Woolwich gallery presents solo exhibition by Argentinian artist

The Sarah Bouchard Gallery in Woolwich is hosting "La Chimera del Oro," a solo exhibition of new ink works and historical graphite drawings by 91-year-old Argentinian artist Josefina Auslender. The exhibition explores the metaphorical "chimera" of wealth and success, contrasting the allure of material gain with the rigorous, honest pursuit of artistic integrity. The new series introduces vibrant gold, yellow, and orange tones into Auslender’s traditionally dark, monochromatic palette.

Art Historian Paolo Baldacci Has Died; His Studies on Giorgio de Chirico and Metaphysical Art Were Fundamental

È morto lo storico dell’arte Paolo Baldacci. Fondamentali i suoi studi su Giorgio de Chirico e sulla Metafisica

Renowned art historian, critic, and professor Paolo Baldacci has passed away in Milan at the age of 81. Originally a scholar of ancient history and Roman epigraphy, Baldacci transitioned into a leading authority on 20th-century Italian art, specifically focusing on Futurism and Metaphysical painting. He was widely recognized for his monumental 1997 monograph and catalogue raisonné on Giorgio de Chirico, as well as his extensive research into the work of Alberto Savinio.

Magazzino Italian Art: a major exhibition on Alighiero Boetti in New York.

Magazzino Italian Art in Cold Spring, New York, will present a major retrospective of Alighiero Boetti titled "Tutto Boetti 1966-1993," running from April 26, 2026 to April 26, 2028. The exhibition features about 30 works drawn from the museum's permanent collection, loans from the artist's heirs, and a private collection, spanning Boetti's career from 1966 to 1993. Highlights include large-scale pieces such as "Mazzo di tubi" (1966), "Da mille a mille" (1975), "Insicuro Noncurante" (1975-76), and the kilim "Alternando da uno a cento e viceversa" (1993). The show is part of Magazzino's ongoing series of monographic exhibitions on Arte Povera artists, following earlier focuses on Piero Gilardi and Michelangelo Pistoletto.

'Ha Chong-Hyun' at Almine Rech, Brussels on 22 Apr–27 Jun 2026

The Almine Rech gallery in Brussels is presenting a solo exhibition of work by Korean artist Ha Chong-Hyun from April 22 to June 27, 2026. The show will feature his signature 'Conjunction' series and recent works that continue his exploration of materiality and abstraction.

Antwerp exhibition celebrates its homegrown fashion designers, the influential Antwerp Six

The MoMu fashion museum in Antwerp has launched a major exhibition celebrating the 40th anniversary of the "Antwerp Six," a group of influential designers who graduated from the city's Royal Academy of Fine Arts. The show focuses on the formative years between the late 1970s and mid-1980s, culminating in the 1986 London event that launched them into the global spotlight. It highlights the distinct creative identities of Marina Yee, Dries Van Noten, Ann Demeulemeester, Walter Van Beirendonck, Dirk Bikkembergs, and Dirk Van Saene, while also serving as a poignant tribute to Yee, who passed away in late 2024.

Henrike Naumanns langer Weg in den deutschen Pavillon

Henrike Naumann, a German artist who recently passed away, is being honored with a posthumous exhibition at the German Pavilion during the Venice Biennale. Her work, which explores recent German history, state art, and the absence of East German art in the pavilion, finds its ultimate context in this historically charged Nazi-era building.

Wer vertritt wen in Venedig?

Patti Smith receives Princess of Asturias Award for Arts

Patti Smith erhält Asturien-Preis für Künste

Patti Smith, the 79-year-old American musician and author, has been awarded the Princess of Asturias Award in the Arts category. The Princess of Asturias Foundation in Oviedo, Spain, praised her as the "godmother of punk" who has transcended music to work across poetry, photography, performance art, and video installation, becoming a multidisciplinary and unconventional communicator. Smith first gained fame with her 1975 album "Horses" and remains popular with younger audiences due to her radical sincerity and continued political activism, including criticism of US President Donald Trump. She is the first winner announced this year; the prize includes €50,000 and a replica of a Joan Miró statue, to be presented by King Felipe VI and Crown Princess Leonor in late October.

Nasan Tur Collects Contributions for 'Archive of Feelings' for Manifesta 16

Nasan Tur sammelt Beiträge für "Archiv der Gefühle" zur Manifesta 16

Berlin-based artist Nasan Tur is calling on people from the Ruhr region and beyond to submit contributions to his "Archive of Feelings" via an online portal. The project is part of his commissioned work for the 16th edition of the nomadic biennial Manifesta, which opens on June 21 across several cities in the Ruhr area. Tur's installation, titled "Elevation," will be housed in St. Gertrud Church in Essen, where excerpts from anonymous submissions—expressing hopes, fears, wounds, ideas, wishes, and everyday observations—will be carved into old church pews.

Monopol Gives Away 5 x 2 Tickets for Photo Exhibition at Museum Rietberg

Monopol verlost 5 × 2 Tickets für Foto-Ausstellung im Museum Rietberg

The Museum Rietberg in Zurich is presenting the exhibition "Fast ein Paradies" (Almost a Paradise), which critically examines colonial-era photography as an instrument of power. The show juxtaposes historical photographs with contemporary artworks that recontextualize this material, featuring artists like Sasha Huber, Sammy Baloji, Raphaël Barontini, and Andrea Chung, who intervene in the archival images to challenge colonial narratives and restore agency to the subjects.

Brigitte Meese Dies at 96

Brigitte Meese stirbt mit 96 Jahren

Brigitte Meese, the mother, manager, and long-time artistic companion of German artist Jonathan Meese, has died at the age of 96. She was a formative figure in her son's artistic environment, providing organizational support for decades while also serving as his muse, model, and co-performer.

Painted Screenshots from Dreams

Gemalte Screenshots aus Träumen

The Staatliche Kunsthalle Baden-Baden is presenting a comprehensive retrospective of Berlin-based painter Katharina Wulff, titled 'Arabesken in Arabesken'. Curated by Christina Lehnert, the exhibition features around 40 works that explore dreamlike, enigmatic spaces blending reality, memory, and the unconscious, with paintings like 'Landschaft für glückliche Hexen' (2008) and 'Der Waldspaziergang' (2002) exemplifying her unique style.

The Emptiness That Will Still Be There Should the War End Tomorrow

"Die Leere, die noch da sein wird, sollte der Krieg morgen enden"

The group exhibition "Looking into the Gaps" at the Jam Factory in Lviv presents works by artists living in Ukraine or in exile, as well as by those killed on the front lines. Curated by Ukrainian artist Nikita Kadan, it is the fourth installment of a series exploring the fractures and diverse experiences within Ukrainian society, with this iteration focusing on the theme of loneliness rather than collective identity.

Max Giermann is not looking for recognition with his painting

Max Giermann sucht mit seiner Malerei nicht nach Anerkennung

German comedian and actor Max Giermann has launched his first Berlin art exhibition, titled "Figuring Out," at the Janinebeangallery. The showcase features large-scale acrylic paintings on canvas depicting figures, heads, and body fragments, including a final tribute to Klaus Kinski, whom Giermann famously parodied throughout his comedy career. Although he grew up in a household of art educators and began drawing as a child, this exhibition marks a significant return to painting after a 20-year hiatus.

Into the Open

Ins Offene

The Bauhaus-Archiv / Museum für Gestaltung is presenting a comprehensive survey of female Bauhaus photographers at the Museum für Fotografie in Berlin. The exhibition highlights how these artists utilized avant-garde techniques and unconventional perspectives to document a rapidly changing world, featuring works that span from the innovative interwar period to the post-war era, such as Elsa Thiemann’s 1950s captures of the Wannsee lido.

Michael Armitage and the Feverish Memory of Images

Michael Armitage und das fiebrige Gedächtnis der Bilder

The British-Kenyan painter Michael Armitage is the subject of a major solo exhibition at the Palazzo Grassi in Venice, part of the Pinault Collection. The showcase features new works, including the titular painting "52,000 Years," which references prehistoric cave art while weaving together themes of political unrest, the refugee crisis, and lush landscapes. Armitage’s technique is noted for its use of Lubugo bark cloth, a traditional Ugandan material that adds a tactile, irregular dimension to his complex figurative compositions.

Once a Year: Shock Trauma!

"Ein Mal im Jahr: Schock-Trauma!"

Artist Nik Nowak is exploring the "Sound Horeg" phenomenon in East Java, Indonesia, where massive DIY loudspeaker systems are mounted on trucks and boats for extreme mobile discos. These parades, characterized by towering walls of speakers and intense bass, represent a global evolution of sound culture influenced by social media rather than traditional folklore. Nowak's research into these unregulated, high-tech spectacles has culminated in a new body of work featuring sculptures and photographs.

"Suddenly it was a completely different world"

"Es war plötzlich eine ganz andere Welt"

Margot Pilz, a pioneer of the feminist avant-garde, is reviving her historic 1982 art intervention "Kaorle" for the Klima Biennale in Vienna. Originally conceived as Europe's first urban beach, the installation transformed Vienna's Karlsplatz by depositing tons of sand and installing a palm tree, deck chairs, and a synthetic whale in a pond to create a surreal coastal escape in the city center.

It is Naive to Believe that Bombs Bring Freedom

"Es ist naiv zu glauben, dass Bomben Freiheit bringen"

Iranian-born artist Peyman Rahimi discusses the profound impact of his childhood experiences during the Iran-Iraq War and his subsequent mandatory military service on his creative practice. Breaking a long-held silence, Rahimi argues against the naivety of believing that military interventions or foreign bombings can bring true freedom to Iran, emphasizing that war only generates new trauma and suffering. He highlights the central role of Iranian women in the struggle for change, noting that their resilience remains the most potent threat to the current regime.

In Lugano, there are 5 exhibitions dedicated to the Orient to discover around the city

A Lugano ci sono 5 mostre dedicate all’Oriente da scoprire in giro per la città

Five exhibitions dedicated to East Asian art are currently on view across Lugano, Switzerland. Four are housed in the city's two major museums, MASI and MUSEC, while the fifth is presented by Primo Marella Gallery. The shows feature a range of works, from historical Japanese kakemono scrolls and screens to contemporary art by Chinese artists Zhang Hong Mei and He Wei, and a survey of video art from South Korea.

Primal field. Interval

LewAllen Galleries in Santa Fe presents 'Primal field / Interval,' an exhibition of new paintings and monotypes by San Francisco-based artist Henry Jackson, running from May 15 to June 20, 2026. Jackson’s work blends Bay Area Figuration with Abstract Expressionism, using masonry trowels and scrapers to build and excavate layers of oil paint and cold wax, creating elemental fields where the human figure emerges from abstraction. The show also includes oil-based monotypes derived from spontaneous material happenings on the plate.

Erster Teil des Pergamonmuseum öffnet im Juni 2027

The first section of Berlin's Pergamon Museum will reopen to the public on June 4, 2027, after years of renovation. The Prussian Cultural Heritage Foundation (SPK) announced the date, ending months of uncertainty. The museum has been completely closed since autumn 2023 for comprehensive refurbishment, and the reopening will finally make the famous Pergamon Altar accessible again. However, the south wing, housing the Ishtar Gate and Babylonian Processional Way, will remain closed until 2037, with full museum access expected that year.

Berlin Modern Museum Construction Delayed Until 2030

Museumsbau Berlin Modern verzögert sich bis 2030

The completion of Berlin Modern, a major new museum in Berlin, has been delayed again until 2030 due to moisture damage and microbial infestation found in parts of the raw structure. The Stiftung Preußischer Kulturbesitz (SPK) announced an estimated eight-month postponement, though no construction stop was required. The museum, designed by Herzog & de Meuron, is being built near Potsdamer Platz to expand the Neue Nationalgalerie's exhibition space. Costs have risen from an initial €200 million to a projected €507 million.

Hamburg Gallerist Jenny Falckenberg Dies Unexpectedly

Hamburger Galeristin Jenny Falckenberg unerwartet gestorben

The Hamburg art world is mourning the sudden passing of gallery owner and art agent Jenny Falckenberg, who died in her sleep at the age of 45. The daughter of the late legendary collector Harald Falckenberg, she had established herself as a significant force in the German contemporary art scene, known for her ability to bridge the gap between established figures and emerging talent.

Whitney Biennial Between Cuteness and Panic

Whitney-Biennale zwischen Niedlichkeit und Panik

The Whitney Museum of American Art has unveiled its latest Biennial, a sprawling survey of contemporary art that navigates the tension between playful aesthetics and existential dread. Curators have embraced an expanded definition of American art, incorporating global perspectives and diverse media to reflect a nation grappling with political instability and social change. The exhibition oscillates between moments of "cuteness" and "panic," utilizing strong visual narratives to address the complexities of the current era.

When the Pergamon Altar can be seen again

Wann man den Pergamonaltar wieder sehen kann

The Pergamon Museum in Berlin is set to partially reopen in the spring of 2027 following extensive renovations, allowing public access to the hall containing the world-famous Pergamon Altar. However, the reopening will be staggered and subject to further interruptions; the altar hall is scheduled to close again for five months in 2034 to facilitate connections to the museum island's archaeological promenade. Full completion of the museum's renovation, including the South Wing housing the Ishtar Gate, is not expected until 2037.

The Biennale Must Remain Open – Also for Russia

Die Biennale muss offen bleiben – auch für Russland

The article argues against calls to exclude Russia from the Venice Biennale, focusing on the controversy surrounding the Russian pavilion's planned exhibition titled "Der Baum ist im Himmel verwurzelt" (The Tree Is Rooted in Heaven). The pavilion is set to feature musicians from Russia, Argentina, Mali, and Mexico, and its theme revolves around the idea that politics is time-bound. The author contends that while the demand to exclude Russia is understandable given the geopolitical context, it is dangerous because once a biennial begins disinviting states, it undermines the very concept of the international exhibition.

Around the World

Einmal um die Welt

The article previews the national pavilions at the Venice Biennale, where 99 countries present exhibitions across the Giardini, Arsenale, and venues throughout the city. It highlights Iceland's pavilion, featuring Ásta Fanney Sigurðardóttir's project "Pocket Universe" at the Docks Cantieri Cucchini, a multimedia work combining performance, sound, moving image, and installation centered on a film about a creature.

Venice Biennale chief under pressure

Venedig-Biennale-Chef unter Druck

Just before the opening of the Venice Art Biennale, its president Pietrangelo Buttafuoco is facing mounting criticism after the entire jury resigned. Italian Culture Minister Alessandro Giuli accused Buttafuoco of pursuing a form of "parallel foreign policy" by readmitting Russia to the six-month exhibition, calling him a "victim of a pacifist fantasy." The opening ceremony and the traditional Golden Lion awards have been canceled; prizes will now be decided by visitor vote at the end of the Biennale in November.

How the GDR apron became Italian luxury

Wie die DDR-Schürze zum Italo-Luxus wurde

Italian luxury label Miu Miu has released dresses for summer 2026 that resemble 1980s East German kitchen aprons, with prices reaching up to €12,000 for crystal-embroidered versions. The collection debuted on the Paris runway in October, where actress Sandra Hüller opened the show in robust workwear, evoking factory workers from the former GDR. Designer Miuccia Prada, a former member of the Italian Communist Party, drew inspiration from Helga Paris's 1984 photo series "Frauen bei der Arbeit" (Women at Work), which documented female laborers in East Berlin's VEB Treffmodelle textile factory.