Long threatened, the Palais de la découverte will finally reopen in 2027 after a seven-year closure

Longtemps menacé, le Palais de la découverte va finalement rouvrir en 2027 après sept ans de fermeture

The Palais de la découverte in Paris will officially reopen in March 2027 following a seven-year closure for extensive renovations. Located in the Palais d’Antin wing of the Grand Palais, the institution faced the threat of permanent closure or relocation to the Cité des sciences due to economic constraints. However, a joint decision by the French Ministries of Research and Culture has secured its future at its historic site, where it will feature a shared entrance with the Grand Palais to foster a unique dialogue between art and science.

La loi sur les restitutions des biens culturels pillés pendant la colonisation définitivement adoptée

The French Parliament has definitively adopted a permanent law on the restitution of cultural property looted during colonization, replacing the previous case-by-case legislative approach. The Senate unanimously approved the final text on May 7, 2026, following agreement in a joint committee on April 30, and the National Assembly had approved it the day before. The law creates a general derogation from the principle of inalienability of public collections, establishing a bilateral scientific committee to examine provenance, with final decisions made by decree of the Council of State. Key amendments from the National Assembly—including binding parliamentary votes on restitution and conditions on conservation and public access—were removed by the joint committee to avoid perceptions of neocolonial tutelage.

La loi-cadre sur les restitutions définitivement adoptée par le Parlement

The French Parliament has definitively adopted a framework law on the restitution of cultural property that was illicitly acquired. The Senate unanimously approved the conclusions of the joint committee on May 7, following the National Assembly's approval on May 6, after an agreement was reached on April 30. The law establishes a general mechanism for returning objects from French public collections without requiring a specific law for each case, covering items acquired through looting, theft, forced sale, or other illicit means before the 1970 UNESCO Convention. It creates a permanent national commission and a bilateral scientific committee to assess claims, with restitution ultimately decided by government decree subject to legal review by the Council of State.

The Rapprochement Between Artnet and Artsy Takes Shape

Le rapprochement entre Artnet et Artsy prend corps

Artnet and Artsy, two major online art market platforms, have announced a strategic merger under the common ownership of British investment fund Beowolff Capital. The companies will retain their distinct brands and websites but will be led by a unified management team, with Artsy's CEO Jeffrey Yin taking the helm. The consolidation has already resulted in dozens of job cuts, particularly at Artnet News, and follows a period of economic strain for Artnet, which reported a 12% revenue drop in the first half of 2025.

Oviedo to host the world's first philosophy museum

Oviedo accueillera le premier musée de philosophie au monde

The Gustavo Bueno Foundation has announced plans to open the world's first museum of philosophy in Oviedo, Spain, scheduled for January 2027. Housed in the historic Miñor sanatorium, the institution will serve as a physical extension of the Oviedo School of Philosophy, focusing on the "philosophical materialism" developed by the late thinker Gustavo Bueno. The museum aims to move beyond academic circles to engage the general public in critical thinking and the rigorous analysis of social structures.

Ministers consider charging tourists to access UK national museum collections

UK government ministers are exploring the possibility of charging international tourists for entry to the permanent collections of national museums. This proposal is part of a broader search for long-term funding solutions for the arts sector, outlined in the government's response to the Arts Council England review led by Margaret Hodge. The review also prompted commitments to simplify funding applications and protect the Arts Council from political interference.

Ndidi Dike “Rare Earth Rare Justice” at Secession, Vienna

Ndidi Dike, a British-Nigerian sculptor and multi-disciplinary artist, presents her first major solo exhibition at an Austrian institution, titled "Rare Earth Rare Justice," at Secession in Vienna. The show features works across mixed media, painting, sculpture, collage, photography, video, and installation, addressing social, political, and economic conditions of the modern world.

Alex Thake “I Know This Much is True” at Triangolo, Cremona

Alex Thake presents a solo exhibition titled "I Know This Much is True" at Triangolo gallery in Cremona. The show features new works by the artist, continuing his exploration of material and conceptual themes.

Vietnam to Debut at 2026 Venice Biennale

Vietnam will make its historic debut at the 61st Venice Biennale in 2026 with its first-ever national pavilion titled “Viet Nam: Art in the Global Flow.” Located at the Ca’ Giustinian Faccanon palace and curated by Đỗ Tường Linh, the exhibition will feature works by ten contemporary artists, including a major immersive installation by Lê Hữu Hiếu. Hiếu’s contribution, titled "Tằm" (Silkworm), utilizes traditional materials like lacquer and jackfruit wood alongside live silkworms to explore themes of metamorphosis and memory.

Echoes from the Margins: Guinea’s Debut Pavilion Resonates in Venice.

Guinea has presented its first-ever national pavilion at the 61st Venice Biennale. Titled 'Le Son de l’Art,' the exhibition is installed on the island of San Servolo and is curated by Koyo Kouoh, featuring a multidisciplinary group of artists exploring memory, materiality, and postcolonial identity.

The Practice of Liberation and Sanctuaries of Becoming.

Michaela Yearwood-Dan has unveiled her first major UK institutional exhibition, 'The Practice of Liberation,' at the Whitworth. The immersive installation integrates fourteen new paintings with ceramic vessels and soundscapes, reimagining traditional religious motifs through a contemporary, secular lens. By deconstructing elements like stained glass and the Stations of the Cross into abstract forms, the artist creates a sanctuary that explores themes of ritual, memory, and personal identity.

Consequences of Being and the Process of Becoming.

Deborah Roberts’s solo exhibition, 'Consequences of Being,' at The FLAG Art Foundation showcases a significant evolution in her practice, featuring new large-scale paintings, works on paper, and her debut in ceramic sculpture. Her signature collage-based figures are presented as fragmented, composite bodies that challenge fixed notions of Black identity and subjecthood. By blending archival imagery with vernacular signage, Roberts explores how colonial legacies and historical narratives continue to influence the perception of Black bodies across the globe.

Sortilégios de desvio and the Politics of Image-Making

The Museu de Arte do Rio has launched 'Sortilégios de desvio,' the first solo institutional exhibition by Brazilian artist No Martins. Produced in collaboration with Galeria Almeida & Dale and curated by a five-person team led by Marcelo Campos, the show features a significant selection of Martins’ recent works that explore the intersections of urban experience and Afro-Brazilian cultural imaginaries. Through a variety of media, the exhibition highlights the artist's focus on gesture, memory, and the reconfiguration of traditional visual narratives.

Statues Also Breathe: A Chorus of Clay and Memory, Where the Missing Return as Form.

The exhibition 'Statues Also Breathe' has opened at the Museum of African Contemporary Art Al Maaden (MACAAL) in Marrakech. Curated by Meriem Berrada, the installation features 108 terracotta heads created by artist Prune Nourry in collaboration with artisans and students. The work draws inspiration from the historic sculptural tradition of Ife in Nigeria while directly addressing the ongoing trauma of the 2014 kidnapping of the Chibok schoolgirls, using portraiture to represent the missing.

literature wayne koestenbaum books my lover the rabbi

Wayne Koestenbaum, a leading figure in New York's queer and literary scenes since the 1980s, is releasing his first novel in nearly two decades, *My Lover, the Rabbi*, in March. The 464-page book centers on an unnamed narrator's psychosexual affair with an aging rabbi, exploring themes of desire, repulsion, internalized homophobia, and the lingering aftermath of the Holocaust. Koestenbaum, known for his confessional prose and genre-straddling criticism—including his 1993 book *The Queen's Throat*—discusses the novel's intellectual filth, the conflation of desire and disgust, and his literary role models such as Samuel Delany and Jean Genet.

art young photographer hannah altman

Hannah Altman, a photographer exploring Jewish culture through self-portraiture and narrative, has had a significant year marked by the publication of her monograph "We Will Return to You" and exhibitions in Toronto, Richmond, Hamburg, and at Brandeis University’s Kniznick Gallery in Waltham, Massachusetts. Her work delves into themes of loss, change, persecution, and uncertainty, weaving together mysticism and memory to examine how rituals, narratives, and objects evolve over time.

art young photographer sara messinger

Sara Messinger, a 26-year-old photographer based in New York, has been nominated by Michael Foley, director of Leica Gallery NY, for her poignant portraits of teenagers. Her work, which has appeared in The Cut, The New York Times, and The New Yorker, was recently exhibited alongside Magnum photographer Bruce Davidson at Leica's New York gallery. Messinger describes her focus on teenagers as an organic discovery, drawn to their authenticity and honesty, and uses her photography to explore childhood fears and a search for connection.

culture art apple liquid glass artists

Apple is launching iOS 26, its first-ever cross-platform design update, featuring a new digital material called Liquid Glass. This translucent interface element refracts light like real glass and responds to touch, created by Apple's Vice President of Human Interface Design Alan Dye and his team in collaboration with the industrial design studio. The article includes reflections from artists Alice Bucknell and P. Staff on how Apple's technology and design philosophy intersect with their own practices.

New gallery celebrating craftmanship and art opens

The historic Hopton Hall Estate has opened a new gallery in Ashbourne, England, called the Hopton Hall Gallery. The gallery, housed in an 18th-century building that previously served as a butcher's, clockmaker's, and draper's shop, is the creation of estate owners Chris and Andi Harvey. Its inaugural exhibition, 'Brushed Light: Atmospheric Watercolours,' features works by local artists, and the gallery will host a rotating program of exhibitions and events through at least May 2027.

Alliance for the Arts to open All Florida Exhibition, new gallery showcases in March

The Alliance for the Arts in Fort Myers will open its 40th Annual All Florida Exhibition on March 6, running through March 28. The juried show features 43 works by 39 artists selected from over 450 submissions, representing a wide range of styles and media from across the state. Concurrently, the venue will host 'Selected Works by Ralph Bigletti' in the Theater Gallery and 'Marilyn Hedlund’s Fine Art Acrylics Students’ Showcase' in the Member Gallery, with a free public opening reception on March 6.

MINISO Gallery Launches in Shanghai

MINISO, the global lifestyle retailer, has launched its first-ever MINISO Gallery at Shanghai’s Bund City Hall Plaza, a historic landmark. The gallery opens with a solo exhibition titled *Life from the Corner of My Room* featuring RYOL, a contemporary Indonesian artist who is MINISO’s first global exclusive artist. The exhibition runs from 17 May to 31 August and includes recent paintings, sculptures, and installations that trace RYOL’s artistic evolution from intimate, room-based works to explorations of childhood innocence and real-world experience.

Bronx visual artist reveals exhibit 'Remember' that invites visitors to reconnect with their inner child

Bronx-based artist Ebony Bolt has launched her first solo exhibition, "Remember," at the Casita Maria Center for Arts and Education in Hunts Point. The show blends observational sketches of New York City subway commuters with digital designs, personal childhood photographs, and interactive elements like a crossword puzzle. By integrating positive affirmations and hidden symbolism, Bolt invites visitors to engage in a reflective process of reconnecting with their past and their inner child.

Pi Li appointed founding director of Shenzhen’s Róng Museum, set to open 2027

Pi Li, former head of art at Hong Kong's Tai Kwun, has been appointed the founding director of the new Róng Museum in Shenzhen. The museum, focusing on 20th and 21st-century global creative practices across visual art, design, performance, architecture, and digital media, is scheduled to open in the second half of 2027 as part of the M80 lifestyle complex.

Louisiana artists travel to world’s oldest, biggest, most prestigious art show

A group of Louisiana artists from Orleans Gallery on Julia Street in New Orleans is preparing to travel to the Venice Biennale, the world's oldest, largest, and most prestigious art exhibition, which has been held since 1895. The artists, led by coach Cayman Clevenger, will show their work at the Biennale from May through November, marking a major milestone for the gallery, which has been open for less than a year.

Spruill Center for the Arts to add 15 artist studios in Chamblee

The Spruill Center for the Arts is expanding its footprint by converting the former Chamblee City Hall into a new creative hub called Spruill Studios. Scheduled to open in June 2026, the 6,796-square-foot facility will house 15 affordable artist studios and a dedicated exhibition space. The project is the result of a strategic partnership with the City of Chamblee, which is leasing the 2002 building to the nonprofit for just $1 per year.

Fort Smith museum unveils two new art exhibitions on May 15

The Fort Smith Museum of History will open two new exhibitions on May 15. 'The Art of the Brick' features large-scale sculptures by contemporary artist Nathan Sawaya, built entirely from LEGO bricks, while 'The Art of Native American Basketry' showcases a collection of woven baskets from regional tribes.

Exhibition | Tang Maohong, 'Simplified' at ShanghART, Singapore

ShanghART Singapore presents 'Simplified', a solo exhibition by Chinese artist Tang Maohong opening on 16 May 2026. The show features paintings developed over the past two years since his relocation to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, and marks his return to Singapore after a 2019 solo exhibition and twenty years since his participation in the first Singapore Biennale. Tang's new works explore a technique of mixing colors directly on the painting surface rather than using a palette, collapsing the image and the palette into a single pictorial space.

Here's your last chance to support city centre art gallery forced to close

The Trapezium Art Gallery in Bradford city centre, a volunteer-run space that has hosted over 70 exhibitions by local artists and community groups over the past eight years, is being forced to close due to the redevelopment of the Kirkgate Shopping Centre site. Its final exhibition celebrates the volunteers who kept the gallery thriving, showcasing a diverse range of artwork including printmaking, painting, digital art, photography, collages, and textiles, and runs until May 30.

New Media Gallery to be ‘refreshed’ and reopen in New Westminster’s Anvil Centre

The New Media Gallery in New Westminster’s Anvil Centre, which operated from 2014 to 2024 showcasing technology-based art, is set to be refreshed and reopened after being paused following the departure of director-curators Sarah Joyce and Gordon Duggan. A 10-year review of the Anvil Centre identified the gallery as a key cultural asset, and city council approved recruitment for a new single director-curator position to lead the renewal, with an annual budget of about $650,000 for the gallery and adjacent Art & Technology LAB.

Syrian artist Ismail Nasra explores silence and solitude in new Damascus exhibition

Syrian visual artist Ismail Nasra has opened a new exhibition at Zawaya Art Gallery in Damascus, featuring 28 medium- and large-scale works that mark a departure from his earlier dense, colorful style. The paintings, created over three years on aged and weathered fabrics, employ muted palettes, abstraction, and negative space to explore themes of silence, absence, and emotional solitude. Solitary female figures and recurring bird motifs—symbols of freedom and escape—dominate the compositions, with the natural textures and cracks of the fabric becoming integral to the artwork.