World Press Photo 2026 winners – in pictures

The World Press Photo 2026 winners have been announced, with Carol Guzy awarded the top honor for her image of distraught girls clinging to their father as ICE agents detain him after an immigration hearing in New York City. Finalists include Saber Nuraldin’s photograph of Palestinians scrambling for aid in Gaza, Victor J Blue’s image of Achi women outside a Guatemala City court, and other powerful works documenting climate displacement in Mexico, a wedding during a typhoon in the Philippines, police detaining a priest at a pensioners’ protest in Argentina, and a social robot in Europe.

‘We’re attached to this land like a tree is rooted in soil’: unexpectedly timely exhibition speaks up for the people of south Lebanon

An exhibition titled 'Forget Me Not: South Lebanon in Memory and Motion' was held at London's Palestine House earlier this month. It featured archival news footage from 2000, photographs, audiovisual materials, and children's drawings to document the history, culture, and resilience of southern Lebanon, a region experiencing renewed conflict.

The Nerve Center of This Art Fair Isn’t Painting. It’s Couture.

The Independent art fair in New York is featuring a significant presentation of designs by Rei Kawakubo and her label Comme des Garçons. The works, which include garments and sculptural objects, are being presented as a curated exhibition within the fair, challenging traditional art fair categories.

Nations Charged With Crimes Against Humanity Will Not Be Considered for Venice Biennale Awards

The jury for the 2026 Venice Biennale announced it will not consider contributions from countries whose leaders are charged with crimes against humanity for the Golden and Silver Lion awards, effectively excluding Israel and Russia. The decision, framed as a commitment to human rights and aligned with curator Koyo Kouoh's vision, comes amid broader controversy over participating pavilions, including American artists declining to represent the US and the EU withdrawing a $2.3 million grant over Russia's involvement.

EU Cuts Venice Biennale Funding Over Russia Involvement

The European Commission has withdrawn a $2.3 million grant from the Venice Biennale, following through on a threat made last week. The funding cut is a direct response to the Biennale's decision to readmit Russian artists as a government-funded delegation for its 2026 edition, which the EU argues violates sanctions and provides Russia a cultural platform during its war against Ukraine.

'Hidden heritage' Metro art shown in exhibition

An exhibition at the Baltic Centre for Contemporary Art in Gateshead is showcasing "Blazing Trails," a project by local artist Sofia Barton originally commissioned for Tyne and Wear Metro trains. The artwork celebrates the hidden heritage of north-east England by depicting lesser-known community leaders, including suffragette Kathleen Brown and Chinatown founders Koon Kiu Cheng and Peter Cheng. The display runs until 27 September in the Baltic's pop-up shop.

Gulistan at GNAMC of Rome

Chinese artist Gulistan, based in Beijing, presents her solo exhibition "Time Garden" at the National Gallery of Modern and Contemporary Art (GNAMC) in Rome. Curated by Gabriele Simongini and supported by the Foundation for Chinese Art in Italy and the International Federation of Women Artists 923 Art Space, the show explores a fusion of Eastern and Western aesthetics through painting, drawing on the legacy of the Silk Road. The exhibition features series such as "Fragments of Time," "The Nature of Memory," and "Memory of the Portraits," blending Chinese ink traditions with classical Western portraiture and archaeological motifs.

‘Good for the soul’: Local art show opens at Oshawa art gallery tonight

The Oshawa Art Association (OAA) is hosting the opening reception and awards night for its 58th annual juried art exhibition tonight at The Robert McLaughlin Gallery in Oshawa, Ontario. The free event runs from 6 to 9 p.m., featuring live music by local singer David Saliba, attendance from local politicians, and a cash bar. The exhibition, which includes over 100 artworks selected from nearly 300 submissions, will remain on display until May 10. Categories include wildlife, people, abstracts, sculptures, and a youth category for artists aged 12 to 18, with $3,000 in total prize money awarded by jurors Hi-Sook Barker and Lucy Manley.

Top Seattle art shows to see in May 2026

Seattle's art scene in May 2026 features six diverse exhibitions. Highlights include 'Influences: Japanese Prints and Northwest Art' at the Cascadia Art Museum, exploring the impact of Japanese woodblock printing on regional artists; a site-specific installation by Carly Sheehan at the appointment-only Double Garage Gallery; Clare Johnson's exhibition of over 6,000 artworks on sticky notes at Gallery 4Culture; Emma Bergman's surreal multimedia installation 'The World to Come' at Specialist Gallery; and a landmark retrospective of light-art pioneer Tom Lloyd at the Frye Art Museum.

WORDS WORDS WORDS at Everard Read shows the power of words in contemporary art

The article reviews 'WORDS, WORDS, WORDS,' an exhibition at Everard Read Gallery's CIRCA space in South Africa, which explores the role of language in contemporary visual art. Curated with a focus on how words are bent, repeated, fragmented, and reassembled, the show features works by South African artists including Willem Boshoff and Luca Evans, who engage with conceptual art traditions from Dada to Barbara Kruger. Boshoff's braille-inset wooden piece 'Planet of Echinus' questions inclusion and exclusion in language, while Evans' work riffs on Joseph Kosuth's iconic text pieces using ancient wood-inlay techniques.

Korea’s art market grows, but working conditions for entry-level workers do not

A 20-something intern at a small Seoul gallery, identified as Park, accepted a job paying 1.35 million won ($910) per month after taxes—below South Korea's minimum wage—because she believed early experience was essential for career advancement in the art world. The article, based on interviews with the Korea JoongAng Daily, reveals that many entry-level workers face low pay and precarious conditions, exacerbated by a severe oversupply of arts graduates (48,000 annually) versus only about 3,523 job postings per year on the industry site Art More, leading to reliance on personal connections and informal hiring.

Untitled (Second Night), 2021 by Louise Lawler, Dye sublimation print on museum box, 121.9 x 182.2 cm (2)

This article is a promotional description for an art platform that partners with leading galleries to showcase artists, artworks, and exhibitions. It highlights a membership model vetted by industry peers, offering visibility and access to influential galleries, collectors, and auction houses. The piece also mentions a specific artwork by Louise Lawler, "Untitled (Second Night), 2021," a dye sublimation print on a museum box.

From gunshots to gilded plates: Who are the real hooligans of the art world?

Alex Burchmore reviews 'The Hooligans,' an exhibition that explores the Maoist concept of hooliganism in the context of contemporary Chinese art. The show features works by artists like Xiao Lu, who famously fired a gun at her installation during the 1989 'China/Avant-Garde' exhibition, as well as Zhu Yu and He Yunchang, known for incorporating human body parts and surgical procedures into their art. The exhibition contrasts these transgressive acts with more market-friendly works, such as Zhu Yu's gilded plate paintings and Hu Yinping's commercial-style figurines, highlighting the tension between artistic rebellion and commercial success.

Exhibition | GaHee PARK, 'Half-Looking, Half-Seen' at Perrotin, New York, United States

Perrotin New York presents 'Half-Looking, Half-Seen', a special exhibition of new paintings by GaHee Park, featuring still lifes and portraits set within seascapes and landscapes that explore psychological dynamics of perception and coexistence. The show precedes Park's first institutional solo exhibition in the United States, opening in August 2026 at the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts in San Francisco. Works such as 'Seafood Heaven', 'Wetland at Dusk', and 'Creeping Shadow' depict ambiguous scenes where figures, animals, and natural elements blur boundaries between perceiving and being perceived, with influences including Joan Jonas's performance art.

Museum of the Moving Image announces record attendance

Museum of the Moving Image (MoMI) in Astoria, New York, announced record attendance of 311,000 visitors in 2025, a 105% increase from 2024 and a 147% increase from 2023. The opening day of the exhibition 'Stories and Set Design for the Sopranos' on February 14, 2026, marked the highest single-day attendance in the museum's history, with 3,600 visitors. Growth was driven by special programs like the 'Open Worlds' initiative, community events such as Lunar New Year and Iftar celebrations, and popular exhibitions including 'Mission: Impossible—Story and Spectacle,' which drew over 81,500 guests. The museum also hosted more than 500 screenings in its upgraded Sumner M. Redstone Theater.

'Sachlichkeit' at Galerie Albrecht, Berlin, Germany on 2 May–27 Jun 2026

Galerie Albrecht in Berlin presents 'Sachlichkeit', an exhibition running from 2 May to 27 June 2026, that explores the concept of objectivity in art. The show features works by Kate Diehn-Bitt, a forgotten representative of the New Objectivity movement, alongside Michael Langner, associated with 'German Pop', as well as Rafael Cidoncha, Emese Kazár, and Sabine Herrmann. The exhibition examines how these artists portray people and objects with empathy, realism, and sometimes surreal distortion, ranging from Diehn-Bitt's empathetic portraits to Langner's automobile studies and Kazár's commentary on women's lives.

Vertiginous 2658, 2007 by Lucas Samaras

The article highlights a partnership with leading global galleries to showcase artists, artworks, and exhibitions, with membership vetted by industry peers and available by application and invitation only. It also emphasizes the role of art advisors who provide visibility and access to influential galleries, collectors, and auction houses, while celebrating contemporary art through editorial content.

Metro Events Guide: From art exhibitions to house shows, we’ve got you covered this week in Metro Detroit

This week's Metro Detroit events guide highlights several art exhibitions and cultural happenings from April 23–30. The Elaine L. Jacob Gallery at Wayne State University presents 'Keith Haring: Subway Drawings' (April 17–August 15), featuring 25 drawings created by Haring between 1980 and 1985. Wayne State also hosts its 2026 Undergraduate Art Exhibition (April 24–May 8) showcasing student work in fine arts, art history, and design, with an opening reception on April 24. That same evening, the Wayne State University Graduate Artist Coalition holds an open studio and gallery event with live music and refreshments. Additional events include a 12-hour party at Marble Bar & Lincoln Factory, a house music event by Specter at an undisclosed location, an R&B night at Big Pink, and an Oakland University Film Showcase.

Stories That Shape Us: Building Stories Reflections

Staff at the National Building Museum share their favorite children's books in celebration of World Book Day, as part of the exhibition 'Building Stories.' Each staff member selects a book that has influenced their imagination or professional work, ranging from century-old illustrated alphabets like C.B. Falls' 'ABC Book' to contemporary picture books such as Christian Robinson's 'Another' and Tony Hillery's 'Harlem Grown.' The selections highlight how storytelling and the built environment intersect, with books like 'Goodnight Moon,' 'Eloise,' and 'The Snowy Day' offering personal and professional insights.

Pandolfini presents Julie Hamisky's "Alchemical Garden" at Design Week 2026

Pandolfini Auction House is hosting a solo exhibition titled "Giardino Alchemico" (Alchemical Garden) by French artist Julie Hamisky at its Milan office during Design Week 2026, from April 22 to 26. The exhibition, created in collaboration with Mitterrand gallery, features sculptures and botanical jewelry made through electroplating—a process that preserves organic matter like flowers and leaves in metal. Key works include "La Géante" (2024), an enlarged poppy sculpture, and "Aqua" (2024), a chandelier of galvanized plant elements, alongside wearable jewelry pieces.

The Update | Emerging Artist Program Exhibits Selectee’s Works

The New Castle Public Library in Pennsylvania is hosting an exhibition of works by Madeline Zimmer, an 18-year-old emerging artist, through June 17. The show, titled "Arbitrary Existence," features digital characters and pastel drawings inspired by comics and graffiti art, and is part of the Hoyt's Emerging Artist Program, which provides selected artists with hands-on support including exhibition development, installation, and promotion.

Group of Seven, Van Gogh and Renoir works will be showcased at new downtown gallery

A new commercial gallery, Cowley Abbott Fine Art, is opening in downtown Calgary with a three-day public preview starting April 23, 2026. The gallery will showcase rare masterworks by artists including Vincent van Gogh, Pierre-Auguste Renoir, and Canadian icons like Emily Carr and Lawren Harris of the Group of Seven. Notably, an Emily Carr painting from the 1930s, last exhibited nearly a century ago, will be on view.

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.

designboom's ultimate guide to the venice art biennale 2026

Designboom has published a comprehensive guide to the 2026 Venice Art Biennale, featuring a curated list of must-see exhibitions, installations, and events across the city. Highlights include Miet Warlop's "IT NEVER SSST," Michael Armitage's "The Promise of Change" at Palazzo Grassi, and DRIFT's "Shy Society" at Palazzo Strozzi, alongside works by Lotus L. Kang, Lida Abdul, and Kan Yasuda. The guide also points to collateral shows in Pietrasanta and Berlin, offering visitors a broad itinerary beyond the main Biennale venues.

Patchwork Lost – A Critique of the Princeton University Art Museum’s American Art Wing

The article critiques the newly opened American art wing at the Princeton University Art Museum, arguing that its curatorial approach prioritizes contemporary social justice narratives over historical accuracy and national pride. The author contends that the exhibition presents a fragmented, politicized view of American history, highlighting slavery and racial injustice while omitting or minimizing the contributions of Princeton alumni to the nation's founding, such as James Madison and John Witherspoon. Specific examples include the inclusion of a 2022 revisionist painting of the Signing of the Constitution and selective signage that emphasizes marginalized figures while ignoring male patriots.

Treasures from the worlds of fashion and art collide at an extraordinary new exhibition in Lisbon

A new exhibition titled 'Art & Fashion' has opened at Lisbon's Calouste Gulbenkian Museum, curated by Eloy Martínez de la Pera Celada. It juxtaposes masterpieces from the museum's permanent collection—spanning ancient Egyptian artifacts to Rembrandt and Impressionist works—with historic and contemporary fashion pieces, including garments from Charles Frederick Worth, Yohji Yamamoto, Dries Van Noten, Alexander McQueen, and Sarah Burton's debut at Givenchy. The show is organized by regional provenance and temporarily replaces the museum's usual display while its Brutalist building undergoes renovation.

Meriem Bennani, the artist who went viral during the pandemic

Meriem Bennani, a New York-based artist known for her shape-shifting practice of videos, installations, and immersive environments, gained viral fame during the COVID-19 lockdown in March 2020. She co-created the animated series '2 Lizards' with fellow artist Orian Barki, which depicted surreal, humorous conversations between anthropomorphic reptiles navigating the first weeks of the pandemic in New York City. The series, posted on Instagram, resonated widely and led to eight episodes. Bennani's broader work, including 'Life on the CAPS' (2018–2022) and 'Mission Teens' (2019), blends digital animation, live-action footage, and cultural critique, often exploring themes of diaspora, post-colonialism, and migration through dystopian, supernatural narratives.

Syrian Artist Sara Shamma To Present An Ode To Palmyra At The 61st Edition Of La Biennale Di Venezia

Syrian artist Sara Shamma will present a large-scale immersive installation titled 'The Tower Tomb of Palmyra' at the 61st edition of La Biennale di Venezia in 2026. This marks Syria's first participation in the Biennale since the fall of the Assad regime and the appointment of President Ahmed Hussein al-Sharaa. Shamma's project, inspired by the ancient funerary towers of Palmyra destroyed during the Syrian Civil War, aims to restore the heritage site to life through a multisensory journey combining architecture, painting, and other elements. It will be the first solo presentation by a single Syrian artist at the Biennale, departing from previous group exhibitions with European collaborators.

Seattle May art shows include speakeasy-style gallery attached to house

A series of diverse art exhibitions are opening across Seattle in May. Highlights include a show exploring the influence of Japanese woodblock prints on Northwest artists at the Cascadia Art Museum, a site-specific installation in a private garage gallery called Double Garage, and a large-scale display of drawings on sticky notes by Clare Johnson at Gallery 4Culture. Other featured shows include Emma Bergman's surreal multimedia installation at Specialist Gallery and a landmark retrospective of light artist Tom Lloyd at the Frye Art Museum.

Tourist Damages Florence’s Neptune Fountain in Pre-Wedding Stunt

A 28-year-old tourist in Florence climbed the Neptune Fountain in Piazza della Signoria and caused €5,000 ($5,800) in damage while attempting to touch the statue's genitals as part of a pre-wedding challenge. Police intervened, and specialists from the Fabbrica di Palazzo Vecchio later found damage to a horse's legs and a frieze. The woman has been reported to judicial authorities but is presumed innocent until a verdict.