Phillips claims stake in South Asian market with London exhibition

Phillips auction house has launched a selling exhibition titled "Crossing Borders" at its Berkeley Square location in London, featuring 64 South Asian Modernist artists including Bhupen Khakhar, Huma Bhabha, Rasheed Araeen, and Nilima Sheikh. The show, organized in collaboration with Grosvenor Gallery, includes major market figures like S.H. Raza and F.N. Souza alongside lesser-known names such as Ahmed Parvez and Viswanathan. Prices range from £5,000 to £1.5 million, with works jointly consigned and profits shared between Phillips and Grosvenor. The exhibition marks Phillips' most significant entry into the South Asian art market, a sector long dominated by Sotheby's, Christie's, and Bonhams.

New art gallery opens at downtown Victoria’s Fairmont Empress

Mountain Galleries, a Canadian fine art gallery group, has opened a new location inside the Fairmont Empress hotel in downtown Victoria. The space features works by established artists such as Paul Nicklen, Ann Murphy, Charlie Easton, and Robert E. Wood, alongside contemporary voices from the Off-Piste Fine Arts group including Jane Waterous, John Clinton, and David Yarrow. A grand opening celebration is scheduled for June 26th, 2025, from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m., with champagne and free admission by RSVP.

art knight foundation kristina newman scott miami

Cultured magazine profiles Kristina Newman-Scott, the newly appointed Vice President for Arts at the Knight Foundation, ahead of Miami Art Week. Newman-Scott, a former practicing artist who led Connecticut's Office of the Arts and State Historic Preservation Office, discusses her career journey and her vision for integrating culture into community development. The article also highlights Maribel Pérez Wadsworth, Knight's President and CEO since 2023, and the foundation's $485 million investment in arts and culture over the past two decades.

nickola pottinger fos born aldrich contemporary art museum

Nickola Pottinger's first solo museum exhibition, "fos born," is on view at the Aldrich Contemporary Art Museum through January 11. The show was deeply influenced by her pregnancy with her daughter Zora, which she discovered shortly after securing the exhibition. Pottinger's work has evolved from paper pulp wall reliefs into figurative sculptures that incorporate Jamaican folklore, family history, and personal artifacts, such as a cast of her pregnant torso and hair clips from her childhood. Her husband, fellow artist Zahar Vaks, assisted in creating the silicone mold for one piece moments before she went into labor.

The Arts Family Presents Emerging South Asian Artists at India Art Fair 2026

London-based arts non-profit The Arts Family (TAF) will present a curated showcase of award-winning contemporary artists from the TAF Emerging Artist Award – South Asia 2025 at the India Art Fair 2026, held from 5th to 8th February at the NSIC Exhibition Grounds in New Delhi. The presentation, located in the fair’s Institutional Section at Booth M-04, features winners including Deena Pindoria (1st winner), Ritika Sharma and Akshay Bhoan (2nd winners), Mohit Shelare (3rd winner), and Deshna Shah (Special Mention). Deshna Shah will also have a solo exhibition at Nature Morte in April 2026.

Art and Cultural Engagement Can Slow the Pace of Aging: Report

A new study published in the journal *Innovation in Aging* finds that engaging with arts and cultural activities can slow biological aging at a molecular level. Led by Daisy Fancourt of University College London, the research measured participation in four types of activities—participatory arts, receptive arts, visiting heritage sites, and other cultural activities—and used epigenetic clocks to assess aging. Those who engaged at least once a week showed a four-percent slowdown in aging, while monthly engagement yielded a three-percent slowdown.

Beowolff Combines Artsy and Artnet in Digital Art Market Push

Beowolff Capital has consolidated two of the art world’s digital giants, Artsy and Artnet, under a single ownership structure. While both platforms will maintain their distinct brand identities, they will begin integrating their underlying infrastructure and data systems. Jeffrey Yin, the current leader of Artsy, will take the helm as CEO of the combined entity, with Beowolff founder Andrew Wolff serving as chairman.

After a Decade of Delays, a 5th-Century Church in Glasgow Will Become a Museum

The Govan Heritage Trust is moving forward with a $6 million redevelopment of Govan Old, a historic 5th-century church site in Glasgow, following a decade of financial and pandemic-related delays. The project, designed by jm architects, will transform the late 19th-century building into a self-sustaining cultural complex featuring a museum, tourist attraction, and commercial business spaces.

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.

sothebys art backed securitization collectible cars 900 million

Sotheby's Financial Services has priced a $900 million securitization deal backed by loans secured against artworks and, for the first time, collectible cars. The transaction bundles hundreds of loans, using the assets as collateral, and sells bonds representing the future loan payments to institutional investors, providing Sotheby's with upfront capital to issue new loans.

house of griffins ancient rome restoration

The House of Griffins, an ancient Roman residence on Rome's Palatine Hill dating back to the 2nd and 1st centuries B.C.E., is opening to the public on March 3 after a major restoration. Discovered by archaeologist Giacomo Boni in the 19th century, the domus features vivid frescoes, mosaic floors, and a stucco lunette with griffins. The Colosseum Archaeological Park led the restoration in 2024, reinforcing structural integrity and conserving wall paintings. Visitors cannot access the underground chambers directly; instead, they will experience a real-time, remote tour via a livestream narrated by a guide with a video camera.

rome new metro stations mini museums

Rome has opened two new subway stations on Line C—Colosseo/Fori Imperiali and Porta Metronia—that double as mini museums, showcasing over 500,000 artifacts unearthed during two decades of excavation. The stations, located 100 feet underground, feature displays of ancient ceramics, frescoes, mosaic floors, and the remains of a Roman military compound and thermal baths, curated by the Colosseum Archaeological Park and Sapienza University. Commuters can view the artifacts without a ticket in the station atriums, and future stations on the line will incorporate additional archaeological finds.

gallery les bois claire julia hill

London-based Gallery Les Bois, founded in late 2024 by Claire-Julia Hill, is establishing itself as a pioneering force in sustainable contemporary art. The gallery features a diverse roster of artists who work with eco-conscious materials and techniques, such as transforming natural resources from impacted waterways into pigments and repurposing textile waste. In an interview, Hill discusses her background studying art history at Cambridge University, her inspiration to integrate sustainability into the art world, and the gallery's mission to champion artists who combine ecological responsibility with aesthetic excellence and conceptual rigor.

fashion mary katrantzou bvlgari jewelry

Mary Katrantzou has been appointed as the first-ever creative director of leather goods and accessories at Bvlgari, a role created for her after multiple successful collaborations. She designed the new Icons Minaudière Collection, a series of 10 bags reimagining Bvlgari's iconic symbols such as Serpenti, Divas' Dream, and Monete, using jewelry-making techniques like hand-enameled scales and semiprecious stones.

parties aritzia los angeles fashion frieze week

CULTURED and Aritzia co-hosted a dinner party at the former Fred Segal store on Melrose Avenue in Los Angeles during Frieze Week. The event celebrated Aritzia's Artistic License series, featuring photographer Gregory Crewdson, whose work appears on shopping bags and in stores. Guests included Aritzia CEO Jennifer Wong, CULTURED Editor-in-Chief Sarah Harrelson, artists Chloe Wise and Maya Man, curator Essence Harden, and others from the art and fashion worlds. The evening featured a multi-course meal, Krug champagne, and copies of CULTURED's Entertainers Issue.

"Suddenly it was a completely different world"

"Es war plötzlich eine ganz andere Welt"

Margot Pilz, a pioneer of the feminist avant-garde, is reviving her historic 1982 art intervention "Kaorle" for the Klima Biennale in Vienna. Originally conceived as Europe's first urban beach, the installation transformed Vienna's Karlsplatz by depositing tons of sand and installing a palm tree, deck chairs, and a synthetic whale in a pond to create a surreal coastal escape in the city center.

JR transforms the Pont-Neuf into an immense immersive cave

JR métamorphose le Pont-Neuf en immense caverne immersive

French artist JR has transformed the Pont-Neuf in Paris into a massive immersive cave installation titled "La Caverne du Pont-Neuf," unveiled in May 2026. The work pays homage to Christo and Jeanne-Claude's 1985 wrapping of the same bridge, using an inflatable double-wall structure covered with printed fabric to simulate rock formations and a prehistoric cave. The 120-meter-long installation is free and open to the public day and night, featuring augmented reality experiences via mobile devices and VR glasses, with a soundscape by a former Daft Punk member. The project, budgeted at €10.9 million funded by private sources, marks the first time JR has invited the public inside one of his works.

À Sars-Poteries, le MusVerre célèbre pour ses dix ans toutes les infinies possibilités de l’art verrier

The MusVerre in Sars-Poteries, France, celebrates its tenth anniversary with a new exhibition titled "Enchanté – La fabrique des histoires," curated by Laura Bouvard. The museum, which opened in 2016 in a distinctive blue beveled building, houses over 800 glass artworks and 3,000 ancient pottery pieces, originating from the passion of amateur collector Louis Mériaux. Under new director Laetitia Messager, the museum is forging collaborations with the Musée de Charleroi, Cirva Marseille, and Frac Normandie, and plans to host a symposium in autumn to mark the anniversary.

Kengo Kuma: "The first time architecture moved me, it was a church"

Kengo Kuma : « La première fois qu’une architecture m’a ému, c’était celle d’une église »

Renowned Japanese architect Kengo Kuma discusses his design philosophy and his recent intervention at the Angers Cathedral in France. He emphasizes a "dialogue with the place" over architectural ego, focusing on topography, local materials, and the Japanese concept of wabi-sabi, which finds beauty in the aging of materials over time. Kuma reflects on how his first emotional encounter with architecture occurred in a Christian chapel as a child, an experience that continues to inform his use of light and verticality.

Study Shows Engaging with Art as Effective as Exercise in Slowing Aging

A new study by University College London, published in the journal Innovation in Aging, reveals that engaging with arts and culture can slow biological aging at a rate comparable to exercise. Researchers found that attending performances or visiting galleries once a month led to a 3 percent reduction in aging speed, while weekly engagement produced a 4 percent slowdown. Those who participated in the arts at least weekly were biologically at least a year younger than non-participants, outperforming weekly exercisers, who were only six months younger biologically. The study tracked 3,356 adults from 2010 to 2012 using survey data and blood tests, measuring aging via epigenetic clocks that analyze DNA changes.

Hedwig Fijen to Depart as Founding Director of Manifesta

Hedwig Fijen, the founding director of Manifesta, the nomadic European biennial launched in 1996, has announced she will depart on October 5. Fijen began working on the platform in 1991 under a commission from the Netherlands Office for Fine Arts, and oversaw editions in cities including Rotterdam, Palermo, Pristina, and Barcelona. The supervisory board has appointed Emilia van Lynden as general director and Catherine Nichols as artistic director to lead future editions, starting with Manifesta 16 in Germany’s Ruhr Valley this year and Manifesta 17 in Coimbra, Portugal, in 2028.

Coachella 2026 features massive maze art installation by Sabine Marcelis, among others.

The 2026 Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival has unveiled its lineup of large-scale art installations, featuring major works by Dutch artist Sabine Marcelis, London-based architect Kyriakos Chatziparaskevas, and The Los Angeles Design Group (LADG). The program, curated by Raffi Lehrer of Public Art Company and Paul Clement, will transform the festival grounds with immersive experiences including a massive glowing maze and towering sculptural structures.

Kasashima Gallery Announces 2026 Exhibition Plan for Europe and Asia

Osaka-based Kasashima Gallery has unveiled its comprehensive 2026 exhibition schedule, which features a strategic expansion across Europe and Asia. The program includes a January showcase in Rome, a rare collection exhibition in Osaka in April, a summer tour through Western Europe, and a year-end retrospective in Japan, collectively featuring over 110 artists.

Satellite Galleries with Gravitas

The Gallery at Hotel Willa and the Encore Gallery at the Taos Center for the Arts have emerged as vital "satellite" exhibition spaces in Taos, New Mexico. Managed by the nonprofit Paseo Project under Executive Director Matt Thomas, the Gallery at Hotel Willa has transformed 2,000 square feet of hospitality space into a hub for local talent, featuring high-profile fashion installations by Josh Tafoya and upcoming ecological exhibitions like "Disturbance." Meanwhile, the Encore Gallery leverages the high foot traffic of the Taos Center for the Arts to provide local artists with significant community exposure alongside film and theatrical programming.

An open-air art gallery: Hogan Park at Highlands Creek

Hogan Park at Highlands Creek in Aurora, Colorado, is a 100-acre public park that doubles as an open-air art gallery, featuring around two dozen sculptures and painted installations along a two-mile trail. Curated by Carla Ferreira, CEO of the development, and her father, the park includes works by artists such as Michael Benisty, Hunter Brown, Daniel Popper, and Olivia Steele, with pieces designed to withstand Colorado's extreme weather. Notable installations include the 25-foot steel sculpture "Broken but Together," the viral fiberglass-reinforced concrete figure "Umi" by Daniel Popper, and a bronze bench honoring Dr. Justina Ford, part of the Statues for Equality initiative.

One of the fairs during Milan Art Week will be open until midnight (and you can even have dinner there)

Una delle fiere in corso a Milano durante questa Art Week sarà visitabile fino a mezzanotte (e ci puoi anche cenare)

MEGA Art Fair has announced an unconventional schedule for its third edition during Milan Art Week 2026, extending its opening hours until midnight. Located in the former Esperis perfume factory known as PROFUMO, the fair will occupy over 3,000 square meters of industrial space. The event features a multidisciplinary public program and a unique "sensory dinner" titled The Perfume Table, which translates the olfactory structure of perfumes into a gastronomic experience set among artworks.

Young artists demonstrate their art pieces within Painting Week [PHOTOS]

The Azerbaijan Artists' Union recently hosted a children's art exhibition and competition titled "My Favorite Theme" as part of the national Painting Week. Held at the Fine Art Gallery of the Children-Youth Development Palace No. 1 in Baku, the event showcased 51 artworks by 48 young participants across two age categories. Winners were selected by a jury of professional artists, with top honors going to Naomi Ahmadi and Nuray Babayeva for their respective thematic interpretations.

Minor Keys, Major Shifts: Sierra Leone’s Resonant Debut in Venice.

Sierra Leone has made its inaugural appearance at the 61st Venice Biennale with a pavilion titled 'Worlds of Today' located at the Liceo Guggenheim. Curated with a focus on "minor keys" rather than grand spectacles, the exhibition features Sierra Leonean artists Hawa-Jane Bangura, Ayesha Feisal, Hickmatu Bintu Leigh, and Abu Bakarr Mansaray alongside practitioners from other ECOWAS nations. The pavilion functions as a sensorial, porous space that prioritizes communal resilience and spiritual epistemologies over the commodification of identity.

The Kurators’ Art Dubai 2026 Highlights: Breaking Open the Art Fair Model

The 20th anniversary edition of Art Dubai 2026, held at Madinat Jumeirah, signaled a shift from a traditional art fair model toward an expanded cultural platform integrating exhibitions, institutional presentations, gallery booths, and public programming. Key highlights include the Dubai Collection's 'Made Forward' exhibition, which drew from over 20 private collections across the UAE to present works from West Asia, North Africa, and South Asia, and gallery presentations such as Adrian Pepe and Omar Al Gurg's sculptural systems using Awassi sheep wool at SOLO Bucharest, Lana Khayat's textile-based abstraction at Hafez Gallery, and Alisa Bagdonaite's digital art showcase at Dom Art Projects featuring artists Sofya Skidan, Michiko Tsuda, and Kirill Makarov.

Anaheim's new $4 billion, 100-acre entertainment district will double as an open-air art gallery with 70+ free public artworks

Anaheim's $4 billion OCVIBE entertainment district, a 100-acre development around the Honda Center, has partnered with art and design studio FUTUREFORMS to create a public art program featuring over 70 original artworks. The program includes permanent and rotating installations such as sculptural landmarks, murals, and interactive pieces, with early works already taking shape in the food hall and concert hall. Notable artworks include 'Stretto' by Nataly Gattegno and Jason Kelly Johnson, 'Rhythm, Flavor, Motion' by Brian Peterson, 'Gratitude' by Carla Roque, and 'Sunrise – Sunset' by Marina Zumi. The first phase will be accessible to the public in early 2027.