Is Banksy getting personal? New lighthouse mural prompts speculation over its philosophical meaning

Banksy has unveiled a new mural on Instagram after a six-month hiatus, depicting a black lighthouse with the stenciled phrase “I want to be what you saw in me.” The work, located in Marseille’s Rue Félix Fregier, marks the first time the artist has referred to himself in the first person in a public mural. Speculation about its meaning ranges from a tribute to a deceased artist known as Lonely Farmer to a moment of rare self-reflection, though Banksy’s studio Pest Control declined to comment.

Let him entertain you: Robbie Williams gets honest in latest Moco exhibition

Pop star Robbie Williams opened his new exhibition "Radical Honesty" at the Moco Museum in London on May 2, 2025, featuring his latest sculptures and paintings. The show was attended by celebrities including documentary maker Louis Theroux, artists Chris Levine and Daniel Lismore, and comedian Leigh Francis. Williams's works incorporate his trademark sarcastic and self-deprecating humor, with one painting bearing the text: "To be completely honest I’m not sure if we are friends or we’ve just been in the same room a lot in the last 15 years." This is not Williams's first art venture; in 2022 he presented 14 large-scale works at Sotheby's London co-created with Ed Godrich under the name Williams Godrich, and he is also an art collector with pieces by Banksy, Peter Blake, Christopher Page, and Morris Wade.

British art museum exhibit offers glimpse into East India Company

The Yale Center for British Art has opened a new exhibition, “Painters, Ports, and Profits: Artists and the East India Company, 1750-1850,” on January 8. Curated by Laurel Peterson and Holly Shaffer, the show features over a hundred works—including watercolors, portraits, and a 37-foot-long scroll of Lucknow—drawn from the museum’s collection and beyond. It explores the artistic networks and innovations that emerged around the British East India Company’s colonial and economic activities in India and China.

Ex-Sotheby’s CEO Tad Smith Banks on NFTs, Agrees to Buy Collectibles Platform Candy Digital

Tad Smith, former CEO of Sotheby's and current chairman of the NFT project Doodles, has agreed to acquire most of the assets of the digital collectibles platform Candy Digital. Upon the deal's expected closure in the coming weeks, Smith will also assume the role of CEO, signaling a significant personal and financial bet on the future of the sector.

winston artory merger launches

Art appraiser Winston Art Group and art-tech firm Artory have merged to form the Winston Artory Group (WAG), a new company offering art appraisal, advisory, and digital collection management services. The merger is backed by a strategic investment led by Strobe Ventures, with support from CMT Digital, Galaxy Digital, and the family office of Eijk van Otterloo. WAG combines Winston's valuation expertise with Artory's blockchain-backed technology and a database of over 50 million art market transactions, aiming to provide secure, data-rich valuations to insurers, banks, family offices, and collectors. The firm expects to handle $15 billion in valuations this year.

Street art: Everything you need to know about Aberdeen Nuart 2026

The Nuart Aberdeen street art festival has returned for its 2026 edition, running from Wednesday through Sunday. Thirteen international artists are creating new murals and installations across the city, including the first indoor work at the historic Bon Accord baths, alongside pieces on the Chapel Street car park and North East Scotland College. A guide and walking tours help visitors locate both new and existing artworks.

A library of sensations in Rome in the exhibition of Gabriele Simei: The interview

Una biblioteca di sensazioni a Roma nella mostra di Gabriele Simei. L’intervista

Artist Gabriele Simei has transformed the VOLUME! art space in Rome into an immersive installation titled "LABiblioteca Sottotevere." Curated by Silvano Manganaro, the exhibition features metal sculptures shaped like books, alongside found objects such as old lace, blankets, and tools. Simei uses acid to etch the textures of leaves gathered from the banks of the Tiber River and vintage textiles onto iron and brass plates, creating a "library of sensations" that bridges the gap between nature and domestic memory.

Local business marks 10 years of support for Martha Trust with special charity exhibition

Frames for You and the newly established New Street Gallery in Deal, Kent, are hosting a week-long charity art exhibition to celebrate a decade of partnership with Martha Trust. The event features donated artworks from acclaimed artists, including botanical illustrator Pat Joyce and painter Kate Maguire, as well as a rare World War II silk escape map. All proceeds from the donated works and gallery commissions from additional sales will be directed to the charity, which supports individuals with profound disabilities.

Sculpture from Carbondale’s 2025 Art Around Town exhibition finds new home with ANB Bank

A welded steel sculpture titled "Sidewinder" by California-based artist Diego Harris, originally part of Carbondale's 2025 Art Around Town exhibition, has been purchased by ANB Bank and permanently installed outside the bank's Sopris Station development site along Colorado Highway 133. The piece was moved to its new home on Monday, and Harris also installed a new sculpture, "Shaman's Path," near Main Street and Snowmass Drive as part of the upcoming 2026 Art Around Town exhibition.

'A space that feels like us, that looks like us'

The Center for Black Excellence and Culture will open on West Badger Road in Madison on May 6, after years of planning and raising over $32 million from roughly 1,300 donors. The facility includes a central gallery, display spaces, a 280-seat fine arts theater, a black box theater, a library, a Black studies reading room, a recording studio, and a women's empowerment center. The grand opening will feature performances by The House Urban Arts Initiative Inc., Dana Pellebon, Theola Carter, Anthony Brown, and others. The inaugural visual arts exhibition, "Neo Black Renaissance: A Vision in One's Mind," will run through August, showcasing works by artists including Comfort Wasikhongo, Odalo Wasikhongo, Marlon Banks, Brooklyn Doby, Jessica Patterson, Fatima Laster, and Shalicia Johnson.

SIU’s Sharp Museum to open exhibition featuring sculptor Preston Jackson

Southern Illinois University Carbondale’s Sharp Museum will open “Here We Are,” an exhibition of recent bronze sculptures and paintings by nationally acclaimed sculptor and SIU alumnus Preston Jackson, on December 5, 2025. The show, running through June 26, 2026, features 17 paintings and nine sculptures, including works from Jackson’s public commissions. A separate closing reception on December 12 will highlight local artists Sue Gindlesparger and Nicki Rathert from the Oak Street Art Collective.

Karen Sylvester to exhibit at Studio Joli

Karen Sylvester, a self-taught Trinidadian artist known for her lush landscapes and waterscapes, will present her latest exhibition "Somewhat Familiar" at Studio Joli in St James, Trinidad, from October 18 to 30, 2025. The show features works inspired by her childhood on the banks of a river in the Northern Range of Trinidad, created through direct observation, sketches, photographs, and visual memory. Sylvester has been exhibiting since 1993 and is widely respected in the region, with her work held in the National Museum and private collections.

Exhibition review: Relic at 28 Broad Street - Nottingham Culture

An immersive pop-up exhibition titled 'Relic' is on display at 28 Broad Street in Nottingham City Centre, led by local street artist Kid30 and featuring collaborators Detail, Ging, Boaster, Grim Finga, Dizzy Ink, Lambhorse, and 2 Foot. The exhibition transforms a partially renovated building into a dystopian 'museum of found objects from the after years 2035-2055,' combining sculpture, audio production, and parody to critique consumer culture and envision a bleak future. Highlights include a pirate radio soundtrack, a model village by Roadman Rails, and satirical reimaginings of brands like Apple, Netflix, and Coca-Cola.

A New Art Exhibition Ponders the Perpetual Cycle of Urban Transition

The article reviews "Contemporary Ruin future visions," an exhibition at Drexel University's Leonard Pearlstein Gallery curated by artist Nancy Agati. The show explores the perpetual cycle of urban construction, demolition, and renewal, focusing on Philadelphia's evolving neighborhoods. Featured artists include Sophie White, who documents rapid gentrification in Fishtown/Kensington through plein-air gouache paintings, and Jennifer Johnson, whose sculptural maps trace the transformation of the Black Bottom area from 1725 to 2025. Joseph E. B. Elliott contributes photographs of decaying buildings, such as Saint Bonaventure Church and Richmond Generating Station, capturing ruins both past and present.

Jersey City Arts + Studio Tour Returning for 2025

The Jersey City Arts + Studio Tour (JCAST) returns for its 36th annual festival from October 3rd to October 5th, 2025, with the theme "Convergence: Art, Technology, Business, and Wellness." The event features over 120 venues across all six wards, including more than 60 open artist studios, gallery exhibitions, two curated shows, performances, music, poetry, film, and guided tours. Highlights include the JCAST Legend Awards ceremony honoring Ernie Pannicioli and the late Ruth Moore, art talks, a bike art crawl organized by Bike JC, and after parties at various local venues.