‘A more complex picture’: Singapore marks 60th anniversary of independence from British rule with slew of cultural offerings

Singapore is celebrating its 60th anniversary of independence from British rule on 9 August with a series of cultural offerings under the banner SG60. National Gallery Singapore launched a signature exhibition, *Singapore Stories: Pathways and Detours in Art*, featuring over 400 works from the 19th century to the present, housed in the former supreme court and city hall buildings. The show, curated by Adele Tan, reduces colonial imagery and opens with John Turnbull Thomson's *The Esplanade from Scandal Point* (1951) to present a more complex, multicultural picture of Singapore's history.

Monica Rodriguez: Californiana

Monica Rodriguez's exhibition "Californiana" at the de Saisset Museum explores the colonization of California from 1542 to 1846, focusing on the missionization period (1769–1833) when Native Californians were forced into labor within the Alta California Mission system. The installation features twenty-one adobe bells planted with native California plants, architectural plans, and photorealist drawings of historical texts from the Mission Library Collection, all critiquing the colonial mindset and its enduring impact on the land and people.

Italy’s leading archaeological museum uses young creatives’ press shots without payment

Italy's National Archaeological Museum of Naples (MANN) launched a photography competition in March inviting young people aged 18 to 30 to submit images of objects from its collections, including artifacts from Pompeii and Herculaneum. The museum offered no payment, only exposure via social media and banners on its façade, sparking criticism from cultural workers' group Mi Riconosci and Italian media, who accused the institution of exploiting unpaid labor. Museum administrator Raffaella Bosso defended the initiative as a dialogue with youth, but the museum has not withdrawn or modified the contest.

Sámi art has gained visibility in Norway—but when will it get a museum of its own?

Sámi artists from Norway are gaining international recognition, with milestones including the rebranding of the Nordic Pavilion as the Sámi Pavilion at the 2022 Venice Biennale, a major mural by Outi Pieski in Oslo, and a forthcoming Hyundai commission by Maret Anne Sara at Tate Modern. Despite this visibility, decades of advocacy have failed to establish a dedicated Sámi art museum; thousands of works purchased with government funds remain in storage. The Norwegian parliament's recent truth and reconciliation report acknowledged historical injustices, but activists like Synnøve Persen and scholars like Katrine Rugeldal argue that existing institutions are insufficient and that a museum must be built on Sámi terms, potentially nomadic or pan-Nordic.

Fairfield University Art Museum Presents Famous & Family: Through the Lens of Trude Fleischmann, May 2 – July 26

Fairfield University Art Museum will present "Famous & Family: Through the Lens of Trude Fleischmann" from May 2 to July 26, 2025, marking the first solo museum exhibition of the Austrian-born photographer's work in the United States. The show features over 100 photographs spanning Fleischmann's career, including her early studio work in 1920s and 1930s Vienna capturing cultural figures, and her later portraits of luminaries such as Eleanor Roosevelt, Marian Anderson, and Albert Einstein after she emigrated to New York in 1940. The exhibition includes never-before-exhibited works from family collections and a documentary film, and is curated by museum executive director Carey Weber alongside Fleischmann's cousin Barbara Loss.

A small selection of the nation's largest public Haitian art collection is now on display in Des Moines

A selection of 15 pieces from the Waterloo Center for the Arts' Haitian art collection—the largest publicly held collection of its kind in the United States—is now on display at the Des Moines Art Center through summer 2025. The exhibition, titled "Light with Ourselves: Haitian Art in Iowa," includes paintings, metalwork, ritual objects, and beaded sequined banners called drapo, co-curated by Elizabeth Gollnick of the Des Moines Art Center and Chawne Paige of the Waterloo Center for the Arts. The collection began with a donation from F. Harold Reulin and his wife and has grown to over 2,000 pieces since 1977.

Kanal-Centre Pompidou sans tête

Yves Goldstein, the general director of the Brussels branch of the Centre Pompidou, has announced his departure just before the scheduled opening of Kanal-Centre Pompidou on November 28. Goldstein stated that his mission is nearly complete and that the museum's daily management phase requires a different leader. A call for applications will be launched by the board of directors, with the selection made by the board of the Fondation Kanal based on profiles proposed by a jury led by president Michèle Sioen. The new director will face immediate challenges, including negotiating a new management contract with the Brussels Region for 2029-2033 and securing an increased annual subsidy, currently set at €10 million, which is deemed insufficient.

Olivia Bourrat revient au Quai Branly

Olivia Bourrat, a 45-year-old chief heritage curator trained at the École du Louvre, the INP, and the Sorbonne, has been appointed director of the heritage and collections department at the Musée du quai Branly-Jacques Chirac in Paris. She succeeds Anne-Solène Rolland, and returns to the museum after previous stints there, as well as at France-Muséums, the Louvre Abu Dhabi, the French Ministry of Culture, and Paris Musées.

Outsourcing a service is not prohibited, but managing the provider's employees is

Externaliser un service n’est pas interdit, diriger les salariés du prestataire l’est

A wave of legal complaints has been filed against several major French cultural institutions, including the Louvre, the Pinault Collection, and the MuCEM, alleging illegal labor practices. Labor unions Sud-Culture, SUD-PTT, and Solidaires claim these museums are engaging in "illicit lending of labor" and "bargaining" by exercising direct authority over outsourced staff from third-party agencies like Marianne International and Pénélope. While outsourcing services like ticketing and reception is legal in France, the lawsuits argue that museums are illegally managing these external employees' daily schedules, rotations, and disciplinary actions as if they were their own staff.

3 new exhibitions at Artists Archives tackle urgent social issues

The Artists Archives of the Western Reserve in Cleveland has opened three new exhibitions that confront pressing social issues. The shows feature works by regional artists addressing topics such as racial justice, environmental crisis, and community resilience, using a range of media from painting and sculpture to mixed-media installations.

UPSTATE ART WEEKEND: OPEN HOURS to Return to Kaatsbaan Cultural Park

Upstate Art Weekend is bringing back its OPEN HOURS program to Kaatsbaan Cultural Park in Tivoli, New York. The event, organized by BroadwayWorld, offers extended hours for visitors to explore the park's artistic and cultural offerings, including exhibitions and performances, during a dedicated weekend in the Hudson Valley region.

Kaatsbaan Cultural Park Will Open 6th Annual Visual Arts Exhibition

Kaatsbaan Cultural Park will open its 6th Annual Visual Arts Exhibition, as announced by BroadwayWorld. The exhibition continues the park's tradition of showcasing visual art in a cultural setting.

In Kyoto, a photography festival unites artists on society's fringes

Kyotographie, an independent international photography festival in Kyoto, has announced 'The Edge' as its theme for the 2026 edition, following a focus on humanity in 2025. The festival will feature exhibitions exploring fringes, darkness, and extremes of life, including a posthumous show of Fatama Hassona's 'The Eye of Gaza', a focus on South Africa with works by Lebohang Kganye, Pieter Hugo, and a peripatetic library from A4 Arts Foundation, as well as Ernest Cole's 'House of Bondage' at the Kyoto City KYOCERA Museum of Art—his first exhibition in Japan. Other highlights include Linder Sterling's survey 'Goddess of the Mind' at the Museum of Kyoto Annex and Anton Corbijn's 'Presence' at the Shimadai Gallery.

The Pont Neuf Cave: work on JR's giant installation begins in Paris

Starting May 11, 2026, French artist JR has begun assembling "La Caverne du Pont Neuf" (The Cave at Pont Neuf), a monumental temporary installation that will transform Paris's oldest bridge into an immersive open-air cave. The project, open to the public from June 6 to 28, 2026, features inflatable structures, optical illusions, light shows, and augmented reality technology developed by Snap's AR Studio Paris. It includes a mineral soundscape by Thomas Bangalter (formerly of Daft Punk) and is funded entirely through private means, including support from L'Amicale des Ponts de Paris and sales of JR's works.

In Antwerp, as photography show asks 'What is a normal family?'

The FOMU photography museum in Antwerp has opened a new exhibition titled 'Families', curated by Anne Ruygt. The show explores the evolving concept of family through historical and contemporary photography, featuring works by artists such as Mous Lamrabat, Cecil Beaton, Omar Victor Diop, Mayara Ferrão, Peter Hujar, Carmen Winant, and Seiichi Furuya. It includes diverse perspectives, from 'hidden mother portraits' and post-mortem photography to AI-generated images of queer Black and Indigenous women, questioning traditional notions of kinship and representation.

The weird, wiggly universe of Icelandic artist Ásta Fanney Sigurðardóttir

The article profiles Icelandic artist Ásta Fanney Sigurðardóttir, whose multidisciplinary practice spans visual art, performance, music, poetry, and filmmaking. It describes a recent performance at Reykjavik's Mengi venue where the audience was invited onstage to be stirred with an imaginary spoon, and highlights her upcoming project 'Pocket Universe' representing Iceland at the Venice Biennale, installed in a former shipyard. The piece also explores her fluid relationship with time, her admiration for artists like Meredith Monk and Laurie Anderson, and the tight-knit, artist-run creative ecosystem of Reykjavik that shapes her work.

‘In Minor Keys’: discover the themes that define the 61st Venice Biennale exhibition

The 61st Venice Biennale's main exhibition, 'In Minor Keys', curated by the late Koyo Kouoh, has opened after her sudden passing in 2025. Kouoh had fully planned the exhibition before her death, and a team of seven realized her vision. The show features 110 artists, including Wangechi Mutu, Nick Cave, Alfredo Jaar, and emerging talents like Ranti Bam. It opens with a poem by Refaat Alareer and an installation by Khaled Sabsabi, setting a contemplative tone amid themes of mourning, grief, and healing. The exhibition also highlights minority perspectives, including Caribbean and Central American artists, and confronts colonial histories through works like Florence Lazar's film on a hurricane-exposed necropolis.

Meet the Canadian artists heading to Venice Biennale

Five Canadian artists have been selected for the main exhibition of the Venice Biennale, titled *In Minor Keys*, which opens to the public next Saturday. The participants are Abbas Akhavan (featured in the Canada Pavilion), Manuel Mathieu, Rajni Perera, Marigold Santos, and one additional artist. The exhibition is the first Biennale curated by a Black woman, Cameroonian-Swiss curator Koyo Kouoh, who died suddenly in May last year after a cancer diagnosis, just six months after her appointment. Despite her death, the Biennale proceeded with her plans, with her team completing the work.

Michigan’s largest‑ever Chihuly exhibition marks long-awaited return to Meijer Gardens

Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park in Grand Rapids, Michigan, is hosting its largest-ever exhibition of glass artist Dale Chihuly, titled "CHIHULY: Radiant Forms." Opening May 2 and running through November 1, 2026, the show marks Chihuly's first exhibition at the venue since 2010 and spans the 158-acre campus, including a new concentration of works in the Japanese Garden. The indoor gallery presents a chronological survey of Chihuly's 50-year career, featuring early baskets and cylinders, Venetian-inspired goblets, and iconic sea forms in open-air aquariums.

World-renowned glass artist returns to Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park

World-renowned glass artist Dale Chihuly returns to Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park in Grand Rapids, Michigan, with a new exhibition opening Saturday, his first at the venue since 2010. The show spans nearly 50 years of his career, divided into outdoor installations across the park's 158-acre property and a new indoor exhibit titled CHIHULY: Radiant Forms, featuring a massive glass garden centerpiece. The indoor galleries were custom-built to showcase different series of his work, creating dramatic transitions between spaces.

[Gallery Walk] The Vanished Rooms of Women Reopened

Leeum Museum of Art in Seoul is presenting "Into Other Spaces: Synesthetic Environments by Women Artists 1956-1976," a major exhibition opening May 5 that reconstructs immersive environmental artworks by 11 women artists from Asia, the Americas, and Europe. The show features full-scale recreations of works that were often dismantled or lost, including Jeong Gangja's "Muchejeon" (1970), which was shut down by authorities after just days. Curators Andrea Lissoni and Marina Pugliese used archival materials, photographs, and direct consultations with artists or their estates to piece together these ephemeral pieces.

Paul’s Show of the Month: Cristallina Fischetti – Alchemea

Cristallina Fischetti's solo exhibition 'Alchemea' is on view at the Art Centre in the crypt of St Marylebone Parish Church, London, from 25 April to 18 May. The show presents ten works from the first two acts of a planned 33-painting cycle, incorporating unconventional materials such as coffee, wine, plastic, and leather. Fischetti's process involves ritualistic dance, drawing on her background in ballet, yoga, alchemy, and mystical healing, with influences from abstract expressionists like Frankenthaler and Motherwell, as well as Hilma af Klint.

The Vatican brings Hildegard of Bingen to the Biennale. "The ear is the eye of the soul", by Brian Eno and Patti Smith

The Holy See Pavilion at the 61st Venice Biennale, titled "The Ear is the Eye of the Soul," centers on the 12th-century Benedictine abbess and visionary Hildegard of Bingen. Curated by Hans Ulrich Obrist and Ben Vickers in collaboration with Soundwalk Collective, the pavilion spans two Venetian venues—the Mystical Garden of the Discalced Carmelites and the Complesso di Santa Maria Ausiliatrice—and features new sound works by 24 artists, musicians, and poets including Brian Eno, Patti Smith, FKA Twigs, Meredith Monk, and Jim Jarmusch. The title is borrowed from the final work of German director Alexander Kluge, who died in March 2026, and his monumental film installation forms a core part of the exhibition.

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.

Local artist work on exhibit in Tulsa

Living Arts of Tulsa is presenting “Who Lives, Who Dies, Who Decides?”, an exhibition by Kenneth and Isabelle Watson Reams, with support from JustArts Gallery. Kenneth Reams, a former Arkansas death row inmate now serving a life sentence, created over 50 works including paintings, drawings, sculptures, and poetry alongside his wife Isabelle. The show opened April 3 and runs through April and May, exploring themes of incarceration, capital punishment, and social justice through the lens of Reams’ 31 years on death row.

Within and beyond the gallery: Moody Center for the Arts brings artists into classroom and classroom into exhibition

The Moody Center for the Arts at Rice University organized the exhibition 'Imaging after Photography,' which explored how artificial intelligence is reshaping the medium. The show featured seven international artists, including Sofia Crespo and Gregory Chatonsky, and was curated by Alison Weaver and Noor Alé.

Making Rent: New York’s New Apartment Galleries and Artist-Run Spaces

A wave of new artist-run and apartment galleries is emerging in New York's outer boroughs, driven by artists and organizers seizing unconventional, often temporary, spaces. These include the Gallery in Crown Heights, a massive group show staged in a vacant office loft secured with a two-month free lease, and the more established Iowa Projects, which presents solo exhibitions in a domestic setting.

Stamford Museum celebrating 90 years with portrait exhibition

The Stamford Museum & Nature Center is marking its 90th anniversary with the exhibition 'Likeness & Legacy: Portraits from the Permanent Collection.' The show features paintings, prints, drawings, and sculptures, including a John Singer Sargent portrait once stolen by the Nazis and sculptural studies by Mount Rushmore sculptor Gutzon Borglum. It runs through May 25th.

Jennifer Gilbert selling art worth millions to aid Detroit nonprofit

Detroit philanthropist and entrepreneur Jennifer Gilbert is selling major artworks from her personal collection at Sotheby’s this spring, with proceeds going to Lumana, a new Detroit-based arts nonprofit she founded. The collection will be offered across multiple sales, including The Now and Contemporary Evening Auction and Contemporary Day Auction in May, followed by Important Design in June. Highlights include Kenneth Noland’s 1958 painting “Circle” (estimated $4–6 million, a record for the artist) and Joan Mitchell’s 1976 painting “Loom II” (estimated $5–7 million).

TLU’s annual Student Art Show opens this week

Texas Lutheran University's Annual Student Art Show opens with a reception on April 23 in the Annetta Kraushaar Gallery. The exhibition features student works in various media, judged by Austin-based artist and musician Larry Seaman, who will present Juror Awards at the opening, with TLU President Dr. Debbie Cottrell assisting in the presentation.