The Art Market Defies Doom and Gloom With Independent, Esther and Future Fair in Full Swing

New York City is hosting an unprecedented concentration of art fairs this week, with over nine fairs running simultaneously, including Independent, Esther, and Future Fair. Independent, held at Spring Place in Tribeca, opened on May 8 and is positioning itself as a boutique, hyper-curated alternative to mega-fairs like Frieze, featuring mostly solo presentations. Early sales were reported by several galleries: Europa sold works by Suyi Xu ($9,000–$20,000), Long Story Short sold six works by Keita Morimoto (up to $26,000), Charles Moffett nearly sold out his booth of Julia Jo ($10,000–$45,000), The Approach sold four works by John Maclean ($13,500 or less), and Copperfield presented works by Ada Patterson ($8,000–$23,000).

New documentary bringing Metro Pictures gallery to the screen

A new feature documentary, *Pictures of Pictures: The Metro Years*, is being made about the influential New York gallery Metro Pictures. Founded in 1980 by Janelle Reiring and Helene Winer, the gallery represented key artists of the Pictures Generation, including Cindy Sherman, Robert Longo, Louise Lawler, and Walter Robinson. The film, directed by Sophie Chahinian, explores the gallery's four-decade run, its founding principles of integrity and curatorial care over profit, and the personal stories of its artists and founders.

Korea’s first privately owned Van Gogh unveiled at newly opened museum

Hong Gyu Shin, a New York-based gallery owner originally from Ulsan, South Korea, became the first named Korean to purchase a Van Gogh when he acquired *Head of a Peasant* (January-March 1885) at Sotheby’s in May 2024 for $787,000—well below its estimate. The painting has now gone on display at the newly opened KAIST Art Museum (KAM) in Daejeon, South Korea, as part of Shin's exhibition *The Vault of Masterpieces* (until 30 August). The show features 49 works from his personal collection, including a recreation of his New York apartment, and marks the first time a Van Gogh has been exhibited on loan from a Korean collector.

Why dealers play the waiting game before exhibiting a newly signed artist

David Zwirner Gallery is opening a new 18,000 sq. ft flagship in New York with a solo exhibition by Michael Armitage, his first at a Zwirner location since signing in March 2022. The three-year gap was intentional, aligning with the gallery's expansion and Armitage's other projects. Other dealers like Gladstone Gallery and Mrs. also vary their timelines, sometimes showing artists before officially signing them, as seen with Brook Hsu at Gladstone and Alexandra Barth, Nevena Prijic, and Precious Okoyomon at Mrs.

Keeping it in the family: never-before-seen Picasso works to go on show in New York with help from artist's descendants

Two exhibitions dedicated to Pablo Picasso will open this spring on New York's Upper East Side, both organized in collaboration with the artist's descendants and featuring works never before displayed publicly. 'Picasso: Tête-à-tête' at Gagosian (through July 3) is presented with Paloma Picasso, the artist's daughter, and includes 12 never-before-seen works from her personal collection. Two blocks north, 'Pablo Picasso: Still Life' at Almine Rech (through July 18) is organized by dealer Almine Rech and her husband Bernard Ruiz-Picasso, a grandson of the artist, with over 60% of works never exhibited before. The Gagosian show will be the gallery's last at its 980 Madison Avenue space before moving out for Bloomberg Philanthropies.

On the Met Gala’s Cy Gavin-designed blue carpet, art was front and centre

The 2025 Met Gala, held on May 5 at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, raised a record $31 million while celebrating the opening of the Costume Institute's new exhibition, "Superfine: Tailoring Black Style" (May 10-October 26). The event's dress code, "Tailored for You," inspired attendees to embrace Black-dandy fashion, with guests including Rihanna, Cynthia Erivo, Stevie Wonder, and Kamala Harris. The exhibition, curated by Andrew Bolton and Monica L. Miller, explores the evolution of Black style in the Atlantic diaspora from the 18th century to today, drawing on Miller's 2009 book "Slaves to Fashion: Black Dandyism and the Styling of Black Diasporic Identity." It is the Costume Institute's first show to directly address race's impact on style and the Met's first menswear exhibition in over 20 years.

8 Must-See Solo Gallery Shows in May

Galerie magazine has curated a list of eight must-see solo gallery shows across the United States for May, spanning from New York to Miami and Los Angeles. Featured artists include Takako Yamaguchi at Ortuzar in New York, Enzo Cucchi at Vito Schnabel Gallery, Iván Argote at Perrotin, and Kang Seung Lee, among others, with exhibitions showcasing a range of styles from hybrid transnational paintings to Neo-expressionist works and conceptual installations.

MoMA acquires works featured in monumental Adam Pendleton installation

The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) has acquired the 35 individual paintings, drawings, and video works that comprised Adam Pendleton's monumental installation *Who Is Queen?* (2019-21), which was on view in the museum's atrium from 2021 to 2022. The installation explored Pendleton's conceptual framework of "Black Dada," a term he first outlined in his *Black Dada Manifesto* (2008), and included works such as *Notes on the Robert E. Lee Monument, Richmond VA (Figure)* (2021), a film reflecting on the 2020 racial justice protests. The acquisition marks a significant institutional commitment to Pendleton's practice, which continues to evolve in his current exhibition at the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden in Washington, DC.

Stockholm’s 10 Contemporary Art Galleries You Should Visit

Rebecca Steel's article for Google News highlights ten contemporary art galleries in Stockholm, Sweden, that are essential for visitors interested in the local and international art scene. Featured spaces include Wetterling Gallery, which has championed Swedish and international artists since 1978; Magasin III Museum & Foundation for Contemporary Art, housed in a 1930s warehouse and known for its ambitious shows and private collection; Fotografiska, a premier photography museum in an Art Nouveau building; and Bonniers Konsthall, named after the Maria Bonnier Dahlin Foundation, which presents themed group and solo shows. The list also includes artist-run initiatives and galleries specializing in photography, all promoting Swedish talent alongside global artists.

How To Do New York Art Week 2025 Like An Insider

Sophia Penske, founder of Penske Projects and an art advisor at Gagosian Art Advisory, provides an insider guide to New York Art Week 2025, running May 5–12. She highlights three main fairs: Frieze New York at The Shed (May 7–11), Independent Art Fair at Spring Studios (May 8–11), and TEFAF. The guide includes notable artists to see—such as Daisuke Fukunaga at Tomio Koyama Gallery, Doron Langberg at Victoria Miro, Moka Lee at Carlos/Ishikawa, Julia Jo at Charles Moffett, Laura Footes at SHRINE, and Nicole Economides at Callirrhoe—along with nearby dining, spa, and gallery recommendations.

7 Artists Who Capture the Essence of Black Dandyism

The article highlights seven contemporary artists whose work embodies Black dandyism, timed to the 2025 Met Gala theme 'Superfine: Tailoring Black Style' and the corresponding exhibition at the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Costume Institute. It traces the history of Black dandyism from its 18th-century European roots through its evolution during slavery and the 20th century, emphasizing its role as a defiant, empowering form of self-expression that challenges gender norms and racial stereotypes. Featured artists include Barkley L. Hendricks, Derek Fordjour, and Tyler Mitchell, among others.

Two legacy galleries open in a Berlin gas station

International gallery Pace has partnered with Galerie Judin to open a new arts hub in a converted 1950s gas station in Berlin's Schöneberg neighborhood. The venue, called Die Tankstelle, features exhibition spaces for both galleries, a café, and a Die ZEIT-branded bookshop. The inaugural exhibition, 'Reverse Alchemy,' runs from May 2 to June 14, 2025, and brings together works on paper by Jean Dubuffet, Jean-Michel Basquiat, and Robert Nava. The gas station, originally built in 1954 and abandoned in 1986, was purchased by Juerg Judin in 2007 and renovated by Thomas Brakel and bfs design, with landscape architect Guido Hager adding a garden. It previously housed Das Kleine Grosz Museum from 2022 to 2024.

New York’s Rachel Uffner Gallery brings on new partner and rebrands

New York's Rachel Uffner Gallery, founded in 2008, has appointed director Lucy Liu as its first business partner, prompting a rebrand to Uffner & Liu. Liu, 25, joined the gallery as a sales assistant in 2023 and was promoted to director in 2024. The partnership aims to expand the gallery's international presence, particularly in Asia, and to introduce more artists from the Asian American Pacific Islander community into its programming.

British artist Thomas J Price brings a contemplative colossus to Times Square

British artist Thomas J Price has installed a 12-foot-tall bronze sculpture titled *Grounded in the Stars* (2023) in New York’s Times Square, on view until 17 June. The work depicts a fictionalized woman in a contemplative contrapposto pose, finished in matte black, and is placed at street level rather than on a pedestal. Concurrently, Price’s *Man Series* (2005–present) will be shown on the square’s 95 giant screens every night in May as part of Times Square Arts’ *Midnight Moments* series. The sculpture was previously featured in Price’s 2023 solo exhibition at Hauser & Wirth’s Downtown Los Angeles location, and his New York gallery show *Resilience of Scale* runs until 14 June.

Observer’s 2025 May Art Fair Calendar (Updated)

Observer has published its updated 2025 May Art Fair Calendar, highlighting a packed schedule of art fairs in New York and around the world. Key fairs include CONDUCTOR 2026 (April 29–May 3), a Brooklyn-based fair focused on artists of the global majority; the Aotearoa Art Fair 2026 (April 30–May 3) in New Zealand; the Clio Art Fair 2026 (May 7–10 and 14–17), known as an "anti-fair" for unrepresented artists; and PHOTOFAIRS Shanghai 2026 (May 7–10), a leading platform for contemporary photography in China. The article notes that May is one of the busiest months in the spring art calendar, with many fairs concentrated in New York City during "Frieze Week."

6 Under-the-Radar Art Shows to See in New York Right Now—and 3 to Look Forward To

The article highlights six under-the-radar art shows currently on view in New York, including Lotus L. Kang's solo presentation "Already" at 52 Walker, featuring light-sensitive film installations and greenhouses; Silät, a collective of Indigenous Wichí weavers from Argentina, showing at James Cohan; and a major solo exhibition of pioneering Korean artist Kim Yun Shin at Lehmann Maupin. It also previews three upcoming shows to look forward to, as the city prepares for a burst of art fairs next month.

Comment | Perhaps artists do have only ‘ten good years’—but they can happen at any time in their career

The article reflects on the idea that artists may have only 'ten good years' of peak creativity, prompted by a visit to the exhibition "Anselm Kiefer: Early Works" at the Ashmolean Museum in Oxford. The author contrasts the young Kiefer's deft, emotionally intimate works from 1969–1982 with his later, more grandiose output, arguing that Kiefer's early period surpasses anything he has achieved since. The piece also revisits critic Douglas Cooper's harsh dismissal of late Picasso and former Tate director Alan Bowness's theory of artistic prime.

Kingston’s Art Renaissance Continues: 68 Prince Street Gallery Opens with Francine Tint’s “Symbolic of the Whole”

A new contemporary art gallery, 68 Prince Street Gallery, has opened in Midtown Kingston, New York, in a former dry cleaners space transformed over six years by artists Paula and David Kucera. The inaugural exhibition, “Symbolic of the Whole,” features paintings and sculptures by New York artist Francine Tint, a former costume designer for David Bowie and Ridley Scott who turned to abstraction in the 1970s. Curated by Alan Goolman, the show highlights Tint’s rarely seen bronze sculptures alongside her canvases, while a front room dedicated to artist books and prints is overseen by book artist Maureen Cummins.

teamLab in Abu Dhabi, Christine Sun Kim and Thomas Mader, Vermeer’s final painting?—podcast

The article covers three major art stories: the opening of Christine Sun Kim and Thomas Mader's exhibition "1880 THAT" at the Wellcome Collection in London, which explores the 1880 Milan Conference that banned sign language in Deaf education; the launch of a new teamLab museum in Abu Dhabi's Saadiyat Cultural District; and new conservation findings on Johannes Vermeer's "Young Woman seated at a Virginal" (1670-75), which may be his final painting, with 17th-century pollution helping to date the work.

Arielle and the Politics of Beautiful Things

Arielle und die Politik der schönen Dinge

Josefine Reisch presents new works at Noah Klink gallery during Berlin Gallery Weekend. Her paintings combine mermaids, shipping containers, and Euroboxes to explore themes of standardization, global capitalism, and the politics of beauty. The exhibition, titled "Poxy Proxy," is a duo show with Miriam Umiń. Reisch's studio visit reveals her interest in how objects like Eurokisten (standardized plastic crates) and shipping containers symbolize economic progress and power structures, while mermaid imagery from Disney's "Arielle" questions the equation of beautiful things with moral goodness.

Historical Downtown Icons in ‘Focus’ at Frieze New York

Frieze New York is spotlighting historical downtown icons in a new 'Focus' section at its upcoming fair. The initiative will feature curated presentations of works by artists who were central to New York's downtown art scene, highlighting their enduring influence and the cultural history of the era.

How to Stage a Performance in Venice

Frieze's critic's guide highlights seven must-see exhibitions during Art Brussels, including Richard Tuttle's restless assemblages at Galerie Greta Meert and an expansive show of Lutz Bacher at WIELS. The article, written by Emile Rubino, provides a curated selection of shows across Brussels galleries and institutions during the art fair period.

‘Emergent Figures’ Carves Space for Thai Artists in a Global Canon

Frieze published a critic's guide titled 'Emergent Figures' Carves Space for Thai Artists in a Global Canon, which highlights a group exhibition featuring Thai artists at a venue in Brussels during Art Brussels. The show aims to present Thai contemporary art within a broader international context, moving beyond regional stereotypes. The article is part of a larger guide that also includes recommendations for other must-see shows during the fair, such as Richard Tuttle at Galerie Greta Meert and Lutz Bacher at WIELS.

Hyperallergic’s Guide to the 2026 Venice Biennale

Hyperallergic has published its guide to the 2026 Venice Biennale, detailing what to see and do at this year's edition. The guide covers the three main categories of the Biennale—the Giardini with 29 permanent national pavilions, the Arsenale with temporary rented spaces, and collateral events across the city. Key developments include the return of Russia to its permanent Giardini pavilion and Israel's participation with a new contractual stipulation preventing its artist from closing the pavilion, after Ruth Patir's protest in 2024. South Africa withdrew following the cancellation of Gabrielle Goliath's video installation 'Elegy,' which mourns victims of Israel's genocide in Gaza and will now be shown at a historic church. The United States will be represented by Alma Allen after Barbara Chase-Riboud stepped down, and Qatar is set to become the first country in decades to build a new pavilion in the Giardini.

Art21 and CHANEL Culture Fund Introduce an Original Series of Documentary Shorts Designed for Social Media Platforms

Art21 and the CHANEL Culture Fund have partnered to launch 'IRL/url,' a new series of over 30 short documentary films designed for social media. The series, premiering in November 2025, profiles eight contemporary artists—including Neïl Beloufa, Jacolby Satterwhite, and Xin Liu—exploring their work across physical and digital realms. The films will be released on TikTok, YouTube, and Art21's website.

The Langmatt Museum in Baden Reopens Its Doors

Le Musée Langmatt de Baden rouvre ses portes

The Langmatt Museum in Baden, Switzerland, has reopened after a two-year, €21 million renovation of its Art Nouveau villa, which required urgent structural intervention. The project was co-financed by the city of Baden and the canton of Aargau, with the city contributing CHF 10 million. To secure the museum's endowment fund, the Langmatt Foundation controversially sold three Paul Cézanne masterpieces at Christie's New York in November 2023 for a total of CHF 40.32 million, sparking ethical debate in museum circles. The renovation covered all 75 rooms, including new fire protection, an elevator, accessibility upgrades, a glass pavilion, and restoration of the historic park, while preserving the villa's character.

The Top Exhibitions To See In London: May 2026

London’s art scene prepares for a major influx of high-profile exhibitions in May 2026, headlined by a comprehensive survey of Francisco de Zurbarán at the National Gallery and the grand opening of the Quentin Blake Centre for Illustration in Clerkenwell. Other significant highlights include a sprawling outdoor installation of Henry Moore’s monumental bronzes at Kew Gardens, the debut of the 'Rising Voices' contemporary art exhibition at the newly opened V&A East, and a rare European retrospective of James McNeill Whistler at Tate Britain featuring the iconic 'Whistler's Mother'.

5 Standout Artists at MoMA PS1’s “Greater New York”

MoMA PS1's sixth edition of the "Greater New York" quinquennial exhibition has opened, showcasing the work of over 50 artists and collectives. The show aims to capture the current state of New York's art scene, highlighting new and ambitious work created despite challenging economic and political conditions.

Why Beatriz González’s Haunting Paintings Are More Relevant Than Ever

Why Beatriz González’s Haunting Paintings Are More Relevant Than Ever

A major retrospective of Colombian artist Beatriz González, "Beatriz González: A Retrospective," is touring internationally, with recent stops at the Pérez Art Museum Miami and the Museo de Arte Miguel Urrutia in Bogotá. The exhibition, the largest of her 60-year career, showcases over 150 works, including her iconic paintings that appropriate and rework images from art history and mass media to critique political violence, social inequality, and cultural memory in Colombia.

The Art Gallery Doing Urban Regeneration South of Milan (After Doing It in New York)

La galleria d’arte che fa rigenerazione urbana a sud di Milano (dopo averla fatta a New York)

Scaramouche Gallery has opened a new space in Milan's Scalo Romana district, marking its third location after establishing itself in New York's Chelsea and Lower East Side neighborhoods. The gallery, founded by gallerist Daniele Ugolini, is part of a wave of cultural institutions, including Fondazione Prada and Fondazione ICA, driving the urban regeneration of this former agro-industrial zone near the 2026 Winter Olympic Village.