Rob Zombie's first art exhibition is in Connecticut

Rob Zombie, the musician known for his horror-themed lyrics and shock rock performances, is holding his first-ever art exhibition in Connecticut. Titled "What Lurks on Channel X," the show is on view at the Morrison Gallery in Kent from October 25 to November 16, 2025. The exhibition features over ten large-scale paintings that blend pop culture iconography, juxtaposing sinister figures like Bela Lugosi and Charles Manson with innocent characters from Archie comics and classic comedians such as Laurel and Hardy.

JD Malat Gallery brings Paris-based artist Sophie-Yen Bretez to Dubai

JD Malat Gallery Dubai is presenting *The Unsaid Remains Remembered*, the debut solo exhibition in the Middle East by Paris-based artist Sophie-Yen Bretez. The show features large-scale canvases that move beyond the human figure to explore landscapes, domestic objects, and natural motifs, using symbolic thresholds like windows, tables, clocks, and fruit to evoke memory, silence, and transformation. Bretez describes her approach as a 'dramaturgy of passage,' capturing unseen moments when time overlaps and absence carries presence.

Late Night Art Returns to DUMBO This Fall

DUMBO's First Thursday Gallery Walk returns on October 2, offering free late-night access to galleries and cultural spaces across the neighborhood. The event features live music, artist talks, exhibitions, and a free Insider's Tour from 6:30 to 7:30 PM, with stops at Platform Project Space, Lucky Risograph, A.I.R. Gallery, and Loop of the Loom. Participating venues include A.I.R. Gallery, AMR Art DUMBO, Center for Cuban Studies, Smack Mellon, and many others, showcasing works by artists such as Abbey Williams, Elizabeth Bick, Samuel E. Vázquez, and Chang Yuchen.

Dennis Potter’s TV legacy gets a radical retelling at Studio Voltaire

English artist Hilary Lloyd has opened a new exhibition at Studio Voltaire in London titled 'Very High Frequency,' which reimagines the life and work of playwright and television dramatist Dennis Potter. Through a series of short films featuring Potter's collaborators, including actors Gina Bellman, Alison Steadman, Richard E Grant, and producer Kenith Trodd, Lloyd constructs a theatrical biography that explores Potter's enduring influence. The exhibition eschews traditional formats, scattering monitors and screens in unexpected locations to mirror Potter's own blending of reality and fantasy, and incorporates footage from his iconic works such as 'The Singing Detective' and 'Pennies from Heaven.'

Signal Space Gallery for Digital Art to Launch in Prague

Signal Space, a new permanent gallery dedicated to digital art, will open in Prague's Neo-Renaissance Market Hall on September 30, 2025. Launched by the collective behind the Signal Festival, the inaugural exhibition, "Echoes of Tomorrow," features eight artworks including pieces by Playmodes Studio, Shohei Fujimoto, Quayola, and Max Cooper. The gallery aims to offer deeper engagement with digital media beyond typical screen-based content, with a program that also includes DJ sets, live performances, and lectures on creative coding.

Frame Work: HORSE game becomes art in downtown Detroit

A new interactive art exhibition called "HORSE" has opened in downtown Detroit at 1001 Woodward Avenue, transforming a basketball court into an artistic installation. The centerpiece is a seven-armed sculpture featuring 21 basketball hoops at various angles and heights, inviting visitors to shoot hoops and play the game HORSE. Created by California-born, Detroit-based artist Tyrrell Winston—known for repurposing objects like basketballs—the project was developed in collaboration with landlord Bedrock and gallery Library Street Collective. The exhibition also includes a 30-by-50-foot painting, a sculpture made of old basketballs, a merchandise store, and a photo spot. It runs through October 5, with hours from Wednesday to Sunday.

The Politics of In-action: Review of In-action: Viennese Actionism and the Passivities of Performance Art

Caroline Lillian Schopp's new book *In-action: Viennese Actionism and the Passivities of Performance Art* (2025) offers a revisionist history of Viennese Actionism, a movement retroactively named in 1970 by Peter Weibel and Valie Export. Schopp introduces the term "in-action" to describe a politics of artistic action that emphasizes intimacy, hesitation, and vulnerability rather than the violent or liberatory extremes typically associated with the movement. She expands the canon to include women artists such as Anna Brus, Hanel Koeck, and Ingrid Wiener, and reexamines the work of Rudolf Schwarzkogler, whose death was mythologized as a suicide by self-castration but was actually a fall from a window. Through close readings of photographs, Schopp argues that Schwarzkogler's performances were characterized by passivity and "in-sincerity," challenging the dominant narrative of actionism as aggressive or heroic.

Annonce de chercheurs : Exposition Maurice Utrillo, de Montmartre à Angoulême

The Musée d'Angoulême will host the exhibition "De Montmartre à Angoulême, Maurice Utrillo intime…" from April to September 2027, focusing on the artist's lesser-known years in the Charente region. Curators Pamela de Montleau and Philippe Cassereau are seeking archives, correspondence, photographs, testimonies, and paintings to illuminate Utrillo's two-year stay in Angoulême (1935–1937), where he married painter and writer Lucie Valore. The show will also feature works by his painter friends, including Maurice de Vlaminck, Alphonse Quizet, and others.

In Minor Keys: The 61st Biennale di Arte Venezia Opens Under Koyo Kouoh (1967–2025).

The 61st Biennale di Arte Venezia opens under the posthumous curatorial vision of Koyo Kouoh (1967–2025), the late Cameroonian-born curator who reshaped contemporary African and diasporic art discourse. The central exhibition, spanning the Giardini and Arsenale, features 111 participants including artists, collectives, and artist-led organizations from across the Global South, with works in textiles, film, sculpture, and performance that interrogate colonialism, migration, and ecological repair. The Biennale is also marked by a pronounced presence of African and diasporic narratives across national pavilions, including several first-time pavilions from the African continent.

The Cosmic Entanglements and Inner Transformations of ‘Metamorphosis’.

Isaac Julien has created a new site-responsive film installation titled 'All That Changes You. Metamorphosis' at The Cosmic House in London. The work, which features protagonists Lilith and Naomi, explores themes of transformation, cosmology, and interdependence through a non-linear narrative that moves from Californian redwoods to Renaissance interiors, using the postmodern architecture as an active participant in the dialogue.

Hamburg Culture Prize Renamed After Namesake’s Nazi Ties Emerge

Hamburg's Senator Biermann Ratjen Medal, a culture prize awarded for nearly five decades, is being renamed the Medal for Art and Culture in Hamburg after historian Helmut Stubbe da Luz uncovered evidence that the prize's namesake, Hans Harder Biermann-Ratjen, confirmed his Nazi Party membership in a 1943 application. Biermann-Ratjen, who later served as Hamburg's senator for culture, had been deemed not to have been a member during post-war de-Nazification, but the new research prompted the city to rebrand the award.

ArtPhilly Presents “What Now: 2026”

ArtPhilly has announced the inaugural edition of its city-wide festival, "What Now: 2026," scheduled to open on May 27, 2026, coinciding with the 250th anniversary of the United States. The five-week event will feature over 30 newly commissioned projects by Philadelphia-based artists, including performances, installations, and podcasts, staged across festival districts in public spaces and institutions. The festival is led by Creative and Executive Director Bill Adair and Curatorial and Deputy Director Tania Isaac, with a curatorial committee of 17 local curators selecting works that explore the nation's past, present, and future.

Catalonia Sues Aragón for €791,000 for Repayment Over Restitution of 56 Artworks

The Catalan government has formally demanded €791,000 (approximately $920,000) from the Aragonese government to recoup costs related to the value and upkeep of 56 artworks from the Royal Monastery of Santa María de Sigena. The works were removed from the monastery in 1936 for safekeeping during the Spanish Civil War, and Spain's Supreme Court ruled in 2021 that they must be returned to Aragón. Of the 56 pieces, 12 were held at the National Art Museum of Catalonia and 44 at the Diocesan Museum of Lleida. The Catalan government has given Aragón 30 days to negotiate a settlement before returning to court.

Manhattan D.A.’s Office Returns More Than 650 Looted Artifacts to India

On April 28, Manhattan District Attorney Alvin L. Bragg, Jr., announced the return of 657 trafficked antiquities valued at nearly $14 million to India. The items were recovered by the D.A.'s Antiquities Trafficking Unit and Homeland Security Investigations, and formally returned at a ceremony in New York. Among the repatriated pieces are a bronze figure of Avalokiteshvara (valued at $2 million), stolen from the Mahant Ghasidas Memorial Museum in Raipur in 1982; a red sandstone Buddha statue (valued at $7.5 million) smuggled by convicted dealer Subhash Kapoor; and a sandstone Ganesha sculpture looted by trafficker Vaman Ghiya and sold through Christie's by Nancy Wiener, who was later convicted of antiquities trafficking.

US Border Wall Construction Damages 1,000-Year-Old Indigenous Land Art in Arizona

Construction crews building a barrier between the United States and Mexico have damaged a 200-foot-long etching of a fish embedded in the land in Arizona, known as the Las Playas Intaglio, which is thought to be 1,000 years old. According to a report in the Washington Post, workers destroyed a 60-to-70-foot portion of the ancient Indigenous land art as part of President Donald Trump’s $46.5 billion border-wall project. Satellite imagery confirmed the destruction, showing bulldozer marks running through about a third of the fish formation. U.S. Customs and Border Protection acknowledged the incident, stating that a contractor inadvertently disturbed the cultural site on April 23, 2026, and that the remaining portion has been secured.

A Grandmother’s Keepsake Turns Out to Be an Imperial Chinese Robe Worth Thousands

A collection of Chinese antiques, including an Imperial robe from the 19th century, was discovered in a chest in London after being kept as family mementos for decades. The items were acquired by Nan Brake, a British translator living in Beijing during the 1950s, who purchased them on excursions around the city. The collection, which features Ming dynasty paintings, Qing dynasty embroidered robes, and jade ornaments, will be auctioned by Roseberys on May 12 with an estimated total value of £40,000 ($54,100). The standout piece is a turquoise silk Imperial robe embroidered with nine five-clawed dragons, likely made for a male member of the emperor's family.

U.S. Returns Hundreds of Looted Antiquities to Italy

U.S. officials formally returned 337 looted antiquities, archival materials, and artworks to Italy during a ceremony at Rome’s La Marmora barracks. The objects, spanning from the Villanovan era (900–700 B.C.E.) through the Hellenistic period (323–31 B.C.E.), include Etruscan, Greek, Italic, and Egyptian artifacts. The repatriation was coordinated by Italy’s Carabinieri Command for the Protection of Cultural Heritage, the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Department of Homeland Security, and the office of Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg Jr. Key items include a marble head of Alexander the Great, a bronze sculpture from Herculaneum, and Egyptian basalt sculptures. Some 221 objects were recovered via the Manhattan DA, while the remaining 116 were secured with help from Christie’s.

Russia's Venice Pavilion to Close to the Public in Compliance With Sanctions

Russia will return to the 61st Venice Biennale with its national pavilion, but the exhibition will only be physically open to the press and select guests during the vernissage dates of May 5–8. From May 9 onward, the pavilion will remain closed to the public, with multimedia documentation of performances displayed on screens at the windows. The arrangement follows leaked emails among Biennale Foundation President Pietrangelo Buttafuoco, General Director Andrea Del Mercato, and Russian Pavilion Commissioner Anastasia Karneeva, revealing efforts to comply with EU sanctions while still allowing Russia's participation after two consecutive absences since its invasion of Ukraine.

Investor Says Artnet Layoffs Were Necessary for ‘Financial Strength’

Investor and owner Andrew E. Wolff has publicly explained the recent layoffs at Artnet and Artsy as a necessary step for the companies' financial restructuring and future growth. He framed the cuts as part of a broader consolidation strategy, merging the US businesses and organizational structures of the two digital art platforms while keeping their brands separate.

Finland Pulls Back Venice Biennale Presence Over Return of Russian Pavilion

Finland’s political leadership has announced it will boycott the Venice Biennale if the Russian Pavilion proceeds with its planned exhibition. While Finnish public officials will still attend to support their own national artists, the Ministry of Education and Culture stated that Russia should be excluded as long as the war in Ukraine continues. This move follows an open letter from 22 European nations and a warning from the European Commission regarding potential sanctions violations.

Arts Groups Speak Out Against US Trade Representative’s Potential New Tariffs

The U.S. Trade Representative, Jamieson Greer, has launched a Section 301 investigation into 60 countries to determine if forced labor practices create unfair trade advantages. This move follows President Trump’s continued push for sweeping tariffs after previous attempts were struck down by the Supreme Court. Major art organizations, including the Association of Art Museum Directors (AAMD) and Heritage Auctions, are formally petitioning for works of art and antiquities to be exempt from any resulting duties.

Beloved CUNY Social Practice Art Program to Shut Down

Social Practice City University of New York (SPCUNY), an artist-led initiative supporting social justice-minded art across the CUNY system, will cease operations in February 2027. Founded in 2021 by artists Chloë Bass and Gregory Sholette with support from the Mellon Foundation, the program distributed over $535,000 in fellowships to 129 faculty and student fellows. The closure is prompted by the departure of both co-directors from their academic positions at Queens College, leaving the independent project without a clear institutional pathway for leadership transition.

Antwerp exhibition celebrates its homegrown fashion designers, the influential Antwerp Six

The MoMu fashion museum in Antwerp has launched a major exhibition celebrating the 40th anniversary of the "Antwerp Six," a group of influential designers who graduated from the city's Royal Academy of Fine Arts. The show focuses on the formative years between the late 1970s and mid-1980s, culminating in the 1986 London event that launched them into the global spotlight. It highlights the distinct creative identities of Marina Yee, Dries Van Noten, Ann Demeulemeester, Walter Van Beirendonck, Dirk Bikkembergs, and Dirk Van Saene, while also serving as a poignant tribute to Yee, who passed away in late 2024.

154-Million-Year-Old Dinosaur Fossil Debuts in the U.K.—But Its Species Remains a Mystery

A remarkably complete 154-million-year-old theropod fossil, nicknamed Juliasaurus, has made its public debut at the Hollytrees Museum in Colchester, U.K. Discovered in Wyoming’s Morrison Formation in 2020 and sold by the David Aaron gallery to a private collector, the 20-foot-long specimen is currently part of the “Discover: Museum Wonders” exhibition. While initially thought to be an Allosaurus or Marshosaurus, unique anatomical features in its skull and pelvis suggest it may represent an entirely new species.

lebanese ministry of culture urges unesco to grant enhanced protections to cultural property

Lebanon’s Ministry of Culture has formally petitioned UNESCO to secure enhanced protections for the nation’s cultural heritage sites as regional conflict intensifies. Culture Minister Ghassan Salamé urged the UN agency to intervene with belligerent parties to ensure the safety of irreplaceable landmarks, including the National Museum of Beirut and the Roman ruins of Baalbek. UNESCO confirmed it has shared the coordinates of these World Heritage sites with all involved parties to prevent accidental or intentional targeting during military operations.

UK Government AI Copyright Rules Decision

uk government ai copyright rules decision

The UK government is currently navigating a contentious legal overhaul of intellectual property laws regarding artificial intelligence and copyright. A controversial proposal that would allow AI firms like OpenAI to train models on copyrighted material without creator consent has sparked fierce backlash from artists, MPs, and the House of Lords. While a formal update is expected in mid-March, reports suggest the government may delay a final decision for another year to gather further evidence.

Patarei Prison Could Become Museum

paterei prison could become museum

Estonia’s Minister of Justice, Urmas Reinsalu, has proposed transforming the historic Patarei Prison in Tallinn into an international museum and research center dedicated to the crimes of communism. The sprawling 10-acre seaside complex, which served as a site of political incarceration under Soviet rule until 2002, remains largely unrestored, containing haunting remnants such as surgical tools and tattered bunk beds. The proposal has gained significant diplomatic traction, receiving formal support from representatives of eight EU member states during a recent meeting in the Estonian capital.

belarus free theatre venice biennale collateral event

The Belarus Free Theatre (BFT), an underground performance group currently in exile, has announced its first major visual art exhibition titled "Official. Unofficial. Belarus." as a collateral event for the 61st Venice Biennale. Staged at the historic La Chiesa di San Giovanni Evangelista, the show features site-specific works by exiled artists including Sergey Grinevich, Vladimir Tsesler, and Nicolai Khalezin. The installations range from paintings functioning as altar panels to a massive sphere of banned books and a crucifix made of CCTV cameras, all designed to critique the surveillance and censorship of the Lukashenko regime.

bedayat beginnings of saudi art movement

The National Museum of Saudi Arabia in Riyadh has launched "Bedayat: Beginnings of Saudi Art Movement," a landmark survey exhibition documenting the evolution of the country’s art scene from the 1960s through the 1980s. Curated by Qaswra Hafez and commissioned by the Visual Arts Commission, the show features a vast array of paintings, sculptures, and never-before-seen archival materials. The exhibition is organized into three sections that explore the foundations of the movement, the influence of modernization on daily life, and the specific contributions of four modernist pioneers: Mohammed Al-Saleem, Safeya Binzagr, Mounirah Mosly, and Abdulhalim Radwi.

wang contemporary ying alexander wang

Designer Alexander Wang and his mother Ying Wang have acquired the historic 58 Bowery building in New York's Chinatown for $9.5 million, marking its first Chinese American ownership. They are transforming the former bank into a cultural venue named Wang Contemporary, which will host exhibitions, performances, and festivals focused on Asian and Asian American creatives, with its inaugural exhibition curated by the art collective MSCHF.