The 2026 Venice Biennale, the 61st edition of the world's oldest and most prestigious contemporary art biennial, will run from May 9th to November 22nd, with previews from May 6th to 8th. Its central curated exhibition is titled "In Minor Keys," and it will be accompanied by a series of national pavilions.
A new wave of high-end art fairs is targeting luxury vacation destinations like St. Moritz, Mallorca, and the Hamptons, moving beyond traditional market hubs. These events, such as the inaugural St. Moritz Art Week and Art on the Island in Mallorca, are strategically timed for the summer and winter holiday seasons to directly engage wealthy collectors during their leisure time.
The Guardian published a photo essay featuring Harry Gruyaert's vibrant street photography of New York City, spanning over 50 years. The Belgian Magnum photographer captures the city's energy through bold color and candid moments—children playing in fire hydrants, yellow cabs, neon-lit diners, and diverse neighborhoods. The images are accompanied by text from French filmmaker Cédric Klapisch, who provides fictional vignettes that blur reality and imagination.
Counterpublic, a St. Louis-based non-profit that reimagines public art, is bringing its mission to New York ahead of its third triennial, titled "Coyote Time." The organization will kick off New York art week with a party celebrating the triennial's curators and artists, including Stefanie Hessler, Jordan Carter, and Wanda Nanibush. It has partnered with Frieze New York to present a new commission and performance by Oglála Lakȟóta artist Kite at The Shed, offering a preview of the triennial. The third edition, "Coyote Time," runs from September 12 to December 12 across five main sites in St. Louis, featuring nearly 50 artists, duos, and collectives. The title derives from artist Alice Bucknell's video game-inspired commission about suspended moments, and the exhibition will explore themes of migration, identity, climate, and technology through ambitious new works and historical reinterpretations.
Artnet News writers highlight six standout exhibitions at the 2026 Venice Biennale, which opens to the public on May 9. Among the picks are Ei Arakawa-Nash's interactive installation "Grass Babies, Moon Babies" at the Japan Pavilion, featuring baby dolls and diaper-changing stations; Florentina Holzinger's provocative performance "Seaworld Venice" at the Austria Pavilion, involving nude performers, jet skis, and recycled wastewater; and Dayanita Singh's photographic exhibition "Archivio" at the State Archives of Venice, presenting intimate black-and-white images arranged as freestanding columns.
A Banksy mural titled "Migrant Child," originally sprayed onto a 17th-century palazzo in Venice in 2019, has been restored and will tour the city's canals this weekend. The work, which depicts a child holding a flare and wearing a life vest, was removed from the Palazzo San Pantalon after six years of neglect and environmental damage had caused about a third of it to deteriorate. The restoration was funded by Banca Ifis, which purchased the palazzo in 2024 and commissioned Zaha Hadid Architects for the building's renovation. The conservation was supervised by Federico Borgogni, who previously oversaw the removal of another Banksy work in Bristol.
Radiohead has launched a multimedia installation, exhibition, and screening experience titled "Motion Picture House KID A MNESIA" at the Brooklyn Navy Yard, running through June 28. The immersive event features artwork related to the band's albums Kid A and Amnesiac, including screenprints, a video array with vintage TVs, and a 25-foot-tall sculpture of the band's recurring "Stickman" figure. The centerpiece is a hour-plus film set in a black-and-white woods, accompanied by the band's music, with no dialogue or wall text, allowing visitors to freely explore the darkened space. Tickets are $72, and the experience will travel to Chicago, Mexico City, and San Francisco.
Aicon Art in New York has opened its first exhibition dedicated entirely to Indian miniature painting, titled "Courtly Visions: Indian Miniature Painting." The show features a breadth of works created between roughly 1630 and the early 19th century, showcasing the intricate detail and narrative scenes characteristic of the genre. It aims to highlight the diverse styles and themes that emerged from various royal courts across the Indian subcontinent.
Max Levai, former president of Marlborough Gallery, is opening a new 7,000-square-foot flagship gallery in Chelsea this fall at 529 West 20th Street. This marks his first permanent New York space after years of operating through pop-ups and international projects. He is sharing the building with the gallery 47 Canal, run by Oliver Newton, in an arrangement where two independent galleries will coexist under one roof, sharing costs but maintaining separate programs.
Two significant paintings by Claude Monet, unseen by the public for over a century, are being offered at auction by Sotheby's Paris. The works, *Les Îles de Port-Villez* (1883) and *Vétheuil, Effet du Matin* (1901), have been held in private collections for 115 and over 100 years respectively, with the former last exhibited in the early 20th century at Paul Durand-Ruel's New York gallery. Their combined estimates make them the most valuable Monet paintings to appear at auction in France since 2001.
Waddington Custot gallery has opened a new Paris location in Saint-Germain-des-Prés with the inaugural exhibition "The Nabi Shock." The show presents works by key figures of the late-19th-century Nabis movement, including Émile Bernard, Pierre Bonnard, and Edouard Vuillard, alongside contemporary artists like Fabienne Verdier and Pierre Knop to illustrate the movement's ongoing influence.
Carlos Vega's exhibition "Anima Mundi" is on view at Jack Shainman Gallery in New York through April 18. The show features Vega's large-scale paintings on lead substrate, which depict a psychedelic, Edenic universe filled with nymphs, extraterrestrial flora, galaxies, and portals. Vega, who is also the husband of gallerist Jack Shainman, draws on ancient Greek philosophy and his own biography—including his upbringing in Melilla, Morocco, and his grandfather's assassination during the Spanish Civil War—to explore themes of consciousness, death, and the interconnectedness of all things. The works incorporate Renaissance antique frames, nodding to his classical training at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Spain.
Lorena Levi, a British artist known for her narrative portraits painted on wood, died on January 8 at age 29 after battling pancreatic cancer. Her death was announced via Instagram. Levi gained rapid momentum in the UK art scene over the past few years, staging a show in Milan with M+B gallery, participating in the V.O. Curations program, and being added to Marlborough Gallery's roster shortly before it closed in 2023. Her work is held in the British government's national collection. She was born in Istanbul in 1997, raised in Tel Aviv and the UK, and studied at Art & Guilds in London and Edinburgh College of Art.
LANZA atelier, a Mexico City-based architecture studio founded by Isabel Abascal and Alessandro Arienzo, has been commissioned to design the 2025 Serpentine Pavilion in London’s Kensington Gardens. The pavilion, which will be unveiled on June 6, marks the 25th anniversary of the Serpentine Pavilion program. Inspired by the English serpentine or crinkle-crankle wall, the design features a brick wall of alternating curves, a translucent roof resting on brick columns, and a second wall that harmonizes with the tree canopy. This year’s pavilion will be accompanied by a dedicated architecture program at Serpentine South, honoring the legacy of Zaha Hadid, who designed the inaugural pavilion in 2000.
Dominique Fung, a 38-year-old artist known for painting and sculpture, created her first site-specific outdoor performance piece, "A Leaf's Pilgrimage," for the High Line in New York in early September 2025. The three-day performance traced the life of a tea leaf through scenes of growth, withering, and packaging, led by a guide from the ancient past and a present-day assistant. Fung, who has previously created large-scale murals for Rockefeller Center and installations for the Armory Show, will debut new paintings at Massimo de Carlo in Paris in January.
Pati Hertling, a former restitution lawyer turned art-world fixture, has spent over two decades blending cooking with collaboration in her artistic practice. Since 2023, she has co-led Performance Space in New York's East Village alongside Taja Cheek and Ana Beatriz Sepúlveda, where she serves meals like steaks or grilled salmon to accompany gatherings. Hertling first gained prominence through her "Evas Arche und der Feminist" art salons in Berlin and New York, which offered soup and bread alongside visual art and live performances, creating a communal atmosphere that transformed attendees from bystanders into participants.
Paul Reubens, the actor and comedian best known for his character Pee-wee Herman, died at age 70 on June 30, leaving behind a legacy that extends far beyond children's television. The article explores how the design of "Pee-wee's Playhouse" (1986–1990) was a groundbreaking aesthetic achievement, created by a team of downtown New York artists—production designers Gary Panter, Ric Heitzman, and Wayne White—who approached the set as an evolving art installation. Their work blended postmodernism, Memphis Group influences, psychedelia, and thrift-store aesthetics into a joyful, childlike environment that became a cultural touchstone.
Artist Mark Leckey piloted a free month-long art course called Music and Video Lab this summer in Redruth, Cornwall, aimed at attracting people aged 18 to 25 who lack access to formal art education. The course, costing £15,000 with support from Arts Council England, was initiated by curator Teresa Gleadowe of CAST and artist Liam Jolly of Auction House, with final works screened at CAST from August 5 through September 3.
Valentina Akerman, an art director and architect, opened Sardine gallery in a weathered Amagansett rental last summer with her husband, artist Joe Bradley. What began as an improvised experiment has grown into a Hamptons success story, now in its second season with a Summer 2025 program featuring film series, residencies, dinners, and four exhibitions pairing painters with sculptors. The gallery also hosted a pop-up in Paris during Art Basel Paris and is organizing a group show at Le Consortium Museum’s summer space in Burgundy.
New tariffs imposed under the Trump administration are causing significant disruptions for art professionals shipping works to major New York art fairs, particularly TEFAF New York. Shipping companies report a 'torturous road' as galleries navigate complex import taxes—including 7.5% on Chinese artworks, 25% on steel and aluminum sculptures, and 10% on jewelry, furniture, and design pieces—while many original artworks, antiques over 100 years old, and collector's pieces remain exempt. Galleries are modifying operations by renting booth furniture, showing items already stored in the US, and avoiding shipments from China, with some classifying antiquities broadly as 'sculpture' to simplify customs clearance.
A recently discovered drawing by René Magritte, purchased on eBay for $1,580, will headline Rago/Wright's Post War & Contemporary Art auction on May 21. The untitled work on paper, executed in ballpoint pen, colored pencil, and pencil, depicts oversize chess pieces amid soft clouds—motifs Magritte used throughout his career. It is estimated to sell for between $100,000 and $150,000. The drawing once belonged to Mora Henskens, companion of Magritte's close friend Harry Torczyner, and was acquired directly from the artist's widow, Georgette Berger Magritte, after his death in 1967. It remained in Henskens's collection until 2022, when it sold through a smaller auction house before resurfacing on eBay.
Mousse Magazine reports on the two-person exhibition "Adam Pendleton + Antoni Tàpies" at Alfonso Artiaco in Naples, which pairs the contemporary American artist Adam Pendleton with the late Spanish master Antoni Tàpies. The show explores how both artists use painting as a site where language, materiality, and history converge, highlighting Tàpies's textured, sign-laden surfaces and Pendleton's conceptual engagement with abstraction and text.
MASSIMODECARLO gallery in Hong Kong is presenting "A Grass Roof," the first solo exhibition of American artist Lily Stockman in the city. The show features new oil paintings inspired by the eighth-century Zen poem "Song of the Grass Roof Hermitage" by Shitou Xiqian, exploring themes of interior refuge and infinite expanse through collapsed perspective and dissolved boundaries.
Colossal's monthly list for April 2026 details numerous open calls, grants, and residencies for artists worldwide. Key opportunities include the Earth 2026 Art Awards, the Hopper Prize grants totaling $13,000, and the Fleurieu Biennale Art Prize in Australia, alongside calls for fiber art, gallery exhibitions, and magazine publications.
Sakshi Gallery, a Mumbai-based gallery founded in 1986 by Geetha Mehra, is presenting a contemporary art show titled 'Unfolding Narratives: Perspectives in Contemporary Indian Art' at London's Mall Galleries from June 30 to July 8, 2026, marking its 40th anniversary. The exhibition features works by six artists—Amit Ambalal, Manjunath Kamath, Ravinder Reddy, Rekha Rodwittiya, Shine Shivan, and Surendran Nair—with several pieces created specifically for the show. It serves as a prelude to a larger institutional exhibition planned for 2027 in London.
The article is a roundup of visual art exhibitions and events across Vermont and neighboring New York and New Hampshire, compiled by the Vermont Visual Arts staff. It lists current and upcoming shows at venues including Espresso Bueno, Studio Place Arts, Bennington Museum, Brattleboro Museum & Art Center, UVM Fleming Museum, The Hyde Collection, Hood Museum of Art, and others, with details on dates, artists, and locations. Featured exhibitions include silk screen prints by Jodi Whalen, acrylic paintings by Heidi Broner, a group show on Vermont farms, and a Pride-themed closing reception for "Gayzing" at Studio Place Arts.
Sakshi Gallery is marking its 40th anniversary with an exhibition titled "Unfolding narratives: perspectives in contemporary Indian art" at the Mall Galleries in London, opening June 30, 2026. The show features works by six artists—Amit Ambalal, Manjunath Kamath, Ravinder Reddy, Rekha Rodwittiya, Shine Shivan, and Surendran Nair—who have significantly shaped Indian contemporary art. Many works were created specifically for the exhibition, offering insight into the artists' current directions. The presentation serves as a prelude to a larger institutional exhibition planned for 2027 in London.
The article is a roundup of current and upcoming art exhibitions in Cairo, Egypt, spanning May 2025 through June 2026. Highlights include Mostafa El-Razzaz's "Fractals of Art and Soul" at Bibliothek Arkan Plaza, Mahmoud Hamdi's "Journey to the Core" at Difaf, a retrospective for Said El-Sadr and his students at Gezira Arts Centre, and the Egyptian debut of "Beyond Van Gogh: The Immersive Experience" at District 5 by Marakez in New Cairo. Also featured are a Swiss-Egyptian photography exhibition on glaciers and the Nile at the Goethe Institute, a Colombian embassy exhibition, a Korean embassy show, and a permanent ceramics display at Al-Fustat Centre.
Andrew Durham Gallery in Houston announces "Vestiges of Existence," a solo exhibition of multi-media works by artist Jill Bedgood, running from June 6 to August 1, 2026. The show explores how physical remnants—such as worn jewelry, handwritten letters, and natural anomalies—carry memory and document human presence, functioning as contemporary memento mori. An opening reception on June 6 and an artist talk on July 11 accompany the exhibition.
Tarnanthi, the Art Gallery of South Australia's annual exhibition of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander art, is launching a national tour titled 'Tarnanthi on Tour: Too Deadly' starting July. The touring exhibition features over 30 works from the past decade of the festival, many conceived for Tarnanthi and never seen outside Adelaide. It will visit six regional galleries across Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria, and Western Australia over the next two years, including Rockhampton Museum of Art, Maitland Regional Art Gallery, Ngununggula, Caboolture Art Gallery, Geelong Gallery, and Lawrence Wilson Art Gallery.