How the Venice Biennale imploded over Israel

The 61st Venice Biennale, scheduled to open on May 9, has been thrown into turmoil after its International Jury announced that national pavilions and artists representing countries whose leaders are charged with crimes against humanity by the International Criminal Court will not be eligible for prizes. This excludes Israel, represented by sculptor Belu-Simion Fainaru, and Russia from competing for the Golden Lion. The decision follows an open letter signed by hundreds of artists and curators demanding Israel's exclusion over the war in Gaza, and comes amid ongoing geopolitical tensions, including Russia's absence from previous editions after its invasion of Ukraine. The Biennale's theme, 'In Minor Keys,' curated by the late Koyo Kouoh, aimed to focus on dignity and listening to marginalized voices, but the prize ban has sparked accusations that identity politics are overshadowing artistic merit.

Is Museum Wall Text the Next Political Battleground?

The Smithsonian Institution has altered or removed interpretive wall text that accompanies artworks on display, according to a New York Times report. Critics argue these changes amount to self-censorship, suggesting the institution is bowing to political pressure by softening or eliminating contextual language that could be seen as controversial.

France Passes Law Easing Process of Returning Looted Art

France has passed a new law that simplifies the process of returning looted art and cultural artifacts to their countries of origin. The legislation, championed by President Emmanuel Macron, is seen as a major step in addressing colonial-era acquisitions, particularly for African artworks held in French museums. Experts describe the law as a seismic shift in restitution policy, enabling faster and more systematic returns without requiring individual parliamentary approvals for each item.

Venice Biennale Jury Resigns Amid Tension Over Awards Ban

The jury of the Venice Biennale, the world's most prominent art exhibition, has resigned collectively amid a dispute over a proposed ban on awarding artists from countries whose leaders are accused of crimes against humanity. The jury had declared it would not consider such artists for prizes, leading to internal tensions and ultimately their resignation.

Iran’s Participation in the Venice Biennale Still Uncertain

Iran’s participation in the 61st Venice Biennale remains uncertain after a public contradiction emerged between the Biennale Foundation and Iran’s Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance (MCIG). The Biennale Foundation had announced that Iran would not participate in the 2026 edition, curated by Koyo Kouoh, but Aydin Mahdizadeh Tehrani, director general of visual arts at the MCIG and commissioner of the Iranian Pavilion, stated in an interview with the Iranian Students’ News Agency (ISNA) that Iran never submitted a withdrawal letter. Instead, Iran requested more time and sent a letter on May 10 asking for the pavilion to open even if ineligible for prizes. Mahdizadeh Tehrani cited the US-Israel war with Iran as causing currency fluctuations that nearly tripled projected costs, complicating prior agreements, and noted that Iran had proposed a shorter exhibition period, which the Biennale rejected.

At Luckygirl Gourmet Gallery, Art Leads and Snacks Follow

Nikki Brovold has opened Luckygirl Gourmet Gallery in Portland's Pearl District, a hybrid space where art takes precedence over food. The gallery's inaugural exhibition, "Who's That Girl," features nine artists including Tom Relth, Eric Rue, Paul Solevad, Michelle Yamamoto, Richard Cutshall, and Paula Bullwinkel, with a focus on abstractive figuration and feminine perspectives. Brovold, who previously worked at a global consulting firm in New York and as a gallerist at the Portland Art Museum, curates the art while also offering a small selection of elevated snacks and drinks, such as Makabi & Sons cookies and Puff Coffee cold brew. The space is co-owned by Brovold's husband, Shawn Przybilla.

Street artist Ozmo acquitted in court: 'His work is not vandalism and has cultural value' (but in the meantime it has been erased)

Lo street artist Ozmo assolto in tribunale: “La sua opera non è imbrattamento e ha valore culturale” (ma nel frattempo è stata cancellata)

In summer 2022, street artist Ozmo (Gionata Gesi) created an unauthorized site-specific work on the Fonte di San Cerbone in Baratti, Italy, depicting two Etruscan coins with Medusa's face. The work sparked debate: the Piombino municipality and museum director Carolina Megale welcomed it, but the Soprintendenza (cultural heritage authority) reported it to prosecutors as illegal defacement. The artwork was vandalized and later removed in April 2023. On April 29, the Livorno court acquitted Ozmo, ruling that his intervention was not a crime but an artwork with cultural value, setting a legal precedent.

Roma insiste sulla rigenerazione urbana: Stefano Boeri trasforma un ex deposito di bus in oasi verde per uffici, commerci e cultura

Stefano Boeri Architetti has been commissioned to transform a former ATAC bus depot in Rome's Prati-Delle Vittorie district into a multifunctional hub called Depositi delle Vittorie. The project, owned by the family behind the Fondazione Memmo, will convert the 16,000-square-meter disused site into a mixed-use complex featuring commercial, cultural, and leisure spaces, along with a 8,000-square-meter rooftop park suspended 15 meters high that will host art installations. Construction is set to begin in late 2027 and conclude by 2030.

Ministry of Culture inspectors present report on Biennale: Russia pavilion will remain closed

Gli ispettori del Ministero della Cultura in Biennale presentano relazione: il padiglione Russia resterà chiuso

Italian Ministry of Culture inspectors have submitted a report to the Prime Minister's office regarding Russia's participation in the 2026 Venice Art Biennale. The report concludes that Russia did not receive a formal invitation from the Biennale Foundation to participate, nor did it sign the participation agreement—a situation shared by other countries with permanent pavilions. While Russia submitted a project and appointed a commissioner, its pavilion will remain closed to the public due to EU sanctions, though a private vernissage may proceed. The report finds no serious violations that would cancel Russia's participation, but notes critical issues that warranted more caution. The international jury resigned en masse after announcing it would not consider countries whose leaders are accused of crimes against humanity by the International Criminal Court, including Russia and Israel, and after an Israeli artist threatened a discrimination lawsuit.

Plas Art Show goes back to basics with renewed focus on its sculpture, 3-D work

The Plas Art Show, a Seoul-based art fair specializing in sculpture and three-dimensional works, returns for its 11th edition from June 4 at Coex in Gangnam District. Featuring 102 galleries (91 domestic and 11 from Taiwan, Germany, Japan, and Georgia), the fair presents roughly 750 artists and 3,500 works under the theme “New Chance.” Fair president Shin Jun-won acknowledged criticism that the event had drifted from its sculptural focus and announced stricter curation, including on-site inspections and penalties for galleries that fail to include at least one three-dimensional artist and one stereoscopic work. Standard booth prices range from 5.7 to 6.7 million won, which Shin says attracts Gangnam-area galleries priced out of larger venues.

Notre-Dame : les associations attaquent le projet

Two French heritage associations, Sites & Monuments and SOS Paris, have filed legal challenges against the project to replace the stained-glass windows of Notre-Dame de Paris. The groups have submitted requests to an emergency judge and to the administrative court, seeking to suspend the works, which have already begun and threaten to remove the original windows by Viollet-le-Duc within days. The judge will rule on whether there is a serious doubt about the legality of the decision.

Arte Museum, BTS team up for immersive "Arirang" exhibition in Las Vegas, Busan and New York

Digital art venue Arte Museum, operated by Seoul-based design company d'strict, has partnered with K-pop group BTS for a large-scale immersive exhibition titled "Arte Museum X BTS The City Arirang." Inspired by BTS's new album "Arirang," the exhibit debuted on Wednesday at the museum's Las Vegas branch and will run through June 17, with subsequent openings in Busan on June 5 and in New York at a later date. The show features five original media artworks—including "No. 29," "Body to Body," "Swim," "2.0," and "Into the Sun"—alongside an updated "Arirang Wave" installation, an interactive "Live Sketchbook" space, and a BTS-themed cafe. It is part of the band's "The City" project, which extends the concert experience into local venues during their "Arirang" world tour.

Cascadia Art Museum: A whole new experience

Cascadia Art Museum has undergone a transformation, offering visitors a completely renewed experience. The article highlights the museum's refreshed approach, though the full details are behind a paywall for subscribers.

The autumn edition has arrived: discover the Art Shopping fair at the Carrousel du Louvre.

The Art Shopping fair returns to the Carrousel du Louvre in Paris for its autumn edition, running from October 23 to 25, 2026. The 38th edition features over 300 artists and galleries from around the world, showcasing painting, sculpture, digital art, printmaking, street art, and photography. The fair attracts more than 10,000 visitors annually and offers a free admission weekend, with Friday reserved for invitation-only entry.

Exhibition and meet-the-artist session: Nuit Blanche 2026 at the Polish Institute in Paris

The Polish Institute in Paris is participating in the 25th edition of Nuit Blanche on June 6-7, 2026, with a program featuring photographer and war correspondent Agata Grzybowska, who will give an artist talk titled "Everyone deserves their own story," followed by a guided tour of an exhibition by Anglo-Polish photojournalist Chris Niedenthal. The event runs from 8 p.m. to 11 p.m., offering free access to the public as part of the citywide contemporary art festival.

Take this arty road trip, and dive into the work of a top Colorado talent

Artist Ana María Hernando currently has solo exhibitions at both the Museum of Contemporary Art Denver and the Colorado Springs Fine Arts Center, a rare double-header in Colorado art history. In Denver, "Seguir cantando (Keep Singing)" fills the museum's second floor with new and recent works, while in Colorado Springs, "Cantando Bajito (Singing Softly)" functions more as a career retrospective. Both shows feature Hernando's signature textile installations made from yards of tulle, including the monumental new piece "Seguimos cantando (Waterfalls)" at MCA Denver.

Istanbul exhibition features artist voice via art at Karaköy Palace | Daily Sabah

The Kültür Medeniyet Vakfı (KÜME) opened its ArtıKÜME 2025 and ODAK exhibitions at Karaköy Palas in Istanbul on Saturday, featuring 25 projects across disciplines from digital art to calligraphy under the theme 'Mümkün' ('Possible'). The exhibition transforms the historic Karaköy Palas into a platform for experimental and process-driven works, with artists like Muharrem Dalhan presenting interactive installations such as 'Threshold,' which critiques algorithm-driven media environments. The ODAK project was also introduced as a platform tracking cultural production across Türkiye, with its first publication, the ODAK 2025 book, launched alongside the exhibition.

Venice Biennale jury to avoid artists from nations with ICC-charged leaders

The jury for the Venice Biennale International Art Exhibition announced on April 24, 2026, that they will not consider artists from countries whose leaders face charges at the International Criminal Court, an apparent reference to Israel and Russia. The five jury members, tasked with selecting Golden and Silver Lion winners among 110 participants, stated they felt compelled to commit to the defense of human rights. The ICC has issued arrest warrants for Russian President Vladimir Putin and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for alleged war crimes. The decision follows criticism of the Biennale for allowing Russia to reopen its pavilion after its 2022 invasion of Ukraine.

Hamburg Culture Prize No Longer Named After Biermann-Ratjen

Hamburger Kulturpreis heißt nicht mehr nach Biermann-Ratjen

The Hamburg Senate has renamed the Senator-Biermann-Ratjen Medal, a prestigious cultural award, to the "Medaille für Kunst und Kultur in Hamburg" (Medal for Art and Culture in Hamburg). The decision follows a 2024 review of historical records revealing that Hans Harder Biermann-Ratjen (1901–1969), the former culture senator for whom the medal was named, was a member of the Nazi Party (NSDAP). Historian Helmut Stubbe da Luz presented evidence in June 2024 that Biermann-Ratjen had disclosed his NSDAP membership in a 1943 application to the Reich Literature Chamber when seeking to publish a novel.

Where to go in Venice?

Wohin in Venedig?

Nicoletta Fiorucci, a collector and philanthropist, shares her personal recommendations for experiencing Venice beyond the tourist crowds. She suggests quiet gardens, romantic detours, hidden islands, and the best addresses for authentic local cuisine, offering insider tips for navigating the city's bustling atmosphere.

Iran will not participate in the Biennale

Iran nimmt nicht an Biennale teil

Iran has withdrawn from the Venice Biennale, according to an announcement by the Biennale organization reported in Italian media. No reasons were given for the decision. The withdrawal comes amid significant turmoil at the Biennale just days before its official opening on Saturday: the entire jury resigned over disputes regarding the treatment of Russia and Israel, the opening ceremony was canceled, and the traditional awarding of Golden Lions at the start has been postponed to the final day in November, with winners now to be decided by visitor vote rather than a jury.

Investigators search again for stolen Celtic gold treasure

Ermittler suchen erneut nach gestohlenem Kelten-Goldschatz

More than three years after the theft of a Celtic gold treasure from the Kelten Römer Museum in Manching, Bavaria, investigators are conducting a new search for the missing loot. Four perpetrators were arrested and sentenced to long prison terms in July 2025, but only a small portion of the stolen gold coins was recovered. Now, based on new intelligence, Bavarian state police are searching the property of the main suspect and his partner in Plate, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, using X-ray and radar technology. They believe 411 gold coins and a gold casting ingot—about three kilograms of gold—are professionally hidden there, along with cash from other burglaries. The suspect's partner is under investigation for money laundering for allegedly offering to help sell the gold.

NRW will Verbot für Handel mit Holocaust-Dokumenten

The German state of North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW) is introducing a legislative bill to ban the commercial trade of personal Holocaust documents and artifacts, such as letters from concentration camps, Gestapo cards, and yellow stars. The initiative follows international outrage over a planned auction in Neuss in November 2025, which was halted at the last moment; around 460 objects from that auction were transferred to the Auschwitz-Birkenau Foundation. The bill, to be presented at the Bundesrat session on May 8, aims to prohibit the sale of items directly linked to Nazi victims, while exempting museums, archives, and research institutions.

Berliner Kulturverwaltung arbeitet an Reformen

Berlin's cultural administration is pressing ahead with reforms to make funding for projects against antisemitism legally secure, following the resignation of Culture Senator Sarah Wedl-Wilson. Cultural State Secretary Cerstin Richter-Kotowski told the culture committee that a working group established under Wedl-Wilson is now implementing recommendations from the state audit office report, which had found serious legal violations and omissions in the allocation of funds for antisemitism prevention projects. Richter-Kotowski emphasized that the administration continues its normal operations despite the leadership change, and she publicly thanked both Wedl-Wilson and the recently dismissed State Secretary Oliver Friederici for their service.

In Greece, the Thessalonikéon Métropolis Archaeological Museum Opens Its Doors

En Grèce, le musée archéologique Thessalonikéon Métropolis ouvre ses portes

The Thessalonikéon Métropolis archaeological museum opened on May 7 in Thessaloniki, Greece, inside the renovated Pavlos Melas barracks (Building A3). Its collection of over 300,000 objects—including ceramics, jewelry, mosaics, sarcophagi, and architectural fragments—was unearthed during the construction of the city's metro system, which began in 2006 and became the largest rescue excavation in northern Greece. The centerpiece is the Decumanus Maximus, a well-preserved Roman-Byzantine commercial street discovered at the Venizelou station, nicknamed "Byzantine Pompeii." The museum's restoration cost about €14.5 million, partly funded by European Union funds, while the total archaeological interventions cost between €75 and €203 million.

Aristophil : Gérard Lhéritier obtient une peine aménagée

Gérard Lhéritier, founder of the investment firm Aristophil, has had his prison sentence reduced to two years under electronic monitoring after pleading guilty in a French plea-bargaining procedure. Originally sentenced in December 2025 to five years in prison for fraud, Lhéritier's scheme involved selling shares in manuscripts and historical documents, causing losses estimated at several hundred million euros to nearly 18,000 investors.

Resignation of the Venice Biennale Jury

Démission du jury de la Biennale de Venise

The entire jury of the Venice Biennale has resigned. The mass resignation follows internal disputes over the selection process for the next edition's artistic director, with jurors citing a lack of transparency and interference from the Biennale's board.

Tripura artist's solo exhibition in Mumbai inaugurated by Guv Jishnu Dev Varma

The solo art exhibition of Tapati Bhowmik Majumder, Tripura's first National Award-winning woman artist, opened on May 12 at Mumbai's Jahangir Art Gallery. The show was inaugurated by Maharashtra Governor Jishnu Dev Varma, marking the first time a Governor of Maharashtra has attended an inauguration at the gallery. Special guests included professor and artist Maruti Selke and actress Jayati Bhatia. The exhibition runs through May 18.

Venice Biennale jury excludes Russia and Israel from artist awards as EU threatens funding cut

The Venice Biennale jury has excluded Russia and Israel from eligibility for artist awards, following the EU's threat to cut funding over geopolitical concerns. The decision bars artists from these countries from being considered for official prizes at the prestigious international art exhibition.

Story of Stampé is the new social atelier in Turin: art gallery, workshop, laboratory of ideas and participation

Storia di Stampé è il nuovo atelier sociale di Torino: galleria d’arte, bottega, laboratorio di idee e di partecipazione

Stampé, a new community atelier in Turin, Italy, has opened at Via Stampatori 5, a historic street once home to printers. The space is a hybrid cultural hub combining an art gallery, a workshop, a showroom for artisanal and food products, and a social enterprise incubator. It launched with a group exhibition featuring seven cultural associations and the communication agency Hello Tomorrow, showcasing works by emerging artists and graphic artworks from past events. The initiative is part of the "Piani Generativi 2" social enterprise development project, funded by the city of Turin and the Compagnia di San Paolo foundation.