Learning is something aesthetic and emotional. Marco Dallari says so in his latest book (and in this interview)

L’apprendimento è qualcosa di estetico e di emotivo. Lo dice Marco Dallari nel suo ultimo libro (e in questa intervista)

Italian pedagogist Marco Dallari discusses his latest book, "La bellezza di Sophia" (2026), which explores the intrinsic human drive for knowledge as an aesthetic and emotional necessity rather than a pragmatic survival tool. Drawing on Freudian concepts and the work of Alessandra Risso, Dallari argues that the desire to learn is a primal impulse that should be nurtured through beauty and curiosity rather than stifled by rigid institutional structures.

In this L’Aquila High School, there is a Contemporary Art Collection Created by Students and Artists

In questo liceo dell’Aquila c’è una collezione d’arte contemporanea realizzata dagli studenti con gli artisti

The Liceo Bafile in L’Aquila has established a permanent collection of contemporary art featuring over 60 site-specific works created through collaborations between professional artists and students. Initiated by artist and professor Licia Galizia following the devastating 2009 earthquake, the project integrates art into the educational environment as a tool for cultural rebirth. In 2026, the collection will expand further with seven new installations created by artists including Elena Bellantoni and Marco Nereo Rotelli in partnership with the Academy of Fine Arts of L’Aquila.

art sagg napoli exhibition champ lacombe london

SAGG Napoli, a multidisciplinary artist who incorporates Naples into her name, presents her latest exhibition at Champ Lacombe in London from March 26 to May 16, 2025. For the first time, her own body is absent from the work; instead, she shows a new sculpture and a film juxtaposing volcanic eruptions of Mount Vesuvius with New Year's Eve celebrations in Naples. The article includes a studio visit interview where Napoli discusses her creative process, her training as a competitive archer, and her concept of 'South Aesthetics.'

parties art swiss institute 2025 gala

The Swiss Institute held its 2025 Benefit Gala at the Rainbow Room in Rockefeller Center, honoring artists Theaster Gates and Andro Wekua, patron Yan Du, Printed Matter (under Executive Director Lesley A. Martin), and the late curator Koyo Kouoh. The evening featured an a cappella performance by Tonewall, a paddle raise, a seated dinner, and an art auction led by Simon de Pury, with works by Chloe Wise and Michèle Sandoz. Attendees included collectors Maja Hoffmann, Eva Dichand, and Carola Jain; artists Chloe Wise, Tschabalala Self, and Sarah Morris; and other cultural figures.

fashion dior lady art handbag

Dior has launched the 10th edition of its Lady Art initiative, inviting a new roster of artists to reimagine the iconic Lady Dior handbag. The project, which began nearly a decade ago, has previously featured artists like Judy Chicago, Jack Pierson, and Mickalene Thomas. This year's participants include Jessica Cannon and Ju Ting, who discuss their creative processes, material explorations, and the dialogue between their artistic practices and Dior's heritage. The handbags incorporate sculpted tulle, pleated silk, stones, glass beads, and pearlized elements, blending fine art with fashion.

Rome’s Colosseum Gets a New Pedestrian Plaza

Rome has unveiled a newly restored pedestrian plaza at the southern façade of the Colosseum following a four-year construction project. Led by Stefano Boeri Interiors, the renovation features a travertine-paved square that recreates the original floor level and footprint of the ancient amphitheater. The design uses stone plinths to mark the locations of long-lost columns, allowing visitors to visualize the massive scale of the structure as it appeared nearly 2,000 years ago.

Colosseum Facelift Restores Ancient Southern Entrance to Its Former Glory

Rome’s Colosseum has unveiled a major four-year restoration of its southern entrance, a project led by Stefano Boeri Interiors in collaboration with the Colosseum Archaeological Park. The renovation lowered the surrounding piazza to its original Roman-era height, reintroduced travertine flooring sourced from ancient quarries, and installed seating blocks that mark the locations of long-lost marble columns. During the excavation process, archaeologists recovered a wealth of historical artifacts, including ancient coins, statues, and gold jewelry, while leaving a specific section untouched to showcase the arena's complex hydraulic foundations.

A missing wolf and a Sydney sunset: photos of the day – Thursday

The Guardian’s picture editors have curated a selection of global photographs capturing significant moments from Thursday, April 9, 2026. The collection spans a wide range of subjects, including a dramatic sunset at Milk Beach in Sydney, environmental concerns over a widening faultline in the Swiss Alps, and political activities involving leaders in Scotland and Italy. It also documents somber events, such as the funeral of Al Jazeera correspondent Mohammed Wishah in Gaza.

Week in wildlife: a flying rodent, a duty-free possum and an emerald viper

This article is a photographic roundup of notable wildlife encounters and discoveries from around the world. It features images including an award-winning photo of an Iberian lynx in Spain, a brushtail possum found in an Australian airport toy store, an Arctic fox in Canada, and a newly discovered emerald pit viper in Cambodia.

unt faculty open letter victor quinonez exhibition cancelation

Faculty at the University of North Texas's College of Visual Arts and Design have issued an open letter protesting the abrupt and unexplained cancellation of a solo exhibition by artist Victor "Marka27" Quiñonez. The letter, addressed to university leadership, argues the removal violates UNT's own policies on academic freedom and non-discrimination based on content, and demands an explanation for the decision.

courtney mcclellan evangelical college supreme court simulation shirley fiterman liberty

Courtney McClellan's exhibition "Simulations" at the Shirley Fiterman Art Center in Lower Manhattan features deadpan photographs of empty mock courtrooms at universities across the American South, including a haunting simulation of the Supreme Court's chambers at Liberty University, an evangelical Southern Baptist college in Virginia. The show, which includes images taken over six years, is installed with blue borders and wainscoting that blur the line between architecture and image, placing viewers in the position of judge and jury while highlighting the theatricality of these spaces.

mark fingerhut halcyon exe the ride

Mark Fingerhut's software-based artwork "Halcyon.exe: The Ride" (2024) is gaining cult status as it tours indie venues like Public Works Administration gallery in Manhattan and Sulk Chicago, before appearing as a star attraction at "Rhizome World" at Water Street Projects in New York's Financial District. The piece takes over a computer desktop, flooding it with images, videos, and text in a choreographed, immersive experience that includes vibrating seats, wind, rain, and synced spotlights, evoking the sensation of art-as-malware.

The true story of the Caravaggio theft by the Sicilian Mafia behind the Arte series 'The Caravaggio Conspiracy'

La véritable histoire du vol du Caravage par la mafia sicilienne derrière la série « Le Complot Caravaggio » sur Arte

The theft of Caravaggio’s 'Nativity with Saint Francis and Saint Lawrence' from the Oratory of San Lorenzo in Palermo remains one of the world's most notorious unsolved art crimes. Stolen in October 1969 by professional thieves who cut the massive three-meter canvas from its frame, the masterpiece has been missing for over 50 years. Investigations have long pointed toward the Sicilian Mafia, with various theories suggesting the work was displayed at secret summits, hidden in Switzerland, or tragically destroyed.

Aileen Murphy at Deborah Schamoni

Aileen Murphy at Deborah Schamoni

Aileen Murphy has opened a solo exhibition titled "We must go under the wallpaper" at the Deborah Schamoni gallery in Munich. The show, running from January 9 through March 21, 2026, features new works by the artist, documented extensively with twenty installation photographs.

elizabeth king louise bonnet swiss institute show interview

The Swiss Institute in New York has opened a new exhibition titled “De Anima,” pairing sculptor Elizabeth King and painter Louise Bonnet. Curated by director Stefanie Hessler, the show explores the boundaries between the living and the lifelike, featuring King's intricate automata and stop-motion films alongside Bonnet's large-scale oil paintings of fleshy, gestural figures. The artists, introduced by Hessler at an opening last year, discovered a shared fascination with involuntary bodily movements—twitching eyes, clenched jaws—and the invisible labor of artistic craftsmanship.

High-quality youth artwork shines at Sovereign Young Artist Competition exhibition

The Sovereign Art Foundation and Gibraltar Cultural Services announced the winners of the 2026 Sovereign Young Artist Competition at an awards ceremony on April 16. The exhibition showcases finalists in two age categories, with winners including Aimee Linares (SAF Judges’ Prize), Amelie Romero (SAF Public Vote Prize), Sebastian Andlaw (Alwani Foundation Award), Shelli Abudarham (Ministry of Culture Award), and Tyrone Vera (AquaGib Second Prize). The top student winner received £800, with £2,000 awarded to their school's art department.

UNT Gives No Reason for Sudden Closure of Victor Quiñonez Show

The University of North Texas abruptly cancelled the solo exhibition "Ni de Aqui, Ni de Allá" by artist Victor Quiñonez in its College of Visual Art & Design Gallery just nine days after its opening. The university covered the gallery windows with brown paper, removed all promotional material from its website and social media, and informed the artist via a misspelled email that it had terminated its loan agreement with Boston University Art Galleries, which originated the show. The artist was not notified in advance and learned of the closure from students.

Absa L’Atelier ambassador opens Solo Exhibition in Uganda, challenges hair bias

Absa Group has announced that Eric Joe Gayi, an Absa L’Atelier 2023 Ambassador, will open his solo exhibition *Breaking the Norm* on November 1, 2025, at The Summit Residences in Naguru, Kampala, in collaboration with Amasaka Gallery. The show features intricate ballpoint pen drawings exploring Afro hair as a symbol of identity, resistance, and cultural pride, using blue figures to represent conformity and black figures with honeycomb textures to symbolize authenticity and resilience against Eurocentric beauty standards.

Artist Eric Joe Gayi challenges beauty standards in new exhibition

Ugandan artist Eric Joe Gayi, an Absa L’Atelier 2023 Ambassador, is presenting his solo exhibition "Breaking the Norm" at The Summit Residences in Naguru, in collaboration with Amasaka Gallery. The show features intricate ballpoint pen drawings in blue and black ink, exploring Afro hair as a symbol of identity, resistance, and cultural pride, while challenging colonial and Eurocentric beauty standards. Blue figures represent conformity, while black figures with honeycomb-textured faces symbolize authenticity and resilience.

major exhibition of rare paintings and archives honors zaha hadid ten years after her passing

A major exhibition titled 'I Think There Should Be No End to Experimentation' has opened at LUMA Arles, marking the sixth chapter of the Hans Ulrich Obrist Archives. Curated by Hans Ulrich Obrist and Arthur Fouray, the show honors the late Iraqi-British architect Zaha Hadid on the tenth anniversary of her passing. It features rarely exhibited paintings, early calligraphic drawings, personal notebooks, and previously unseen video interviews from 2001 to 2013, alongside tribute posters by peers such as Sir Peter Cook, Stefano Boeri, Sumayya Vally, Iwan Baan, and Lina Ghotmeh. The exhibition is presented in the Tower building designed by Frank Gehry and unfolds across the Cherry Tree Gallery and Archives Gallery, with exhibition furniture conceived by Kazuyo Sejima.

Gerd Harry Lybke, from artist’s model to gallery founder in East Germany showing in Mallorca

Gerd Harry ‘Judy’ Lybke, the founder of the influential German gallery Eigen + Art, is making his debut at the inaugural Art Cologne Palma Mallorca. Lybke, who began his career as a nude artist's model in East Germany before opening an underground flat-gallery in 1983, reflects on the evolution of the art market from a socialist system defined by censorship to the modern capitalist landscape. For this fair, he is presenting a diverse roster ranging from New Leipzig School star Neo Rauch to emerging talent Maja Behrmann, with works priced between €2,000 and €20,000.

Piacenza, Klimt's Portrait of a Lady is back at the Ricci Oddi Gallery of Modern Art

Gustav Klimt’s "Portrait of a Lady" has returned to the Ricci Oddi Gallery of Modern Art in Piacenza following a successful loan exhibition at the My Art Museum in Seoul. The masterpiece resumes its permanent display just as the gallery prepares to unveil a comprehensive renovation of its 22 exhibition rooms. Designed by Lissoni & Partners, the redevelopment project has modernized over 1,000 square meters of the institution's floor space.

University of North Texas Shutters Exhibition of Artworks Critical of ICE

The University of North Texas abruptly closed the exhibition 'Ni de Aquí, Ni de Allá' by artist Victor "Marka27" Quiñonez, which was on view at its College of Visual Arts and Design Galleries. The university terminated its loan agreement with Boston University Art Galleries, removed all online mentions of the show, and covered the gallery windows with paper, offering no public explanation. The artist learned of the closure through students and received only a brief email notification.

8 Up-and-Coming Artists Who Stood Out at Ceramic Brussels

The Ceramic Brussels art fair in January showcased a wide range of ceramic works, from monumental sculptures by Jun Kaneko to tiny food renditions by Nellie Jonsson. The fair highlighted emerging talent through its Jury Prize and laureate program, with 10 new artists selected for their innovative approaches. Among the eight standouts profiled are Danny Cremers, who creates colorful, reassembled porcelain vases; Marie Pic, a French artist making 2D decorative panels inspired by Art Nouveau; and Faye Papargyropoulou, an Athens-based former advertising creative director exploring fragility and strength. Other notable artists include Kira Fröse, Lorie Ballage, Angelika Stefaniak, Ninon Hivert, and Walter Yu, each bringing unique perspectives to clay as a medium.

Electric Dreams now on show in Nicosia

The group exhibition "Electric Dreams" is now on view at isnotgallery in Nicosia, Cyprus, running until January 6. The show expands on the earlier summer exhibition "In Paradise I Have Marked an Island" held at the Almyra Boutique Hotel, bringing many of the same works into a new curatorial framework in the capital. Sixteen Cypriot and international artists participate, including Elysia Athanatou, Savvas Christodoulidis, Alekos Fasianos, and Fikos, among others.

Concrete cars for coral reefs: Miami's underwater eco-sculpture park takes shape

The first phase of the Reefline project, an underwater sculpture park off the coast of Miami Beach, has been installed with 22 submerged concrete cars created by Argentine artist Leandro Erlich. The sculptures, titled "Concrete Coral" (2025), sit 20 feet below the surface and are designed to support coral regeneration and marine biodiversity. The project was developed by cultural placemaker Ximena Caminos with a masterplan by architect Shohei Shigematsu of OMA, and will expand over ten years to reach seven miles in length. Visitors can access the site via swimming, diving, or electric paddleboards, and a floating marine learning center is anchored nearby during Miami Art Week.

Italy's art police seize 21 suspected forgeries from Dalí exhibition

Italian art police, the Carabinieri TPC, seized 21 suspected forgeries attributed to Salvador Dalí from the exhibition "Dalí, Between Art and Myth" at Palazzo Tarasconi in Parma. The works, including 18 lithographs and three drawings, were among 80 pieces on display. A Rome court ordered the seizure after Dalí experts in Spain and the Gala-Salvador Dalí Foundation expressed doubts about their authenticity. The investigation began with a routine check in January, and the Carabinieri waited until the show opened to confiscate the works, which were loaned by two Italian individuals. The exhibition was organized by Navigare company and had previously run at Rome's Historical Museum of the Italian Army Infantry.

In 'Football City, Art United,' Artists and Athletes Reimagine the Beautiful Game

A new group exhibition titled 'Football City, Art United' has opened at Aviva Studios in Manchester, pairing 11 legendary footballers with 11 contemporary artists to create original artworks inspired by the sport. Co-curated by footballer Juan Mata, curator Hans Ulrich Obrist, and filmmaker Josh Wilding, the show features painting, video, performance, architectural interventions, and playable installations, including highlights such as Stefano Boeri's immersive arena 'The Playmaker' and Paul Pfeiffer and Edgar Davids' sound-light installation 'Crowds and Power.' The exhibition runs through August 24, 2025.

The art market bites back as estimates fail to score

Sotheby’s, Christie’s and Phillips raised a combined $1.27bn from their May 2025 marquee auctions of Modern and contemporary art in New York, an 8% decline from the same period last year, according to data from London-based auction analysts Pi-eX. The highest-priced lot, Alberto Giacometti’s 1955 bronze bust *Grande tête mince (Grande tête de Diego)*, estimated at $70m, failed to sell, while Andy Warhol’s *Big Electric Chair* (1967), valued at $30m, was withdrawn before Christie’s auction to avoid a similar fate. The downturn is attributed to geopolitical uncertainty under Donald Trump’s presidency, including tariffs announced on April 2, which have unsettled buyer confidence.

In pictures: highlights from Art Basel's city-wide exhibition, Parcours

New York-based curator Stefanie Hessler has organized the second edition of Art Basel's Parcours exhibition, featuring 21 works installed across Basel in unconventional spaces such as hotels, shops, and private apartments. Highlights include Agnieszka Kurant's chemical gardens made from computer-manufacturing metals, Finnegan Shannon's accessible benches with rest-oriented texts, and Hylozoic/Desires' 80-meter fabric installation referencing a colonial-era customs line. The exhibition clusters along Clarastrasse and extends to the Münsterplatz in the Old Town.