ICYMI: From the Princeton Art Museum to the Present Day Club – Docents on the Wall

An exhibition titled "Docents on the Wall" was held at the Present Day Club in Princeton, NJ, featuring artwork created by docents from the Princeton University Art Museum. The show included paintings, photographs, weaving, and collage by participating artists Laura Berlik, Hetty Baiz, Dee Gozonsky, Judy Langille, Denise McDaniel, Elizabeth Quatrano, Ellen Rogers, Connie Shaffer, and Adria Sherman. Notable works included Denise McDaniel's "Nassau Hall" and Hetty Baiz's richly textured piece.

Da Medardo Rosso a Josef Albers: il Novecento va in asta da Il Ponte a Milano

Il Ponte auction house in Milan will hold sales of Modern and Contemporary Art on May 26-27, 2026, followed by Prints and Multiples, with previews from May 22-24 at Palazzo Crivelli. Highlights include Josef Albers' *Study for Homage to the Square: Full Tenor* (1959, estimate €200,000-300,000), Medardo Rosso's wax sculpture *Enfant juif* (€70,000-80,000), and works by Giorgio Morandi, Bruno Munari, Felice Casorati, Giorgio de Chirico, and others spanning the 20th and 21st centuries.

WUF13: Director of National Art Museum explains how art shapes cities and urban change [INTERVIEW]

At the 13th session of the World Urban Forum (WUF13) in Baku, Shirin Malikova, director of the Azerbaijan National Art Museum, gave an interview discussing how art reflects and shapes urban development. She cited historical examples such as Bernardo Bellotto's 18th-century vedute paintings, which were used to reconstruct Warsaw's historic center after WWII, and the Eiffel Tower, originally a temporary installation that became a permanent symbol of Paris. The museum also presented an exhibition at the forum focusing on Baku's transformation across different eras, highlighting how art captures the multilayered history and cultural identity of cities.

Color in Full Bloom: Chihuly Transforms Meijer Gardens

Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park in Grand Rapids, Michigan, will host "CHIHULY at Meijer Gardens" from May 2 to November 1, 2026, featuring the largest exhibition of Dale Chihuly's work ever held at the institution. The show includes 12 large-scale outdoor installations, over 80 indoor glass pieces, and 40 related drawings, with a 30-foot tower and glass boats in the Japanese Gardens. This marks the third Chihuly exhibition at Meijer Gardens, following shows in 2002 and 2010, and is one of only two 2026 exhibitions of the artist's work worldwide—the only one in America.

New art exhibition to open this summer as part of Glasgow International 2026

A new two-person exhibition titled "Painting, our mutual friend" will open at Glasgow Print Studio on June 4, 2026, as part of Glasgow International 2026. Featuring artists Lorna Robertson and Andrew Cranston, who are life partners, the show runs through August 1 and includes etchings, monoprints, watercolours, and oil paintings that explore their individual and shared experiences. The works were developed through experimental residencies at the studio between 2025 and 2026.

Sotheby’s Summer Sale Gathers $433.1M, Thanks To Rothko Painting

Sotheby’s summer contemporary auction in New York raised $433.1 million, far exceeding the $186.1 million from its comparable sale last year. The highlight was the $85.8 million sale of Mark Rothko’s *Brown and Blacks in Reds* (1957) from the estate of late dealer Robert Mnuchin and his wife Adriana, whose 11 blue-chip works fetched $166.3 million against a $130 million estimate. Other top lots included Jean-Michel Basquiat’s *Museum Security (Broadway Meltdown)* at $52.7 million and Willem de Kooning’s *Untitled III* at $26 million.

Korean modern masters lead K Auction’s May sale

K Auction will hold its May sale on May 27 at its headquarters in Sinsa-dong, Seoul, offering 83 works by Korean modern and contemporary masters with a combined estimated value of around 10.4 billion won. Highlights include Suh Do-ho's large-scale installation "Cause & Effect" (estimated 280 million to 600 million won), Kim Whan-ki's untitled 1969 painting from his New York period (estimated 780 million to 1.5 billion won), and Yoo Young-kuk's abstract landscape "Mountain" from 1988 (estimated 400 million to 800 million won). The sale also features works by Dansaekhwa artists Yun Hyong-keun, Park Seo-bo, and Lee Ufan, alongside contemporary artists Angel Otero, Anna Park, and Woo Kuk-won.

Between Ritual and Institution: Andrea Canepa's Interventions in Spain

ENTRE EL RITO Y LA INSTITUCIÓN: LAS INTERVENCIONES DE ANDREA CANEPA EN ESPAÑA

Andrea Canepa, a Peruvian artist born in 1980, has installed "Fardo" at the Palacio de Cristal in Madrid's Parque del Retiro, running from January 13, 2026 to January 1, 2027. The work wraps the building's perimeter in a printed fabric bearing patterns from Paracas funerary textiles, a pre-Columbian culture from southern Peru. Created during the palace's ongoing restoration (which began in 2023), the installation challenges the building's colonial history—it was built for the 1887 Exhibition of the Philippine Islands—by introducing indigenous visual and ritual references. Canepa also presented "Entre lo profundo y lo distante" at the IVAM in Valencia until April 12, 2026, which uses Andean huacas (sacred spaces) to propose a non-linear relationship between time, body, and space. Both works transform passive contemplation into active, bodily participation, using ritual as a means to reorganize the exhibition experience.

Hamburg Culture Prize Renamed After Namesake’s Nazi Ties Emerge

Hamburg's Senator Biermann Ratjen Medal, a culture prize awarded for nearly five decades, is being renamed the Medal for Art and Culture in Hamburg after historian Helmut Stubbe da Luz uncovered evidence that the prize's namesake, Hans Harder Biermann-Ratjen, confirmed his Nazi Party membership in a 1943 application. Biermann-Ratjen, who later served as Hamburg's senator for culture, had been deemed not to have been a member during post-war de-Nazification, but the new research prompted the city to rebrand the award.

ArtPhilly Presents “What Now: 2026”

ArtPhilly has announced the inaugural edition of its city-wide festival, "What Now: 2026," scheduled to open on May 27, 2026, coinciding with the 250th anniversary of the United States. The five-week event will feature over 30 newly commissioned projects by Philadelphia-based artists, including performances, installations, and podcasts, staged across festival districts in public spaces and institutions. The festival is led by Creative and Executive Director Bill Adair and Curatorial and Deputy Director Tania Isaac, with a curatorial committee of 17 local curators selecting works that explore the nation's past, present, and future.

Art bartering: artists start viral social media trend to fight cost of living crisis

Artists worldwide are using social media platforms like Instagram and TikTok to barter their artwork for goods and services instead of money, in a viral trend responding to the cost of living crisis. Participants trade paintings for items such as handmade clothes, jewelry, tattoos, accommodation, meals, and professional services like video editing or framing, with some simply inviting offers. Artists like Lin Snow, Oli Fowler, and Andrea Mongenie cite economic pressures and anti-capitalist motivations, viewing bartering as a way to build community and bypass financial systems that leave creatives struggling.

What Does the Future Hold for Female Collectors? We Got a Sneak Peek.

CULTURED Editor-in-Chief Sarah Harrelson hosted a panel discussion at Christie’s Rockefeller Center with collectors Tiffany Zabludowicz, Sophia Cohen, and Victoria Rogers, exploring the evolving role of women in the art market. The event coincided with Christie’s Marquee Week sales, which included a record-breaking $1.1 billion night, and featured works from the collections of legendary female patrons such as Agnes Gund, Marian Goodman, Lorinda de Roulet, and Marilyn Arison. Guests viewed masterpieces on display and received remarks from Christie’s Senior Vice President Isabella Lauria, who is leading the 21st Century Sale on May 20.

New Exhibition Explores Albuquerque’s “Big I” as a Crossroads of Culture, Memory, and Movement

A new group exhibition titled 'At the East of My Past and the West of My Future' opens at the South Broadway Cultural Center Gallery in Albuquerque, running from May 28 to July 17. Curated by multidisciplinary artist Watermelon7, the show features 14 artists who reinterpret the city's iconic Big I interchange as a symbol of movement, identity, and transformation. Inspired by Jack Kerouac's 'On the Road' and Route 66, the works explore personal and collective journeys through paintings, mixed-media pieces, and installations.

Theme and title announced for Wang Shu and Lu Wenyu’s 2027 Venice Architecture Biennale

Wang Shu and Lu Wenyu have announced the theme and title for the 2027 Venice Architecture Biennale: "Do Architecture – For the Possibility of Coexistence Facing a Real Reality." The curators posed a series of questions addressing global climate change, the coexistence of land and architecture, natural materials versus modern construction, and urban-rural development conflicts. They emphasized that architecture is not just theoretical but must be practiced firsthand, confronting real reality through real construction. The duo, founders of Amateur Architecture Studio, have a long history with the Biennale, having participated in 2006 and 2010, where they received a Special Mention for their project 'Decay of a Dome.' The twentieth edition of the Architecture Biennale opens in May 2027.

For the 50th anniversary of his death, the controversial photographer Pierre Molinier at the heart of an important biography

Pour le cinquantenaire de sa mort, le sulfureux photographe Pierre Molinier au cœur d’une importante biographie

A new biography of the provocative French photographer and painter Pierre Molinier (1900–1976) has been published to mark the 50th anniversary of his death. Co-published by Mollat and L'Arbre vengeur, the book "Molinier. Une vie d'enfer" is an updated and expanded version of Pierre Petit's 1992 text, incorporating newly surfaced documents and reflecting Molinier's growing international recognition.

À Sars-Poteries, le MusVerre célèbre pour ses dix ans toutes les infinies possibilités de l’art verrier

The MusVerre in Sars-Poteries, France, celebrates its tenth anniversary with a new exhibition titled "Enchanté – La fabrique des histoires," curated by Laura Bouvard. The museum, which opened in 2016 in a distinctive blue beveled building, houses over 800 glass artworks and 3,000 ancient pottery pieces, originating from the passion of amateur collector Louis Mériaux. Under new director Laetitia Messager, the museum is forging collaborations with the Musée de Charleroi, Cirva Marseille, and Frac Normandie, and plans to host a symposium in autumn to mark the anniversary.

From Two Tons of Celadon, Jean Shin Sculpts a Metaphor for the Korean Diaspora

Artist Jean Shin has created "Celadon Landscape," a monumental installation at the Green-House at Green-Wood in New York, using nearly two tons of discarded celadon porcelain fragments donated by studios in Icheon, South Korea. The work features two large bulbous vessels covered in broken shards of cups, saucers, and pots, appearing to emerge from the earth as if unearthed in an archaeological dig. The installation is on view through January 17.

Glimpse the Fantastical Animated World of ‘Wildwood’

A feature-length animated film adaptation of the young adult novel *Wildwood* is in production at LAIKA Studios, directed by Travis Knight. The story follows a girl named Prue who ventures into a magical forest called the Impassable Wilderness after her baby brother is carried off by crows, accompanied by her classmate Curtis. The film is based on an original story by Colin Meloy, illustrated by Carson Ellis, and features a voice cast including Carey Mulligan, Mahershala Ali, Awkwafina, and Angela Bassett. A behind-the-scenes featurette highlights LAIKA's blend of hand-built puppets, sets, and CGI, with particular attention to animating the bird characters of the Avian Principality. The trailer is released, and the film is scheduled for release on October 23.

Art exhibition at P.E.I. Farm Centre features work of Wendy Jones

The P.E.I. Farm Centre in Charlottetown is hosting an exhibition titled "Chaos Corralled: Art Harvested from the Heart of Havoc" by Belle River artist Wendy Jones, running from May 20 to June 30. The show features paintings and photographs, with an opening reception on May 20 where Jones will demonstrate fluid art techniques and offer visitors a chance to create their own miniature pour paintings.

Phoenix Airport Museum Celebrates Museum Month

Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport is celebrating Museum Month and International Museum Day (May 18) by highlighting the Phoenix Airport Museum's exhibitions. The museum, which began as an art program in the 1960s with Paul Coze's mural "The Phoenix" and officially became a museum 38 years ago, has presented over 500 exhibitions focusing on Arizona's culture. It now houses more than 1,000 artworks across 40 display areas, including architecturally integrated pieces and portable works. Current exhibitions include "Spectral Alchemy" (15 local artists exploring light), "Fluoresce" (blacklight paintings), "Time & Place" (paintings by Martin Dimitrov), "Runway Fashion" (vintage flight attendant uniforms), and several others in Terminals 3 and 4, both pre- and post-security.

Indigenous Artist Honors Grandmothers at All My Relations Arts

Danielle SeeWalker, a Húŋkpapȟa Lakȟóta artist from the Standing Rock Sioux Nation, presents her solo exhibition *Uŋči Said So* at All My Relations Arts in Minneapolis, running through June 6. The show features vibrant expressionist portraits of grandmothers and matriarchs, neon signs with Lakȟóta words, and painted buffalo-hide drum heads, all inspired by memories, stories, and the artist's own heritage. SeeWalker incorporates distinctive motifs such as obscured faces with one realistic eye, braided hair symbolizing Native identity, and censored sections representing the repression of Native voices.

Groundwork: Watershed Staff Exhibition Opening Reception

Watershed Center for the Ceramic Arts in Newcastle, Maine, is hosting the opening reception of "Groundwork," a multi-medium gallery exhibition featuring work by the center's year-round and seasonal staff. The event takes place on June 5, 2026, from 5:00 to 7:00 PM, with drinks and light snacks. Artists include Jen Barrows, Torie Crouse, Matthew Dercole, David S. East, Jeremy Felton, Aidan Fraser, Callie Jacks, Helena Jefferson, Emmett Jorgensen, Every Leclair, Milly McClellan, Layla Trunzo, and Eloise Warren.

The largest U.S. showcase of ancient Italy's fascinating Etruscan culture debuts at Legion of Honor.

The Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco have opened "The Etruscans: From the Heart of Ancient Italy" at the Legion of Honor, the largest U.S. exhibition dedicated to the ancient Etruscan civilization. Curated by Renée Dreyfus, the show brings together approximately 150 objects borrowed from 28 institutions, including the Vatican, the British Museum, and the Metropolitan Museum of Art. It explores Etruscan engineering, architecture, art, and social customs, including the elevated status of women, and features highlights such as a granulated gold drinking bowl and the bronze Liver of Piacenza.

'Set In Stone' at David Zwirner, New York: 69th Street, United States on 12 May–26 Jun 2026

David Zwirner presents 'Set In Stone,' a group exhibition organized with Galerie Kugel, running from May 12 to June 26, 2026, at its East 69th Street location in New York. Curated by Emma Kronman, the show pairs modern and contemporary paintings and sculpture from Zwirner's program with antique hardstone objects from Galerie Kugel's collection, spanning classical antiquity to the nineteenth century.

Endre Koronczi on Representing Hungary at the 61st Venice Biennale

Endre Koronczi, the artist representing Hungary at the 61st Venice Biennale (2026), discusses his upcoming exhibition in the Giardini pavilion. His project, titled "Pneuma Cosmic," explores the movement of air as both a physical and metaphysical phenomenon, drawing on decades of research into invisible forces like wind and breath. The exhibition also references his long-term experimental zone, Ploubuter Park, inspired by drifting plastic bags. Koronczi notes a strong resonance with the Biennale's curatorial theme, "In Minor Keys" by Koyo Kouoh, describing it as a "cosmic zeitgeist."

In Rome, the extension of the Galleria Borghese provokes a revolt

À Rome, l’extension de la Galerie Borghèse provoque une fronde

The Galleria Borghese in Rome has sparked controversy by initiating a feasibility study for a new building attached to its 17th-century villa. Museum director Francesca Cappelletti, in office since 2020, cites the need to increase visitor capacity, improve security, and create spaces for mediation, conferences, and temporary exhibitions. The museum, which saw nearly 630,000 visitors in 2025, operates with strict two-hour time slots capped at 180 people, often sold out in high season. Engineering firm Proger has offered to fund the study for €875,750 in exchange for institutional visibility, and Rome's mayor Roberto Gualtieri has declared the project of public interest.

The appalling mediocrity of the chosen project for the 'Grande Colonnade' of the Louvre

L'effarante médiocrité du projet retenu pour la « Grande Colonnade » du Louvre

The French Ministry of Culture has announced the winning team for the 'Grande Colonnade' project at the Louvre, selecting STUDIOS Architecture Paris and Selldorf Architects. The ministry's press release, described as self-congratulatory and written in trendy bureaucratic language, celebrates the choice as a major advancement. However, the article criticizes the lack of transparency, noting that only three exterior visuals have been released, and argues that the project is unfunded and threatens necessary renovations at the museum, as previously highlighted by the Cour des Comptes and parliamentary representatives.

Landscape and Imagery Help MOWA Celebrate the Country’s 250th Birthday

The Museum of Wisconsin Art (MOWA) in West Bend has opened a new exhibition titled "The American Landscape: Beyond the Horizon," celebrating the role of Wisconsin artists in capturing the state's contributions to the United States ahead of the country's 250th birthday. The show features over 60 works, 60% from the museum's permanent collection and 40% borrowed from artists and collectors, including pieces by John Stuart Curry, Lois Ireland, Georgia O'Keeffe, Native American artists like Helen Lonetree and Lila Greengrass Blackdeer, and contemporary works by incarcerated artist M. Winston. Guest curator Rafael Salas, a professor at Ripon College, also includes three of his own works.

Why We Need Corporate Art Collections

The article traces the history and significance of corporate art collections, beginning with Deutsche Bank's acquisition of 57 early drawings by Joseph Beuys in the late 1970s, which led to the formal launch of its collection in 1980. Today, the Deutsche Bank Collection comprises over 57,000 objects displayed in 500 locations across 40 countries, and the bank sponsors events like the Frieze Art Fair. The piece also highlights the role of American banker David Rockefeller, who inaugurated Chase Manhattan Bank's Art at Work program in 1959, and notes that corporate collecting has deep roots in Renaissance banking, with institutions like Banca Monte dei Paschi di Siena commissioning art for their offices.

entering tilda swinton's ongoing world of ghosts, garments, and artistic fellowship

Designboom revisits Tilda Swinton's iconic sleeping performance piece, originally staged with artist Cornelia Parker, as part of a new exhibition titled 'Flat 19' that reconstructs Swinton's former London apartment alongside filmmaker Joanna Hogg. The show also features 'A Biographical Wardrobe,' displaying garments from Swinton's films, performances, and personal archives, creating an immersive exploration of her artistic collaborations and personal history.