Ser Serpas: ‘I’m hoping I can add a bit of what I think is a healthy dose of unease’

Ser Serpas, an American artist and activist, presents her multifaceted practice in the exhibition 'Of my life' at Kunsthalle Basel. Known for assemblages from found and discarded materials, she now emphasizes painting, creating large-scale works that double as props and backdrops for a collaboration with the Margo Korableva Performance Theatre from Tbilisi, Georgia. Serpas discusses her sourcing process in Basel, her partnership with director David Chikhladze, and the evolution of her work from sculptures to paintings that record studio activities.

'Black Gold: Stories Untold' art exhibit reclaims forgotten histories of Black Californians at Fort Point

A new immersive art exhibition titled 'Black Gold: Stories Untold' opens at Fort Point in San Francisco, featuring 25 commissioned works by 17 artists that uncover the overlooked histories of Black Californians from the Gold Rush through Reconstruction. Curated by FOR-SITE, a nonprofit focused on art and place, the exhibition transforms the Civil War-era military fort into a multi-sensory space with beaded portraits, video installations, sculptures, and a tent installation by artist Umar Rashid. Works include Cheryl Derricotte's tribute to Mary Ellen Pleasant, a formerly enslaved woman who became a wealthy abolitionist.

Art, Music, and Poetry Converge at Rohmer Gallery

J.C. Hopkins and Linh Luu are opening Rohmer Gallery in Saugerties, New York, this month. The 500-square-foot space on Partition Street is inspired by the cross-disciplinary energy of the New York School of the 1950s and '60s, where poets, painters, and musicians like Frank O'Hara, Jackson Pollock, and John Cage influenced each other. The gallery's debut exhibition, “Look Again,” runs from June 14 to August 13 and features works by Andrea Olivia, Rina Kim, Oneslutriot, Hopkins, and ceramicist Robbie Ginsberg. In addition to visual art, the venue will host weekly acoustic performances, monthly poetry readings, and literary events tied to the couple's imprint, Eponymous Books.

Chinese art collector to open non-profit in London devoted to contemporary Asian art

Chinese art collector and philanthropist Yan Du will open Yan Du Projects (YDP), a non-profit space dedicated to contemporary Asian and Asian diasporic art, in a Grade I-listed townhouse on Bedford Square, London, this October. The venue will host exhibitions, site-specific commissions, public events, and artist residencies, with an opening show by Chinese painter Duan Jianyu. Designed by Hong Kong-based Beau Architects, the space features a modular "suitcase project" interior that respects the building's listed status and reflects diasporic themes. YDP is distinct from Yan's earlier Asymmetry Art Foundation (founded 2019) and her private collection, aiming to promote under-represented Asian artists through flexible, artist-curated programming.

Tokyo’s latest Godzilla art exhibition is a roaring tribute to the 70-year-old icon

The Mori Arts Center Gallery in Tokyo is hosting 'Godzilla The Art Exhibition', running until June 29, to celebrate the 70th anniversary of the iconic monster. Featuring over 25 artists from Japan and abroad, including Tadanori Yokoo, Sachiko Kazama, Kikuji Kawada, and actor-artist Tadanobu Asano, the exhibition presents original works in sculpture, painting, photography, diorama, and performance. Designed by the creative team Cekai, the immersive environment simulates Godzilla's destruction with cracked walls and shattered floors, while thematic chapters explore the monster as a symbol of modern anxieties, historical trauma, and cultural evolution.

Grace Kotze exhibit at Art in the Country

Renowned Durban artist Grace Kotze will present a self-curated stand of her work, including her favorite piece 'Darwin's Perch', at the Art in the Country 2025 fair in Hilton from May 22 to 25. The fair, held at Harrington House, features 62 of South Africa's top artists and includes live music. Kotze, who recently showed at the Clarens Arts Festival, draws inspiration from everyday life and cites influences such as William Kentridge and Rembrandt.

How Javier Milei’s war on history is threatening art spaces in Argentina

Argentina's President Javier Milei has escalated his campaign to rewrite the history of the country's 1976-1983 dictatorship by closing art and human-rights spaces on the grounds of the ESMA Museum and Site of Memory in Buenos Aires, a former clandestine prison turned memorial and UNESCO World Heritage Site. In January, the Haroldo Conti Cultural Centre was shuttered for 'internal restructuring,' with 50 of its 87 employees fired; in early April, the government halted operations at Espacio Memoria, suspending salary payments and funding pending an audit. Both centres are public institutions managed by the Human Rights Secretariat, which has undergone mass layoffs and changes under Milei's administration.

Winterthur’s ‘Almost Unknown’ offers immersive look at Black history and art

Winterthur Museum in Delaware has opened a new exhibition titled "Almost Unknown: The Afric-American Picture Gallery," which brings to life a fictional gallery imagined in 1859 by Black writer and schoolteacher William J. Wilson, writing under the pseudonym Ethiop. In a series of columns for the magazine "The Anglo-American," Wilson described an imaginary museum of Black history and art, featuring works like a depiction of a slave ship, a bust of poet Phillis Wheatley, and images of Crispus Attucks and Haitian Revolution heroes. Curator Jonathan Square has transformed Wilson's fantasy into an immersive, haunted-attraction-style exhibition using objects from Winterthur's collection, with dark lighting, sound effects, and false walls that evoke a carnival ride inspired by Jordan Peele films and "The Shining."

What Category Was the Most Lucrative at Auction in 2024?

The Artnet Intelligence Report's analysis of 2024 auction data reveals that Postwar and Contemporary art remained the most lucrative market category for the second consecutive year, generating nearly $4 billion. However, this represented a 20.5% decline from 2023, and every major category saw a drop in total sales. Ultra-contemporary art suffered the steepest decline at 37.9% year-over-year, as collectors avoided riskier newer artists amid economic uncertainty. Impressionist and Modern sales fell 19.3% to $3.6 billion, with only one top-five lot—Claude Monet's *Nymphéas* (1914) at $65.5 million—coming from that category. Old Masters shrank 27.8%, with growth only in the under-$10,000 bracket.

A fairy-tale exhibition in Milan: the paintings look like Disney film sets

A Milano una mostra da fiaba: i quadri sembrano scenografie da film Disney

The Galleria Gaburro in Milan is presenting a solo exhibition of British artist Iain Andrews, titled "Whispers from the Red Room." The show features over 30 paintings and a handcrafted diorama, the "Diorama del Leviatano," which Andrews uses as a source of inspiration. His work blends fairy-tale and nightmare imagery, drawing on his background as a psychotherapist specializing in childhood trauma. The paintings evoke the visual language of Disney films and Rococo art, with oil and acrylic works that range from large immersive canvases to small, intricate panels.

Diego Gualandris “Floralia” at ADA, Rome

Diego Gualandris presents "Floralia" at ADA gallery in Rome, an exhibition that explores themes of growth, nature, and human intervention through a poetic lens. The show features works that evoke the cycle of life and decay, using floral motifs to reflect on the fragility of existence and the tension between natural processes and external forces.

Nobody Can Defeat Me: The Brazilian Pavilion in Venice Between Spirituality, History and Nature

NOBODY CAN DEFEAT ME THE BRAZILIAN PAVILION IN VENICE BETWEEN SPIRITUALITY HISTORY AND NATURE

The Fundação Bienal de São Paulo has revealed the curatorial project for the Brazilian Pavilion at the 61st Venice Biennale in 2026. Titled 'Comigo ninguém pode' (Nobody Can Defeat Me), the exhibition is curated by Diane Lima and features a major two-person presentation of artists Rosana Paulino and Adriana Varejão, who will occupy the entire pavilion with an installation-based project designed by Daniela Thomas.

Special Exhibition "The Tree of the Collection, the 36th Spring: Focusing on New Acquisitions" @ Ashiya City Museum of Art & History

企画展「コレクションの樹、36年目の春 ―新収蔵品を中心に」@ 芦屋市立美術博物館

The Ashiya City Museum of Art & History is launching a special exhibition titled "The Tree of the Collection, the 36th Spring: Focusing on New Acquisitions" to celebrate its 36th anniversary. The exhibition showcases approximately 100 works, including paintings, prints, sculptures, and video art, highlighting pieces acquired since the beginning of the Reiwa era (2019) alongside the museum's founding collection. Featured artists include modern Western-style painter Narashige Koide, members of the Gutai Art Association such as Atsuko Tanaka and Jiro Yoshihara, and contemporary figures like Keiji Uematsu and Yukinori Yamamura.

The Strong Presence of Guatemalan Indigenous Artists at the Sydney Biennale

LA FUERTE PRESENCIA DE ARTISTAS INDÍGENAS GUATEMALTECOS EN LA BIENAL DE SYDNEY

The 25th Sydney Biennale, titled "Rememory" and curated by Hoor Al Qasimi, centers on colonialism and historical reparation, featuring a strong presence of Indigenous and First Nations artists. Notably, five Maya artists from Guatemala—Sandra Monterroso, Angélica Serech, Ángel Poyón, Fernando Poyón, and Edgar Calel—are participating, exploring ancestral knowledge, community practices, and tensions between Indigenous cosmologies and modernity. Their work engages with Australian debates on Indigenous sovereignty and colonial repair, challenging historical institutional representation.

Participatory Design or Processual Formalism? Frei Otto, the Ökohaus, and the Ökohäusler by Matthew Kennedy

The Ökohaus (Eco-House) project in Berlin stands as a radical experiment in participatory architecture, born from the 1987 Internationale Bauausstellung (IBA) urban renewal program. Designed by Frei Otto, the complex features three residential buildings characterized by a 'double informality' where dense foliage and a patchwork of diverse cladding materials—ranging from timber and metallic shingles to exposed concrete—create a ruin-like yet meticulously resolved aesthetic. The project challenged traditional housing models by allowing residents, or 'Ökohäusler,' to engage in a collective and individualized construction process.

New Seoul art fair HIVE drops booth fees in market experiment

The inaugural HIVE Art Fair in Seoul, opening May 21 at COEX Magok, is testing an alternative business model that eliminates fixed booth fees. Instead, galleries can choose which services and installations to pay for through a "selective purchase system," with the fair relying on ticket sales, corporate partnerships, and promotional lounges for revenue. The fair features 48 galleries (36 South Korean, 12 international) and 158 artists, with no overlapping artists between galleries, and will display exhibition titles and curatorial statements alongside gallery names.

Art exhibits open in Earlville

The Earlville Opera House Art Galleries in Earlville, New York, will open the second round of 2026 visual artist exhibitions on Saturday, May 9, from 1 to 3 p.m. The series features three artists: Bruce E. Webster with his retrospective "A Legacy in Wood" showcasing over 40 years of fine wood furniture; Linda Kays-Biviano with "From Clay to Character: Featuring Woodland Spirits," hand-sculpted fantasy figures in polymer clay and resin; and Lawrence Kinney. The exhibits run through July 2, with free admission and an Artist Talk at 1:45 p.m. on opening day.

Art and Light Gallery spotlights artist Eric Benjamin at The Anchorage

Art & Light Gallery has partnered with The Anchorage restaurant in Greenville to host an exhibition of works by local artist Eric Benjamin. The show, available virtually on the gallery's website and on view through July 7 at the restaurant, features Benjamin's landscape paintings characterized by bold color and abstract energy created with hand-mixed oil paints. A ticketed artist talk is scheduled for June 18.

The Italian Way of Symbolism in the Exhibition at the Fondazione Magnani-Rocca

La via italiana del Simbolismo nella mostra alla Fondazione Magnani-Rocca

The Fondazione Magnani-Rocca in Mamiani di Traversetolo, Parma, recently made headlines due to a dramatic theft targeting its permanent collection. Despite the incident, the museum's temporary exhibition spaces remain unaffected, and the show "Simbolismo in Italia" (Symbolism in Italy), curated by Francesco Parisi, continues without disruption. The exhibition aims to update critical discourse on Symbolism, a movement that spread across Europe from the 1880s to the early 1900s and arrived in Italy with a distinct, often tradition-rooted character. It features works by artists such as Cesare Saccaggi, Giulio Aristide Sartorio, and Adolfo Wildt, organized into thematic sections exploring literary sources, mythological landscapes, and the dual nature of femininity.

Working in Art: Opportunities from Museo Novecento, Giudicesse 2030, Premio Combat and Fondazione Club Silencio

Lavorare nell’arte: opportunità da Museo Novecento, Giudicesse 2030, Premio Combat e Fondazione Club Silencio

This article from Artribune compiles five current job and grant opportunities in the Italian art world. It highlights a crowdfunding campaign by Museo Novecento for Agnese Galiotto's artwork "Sogni" in Empoli, an open call for the fourth edition of the Giudicesse 2030 residency for filmmakers and video artists in Sant'Antioco, a call for artists using AI from Associazione culturale 360° Creativity Events for PARMA 360 Festival, a paid internship at Blob Art ETS for Premio Combat in Livorno, and a search for a project manager by Fondazione Club Silencio ETS.

Between heroes, anti-heroes and pure humanity: an exhibition in Rome becomes a metaphor for the current crisis

Tra eroi, antieroi e pura umanità una mostra a Roma diventa metafora della crisi attuale

The Museo di Roma Palazzo Braschi in Rome is hosting "It's Happening Again," a solo exhibition by artist Adrian Tranquilli, curated by Studio Stefania Miscetti and running until May 24. The show presents new works including the monumental sculpture "Endsong" (2025), a black monolith inspired by Kubrick's "2001: A Space Odyssey" covered in hundreds of Joker faces, and a large pop-up book titled "My Little White Book" (2026). Tranquilli's pieces, often built from playing cards, explore themes of power, fragility, and the instability of cultural symbols.

A giugno 2026 a Pietrasanta apre il Museo Igor Mitoraj. Opere dell’artista ma anche mostre

The article announces the opening of the Museo Igor Mitoraj in Pietrasanta, Italy, scheduled for June 6, 2026, after several years of delays. The museum is the first space entirely dedicated to the Polish sculptor Igor Mitoraj, who died in 2014 and was known for transforming Tuscan marble into works blending classical forms with fragmented, contemporary themes. Designed by OBR, Politecnica, and Studio Lumine, the museum results from collaboration between the Italian Ministry of Culture, the Municipality of Pietrasanta, and the artist's heirs, united in the Fondazione Museo Igor Mitoraj. Frank Boehm, director of the foundation, envisions the space as a research-oriented center that will engage with different artistic languages and contemporary issues, not limited to Mitoraj's work alone.

The Paradox of Contemporary Art: The World Is Violent, but the Works Are Correct and Inoffensive

Il paradosso dell’arte contemporanea: il mondo è violento, ma le opere sono corrette e inoffensive

The article examines a paradox in contemporary art: as the world grows more violent and chaotic, art has become increasingly 'correct,' morally irreproachable, and inoffensive. The author argues that over the past fifteen years, artworks have been judged primarily by their moral and identity credentials, with curators acting as moral gatekeepers and censors. This shift coincides with a period when geopolitics, history, and public behavior have spiraled out of control, creating a strange compensatory dynamic where art is expected to be perfectly controlled and polite while reality grows brutal.

Il Padiglione Italia alla Biennale? “Deve essere uno spazio di possibilità”. Intervista alla curatrice

The article announces Chiara Camoni's project "Con te con tutto" for the Italian Pavilion at the 61st Venice Biennale in 2026, curated by Cecilia Canziani. The project emphasizes relational and communal practices, rejecting the identity-driven rhetoric of national representation. It stems from a fifteen-year dialogue between artist and curator, incorporating workshops, shared readings, and collaborative works like "La Giusta Misura." The pavilion is conceived as an ecosystem of artworks, texts, and activations rather than a linear exhibition, with a catalog designed as a critical reader.

The Austrian Pavilion at the Biennale brings performances and installations around the Venice Lagoon

Il Padiglione Austria in Biennale porta performance e installazioni in giro per la Laguna di Venezia

Austrian artist and choreographer Florentina Holzinger (Vienna, 1986) will represent Austria at the 61st International Art Exhibition of the Venice Biennale with a project titled "SeaWorld Venice." Curated by Nora-Swantje Almes, the interdisciplinary initiative combines a permanent installation at the Austrian Pavilion with a series of site-specific performances and actions spread across Venice and its lagoon. The project explores the body, water, and the tensions between nature and technology, drawing on mythological and classical imagery populated by aquatic creatures. It includes "Études," performative formats developed by Holzinger since 2020, which activate urban spaces through participatory and immersive experiences, engaging both spectators and citizens.

There are 21 artists supporting the new voyage of the Global Sumud Flotilla that set sail from Sicily with painted sails

Ci sono 21 artisti a sostegno del nuovo viaggio della Global Sumud Flotilla salpata dalla Sicilia con vele dipinte

A new humanitarian mission by the Global Sumud Flotilla set sail on April 26 from Augusta, Sicily, with 59 Italian and Spanish boats heading toward Gaza. The flotilla, which follows a first attempt in September 2025 that ended with activists arrested by the Israeli military, aims to deliver humanitarian aid by early May. Twenty-one artists have joined the initiative, called Vele d'Arte, painting the sails of the boats with symbolic artworks. Among the participating artists are Gio Pistone, Antonio Curcio, Escif, Lydia Giordano, Glenda Costa, Millo, Elia Novecento, MP5, Matteo Todeschini, Alleg, Sam3, Okuda, Antonella Santonocito, Fabrizio Foti, Igor Scalisi Palmiteri, Andrea Sposari, and Salvo Ligama. The project was conceived by Carlo Alberto Giardina, who hopes the energy painted on the sails will transform into positive forces.

“Yellow Letters”: arte e politica, libertà e censura nel nuovo film di İlker Çatak

Ilker Çatak's fifth film, "Yellow Letters," premieres on April 30, 2026, distributed by Lucky Red. The story follows Derya and Aziz, a Turkish artist couple whose lives unravel after Aziz, a professor at Ankara University, receives a "yellow letter" terminating his employment. The film, inspired by post-2016 coup purges in Turkey, shifts to Berlin and Hamburg, where the director deliberately avoids mimicking Turkish locations, instead using explicit captions like "Berlin as Ankara" to create a Brechtian alienation effect. Çatak explores how arbitrary state repression fractures personal relationships and moral boundaries, drawing on interviews with artists who faced unjust dismissals.

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.

Inside a Black Panther Family Album

Scholar Leigh Raiford examines the personal family archives of Black Panther Party leaders Kathleen and Eldridge Cleaver, specifically focusing on photographs taken during their period of exile in the 1970s. The analysis centers on how domestic objects, such as a zebra-print carver chair and various African artifacts, transitioned from private household items to iconic symbols of Black Power and cultural nationalism in the public sphere.

Mexican Artist Alleges Plagiarism of Femicide Project

Mexican artist Elina Chauvet has accused Romanian news anchor Alessandra Stoicescu of plagiarizing her famous installation, "Zapatos Rojos" (Red Shoes). The dispute arose after Stoicescu organized a public intervention titled "Dragostea poartă pantofii roșii" outside the Romanian Athenaeum to mark new femicide legislation, featuring hundreds of red shoes in a manner nearly identical to Chauvet’s long-running global project. Chauvet claims this is the second time Stoicescu has co-opted her work without authorization or credit, following a similar incident in 2018.