Art News. Vasari Codex

article news schedule May 6, 2026 visibility 19 link 4 artists

Israeli Pavilion Artist Made Legal Threats Before Venice Biennale Jury Resigned

New reports reveal that Israeli Pavilion artist Belu-Simion Fainaru issued legal threats against the Venice Biennale, alleging antisemitism and discrimination after the awards jury decided to exclude Israel and Russia from consideration due to human rights charges. The jury, which included Elvira Dyangani Ose, Zoe Butt, Marta Kuzma, Giovanna Zapperi, and Solange Farkas, initially stated on April 22 it would not consider nations whose leaders are charged with crimes against humanity by the International Criminal Court. Fainaru filed legal warnings with the Biennale, the Italian Ministry of Culture, and the Prime Minister's office. The jury abruptly resigned eight days later, leading the Biennale to scrap the Golden Lion awards and institute "Visitor Lions" decided by public vote. Reports indicate the Biennale's legal department warned jurors could be personally liable for damages, and Italian Culture Minister Alessandro Giuli promised to promote Fainaru's work.

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article news schedule May 1, 2026 visibility 13 link 3 artists

Venice Biennale Scraps “Golden Lion” Awards as Turmoil Continues

The 61st Venice Biennale has scrapped its traditional Golden Lion awards, replacing them with public-voted “Visitor Lions” after the entire award jury resigned on April 30. The jury had previously announced its intention to exclude countries whose leaders are charged with crimes against humanity by the International Criminal Court, effectively targeting Russia and Israel. The Biennale Foundation, however, stated that all official national pavilions—including Russia and Israel—will be eligible for the new Visitor Lions, citing principles of inclusion and equal treatment. The awards ceremony has been moved from May 9 to November 22, the final day of the Biennale, to allow ticket holders to vote throughout the event.

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article culture schedule May 1, 2026 visibility 12 link 2 artists

What Artists Sign Away

Artist and writer Sarah Hotchkiss recounts two personal experiences where galleries and residency programs used standard contracts to limit artists' rights. In the first, a new gallery refused to shorten a six-month consignment period after an exhibition, leaving her work in "contractual limbo" where she would owe the gallery half of any sale even if she found the buyer herself. In the second, a residency required her to waive moral rights under the Visual Artists Rights Act, protections that allow artists to prevent distortion and control attribution of their work.

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article news schedule Apr 20, 2026 visibility 13 link 2 artists

Mexico to Divert Train Route After Cave Art Discovery

Archaeologists in Mexico discovered 16 pre-Hispanic paintings and petroglyphs along the planned route of a high-speed passenger train connecting Mexico City to Querétaro. The discovery, made in the state of Hidalgo, includes rock art dating from 4,000 years ago to the Postclassic period (900-1521 CE), with imagery linked to Aztec deities and the Toltec city of Tula. In response, President Claudia Sheinbaum announced the $8 billion train project will be rerouted to preserve the ancient site.

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person people schedule Apr 17, 2026 visibility 18 link 3 artists

Tania El Khoury’s Soothing “Revenge Art”

Lebanese artist and Bard College professor Tania El Khoury discusses her multidisciplinary practice and her recent experience living through the escalation of conflict in Beirut. The interview highlights her interactive performance piece, "The Search for Power," which uses her own 2018 wedding blackout as a jumping-off point to investigate the colonial roots of Lebanon's systemic infrastructure failures. Originally set for a Beirut run in March, the production was postponed due to the outbreak of war.

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article policy schedule Apr 17, 2026 visibility 16 link 4 artists

Dismantling Orbán's 16-Year Grip on Hungary's Art World

Following the recent electoral defeat of Viktor Orbán’s Fidesz-KDNP coalition by the opposition party Tisza, the Hungarian art world faces a monumental task of institutional restoration. For 16 years, the regime’s 'System of National Cooperation' (NER) systematically co-opted cultural institutions, installing loyalists in leadership roles at major venues like the Kunsthalle and Ludwig Museum to promote an ethno-nationalist agenda. This period was marked by the exodus of independent curators, the occupation of museums by activists, and a fractured ecosystem where state funding was tied to political compliance.

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museum exhibitions schedule Apr 16, 2026 visibility 15 link 2 artists

Rawya El Chab Tends to the Wounds of Lebanon's Civil War

Lebanese performance artist Rawya El Chab has debuted the second installment of her trilogy, "Crossing the Water," at The Brick in Brooklyn. The performance explores the collective trauma of the 1982 Israeli invasion of Lebanon and her family's subsequent flight to the Ivory Coast, blending personal memory with political satire and mythology. By embodying various roles—from suspicious neighbors to puppet-like politicians—El Chab navigates the complexities of life under military occupation and the persistent feeling of surveillance.

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article news schedule Apr 28, 2026 visibility 11 link 2 artists

Israel Criticizes Venice Biennale Jury over Pavilion’s Exclusion

The international jury of the 61st Venice Biennale has excluded the Israeli and Russian pavilions from consideration for official prizes, citing that countries whose leaders are charged with crimes against humanity by the International Criminal Court will not be eligible. Israel’s foreign ministry condemned the decision as a political boycott, and Israeli representative Belu-Simion Fainaru called it a hostile act that exceeds the jury’s mandate. The Biennale’s president, Pietrangelo Buttafuoco, has distanced the institution from the jury’s action, insisting the exhibition remain open to all nations recognized by Italy.

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article news schedule May 4, 2026 visibility 11

Endangered Species? Venice Biennale Ditches Golden, Silver Lions for 2026 Edition

The Venice Biennale has announced it will eliminate the Golden and Silver Lions for the 2026 edition, replacing them with Visitor Lions chosen by popular vote. The prizes, traditionally awarded on opening day (May 9), will now be presented at the closing ceremony (November 22). Russia and Israel, previously barred from consideration by the prize jury due to ICC charges against their leaders, will be eligible for the new Visitor Lions. The decision follows the mass resignation of the original prize jury after they excluded those nations and faced pressure to also ban the US.

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article culture schedule May 13, 2026 visibility 4 link 1 gallery

IDF Soldiers Hide From Our Gaze

An opinion article on Hyperallergic analyzes official portraits of Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) soldiers released in May 2025, in which the soldiers are depicted with their backs to the camera. The author argues that this pose is a deliberate tactic to avoid identification and potential prosecution for war crimes in the occupied Palestinian territories, weaponizing surveillance technologies against the very people they surveil. The piece frames these images as "counter-portraits" that transform individual soldiers into a faceless, intimidating mass, contrasting them with traditional portraiture that invites intimate moral scrutiny.

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museum exhibitions schedule May 15, 2026 link 1 artist

My NADA Sketchbook

Lehman College Art Gallery is presenting the 2026 Thesis Exhibition, running from May 20 to 28. The show features over thirty undergraduate and graduate artists, showcasing a wide range of conceptual approaches and material experimentation.

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museum exhibitions schedule May 15, 2026

RISD Grad Show 2026

The Rhode Island School of Design (RISD) will hold its annual graduate thesis exhibition, RISD Grad Show 2026, from May 21 to 30 at the Rhode Island Convention Center. The show features work from students across 19 advanced degree programs, including Architecture, Ceramics, Graphic Design, Painting, and Sculpture. A digital version will be available online at risdgrad.show starting May 21, with a public opening reception on May 20.

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museum exhibitions schedule May 14, 2026 visibility 4

Lehman College Art Gallery Presents the 2026 Thesis Exhibition

The Lehman College Art Gallery is presenting the 2026 BFA, MA, and MFA Thesis Exhibition from May 20 to May 28, 2026. The show features the culminating work of over thirty graduating undergraduate and graduate artists from the Lehman College Art Department, spanning digital media, painting, sculpture, printmaking, photography, and interdisciplinary forms. Themes include identity, memory, technology, migration, and social space. An opening reception on May 20 will include an awards announcement and a year-end celebration.

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museum exhibitions schedule May 1, 2026 visibility 10

SMFA at Tufts Presents Passages, the 2026 MFA Thesis Exhibition

The School of the Museum of Fine Arts at Tufts University (SMFA at Tufts) presents "Passages," the 2026 MFA Thesis Exhibition, on view from May 5 to 17 at Tufts University Art Galleries in Medford, Massachusetts. The show features thesis work by nineteen MFA candidates, exploring themes of journey, transition, and exploration across media including painting, sculpture, assemblage, and artists' books. Works incorporate found visa documents, portraiture, clay cities, and symbolic animals such as goldfish, black birds, and a dog-headed cynocephalus.

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museum exhibitions schedule Apr 20, 2026 visibility 8

Art by Graphic Rewilding Blooms at Brookfield Place in New York City

British artist duo Graphic Rewilding has installed a large-scale, immersive floral artwork titled 'Fleeting Opulence' at Brookfield Place in Lower Manhattan. The work, which transforms the Winter Garden with vibrant, larger-than-life flowers and cherry blossoms, will be on view through October 2026.

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article local schedule May 11, 2026 source 2 sources visibility 9

Ridgewood’s Thriving Art Scene Steps Out of Bushwick’s Shadow

Ridgewood, a neighborhood in Queens, New York, has developed a thriving art scene that is increasingly stepping out of the shadow of its more famous neighbor, Bushwick. The article highlights how a growing number of galleries, artist-run spaces, and studios have opened in Ridgewood, attracted by lower rents and a sense of community, drawing artists and collectors away from the increasingly commercialized Bushwick corridor.

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museum exhibitions schedule Apr 24, 2026 source 2 sources visibility 14

Refreshing Turn to Craft at AIPAD’s Photography Show

The AIPAD Photography Show, a major fair dedicated to fine art photography, took a refreshing turn by emphasizing craft and handmade processes. The event featured a notable shift away from purely digital and commercial photography, highlighting works that incorporate traditional techniques such as cyanotypes, photogravures, and hand-applied color. Galleries presented pieces that blurred the line between photography and other media, including mixed-media works and artist books, reflecting a growing interest in the tactile and artisanal aspects of the medium.

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