The tiniest event can tear a hole. Sara MacKillop by Margaret Kross

Sara MacKillop's exhibition "The Cutaway View" at Good Weather in Chicago presents sculptures made from humble analog materials like blank wall calendars, empty shopping bags, and gift wrapping. The London-based artist alters these objects with minimal interventions—such as surgically cut holes in shopping bags to accommodate vinyl records—drawing attention to the ephemera and texture of retail culture. Her series "Calendar Houses" (2021–ongoing) uses archive boxes and wall calendars to create miniature modernist dwellings that critique systems of order and self-optimization.

Giuditta Branconi “Cannon Fodder” at Collezione Maramotti, Reggio Emilia

Italian artist Giuditta Branconi has unveiled her first institutional solo exhibition, titled "Cannon Fodder," at the Collezione Maramotti in Reggio Emilia. The exhibition features a series of new large-scale paintings and a site-specific installation characterized by dense, chaotic compositions where multiple narratives unfold simultaneously. Branconi describes her approach as fostering an "anarchic gaze," intentionally refusing to guide the viewer through her crowded, vibrant visual landscapes.

8 Art Films Worth Watching in May

8 Kunstfilme, die sich im Mai lohnen

Monopol magazine presents eight art films worth streaming in May, including a documentary featuring 40,000 slides from critic Jerry Saltz capturing the 1990s New York art scene, Shirin Neshat's film "Women Without Men" about women in 1953 Tehran, Christian Petzold's new film "Miroirs No. 3," and a documentary on the Shroud of Turin. The roundup also includes a politically charged drama directed by Yael Bartana and a Dada-metal film, offering a diverse selection of art-related cinema.

What Hans Memling's Last Judgment Still Tells Us

Was uns Hans Memlings Jüngstes Gericht noch sagt

Hans Memling's 15th-century triptych "The Last Judgment" is currently undergoing restoration at the National Museum in Gdańsk, Poland, and is expected to be off view until the end of the year. The artwork, painted before 1465, has a dramatic provenance, having been captured at sea by a privateer en route from Bruges to Florence and eventually finding a permanent home in Gdańsk after various displacements.

Interview with Ramuntcho Matta: Brion Gysin: The Last Museum Musée d’Art Moderne de Paris

The article is an interview with Ramuntcho Matta about the exhibition "Brion Gysin: The Last Museum" at the Musée d’Art Moderne de Paris. It explores the life and work of Brion Gysin, a multifaceted artist associated with Surrealism, the Beat Generation, and the invention of the Dreamachine. The exhibition traces Gysin's career through his calligraphy, painting, and multimedia works, including collaborations with William S. Burroughs and Ian Sommerville. A complementary show, "Underwood 2246449-5 (Les diables de Brion)," organized by Matta at New Galerie, features Burroughs's typewriter and related instruments.

Spring/summer 2026 program

The Henry Art Gallery at the University of Washington has unveiled its spring/summer 2026 exhibition schedule, featuring a diverse lineup of solo and group presentations. Highlights include a major exhibition by Diné artist Eric-Paul Riege exploring Indigenous cosmology and institutional knowledge, a showcase of Helen Frankenthaler’s experimental printmaking alongside works by Analia Saban, and the annual University of Washington MFA and MDes thesis exhibition. The season also features "Day-to-Day: Rhythm, Routine, Resistance," a collection-based show examining the intersection of personal life and structural social forces.

Moomin and Tove Jansson exhibitions worldwide

A global series of exhibitions celebrating the legacy of Tove Jansson and the Moomins has been announced for 2026, with major programming centered in Finland. Key highlights include the expansion of the Tove Jansson Gallery at the Helsinki Art Museum (HAM) with the 'Artist Family Jansson' exhibition, a design-focused showcase at the Architecture & Design Museum, and a contemporary dialogue at Chappe featuring artists Erika Adamsson and Katja Syrjä. The programming coincides with the 80th anniversary of the book 'Comet in Moominland'.

Talking Texas Art: The Panhandle

Glasstire has announced the second installment of its "Talking Texas Art" panel series, scheduled for April 23, 2026, at the Louise Hopkins Underwood Center for the Arts (LHUCA) in Lubbock. Part of the publication’s 25th-anniversary celebrations, the event focuses on the Texas Panhandle's creative landscape. The panel features prominent regional figures including Judy Tedford Deaton of The Grace Museum, Jon Revett and Amy Von Lintel of West Texas A&M University, and Charles Adams of CASP, moderated by Glasstire’s William Sarradet.

5 small Denver art exhibits offer big thrills in the coming weeks

Denver’s art scene is currently highlighting several intimate yet impactful exhibitions during the transitional spring season. Key highlights include a multi-venue celebration of Colorado artist Ana María Hernando with solo shows at the Museum of Contemporary Art Denver and the Colorado Springs Fine Arts Center, alongside a group showing at Robischon Gallery. Additionally, the Denver Art Museum is showcasing its textile and photography archives through two distinct exhibitions: "Conversation Pieces," featuring high-fashion acquisitions from Chanel to McQueen, and "What We’ve Been Up To: People," a survey of portrait photography spanning from the 19th century to the present.

One Art Space Tribeca Presents “The Space Between Us”

One Art Space in Tribeca presented “The Space Between Us,” a group exhibition curated by Mitchell Rodbell featuring 13 artists including Rodbell, Miyuki Fuji, Madhu Powar Garg, Marietta Gavaris, and others. The weeklong show ran from January 12 to January 18, 2026, with many works sold during the VIP opening night. Notable attendees included co-owner MaryAnn Giella McCulloh, Dr. Robi Ludwig, Melanie Goodreaux, and Bruce Morrow.

First-ever oil painting depicting an artist at work to star in female Old Master exhibition

The first-ever exhibition dedicated to Catharina van Hemessen, Europe's most important early female painter, will open at the Snijders&Rockox House in Antwerp (15 October 2026 – 31 January 2027) before traveling to the National Gallery in London (4 March – 30 May 2027). The show will reunite most of her surviving works for the first time in nearly 500 years, including her groundbreaking 1548 self-portrait at the Kunstmuseum Basel, which is the earliest known self-portrait by a female artist and the earliest surviving oil painting depicting an artist at work. Archival research on her family is underway, and the exhibition will also feature works by her father, Jan Sanders van Hemessen.

Prague Redefines Contemporary Art. Prague Art Week 2025 Recap.

Prague Art Week 2025 (PAW25) took place from September 25 to 28 across multiple venues in Prague, including the Mánes Exhibition Hall, galleries in Prague 1 and Prague 7, and the Trade Fair Palace of the National Gallery. The program featured exhibitions such as HAC#2 celebrating the 10th anniversary of the Havrlant Art Collection, group shows like Interlude at C12 gallery and IT at HYB4, solo exhibitions by Lenka Glisnikova and Stanislav Zábrodský, the Jindřich Chalupecký Award exhibition, and the duo show With Feathers and Flesh. Activities included guided tours, artist talks, and open studios, with works by Czech and international artists exploring themes of digital transformation, corporeality, identity, environmental crisis, and spirituality.

Is an auction house's loss a gallery's gain? Pilar Ordovas collaborates with former Sotheby's specialists for African and Oceanic art show

Pilar Ordovas opens an exhibition at her Mayfair gallery titled *Dialogues: European, American, African and Oceanic Art from the 20th and 21st Centuries*, running from 9 October to 12 December. The show is a collaboration with Jean Fritts, former international chairman of African & Oceanic Art at Sotheby’s, and Pierre Mollfulleda, formerly head of Sotheby’s African & Oceanic Art department in Paris. It pairs Modern and contemporary Western works with African and Oceanic objects that inspired them, including pieces from the landmark 1984 MoMA exhibition "Primitivism" in 20th Century Art.

Where to see art in Houston now: 9 fun new exhibits opening in July

Nine new art exhibitions are opening in Houston in July, spanning traditional paintings, sculptures, high-tech immersive shows, and textile works. Highlights include Nick Vaughan and Jake Margolin's "Town Meeting 1978-2028" at Art League Houston, which uses wind-drawing techniques to explore pre-Stonewall queer histories; Jeffly Gabriela Molina's "Fragmentos de un sueño que yo también soñé," focusing on immigrant experiences of home and memory; and Lin Qiqing's "Every Fiber of Their Bodies," weaving narratives of gender, immigration, and human relationships. The Menil Collection also re-installs René Magritte paintings after their return from a major retrospective in Sydney.

Take a Peek Inside Peter Zumthor’s New Building for LACMA -

The Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) opened its new David Geffen Galleries, designed by Swiss architect Peter Zumthor in collaboration with SOM, for a summer preview before the building's official opening in April 2026. The 110,000-square-foot exhibition space, elevated on seven pavilions and made of concrete and glass, was opened to the public for three days with performances by 120 musicians. The preview also includes outdoor sculptures, commissioned artworks by Mariana Castillo Deball and Sarah Rosalena, and new dining and retail spaces.

LOOK25 Gala supports Contemporary Calgary and Butterfly Ball raises funds for Boost Child & Youth Advocacy Centre

The LOOK25 Gala in Calgary, held on May 31 and presented by MAWER, raised over $1.2 million for Contemporary Calgary. Themed “Noir Nouveau” after textile artist Simone Elizabeth Saunders, the event featured a VIP dinner by Holt Renfrew, performances by Justine Tyrell and Timothonius, and a live auction led by Heather Edwards that included works by Saunders, June Clark, Evan Penny, and a circa-1960 Jean-Paul Riopelle. An after party sponsored by Masters Gallery drew 600 guests. Separately, the Butterfly Ball in Toronto, now in its 26th year, raised $1.27 million for Boost Child & Youth Advocacy Centre, with co-chairs Claire MacNamara and Trish Del Sorbo, and an auction handled by Christie’s consultant Brett Sherlock.

Queer Arts Festival opens Portals for emerging artists and contrasting journeys

The Queer Arts Festival (QAF) in Vancouver opens its 16th annual edition from June 6 to 28, featuring a signature visual exhibition titled "Portals" at Centre A: Vancouver International Centre for Contemporary Asian Art from June 21 to August 23. Curated by Mark Takeshi McGregor and Diane Hau Yu Wong, the exhibition showcases six emerging and local artists—Arkah, Evan Matchett-Wong, Sena Cleave, Miles Saraswat, Christian Yves Jones, and Naomi Maya Leung—whose works explore themes of queerness, migration, diaspora, and belonging through photography, sculpture, embroidery, film, and mixed media. The festival also includes concerts, media screenings, and community events, serving as a sanctuary for 2SLGBTQIA+ communities amid rising anti-trans and anti-queer rhetoric.

Venice Unveils Stunning New Art Spaces

During the Architecture Biennale preview in Venice, two major new art spaces opened: the Nicoletta Fiorucci Foundation's new home in a historic palazzo on the San Barnaba canal, and SMAC (San Marco Art Centre), a contemporary art center on Saint Mark's Square designed by David Chipperfield. Additionally, Belgian artist Luc Tuymans accepted a last-minute commission from the Abbot of San Giorgio Maggiore to replace two Tintoretto paintings with his own large-scale works. The Fiorucci Foundation's palazzo, acquired in December 2024, opened May 10 with an exhibition by Georgian artist Tolia Astakhishvili, featuring works made from found materials and drawings on walls, alongside pieces by Thea Djordjadze and Maka Sanadze. SMAC, restored by Chipperfield, currently hosts two exhibitions: one on Australian modernist architect Harry Seidler and another on Korean landscape architect Jung Youngsun.

Lacma acquires self-portrait by long-overlooked female Old Master

The Los Angeles County Museum of Art (Lacma) has acquired 112 objects through six new acquisitions made during its 39th Collectors Committee Weekend, which raised over $2.5 million from 62 members. Highlights include a rediscovered self-portrait by Virginia Vezzi (1600-38), a long-overlooked female Old Master; works by Japanese American artists Chiura Obata, Tokio Ueyama, and Mine Okubo created during the Exclusion Era; colonial-era paintings from Mexico by Manuel de Arellano; a photographic triptych by Hiroshi Sugimoto; and the Mary Hunt Kahlenberg Collection of 101 Indonesian textiles dating to the early 15th century.

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Weekly News Roundup: May 22, 2026

This weekly roundup from ArtAsiaPacific covers four major developments in the art and architecture world. Chinese architects Wang Shu and Lu Wenyu have announced the theme for the 2027 Venice Architecture Biennale, titled “Do Architecture – For the Possibility of Coexistence Facing a Real Reality,” emphasizing hands-on, context-driven design. The 2026 Sovereign Asian Art Prize winners were revealed, with Balinese artist Citra Sasmita winning the Grand Prize for her work "Poetry of the Fountain" (2025). Dubai announced plans for the Museum of Digital Art (MODA), a new institution dedicated to new media and immersive technologies, as part of a major district expansion. Finally, the Asian Cultural Council (ACC) named 70 grantees for its 2026 cycle, awarding over USD 1.6 million to support cultural exchange between the US and Asia.

Letting Her Art (and Birds) Do the Talking

Lynette Yiadom-Boakye, a British-Ghanaian painter known for her enigmatic portraits of imaginary Black figures, has a new body of work that includes canvases, drawings, and writings. The article highlights her preference for staying out of the public eye, letting her art—and her fascination with birds—convey her ideas and emotions.

Cy Twombly, From Intimate Angles

A recently discovered cache of negatives taken by Tatiana Franchetti, the wife of artist Cy Twombly, reveals intimate and personal photographs of the 20th-century master. The negatives were found by Twombly's granddaughter, offering a new, private perspective on the artist's life and daily surroundings.

In This Nazi-Era Restitution Dispute, the Focus Turns to a Missing Cow

A family is seeking restitution of a painting they believe is a lost Rubens work, looted by Nazis during World War II. However, an expert has cast doubt on the claim, arguing the painting is a copy because it lacks a distinctive detail found in the original: a urinating cow. The dispute has shifted focus to this missing element, complicating the family's efforts to recover the artwork.

Matthew Wong’s Grieving Mother Protects His Artistic Legacy

Matthew Wong, a troubled painter whose star was on the rise, died at age 35. His mother, Monita Wong, is now actively working to protect and promote his artistic legacy, ensuring that his work continues to be seen by the public.

$100 Million Award Made in Suit Over Unlicensed Robert Indiana Art

A New York jury has awarded $100 million in damages to the company that managed artist Robert Indiana's copyrights, ruling that an art publisher produced and sold unlicensed works derived from Indiana's iconic images. The publisher had created derivative pieces based on Indiana's designs without authorization, infringing on the exclusive rights held by the artist's longtime partner.

Dutch Panel Designs Plan to Deal With ‘Orphaned’ Nazi-Looted Art

A Dutch advisory panel has recommended the creation of a new independent Jewish foundation to manage a vast collection of artworks looted by the Nazis that remain unclaimed. The collection, known as the NK collection, consists of over 3,000 objects currently held by the Dutch state, but whose original owners or heirs have not been identified.

Flowery Films Whose Plant Life Lingers in the Mind

Ten prominent artists and designers have curated a selection of cinematic flora that has significantly influenced their creative practices. From the surreal, hand-shaped topiaries in *Edward Scissorhands* to the symbolic, scene-setting bouquets in *The Age of Innocence*, these creators analyze how botanical elements on screen transcend mere decoration to become vital narrative and aesthetic tools.

Honoring Frederic Church: Beyond the Hudson River School

Art historians and curators are re-evaluating the legacy of Frederic Church, arguing that his contributions extend far beyond his traditional classification as a Hudson River School landscape painter. New research highlights his sophisticated engagement with 19th-century science, his architectural achievements at his estate, Olana, and his role as a global traveler who captured the spirit of the Andes and the Arctic.

At Hong Kong Art Basel, an Exhibition of Works by El Anatsui

El Anatsui, the celebrated Ghanaian artist, is presenting a major exhibition of new works at Art Basel in Hong Kong. The presentation, titled "The Way of the Earth," features large-scale metallic tapestries and sculptures created from found materials like bottle caps and copper wire, reflecting his signature style.