Bruges’s new city art gallery BRUSK opens on Friday

Bruges' new city art gallery, BRUSK, opens on Friday in a substantial new building designed by architects Robbrecht and Daem and Olivier Salens. Located in the museum quarter, the gallery features two enormous first-floor exhibition spaces and a light, open ground floor. It debuts with two simultaneous exhibitions: 'Breedbeeld' ('Wide Angle'), a historical show curated by Oxford professor Peter Frankopan and Sibylla Goegebuer, exploring Bruges' medieval global connections through 250 objects including Hans Memling's 'The Passion of Christ'; and 'Latent City', a data-driven installation by Turkish-American artist Refik Anadol that delves beneath the city's surface.

LILIA CARRILLO IN NEW YORK THE MEXICAN PAINTER WHO WAS AHEAD OF HER TIME

Americas Society in New York has opened "Lilia Carrillo: Ruptures and Premonitions," curated by Tobias Ostrander. The exhibition presents 24 paintings by Mexican artist Lilia Carrillo (1930–1974), created between 1961 and 1974, alongside archival materials. It introduces Carrillo to New York audiences as a key figure of the Generación de la Ruptura, a postwar movement that broke with Mexican muralism in favor of abstraction. The show highlights her experimental techniques—carving and scraping paint, embedding fabric and paper—and her engagement with mortality, Surrealism, and political turmoil, including the 1968 Tlatelolco massacre.

Maddy Inez talks to Phillip Edward Spradley

Maddy Inez, a Los Angeles-based ceramic artist, discusses her practice in an interview with Phillip Edward Spradley. Her work draws on California's natural environment and histories of displacement, using ceramics to explore maternal lineage, oral history, and plant-based knowledge. A key inspiration is a midwifery certificate belonging to her great-great-great grandmother from the era of enslavement. Inez's upcoming solo exhibition at Megan Mulrooney opens May 16, 2026.

Artists invited to submit work for Moraine Valley’s annual community show

Moraine Valley Community College in Palos Hills, Illinois, is inviting artists aged 18 and older living within 50 miles to submit up to two pieces for its 23rd annual community art show. Submissions are accepted May 19-21, with notifications on May 26. The exhibition runs May 29 to July 30, opening with a reception and awards ceremony on May 30. This year’s juror is Lisa DeLuca, a photographer and teaching artist with experience as a recruiter for art schools and a docent at the Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago. She has previously juried the college’s high school exhibition and other regional shows.

All 3.5 Million Pages of the Epstein Files Are Now on View at This Pop-Up Exhibition

The Institute for Primary Facts has transformed New York's Mriya Gallery into the Donald J. Trump and Jeffrey Epstein Reading Room, a pop-up exhibition displaying all 3.5 million pages of the released Epstein files in 3,437 bound volumes. Open from May 8 to May 21 in Tribeca, the installation is the group's first live project, requiring visitors aged 16 and over to book appointments via a platform called Trumpsonian. Only accredited press, Congress, law enforcement, and victims' advocates may open the volumes, due to the Department of Justice's failure to properly redact victims' names.

Keeping It Simple

On Valentine's Day, the Marianna Kistler Beach Museum of Art in Manhattan, Kansas, opened the inaugural "Kansas Triennial 25/26" exhibition, featuring works by four Kansas-based visual artists: Mona Cliff, Mark Cowardin, Poppy DeltaDawn, and Ann Resnick. The museum engaged young visitors by handing out paper hearts and inviting them to place their heart in front of the artwork they loved best, creating a reflective and participatory experience.

Cedars Union in Dallas Opens Call for 6th Artist Cohort

The Cedars Union, a nonprofit arts incubator in Dallas, has opened applications for its sixth cohort of artists. The 18-month program offers affordable studio spaces (64–200 sq ft at $1.60/sq ft), 24/7 access to communal workspaces with woodworking, printing, and textile equipment, plus critiques, workshops, lectures, and exhibitions. The jury includes Emily Budd, Thomas Feulmer, Christina Hahn, Ade Omotosho, and Ahava Silkey-Jones. Applications close June 12, 2026, with the cohort running September 1, 2026 to February 29, 2028.

Issy Wood’s first solo exhibition in the Nordics opened at Kistefos

Kistefos presents *Fish, Fish, Duck*, the first solo exhibition in the Nordic region by London-based painter Issy Wood, opened at Nybruket Gallery on 9 May 2026. The show features psychologically charged paintings on velvet and linen, self-portraits, animals, household objects, and a painted chaise longue, organized around the thematic frameworks "Ways of Seeing" and "The Artist as Archivist." Curated by Live Drønen and Kate Smith-Raabe, the exhibition draws on sources from the internet, advertising, and auction catalogues to explore desire, power, vulnerability, and objectification.

Es Devlin invites the UK to become part of a collective digital portrait at the National Portrait Gallery

Es Devlin has launched *A National Portrait*, a participatory digital artwork at the National Portrait Gallery in London, created in collaboration with Google Arts & Culture Lab. Opening on 14 May 2026 and running until 27 October 2026, the project invites anyone in the UK to upload a photograph of themselves via an online platform, where it is transformed into an animated digital portrait inspired by Devlin's charcoal and chalk drawing practice. These portraits are displayed collectively in the gallery's History Makers space, and participants receive a downloadable digital edition of their own portrait. The project is the result of three years of collaborative research between Devlin and Google Arts & Culture Lab.

Koray Duman is Architecting Engagement from the Venice Biennale to Carnegie International

Architect Koray Duman and his studio Büro Koray Duman (B-KD) have unveiled five major international projects, including designs for the UAE National Pavilion and Denniston Hill's special project at the 61st Venice Biennale, the 59th Carnegie International in Pittsburgh, the National Academy's "Future Schools" exhibition in New York, and a multi-generational upstate residential project. Duman's work emphasizes inclusivity, cultural exchange, and architecture as a social tool, with installations like "Chimera" for Denniston Hill and a sound-and-memory-focused pavilion for the UAE.

Annette Messager's 'A Swallow Does Not Make Spring' exhibition brings her menagerie to life at the Musée de la Chasse et de la Nature

An exhibition titled 'A Swallow Does Not Make Spring' by French artist Annette Messager has opened at the Musée de la Chasse et de la Nature in Paris. The show transforms the museum's spaces with a menagerie of taxidermy, drawings, and installations, blending the artist's signature surreal and feminist sensibilities with the museum's focus on hunting and nature.

Fight Club Denounces the System From Within the System

Cameroonian artist Pascale Marthine Tayou's first major institutional exhibition in Brazil, "Knockout!," has opened at the Pinacoteca de São Paulo's Pina Luz building. The show spans over 25 years of Tayou's career, featuring installations, sculptures, and paintings across seven rooms. Each room is themed around a historical international conference—including the Berlin Conference of 1884, Yalta, San Francisco, Rome, Rio de Janeiro, Bandung, and a fictional Avignon conference—using these as political and historical axes to critique colonial power structures and global inequality.

Historic Strike Disrupts Biennale as Thousands March in Venice

On May 8, 2026, artists and cultural workers staged the first strike in the 131-year history of the Venice Biennale, disrupting the pre-opening of the international exhibition. At least 27 of the 100 national pavilions were partially or fully shut down, and thousands marched through Venice to the Arsenale, which was barricaded by Italian riot police. The strike, organized by the Art Not Genocide Alliance (ANGA) and local activist groups, was a 24-hour action for Palestine and workers' rights, with some artists altering or draping their works in the main exhibition, "In Minor Keys."

Dean Sameshima at Soft Opening

Dean Sameshima's solo exhibition "Wonderland" opened at Soft Opening gallery in London, running from March 27 to May 23, 2026. The show features 31 images documented on Contemporary Art Daily, with photography by Eva Herzog and images courtesy of the artist and the gallery.

In ‘Piercing the Veil,’ Marina Kappos Gets to Know the Spectre of Grief

Artist Marina Kappos opens her solo exhibition 'Piercing the Veil' at SHRINE gallery in New York City, running from May 15 to June 27. The show features her signature acrylic-on-wood-panel paintings that use thin layers of pigment to create gauzy, prismatic effects. Inspired by the sculptural figures of grieving women she encountered at Père Lachaise Cemetery in Paris, Kappos explores themes of loss, memory, presence and absence, and the threshold between life and death. Works like 'Veil Study (Eclipse)' (2026) and 'Quantum Study (Green Entanglement)' (2025) depict hazy landscapes and keyhole-shaped portals that invite viewers to contemplate the unknown and the spiritual.

I'm a punk artist, I don't give a damn

"Ich bin Punk-Künstlerin, ich geb einen Scheiß drauf"

During the opening week of the Venice Biennale, the Russian activist and Pussy Riot member Nadya Tolokonnikova staged a protest against the Russian pavilion, wearing pink balaclavas and chanting slogans like "Blood is Russia's Art." Meanwhile, Florentina Holzinger's Austrian pavilion, subtitled "I Live in Your Piss," drew massive crowds with its scatological installations and extreme performances, causing wait times of up to two and a half hours. German media critics have widely covered the Biennale's heightened political tone, with debates over boycotts of Russia and Israel, and the tension between art and activism.

$2.2 million El Anatsui work leads Frieze New York 2026 sales.

Frieze New York 2026 opened its 15th edition at The Shed in Manhattan on May 13th with a VIP preview, drawing collectors, museum directors, artists, and celebrities like Leonardo DiCaprio, Julia Fox, and Sharon Stone. The fair features 68 galleries from 25 countries and runs through May 17th, with a $2.2 million work by El Anatsui leading reported sales.

Last chance to see exhibition showcasing amazing local talent as it draws to a close

Bolton Museum's Open Art Exhibition, featuring over 240 artworks by local artists and photographers, is closing on Sunday, March 17. The show includes paintings, photography, and sculptures from creators who live, work, or study in Bolton. Grand prize winner Richard Wood received £1,000 from the Mayor for his landscape 'Ghost Chimneys', while University of Greater Manchester student Olivia Edge won the Young Artist Award for her acrylic painting 'Rewilding'.

The Founders of Open Restitution Africa (ORA) on Their New Open Data Platform

On March 31, the research initiative Open Restitution Africa (ORA) launched the ORA Open Data Platform, a database providing information on the restitution of African artifacts and ancestral remains. Developed over six years by ORA’s all-woman, pan-African team, the site uses case histories and AI-powered tools to offer practical insights into the return process, available in French and English. It presents 25 case histories spanning 200 years, using data visualizations, essays, and interactive tools to help individuals and communities develop their own restitution strategies. ARTnews interviewed founders Chao Tayiana Maina and Molemo Moiloa about the project's origins and goals.

Venice Biennale strike sees more than 15 pavilions temporarily or partially close

On 8 May, more than 15 national pavilions at the Venice Biennale temporarily or partially closed in a coordinated strike organized by the Art Not Genocide Alliance (ANGA). The protest opposes Israel’s participation in the event, which organizers say normalizes what they call genocide and exploits precarious labor. Participating countries include Austria, Lebanon, Slovenia, Egypt, Poland, and the Netherlands, whose artist Dries Verhoeven stood outside his shuttered pavilion with a Palestinian flag. Some pavilions, like Japan’s, remained open but suspended interactive elements. The strike follows earlier controversies, including the resignation of the prize jury and an open letter demanding the Israeli pavilion’s cancellation.

‘It takes an entire museum to do it justice’: the Smithsonian celebrates America in 250 objects

The Smithsonian National Museum of American History in Washington DC is marking the 250th anniversary of US independence with a major exhibition titled "In Pursuit of Life, Liberty & Happiness," opening on 14 May. The show displays 250 objects spanning all three floors of the museum, ranging from a Revolutionary War-era gunboat (the Philadelphia) to a Donald Trump "Make America great again" hat. Seventy-six rarely seen objects are concentrated in entry hall cases, while the rest are embedded throughout existing galleries, connected by a "ribbon" design. Director Anthea Hartig frames the exhibition as a commemoration of moments where individuals and communities fought for recognition and identity, pairing each object with an action verb to emphasize democracy as participatory.

Somali artists and culture workers express concern over Somalia Pavilion in Venice

Somali artists, cultural workers, and organizations have published multiple open letters and statements expressing concern over the Somalia Pavilion at the Venice Biennale. The pavilion, announced in March for the 2026 edition, is titled 'SADDEXLEEY' and features Somali-Swedish artist Ayan Farah, Somali-Danish poet and filmmaker Asmaa Jama, and Somali-British writer Warsan Shire, curated by Stockholm-based Mohamed Mire and Italian project manager Fabio Scrivanti. Critics, including the Somali Arts Foundation and the queer collective Warbixinta Cidda, allege that the pavilion was organized without meaningful consultation of artists and organizations based in Somalia, and object to the appointment of an Italian co-curator given Italy's colonial history in Somalia. An anonymous open letter further alleges intimidation and coercive pressure against critics, and demands Scrivanti's removal, calling for a boycott if demands are not met.

EAT/ART Space to inhabit ETSU's Tipton-Ashe Galleries

EAT/ART Space, a collaborative project merging food and visual art, will take over ETSU's Tipton-Ashe Galleries. The initiative transforms the gallery into an interactive environment where visitors can engage with art through culinary experiences, blurring the lines between gallery viewing and dining.

Branchport Galleries presents "The New Botanical"

Branchport Galleries in Long Branch, New Jersey, presents "The New Botanical," an exhibition curated by Ellen Martin that reimagines traditional botanical art through contemporary works by Suzan Globus, Kevin Hinkle/Ellen Martin, Daniel Sroka, and Gao Yuan. The show, on view from May 14 to June 30, 2026, features techniques such as flower-pounding, extreme close-up photography, and photo-based wall sculptures, moving away from classical precision toward essence and abstraction. An opening reception and artist talk are scheduled.

Ray Burgoyne obituary

Ray Burgoyne, a self-taught painter, carpenter, and musician, has died at the age of 80. After a career as a carpenter and set builder, he began exhibiting his paintings in the late 1980s and spent the next three decades organizing numerous exhibitions along the Essex and Suffolk coastline. His work, characterized by thick oil paint, abstract forms, and deep colors, drew on carnivalesque characters and forgotten landscapes. He also played drums in the 1960s mod band the Flowerpots, which opened for the Animals and the Who.

Art Gallery of Burlington opens vibrant spring exhibition you have to experience

The Art Gallery of Burlington (AGB) opens its spring exhibition "A material called Earth, Volume 1: The life of corners" on May 16th, featuring the immersive textile art of Argentinian artist Celina Eceiza. The installation transforms the main gallery with hand-dyed, stitched, and embroidered works, including sculptures ranging from palm-sized to near-monumental, and incorporates ceramics from the AGB's collection. A public opening on May 16th includes a talk and tour with curator Sylvie Fortin and the artist, plus free programming by artist Camila Salcedo and refreshments from local vendors.

Art Gallery of Swan Hill Opens Three Powerful First Nations Exhibition

The Art Gallery of Swan Hill in Victoria, Australia, will open three significant First Nations exhibitions on 29 May 2026. The shows are: 'JXSH MVIR: Forever I Live', the first major solo retrospective of the late Yorta Yorta, Gunditjmara and Barkindji artist Josh Muir, co-curated by his partner and mother; 'Gulgawarnigu | Thinking of Someone. Something', a touring digital portrait and landscape exhibition by young Indigenous artists from Roebourne, Western Australia, developed through a partnership with NEO-Learning and Big hART; and 'Big Place', a new exhibition drawn from the gallery's permanent collection featuring works from Western Australia, the Northern Territory, the Tiwi Islands and South Australia.

Constellations Warsaw 2026 at Galeria Wschód

Constellations Warsaw 2026, a group exhibition curated by Galerie Max Mayer, opened at Galeria Wschód in Warsaw from April 10 to May 16, 2026. The show features works by artists Nicolás Guagnini, Cudelice Brazelton IV, Tobias Hohn, and Stanton Taylor, presenting a constellation of contemporary practices across 20 exhibition images.

Paolo Roversi on Getting a Permanent Gallery Space in His Italian Hometown

Italian photographer Paolo Roversi, based in Paris since 1973, has opened a permanent gallery space in his hometown of Ravenna. The Paolo Roversi Gallery officially opened at the Art Museum of the City of Ravenna (Mar), featuring a recreation of his Paris studio, an archive room, and a muses' room with portraits of Kate Moss, Naomi Campbell, and others. The gallery was curated by Chiara Bardelli Nonino and designed by longtime collaborator Ania Martchenko, building on a previous exhibition at the museum.

75 Years of Making Art in Ardsley

The Ardsley Art Commission is presenting a unique exhibition featuring the works of mother-and-son artists Valda Hancock Wagner and Rich Wagner, spanning 75 years of artistic creation. The show includes oil and acrylic paintings, watercolors, drawings, etchings, and wood block prints, ranging from traditional realism to abstraction. Valda studied with notable artists such as Reginald Marsh, Robert Rauschenberg, and Robert Beverly Hale, and later taught art in inner-city New York. Rich studied at the Art Students League, the Royal Academy of Arts, and the Royal Drawing School, and has participated in over 80 exhibitions. The exhibition is on view at Ardsley Village Hall through October 1.