ArtReview Asia Spring 2026 Issue Out Now

The Spring 2026 issue of ArtReview Asia has been published, featuring a cover profile of artist Li Yi-Fan. The issue includes an in-depth look at Li's work, which explores the relationship between humans and machines through video installations and performance lectures, ahead of his representation of Taiwan at the Venice Biennale. Other articles examine the contemporary art scene in Bangkok, urban redevelopment in Colombo, a colonial-era plant hunting exhibition in London, and Taiwan's museum boom.

A "National Treasure" Enters the Louvre

Un « trésor national » entre au Louvre

The Musée du Louvre has quietly acquired and installed a major masterpiece of French decorative arts: a commode adorned with Sèvres porcelain plaques by the renowned cabinetmaker Bernard II van Risen Burgh (BVRB). Formerly part of the prestigious Rothschild family collections, the piece was classified as a "national treasure" by the French government in 2023. Although the museum originally planned a public fundraising campaign to finance the acquisition, the initiative was canceled following a high-profile burglary at the museum in October 2025.

Amarillo Museum of Art to open AC, WT Student/Faculty Exhibition Friday

The Amarillo Museum of Art is launching its annual collaborative exhibition featuring works from the students and faculty of Amarillo College and West Texas A&M University. Opening this Friday with a reception and gallery talks, the showcase highlights the premier artistic output from the region's two primary higher education art programs.

Foundation, a Prominent NFT Platform of the 2021 Boom, Shuts Down After Failed Sale

Foundation, a prominent Ethereum-based NFT marketplace that launched during the 2021 digital art boom, has announced it will shut down following a failed acquisition by the digital art company Blackdove. CEO Kayvon Tehranian confirmed that the platform has entered a one-year wind-down phase, urging users to migrate their assets as no other viable buyers exist in the current market. The closure follows the collapse of a deal that was intended to provide long-term stewardship for the platform, which had facilitated over $230 million in sales since its inception.

The Academy Museum Reclaims the Real Marilyn Monroe

The Academy Museum of Motion Pictures is launching a major exhibition to mark the centenary of Marilyn Monroe’s birth, seeking to re-examine her complex legacy. Moving beyond the simplified tropes of the tragic starlet, the show investigates whether Monroe was a passive victim of the Hollywood studio system or a savvy, self-aware architect of her own public persona.

Artist shows agriculture droning forward

Chinese artist Cao Fei is set to debut her latest multimedia project, "Dash" (known as "Super Farms" in China), at the Fondazione Prada in Milan on April 9. The exhibition is the result of three years of field research across China and Southeast Asia, where Cao documented the rise of smart farming and the integration of AI, drones, and autonomous vehicles into traditional agricultural landscapes. Her work captures a unique cultural synthesis where modern technology is sometimes integrated into ancient rituals, such as the worship of drones as deities.

LAMA: PRESENT TENSE: Ultra-Contemporary & Street Art

Los Angeles Modern Auctions (LAMA) is hosting a specialized sale titled "PRESENT TENSE: Ultra-Contemporary & Street Art" via the Artsy platform. The auction features a curated selection of works from high-profile contemporary and street artists, including Barry McGee, Shag, and RETNA. Bidders are invited to participate through pre-registered max bids or real-time live bidding as the sale concludes on March 17, 2026.

Where are the Louvre Jewels?

Wo sind die Louvre-Juwelen?

Six months after a high-profile heist at the Louvre, investigators remain in pursuit of stolen jewelry valued at approximately €88 million. While four suspects are currently in custody, the bulk of the Second Empire-era treasures remains missing, leading to fears that the pieces may have been dismantled or melted down. The investigation has shifted focus toward how the thieves obtained a sensitive 2018 security audit that detailed vulnerabilities in the museum's defenses.

Activist glues herself to museum display case

Aktivistin klebt sich an Museumsvitrine

A protester from the activist group Neue Generation glued herself to a display case in the Coin Cabinet of the Bode-Museum on Berlin's Museum Island. Dressed as Federal Minister for Economic Affairs Katherina Reiche, the activist targeted the museum to protest the minister's perceived lack of independence from corporate interests. Police were called to the scene to remove the woman, and the Prussian Cultural Heritage Foundation confirmed that while the glass case was targeted, no historical artifacts were damaged.

Vittoria Matarrese new director of the Magasin in Grenoble

Vittoria Matarrese nouvelle directrice du Magasin de Grenoble

Vittoria Matarrese has been appointed as the new director of the Magasin, the National Center for Contemporary Art in Grenoble. The Italian architect and curator, who previously held positions at the Villa Medici in Rome, the Palais de Tokyo in Paris, and the Bally Foundation in Lugano, and most recently led the first Art Week Riyadh, succeeds Céline Kopp. Her appointment comes as the institution seeks a new direction after a prolonged period of crisis.

The Space Between. Adam Patrick Grant by Michela Ceruti

Adam Patrick Grant’s artistic practice is rooted in a meticulous and devotional process of observation, transitioning from a background in film to a dedicated focus on oil painting over the last three years. Working from his London studio, Grant utilizes an extensive archive of personal sketches, photographs, and found imagery—such as anonymous postcards and family photos from markets—to capture fleeting moments of intimacy and the unspectacular everyday. His work is characterized by a rhythmic dialogue between the act of walking, the gathering of visual fragments, and the translation of these memories into tender, precise compositions.

Hop into art and culture adventure on Redlands Coast

Redland City has announced the inaugural Redlands Coast Gallery and Museum Hop, a two-day cultural event scheduled for May 23 and 24, 2026. Part of the broader Redlands Coast AdventureFest, the initiative features 10 galleries and two museums across the mainland and islands, offering self-drive tours, specialized workshops, and exhibitions of local creative talent and cultural heritage.

ArtFields festival returns to Lake City April 10 to May 2, featuring Southeast artists

Lake City, South Carolina, is set to host the annual ArtFields festival from April 10 to May 2, 2026. The event transforms the town into a massive gallery, displaying hundreds of works by Southeastern artists across local boutiques, restaurants, and historic warehouses. This year's competition features over $100,000 in prize money, with winners determined by both a professional jury and a popular vote.

Calls for Artists: April 2026

Multiple open calls for artists and grants have been announced for April 2026 deadlines. The 2027 Creative Capital Open Call offers unrestricted project grants up to $50,000 for artists across all 50 states, while also selecting recipients for the new State of the Art Prize, which grants $10,000 to one artist from each state and territory. Delfina Foundation, in partnership with the Jorge M. Pérez Collection, is offering four fully funded residencies for Latin American and Caribbean artists, with two spots available in this round. The Ogden Museum of Southern Art is accepting submissions for its Louisiana Contemporary 2026 statewide juried exhibition, and the Handweaver’s Guild of America has issued calls for entries for its Convergence 2026 fiber art exhibitions.

Italy's Soft Power in China Thanks to Two Major Exhibitions on Pompeii and Palladio

Il soft power dell’Italia in Cina grazie a due grandi mostre su Pompei e Palladio

The National Museum of China in Beijing is currently hosting two major exhibitions celebrating Italian cultural heritage: "Pompeii: An Eternal Discovery" and "Geometry, Harmony and Life: The Architecture of Andrea Palladio from Antiquity to Classicism." These exhibitions, marking the 55th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Italy and China, were inaugurated by Italian Culture Minister Alessandro Giuli. The Pompeii showcase traces 250 years of archaeological history using artifacts and multimedia, while the Palladio exhibition explores the Renaissance master’s influence on Western architecture and creates a cross-cultural dialogue with traditional Chinese building techniques.

Retrofuturistic Figures Emerge from Wood in Playful Sculptures by Aleph Geddis

Artist Aleph Geddis creates intricate, hand-carved wooden sculptures that blend organic forms with retrofuturistic aesthetics. His work oscillates between abstraction and figuration, drawing inspiration from his nomadic lifestyle between Japan, Bali, and the Pacific Northwest. Currently, Geddis is exploring varying scales of production, ranging from intimate, toy-like "Littles" to a massive, immersive installation designed for the upcoming Burning Man festival.

The Most Important Thing is That Art Remains Accessible

"Das Wichtigste ist, dass die Kunst zugänglich bleibt"

Gilles Neiens has been appointed as the first-ever artistic director of Art Düsseldorf, marking a strategic shift for the eight-year-old regional art fair. In his new role, Neiens aims to elevate the fair's profile by focusing on high-quality curation, thematic depth, and fostering closer collaborative relationships with participating galleries. This structural change signals a move away from purely organizational management toward a more distinct, content-driven identity.

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.

Court Decision Ends Dispute Over Who Actually Bought Beeple’s Everydays: The First 5000 Days for $69.3 M.

A federal judge in New York has approved a final settlement in a lawsuit between the two pseudonymous figures behind the record-breaking $69.3 million purchase of Beeple's NFT "Everydays: The First 5000 Days." The agreement legally prohibits Anand Venkateswaran (Twobadour) from claiming any involvement in the 2021 Christie's purchase, confirming that Vignesh Sundaresan (Metakovan) was the sole buyer. Venkateswaran must also pay an undisclosed sum, dissociate from related online profiles, and correct third-party biographical information.

Museum of the African Diaspora Marks 10 Years of Its Emerging Artists Program

The Museum of the African Diaspora (MoAD) in San Francisco is celebrating the 10th anniversary of its Emerging Artists Program (EAP) by announcing its 2026-2027 cohort. Selected from hundreds of applicants, Bay Area artists Jasmine Ross, Demetri Broxton, Dorian Reid, and Tahirah Rasheed will each receive a fully supported solo exhibition at the museum. The program, which has supported 30 artists since 2015, provides crucial institutional backing, including curatorial guidance and production resources, to creatives at pivotal career moments.

Inside the Mint Museum’s 4-year quest to bring rare Caravaggio show to Charlotte

The Mint Museum in Charlotte has successfully secured a rare exhibition featuring the works of Italian Baroque master Caravaggio, culminating a complex four-year negotiation process. This landmark show marks a significant achievement for the regional institution, bringing world-class masterpieces that are seldom seen outside of major European capitals or top-tier global museums to North Carolina.

Vanderbilt Artists Showcased at Prestigious Venice Biennale

Vanderbilt University has announced its inaugural participation in the Venice Biennale, marking a major milestone for the institution's arts program. Faculty artists Maria Magdalena Campos-Pons and Kamaal Malak have been selected to present works in the 61st International Art Exhibition, curated by the late Koyo Kouoh. To complement the exhibition, the university will launch "Resonance: Vanderbilt University in Venice," a two-month public program series featuring sonic inquiries, performances, and scholarly convenings.

Metro Detroit billboards feature pop art in 'open air museum'

International Outdoor, a Farmington Hills-based advertising firm, has launched an "open-air museum" across Metro Detroit featuring the work of French pop-street artist Jisbar. The initiative utilizes over 57 billboards and digital panels across three counties, displaying vibrant mashups of art history icons like the Mona Lisa with pop culture figures such as Bart Simpson and SpongeBob SquarePants. The exhibition, which runs through mid-June 2026, aims to transform the regional landscape into a public gallery accessible to commuters.

Queer British artists based in France: open call for Pride exhibition at the British Embassy in Paris

The British Embassy in Paris has launched an open call for queer British artists residing in France to participate in a landmark group exhibition this June. Organized in collaboration with The Norm Queer Agency and artist-curator Daniella McNulty, the initiative marks the first time the embassy has hosted an art show specifically dedicated to Pride. Applications across all mediums are being accepted until April 15, 2026, with selected works to be displayed within the embassy and its gardens.

Abbottabad painter keeps portrait art alive

The article profiles acclaimed portraitist Nasir Shehzad, who has spent over four decades preserving and advancing the art of portraiture and cinematic painting in Abbottabad, Pakistan. His artistic journey began in childhood and gained early recognition through scouting competitions in the 1980s, leading him to professional cinematic painting by 1989. Shehzad has since become a central figure in the local art community through mentorship, founding his own creative platform, and participating in numerous exhibitions and residencies across the country, including recent shows at major institutions like the Lahore Museum and Pakistan National Council of the Arts.

Australia’s best photos of the month – March 2026

The article presents a collection of notable Australian cultural events and announcements from March 2026. It highlights the addition of the viral 'Succulent Chinese Meal' speech to the National Film and Sound Archive, a profile of 'Squid Game' composer Jung Jae-il, pianist Jayson Gillham's announced tour with a Palestinian-Jordanian musician ahead of a court case, and Kylie Minogue's scheduled performance at the AFL Grand Final.

The Aldrich Contemporary Art Museum Puts Connecticut Artists in the Spotlight

The Aldrich Contemporary Art Museum in Ridgefield, Connecticut, has launched a new initiative dedicated to showcasing the work of artists living and working within the state. This regional focus aims to highlight the creative output of those residing in the shadow of New York City’s dominant art scene, providing a high-profile platform for local talent.

‘Jimmy & the Demons’ Review

A new documentary film by Cindy Meehl, titled 'Jimmy & the Demons,' profiles the life and work of artist James Grashow. The film explores his whimsical yet profound sculptural practice and delves into the dynamics of his long-lasting marriage, offering an intimate portrait of the artist's personal and creative world.

In Japan, Making Wooden Kokeshi Dolls

The article profiles the traditional Japanese craft of making kokeshi dolls, focusing on the artisans in the Tōhoku region who continue this centuries-old practice. It details the specific techniques, types of wood used, and the cultural significance embedded in the dolls' simple, limbless forms.

Davide Hjort Di Fabio Recasts the Sick Body

The article profiles artist Davide Hjort Di Fabio, whose work explores the experience of chronic illness and the sick body through sculpture and installation. He uses materials like silicone, resin, and medical paraphernalia to create visceral forms that challenge conventional representations of health and the human form.