Rosy Simas on Creating a Space for Peace in Minneapolis

Minnesota-based interdisciplinary artist Rosy Simas opened a contemplative installation titled "A:gajë:gwah dësa’nigöëwë:nye:' (i hope it will stir your mind)" at the Walker Art Center on the same day that Trump-appointed border czar Tom Homan announced the end of Operation Metro Surge, a federal immigration enforcement operation in the Twin Cities. The installation features salt bottles made from woven corn husks, each honoring one of Simas's relatives, and is inspired by the teachings of Handsome Lake (Ganyodaiyo’), her fifth great-grandfather’s half-brother, who promoted the Seneca concept of a "good mind." The exhibition, on view through July 5, is part of a two-part project that also includes performances in May. Simas, known primarily for choreography, has increasingly gained recognition as a visual artist, recently receiving a Creative Capital Award.

Mexican Cultural Workers Denounce Pedro Reyes Sculpture at LACMA

A group of nearly 80 Mexican cultural workers, including artists, critics, and academics, has signed an open letter denouncing the display of Pedro Reyes's sculpture "Tlali" at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA). The colossal lava stone head, unveiled earlier this month at LACMA's new building, echoes a controversial 2021 public commission by Reyes that was scrapped by Mexico City's government after protests from feminist and Indigenous advocates. The signatories accuse LACMA of ignoring the previous activism against the artist's work in Mexico, calling the museum's decision to legitimize a new version of the polemic sculpture "deceiving." Reyes has not responded to requests for comment.

Activist Super-Glues Herself to Display Cabinet at Berlin’s Bode Museum

An activist from the group New Generation staged a protest at Berlin’s Bode Museum by super-gluing herself to a display cabinet containing coins. Dressed as Germany’s Economic Affairs Minister, Katherina Reiche, the protester aimed to criticize the minister's perceived lack of independence from corporate interests. Police successfully removed the activist, and the Prussian Cultural Heritage Foundation confirmed that no museum exhibits were damaged during the incident.

prince andrew arrest photo louvre protest

Activists from the group Everyone Hates Elon staged a protest at the Louvre by surreptitiously installing a framed photograph of Prince Andrew following his recent arrest. The image, captured by Reuters photographer Phil Noble, depicts the royal in the back of a car after being taken into custody on suspicion of misconduct in public office related to the Jeffrey Epstein investigation. Museum staff removed the unauthorized addition, which featured a gilded frame and a caption mocking the Prince's previous claims regarding his inability to sweat, within fifteen minutes.

minneapolis museums close ice protest

The Walker Art Center and the Minneapolis Institute of Art closed on January 20, 2026, in protest of escalating Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) operations in the Twin Cities. The closures follow the fatal shooting of Renee Good, a 37-year-old mother of three, by ICE agent Jonathan Ross, which sparked nationwide outrage. The museums canceled scheduled events, including a performance by Nile Harris, and joined a broader one-day economic blackout called "A Day of Truth and Freedom" organized by Minnesota union leaders and community groups. Other cultural institutions participating include the Bakken Museum, the Minnesota Museum of American Art, the Weisman Art Center, and the Museum of Russian Art.

london bomb factory show vandalized

An exhibition titled “Window Wonderland 2025,” mounted by the Bomb Factory Art Foundation in London, was shut down early after three consecutive nights of vandal attacks at its Marylebone and Holborn locations. Vandals used hammers and an ice axe to smash windows, defaced displays with stickers of the Union Jack and St. George’s cross, and scrawled “Free U.K.” in lipstick, causing an estimated £15,000 ($20,000) in damage. The show, which explored themes of anti-war activism, immigration, and queer and trans identity, closed on January 9, 2025, instead of its scheduled January 18 closing date. Police are investigating the attacks, which organizers say were intended to silence the exhibition’s message of inclusivity.

art history teacher charlie kirk investigation florida

Hope McMath, an artist and art history teacher at Douglas Anderson School of the Arts in Jacksonville, Florida, was removed from the classroom in September 2024 after posting about the assassination of Charlie Kirk on her private social media. An investigation by Duval County Public Schools found only a minor violation for profanity, but the district refused to reinstate her due to a concurrent state education board investigation. McMath is suing the school district, state officials, and Moms for Liberty, alleging her removal was politically motivated and violated her free speech rights.

documenta 16 artistic team naomi beckwith

Naomi Beckwith, deputy director and chief curator of the Guggenheim Museum, has announced her four-person artistic team for Documenta 16, set to open in Kassel, Germany, in June 2027. The team includes Carla Acevedo-Yates, Romi Crawford, Mayra A. Rodríguez Castro, and Xiaoyu Weng, who will collaborate on the exhibition, publication, and programming for the quinquennial.

right wing group great british pac block parthenon marbles

Former U.K. Prime Minister Liz Truss and right-wing group Great British Pac have sent a letter to current Prime Minister Keir Starmer, Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy, and British Museum trustees, threatening legal action against an alleged "covert" deal to return the Parthenon Marbles to Greece. The letter, signed by 34 individuals including historian David Starkey, claims the British Museum is engaged in an "accelerating campaign" to remove the sculptures and warns of seeking an injunction to halt negotiations. The British Museum confirmed receipt of the letter but stated that discussions with Greece about a Parthenon partnership are "ongoing and constructive."

Why Did the Met Opera Decide to Exhume Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera’s Marital Strife?

The Metropolitan Opera has staged Gabriela Lena Frank's first opera, *El Último Sueño de Frida y Diego*, which imagines a supernatural reunion between Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera on Día de los Muertos. The production, conducted by Yannick Nézet-Séguin and starring Isabel Leonard and Carlos Álvarez, uses magical realism to explore the couple's turbulent relationship, though it largely sidelines their Communist activism and Kahlo's queer affairs in favor of a simplified reconciliation narrative.

art cindy sherman holiday card transanta

Cindy Sherman is reviving her annual holiday party after a five-year hiatus, introducing a new line of kitschy Christmas cards featuring five works created with face-tuning A.I. algorithms that distort her face in a Picasso-esque style. The cards are part of the newly founded Cindy Sherman Legacy Project, curated by Lumi Tan, and all proceeds will benefit Transanta, a trans-led mutual aid project supporting unhoused or unsupported trans youth, founded by Chase Strangio, Indya Moore, and Kyle Lasky. The cards are available through Sherman's website, Hauser & Wirth's New York bookstore, and a launch party on Dec. 9 at Jean's in New York.

jane fonda lauren halsey usher hammer museum

The Hammer Museum in Los Angeles held its 20th annual Gala in the Garden on Saturday night, raising $2.4 million for the institution. The event honored artist Lauren Halsey and actor-activist Jane Fonda, with speeches from director Zoë Ryan, Studio Museum director Thelma Golden, and actors Ted Danson and Mary Steenburgen. Attendees included LeBron James, Dustin Hoffman, Will Ferrell, Stormzy, Ed Ruscha, Catherine Opie, Mark Bradford, and Andrea Bowers, with a performance by singer Griff.

Form in the Age of Living Materials. Interview with Curator Pablo José Ramírez

LA FORMA EN LA ERA DE LOS MATERIALES VIVOS. ENTREVISTA AL CURADOR PABLO JOSÉ RAMÍREZ

The Hammer Museum in Los Angeles is presenting "Several Eternities in a Day: Form in the Age of Living Materials," an exhibition curated by Pablo José Ramírez running until August 23. Featuring 22 artists from the Americas, the show explores materials such as avocado, cacao, achiote, cochineal, stone, clay, and natural dyes that evolve, degrade, or transform over time. Organized into three acts, the exhibition challenges conventional notions of the art object by treating these materials as living agents with memory and agency, rooted in Indigenous knowledge and the concept of "brownness." In an interview, Ramírez discusses how these materials destabilize extractivist logics and institutional frameworks, forcing a rethinking of conservation protocols and the very conditions of exhibition-making.

CARTIER FOUNDATION. A THIN LINE BETWEEN EXTRACTIVISM AND CULTURAL RECLAMATION

FUNDACIÓN CARTIER. UNA DELGADA LÍNEA ENTRE EXTRACTIVISMO Y REIVINDICACIÓN CULTURAL

The Cartier Foundation inaugurated its new Paris headquarters on October 25 with the exhibition "Exposition Générale." The curatorial approach and, most notably, the labyrinthine architectural design by Jean Nouvel have drawn criticism from the specialized press, described as disappointing and patchwork. The new space, a dense black cube in central Paris, represents a radical departure from the foundation's previous luminous, glass-walled hall, forcing a complete rethinking of how to present its 40-year collection.

First Indigenous Representative of Peru at the Venice Biennale, Sara Flores Opens the Doors of Her Studio in the Heart of the Amazon

Première représentante autochtone du Pérou à la Biennale de Venise, Sara Flores ouvre les portes de son atelier au cœur de l’Amazonie

Sara Flores, a 76-year-old artist from the Shipibo-Konibo Indigenous community in the Peruvian Amazon, has been selected as the first Indigenous artist to represent Peru at the Venice Biennale. In her open-air studio deep in the rainforest, she creates large-scale geometric compositions in the kené ("true drawing") tradition, using natural dyes from local plants. She is also co-founder of the Bakish Mai Multiversity, an educational institution dedicated to Indigenous knowledge and artist residencies, alongside Matteo Norzi, one of the two curators of the Peruvian pavilion. The article offers an intimate portrait of her life, her matriarchal family, and her creative process.

Dartmouth Students Renew Efforts to Rename Leon Black–Funded Arts Center

Dartmouth College students have reignited a campaign to rename the Black Family Visual Arts Center, a campus facility funded by billionaire investor Leon Black. The movement, led by freshman Oscar Rempe-Hiam and supported by student government, criticizes the administration's lack of urgency in distancing the institution from Black, whose long-standing ties to Jeffrey Epstein and personal allegations of sexual misconduct have sparked years of controversy.

Major protests take place at Venice Biennale previews

Major protests erupted during the preview days of the Venice Biennale, with multiple demonstrations targeting the Israeli and Russian pavilions. On Wednesday, the Art Not Genocide Alliance (ANGA) held a large protest outside the temporary Israeli pavilion in the Arsenale, attended by over 200 people calling for its closure. Separately, the Solidarity Drone Chorus performed a sound composition by Gazan artist Ahmed Muin, with 60 artists wearing T-shirts bearing names of artists from Gaza. Meanwhile, Pussy Riot and FEMEN protested Russian participation, forcing the Russian pavilion to shut its doors. These actions follow the resignation of the entire Golden Lion jury days before the opening, after they stated they would not consider pavilions from countries whose leaders are charged with crimes against humanity by the ICC—widely seen as a reference to Russia and Israel.

In Protest of Israeli Pavilion, Activists and Unions Plan Strike on Venice Biennale’s Opening Day

The Art Not Genocide Alliance (ANGA) has announced a 24-hour strike and rally on May 8, the day before the 2026 Venice Biennale opens to the public, in protest of the Israeli Pavilion. ANGA, formed in opposition to Israel's inclusion in the 2024 Biennale, refers to the current Israeli presentation—featuring Haifa-based artist Belu-Simion Fainaru—as the "Genocide Pavilion." Over 200 artists, curators, and culture workers have signed an open letter demanding Israel's exclusion, and a separate action called Solidarity Drone Chorus involved 60 artists. ANGA is collaborating with local labor and culture organizations including Biennalocene, Vogliamo Tutt'altro, S.a.L.E. Docks, and Mi Riconosci.

Anish Kapoor says US’s ‘politics of hate’ should exclude it from Venice Biennale

Anish Kapoor has called for the United States to be excluded from the Venice Biennale, citing the country's "abhorrent politics of hate" and "incessant warmongering." His comments follow the resignation of the five-member international jury, who stepped down in protest over the inclusion of Israel and Russia. Kapoor praised the jury's decision as "courageous" but argued they should have also targeted the US. The US pavilion, featuring artist Alma Allen and his exhibition "Call Me the Breeze," has faced scrutiny over perceived Trump administration interference and a delayed selection process. Meanwhile, the Israeli and Russian pavilions remain flashpoints, with over 200 participants signing a letter demanding the cancellation of the Israeli pavilion, and the Russian pavilion closed to the public but viewable through windows.

Venice Biennale’s Prize Ban on Israel and Russia Falls Short for Critics

The jury of the 2026 Venice Biennale has ruled that Israel and Russia will be ineligible for the Golden and Silver Lion prizes, citing International Criminal Court charges of crimes against humanity against their leaders. The decision follows years of activism and political pressure, with the European Union withdrawing €2 million in funding from the event in protest of Russia's participation. While groups like Art Not Genocide Alliance praised the move as an unprecedented step, critics argue it falls short of a full ban on participation. Israel's artist representative, Belu-Simion Fainaru, condemned the policy as discriminatory, and an open letter signed by 70 artists and curators called for excluding all regimes committing war crimes, including the United States.

‘Even more beautiful than I imagined’: the nifty Japanese printing gadget uniting artists worldwide

Designer Gabriella Marcella has curated a new exhibition at Glasgow’s Glue Factory Galleries celebrating the global community of risograph printing. The show highlights work from her 'Riso Club' initiative, a non-profit program that distributes monthly sets of artist-designed postcards from cities ranging from Kyiv to Damascus. Originally developed in Japan in the 1980s as an affordable office tool, the risograph has been reclaimed by independent creatives for its unique soy-ink aesthetic and tactile, screenprint-like quality.

Yto Barrada Says France Had ‘Full Awareness’ of Her Views on Israel When It Chose Her for Venice Biennale

Artist Yto Barrada, selected to represent France at the Venice Biennale, has stated that the French government and pavilion organizers were fully aware of her political views when they chose her. This follows criticism from the Representative Council of French Jewish Institutions (CRIF), which denounced Barrada for signing an open letter calling for Israel's exclusion from the Biennale and suggested the government should force her to withdraw her signature.

Love & Fury: how poster artists responded to the Aids crisis – in pictures

A new exhibition titled 'Love & Fury: New York’s Fight Against AIDS' showcases posters created by grassroots groups and artists in response to the AIDS crisis from the late 1970s to the 2000s. The show features works from collectives like the Silence=Death Project and Gay Men’s Health Crisis, as well as artists including Keith Haring and Howard Cruse, highlighting how graphic design was used to promote safe sex, demand government action, and build community resilience.

judson memorial church peoples flag show anniversary

Three artists—Faith Ringgold, Jean Toche, and Jon Hendricks—organized "The People's Flag Show" at Judson Memorial Church in New York's Greenwich Village in November 1970, protesting the Vietnam War and challenging US flag desecration laws. The exhibition featured around 150 artists via open call, including Yvonne Rainer, Kate Millett, and the Guerrilla Art Action Group. On November 13, 1970, Ringgold, Toche, and Hendricks were arrested and fined $100 for flag desecration; their case was later dismissed with help from the American Civil Liberties Union. Now, 55 years later, Judson Commons—the church's nonprofit arts arm—is mounting a new version of the exhibition, again via open call, featuring over 60 artists and a week of programming in the Judson Gym.

mahmoud khalil nan goldin market tanked palestine activism

Artist Nan Goldin and Palestinian activist Mahmoud Khalil discussed Khalil's 104-day ICE detention, the 'Palestine Exception' to free speech, and the backlash faced by pro-Palestinian activists in a conversation published in Dazed magazine. Khalil was arrested in March 2024 after serving as a negotiator during Columbia University protests, with the Trump administration alleging he undermined foreign policy and later claiming he failed to disclose information on his green card application. Goldin compared her own experience leading the activist group PAIN, which successfully pressured museums to cut ties with the Sackler family over the opioid crisis, noting that pro-Palestinian activism has faced far greater criminal and professional repercussions.

greenpeace unfurls anish kapoors bloody butchered work across north sea gas rig

Greenpeace activists scaled a Shell-operated gas rig in the North Sea and unfurled a 315-square-foot canvas titled "Butchered," designed by artist Anish Kapoor. The activists sprayed crimson paint made from beetroot powder and pond dye across the canvas, creating a blood-like stain intended to symbolize environmental destruction. The work, described as the first fine art exhibited from a working gas rig, was erected during the UK's fourth heat wave of the summer to protest fossil fuel companies' role in climate change.

uk high court rejects artists final appeal after he issued fake apology for fishing firms alleged role in fishrot scandal

The UK High Court has rejected a final appeal by Icelandic artist Oddur Eysteinn Friðriksson, known as ODEE, to retain ownership of his conceptual artwork *We're Sorry* (2023), a fake website that mimicked Iceland's largest fishing company Samherji and apologized for its alleged role in the Fishrot corruption scandal. Judge Anthony Mann upheld a previous order requiring ODEE to surrender control of the domain, ruling that the site was not a parody and constituted an instrument of fraud, thus not protected under Article 10 of the Human Rights Act.

glastonbury festival 2025 mark wallinger gaza children installation

At the 2025 Glastonbury Festival in the UK, Turner Prize-winning artist Mark Wallinger presented an anti-fascist installation titled "Jungle Gym" at the Terminal 1 Stage, curated by Oriana Garzón as part of the exhibition "No Human is Illegal." The work, built with chainlink fencing and using only Unicef blue, highlights the suffering of children in Gaza and the bureaucratic challenges faced by migrants. Festivalgoers entered by answering a British citizenship test question, with incorrect answers sending them to the back of the line, before passing through a cabin styled as a refugee camp to reach the installation.

jeffrey deitchs coney art walls exploits artists real estate ploy

Jeffrey Deitch, former dealer and ex-director of MOCA LA, has partnered with property developer Thor Equities to create "Coney Art Walls," a summertime display of street art murals on concrete slabs in Coney Island, New York. Located on a vacant lot at 1320 Bowery Street owned by Thor Equities, the project features works by over a dozen artists including Lady Pink, Daze, Lee Quiñones, Swoon, and Mister Cartoon, and shares space with Smorgasburg, a food and drink pop-up village. The article criticizes the venture as a real estate marketing ploy rather than a genuine art exhibition.

moca los angeles closed anti ice protests

The Museum of Contemporary Art Los Angeles (MOCA) has closed its Geffen Contemporary space through the weekend due to nearby anti-ICE protests and increased military activity, including National Guard deployment. The closure affects an Olafur Eliasson exhibition and has postponed a durational performance by Pussy Riot's Nadya Tolokonnikova, who turned part of the venue into a prison cell-like installation. The protests began after ICE raids in Los Angeles, leading to arrests, a curfew, and vandalism of MOCA's facade.