2025 MFA Thesis Exhibition Transforms the Miriam and Ira D. Wallach Art Gallery

On April 26, 2025, the School of the Arts held its annual MFA Thesis Exhibition at the Miriam and Ira D. Wallach Art Gallery, featuring twenty-nine emerging and established artists. Curated by Amal Issa, the show spans a wide range of mediums including installations, videos, paintings, drawings, and sculptures, with many works exploring themes of memory, ancestry, and identity. Notable pieces include Maya Dixon's immersive installation using gourds and found objects, Daniel Castro's surreal cityscapes, and Ridwana Rahman's interactive carpet piece that invites reflection on direction and prayer.

The Michael C. Rockefeller Wing

The Metropolitan Museum of Art's Michael C. Rockefeller Wing reopened in May 2025 after a multiyear renovation, presenting reimagined galleries for the arts of Africa, the ancient Americas, and Oceania. The 40,000-square-foot space, designed by Kulapat Yantrasast of WHY Architecture, now houses the three collections as independent entities, featuring digital features, commissioned films, new wall text, and objects on view for the first time—including major acquisitions of historic and contemporary works, a gallery for light-sensitive ancient Andean textiles, and contemporary commissions by Indigenous Pacific artists.

‘We are all part of this intergalactic universe’: Saya Woolfalk’s solo show immerses viewers in her “Empathic Universe”

Saya Woolfalk's solo exhibition "Empathic Universe" at the Museum of Arts and Design (Mad) in New York presents two decades of her visionary world-building practice. The show unfolds in five chapters, featuring sculptures made from textiles, videos, performances, and immersive digital installations that trace the evolution of fictional plant-and-human hybrid races. Woolfalk discusses the origins of her project, which began after her return from Brazil with works like "Winter Garden: Hybrid Love Objects" (2005) at MoMA PS1, and how the Empathic Universe came into focus during her time in the Whitney Independent Study Program around 2006, drawing on mythology, anthropology, technology, and feminist theory.

Mohonk Mountain House Unveils a New Art Exhibition Celebrating History and Nature

Mohonk Mountain House, a historic resort in New York's Hudson Valley, has unveiled a new art exhibition titled "Essence by Design" on Earth Day (April 22). The exhibition features 41 hand-painted glass slides from 1902, originally created by artist Walter T. Weaver, depicting exotic and native flora. The slides, preserved in the resort's archives thanks to Daniel Smiley and his daughter Pril Smiley, have been digitized into large-scale prints (26×32 inches) and permanently installed in the Grove building. Pril Smiley, a fourth-generation steward and Director of Art, curated the selection to continue the legacy of founder Albert Smiley, who believed in blending indoor and outdoor experiences.

Imagining the Manosphere as a Kinder, Gentler Place

Two new art exhibitions are tackling the aesthetics and ideology of the online "manosphere," a network of communities promoting hypermasculinity and often misogyny. The shows, 'The Manosphere: A New Hope?' at the New Museum and 'Soft Boys' at the Institute of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles, use video, sculpture, and installation to dissect this digital subculture and its visual language.

Wisconsin’s Chazen Museum of Art Explores New Ways to Display Its Collection

The Chazen Museum of Art at the University of Wisconsin–Madison is implementing a radical reinstallation of its permanent collection galleries. This new curatorial strategy centers each gallery around a single "focus object," which is then surrounded by a "constellation" of supporting artworks designed to highlight specific thematic, historical, or technical connections rather than following a traditional chronological or geographical layout.

‘Rethinking, Reimagining and Reinstalling’ the Metropolitan Museum of Art

The Metropolitan Museum of Art has unveiled a massive $1.5 billion renovation plan titled "Rethinking, Reimagining and Reinstalling," which aims to transform approximately 25 percent of its galleries and public spaces. This ambitious capital project includes the complete overhaul of the Oscar L. and Annette de la Renta Wing for modern and contemporary art, the renovation of the Michael C. Rockefeller Wing for the arts of Africa, Oceania, and the Americas, and significant updates to the European Paintings galleries.

In the Tech Heart of Texas, an Art Show Built on Data, Code and A.I.

The Austin Museum of Art is hosting a landmark exhibition focused on the intersection of technology and creativity, featuring works driven by real-time data, complex algorithms, and artificial intelligence. The showcase highlights interactive installations that evolve throughout the day, challenging traditional notions of static art and inviting viewers to participate in the creative process through digital engagement.

A Storied Rockefeller Art Trove Goes on View at Asia Society

The Asia Society in New York has unveiled a major exhibition drawn from the Rockefeller family's extensive collection of Asian devotional sculptures. The show, curated by the institution's own critic, spans 70 years of acquisitions and features works the critic was personally involved in installing decades ago.

MoMath Brings Prime Numbers to a Prime New Location

The Museum of Mathematics (MoMath) has relocated from its original space on East 26th Street to a new, larger location at 101 Sixth Avenue in Manhattan. The move triples the museum's exhibition space, allowing for the addition of new interactive exhibits, including a major installation called "Prime Number Sunburst," which visualizes the distribution of prime numbers.

A View From the Easel

Brenda Zlamany returns to her ancestral village near Pollino National Park in Italy, where she paints in a converted sausage factory and grows her own olives. The 336th installment of Hyperallergic's 'A View From the Easel' series profiles her studio life in a remote, car-free village that her grandfather left as a cobbler 100 years ago.

Gaylen Gerber at Hans Goodrich

Artist Gaylen Gerber presented a solo exhibition at Hans Goodrich gallery in Chicago from April 4 to May 17, 2026. The show featured his work "Support" (n.d.), an installation using cremated remains, a felt pen, and a zipper bag, alongside a 1990 painting by Georg Herald.

That Lovely Land of Might-Have-Been at The Falstaff Project

A new group exhibition, "That Lovely Land of Might-Have-Been," opened at The Falstaff Project in El Paso, featuring works by over twenty artists including Haydee Alonso, Diamond Stingily, and Edward Thomasson. Curated by artist Miguel Bendaña, the show presents a diverse range of media, from video installations to other contemporary forms, and will run from January 29 through March 8, 2026.

‘She rips your heart out’: This Japanese artist’s fiery red installation swallows this S.F. museum

The article describes a fiery red installation by Japanese artist Yayoi Kusama that has taken over a San Francisco museum. The immersive work, characterized by its intense red color and engulfing presence, is noted for its emotional impact, with the artist described as someone who 'rips your heart out.' The installation is a major draw for the museum, offering visitors a visceral experience.

Displaying the gallery

The Los Medanos College Art Gallery is preparing for its spring student exhibition, which opened April 15. Gallery director Sarah Lee oversees the installation process, working with student workers and volunteers like Jordan Castro, Dasha Shevchenko, and Eric Sanchez to arrange artworks—including paintings, sculptures, and ceramics—into a cohesive display. A guest juror selected the pieces, and this year's show features an interactive element created by senior lab coordinator Cesar Reyes and Nick Nabas, inviting visitors to engage directly with the exhibit.

“Double Outsider”: in the London studio of artist Pavel Otdelnov

Russian contemporary artist Pavel Otdelnov has established a home studio in London, where his domestic environment serves as an extension of his artistic practice. Following his relocation in 2022, Otdelnov has integrated Soviet-era motifs—such as wall carpets and television color grids—into his English terraced house to explore themes of memory and the 'uncanny.' His recent works, including 'Unheimlich' and 'No Signal,' utilize these familiar objects to critique how nostalgia can be weaponized and how violence often hides within the mundane.

In with the bold: the new players igniting Hong Kong art week

Hong Kong’s art week is shifting from a post-pandemic recovery phase to a more exploratory period defined by innovative fringe events. A standout newcomer is the Central Yards Edible Art Fair, a 20,000-square-foot immersive experience at the Central Harbourfront that blends art history with culinary treats. The fair features ten zones themed after major movements like Impressionism and Surrealism, including a neo-pop installation where visitors can win jelly balloon dogs inspired by Jeff Koons.

Comment | Digital art today has a narcissism problem

Art Basel Miami Beach's new digital art section, Zero 10, featured a heavily subsidized presentation curated by Eli Scheinman, bypassing the fair's usual selection process. The centerpiece was Beeple's installation "Regular Animals" (2025), which displayed dog-like robots with humanoid masks of figures including Kim Jong-un, Elon Musk, and Beeple himself, which critics argue lacks substantive critique and relies on shallow satire.

Contemporary artists with the highest auction sales worldwide between July 2023 and June 2024, by gender

A Statista chart published in October 2024 ranks the top ten contemporary artists by auction sales from July 2023 to June 2024, broken down by gender. Jean-Michel Basquiat leads all artists with $516.2 million in sales, followed by Yoshitomo Nara ($70.6 million), George Condo ($47.4 million), and Keith Haring ($36.2 million). Julie Mehretu is the only female artist in the top ten, with $36.0 million in sales. The data covers public auctions of paintings, drawings, sculptures, prints, photographs, videos, tapestries, installations, and NFTs, excluding antiques, furniture, and anonymous cultural goods.

India Phillips Appointed Managing Director, Modern & Contemporary Art, Europe at Phillips

Phillips has appointed India Phillips as Managing Director, Modern & Contemporary Art, Europe, effective February 2026. Based in London and reporting directly to the CEO, she will focus on expanding the auction house's presence across Europe. Phillips joins after a decade at Bonhams, where she most recently served as Managing Director, EMEA. The announcement also includes promotions for Marianne Hoet to Chairman, Modern and Contemporary Art Europe, Olivia Thornton to Deputy Chairwoman, and Matt Langton to Deputy Chairman, Modern and Contemporary Art, Europe.

11 Worst Modern Art Collection & It’s Reviews

The article presents a list of what it considers the worst modern artworks, including Jackson Pollock's abstract expressionist paintings, Tracey Emin's installation 'My Bed,' and Damien Hirst's project 'The Currency.' It offers personal commentary and critical reviews for each piece, questioning their artistic merit and cultural value.

At MoMA, Duchamp Vanishes Into the Shadow of His Own Legend

EXPO Chicago 2026 serves as the backdrop for a series of compelling exhibitions across the city, ranging from Josh Brainin’s frantic two-channel video installation at Tala to a group show at the Chicago Cultural Center exploring the city's physical and social infrastructure. These curated highlights showcase a mix of local talent and conceptual rigor, emphasizing Chicago's diverse contemporary art landscape during the major international fair.

Hera Büyüktaşçıyan Channels Istanbul’s Haunted Histories

Hera Büyüktaşçıyan Channels Istanbul’s Haunted Histories

Hera Büyüktaşçıyan has opened a major solo exhibition, 'I Know You As Her', at Istanbul's Arter museum. The show features new and existing works, including sculptures, installations, and watercolors, that explore submerged histories and spectral presences within the city's urban fabric, particularly around the historic Pera district.

using flight simulators peggy ahwesh crafts an elegy to a disused palestinian airport and the freedom it represented

Peggy Ahwesh's solo exhibition "The Wayfinders," recently on view at New York's Microscope Gallery, marks a new direction for the experimental filmmaker. For the first time, she incorporates footage from an early-2000s flight simulator alongside original video and animation to create a large-scale installation. The work serves as an elegy for the abandoned Qalandia/Atarot airport, situated between Qalandia and Jerusalem, which operated as a civilian airport from 1948 to 1967 before Israel annexed the site. Through poetic voiceover and imagery of travel and navigation, Ahwesh reflects on Palestine's thwarted right to the sky, the history of wayfinding by the stars, and the porous borders of the past contrasted with today's restrictions.

All 3.5 Million Pages of the Epstein Files Are Now on View at This Pop-Up Exhibition

The Institute for Primary Facts has transformed New York's Mriya Gallery into the Donald J. Trump and Jeffrey Epstein Reading Room, a pop-up exhibition displaying all 3.5 million pages of the released Epstein files in 3,437 bound volumes. Open from May 8 to May 21 in Tribeca, the installation is the group's first live project, requiring visitors aged 16 and over to book appointments via a platform called Trumpsonian. Only accredited press, Congress, law enforcement, and victims' advocates may open the volumes, due to the Department of Justice's failure to properly redact victims' names.

BETWEEN DOG AND WOLF CANADA BRINGS TWILIGHT TO THE VENICE BIENNALE

Abbas Akhavan, born in Tehran in 1977, represents Canada at the 61st Venice Biennale with an exhibition titled "Entre chien et loup" (Between Dog and Wolf). Commissioned by the National Gallery of Canada and curated by Kim Nguyen, the installation transforms the Canada Pavilion into a monumental Wardian case—a 19th-century plant transport device—converted into a greenhouse for Victoria water lilies. The lilies, native to South America and germinated at the Orto Botanico di Padova from seeds provided by the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, reference their prominent display in the Crystal Palace during the 1851 Great Exhibition. The exhibition runs until November 22, 2026.

ENTRE PERRO Y LOBO CANADA LLEVA EL CREPUSCULO A LA BIENAL DE VENECIA

Abbas Akhavan, born in Tehran in 1977, will represent Canada at the 61st Venice Biennale in 2026 with an exhibition titled "Entre chien et loup" (Between Dog and Wolf). Commissioned by the National Gallery of Canada and curated by Kim Nguyen, the Canada Pavilion is transformed into a monumental Wardian case—a 19th-century plant transport device—serving as a greenhouse for Victoria water lilies. The seeds were germinated at the Orto Botanico di Padova in collaboration with the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, and the installation will be on view until November 22, 2026.

MAYA WATANABE IN A GROUP EXHIBITION AT THE HOSPEDALETTO COMPLEX IN VENICE

The In Between Art Film Foundation has announced "Canicula," the final installment of its "Trilogy of Uncertainties," set to open at the Ospedaletto Complex during the 2026 Venice Biennale. Curated by Alessandro Rabottini and Leonardo Bigazzi, the exhibition features eight international artists, including Peruvian video artist Maya Watanabe, whose work investigates memory and the politics of representation. The show utilizes the unique architecture of the Ospedaletto’s church and music hall to create immersive environments exploring themes of environmental and political pressure.

The great artist Remo Salvadori has died. He was 79 years old

È morto il grande artista Remo Salvadori. Aveva 79 anni

Italian artist Remo Salvadori has died at age 79. Known for his rigorous, independent practice, Salvadori explored matter, energy, science, philosophy, and spirituality through sculpture, installations, and site-specific works. Born in Cerreto Guidi, he studied at the Accademia delle Belle Arti di Firenze and moved to Milan in the early 1970s, where he participated in the experimental scene without joining any movement. His career included solo shows in Milan galleries from 1971, appearances at the Venice Biennale (1982, 1986, 1993) and Documenta in Kassel (1982, 1992), and works held in major museums worldwide. In 2019 he received the Premio Presidente della Repubblica for sculpture. A major retrospective in 2025 at Palazzo Reale, Museo del Novecento, and San Gottardo in Corte in Milan showcased over 50 works from 1969 to 2025.

In Venice, famous street artist JR completely wraps a historic palazzo with an installation

A Venezia il famoso street artist JR avvolge completamente un palazzo storico con un’installazione

Street artist JR has wrapped the historic Palazzo Ca' da Mosto in Venice—now the Venice Venice Hotel—with a large-scale installation timed to the 61st Venice Biennale. The project, titled "Il Gesto," reinterprets Paolo Veronese's 1563 masterpiece "The Wedding at Cana" as a contemporary fresco featuring 176 people from the Refettorio Paris community kitchen. Inside the palazzo, an immersive installation combines photographic portraits, reflective surfaces, and audio recordings to create a layered narrative. A monumental tapestry woven by Giovanni Bonotto and the Fondazione Bonotto, made from recycled plastic, wool, cotton, and washi paper, extends the work into a durable, contemplative form.