Venice Biennale denies it helped ‘circumnavigate’ sanctions against Russia with pavilion

The Venice Biennale is facing allegations that it helped Russia circumvent EU sanctions by allowing the Russian pavilion to operate during preview days, when only arts professionals and press are present. Investigative website Open published emails between Biennale officials and Russian pavilion organizers, including requests for visa assistance for artists and staff. The commissioner, Anastasia Karneeva, is the daughter of a Rostec deputy CEO and runs a consultancy with the daughter of Russia's foreign minister. The Biennale denies any wrongdoing, stating it acted in compliance with international law. Russia has been absent from the Biennale since 2022 but retains a permanent pavilion in the Giardini.

From simple blue to haute couture suit: workwear studied at the Musée Postal

Du simple bleu au tailleur haute couture, le vêtement de travail étudié au musée Postal

The Musée Postal in Paris has reopened with a new name and identity, launching its first exhibition titled "Sous toutes les coutures" ("Under All Seams"). Curated by Elodie Goëssant and Didier Filoche, the show brings together 420 pieces, artworks, and archival objects to explore the history of workwear in France, from uniforms and protective clothing to high-fashion collaborations. It traces the evolution of work attire from the 18th century to the present, highlighting how women lacked dedicated work clothing until the 1970s and how airlines like Air France pioneered partnerships with luxury houses such as Christian Dior to dress flight attendants as national ambassadors.

Hilma af Klint en 2 minutes

Hilma af Klint (1862–1944) is profiled as a pioneering Swedish abstract artist who created a vast body of visionary, large-scale abstract paintings decades before Kandinsky, yet kept them secret during her lifetime. The article traces her life from a childhood steeped in science and nature, through her studies at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Stockholm, to her dual artistic practice: conventional landscapes and portraits for income, and radically abstract works guided by spiritualist séances and theosophical beliefs. She founded the group "The Five" with fellow female artists, and from 1906 onward produced the monumental series "Paintings for the Temple" (193 works), convinced she was channeling a higher force. She stipulated in her will that her abstract works not be revealed until 20 years after her death, and they were only rediscovered in the late 1960s.

At Chaumont-sur-Loire, incredible gardens recreate cult films

À Chaumont-sur-Loire, d’incroyables jardins recréent des films culte

The Domaine de Chaumont-sur-Loire in France has launched the 2026 edition of its Festival International des Jardins, themed around cinema. Participants including gardeners, landscape designers, and artists—among them actresses Sabine Azéma, Golshifteh Farahani, and Mélanie Laurent, and director Momoko Seto—have transformed small plots into living landscapes inspired by iconic films and cinematic genres, such as a vegetal Cannes Film Festival and a garden based on James Cameron's *Avatar* trilogy. The festival runs from April 22 to November 1, 2026, alongside the estate's ongoing 'Saison d'art' exhibition featuring works by Marc Desgrandchamps, Antonio Crespo Foix, and others.

Gary Baseman fills iconic L.A. coffee shop with charming drawings on real restaurant menus

Artist Gary Baseman has opened his first hometown solo show in over a decade, titled “Off the Menu,” inside the long-shuttered Johnie’s Coffee Shop on Wilshire and Fairfax in Los Angeles. The exhibition features about 40 colored pencil drawings, mostly executed on real menus from iconic L.A. restaurants such as Musso & Frank, Canter’s Deli, and Genghis Cohen, as well as newer spots like Jon & Vinny’s. The whimsical show, which launched in conjunction with the opening of the Wilshire and Fairfax subway station, runs through June 14 and celebrates the dining culture and community of the Fairfax neighborhood.

Julia Phillips “Inside, Before They Speak” at Barbican, London

The Barbican in London opens the first UK institutional solo exhibition of German-American artist Julia Phillips this Friday. The show, titled "Inside, Before They Speak," is installed in The Curve gallery and features newly commissioned works that span sculpture and drawing.

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.

Leading contemporary stars take center stage in Leon Gallery’s year-end sale

León Gallery's The Kingly Treasures Auction 2025, taking place on December 6 at 2 p.m., features works by leading Filipino contemporary artists. The sale highlights Bernardo Pacquing's experimental abstractions, Leo Valledor's geometric explorations, Jigger Cruz's layered and destructive techniques, and Manuel Ocampo's provocative social commentaries, among others.

Haitham Al Busafi to Represent Oman at 2026 Venice Biennale

Oman has chosen artist, architect, and curator Haitham Al Busafi to represent the country at the 61st Venice Biennale in 2026. Al Busafi will curate and present his own monumental installation, Zīnah, in the national pavilion, commissioned by the Omani Ministry of Culture, Sports and Youth. The work transforms a traditional Omani horse harness into an interactive spatial experience using sand, metal, and sound.

Alessandro Rabottini on the Impact of Artists’ Moving Image

Alessandro Rabottini, artistic director of Fondazione In Between Art Film, reflects on the closing of 'Canicula', the final chapter of the foundation's 'Trilogy of Uncertainties' exhibition series in Venice. The article explores how staging time-based moving-image works interacts with the fast-paced environment of the Venice Biennale, and how artists' film and video have evolved as a medium within the art world.

collectible body art: tattoos by lawrence weiner, peter marino and more hit the auction block

JOOPITER, Pharrell Williams's auction platform, launches its first standalone tattoo auction titled 'Inked: Tattoos by Contemporary Artists,' featuring commissioned designs by sixteen artists including Derrick Adams, Thom Browne, Jeffrey Gibson, and the late Lawrence Weiner. The sale runs from October 22nd to 31st, 2025, with select designs previewed at Dover Street Market during Art Basel Paris. Curated by Sharon Coplan, each tattoo design is accompanied by a signed certificate of authenticity, and a complete set will be reserved for institutional donation.

JoEllen Brydon explores her late mother’s work as an advice columnist in Art Gallery of Peterborough exhibition

The Art Gallery of Peterborough is set to host "Elizabeth Thompson Advises," a multimedia exhibition by Cavan-based artist JoEllen Brydon running from April to June 2026. The show centers on the work of Brydon’s late mother, Jean Armstrong Brydon, who wrote a progressive advice column for The Globe and Mail under the pseudonym Elizabeth Thompson between 1966 and 1978. The exhibition integrates original letters and columns with JoEllen’s bold paintings, audio recordings, and short films to bring these mid-century narratives to life.

Jones Walker of Taos: Where art feels like home

Interior designers Tony Walker and Max Jones have established Jones Walker of Taos, a gallery on Bent Street that emphasizes a welcoming, domestic atmosphere. After relocating from Dallas in 2018, the duo transitioned from award-winning interior design careers to gallerists, curating a diverse collection of local talent that includes descendants of Taos Pueblo and Spanish carving families. The gallery showcases a mix of modern and traditional paintings, carvings, pottery, and weaving, focusing on authentic regional craftsmanship that appeals to both local residents and international collectors.

5 art exhibitions we can’t wait to see in Toronto

Toronto is set to host a diverse array of art exhibitions this winter, ranging from historical retrospectives to contemporary multimedia installations. Key highlights include a spotlight on 1940s abstract pioneer Edna Taçon at the Art Gallery of Ontario, a cross-cultural exploration of Ukrainian and Turkish identity at the Etobicoke Civic Centre, and solo showcases by local artists Tanya Besedina, Pree Rehal, and Yue Gao across various community galleries.

Buried lines and bold beginnings

Timothy Akis, born around 1944 in Tsembaga village, Madang, is recognized as a pioneer of contemporary art in Papua New Guinea. His 1969 solo exhibition at the University of Papua New Guinea (UPNG) is considered the country's first Western-style show by a Papua New Guinean artist, catalyzing a modern art movement. Akis developed a distinctive drawing style using ballpoint, felt pen, and ink, depicting highlands creatures like cassowaries and flying foxes. His work inspired younger artists, notably Mathias Kauage, who became PNG's most internationally visible contemporary painter after seeing Akis's exhibition. Akis's career included exhibitions in Australia, Europe, and the United States, and his works are held by institutions such as the National Gallery of Australia and the Queensland Art Gallery, Gallery of Modern Art.

The Intimate Correspondence Between Artist Maria Lai and Stylist Antonio Marras Is on Show in Milan

L’intima corrispondenza tra l’artista Maria Lai e lo stilista Antonio Marras è in mostra a Milano

The exhibition "Paso Doble" at Galleria M77 in Milan brings together over 200 works by artist Maria Lai (1919–2013) and fashion designer Antonio Marras, curated by Francesca Alfano Miglietti. The show explores the deep creative and personal dialogue between the two, rooted in a transformative encounter that Marras describes as a turning point in his artistic language. Works range from historical pieces by Lai—including textile books, thread installations, and stone-embedded works—to Marras's own mixed-media creations using humble materials like cardboard, fabric scraps, and pastry trays. The exhibition culminates in collaborative installations such as "Llencols de aigua" (Water Sheets) and "Janas," immersive environments where viewers become part of a silent choreography of memory and imagination.

One of the fairs during Milan Art Week will be open until midnight (and you can even have dinner there)

Una delle fiere in corso a Milano durante questa Art Week sarà visitabile fino a mezzanotte (e ci puoi anche cenare)

MEGA Art Fair has announced an unconventional schedule for its third edition during Milan Art Week 2026, extending its opening hours until midnight. Located in the former Esperis perfume factory known as PROFUMO, the fair will occupy over 3,000 square meters of industrial space. The event features a multidisciplinary public program and a unique "sensory dinner" titled The Perfume Table, which translates the olfactory structure of perfumes into a gastronomic experience set among artworks.

Harmless Art: Kim Sang-yu Exhibition Becomes Healing Space

A retrospective exhibition for the late Korean artist Kim Sang-yu, titled 'A Person Who Does Not Easily Fade,' is being held at the Seoul Museum of Art to mark the centennial of his birth. The show, featuring over 150 works, has become a popular destination for meditation and healing, with visitors describing the serene paintings as comforting and harmless.

A View From the Easel

Hyperallergic's ongoing series "A View From the Easel" features two artists describing their unconventional studio practices. Georgina Arroyo works in a shared academic space at Purchase College, compartmentalizing her process-intensive mold-making and casting work around her job schedule. Linda Jacobson, based in her Venice, California studio for 17 years, works on multiple pieces simultaneously, currently focusing on a large commissioned painting.

Uzbek Artist Saodat Ismailova Makes Her U.S. Museum Debut at the Smithsonian

Uzbek artist Saodat Ismailova is making her U.S. museum debut at the Smithsonian Institution. The exhibition introduces her multimedia works, which often explore Central Asian history, spirituality, and female identity, to an American audience for the first time.

New York City provides long-term support to five local arts organisations

The New York City Department of Cultural Affairs (DCLA) has inducted five new members into its Cultural Institutions Group (CIG), an exclusive program that provides long-term operational subsidies to private arts organizations operating on public land. The new members—Bric (Brooklyn), Pregones/Puerto Rican Traveling Theater (Manhattan), the Bronx Children’s Museum, the Noble Maritime Collection (Staten Island), and the Louis Armstrong House Museum (Queens)—represent each of the city’s five boroughs. This is the largest expansion of the program, now totaling 39 members, since the 1970s. A celebratory event was held at Bric on September 30, featuring remarks from DCLA Commissioner Laurie Cumbo and Deputy Mayor Adolfo Carrión Jr., along with musical performances by each institution.

Ron Nagle in Milan: at Gió Marconi the first Italian solo exhibition 'Phantom Banter'

Gió Marconi Gallery in Milan will host 'Phantom Banter', the first Italian solo exhibition of American sculptor Ron Nagle, from May 29 to July 24, 2026. The show features eleven ceramic sculptures created between 2024 and 2026, along with a selection of recent drawings, highlighting Nagle's process-oriented practice focused on material, surface, and language. Nagle, born in San Francisco in 1939, is a key figure in the California Clay Movement, having apprenticed with Peter Voulkos in the 1960s and influenced by Ken Price. His small-scale works, rarely exceeding 15 centimeters, explore reduction of scale and surface construction through cast and fired ceramics combined with resins and synthetic materials.

Exhibition | Man Ray, 'M for Dictionary' at Gio Marconi, Milan, Italy

Fondazione Marconi and Gió Marconi present 'Man Ray: M for Dictionary,' a comprehensive survey of Man Ray's work organized around his linguistic experiments. The exhibition, marking the fiftieth anniversary of the artist's death, is curated by Yuval Etgar and Deborah D’Ippolito and spans photography, painting, sculpture, and drawing. It includes a second display titled 'In Other Words' featuring contemporary artists Alex Da Corte, Simon Fujiwara, Wade Guyton, Allison Katz, and Tai Shani, whose work engages with language in visual art.

Evanston Art Center to host immersive ‘Walldrawings’ exhibit by two artists

The Evanston Art Center will present 'Walldrawings,' a collaborative exhibition by artists Maria Burundarena and Friedhard Kiekeben, from April 25 through May 17. The show features large-scale, immersive wall drawings and digital works designed to transform the gallery space and envelop the viewer.

The art of unlearning

Quddus Mirza’s latest exhibition, "New Works" at Canvas Gallery in Karachi, marks a significant stylistic shift as the veteran artist, critic, and educator embraces the concept of "unlearning." Drawing inspiration from the raw honesty of children's drawings, Mirza presents twelve striking paintings that shed academic discipline in favor of blunt expression and intuitive mark-making. The works frequently utilize a dominant red palette to signal urgency, revolution, and bloodshed, juxtaposing domestic imagery with symbols of global unrest.

This Exhibition Explores How Faith Ringgold Changed the Art World

The Mandeville Art Gallery at the University of California San Diego is hosting "Faith Ringgold: Full Circle—The Teachings and Her Legacy," a comprehensive exhibition honoring the late artist and former faculty member. Curated by Mashonda Tifrere, the show features works spanning from 1976 to 2023, including Ringgold’s iconic story quilts, soft sculptures, masks, and political posters. The collection highlights her multidisciplinary approach and her commitment to centering Black American life and feminist narratives through her unique fusion of fine art and traditional craft.

At Rirkrit Tiravanija’s “Say Yes To Everything”, Eating Is Part Of The Experience

Renowned contemporary artist Rirkrit Tiravanija has launched his largest solo exhibition in Singapore at STPI – Creative Workshop & Gallery. Titled "Say Yes To Everything," the retrospective spans over a decade of the artist's practice, featuring prints, editioned works, and interactive installations that emphasize communal experiences. The show includes signature elements of Tiravanija’s relational aesthetics, such as communal meals, origami sessions, and works that utilize UV light to reveal extinct animals, highlighting themes of migration, ecology, and social interaction.

New Pioneer Square art gallery focuses on immigrant art

Saina Heshmati and Amir Amini have opened ANTiPODE Art Gallery in Seattle’s Pioneer Square, a new space dedicated to showcasing the work of immigrant artists. Located in a basement shared with the Seattle Jazz Fellowship, the gallery functions as a multi-modal hub for cultural exchange, hosting art exhibitions alongside film screenings, tea ceremonies, and experimental music. The founders, both Tehran natives, aim to bridge the gap between Seattle and distant global cities through diverse programming that emphasizes the intersection of different artistic disciplines.

Akram Khan Dance Company, Barrowland Ballet & other art shows to look out for

The Singaporean art gallery Utterly Art is making a return through a collaboration with the Visual Arts Centre (VAC) at its former Chinatown location. Rebranded as VAC Art Gallery And Studio, the space has been revamped by VAC director Iola Liu to serve as both a retail gallery and an art studio. The inaugural group exhibition, titled "Welcome Home!", features works by 20 local and Southeast Asian artists across various media, including street art, pop art, and traditional still life.

New Exhibition Explores the Timeless and Perplexing Tradition of “Trompe l’Oeil”

A new exhibition titled "Fool Me Twice" has opened at Robert Lange Studios in Charleston, South Carolina, featuring 20 international artists who explore the tradition of trompe l’oeil—a technique that uses hyperrealistic illusion to blur the line between reality and representation. Works include George Ayers’s "Swamp Frog," where a frog appears to break through the canvas, and Sharon Moody’s "The Year of Great Shocks," a meticulously painted comic book spread. The show runs through May 25, 2025.