Take a walk on the wild side with the Haas Brothers' fantastical new show

The Museum of Arts and Design (MAD) in New York has opened "Uncanny Valley," a major exhibition dedicated to the Los Angeles-based duo Nikolai and Simon Haas. The show features 85 works spanning 15 years of their practice, showcasing their signature blend of art, furniture, and craft through zoomorphic sculptures and kooky forms. Organized in collaboration with the Cranbrook Art Museum, the exhibition places these physical objects against surreal, algorithmically-generated backdrops that explore the intersection of human craftsmanship and digital technology.

DFW museums kick off World Cup fever with soccer-themed exhibitions

Several Dallas-Fort Worth cultural institutions are launching a series of soccer-themed exhibitions to coincide with the upcoming FIFA World Cup matches at AT&T Stadium. These showcases range from the Arlington Museum of Art’s multi-part historical exploration "More Than a Match" to the Latino Cultural Center’s solo exhibition of Mexican artist Jazzamoart, whose paintings translate the rhythm and emotion of the sport into expressive canvas works.

Exhibit at National Museum of Mexican Art in Chicago is a call to climate action

Artist Ana Teresa Fernández has launched her solo exhibition "Under Pressure" at the National Museum of Mexican Art in Chicago, presenting a multi-disciplinary call to climate action. The exhibit features oil paintings, sculptures such as a silver-feathered Quetzalcoatl made from a hose, and performance-based works that use metaphors like expanding balloons to illustrate the planet's breaking point. A central component of the project involved a community-led "social monument" at Ohio Street Beach, where hundreds of participants used mirrors to flash an S.O.S. signal in Morse code toward the horizon.

Rocky statue-inspired exhibition to open at Philadelphia Museum of Art with public event

The Philadelphia Museum of Art is launching a new exhibition centered on the cultural legacy of the 'Rocky' film franchise and its iconic statue, which stands at the foot of the museum's famous steps. The show explores the intersection of cinema, public art, and Philadelphia's local identity, featuring a public event to celebrate the opening.

Artist Ana Teresa Fernandez exhibit, 'Under Pressure,' now on display at National Museum of Mexican Art, a call to climate action

The National Museum of Mexican Art in Chicago is currently hosting "Under Pressure," a solo exhibition by Mexican-born artist Ana Teresa Fernández. The show features a diverse range of media, including oil paintings, sculptures like a silver-feathered Quetzalcoatl made from a hose, and performance-based works that use metaphors like expanding balloons to illustrate the fragility of the environment. A central component of the project involved a community-led "social monument" at Ohio Street Beach, where hundreds of participants used mirrors to signal an S.O.S. in Morse code toward the horizon.

Review: “Boris Lurie: Nothing To Do But To Try” at the Holocaust Museum Houston

The Holocaust Museum Houston is currently hosting "Boris Lurie: Nothing To Do But To Try," an exhibition focusing on the early works of the Holocaust survivor and NO!art movement founder. Organized by the Museum of Jewish Heritage, the show highlights Lurie’s "War Series," featuring paintings, drawings, and never-before-seen ephemera created as a means of processing the trauma of his imprisonment in camps like Buchenwald. The works, ranging from the immediate post-war period to decades later, serve as a visceral record of memory and loss, including tributes to his family members murdered in the Rumbula Forest massacre.

In Venice, Su Xiaobai will fill a historic palazzo with works crafted in natural lacquer

Artist Su Xiaobai will present a major solo exhibition titled "Alchemical Universe" at the Palazzo Soranzo Van Axel as an official Collateral Event of the 61st Venice Biennale. Curated by Stephen Little of LACMA, the show features 35 works spanning two decades, highlighting Su’s transition from oil painting to the mastery of natural lacquer. The exhibition includes his latest series, "Niao Niao," which utilizes mineral and metallic powders to create monochromatic, ethereal surfaces that emphasize material spontaneity over rigid artistic control.

In the Tech Heart of Texas, an Art Show Built on Data, Code and A.I.

The Austin Museum of Art is hosting a landmark exhibition focused on the intersection of technology and creativity, featuring works driven by real-time data, complex algorithms, and artificial intelligence. The showcase highlights interactive installations that evolve throughout the day, challenging traditional notions of static art and inviting viewers to participate in the creative process through digital engagement.

"Costume Art" MET Museum Exhibition

The Metropolitan Museum of Art's Costume Institute has opened a new exhibition titled "Costume Art," featuring a design by Robert Wun displayed in the "Vital Body" section. The show opened on Saturday, May 2, 2026, in New York, as captured in a photograph by Charles Sykes for Invision.

Required Reading

This week's Required Reading from Hyperallergic features a photo by Saber Nuraldin, a finalist for the World Press Photo of the Year, depicting Palestinians climbing an aid truck in Gaza during famine caused by Israel's blockade. The article also includes Elena Megalos's essay on the American Museum of Natural History as a site of motherhood, and reports on Meenu Batra, a legal interpreter arrested by ICE, and the New York Times blocking the Internet Archive from crawling its site.

L’arte vibra come un’onda. 7 artisti nell’elegante mostra a Casa Sanlorenzo a Venezia

Casa Sanlorenzo, the artistic division of the luxury yacht brand, has opened a new exhibition titled "Waves" in Venice, coinciding with the Venice Biennale. Curated by Sergio Risaliti and Cristiano Seganfreddo, the show spans 1,000 square meters across two floors plus a 600-square-meter garden, featuring works by seven artists: Alexander Calder, Lucio Fontana, Fausto Melotti, Tony Cragg, Marcello Maloberti, Christine Safa, and Friedrich Andreoni. The exhibition explores the concept of the wave as a metaphor for artistic expression, with a focus on sculpture and sound, including Melotti's poetic sculptures, Andreoni's immersive sound installation, and Calder's mobiles.

L’artista Kader Attia ci racconta la sua opera alla Biennale di Venezia 2026. L’intervista

Kader Attia presents his multimedia installation "Whisper of Traces" at the 2026 Venice Biennale, curated by Koyo Kouoh under the theme "In Minor Keys." The work explores the intersections of magic, spirituality, traditional healing, and digitalization, drawing on Attia's long-standing interest in how colonialism, neoliberalism, and technology have transformed shamanic and healing practices. Attia describes the project as an accumulation of psychic traces from human history, which his mother called "ghosts."

At the 2026 Venice Biennale, pavilions shut down for pro-Palestine strike. The map of protests

Alla Biennale di Venezia 2026 serrata dei padiglioni per sciopero pro Palestina. La mappa delle proteste

On May 8, 2026, the third VIP preview day of the 61st Venice Biennale, a massive strike shut down numerous national pavilions and disrupted the exhibition. Led by the Art Not Genocide Alliance (Anga), the protest demands Israel's exclusion from the Biennale over allegations of genocide in Palestine, and also targets poor labor conditions in the cultural sector. Pavilions closed one after another due to staff shortages, and protest posters appeared around artworks at the Giardini and Arsenale. The strike involved the Biennale Foundation itself, along with about twenty contractors managing services and national pavilions, with unions Adl Cobas, USB Lavoro privato, and Cub supporting the action. Tensions rose when the UK Pavilion reportedly replaced striking staff to remain open, and the Foundation issued a statement falsely denying that its employees were covered by the strike.

The Claire Fontaine collective and Ugo La Pietra open the new season of the Fondazione La Rocca in Pescara

Il collettivo Claire Fontaine e Ugo la Pietra aprono la nuova stagione della Fondazione La Rocca di Pescara

The Fondazione La Rocca in Pescara has announced its upcoming exhibition program for 2026-2027, including a solo show by Ugo La Pietra (June–October 2026) and a solo exhibition by the feminist conceptual collective Claire Fontaine (December 2026–March 2027). The foundation has also appointed Simone Ciglia as its new Chief Curator, who will work alongside the presidency to shape future artistic research. The season opens with La Pietra's 'Alla finestra,' curated by Giacinto Di Pietrantonio, featuring around seventy works exploring the window as a threshold. Claire Fontaine's 'Manuale d’uso,' curated by Ciglia, is conceived as an exhibition-essay based on Anita Chari's monograph. Additionally, the foundation launches 'FLR Incontra,' a public program of interdisciplinary talks and performances.

What is the international exhibition of the Venice Biennale like? Review of "In minor keys" by Koyo Kouoh

Com’è la mostra internazionale della Biennale di Venezia? Recensione di “In minor keys” di Koyo Kouoh

The 2026 Venice Biennale, titled "In minor keys" and curated by the late Koyo Kouoh, opens to the public on May 9 amid controversies including the absence of the president's name in the colophon at the Arsenale entrance. The exhibition, organized by Kouoh's team (Rory Tsapayi, Siddharta Mitter, Marie Helene Pereira, Gabe Beckhurst Feijoo, and Rasha Salty), unfolds across the Giardini and the Arsenale's Corderie, featuring works that balance strength and beauty with a harmonious mix of voices and themes. The Giardini section is particularly compelling, with a non-linear, polycentric layout that feels like a living organism, while the Arsenale offers further depth.

What lies behind the choice of a dress? We asked one of the most famous stylists in the world

Cosa c’è dietro alla scelta di un vestito? Lo abbiamo chiesto a uno degli stylist più famosi del mondo

Tom Eerebout, a renowned stylist and fashion consultant known for his work with Lady Gaga, Kylie Minogue, and Austin Butler, has curated an exhibition titled "Exposure – Il potere di essere visti" at ITS Arcademy in Trieste. The show, which runs alongside the ITS Contest where Eerebout serves as a judge for the third consecutive year, explores styling as a tool for constructing identity and shaping contemporary visual culture. In an interview, Eerebout discusses his creative process, his early childhood experiments with costumes, and his belief that styling is not about appearance but about how we exist.

What does a technology fair have to do with the art world? A report from MIR in Rimini

Cosa c’entra una fiera della tecnologia con il mondo dell’arte? Un report dal MIR di Rimini

The article reports from the MIR (Live Entertainment Expo) technology trade fair in Rimini, an event focused on professional audio/video equipment and systems integration. While dominated by corporate stands and live sound demonstrations, the fair also hosted discussions on the precarious working conditions and pension system for cultural and entertainment workers, revealing underlying anxieties in the creative industries.

Prada's Cultured Symposium on Fashion and Design Will Take Place This Year at Santa Maria delle Grazie in Milan

Il colto simposio su moda&design di Prada quest’anno si svolgerà nella chiesa di Santa Maria delle Grazie a Milano

The fifth edition of Prada Frames, an annual multidisciplinary symposium curated by the design studio Formafantasma, is set to take place from April 19 to 21, 2026, at the historic Santa Maria delle Grazie in Milan. Hosted within the Renaissance sacristy attributed to Donato Bramante, the event coincides with the Salone del Mobile and features a series of lectures and discussions. This year's theme, "In Sight," explores the evolving power of images, the blurring lines between human and machine-generated content, and the material environmental impact of digital image production.

Celestial wildlife paintings plus ceramics at featured art show starting May 16

Artist Sarah Soward and ceramist Hillary Klem will be featured in a joint show at the Redlands Art Association starting May 16, with an open house on Saturday from 1 to 4 p.m. Soward presents multiple series including "Starry Nights" acrylic paintings inspired by constellations, surrealist works imagining origin stories for animals, and laser-cut bee designs aimed at raising awareness of endangered species. Her artwork was previously selected for the Lunar Codex's "Legends of the Moon" capsule sent to the moon in 2022, and she has won "Best of Show" at the National Orange Show.

Karmic Modernism. In Conversation with Elizabeth Englander by Nick Irvin

Elizabeth Englander, an artist working primarily in assemblage with materials like children's furniture, nutcrackers, and old clothing, discusses her recent exhibitions and spiritual approach to art in an interview with Nick Irvin for Flash Art. The conversation covers her show "The Elizabethan Lumber Room" (2026) at a. SQUIRE in London, the modular barrister's bookcase inherited from her mother, and her "Parinirvana" series (2025) that explores themes of death and sacred art through papier-mâché, paint, and mylar. Englander also references influences such as Constantin Brâncuși, her graduate advisor Tom Weaver, and Erwin Panofsky's writings on tomb sculpture.

Fight in the Museum: Q&A with Sean Carney

Sean Carney, a painter and longtime art teacher at Lawrence High School, discusses his artistic journey and evolving practice in a Q&A with Thomas Kelly. Carney, who works with water-based wood stains on wood panels, recently shifted his subject matter from cityscapes to iconic automobiles in his "Driven by Design" series, inspired by a visit to the Saratoga Automobile Museum. His work has been exhibited at Barsky Gallery in Hoboken and other venues, and he credits influences including professors Ray Statlander and Ben Jones, as well as artist Mel Leipzig.

'Intersection: Kisho Kakutani and Kosuke Harasawa' at Whitestone Gallery, Hong Kong on 16 May–4 Jul 2026

Whitestone Gallery Hong Kong presents 'Intersection', a duo exhibition featuring Japanese artists Kisho Kakutani (b.1993) and Kosuke Harasawa (b.1997), running from 16 May to 4 July 2026. Kakutani's works capture bright, humid mornings with frosted, detailed depictions of beaches and cityscapes, while Harasawa focuses on rain-soaked Hong Kong night scenes populated by ghostly figures with transparent umbrellas, blending nostalgia with urban transformation.

Cinematic Painting Series

Cary Kwok's exhibition at Sessions Arts Club in London presents four new paintings created with support from Herald St, Cabin Studio, Jonny Gent, and David Southard. The works, rendered in acrylic and ink on paper, explore still lifes, silhouettes, and staged interiors inspired by 1980s visual culture, including interior design, cinematography, fashion editorials, and advertising. Featured pieces include *Eclipse* (2026) and *Anticipation* (2026), with the artist's signature subtly embedded in objects like jewelry and glassware. The show opens May 18 and is viewable by appointment or during dining hours, alongside a related wine label collaboration for the Sessions Arts Club Lost Wines Project.

Exhibition | Celeste Rapone, 'Hyperarousal' at Esther Schipper, Esther Schipper Berlin, Germany

Esther Schipper Berlin presents 'Hyperarousal', Celeste Rapone's first exhibition with the gallery, featuring three new paintings that explore the intersection of sensuous stimulation and nervous tension. The works depict female protagonists in narratively dense, ambiguous scenes that allegorize millennial angst, using techniques like alla prima painting and color-based formal constraints. Key pieces include 'While Waiting' (2025), showing a figure with pepper spray and a digital camera, and 'Den' (2026), where intertwined figures follow a self-defense tutorial on an iPad.

Trial Begins in Brent Sikkema Murder-For-Hire Case

Opening statements and witness testimony began on Tuesday in a Manhattan court for the murder-for-hire trial following the 2024 killing of New York art dealer Brent Sikkema. Alejandro Triana Prevez, a Cuban national, was arrested shortly after Sikkema was found murdered in his Rio de Janeiro apartment, and claims that Sikkema's ex-husband, Daniel Carrera Sikkema, offered him $200,000 to commit the crime. Carrera Sikkema was charged in February 2025 with hiring Prevez. Prosecutors presented evidence including phone records, financial transactions, and witness testimony, while the defense argued the case relies on circumstantial evidence and that Carrera Sikkema's statements were made amid a contentious divorce.

Billionaire Collector Ken Griffin Buys Second Rare Constitution Printing

Billionaire collector Ken Griffin has quietly acquired a second rare first printing of the US Constitution, known as the Van Sinderen copy, through a private deal after it was pulled from a planned Sotheby’s auction in 2022. Griffin, who previously paid $43.2 million at Sotheby’s in 2021 for another copy, now holds the only two copies of the 1787 document still in private hands. The newly acquired document will go on public display starting May 27 at the South Street Seaport Museum in New York, headlining an exhibition titled “The Promise of Liberty” that includes other foundational texts.

Barcelona museum refuses to return Sijena murals to monastery

The Museu Nacional d’Art de Catalunya (MNAC) in Barcelona is refusing to comply with a Spanish Supreme Court order to return the 12th-century Sijena murals to their original monastery in Aragón. Tensions escalated after the museum hosted a listening party for pop star Rosalía in the same hall where the Romanesque masterpieces are housed, leading to accusations from the municipality of Villanueva de Sijena that the museum is endangering the fragile works. MNAC director Pepe Serra has dismissed these concerns as scientifically unfounded, sparking threats of a defamation lawsuit from local officials.

Australian photographer wins at world photography awards with ‘barefoot volcanologist’ image

Australian photographer Elle Leontiev has been named the Open Photographer of the Year at the 2026 Sony World Photography Awards. Her winning image, titled 'Barefoot Volcanologist,' features Phillip Yamah standing on a lava bomb at Mount Yasur in Vanuatu. Leontiev captured the surreal portrait under challenging technical conditions, relying entirely on autofocus beeps after her camera screens shorted out due to volcanic activity.

The Phillies Owner and His Wife Collect Art’s Heavy Hitters

John Middleton, the majority owner of the Philadelphia Phillies, and his wife Leigh have publicly debuted their private collection of blue-chip American art. The couple has lent a significant selection of works for a dual-venue exhibition in Philadelphia, coinciding with the city's preparations for the 250th anniversary of the United States.

The 10 Best Venice Films

Die 10 besten Venedig-Filme

Monopol magazine has published a ranking of the ten best films set in Venice, timed to coincide with the opening of the Venice Art Biennale. The list includes titles such as Steven Spielberg's "Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade" (1989), Joseph L. Mankiewicz's "The Honey Pot" (1967), and Kenneth Branagh's "A Haunting in Venice" (2023), highlighting how the lagoon city serves as a central character in action films, comedies, and love dramas.