Milan's first Picasso on display at the Museo del Novecento

Milan's Museo del Novecento has opened an exhibition titled "The First Picasso in Milan. A Musketeer between Revolution, Antifrancoism and International Solidarity," running until September 27, 2026. The show focuses on Pablo Picasso's painting *Homme assis* (1967), the first work by the artist to enter Milan's civic collections in 1972. Curated by Roberto Pini, the exhibition traces the painting's journey from Paris to Havana and finally to Milan, using documents, photographs, and audiovisual materials to explore its political and historical context, including its role in anti-Francoist solidarity movements.

The best exhibitions to see this summer are just a stone’s throw from the sea

The article highlights ten unmissable contemporary art exhibitions along the Mediterranean coast for summer 2026, spanning locations from Gibellina and Stromboli to the Balearic Islands, Provence, and the EMST in Athens. Featured shows include 'Directionless' at Hauser & Wirth Menorca, curated by Rashid Johnson with works by Ali Cherri and Mona Hatoum; 'Heaven+Earth' by video artists John Sanborn and Ionee Waterhouse at the Museo Civico di Castelbuono; and 'Kotykeye' by Luca Trevisani at the Jorn House Museum in Albissola Marina, among others.

Guggenheim Pop: 1960 to Now Traces the Pop Art Movement’s Decades-Long Relationship with the Museum and Its Global Influence on Artists Working Today

On June 5, the Guggenheim Museum in New York opens "Guggenheim Pop: 1960 to Now," an exhibition that examines the museum's Pop art holdings and the movement's ongoing global influence. The show features works by 29 artists, including historical figures like Andy Warhol, Roy Lichtenstein, and Yayoi Kusama, alongside contemporary artists such as Maurizio Cattelan, Lauren Halsey, and Sheida Soleimani. It traces the Guggenheim's relationship with Pop art back to the 1960s, highlighting curator Lawrence Alloway's role in introducing the movement to American audiences. The exhibition unfolds across four galleries, with a second phase opening June 26 that focuses on recent acquisitions and contemporary practices.

The Largest Art Museums in the United States

The article ranks the largest art museums in the United States by gallery space, with the Metropolitan Museum of Art leading at 633,000 square feet, more than double its nearest competitor. It lists the top five: the Met, the Art Institute of Chicago (280,000 sq ft), the National Gallery of Art (271,000 sq ft), MASS MoCA (250,000 sq ft), and the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston (221,000 sq ft), noting recent expansions in cities like Houston and Los Angeles have shifted rankings.

Coming Forth into Presence

Woody De Othello presents 'coming forth by day', an immersive solo exhibition at Pérez Art Museum Miami (PAMM) featuring ceramic and wood sculptures, tiled wall works, and a monumental bronze installation. The Miami-born artist transforms everyday objects like mirrors, clocks, and telephones into anthropomorphic forms that carry emotional residue and draw on diasporic African spiritual traditions, including the concept of nkisi. The exhibition's title references the ancient Egyptian Book of Coming Forth by Day, and the show runs until 28 June 2026.

Ruth Borgenicht Links Thousands of Ceramic Rings in Elaborate Chainmail Sculptures

New Jersey-based artist and educator Ruth Borgenicht creates intricate ceramic sculptures that resemble chainmail, linking thousands of hand-formed stoneware rings into wall-hung and tabletop works. Inspired by a visit to the Philadelphia Museum of Art's medieval exhibition nearly four decades ago, Borgenicht combines her background in mathematics with meticulous ceramic craftsmanship to produce pieces that are often kinetic, tapestry-like, or biomorphic, such as her 'Centipedes' series. She is currently preparing for an exhibition at NL=US Art in Rotterdam, opening in February 2027, which will incorporate 3D printing.

Saving Alice’s Adventures in New York. Her Mural Traveled a Rabbit Hole Too.

The Museum of the City of New York has opened the exhibition “Another Wonderland: Abram Champanier’s Alice Mural,” featuring 16 painted panels that form the only surviving Works Progress Administration (W.P.A.) mural originally created for a hospital children’s ward. The mural, based on Lewis Carroll’s *Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland*, was painted by artist Abram Champanier and has been preserved and reassembled for public display.

Art Gallery Shows to See in June

Will Heinrich reviews several art gallery shows in Los Angeles for June, including Charles Ray’s strangely lifelike sculptures, James Harrison’s flower-themed works, and a group show. The dispatch highlights the diversity and vitality of the city’s current exhibition scene.

Duchamp after Duchamp. The Venice Biennale curated by Koyo Kouoh is an expanded ready-made

Duchamp dopo Duchamp. La Biennale di Venezia curata da Koyo Kouoh è un ready-made espanso

The article analyzes the 61st Venice Biennale, curated by Koyo Kouoh, and the concurrent exhibition "Helter Skelter" at Fondazione Prada, arguing that Marcel Duchamp's concept of the ready-made has undergone a profound transformation. Rather than applying to industrial objects as in Duchamp's original gesture, the ready-made now operates on subjects, communities, minorities, vernacular traditions, and cultural archives, which are repositioned within the exhibition space to generate meaning. The author sees this shift as a curatorial strategy that extends the reach of the institution, turning any presence—material or immaterial—into an exposable element.

Francesco Stocchi is no longer the artistic director of the MAXXI Museum in Rome. After 3 years, his mandate was not renewed

Francesco Stocchi non è più il direttore artistico del Museo MAXXI di Roma. Dopo 3 anni non rinnovato il mandato

Francesco Stocchi's mandate as artistic director of the MAXXI museum in Rome will end in June 2026, after a three-year term that began on June 28, 2023. The decision was reached by mutual agreement between Stocchi and the Fondazione MAXXI, marking the conclusion of a tenure that followed Hou Hanru's leadership. During his time at MAXXI, Stocchi focused on the museum's social role, strengthening its identity and opening new research perspectives. He will continue to oversee some ongoing projects, including a Gordon Matta-Clark retrospective scheduled for November 13. Stocchi, born in Rome in 1975, is a prominent figure in Italian contemporary art, having previously held curatorial roles at the Fondazione Carriero in Milan and the Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen in Rotterdam, where he served as curator of modern and contemporary art from 2012 to 2023. He also curated the Swiss Pavilion at the 59th Venice Biennale with Latifa Echakhch and Alexander Babel.

In Rome, a former garage houses an important art collection. The images

A Roma un ex garage ospita un’importante collezione d’arte. Le immagini

Photographer and archivist Donata Pizzi launched a collecting project in 2014 to champion Italian women photographers from the 1960s to today. After a decade of traveling exhibitions at venues including Triennale Milano, Palazzo delle Esposizioni, and the Fotografie Forum Frankfurt, the collection has found a permanent home in a converted garage in Rome's Nomentano district, opening in January 2026. Designed by architect Luigi Filetici, the space preserves the original industrial character while creating a dedicated environment for research and display of over 300 works by more than 60 artists, from pioneers like Letizia Battaglia and Lisetta Carmi to contemporary figures such as Silvia Camporesi and Alba Zari.

100 years since the death of Antoni Gaudí and Lego presents the Sagrada Familia set: the largest ever

100 anni dalla morte di Antoni Gaudí e la Lego presenta il set della Sagrada Familia: il più grande di sempre

Lego has announced the release of its largest-ever set: a replica of Antoni Gaudí's Sagrada Familia in Barcelona. Comprising 12,060 pieces and priced at €750, the set will be available from November 1, 2026, as part of the Lego Architecture series. The design, led by Lego Architecture designer Rok Žgalin Kobe, aims to honor Gaudí's vision on the centenary of his death in 1926, featuring a detailed reproduction of the basilica's exterior and interior, including stained-glass windows.

È Vincenzo Trione il nuovo presidente della Triennale Milano: le prime dichiarazioni

Vincenzo Trione has been appointed as the new president of Triennale Milano, succeeding Stefano Boeri after eight years. The appointment, finalized after months of speculation, reflects a political balance between Italy's Minister of Culture Alessandro Giuli and Milan's mayor Giuseppe Sala. Trione, a professor at IULM University and former curator of the Italy Pavilion at the Venice Biennale, will lead the foundation for a new term, with architect and designer Michele De Lucchi potentially taking on an artistic director role, though this remains unconfirmed.

La Biennale di Taipei nel 2027 avrà una curatrice italiana: nominata Cecilia Alemani

The Taipei Biennial has appointed Italian curator Cecilia Alemani to direct its 15th edition in 2027, as announced by the Taipei Fine Arts Museum (TFAM). Alemani, currently director and chief curator of High Line Art in New York, will bring her expertise in intertwining historical research, social issues, and alternative imaginaries to her first curatorial project in Asia. She previously achieved international acclaim as artistic director of the 59th Venice Biennale in 2022, where her exhibition "The Milk of Dreams" featured 213 artists from 58 countries.

The Life of Women in the Renaissance on Display at VIVE in Rome. Starting from Piero di Cosimo's Magdalene

La vita delle donne nel Rinascimento in mostra al VIVE di Roma. Partendo dalla Maddalena di Piero di Cosimo

A new exhibition at the VIVE museum complex in Rome, housed in the restored kitchens of Palazzo Venezia, centers on Piero di Cosimo's painting of Mary Magdalene as a Renaissance maiden. Titled "La Maddalena di Piero di Cosimo: arte, storia e vite di donne nel Rinascimento fiorentino," the show uses the artwork as a springboard to explore the lives, roles, and material culture of Florentine women in the 15th and 16th centuries. Curated by Edith Gabrielli with historical consultants Fernanda Alfieri, Serena Galasso, and Isabella Lazzarini, the exhibition features the Magdalene panel on loan from the Gallerie Nazionali d'Arte Antica di Palazzo Barberini, alongside 15 Renaissance textiles from the Museo del Tessuto di Prato, as well as letters, poems, account books, illuminated manuscripts, wedding chests, terracotta altars, and jewelry. The display is organized into eleven sections across three narrative threads: Piero di Cosimo's career and his Magdalene; the life stages of Florentine women; and their societal roles.

How is Italian design told in the world? The word to Maria Cristina Didero

Come si racconta il design italiano nel mondo? La parola a Maria Cristina Didero

Maria Cristina Didero, a prominent Italian design curator, is currently involved in three exhibitions across Muscat, Tirana, and Tokyo. In Muscat, the National Museum hosts "1 to a Million Design Stories," produced by the ADI Design Museum of Milan, showcasing 35 Compasso d'Oro-winning objects—including Gio Ponti's Superleggera chair and the Olivetti Lettera 22—through fresh texts and illustrations by Steven Guarnaccia. The exhibition highlights how Italian design transcends functionality to become a vessel for narrative and imagination.

2026 Annual Artists in Residence Exhibition

The Galveston Artist Residency is hosting its 2026 Annual Artists in Residence Exhibition from June 13 to July 18, 2026, featuring works by three artists: Germán Benincore, Aliyah Cydonia, and Francesca Fuchs. Benincore, a Colombian-born visual artist, explores visual systems of representation through drawing and has received the Galbut Prize 2024. Cydonia, a painter and installation artist from Texas, has exhibited widely in Dallas and is currently a resident at Galveston Artist Residency. Fuchs, a London-born, Houston-based painter with a thirty-year career, recently had a solo presentation at the Menil Collection and was named Texas Artist of the Year in 2018.

Crystal Bridges Marks 15 Years With a Major Expansion

Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art in Bentonville, Arkansas, is celebrating its 15th anniversary by unveiling a major 114,000-square-foot expansion designed by architect Moshe Safdie. The new wing includes 29,000 square feet of gallery space, allowing the museum to host more traveling exhibitions, better showcase its permanent collection, and improve accessibility. The museum has also significantly expanded its holdings of Indigenous art, acquiring works by artists such as Jeffrey Gibson, Raven Halfmoon, Jaune Quick-to-See Smith, and Addie Roanhouse, led by curator Jordan Poorman Cocker. The expansion opens with the exhibition "Keith Haring in 3D," focusing on the artist's sculptural work.

Jutta Koether at Empty Gallery

Jutta Koether's exhibition at Empty Gallery in Hong Kong presents a series of new paintings and works on paper that continue her exploration of abstraction, gesture, and materiality. The show features densely layered canvases and intimate works on paper, often incorporating text, collage, and painterly marks that oscillate between control and spontaneity. The gallery's raw, industrial space provides a stark backdrop for Koether's visceral, process-driven practice.

Yinka Ilori’s First London Exhibition

British-Nigerian artist Yinka Ilori presents his first solo gallery exhibition, "He Who Laughs Last, Laughs Best," at Cristea Roberts Gallery in Mayfair, London. The show explores themes of grief and joy following the death of his mother in September 2023, featuring kaleidoscopic prints, hand-embroidered artworks, painted pianos, and embellished calabashes and drums. Motifs of lace, flowers (British daffodils and Nigerian yellow trumpet flowers), and drums recur throughout, with a lace tapestry bearing the exhibition's subtitle. Two soundscapes by Peter Adjaye and James William Blades accompany the works, and buyers receive a signed vinyl.

For Psychoanalyst Jamieson Webster, Humility Might Be a Worse Sin Than Pride

Psychoanalyst Jamieson Webster reflects on the sin of pride in a personal essay for Cultured magazine's "Indulgence" issue, part of a series where seven figures examine how one of the seven deadly sins threads through their life and work. Webster explores pride as a complex, gendered experience—distinguishing women's pride from male ambition and describing it as a refusal to yield rather than self-exaltation, while also distrusting humility as a covert demand for women to remain accommodating.

Artist Christine Sun Kim on How Her Deaf Rage Grew Into Deaf Wrath

Artist Christine Sun Kim reflects on the concept of wrath in the context of her identity as a deaf person, describing a lecture-performance in which she shows gruesome clips of deaf characters being killed in television and film. She recounts a personal moment when a hearing family member texted her about a new gene therapy for deafness, calling it “amazing,” which she interprets as part of a broader eugenicist narrative that seeks to eliminate deafness. Kim contrasts this with the progress she witnessed after the Americans with Disabilities Act was signed in 1990, including captions, interpreters, and access to education, which enabled her to become an artist. Now, she says, that progress is eroding, and her earlier “Degrees of Deaf Rage” has escalated into wrath.

Licornes !

The Musée de Cluny in Paris is hosting a new exhibition titled "Licornes !" from March 10 to July 12, 2026, eight years after its previous show "Magiques licornes." The exhibition centers on the famous "Dame à la licorne" tapestry series (circa 1500), tracing its creation and rediscovery around 1840 before its acquisition by the museum in 1882. It expands the scope to cover representations of unicorns from antiquity to the present day, including non-European civilizations—such as an Indus Valley ceramic seal from circa 2000 BCE—and a contemporary section upstairs. The show was originally conceived by the Museum Barberini in Potsdam, which hosted the first iteration from October to February, preceded by an international symposium in June 2024.

This Studio Visit Ritual Helped Artist Eliza Douglas Land a Show at Gagosian

Artist Eliza Douglas opened her first solo show in New York, titled “GHOSTS,” at Gagosian’s Park & 75 location on the same day her Paris gallery, Air de Paris, announced its closure. The exhibition features reworked paintings from the past decade, combining existing compositions with manipulated photographs taken by her aunt, journalist Leslie Kean, who reports on UFOs. Curated by Francesco Bonami, the show is the first in a series aimed at presenting innovative work by younger or less established artists not necessarily represented by the mega-gallery. Douglas, known for collaborations with designer Demna and performance artist Anne Imhof, also discussed her studio practices in an interview, including her ritual of writing detailed show proposals and working without pants.

Two Sales at Sotheby's Paris

Deux ventes chez Sotheby's Paris

Sotheby's Paris is holding two sales in June 2026: a live auction on June 9 and an online sale running through June 10. The live sale features two notable 17th-century French paintings with unusually low estimates: a portrait of Sister Angélique Arnauld by Philippe de Champaigne (estimated €60,000–80,000), a previously unseen autograph replica of a work in the Louvre, and a portrait of Nicolas de Brisacier by Nicolas Mignard. The Champaigne portrait is particularly significant due to the sitter's role as abbess of Port-Royal and the artist's connection to Jansenism.

Betye Saar, Chris Rock, and Tinashe Lit Up MoMA’s 2026 Party in the Garden

On Tuesday night, the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) held its annual Party in the Garden benefit, honoring artists Betye Saar and Martin Puryear alongside philanthropist Jo Carole Lauder. The event featured a dinner inside the museum followed by an after-party in the Abby Aldrich Rockefeller Sculpture Garden, with DJ sets by Tinashe and Rebecca Black. Attendees included museum leadership, artists such as KAWS, Julie Mehretu, and Carrie Mae Weems, patrons like Michael Bloomberg and Marie-Josée Kravis, and cultural figures Chris Rock and Tefi Pessoa.

What Holds Us Together?

The Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive (BAMPFA) presents 'Maren Hassinger: Living Moving Growing', the most comprehensive retrospective of the American artist's career, spanning over five decades. The exhibition features sculpture, performance, installation, and moving-image works that explore themes of transformation, care, and interconnectedness, using materials such as wire rope, tree branches, newspapers, and plastic bags. It includes key works from the 1970s to the present, with performances, workshops, and recreations of ephemeral installations, on view until 29 November 2026.

RARE ESSENCE: Colour and Cloth

New York-based artist Eric N. Mack has transformed the Speed Art Museum's Gheens Court into an immersive textile-based installation titled 'RARE ESSENCE'. The exhibition, presented as part of the museum's Sam Gilliam Visiting Artist Program, features found fabrics, garments, and everyday materials that blur the boundaries between painting, sculpture, architecture, and fashion. Mack's work activates the museum space through color, texture, and drape, creating a dynamic environment that invites visitors to navigate shifting relationships between body, space, and material.

How the Pace Layoffs Went Down—And What Comes Next

Pace Gallery laid off roughly 50 employees and cut about 50 artists from its roster, as first reported by the New York Times just before a company-wide town hall on Thursday morning. CEO Marc Glimcher held a brief Zoom call instead of the usual in-person gathering, where he acknowledged that his own decisions—including rapid international expansion and rising costs—had led the gallery to this point. The cuts affected sales, communications, art resources, operations, and other departments almost evenly, leaving many staffers uncertain about their jobs and reluctant to speak publicly while severance arrangements were finalized.

French Supreme Court Tears Up Lawsuit Aiming to Halt Bayeux Tapestry Loan to the British Museum

France's highest administrative court has rejected a legal challenge by heritage group Sites & Monuments that sought to block the loan of the 11th-century Bayeux Tapestry to the British Museum. The court ruled that President Emmanuel Macron's decision to lend the artifact is an act of government inseparable from international diplomacy, and therefore not subject to judicial review. The ruling came two days after a French Culture Ministry report expressed confidence that the fragile tapestry, designated in the UNESCO Memory of the World Register, would not be physically threatened by the move.