Cosmic Province. Between bar and studio, or the punk life of Jacopo Benassi

Provincia Cosmica. Tra bar e studio, ovvero la vita punk di Jacopo Benassi

Italian artist Jacopo Benassi, born in 1970 and shaped by the punk scene, discusses his return to his hometown of La Spezia after years in Milan, where he worked as a photographer for Rolling Stone. He describes his life revolving around his studio and local bars, and reflects on founding the underground club B-Tomic in 2011, which became a hub for his artistic and photographic work blending music and performance. He also mentions an upcoming book of drawings and texts by Renzo Daveti (alias Benzo), a formative figure from the Italian punk scene.

For this 2026 too, the Fuorisalone is full of fashion. Here are the events halfway between fashion and design

Anche per questo 2026 il Fuorisalone è pieno di moda. Ecco gli eventi a metà strada tra fashion e design

The 2026 Fuorisalone in Milan continues to be a major platform for the convergence of fashion and design. Numerous fashion brands are presenting immersive installations, special collections, and cultural formats across the city, transforming urban spaces into narrative environments. Key presentations include YOOX's digital installation with Keta Bart, Gucci's archival project by Demna, Prada's symposium curated by Formafantasma, and new collections from Armani, Fendi, Dior Maison, and Louis Vuitton.

Milan Design Week 2026: A Guide to What to See in the Isola District (Celebrating its 10th Anniversary)

Milano Design Week 2026: guida sulle cose da vedere al distretto di Isola (che compie 10 anni)

The Isola Design Festival is celebrating its 10th anniversary during Milan Design Week 2026 with the theme "TEN: The Evolving Now." Originally founded to provide an affordable platform for independent and young designers, the festival has expanded from a local neighborhood initiative into a global organization with a permanent presence in Dubai. The 2026 edition centers on the historic Fabbrica Sassetti, a 1930s wool mill, alongside various venues across the Isola district including Fondazione Catella and Stecca3.

Restoration of L’Aquila’s Teatro San Filippo, Damaged by Earthquake, Concludes After 17-Year Closure

Si conclude all’Aquila il recupero del Teatro San Filippo danneggiato dal terremoto. Era chiuso da 17 anni

The Teatro San Filippo in L’Aquila has officially completed a comprehensive restoration process after being shuttered for 17 years due to the devastating 2009 earthquake. The reopening ceremony, attended by Italian Minister of Culture Alessandro Giuli, marks the return of a historic site that originated as a 17th-century Baroque church before being converted into a theater and artistic hub in the 1970s. The project was funded through a combination of state resources and private donations, including significant contributions from the "Artisti Uniti per l’Abruzzo" initiative.

We Interviewed Pixar's Historic Archivist: The History and Secrets of the Legendary Production House

Abbiamo intervistato la storica archivista della Pixar: storia e segreti della mitica casa di produzione

Christine Freeman, Senior Historian and Archivist at Pixar Animation Studios, provides an inside look at the evolution of the pioneering animation house. The interview traces Pixar's origins from Ed Catmull’s early work at Lucasfilm and the development of the Pixar Image Computer to the pivotal meeting with animator John Lasseter and the eventual acquisition by Steve Jobs. Freeman details the preservation of early CGI milestones, including the first computer-animated short, 'The Adventures of André & Wally B.', and the transition from proprietary secrets to open-source contributions like RenderMan.

UK Heritage Department feared ‘mass restitutions’ when Stone of Scone was returned to Scotland

Newly released UK government files reveal that in 1996, the Department of National Heritage strongly opposed Prime Minister John Major's decision to return the 13th-century Stone of Scone to Scotland. The department's cultural property unit head, Lynn Gates, warned that the return would set a 'precedent to mass restitution,' triggering claims from Greece for the Parthenon Marbles, Egypt for the Rosetta Stone and Sphinx's Beard fragment, and Nigeria for the Benin Bronzes, with fears of further demands from Ethiopia, India, Pakistan, and other nations. The internal memo criticized Major for failing to consult the department before agreeing to the transfer from Westminster Abbey.

Tariqa Waters' 'Venus is Missing' at the Seattle Art Museum Tasks Visitors With a Galactic Mission

Tariqa Waters' immersive installation 'Venus is Missing' has opened at the Seattle Art Museum, running through January 5, 2026. The exhibition, which won Waters the museum's Betty Bowen Award in 2023, invites visitors to 'beam' into a futuristic cosmic world via a transporter beam of light. The gallery features a pink retro-futuristic spaceship, an 8-foot-tall ball-barrette sculpture, and a vinyl image of Waters' daughter, all set to staticky music blending Herbie Hancock and Luther Vandross. The installation draws from science fiction, music, and Waters' childhood memories, exploring themes of vulnerability and connection through her signature humor and pop art sensibility.

A pink rocket ship and other sci-fi elements fuel Seattle artist’s latest exhibit

Seattle artist Tariqa Waters presents her first solo exhibition with sci-fi elements, titled "Venus is Missing," at the Seattle Art Museum from May 7, 2025 through January 5, 2026. The show features a retro-futuristic pink rocket ship and oversized glass sculptures of ball barrettes—elastic hair ties from the 1970s and '80s—arranged as constellations. Waters won the Betty Bowen Award in 2023, which led to this exhibition, and she used the extra preparation time to create an immersive narrative about vulnerability, nostalgia, and escape. The exhibition also connects to her upcoming book "WHO RAISED YOU? A Martyr Sauce Guide To Etiquette," published by Minor Matters Books.

Museum Sculptures in Park Sanssouci Return Restored

Musen-Skulpturen im Park Sanssouci kehren restauriert zurück

Eight 18th-century marble sculptures depicting Greek muses have been reinstalled in the western pleasure garden of Park Sanssouci in Potsdam following a six-month restoration project. The works, created by Berlin sculptor Friedrich Christian Glume, represent figures like Melpomene (Tragedy), Klio (History), and Thalia (Comedy) and have been cleaned, repaired, and given a protective coating.

Climate Activists Smear Palazzo Vecchio

Klimaaktivisten beschmieren Palazzo Vecchio

Members of the climate activist group Ultima Generazione targeted the historic Palazzo Vecchio in Florence, spraying its facade with orange washable paint using fire extinguishers. The protest was swiftly interrupted by security forces and Florence's Mayor Dario Nardella, who happened to be on-site and personally tackled one of the activists. Following the incident, the mayor joined cleaning crews on scaffolding to help scrub the medieval stonework with brushes and high-pressure hoses.

Reggie Burrows Hodges Debuts First European Solo Exhibition at Malta’s MICAS

The Malta International Contemporary Art Space (MICAS) has opened "Mela," the first European solo exhibition by American artist Reggie Burrows Hodges. Running from May 9 to August 30, the show features 30 newly created works inspired by Malta, including the monumental painting "Mamajamma" (over 14 feet high and 26 feet wide), which responds to Caravaggio's "The Beheading of St. John the Baptist." Hodges relocated his studio to Malta to develop the exhibition, engaging with the island's coastline, architecture, labor traditions, and communities.

Damola Adepoju Evokes Hope With ‘Light’, His Solo Exhibition

Nigerian artist Damola Adepoju has opened his third solo exhibition, titled 'Light', at Mydrim Gallery in Lagos. The show, curated by Idowu Bankole to commemorate Adepoju's 50th birthday, features 30 paintings and mixed-media works created between 2015 and the present, focusing on Lagos cityscapes and employing his signature technique of newspaper prints, acrylic, and soft gold on a grey palette.

Helena Samarasinghe at Camberwell Space

British-South Asian artist Helena Samarasinghe is presenting her debut solo exhibition, "Reaching, Touching, Shedding," at Camberwell Space in London. The show features a series of vibrant drawings and sculptural cut-out installations that explore the intersections of sport, power, and identity. Developed during her residency as the 2024 Vanguard Prize winner, the works utilize oil, soft pastels, and charcoal to depict brown women engaged in activities like football, wrestling, and athletics, drawing stylistic inspiration from 19th-century Bengali Kalighat painting.

Creativity in Culmination: Senior Art Exhibit & Reception

Wittenberg University’s Art Department recently debuted "Prologue to Somewhere," a senior thesis exhibition held in the Ann Miller and Thompson Galleries. The showcase features diverse works from nine graduating seniors, ranging from traditional oil painting and stoneware ceramics to digital media, photography, and interactive video game design. Notable projects include Francesca Heidinger’s Pink Floyd-inspired abstract paintings, Kris Such’s queer horror comic concept art, and Molly Kirkpatrick’s mental health-focused digital experience.

Entries open for 2026 Indiana Heritage Arts annual exhibition

Indiana Heritage Arts has officially opened the call for entries for its 2026 annual exhibition, a long-standing tradition that showcases regional talent. Artists specializing in traditional styles are invited to submit their work for consideration in this juried show, which typically features a variety of media including oil, watercolor, and pastel.

2026 MFA Thesis Exhibition

The University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa is hosting its 2026 MFA Thesis Exhibition from March 7 to March 29 at The Art Gallery. The showcase features the culminating work of five Master of Fine Arts candidates: Diane Chen, Ashley Jeneé Collins, Caroline Holmes, Sheldon Wong, and Mia Zheng. The exhibition represents the final requirement for the terminal degree in visual arts, highlighting a diverse range of practices from personal narratives to broader contextual explorations.

'60 Years Of The Grateful Dead' Unveils Band’s Most Comprehensive Art Exhibition Yet [Photos]

The Chambers Project Gallery in Grass Valley, CA, has opened '60 Years of the Grateful Dead,' billed as the most comprehensive exhibition of original Grateful Dead artwork ever assembled. Curated by Brian Chambers, the show features historic posters, album covers, sketches, and rare artifacts from key artists like Rick Griffin, Stanley Mouse, Alton Kelley, Victor Moscoso, and Wes Wilson, alongside collaborators such as Bill Walker and Owsley 'Bear' Stanley. Highlights include Bill Walker's original Anthem of the Sun mandala, stored for years in his sister's garage, and Edmund J. Sullivan's 1900 'Skeleton Amid Roses' illustration, reinterpreted for the band's iconic 1971 album cover. The opening weekend also featured a concert by the supergroup White Lightning at the Bodhi-Hive.

Beyond the Gallery Walls: Solo Studios 2025 Transforms the Riebeek Valley into a Living Canvas, South Africa

Solo Studios 2025 returns to the Riebeek Valley in South Africa from 24–26 October, transforming the twin towns of Riebeek Kasteel and Riebeek West into a living canvas. Over sixty artists will participate in open studios, curated exhibitions, performances, and culinary events, with highlights including the LANDscape[s] exhibition at Die Kunshuis featuring works from the Modern Art Projects South Africa collection, a group show at EcoPlace made from recycled materials, and talks on art collecting led by Strauss & Co.'s Elmarie van Straten. The weekend also features music, a marketplace of ceramicists, and exhibitions such as 'Red Hot, Pink Spot' at the Church Hall.

421 is 10: Abu Dhabi’s 421 Arts Campus celebrates decade of proud achievement

Abu Dhabi's 421 Arts Campus, an independent arts platform supporting emerging artists from the UAE and the SWANA region, celebrates its 10-year anniversary on November 15, 2025. Over the past decade, it has supported over 1,500 creative practitioners, presented more than 50 exhibitions, commissioned hundreds of new works, and delivered around 2,000 programs including residencies, grants, and public events. It has also mentored over 60 interns and worked with more than 250 regional designers through its Dukkan421 design store.

Gabriel Abrantes “Bardo Loops” at Gasworks, London

Gasworks in London is presenting "Bardo Loops," the first UK solo exhibition by artist and filmmaker Gabriel Abrantes. The installation spans four screens and features two animated ghosts who argue, reconcile, and sing laments, blending ironic humor with melodrama. The dialogue incorporates autobiographical elements from Abrantes's life alongside broader themes like climate change.

“Plenty more” at Cherry Hill, Cologne

The exhibition "Plenty more" has opened at the Cherry Hill gallery in Cologne, featuring works by artists Asta Lynge, Jakob Ohrt, and Eleanor Ivory Weber. The show is a reinterpretation of their previous 2024 exhibition "Plenty," held at Astrid Noacks Atelier in Copenhagen, with the curatorial decision to remove or reinterpret existing works rather than add new ones. The exhibition will run until April 18, 2026.

This Risograph Studio Celebrates 400 Artist Postcards Mailed Around the Globe

Glasgow-based design studio Risotto is celebrating a major milestone for its Riso Club subscription service with a retrospective exhibition at the Glue Factory. Since 2017, the club has commissioned and mailed four artist postcards monthly to subscribers worldwide, reaching a total of 400 unique works. The exhibition, running from April 11 to 19, marks the 100th mailing and showcases the full collection of prints together for the first time.

Vietnam to Debut at 2026 Venice Biennale

Vietnam will make its historic debut at the 61st Venice Biennale in 2026 with its first-ever national pavilion titled “Viet Nam: Art in the Global Flow.” Located at the Ca’ Giustinian Faccanon palace and curated by Đỗ Tường Linh, the exhibition will feature works by ten contemporary artists, including a major immersive installation by Lê Hữu Hiếu. Hiếu’s contribution, titled "Tằm" (Silkworm), utilizes traditional materials like lacquer and jackfruit wood alongside live silkworms to explore themes of metamorphosis and memory.

The Practice of Liberation and Sanctuaries of Becoming.

Michaela Yearwood-Dan has unveiled her first major UK institutional exhibition, 'The Practice of Liberation,' at the Whitworth. The immersive installation integrates fourteen new paintings with ceramic vessels and soundscapes, reimagining traditional religious motifs through a contemporary, secular lens. By deconstructing elements like stained glass and the Stations of the Cross into abstract forms, the artist creates a sanctuary that explores themes of ritual, memory, and personal identity.

film mohamad abdouni michael bailey gates cold cuts

Lebanese photographer, filmmaker, and Cold Cuts magazine creative director Mohamad Abdouni has released a new documentary titled "Treat Me Like Your Mother," which documents the lives of trans women in Lebanon. The film, drawn from an Arabic expression asking for mercy, reframes motherhood as an ethical position rooted in responsibility for the trans community. Rather than extracting trauma, Abdouni allows the women to tell their own histories in personal, nonlinear, and surprising forms. The documentary evolved from a book project featuring oral histories of ten women, and the film centers Abdouni's own reflections on what these women represented to him growing up. In a dialogue with photographer Michael Bailey-Gates for CULTURED, Abdouni discusses the importance of letting trans women define the terms of their own visibility.

art alix vernet young artist

Alix Vernet, a 28-year-old Yale Sculpture MFA graduate based in New York, is profiled as part of Cultured's 2025 Young Artists list. Her downtown-inspired sculptural work, made from materials like cheese cloth, spray paint, and stoneware, has been shown at Market Gallery, Museion, and Helena Anrather. She describes a recent project where she invented a job as a prayer collector at a church, gathering and refilling prayer cards that are eventually recycled, exploring themes of disposability and sacredness.

art brian oakes young artist

Cultured magazine profiles Brian Oakes, a 30-year-old New York-based artist featured in their 2025 Young Artists list. Oakes creates intricate works that resemble a mad scientist's lab, including a miniature sorting machine exhibited at Blade Study in 2024 that rhythmically sorts diorama-like tableaux. Their practice also involves circuit boards, synthetic gemstones (opals, rubies, emeralds, and now sapphires), and magnetic core memory modules, exploring themes of value, automation, desire, and divination as a systematized asset.

pride penthouse moss stonewall inn manhattan

Social club Moss hosted its inaugural Pride celebration in partnership with the Stonewall Inn Gives Back Initiative at its temporary Moss Studio in Midtown Manhattan. The event brought together a mix of artists, tastemakers, and fashion figures, including Luar designer Raul Lopez, artist Roberto Maria Lino, gallerist Cierra Britton, and art advisor Jonathan Gardenhire, for an evening of cocktails, dancing, and community celebration ahead of Moss's official opening this fall at 520 Fifth Avenue.

Due giovani artisti in una mostra a Matera si confrontano sulle tracce della memoria

The article reports on "Remain(s)," a dual exhibition at Momart Gallery in Matera, Italy, featuring young artists Luca Granato and Michela Rondinone. Curated by Antonella Marino, the show explores the aesthetics of fragments and memory through installations, sculptures, and video works. Granato's pieces address loss, migration, and climate change, while Rondinone's works focus on childhood, play, and relational practices. The exhibition runs until May 26, 2026.

Alliance for the Arts to open All Florida Exhibition, new gallery showcases in March

The Alliance for the Arts in Fort Myers will open its 40th Annual All Florida Exhibition on March 6, running through March 28. The juried show features 43 works by 39 artists selected from over 450 submissions, representing a wide range of styles and media from across the state. Concurrently, the venue will host 'Selected Works by Ralph Bigletti' in the Theater Gallery and 'Marilyn Hedlund’s Fine Art Acrylics Students’ Showcase' in the Member Gallery, with a free public opening reception on March 6.