At London's Barbican, Lucy Raven chronicles the destruction of a California dam

Lucy Raven's video installation "Murderers Bar" (2025) has its European premiere at the Barbican's Curve gallery in London. The work documents the 2023-2024 demolition of four dams on the Klamath River in Oregon and California, focusing on the destruction of the Copco No. 1 dam built in 1918. The film is the final part of Raven's trilogy "The Drumfire," exploring themes of pressure, release, and material transformation. It uses aerial photography, drones, lidar, and sonar animations to capture the river's reclamation of its course after the dam's removal, following decades of activism by Indigenous communities including the Yurok, Karuk, Klamath, Hoopa, and Shasta Indian Nation. The exhibition also includes a new kinetic sculpture, "Hardpan" (2025), that physically manifests ideas of force and pressure.

Courtney Love inspires Liza Jo Eilers New York exhibition

Liza Jo Eilers presents her first solo exhibition in New York, 'Starland Silver Sash', at Grimm gallery, running through 1st November. The show features paintings that splice together scenes from a Hole concert, including the work 'The trickle down effect (mint)', which explores the relationship between frontwoman Courtney Love and her fans. Other cultural icons such as Nina Simone and Gena Rowlands appear in split-screen paintings, reflecting Eilers' interest in pop culture's double bind regarding representations of women. The artist, who earned her MFA from the School of the Art Institute Chicago and works with hydrochromic and thermochromic inks, discusses themes of gender, performance, and societal beauty standards.

Autumn Arts: Visual Art

Seattle's galleries and museums are launching a fall season of exhibitions addressing politics, identity, and the environment, alongside works celebrating beauty. Highlights include Karey Kessler's map-inspired show 'the Where' at Shift Gallery, Ethan Murrow and Mary Finlayson exhibitions at Winston Wächter Fine Art, Anila Quayyum Agha's immersive light installation 'Geometry of Light' at the Seattle Asian Art Museum, and a politically charged neon show 'Call It What It Is' at The Factory. The city-wide Art + Culture Week returns for its second edition, featuring free events across 12 neighborhoods.

5 Standout Shows to See at Small Galleries This August

Maxwell Rabb's article highlights five standout exhibitions at small galleries for August 2025. Featured shows include "Timeless Remnants" at Grège Gallery in Belgium, featuring artists Conrad Willems, Laura Pasquino, and Chidy Wayne exploring memory through materials; "Tropico Pasado" at Galleria Doris Ghetta in Italy, a solo show by London-based artist Lucía Pizzani inspired by the Dolomites and Venezuelan landscapes; and "rwa bhineda" at SUN.CONTEMPORARY in Bali, Indonesia. Other exhibitions are noted but not detailed in the provided text.

NEXT in the Gallery: See Pittsburgh-made art in the streets, coffeehouses and a warehouse in Brooklyn

NEXTpittsburgh's August gallery guide highlights a wave of Pittsburgh-made art appearing in streets, coffeehouses, open studios, and even a warehouse in Brooklyn. Featured exhibitions include the Pittsburgh Photography Club's 140-year retrospective at Manos Gallery, Monica Matthews' graphite pencil drawings at Ruckus Coffee Gallery & Café, the juried group show "Living Canvas III" at Studio 4, Kristin Divers' pastel solo show at Mark Rengers Gallery, the multimedia group exhibition "Horizons" at Castle Consortia, and Annie Heisey's paintings at Sweetwater Center for the Arts. The month also includes a one-night solo show by New Orleans muralist Dago at Studio 4.

Amazonia Açu

Americas Society in New York will present 'Amazonia Açu,' an exhibition opening September 3, 2025, that offers a kaleidoscopic view of Amazonian aesthetic, cultural, and material diversity. Curated by Keyna Eleison and a committee of representatives from all nine Amazonian states—Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, French Guiana, Guyana, Peru, Suriname, and Venezuela—the show features over 50 works by 34 local artists and collectives, addressing themes such as artistic production, land rights, cultural heritage, and spirituality.

NEXT in the Gallery: July art is a ‘time capsule of medieval Pittsburgh’

NEXTpittsburgh's July gallery guide highlights a range of new exhibitions and events across Pittsburgh. Featured shows include Nathan Van Patter's 'Medieval Pittsburgh' at Irma Freeman Center for Imagination, which reimagines the city's modern figures and landmarks in a medieval fantasy style; 'Five on Five' at Spinning Plate Gallery presenting new works by five local painters; Ben Schonberger's 'Hi-NRG' at 707 Penn Gallery, drawing from gay underground visual culture and disco music; and Ashley Andrykovitch's 'LAN Party' at UnSmoke Systems Artspace, inspired by 1990s local area network gaming gatherings.

NEXT in the Gallery: June art brings John Lennon, the Fiberart International and a moral compass

NEXTpittsburgh's June gallery guide highlights a packed month of art events across Pittsburgh, including the Dollar Bank Three Rivers Arts Festival (June 5-8) with 191 artists, a Juried Visual Arts Exhibition at SPACE Gallery, and a rare photography exhibit by May Pang documenting John Lennon's "lost weekend" at Atithi Studios. Other openings include ceramicist Philip Soucy's solo show, painter Caroline Heckman's portraits at Revel, Stephanie Gonzalez's cosmic "Nebulas" at BoxHeart Gallery, the Fiberart International 2025 triennial at Contemporary Craft and Brew House Arts, and Natalie Westbrook's "Corners of My Mind" at ZYNKA Gallery.

No, the courts have not cleared the way for contemporary stained-glass windows at Notre-Dame

Non, la justice n'a pas laissé la voie libre aux vitraux contemporains de Notre-Dame

The article clarifies that legal challenges against installing contemporary stained-glass windows in Notre-Dame Cathedral are still ongoing, contrary to misleading headlines. Two judicial procedures remain active: an appeal by the heritage association Sites & Monuments after losing a first-instance ruling on procedural grounds, and a separate case contesting the legitimacy of the works themselves. Although an emergency injunction was denied because the judge found no urgency, the core legal arguments—that replacing Viollet-le-Duc's windows is not conservation or restoration—remain strong. The author warns that if the windows are installed before the appeals are resolved, they may later have to be removed at great expense.

The Burlington Magazine - n°1478 vol CLXVIII - May 2026

The May 2026 issue of The Burlington Magazine (n°1478, vol. CLXVIII) presents a rich array of scholarly articles, exhibition reviews, and book reviews covering European art from the medieval period to the 20th century. Highlights include Laure Boyer's study of two photographs of Victorine Meurent linked to Manet's 'Le Déjeuner sur l'herbe' and 'Olympia', Axel Moulinier's analysis of Watteau's copies after old masters, and Richard Thomson's essay on a century of Monet in print. Exhibition reviews cover shows on Monet's Étretat coast, Orazio Gentileschi, Cornelius Jonson van Ceulen, Gainsborough, Seurat, Italian Symbolism, and Iliazd. Book reviews range from medieval art and Pietro Bellotti to Helene Schjerfbeck, Roberto Matta, and contemporary jewelry at the Dallas Museum of Art.

The Burlington Magazine - No. 1477 Vol. CLXVIII - April 2026

The Burlington Magazine - n°1477 vol CLXVIII - April 2026

The April 2026 issue of The Burlington Magazine presents a wealth of new scholarship, highlighted by significant discoveries regarding the 'Rainbow' portrait of Queen Elizabeth I and a previously unpublished portrait of Sarah Churchill by Godfrey Kneller. The edition spans centuries of art history, featuring research on 18th-century color theorist Mary Gartside, the pottery windows of William Bell Scott, and newly identified drawings by Marcellus Laroon the Younger.

The Music Is Black: Frequencies of Belonging in Britain

V&A East Museum is launching its inaugural exhibition, 'The Music is Black: A British Story,' a comprehensive exploration of Black British music spanning over a century. Curated by Jacqueline Springer, the show features more than 200 objects—including instruments, fashion, and personal artifacts—alongside significant artworks by figures such as Sonia Boyce and Frank Bowling. The exhibition traces the evolution of genres from early 20th-century compositions to contemporary grime and drill, framing them as vital expressions of migration, resistance, and cultural identity.

NEW ZEALAND PHOTOGRAPHER FIONA PARDINGTON REPRESENTS AOTEAROA AT THE VENICE BIENNALE

New Zealand photographer Fiona Pardington (born 1961, Auckland) is representing Aotearoa at the 61st Venice Biennale with her exhibition *Taharaki Skyside*, on view from May 9 to November 22, 2026, at the Aotearoa New Zealand Pavilion. The show features large-scale portraits of taxidermied birds from museum collections across New Zealand and Australia, focusing on endemic species including the extinct huia and whēkau. Curated by Felicity Milburn and Chloe Cull, the exhibition is presented by the Arts Council of New Zealand Toi Aotearoa (Creative New Zealand) and Christchurch Art Gallery Te Puna o Waiwhetū.

London exhibition explores untold history of how homelessness was criminalised

A new exhibition titled "Criminal: The Untold History of Homelessness" opens at the Museum of Homelessness in London, exploring the origins of homelessness in the UK and how it has been criminalized. The exhibition challenges the typical focus on the 19th-century Vagrancy Act, instead tracing the "Homelessness Big Bang" to the early 1600s, when land enclosures, economic shifts, and colonial expansion began penalizing unhoused people. Staged in a meadow at Finsbury Park, the show features artists and activists including the anonymous graffiti artist 10 Foot, designer Matt Bonner, and poet Gemma Lees, with works such as 10 Foot's first sculpture "Fairie Newbuild"—a skip-shaped object made from palisade fencing containing a hawthorn tree.

Tough Stuff: Women in The American Glass Studio

The Corning Museum of Glass (CMoG) opened "Tough Stuff: Women in the American Glass Studio" on May 16, 2026, as part of its 75th anniversary celebration. This is the first survey exhibition dedicated to women artists who shaped the American Studio Glass Movement from the 1960s onward, featuring over 200 works by artists including Claire Falkenstein, Audrey Handler, Margie Jervis, Susie Krasnican, Kathleen Mulcahy, Ginny Ruffner, Ruth Tamura, and Toots Zynsky. The exhibition draws from CMoG’s permanent collection, the Rakow Research Library, and loans from the artists, and is complemented by an oral history initiative preserving first-person accounts.

Expansion plans for Rome's Galleria Borghese draw fierce response

Rome's Galleria Borghese, a 17th-century villa museum housing masterpieces by Caravaggio, Bernini, and Canova, is facing controversy over a privately funded feasibility study for a potential expansion. Sponsored by Italian engineering firm Proger, the €900,000 initiative would fund an international architecture competition to explore adding exhibition and visitor space to the Villa Borghese Pinciana grounds. Museum officials cite operational constraints: the historic interiors limit access to 360 visitors per two-hour slot (about 4,000 daily), reservations require weeks of waiting, many works remain in storage, and accessibility is poor. Visitor numbers hit a record 630,760 in 2025, up from 506,000 a decade earlier. Preservation groups including Italia Nostra Roma and Amici di Villa Borghese have objected to any new construction in the sensitive historic landscape. Director Francesca Cappelletti emphasized at a May 18 press conference that no project exists yet and the museum is only beginning a study process, with a winner possible by year's end.

Finnish museum creates a new and radical support model for artists

Finland's largest art museum, the Espoo Museum of Modern Art (Emma), has launched a radical new artist support model under director Krist Gruijthuijsen. The program commits to four artists—P. Staff, Tarik Kiswanson, Jenna Sutela, and Eglė Budvytytė—over several years, providing financial backing through acquisitions, production support, a part-time stipend, and health insurance. It will culminate in mid-career survey exhibitions in 2029 and 2030, which the museum plans to tour with partner institutions. Three of the artists are currently showing at the Venice Biennale with Emma's support.

The Best Booths at NADA New York, From Quietly Ominous Ceramics to Ecstatic Jazz Paintings

The New Art Dealers Alliance opened the 12th edition of NADA New York on May 14, 2026, at Chelsea’s Starrett-Lehigh building, coinciding with Frieze and 1-54 fairs nearby. The fair featured 110 exhibitors, including 51 first-time galleries from New York to Shanghai, with standout presentations by Andrae Green and Cyle Warner at Forgotten Lands, Ruth Owens at Voltz Clarke, and Keiko Narahashi at Tappeto Volante Gallery. This year’s edition emphasized ceramics and fiber art, marking a shift from recent years’ focus on figurative painting.

He’s behind you! The best of Photo London – in pictures

Photo London, the UK's leading photography fair, launches its 11th edition at a new venue, Olympia in Kensington, London, running from 13–17 May 2026. The fair features a diverse array of exhibitors, including debutants like Agony and Ecstasy gallery, which showcases nostalgic works of Ibiza by Oriol Maspons and Walter Rudolph, and Hackney-based Guest Editions, presenting Laura McCluskey and Thomas Duffield. A new 'Focus' section highlights galleries from Latin America and Central and Eastern Europe, such as Ungallery (Argentina) and Galeria Monopol (Poland). Notable presentations include vintage prints by Japanese master Daido Moriyama at Akio Nagasawa Gallery, and Ketaki Sheth's series 'Twinspotting' at Photoink, which pairs Patel twins in the UK with those in India.

Latino community organisation opens $33m arts centre in Boston

On 15 May, Inquilinos Boricuas en Acción (IBA), a Latino-founded nonprofit community development corporation, will open La Casa, a $33 million, 26,000-square-foot cultural center in Boston's South End. The largest Latino cultural center in New England, La Casa is designed by local firms Studio Enée and Annum Architects and features a terracotta-colored facade, energy-efficient design, and flexible spaces for civic engagement, education, and artistic expression. Initial programming includes artist residencies, workshops, and a mural by local artist Alvin “Acóma” Colon honoring Boston’s Puerto Rican residents. The building incorporates salvaged elements from the original turn-of-the-century Lutheran church that IBA repurposed in the 1960s.

US National Gallery of Art receives $116m gift to continue nationwide lending programme

The National Gallery of Art (NGA) in Washington, DC, has received a landmark $116 million donation from the Mitchell P. Rales Family Foundation to permanently endow its Across the Nation lending programme. Launched in spring 2025, the initiative has already reached around 900,000 visitors at ten partner institutions, including the Anchorage Museum and the Mint Museum, by loaning works from the NGA's collection at no cost—covering transport, installation, insurance, and marketing. The next cycle will run from autumn 2027 to 2029, with new partners to be announced.

EU imposes sanctions on Mikhail Piotrovsky, director of Russia's State Hermitage Museum

The European Union has imposed sanctions on Mikhail Piotrovsky, the director of Russia's State Hermitage Museum, as part of its 20th sanctions package adopted on 23 April. Piotrovsky, a vocal supporter of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, is cited for being a close associate of Vladimir Putin and for actively supporting the war, including justifying Russian cultural policies that incorporate Ukrainian museum items into Russia's State Museum Fund and enabling unauthorized archaeological excavations in occupied Crimea. The sanctions also target three other cultural officials involved in the Crimean digs. Meanwhile, Hermitage archaeologist Alexander Butyagin, arrested in Poland in December 2025 at Ukraine's request, was released in a prisoner exchange on 28 April.

Arts funding gap in the north must be closed | Letters

Two letter writers to The Guardian criticize the UK government's arts funding imbalance, highlighting that London receives disproportionate investment compared to northern England. Christine Baranski points out that £135m was spent on the V&A East in London while the Tate in Liverpool has been closed for over two years and the Albert Docks cultural area appears neglected. Sharon Maher notes that Arts Council spending is roughly £57 per Londoner versus £28 per person in the north, and argues that future national museum outposts should be located in the north.

How did a 16th-century European basin end up as a sacred object in West Africa?

The Aya Kese, a massive 16th-century northern European brass basin, is currently on display at the British Museum while its complex history remains under scrutiny. Looted by British officer Robert Baden-Powell in 1896 from the Asante kingdom’s royal mausoleum in present-day Ghana, the object was long sensationalized by colonial accounts as a vessel for human sacrifice. Recent scholarship and historical records from Asante King Prempeh I contest these claims, asserting the basin’s sacred role as a spiritual repository for the souls of the Asante people.

New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani to Skip Met Gala, Sources Say

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani and his wife Rama Duwaji will reportedly skip the 2025 Met Gala, breaking a long-standing tradition of mayoral attendance at the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s premier fundraiser. Sources suggest the decision stems from a conflict between Mamdani’s socialist political platform and the event's association with billionaire sponsors, specifically Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sánchez-Bezos.

Activist Super-Glues Herself to Display Cabinet at Berlin’s Bode Museum

An activist from the group New Generation staged a protest at Berlin’s Bode Museum by super-gluing herself to a display cabinet containing coins. Dressed as Germany’s Economic Affairs Minister, Katherina Reiche, the protester aimed to criticize the minister's perceived lack of independence from corporate interests. Police successfully removed the activist, and the Prussian Cultural Heritage Foundation confirmed that no museum exhibits were damaged during the incident.

Former High Museum COO Pleads Not Guilty to Federal Theft Charges

Brady Lum, the former Chief Operating Officer of Atlanta’s High Museum of Art, has pleaded not guilty to federal charges involving the theft of approximately $600,000. Prosecutors allege that between 2019 and 2024, Lum manipulated financial records and altered invoices to fund personal luxuries, including high-end musical instruments and private lessons. The discrepancies were discovered during an internal investigation by the Woodruff Arts Center, leading to Lum's resignation in December and a subsequent referral to federal authorities.

France’s new restitution law passes final vote

The French parliament has officially passed framework legislation establishing a legal pathway for the restitution of cultural artifacts looted from former colonies. This landmark law, inspired by a report from former Louvre director Jean-Luc Martinez, allows for the deaccession of items taken by force or under duress between 1815 and 1972. While the law fulfills a 2017 pledge by President Emmanuel Macron, it remains strictly supervised, requiring bilateral scientific committees to verify claims and excluding military archives and archaeological shares.

Sharjah’s Barjeel Art Foundation Is Building its First Museum

The Barjeel Art Foundation has officially broken ground on its first permanent museum in Sharjah, United Arab Emirates, with a scheduled opening for January 2028. Founded by Sultan Sooud Al Qassemi, the 38,750-square-foot facility will be designed by Abdelmoneam Essa of Architecture Corner Consultants, featuring a design inspired by the traditional architecture of the Al Rigga neighborhood.

1,000-year-old Toltec altar with four human skulls found in Mexico

Archaeologists from Mexico’s National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH) have discovered a 1,000-year-old Toltec altar during salvage work for a new high-speed rail line between Mexico City and Querétaro. The stone structure, known as a momoztli, dates back to AD 900-1150 and was found with four human skulls and leg bones arranged at its base, suggesting ritual or sacrificial use. Located near the ancient site of Tula Chico, the find also included ceramic objects and obsidian artifacts within a compound likely belonging to the local elite.