David Bowie: You’re Not Alone review – Ziggy glam and Berlin grime in a bum-shaking yet sanitised immersion

A new immersive film exhibition titled 'David Bowie: You’re Not Alone' has opened at London's Lightroom. Directed by Mark Grimmer, who previously designed the V&A's 2013 Bowie exhibition, the hour-long 360-degree film focuses on the artist's most-streamed hits and features unseen performance footage, including from his 1978 Earls Court show. It aims to appeal to both die-hard fans and a younger audience.

Delegitimation, Denunciation and Insecurity

"Delegitimation, Denunziation und Verunsicherung"

German cultural critic Georg Seeßlen warns in his taz column of a right-wing 'war of conquest' targeting liberal cultural institutions through systematic delegitimation, denunciation, and intimidation. Meanwhile, a new Berlin artist study reveals that the average annual income from artistic work is just €6,000, highlighting a structural dysfunction in the art system. Additionally, Jonathan Meese's play 'Alaska Kid' has been canceled at the Volksbühne Berlin following the death of his mother Brigitte Meese, who was his organizer, muse, and confidante.

ArtReview Podcast | Episode 7: Zineb Sedira

The ArtReview Podcast episode 7 features artist and photographer Zineb Sedira in conversation with digital editor Alexander Leissle. Sedira discusses Algerian cinema, the Scopitone, and her new Tate Britain Commission titled "When Words Fall Silent, Cinema Speaks," a site-specific installation in the Duveen Galleries open until January 2027. The episode explores three works chosen by Sedira, including Agnès Varda's "Salut les Cubains" (1963) and William Klein's "The Pan-African Festival of Algiers" (1969), as lenses into her practice and themes of displacement, identity, and cinema as a tool of resistance.

Tuguldur Yondonjamts’s Animalistic Realm

Mongolian artist Tuguldur Yondonjamts explores the habitat of the saker falcon through a series of accordion-style books titled *The Secret Mountain of Falcons* (2011–14), created during fieldwork across Mongolia. The drawings, presented in Perspex vitrines at his solo exhibition *Wolf Loving Princess* at Gallery Ver in Bangkok, depict the falcon's perspective as imagined by the artist, blending black-and-white film-like imagery with abstract textures. The work responds to the falcon trade, particularly to the Middle East, and the species' declining population, which led to its designation as Mongolia's national bird in 2012.

25th Biennale of Sydney Review: From the Margins

The 25th Biennale of Sydney, titled "Rememory" and curated by Hoor Al Qasimi, features 143 works by 83 artists and collectives from 37 countries across five venues. The exhibition explores marginalized, fragmented, and repressed histories, drawing on Toni Morrison's concept of 'rememory' as a space between remembering and forgetting. Key works include Tuan Andrew Nguyen's film on Vietnam War trauma, Basel Abbas and Ruanne Abou-Rahme's immersive installation on Palestinian displacement, Khalid Albaih's photographs of Sudan, and Massinissa Selmani's drawings on Algerian socialist building projects.

ArtReview April & May 2026 Issue Out Now

ArtReview's April & May 2026 issue explores boundaries and limitations in art, with a focus on the 61st Venice Biennale opening amid global conflicts. The cover features Japanese-American performance artist Ei Arakawa-Nash with his husband and twin babies, whose collaborative installation at the Japanese Pavilion incorporates the unpredictability of childcare. The issue includes coverage of controversial national pavilions (Russian, Israeli, American), profiles of artists representing Mongolia and Singapore, and features on Beverly Buchanan, Arthur Jafa, Richard Prince, and Zehra Doğan's report from Rojava. It also reviews the 82nd Whitney Biennial, the 25th Biennale of Sydney, and the 15th Shanghai Biennale.

Venice Biennale 2026: How Do You Critique a Posthumous Exhibition?

The article, published by ArtReview, examines the upcoming 61st Venice Biennale (2026), titled *In Minor Keys*, which was conceived by artistic director Koyo Kouoh before her death from cancer in May 2025 at age 57. The exhibition, based on Kouoh's drafted concept and completed by a curatorial team including Rory Tsapayi, Siddhartha Mitter, Marie Hélène Pereira, Gabe Beckhurst Feijoo, and Rasha Salti, adopts a musical metaphor of "minor-ness" and aims to avoid the pitfalls of previous Biennales by focusing on soul frequencies and dissonant harmony rather than direct commentary on world crises. The author, Martin Herbert, questions how critics will respond to a posthumous exhibition of this unprecedented scale, noting that previous artistic directors like Robert Storr, Cecilia Alemani, Christine Macel, and Adriano Pedrosa have faced varied critical receptions.

Art Publisher Owes $102.2 Million in Damages for Late Robert Indiana Works

A Manhattan jury has ordered art publisher Michael McKenzie to pay $102.2 million in damages for creating unauthorized or adulterated versions of works by the late Pop artist Robert Indiana. The lawsuit, brought by Indiana’s former business partner the Morgan Art Foundation, alleged that McKenzie produced Indiana-related junk products that infringed trademark and copyright, including reproductions of Indiana’s iconic “LOVE” design and the artworks *The Ninth American Dream* (2001) and *USA FUN* (1965). The jury found McKenzie liable for exploiting Indiana in the final years of his life, after the artist granted power of attorney to his caretaker, Jamie Thomas.

How Much Is That Chagall in the Window: Metropolitan Opera Faces Funding Crisis After Saudi Deal Collapse

The Metropolitan Opera in New York faces a $30 million deficit after a $200 million funding deal with Saudi Arabia collapsed. The Saudi government withdrew from the agreement, which would have sent Met performers to the Royal Diriyah Opera House for three weeks each February, citing economic pressures from the Iran War and the blockage of the Strait of Hormuz. To address the shortfall, the Met is considering selling two monumental Marc Chagall paintings—The Sources of Music and The Triumph of Music (1966)—valued at $55 million, along with other options like selling naming rights or seeking a similar deal with another country.

Abbiamo visto tutte le mostre del Roma Gallery Weekend: ecco le 10 migliori

The third edition of the Roma Gallery Weekend has concluded, with around thirty galleries forming an official association with legal status and a dedicated budget. The event featured a VIP program of breakfasts, guided tours, and performances, aiming to attract collectors, curators, and local audiences. While the quality of exhibitions was high—28 out of 33 shows were reviewed—logistical challenges remain, including Rome's sprawling layout, limited public transport, and taxi availability. The article highlights 10 standout shows, such as Petra Feriancová's archaeological-inspired installation at Gilda Lavia and Elisa Montessori's exhibition at Monitor.

Stockholm's Market Art Fair is a new model art fair from which to learn something

La Market Art Fair di Stoccolma è un nuovo modello di fiera d’arte da cui imparare qualcosa

The Market Art Fair in Stockholm, founded in 2006 by galleries from Denmark, Sweden, Norway, and Finland, held its 20th edition from April 23-26, 2026, at Magasin 9 during Stockholm Art Week. The fair features 54 exhibitors from 8 countries and 150 artists, with 80% of works tied to the Nordic context and 20% international. Highlights include a solo presentation by Olafur Eliasson at i8 Gallery (Reykjavík) featuring his sculpture *Rare metallic plant* (2026), and a preview of the Nordic Pavilion at the Venice Biennale by artist Benjamin Orlow at Season 4 Episode 6 gallery. The fair has recently opened its selection to international galleries, a shift welcomed by collectors.

Gabrielle Goliath’s "Elegy" Comes to Venice

South African artist Gabrielle Goliath’s installation "Elegy" was initially censored by South Africa’s Culture Minister Gayton McKenzie, who blocked it from the country’s pavilion at the Venice Biennale over its focus on Palestinian grief. After public outcry and support from several organizations, the work was instead installed in a Venice church, where critic Aruna D’Souza describes it as "hauntingly beautiful and achingly tender." The article also covers related news: a smear campaign against British-Nigerian photographer Misan Harriman for his Palestinian solidarity, and a list of summer art books.

Our Summer Art Reading List

Hyperallergic's summer art reading list features a curated selection of art books, including Kory Stamper's 'True Color' about the Merriam-Webster color definer, Megan O'Grady's essay collection on art as necessity, and 'O'Keeffe-isms' drawn from Georgia O'Keeffe's writings. The list also highlights art detective mysteries like 'The Case of the Disappearing Gauguin' by Stephanie Brown and provenance stories from the San Antonio Museum of Art, alongside upcoming Yale University Press titles on Anni Albers, Dorothea Tanning, and Edward Steichen. Additional coverage includes an exhibition of Jack Kerouac's letters and photographs in NYC, and the Printed Matter art book fair in Los Angeles.

How Dayanita Singh Got Into Venice’s Archives

Artist Dayanita Singh mounted a major exhibition titled "ARCHIVIO" at the State Archives of Venice, which opened to the public as an exhibition venue for the first time in its history. Without institutional funding or a public relations budget, Singh relied on a "friendship economy" to install her signature "photo-pillars"—images of Indian archival documents bound in red cloth. The show attracted visitors despite the lack of traditional promotion, as documented in an interview with Hyperallergic Editor-at-Large Hrag Vartanian.

Getting Messy in the Archive at LA’s Art Book Fair

Printed Matter's Los Angeles Art Book Fair returned to the Art Center College of Design in Pasadena for its 13th edition, featuring over 250 exhibitors—slightly fewer than last year—with about a fifth participating for the first time. A common thread across the fair was the archive: publications that excavate, remix, and repurpose historical media, from a book chronicling a 1960s hoax about animal nudity to a compendium of vintage photographs that subvert male subjectivity, and a collection of found photos from abandoned houses in rural Maine. The fair also highlighted diasporic and personal archives, including a Palestinian-American artist's cassette mixtape tracing music from the Middle East and an artist-run press focusing on translation as cultural resistance.

What the Met Gains from the Neue Galerie

Was das Met mit der Neuen Galerie gewinnt

The Neue Galerie, a private museum for German and Austrian art founded by billionaire collector Ronald S. Lauder, will be integrated into the Metropolitan Museum of Art (the Met) as an auxiliary branch under the new name "The Met Ronald S. Lauder Neue Galerie." The transition, announced by founding director Renée Price, is set to be completed by 2028, with the Met assuming full operational control after a planned renovation of the historic townhouse on Fifth Avenue. The merger follows years of Lauder's stewardship and ensures the long-term future of the collection, which includes masterpieces by Gustav Klimt, Egon Schiele, Wassily Kandinsky, and Max Beckmann.

No Need to Shed a Tear for the Jury

"Man muss der Jury keine Träne nachweinen"

The entire jury of the Venice Biennale resigned shortly before the opening, prompting criticism of Biennale President Pietrangelo Buttafuoco. Italian Culture Minister Alessandro Giuli accused Buttafuoco of pursuing a misguided "pacificist fantasy" by readmitting Russia to the six-month exhibition, calling it failed "side foreign policy." Commentators in German media, including Niklas Maak (FAZ) and Marcus Woeller (Die Welt), see the resignation as a symptom of a crisis in the art world, with the jury having acted as a "political tribunal" by pre-judging artists based on nationality, particularly regarding Israel. The Biennale leadership defended inclusion, but the standoff has caused significant "image damage." Separately, Dirk Knipphals (wochentaz) delivers a scathing review of Wolfram Weimer's first year as cultural policy commissioner, accusing him of empty rhetoric and failing to counter right-wing cultural politics. Juliane von Mittelstaedt (Der Spiegel) reports on Saudi Arabia's use of a spectacular new art museum in Riyadh as a stability narrative amid regional conflict.

New York Galleries: Openings and Closings (04/27-05/03)

12 exciting fashion and jewelry exhibitions that will make you travel this summer

12 expos de mode et de bijoux passionnantes qui vous feront voyager cet été

Beaux Arts Magazine presents a curated selection of twelve fashion and jewelry exhibitions across France, Paris, and Vienna, running through summer 2026. Highlights include a retrospective of Mossi Traoré at the Mucem in Marseille, a showcase of Thai haute couture at the Musée des Arts Décoratifs in Paris, and "Africa Fashion" at the Musée du quai Branly, celebrating African design from the independence era. Other featured exhibitions cover Christian Dior, Gianni Versace, Daniel Brush, Provençal costumes, and anniversaries of glittering fashion houses.

With more than 3,000 participating institutions, the European Night of Museums returns this Saturday, May 23

Avec plus de 3 000 institutions participantes, la Nuit européenne des musées revient ce samedi 23 mai

The 22nd edition of the European Night of Museums returns on Saturday, May 23, with over 3,000 institutions across France and Europe opening their doors free of charge from late afternoon. Many museums are offering special activities such as concerts, performances, games, guided tours, and walks. The youth program "La classe, l'œuvre!" will again involve primary, middle, and high school students acting as mediators for artworks they studied throughout the year. Highlights include exhibitions at the Centre Pompidou-Metz dedicated to François Morellet and Louise Nevelson, a concert at Jean Tinguely and Niki de Saint Phalle's Cyclop in Milly-la-Forêt, a dance performance by Korean artist Eun-Me Ahn at the Musée d'Art Moderne de Paris, and exhibitions at museums in Tours, Vernon, Rouen, and Sète, as well as a Brazilian ball at the Château des ducs de Bretagne in Nantes.

Remembering F. John Sierra, Valie Export, and Mary Lovelace O’Neal

This week's In Memoriam column honors seven figures from the art world who recently passed away, including muralist and Chicano art champion F. John Sierra (1942–2026), Austrian feminist performance and film artist Valie Export (1940–2026), and painter and Civil Rights activist Mary Lovelace O'Neal (1942–2026). Also remembered are Maltese coin and monument designer Noel Galea Bason (1955–2026), Iranian-Irish gallerist and polymath Jamshid MirFenderesky (1947–2026), Philadelphia painter and educator Peter Paone (1936–2026), and Italian sculptor and installation artist Remo Salvadori (1947–2026). Each entry highlights their key contributions, from founding institutions and participating in major biennials to shaping cultural identity and challenging societal norms through art.

Radiohead singer Thom Yorke opens Venice exhibition with Stanley Donwood.

Radiohead singer Thom Yorke and artist Stanley Donwood have opened their first-ever exhibition outside the UK at Castello 2432 in Venice. Titled "No Go Elevator (Not Without No Keycard)," the show features new ink drawings and a large-scale painting created in London earlier this year, timed to the start of the 61st Venice Biennale. The exhibition runs through June 7.

7 Artists to Watch at the New York Fairs This Weekend

The article highlights seven artists and presentations to watch at the New York art fairs this weekend, including Frieze, TEFAF, Independent, and NADA. Key highlights include Comme des Garçons' sculptural fashion display at Independent, Danish painter Eva Helene Pade's U.S. debut at Thaddaeus Ropac's TEFAF booth, and sold-out booths for Kelly Sinnapah Mary at James Cohan and Rachel Youn at G Gallery during Frieze. The piece notes that while no single viral spectacle dominates this fair week, a quieter but compelling mix of works and sales is drawing attention across venues.

Photographer and Activist Claudia Andujar, Known for Documenting Yanomami People of Brazil, Is the Subject of a New Biopic

A new biopic titled *The Outsider (A Estrangeira)* will tell the story of photographer and activist Claudia Andujar, known for documenting the Yanomami people of Brazil. The film is written and directed by Sandra Delgado, produced by São Paulo’s Maria Farinha Filmes, and stars Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas in the lead role, with Wagner Moura as an executive producer and cast member. The project is based on two decades of research and focuses on Andujar’s journey from Holocaust survivor to Brazilian artist who used photography to resist the military dictatorship’s destruction of Yanomami land in the 1970s.

Independent art fair makes the most of more spacious digs

The Independent art fair in New York has relocated from Spring Studios in Tribeca to Pier 36 on the East River, doubling its footprint while slightly reducing the number of exhibitors from 87 to 76. The move creates a more spacious, single-level layout with larger stands and improved circulation, allowing for more ambitious installations. Dealers report strong early collector turnout, with over a third of exhibitors presenting solo stands by artists showing in New York for the first time, including Omar Mismar and Julia Maiuri. Notable presentations include Charles Moffett’s revival of late textile artist Silvia Heyden, James Fuentes’s cross-generational downtown New York showcase, and a large-scale installation by Gretchen Bender.

Lucy Liu Paints the ‘Emotional Truth’ of Family Memories

Lucy Liu, best known for her acting career in films like "Kill Bill" and the TV series "Elementary," is currently presenting a new exhibition of paintings titled "Hard Feelings" at Alisan Fine Arts in New York. The show features works that explore family memory and personal history, including pieces like "Family Portrait" (2016) and newer, more gestural paintings such as "What Stays" (2023) and "Hourglass" (2026). Liu, who studied at the New York Studio School from 2004 to 2007, uses layered and obscured imagery to reflect the unstable, fragmentary nature of memory, drawing on family photographs and her own childhood experiences following her father's death.

Coco Fusco and Jeffrey Gibson’s Public Lectures, Free Admission at MCA Denver, and More: Industry Moves for May 13, 2026

This week's art industry moves include Coco Fusco and Jeffrey Gibson being named speakers for Johns Hopkins University's Sam Gilliam Lecture Series, with free talks scheduled in Washington, D.C. Other notable developments: MCA Denver received a $1 million gift from the Precourt Foundation for free youth admission through 2031; Xavier Hufkens now represents painter Richard Aldrich; Galatea will represent the estate of Brazilian self-taught painter Grauben do Monte Lima; Green Art Gallery added Sharjah-based artist Fatma Al Ali; Chris Sharp Gallery now represents sculptor Richard Rezac; and the Oakland Museum of California received a ceramics gift and $1 million endowment from the Brian and Edith Heath Foundation. Additionally, a Banksy painting from the "Crude Oils" series is estimated at $18 million for an upcoming Fair Warning auction at Tiffany & Co.

Authorship Dispute Erupts Over ‘Hair Dress’ at the Met’s Costume Institute

British artist Anouska Samms has publicly claimed that the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Costume Institute exhibition "Costume Art" includes a dress, Corpus Nervina 0.0 (2023-24), that was based on her collaborative work with Israeli fashion designer Yoav Hadari. Samms alleges that she co-created the original "Hair Dress" with Hadari in 2023 while both were residents at the Sarabande Foundation, and that the Met initially sought to acquire that piece. After negotiations fell through, Hadari instead provided a similar garment attributed solely to him, prompting Samms to demand proper credit via Instagram posts and through her lawyer.

‘This is an opportunity that will never happen again’: Syrian artist Sara Shamma on rebuilding her country

Syrian artist Sara Shamma has been selected to represent Syria at the 2026 Venice Biennale, marking the country's return to the event with a single-artist national pavilion for the first time. Her immersive installation, 'The Tower Tomb of Palmyra,' curated by Yuko Hasegawa and commissioned by Syria's ministry of culture, combines painting, architecture, light, sound, and scent. It draws on the ancient funerary towers of Palmyra destroyed by Islamic State in 2015, addressing cultural loss and the possibility of reconstruction. Shamma, who returned to Syria in September 2024 after eight years abroad, describes living through the fall of the Assad regime and the country's rebirth as a transformative personal and national moment.

Shirin Neshat's Venice exhibition explores identity, exile and a social media tragedy

Shirin Neshat presents a new film trilogy, *Do U Dare!*, at the 16th-century Palazzo Marin in Venice alongside the Biennale. The work explores exile, fractured identity, and power through a female protagonist whose public isolation transforms into empowered expression in private. The trilogy is directly inspired by the story of Nasim Aghdam, an Iranian American known as the 'YouTube Shooter,' who in 2018 attacked YouTube's headquarters before taking her own life. Neshat interprets Aghdam's double life as a recluse and a social media star, focusing on the unstable boundary between self and performance in digital culture.