NGMA Delhi and Drents Museum bring Amrita Sher-Gil to the Netherlands

The National Gallery of Modern Art (NGMA) in Delhi has partnered with the Drents Museum in the Netherlands to present a landmark exhibition of works by modernist painter Amrita Sher-Gil. Titled "Amrita Sher-Gil – Europe Belongs to Picasso, India Belongs to Me," the show marks the first time her art has been displayed in the Netherlands. NGMA Director General Dr. Sanjeev Kishor Goutam loaned 48 masterpieces for the exhibition, which includes nearly 60 paintings and photographs exploring Sher-Gil’s life and philosophy. The exhibition runs from May 14 to September 20, 2026, at the Drents Museum in Assen.

Interview. Max Goelitz

In an interview marking the sixth anniversary of his gallery, Max Goelitz reflects on the founding and evolution of his two-location operation in Munich and Berlin. He discusses how his decade at Häusler Contemporary, where he served as director, prepared him for the unpredictable nature of running his own gallery. The COVID-19 pandemic forced a strategic pivot from international ambitions to a focus on the local German market, which proved unexpectedly sustainable. Goelitz also addresses the current challenges facing galleries, including generational shifts and a more difficult art market, while advocating for an "old-school" reconsideration of what defines a gallery in times of transition.

Art Biennale: artists reject the popular jury

Fifty-two artists and curators, along with sixteen National Participants of the 61st Venice Art Biennale, have withdrawn from the newly introduced 'Lions of the Visitors' (People's Prizes) competition. The boycott follows the resignation of the jury appointed by artistic director Koyo Kouoh, who died in 2025, and is a protest against the inclusion of Russia and Israel in the prize—countries initially excluded by the international jury. The controversy escalated after Italian Minister of Culture Alessandro Giuli publicly opposed the Biennale president Pietrangelo Buttafuoco's decision to allow Russia's participation, drawing in the European Commission and even Ursula von der Leyen, who warned of potential sanctions violations. The signatories include artists and curators from France, Belgium, Luxembourg, Turkey, Switzerland, Spain, the Netherlands, and several other nations.

Basquiat: Figures, Signs, Symbols | Pérez Art Museum Miami | Things to do in Miami

The Pérez Art Museum Miami (PAMM) will present "Basquiat: Figures, Signs, Symbols," the largest exhibition of Jean-Michel Basquiat's work ever mounted in Florida, opening June 25, 2026. The show features ten works from the collection of billionaire Kenneth C. Griffin, including the iconic "Untitled" (1982), which sold for $110.5 million at Sotheby's and reportedly traded for $200 million in 2024. Curated by PAMM director Franklin Sirmans, the exhibition focuses on Basquiat's portraiture, use of text and coded language, and his layered visual vocabulary drawing from world history, Renaissance anatomy, hip-hop, and 1980s New York street culture.

Art as survival: US artists' anti-war artefacts exhibited in Tehran

An anti-war exhibition titled "Art and War" has opened at a top museum in Tehran, featuring works by American pop artists Roy Lichtenstein, Robert Indiana, and James Rosenquist. The pieces, including Rosenquist's "F-111" and Lichtenstein's "Brattata," were selected for their anti-war themes and come from the museum's major collection of American and European modern art, acquired in the 1970s by former Empress Farah Pahlavi and largely kept from public view since the 1979 Islamic Revolution. The exhibition opened amid ongoing tensions and a recent ceasefire in the Middle East, with the museum director stating it was a deliberate response to current events.

Lowe Art Museum to host two major exhibitions on Afro-Cuban art curated by Alejandro de la Fuente

The Lowe Art Museum at the University of Miami will present two complementary exhibitions on Afro-Cuban art from May 1 to Sept. 12, 2025, both guest-curated by Alejandro de la Fuente, director of the Afro-Latin American Research Institute at Harvard University. "El Pasado Mío/My Own Past" features 43 Afro-Cuban artists from the 1820s to the present in an amplified version with 83 works, while "Afrocubanismo: Highlights from the Ramón and Nercys Cernuda Collection" focuses on early 20th-century Afrocubanista works, including pieces by Wifredo Lam.

De Pont Director Maria Schnyder On Why Financial Independence Is a Museum’s Greatest Asset

Maria Schnyder, who has served as deputy director of the De Pont Museum of Contemporary Art in Tilburg, Netherlands, since 2021, has been appointed as its new director, succeeding Martijn van Nieuwenhuyzen. In an interview, Schnyder discusses the advantages of rising from within, emphasizing continuity and deep knowledge of the institution's artist-first ethos. The museum, housed in a former woolen mill with 7,000 square meters of exhibition space, operates with only 18 full-time employees and is financially independent, allowing it to prioritize artistic vision over audience-driven agendas.

The Clark presents exhibition of Giorgio Griffa

The Clark Art Institute in Williamstown, Massachusetts, presents "Giorgio Griffa: Paths in the Forest," the first solo museum exhibition in the United States dedicated to the Italian artist Giorgio Griffa (born 1936). On view from June 13 to October 12 at the Lunder Center at Stone Hill, the exhibition features works spanning nearly six decades, including highlights such as "Sessanta frammenti" (1980), "Rosa" (1968), and "Narciso" (1986). Griffa is known for his use of diluted acrylics on unstretched, unprimed canvases, and his practice emphasizes the intelligence of materials and an ecological ethic. The exhibition is curated by Robert Wiesenberger, John and Barbara Vogelstein Senior Curator of Contemporary Art at the Brooklyn Museum and former curator of contemporary projects at the Clark.

How the Arts Club of Chicago Stays Contemporary in its Second Century

The Arts Club of Chicago, founded in 1916, continues to balance its historic legacy with contemporary relevance under executive director and chief curator Janine Mileaf. The club, which gave Pablo Picasso his first solo institutional exhibition in the U.S. in 1923 and hosted figures like Gertrude Stein and John Cage, now operates as both a public space and a private membership club. Mileaf’s programming emphasizes Dada and surrealist roots while showcasing experimental, site-specific works, including a recent installation by Korean artist Haegue Yang. The club maintains a close relationship with Chicago’s arts community, aiming to expose audiences to challenging and surprising art.

The All-Women Exhibition Putting Penzance On The Art Map This Summer

An all-women exhibition titled 'Making Her Mark: A Celebration of Women in Art' has opened at Penlee House Gallery & Museum in Penzance, Cornwall, as the first stop on a three-part UK tour. The show features over 60 works by female artists from the 19th century to the present day, including Tracey Emin, Barbara Hepworth, Elizabeth Forbes, and Laura Knight. It is a collaboration between Penlee House, Worcester City Art Gallery & Museum, and Kirkcaldy Galleries, curated jointly by the three venues with local leadership from Penlee House deputy director Katie Herbert. The exhibition is part of Art Fund's £5.36 million Going Places programme and will travel to Worcester and Kirkcaldy in 2026 and 2027.

Lillian Bassman—the Avant-Garde Photographer Who Transformed Harper’s Bazaar—Finally Gets Her Due

The Metropolitan Museum of Art has opened "Lillian Bassman: Bazaar and Beyond," an exhibition on view through July 26 that examines the career of photographer Lillian Bassman. Curated by Virginia McBride, the show highlights Bassman's work at Harper's Bazaar and Junior Bazaar, as well as her independent photography known for radical darkroom manipulations. The exhibition was made possible by a gift of 70 works from Bassman's estate, produced in collaboration with her children Lizzie and Eric Himmel, and marks a homecoming for the artist who drew inspiration from the Met's galleries.

Monumental Portrait of Late Biennale Curator Koyo Kouoh Unveiled in Venice

A monumental portrait of late Venice Biennale curator Koyo Kouoh, created by American artist Derrick Adams, has been unveiled in Venice ahead of the Biennale's public opening. The collage, titled *Heavy is the head that wears the crown* (2026), is displayed near the Arsenale until September 24. Kouoh, who died unexpectedly in May 2025 at age 57, was the first African woman to curate the Biennale. Adams' work uses golden hues and flattened forms to celebrate Kouoh's legacy, referencing the pressures of leadership and the joy she brought to the art world.

State of Art: Arizona Biennial opens at Tucson Museum

The Tucson Museum of Art will open the Arizona Biennial 2026 on May 22, featuring 31 contemporary artists from across the state. Juried by Julie Rodrigues Widholm, executive director of the Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive, the exhibition runs through September 27 in the museum's James J. and Louise R. Glasser and Earl Kai Chann Galleries. The biennial showcases work across multiple media, with public programs planned throughout its run.

George Morrison painting highlights May 7, 2026 Heritage sale

Heritage Auctions will offer George Morrison's painting *Palisade* (1958) as the highlight of its May 7, 2026 Modern & Contemporary Art Signature Auction. The 76-lot sale features a global survey of postwar and contemporary abstraction, including works by Takeo Yamaguchi, Fritz Winter, Andy Warhol, Tom Wesselmann, Wayne Thiebaud, Fernando Botero, David Bates, KAWS, and George Rickey.

‘Out of the middle’: Asian Art Museum director sees contemporary Korean art coming into its own

Dr. Lee So-young, the first Korean American director of a major U.S. art museum, discussed the rising global prominence of contemporary Korean art during an interview in Seoul. She was visiting with San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie to celebrate the cities' 50th anniversary of sister-city ties and to promote an upcoming retrospective on Korean abstract artist Ha Chong-hyun at the Asian Art Museum in September. Lee, who previously curated at the Metropolitan Museum of Art and Harvard Art Museums, noted that Korean art has shifted from traditional focus to contemporary work, with museums and collectors increasingly engaging with dynamic artists from Korea.

Tel Aviv Museum turns shelters into art spaces during war

During weeks of war in Israel, the Tel Aviv Museum of Art closed its galleries and moved a rare exhibition, "The Day Is Gone: 100 Years of the New Objectivity," into reinforced protected spaces. Director Tania Coen-Uzzielli then created guided tours inside the shelter, complete with live piano music and interpretation, allowing visitors to experience the artworks in a space designed for safety rather than display. The tour, titled "The Event Has Not Ended," plays on the automated safety notification that signals the end of a siren threat, suggesting that the event of war never truly ends.

THE VENICE BIENNALE IN AN EDITION MARKED BY POLITICAL GAMES

The Venice Biennale's 2024 edition is embroiled in political controversy surrounding its national pavilions, particularly those of Russia, South Africa, and Israel. The Russian pavilion's readmission amid the war in Ukraine drew sharp criticism from the artistic community and led the European Union to withdraw approximately two million euros in funding. The Israeli pavilion, which remained empty in 2024 to protest hostage situations, now features a proposal by sculptor Belu-Simion Fainaru, prompting protests from the Art Not Genocide Alliance and over 200 artists demanding its exclusion. The curatorial team, appointed by the late curator Koyo Kouoh, resigned collectively nine days before the opening, and the Biennale's directorship canceled the opening ceremony, postponing awards to November. Demonstrations led by Art Not Genocide Alliance, Pussy Riot, and FEMEN surrounded the Russian pavilion during the press opening, and a strike by cultural workers is planned for May 8th.

“A Milano Fondazione Elpis sarà luogo di sorpresa e di comunità”. Intervista alla nuova direttrice Marcella Ferrari

Fondazione Elpis in Milan has appointed Marcella Ferrari as its new director, effective April 2026, marking a new phase for the foundation founded by Marina Nissim in 2020. Ferrari plans to expand the foundation's spaces in Porta Romana with the addition of Villa and Atelier Elpis alongside the existing Lavanderia, creating a constellation of venues for residencies, production, education, and public programs. She emphasizes listening to staff, artists, curators, and the local community, while strengthening international relations and developing projects that connect artistic production with public space and contemporary research.

A Rediscovered Beato Angelico Takes Center Stage at Pandolfini's Old Masters Auctions in Florence

Un Beato Angelico riscoperto protagonista alle aste di arte antica di Pandolfini a Firenze

Pandolfini auction house in Florence will auction a rediscovered fragment of Beato Angelico's *Tebaide* on May 20, 2026, after it had been missing for fifty years. The attribution was confirmed by comparison with the version held at the Museo di San Marco and formerly at the Galleria degli Uffizi. The auction house's Old Masters department, led since 2025 by young director Nicolò Pitto, has achieved strong results, including over €5 million in total revenue for the year, with top lots such as Artemisia Gentileschi's *Cleopatra* (€595,600) and a French School *Saint Catherine of Alexandria* (€620,000).

Mimmo Jodice in mostra al nuovo Museo del Tesoro di San Gennaro a Napoli. Rare foto ‘barocche’ a colori

Mimmo Jodice, the renowned Italian photographer who died in October 2025 at age 91, is being honored with a new exhibition at the Museo del Tesoro di San Gennaro in Naples. The show, curated by former Capodimonte director Sylvain Bellenger, presents Jodice's rare color photographs from the 1980s—his only color project—which focus on 17th-century Neapolitan Baroque paintings by artists such as Caravaggio, Jusepe de Ribera, and Artemisia Gentileschi. The exhibition runs until January 10, 2027, and also marks the inauguration of newly renovated welcome spaces at the museum, designed by Vanni del Gaudio.

Seattle Art Museum Workers Move to Unionize

Over 100 employees at the Seattle Art Museum (SAM) have announced their intention to unionize, forming Seattle Art Museum Workers United (SAMWU) and affiliating with the Washington Federation of State Employees/AFSCME Council 28. In a letter to Director and CEO Scott Stulen and the museum board, staff across departments including visitor experience, collections care, curatorial, and education cited unsustainable wages, subpar health benefits, and top-down decision-making as key grievances. They are urging voluntary recognition by May 27 to bypass a formal election, and also call for just-cause job protections. The effort follows a successful 2024 strike by SAM's unionized security guards.

Nel Padiglione Germania alla Biennale di Venezia un gruppo di donne riflette sulle rovine del passato per capire il mondo

The German Pavilion at the 2026 Venice Biennale will present the work of two women artists, Henrike Naumann and Sung Tieu, following the death of Naumann at age 41 in February 2026. Curated by Kathleen Reinhardt, director of the Georg Kolbe Museum in Berlin, the pavilion's project, titled "Ruin," explores the dual meanings of the word in English and German—architectural decay versus economic, social, or moral collapse. The exhibition draws on research into East Germany (DDR) and the post-reunification period, using the pavilion's fascist architecture as a lens to examine historical ruptures and their impact on the present. For the first time in its history, the German Pavilion is represented solely by women, mirroring the Italian Pavilion.

At the Casa di Goethe in Rome, two controversial episodes in the history of science in Mischa Kuball's light installations

Alla Casa di Goethe di Roma due episodi controversi della storia della scienza nelle installazioni di luce di Mischa Kuball

The Casa di Goethe in Rome is hosting a solo exhibition of German conceptual artist Mischa Kuball from April 30 to October 4, 2026. The show features two light installations: "Newton/Goethe luce nera," which contrasts Johann Wolfgang von Goethe's and Isaac Newton's opposing theories on color and light refraction, and "five suns / after Galileo," which visualizes Galileo Galilei's observations of sunspots and his conflict with the Catholic Church. The exhibition is curated by the museum's director, Gregor H. Lersch.

Gallery hopping: A new way to experience & engage with art

The article reports on the rise of gallery hopping in Delhi, particularly in neighborhoods like Lado Sarai, Defence Colony, and Okhla, where galleries cluster together. The Defence Colony Galleries Association, founded by Pristine Contemporary owners Arjun Butani and Arjun Sawhney, launched the monthly Def Col Art Night, keeping 10 galleries open until 9pm on the third Thursday with openings, music, and performances. Gallery directors and owners note that these events attract a broader audience beyond traditional collectors, making art more accessible and fostering community.

Rising Voices: Inside the V&A’s Landmark Exhibition Of Asian, Australian & Pacific Art

A new exhibition, 'Rising Voices: Contemporary Art from Asia, Australia, and the Pacific,' opens this weekend at the Victoria & Albert Museum in London. It features over 70 works by more than 40 artists from 25 Asia Pacific countries, including sculpture, painting, photography, ceramics, and textiles, many never before exhibited outside the region. The show is presented in partnership with the Queensland Art Gallery | Gallery of Modern Art (QAGOMA) in Brisbane and co-curated by Daniel Slater, the V&A's director of exhibitions.

At 1-54 New York 2026, Afro-Brazilian art takes centre stage for the first time

The 1-54 Contemporary African Art Fair in New York (May 13–17, 2026) will debut a curated section titled '1-54 Presents: Brazil Beyond Brazil,' focusing exclusively on Afro-Brazilian art and artists. Organized by Brazilian curator Igor Simões, the section features works by ten Black Brazilian artists—including Ana Claudia Almeida, Rebeca Carapiá, and Rommulo Vieira Conceição—presented by leading Brazilian galleries such as Almeida & Dale, Fortes D’Aloia & Gabriel, Nara Roesler, and Aura. The initiative draws on archival research, reinterprets modernist legacies, and challenges narrow narratives around Afro-Brazilian art, highlighting the cultural links between Africa and Latin America.

Wintour: Met Gala still makes me nervous

Wintour: Met-Gala macht mich immer noch nervös

Anna Wintour, longtime host of the Met Gala, admitted at a press conference that even after nearly 30 years, the star-studded fundraiser still makes her nervous, calling it both her favorite and most terrifying time of year. The annual Costume Institute Benefit, which raises millions for the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Costume Institute, is expected to bring in more donations than ever this year, according to Wintour and museum director Max Hollein. This year's gala opens the exhibition "Costume Art" with the dress code "Fashion is Art," and new gallery spaces for the Costume Institute will debut. Co-chairs include Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sánchez Bezos, while New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani has publicly declined to attend.

Meloni takes control of Italian museums

Meloni reprend en main les musées italiens

Italy’s culture ministry under Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has appointed 14 new directors for so-called “second-tier” museums, reinforcing a shift away from the international “super-director” model introduced by the 2014 Franceschini reform. All appointees are Italian except for French director Axel Hémery, who was reappointed at the Pinacoteca di Siena due to his strong performance. The move follows the earlier ousting of foreign directors at top-tier museums, with only two foreign-born directors—Eike Schmidt and Gabriel Zuchtriegel—remaining, both of whom hold Italian citizenship.

Sébastien Allard à la tête du département des Peintures du Louvre

Sébastien Allard has been appointed interim head of the Paintings Department at the Musée du Louvre, effective April 14. The 47-year-old specialist in 19th-century art previously served as deputy to Vincent Pomarède, who moved to a new role overseeing museum mediation. Allard's permanent appointment awaits confirmation by Culture Minister Aurélie Filippetti, on the recommendation of Louvre director Jean-Luc Martinez. Meanwhile, the search for a director of the Research and Collections Support division continues, with recruitment expected to be external.

"In Minor Keys" Hits All the Right Notes

The 61st Venice Biennale's international exhibition, titled "In Minor Keys," opened with a somber curatorial press conference, as artistic director Koyo Kouoh, who died in May 2024 at age 57, was not physically present. The exhibition features 110 invited participants across the Arsenale and Giardini, including works by Buhlebezwe Siwani, Johannes Phokela, Wangechi Mutu, Ebony G. Patterson, and Kambui Olujimi. Protests marked the opening, with gatherings at the temporary Israeli pavilion and Pussy Riot's presence at the Russian pavilion, while the exhibition itself asks viewers to look closer at overlooked forms of representation and consider innovative models of measuring the world.