Biennale Jury Will Not Consider Countries with ICC Allegations

Biennale-Jury will Länder mit IStGH-Vorwürfen nicht berücksichtigen

The jury of the Venice Art Biennale has announced that it will not consider countries whose heads of state or government face allegations of crimes against humanity from the International Criminal Court (ICC) when awarding prizes this year. The jury, led by Brazilian art historian Solange Farkas, cited its commitment to defending human rights. While no specific countries were named, the ICC currently has arrest warrants against Russian President Vladimir Putin for alleged war crimes in Ukraine and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for alleged war crimes in Gaza. The Biennale leadership stated the jury acted in full autonomy and independence.

Culture Senator under pressure due to Court of Audit report

Kultursenatorin wegen Rechnungshofberichts unter Druck

Berlin's Court of Audit has issued a scathing report accusing Culture Senator Sarah Wedl-Wilson (independent) of serious legal violations in the allocation of €2.6 million in anti-Semitism prevention grants for 2025. The audit found that the selection process was arbitrary, lacked transparent criteria, and violated state budget regulations. Six of the 13 funded projects—receiving €2 million—were deemed ineligible for the specific budget line, and some recipients were newly founded entities that were not properly vetted. The report warns that the grants may need to be repaid.

Associations Join Warning Against AfD Cultural Policy

Vereine schließen sich Warnung vor AfD-Kulturpolitik an

Nearly 30 cultural institutions in the German state of Saxony-Anhalt have issued a warning against the cultural policy proposals of the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party, which is leading in polls ahead of state elections. The state network of cultural support associations, representing around 680 member groups, has now joined this warning, stating the AfD's plans amount to a restriction of artistic freedom and the instrumentalization of culture according to nationalist guidelines.

EU Plans Penalty for Russia's Biennale Participation

EU plant Strafe für Biennale-Teilnahme Russlands

The European Union has threatened to cut funding for the Venice Biennale if it allows Russia to reopen its national pavilion at the upcoming exhibition. EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas stated that Russia's return is "morally wrong" while the country is bombing Ukrainian museums and destroying cultural heritage. Russia, in coordination with the Biennale foundation, had announced plans to participate this year with works by Russian artists, marking its first appearance since the 2022 invasion.

New Building at Burg Halle Takes Shape

Neubau an der Burg Halle nimmt Form an

The long-delayed new building for the Burg Giebichenstein Kunsthochschule Halle (University of Art and Design Halle) is moving forward, with a construction start now planned for autumn 2027. The Finance Committee of the Saxony-Anhalt state parliament has approved the updated cost estimate of around 42 million euros, clearing the way for the project. While the building was originally slated for completion in 2027, a more realistic finish date is now 2030, with preparatory moves and demolition work scheduled to begin in late 2026.

Design Theft in Platform Capitalism

Designklau im Plattformkapitalismus

The article details a growing trend of design plagiarism within the platform economy, where large interior trade platforms and fast-design companies systematically copy the original work of small, independent design studios. These copies are then mass-produced and sold globally at lower prices, often marketed directly through social media channels. The original designers find it nearly impossible to defend their intellectual property due to the high cost and complexity of legal action, especially against international entities.

Is Art Dying Along With Work?

Stirbt die Kunst mit der Arbeit?

The rapid advancement of artificial intelligence raises a fundamental paradox for the future of creativity: while automation could theoretically free humans from labor to pursue artistic endeavors, it simultaneously threatens the economic foundations of the art world. If AI-driven job displacement leads to a widespread loss of disposable income, the commercial market that sustains professional artists could effectively collapse.

Art Düsseldorf Sees Increase in Visitors

Art Düsseldorf mit Besucher-Plus

Art Düsseldorf concluded its eighth edition with a significant increase in attendance, drawing 23,000 visitors to the Areal Böhler over the weekend. The fair featured 119 galleries from Germany and abroad, showcasing contemporary art despite broader economic uncertainties. This year's figures represent a notable growth from the previous year, which saw 20,000 visitors and 108 participating galleries.

Looking Back to Look Forward

Blick zurück nach vorn

The Museum Rietberg in Zürich is hosting an exhibition that examines the intersection of photography and colonialism. The show highlights how early photographic techniques, introduced to Africa shortly after their invention in 1839, were historically used as tools of power, surveillance, and scientific categorization. By juxtaposing historical archives with contemporary works, the exhibition demonstrates how modern artists are reclaiming and transforming these violent visual legacies.

Under Water, We Who Are Deaf Are Freer

"Unter Wasser sind wir Gehörlosen freier"

Artists Bogna Burska and Daniel Kotowski have been selected to represent Poland at the upcoming Venice Biennale with their collaborative project, "Liquid Tongues." The exhibition features elaborate video works that draw parallels between the ancient, complex vocalizations of whales and the visual communication of sign language. By filming underwater, the duo explores an environment where the traditional sensory advantages of hearing people are neutralized, and the gestural fluency of the Deaf community becomes a primary mode of connection.

Monopol is giving away 1 × 2 tickets for the German Jazz Prize 2026

Monopol verlost 1 × 2 Tickets für den Deutschen Jazzpreis 2026

Monopol magazine is hosting a giveaway for two tickets to the German Jazz Prize ceremony, scheduled for April 25, 2026, in Bremen. The event, held in conjunction with the jazzahead! trade fair, celebrates the diversity of the jazz scene by honoring musicians, albums, compositions, and journalistic contributions. The ceremony will be hosted by Thelma Buabeng and Götz Bühler, featuring a live performance by the Moses Yoofee Trio.

US Government Submits Plans for Triumphal Arch to Commission

US-Regierung reicht Plan für Triumphbogen bei Kommission ein

President Donald Trump has submitted formal plans to the Commission of Fine Arts for a monumental triumphal arch to be located near Washington, D.C. Proposed to stand at 76 meters tall, the structure would significantly surpass the height of Paris's Arc de Triomphe. The project, which Trump describes as the "largest and most beautiful" in the world, is slated for a site near the Arlington Memorial Bridge leading to the Lincoln Memorial.

How Expensive Art Auctions Really Are

Wie teuer Kunstauktionen wirklich sind

Art auction houses often promote transparency through public bidding, but the final hammer price is merely the starting point for a complex web of additional costs. Buyers frequently face buyer's premiums, value-added taxes, and resale right royalties (droit de suite) that can inflate the final invoice by up to 50 percent beyond the initial bid.

Hilma af Klint - all exhibitions and events about the artist

The Grand Palais in Paris has announced a major monographic exhibition dedicated to the Swedish pioneer Hilma af Klint, running from May 6 to August 30, 2026. This comprehensive retrospective aims to showcase the artist's visionary abstract works, which predated the recognized beginnings of the abstract movement by several years.

Katara exhibition showcases 170 artworks by 29 artists

The Katara Cultural Village Foundation in Doha, Qatar, inaugurated the “Contemporary Graphic Art” exhibition on Monday evening, featuring 170 artworks by 29 artists from Qatar and various Arab and international countries. The exhibition showcases diverse modern printing techniques, including relief, intaglio, porous, flatbed, and monochrome printing, and will run until May 18 in Hall 18 at Katara.

Withdrawing from Intense Labor: 'Quiet Quitting' Discussed in a Milan Exhibition

Sottrarsi al lavoro troppo intenso. Si parla di ‘quite quitting’ in una mostra a Milano

Artist Niccolò de Napoli explores the phenomenon of "quiet quitting" in his solo exhibition, "I’m here, but not entirely yours," hosted at Studio Lombard DCA in Milan. The exhibition, produced by PROGETTO LUDOVICO, utilizes the unconventional setting of a strategic consultancy firm to showcase works that critique modern labor expectations. Key pieces include a blue neon sign mimicking corporate aesthetics, a sound installation referencing the 1983 film "Vieni avanti cretino," and monochromatic cases made of switchable glass that obscures itself as viewers approach, symbolizing the withdrawal of the self from the workplace.

NOBODY: The Latin American Project at Milano Design Art Week

DON NADIE THE LATIN AMERICAN PROJECT AT MILANO DESIGN ART WEEK

The design collective DON NADIE, founded by Ecuadorian industrial designers Lisandro Carrasco and Mono Alvarado, is presenting its project "1 m² / 1 second" at Milano Design Week. The installation, part of the IN BETWEEN collective at the Fuorisalone circuit, consists of sixteen folded-paper pieces within a cubic meter, each referencing native plant morphology. It translates the rate of deforestation into a tangible measure of time, representing one square meter of forest lost every second.

First Recipients of the 'NCAR x AWARE Female Artist Research Fellowship' Announced

「NCAR×AWARE 女性アーティストリサーチフェローシップ」の第1回採択者が決定

The National Center for Art Research (NCAR) and Archives of Women Artists, Research and Exhibitions (AWARE) have announced the first recipients of their joint research fellowship dedicated to women artists in Japan. Sculptor and critic Nodoka Odawara and Tokyo Photographic Art Museum curator Yuri Yamada were selected from 19 applicants to conduct specialized research on marginalized female figures in Japanese art history. Odawara will focus on pioneering female sculptors Kamono Ota and Toko Kuhara, while Yamada will investigate early female photographers from the Meiji to early Showa eras, including Ryu Shima and Yoshino Hanawa.