016–2025), the festival has presented more than 70 official exhibitions and involved over 200 artists.

Fondazione Bvlgari Bets on the Venice Biennale: Beyond the Pavilion in the Giardini, an Exhibition at the Biblioteca Marciana

Fondazione Bvlgari scommette sulla Biennale di Venezia: oltre al padiglione ai Giardini, una mostra alla Biblioteca Marciana

Fondazione Bvlgari is making its debut at the Venice Biennale with a collateral exhibition at the Biblioteca Nazionale Marciana, featuring site-specific works by Monia Ben Hamouda and Lara Favaretto. The show runs from May 9 to November 22, 2025, alongside the 61st International Art Exhibition. Ben Hamouda presents 'Fragments of Fire Worship,' neon sculptures in the Vestibule that explore language and cultural heritage, while Favaretto installs the final edition of 'Momentary Monument – The Library' in the Salone Sansovino, inviting public consultation of donated books. Additionally, Bvlgari has a pavilion in the Giardini featuring Canadian artist Lotus L. Kang, as part of a three-edition partnership with the Biennale through 2030.

Artist Pietro Roccasalva Without Respite: Genealogy of a Resilient Motif in the Milan Exhibition

L’artista Pietro Roccasalva senza tregua: genealogia di un motivo resiliente nella mostra a Milano

Italian artist Pietro Roccasalva presents a new body of work at MASSIMODECARLO’s Casa Corbellini-Wassermann in Milan, titled "Io ti saluto luce, ma con nervi offesi." The exhibition features a series of paintings characterized by dense stratification, featuring recurring motifs like a disheveled child, a bride with a tennis racket, and metamorphic animals. These works function as visual deposits where cultural references and personal iconography overlap, creating a theatrical dialogue with the gallery’s historic architecture.

Venice Biennale Swamped in Protests Ahead of Planned Strike

The Art Not Genocide Alliance (ANGA) has announced a 24-hour strike for Friday, May 8, coinciding with previews of the 2026 Venice Biennale, alongside a protest rally organized by local group Biennalocene and Italian trade unions. Earlier this week, sixty artists staged a sonic protest at the Giardini entrance to draw attention to the plight of those affected by genocide and war in Palestine and elsewhere. The Latvian pavilion has also encouraged attendees to wear a design by artist Krišs Salmanis reading “Death in Venice – Russia go home!” Meanwhile, dissident artists Pussy Riot stormed the Russian pavilion waving Ukrainian flags, and the entire 2026 Biennale jury resigned after the decision to exclude countries whose leaders are charged with crimes against humanity by the International Criminal Court from competing for top prizes.

Portland’s Converge 45 Triennial Announces Participating Artists

Portland, Oregon's Converge 45 triennial has announced the participating artists for its upcoming exhibition titled “Here, To you, Now.” Curated by Lumi Tan, the triennial draws inspiration from Ursula K. Le Guin's 1985 novel Always Coming Home, which explores the impermanence of spoken language. Featured artists include Trisha Baga, Ricky Bearghost, Aaron Cunningham, Jacqueline Kiyomi Gork, and sidony o'neal, among twenty-three others, with seventeen new commissions. Venues include Barn Radio, the Hoffman Gallery at Lewis & Clark College, the Native Arts and Cultures Foundation, Oregon Contemporary, and the Pacific Northwest College of Art.

Arts Collective to Open New Arts Center in Northampton England

Arts Collective will open a new arts center in Northampton, England on May 1st, following a £5.2m renovation of the city's municipal offices and town hall annex. The complex will feature 17 artist studios, community spaces, a gallery, and "The Northampton Rooms," a series of public spaces designed by artist Giles Round as a "living work of art." The inaugural exhibition will showcase Northamptonshire-born artist Rose Finn-Kelcey.

EU Cuts Venice Biennale Funding Over Russia Involvement

The European Commission has withdrawn a $2.3 million grant from the Venice Biennale, following through on a threat made last week. The funding cut is a direct response to the Biennale's decision to readmit Russian artists as a government-funded delegation for its 2026 edition, which the EU argues violates sanctions and provides Russia a cultural platform during its war against Ukraine.

Ax Swings Following Artsy/Artnet Consolidation as Top Reporters Are Laid Off

Major layoffs have hit Artnet and Artsy following their consolidation under the UK-based investment firm Beowolff Capital. The staff reductions occurred just one day after the merger announcement and include the departure of veteran Artnet News reporters Sarah Cascone and Eileen Kinsella, who both served the publication for over a decade. As part of the restructuring, Artnet will also shutter its German entity, while Andrew Russeth has been tapped to serve as interim editor.

Smithsonian American Art Museum Names a New Director

Lynda Roscoe Hartigan has been appointed as the new director of the Smithsonian American Art Museum. She is a former chief curator of the museum and most recently served as executive director of the Peabody Essex Museum in Salem, Massachusetts.

Mikala Tai to curate 2027 TarraWarra Biennial

Mikala Tai has been appointed curator of the tenth TarraWarra Biennial, scheduled to run from July 31 to November 14, 2027, at the TarraWarra Museum of Art in Healesville, Australia. Tai is a Sydney-based curator, writer, and academic specializing in contemporary Australian and Asian art.

Behind the 2026 Venice Issue Cover

Frieze magazine has published a critic's guide to the 2026 Venice Biennale, highlighting key installations and pavilions to see in the Arsenale and Giardini. Notable entries include fierce pussy’s posters welcoming LGBTQ+ visitors to Venice and Florentina Holzinger’s water-themed Austrian Pavilion. The article is part of Frieze's coverage of the 2026 Venice Biennale, offering curated recommendations for attendees.

Abbas Akhavan Refuses to Perform an Identity

The article is a critic's guide to the 2026 Venice Biennale, highlighting key installations and pavilions in the Arsenale and Giardini. It features works such as fierce pussy's posters welcoming LGBTQ+ visitors and Florentina Holzinger's water-themed Austrian Pavilion, among other notable presentations.

Sung Tieu and the Art of Difficulty

Sung Tieu, a Vietnamese-born German artist, is the subject of a critical feature in Frieze that examines her work's engagement with difficulty—both in terms of the complex political and historical themes she tackles and the challenging formal qualities of her installations. The article highlights her recent projects, including works shown at the Venice Biennale, which address issues of surveillance, migration, and Cold War legacies through meticulous research and unconventional materials.

National Pavilions Review: Porta-Potties, Porn and a Defiant Rave

Frieze critic Andrew Durbin reviews national pavilions at an unnamed biennial, contrasting a vacuous US presentation with incisive and moving installations from Britain and Germany. The US pavilion is criticized for lacking meaning, while the British and German pavilions feature incisive and moving works, including a defiant rave and provocative content like porta-potties and porn.

Director’s Notes with Adam Golfer | “Camille Henrot: In Movement”

Adam Golfer, the director of the short film "Camille Henrot: In Movement," reflects on the process of creating the documentary. He describes following the artist Camille Henrot over a full year in New York and Paris, capturing her wide-ranging creative process from sketches to paintings, model-making to large-scale sculptures, and the evolution of her film work.

Where to go on Potsdamer Straße?

Wohin auf der Potsdamer Straße?

The article previews the Gallery Weekend Berlin, focusing on the Potsdamer Straße art scene. It highlights several exhibitions, including Adam Gordon's "Months Turn to Years" at Galerie Isabella Bortolozzi, which transforms the space into a secluded enclave with quiet paintings. Other featured shows include luminous color experiments, soap foam as an art form, and works exploring identity.

Art: Passion is Volcanic – Desire in Southeast Asian Art at National Gallery Singapore

National Gallery Singapore has opened a major exhibition titled 'Passion is Volcanic: Desire in Southeast Asian Art.' The show, which carries an unprecedented R18 rating and prohibits photography, presents a comprehensive exploration of eroticism, pleasure, and the body through a wide range of artworks from the region's collection and loans. It is curated by Dr. Patrick Flores, Dr. Adele Tan, and Dr. Kathleen Ditzig, who frame desire as a culturally specific yet universal force shaped by history and power.

Take a walk on the wild side with the Haas Brothers' fantastical new show

The Museum of Arts and Design (MAD) in New York has opened "Uncanny Valley," a major exhibition dedicated to the Los Angeles-based duo Nikolai and Simon Haas. The show features 85 works spanning 15 years of their practice, showcasing their signature blend of art, furniture, and craft through zoomorphic sculptures and kooky forms. Organized in collaboration with the Cranbrook Art Museum, the exhibition places these physical objects against surreal, algorithmically-generated backdrops that explore the intersection of human craftsmanship and digital technology.

DePaul Art Museum Bids Farewell with Barbara Nessim’s Retrospective

The DePaul Art Museum (DPAM) is hosting a career-spanning retrospective for New York-based artist Barbara Nessim titled "My Compass Is the Line" before the institution permanently closes in June. The exhibition marks Nessim’s first solo show in Chicago, featuring works from the 1960s to the present that span painting, computer art, and her iconic 1982 Time magazine cover. The show highlights Nessim’s exploration of femininity and sexuality, drawing stylistic parallels to the Chicago Imagists while showcasing her technical versatility.

Art: Amanda Heng’s ‘A Pause’ opens at the 61st International Art Exhibition of La Biennale di Venezia to represent Singapore

Amanda Heng Liang Ngim's exhibition 'A Pause' has opened at the Singapore Pavilion of the 61st International Art Exhibition – La Biennale di Venezia. The installation transforms the historic Sale d’Armi into a contemplative space using larch wood platforms, photographs, and a dual-channel video that observes everyday gestures of rest and renewal in Venice and Singapore. The presentation also includes a reprint of her 1990 series 'Parts of My Body' and is accompanied by a comprehensive monograph, 'Amanda Heng: On and On'.

Six environmental artists win this year’s Rewilding Art Prize

Six Canadian artists have been awarded the 2026 Rewilding Arts Prize, established in 2023 by the David Suzuki Foundation and Rewilding Magazine. The winners include Nicole McDonald-Fournier, whose project EmballeToi! repurposes old winter coats as plant-growing pots, and the Montreal/Toronto duo Masumi Rodriguez and Elena Kirby, who run community papermaking workshops using invasive plant species. The prize awards $2,000 to each artist and plans to feature their work in a future exhibition, following the inaugural winners' show at the Canadian Museum of Nature in Ottawa.

Longtime art and studio complex in downtown Wilmington is for sale

Acme Art Studios, a longtime visual arts institution in downtown Wilmington, North Carolina, has been listed for sale at $4.4 million. The one-acre complex at 711 N. Fifth Ave. includes a 12,000-square-foot warehouse with studio and gallery space, plus four vacant lots. Founded in 1991 by a collective of artists in a former carpet warehouse, Acme has become a vital hub for the local arts scene, renting to dozens of artists and hosting countless shows over more than three decades. The property is owned by five artists, including co-founder Pam Toll, who said the decision to sell was unanimous and that the timing is right for a number of reasons.

Vânia Quintão | Cold Afternoon (2023) | For Sale

Brazilian artist Vânia Quintão is offering her 2023 painting "Cold Afternoon" for sale through Inn Gallery. The acrylic-on-canvas work, sized 70 × 100 cm, depicts a suspended, cool-toned landscape under a diffuse blue sky. Quintão, a self-described cultural producer and fundraiser based in Belo Horizonte, has exhibited internationally including at the Louvre Museum in Paris and won prizes at The Holly Art Exhibition (London) and Art Connects Women (Dubai). The work is hand-signed, includes a certificate of authenticity, and is priced at US$1,500.