The 61st Venice Biennale, titled 'In Minor Keys' and curated by the late Koyo Kouoh, will run from May to November 2026. The exhibition will feature 15 artists from Latin America, including Alvaro Barrington, Carolina Caycedo, Alfredo Jaar, and Guadalupe Maravilla, among others, who will present works across the Giardini, Arsenale, and other Venetian venues.
Cosa non perdere della nuova edizione di The Phair, la fiera della fotografia di Torino
The seventh edition of The Phair, a photography fair in Turin, Italy, opened on Thursday, May 21, at the Sala Fucine of the Officine Grandi Riparazioni. Founded by Roberto Casiraghi and Paola Rampini, the fair features 42 national and international galleries. Highlights include a surprising automotive partnership at the entrance, and standout presentations from Red Lab Gallery (Ezio D’Agostino and Carlotta Valente), Alberto Damian Gallery (Paolo Gioli), Roccavintage (Costanza Gastaldi), Tucci Russo (Giulio Paolini), Raw Messina (Kri Babusci), and Galleria Umberto Benappi (Ugo Mulas). Other notable artists include Arnulf Rainer, Anton Corbijn, Luigi Ontani, and Simon Starling.
The Bakehouse Art Complex in Miami’s Wynwood district is celebrating its 40th anniversary and the 100th anniversary of its Art Deco building, which originally opened as a bakery in 1926. Founded in 1985 by a group of artists who purchased the abandoned industrial bakery for $10, the nonprofit has provided studio space to over 1,500 local artists. The celebration kicked off with an exhibition titled “Bakehouse at Forty: Past, Present, Future,” attended by more than 1,000 guests, and included a gala fundraiser with affordable ticket prices. The organization is now planning to build 60 units of affordable artist housing as part of a revitalized campus.
Artist Antonio Pichillá Quiacaín, born in 1982 and based in San Pedro La Laguna, Guatemala, presents his solo exhibition “Umbilical Cord” at Elizabeth Xi Bauer gallery in London. The show, on view through August 2, 2025, features new and recent works that explore Maya visual culture, Indigenous craft traditions, and the knot as both a formal element and a metaphor for connection, life, and time. A 3:22-minute video from 2021 shows the artist in a forest with traditional weaving materials, while the exhibition also marks the gallery’s announcement of representing the artist.
Ten artists issued a joint statement accusing London's Arusha Gallery of failing to pay nearly $700,000 in long overdue payments. The artists—Pippa Young, Anna Rocke, Plum Cloutman, Ilona Szalay, Megan Rea, Kate Walters, Gail Harvey, Morwenna Morrison, Helen Flockhart, and Charlotte Keates—claimed they faced extreme difficulty obtaining payment for sold work, often waiting months or years. Charlotte Keates, represented by lawyer Jon Sharples, said she is owed £430,000 ($580,000) from sales dating back to 2023, though the gallery's owner, Bella Arusha Collins King, disputed the amount. Additional artists, including Beth Carter, Andrei Pokrovskii, Fiona Finnegan, and the trust of Norman Gilbert, also came forward with claims of non-payment. The gallery acknowledged that some payments are missing and expressed regret.
À la BnF, des merveilles de cartes pour imaginer des mondes nouveaux
The Bibliothèque nationale de France (BnF) is presenting an exhibition of extraordinary maps that blend imagination with cartography, tracing the evolution of maps from ancient tools of navigation to fantastical creations that fueled exploration and myth. The show features rare works including Renaissance sea monsters, cosmological paintings, and literary maps from Tolkien's Middle-earth and George R.R. Martin's Westeros, alongside contemporary artists like Alighiero Boetti, Sergio Aquindo, and Michael Druks who use maps to express personal and political visions.
Almost half of the artists in the 61st Venice Biennale's international exhibition, along with 16 national pavilion teams, have withdrawn from awards consideration in solidarity with the jury's resignation. The jury resigned on April 30 after stating it would not consider countries whose leaders are charged with crimes against humanity by the ICC, effectively disqualifying Israel and Russia. The Biennale Foundation then replaced the traditional Golden Lions with new "Visitor Lions" decided by public vote, reinstating all pavilions including Israel and Russia. The withdrawal follows protests at the Russian and Israeli pavilions and a historic labor strike that shuttered multiple pavilions.
A coalition of 182 artists, curators, and art workers participating in the 2026 Venice Biennale, organized under the Art Not Genocide Alliance (ANGA), formally delivered a letter demanding the exclusion of Israel from the exhibition. The signatories, including prominent artists like Yto Barrada, Alfredo Jaar, and Miet Warlop, argue that the Biennale must not normalize Israeli policies towards Palestinians.
The Tokyo Photographic Art Museum is hosting "Luigi Ghirri: Endless Landscapes," the first Asian museum solo exhibition dedicated to the Italian photographer Luigi Ghirri (1943–1992), running from July 3 to September 28, 2025. The exhibition presents a wide range of Ghirri's work, from his early masterpieces to his late pieces, including his famous series on Giorgio Morandi's studio. It also features works and materials by his wife, graphic designer Paola Borgonzoni (1954–2011), highlighting her crucial role in his career. Related events include a symposium with Ghirri's daughter Adele Ghirri and curator Ilaria Campioli, gallery talks, and the Japanese premiere of the documentary film "Infinito."
Berlin-based illustrator Olaf Hajek creates dense, uncanny compositions that blend nature, culture, and magic, drawing inspiration from Surrealist icons like Leonora Carrington and Remedios Varo. His work emphasizes ambiguity, using superimposed florals and figures, dramatic scale shifts, and a tension between decay and renewal to develop a universal visual language from diverse cultural influences.
Julian Charrière has created two new bodies of work, *Chorals* (2025) and *Veils* (2025), in collaboration with Maison Ruinart. The projects are inspired by the Lutetian Sea, which submerged the Champagne region 45 million years ago, and explore themes of deep time, climate change, and the interconnectedness of organic and mineral life. *Chorals* is a permanent sound installation in Ruinart's cellars in Reims, featuring amplified recordings of ocean reefs, while *Veils* comprises wall works and sculptures centered on corals and fading coral imagery. The works travel to art fairs as preludes to the permanent installation.
Berlin-based artist Sofia Defino Leiby is currently transitioning her practice between her Alt-Treptow studio and a residency at Defet House in Nürnberg. Her multidisciplinary approach integrates painting, collage, and performance, drawing heavily from a 'running narrative' of personal notes, found ephemera, and high-end materials like Schmincke paints. The work often features visceral, layered compositions that utilize everything from vintage packaging to Swiss Aura-Soma bottle imagery.
Paris is undergoing a wave of architectural preservation and renovation that prioritizes the "à l’identique" (identical) approach, most notably seen in the reconstruction of Notre-Dame Cathedral following its 2019 fire. This trend extends to other major cultural landmarks, including the renovation of the Bourse de Commerce by Tadao Ando and the upcoming multi-year closure of the Centre Pompidou for technical upgrades. The author uses the critical lens of 19th-century writer Joris-Karl Huysmans to question whether this obsession with restoring buildings to a previous state stifles contemporary architectural evolution.
A major exhibition titled 'Dispossessions in the Americas: The Extraction of Bodies, Land, and Heritage from La Conquista to the Present' opens at Wrightwood 659 in Chicago. It features over 40 works by 36 contemporary artists from Latin America, curated by Jonathan D. Katz and Eduardo Carrera, examining the ongoing legacies of colonialism through themes of territory, body, and cultural heritage.
Beyoncé attended the 2026 Met Gala in a translucent gown by Olivier Rousteing, adorned with a bejeweled skeleton motif. Online sources suggest the design was inspired by 'Visitor,' a 1944 lithograph by Louisiana artist Caroline Durieux, who was a professor at Tulane University and LSU. The artwork, held by the LSU Museum of Art, depicts a skeleton in a translucent frock, echoing the gown's aesthetic. Art collector Jeremy K. Simien noted Durieux's influence and the potential value boost to the print from the Beyoncé connection.
The Charles H. MacNider Art Museum in Mason City, Iowa, has opened its 46th Annual Cerro Gordo Photo Show in the Center Space Gallery, sponsored by the Safford and Lena Lock Photo Endowment Fund. Sixty-two entries were submitted by residents of Cerro Gordo County and students at North Iowa Area Community College, with 36 photographs by 20 artists selected for exhibition. An opening reception and awards ceremony will be held on May 7, 2026, with cash prizes including $125 for Best in Show. The exhibition runs through July 11, 2026, and admission is free.
The 46th Annual Cerro Gordo Photo Show has opened at the Charles H. MacNider Art Museum's Center Space Gallery in Mason City, Iowa. The exhibition features 36 photographs by 20 artists from Cerro Gordo County and North Iowa Area Community College, selected by a panel of judges from 62 entries. Artists include Alec Heggen, Brad Janson, Wendy Janson, Dennis Nettifee, Margo Underwood, Lisa Wolf, and many others from Clear Lake, Mason City, and Plymouth. The show is sponsored by the Safford and Lena Lock Photo Endowment Fund, with an opening reception and awards ceremony scheduled for May 7, offering cash prizes including $125 for Best in Show.
British artist Louis Pohl Koseda is gaining attention for his intricate works that blend drawing, painting, and architectural theory to explore the city as a psychological structure. His practice, which he terms 'metafictionism,' utilizes fine-line drawing to create layered compositions where figures navigate unstable, theatrical urban environments. Influenced by his upbringing in an East London Hare Krishna community, Koseda’s work focuses on how belief systems and social fabrics are mapped onto the physical and imagined spaces of the city.
Nottingham Contemporary has announced plans for the first institutional solo exhibition of British artist Sarah Cunningham, who died in November 2024 at age 31. The show, the largest presentation of her work to date, is scheduled to open next autumn, marking a homecoming for the artist who was born and raised in Nottingham and previously worked as a gallery assistant at the same institution. Cunningham, who graduated from the Royal College of Art in 2022, had her first solo exhibition at Lisson Gallery in 2023 and developed a distinctive abstract style characterized by exaggerated brushwork and extended brushes made from scrap wood.
ARAR Gallery in Utrecht, Netherlands, is championing contemporary Armenian art on the global stage. Founded by Ashot Khalafyan, the gallery presents a diverse roster of artists who synthesize Armenian cultural heritage with avant-garde practices, refusing to treat the art as an isolated category. The gallery's program includes painters like Hasmik Khalafyan and Anahit Mirijanyan, photographer Aram Khalafyan, and extends to limited-edition wearable art based on original paintings.
L’arte contemporanea torna protagonista ad Ascoli Piceno per la quinta edizione del Premio Sparti
The fifth edition of the Premio Sparti, titled "Dove finisce la città" (Where the City Ends), will open on May 23 at the Forte Malatesta in Ascoli Piceno, Italy, running through June 28. Curated by Alex Urso, the exhibition features over twenty international artists exploring artistic practice outside major urban centers, with works also installed at the Frida Museum. The show is divided into three sections—"Essere oltre," "Essere qui," and "Essere altro"—highlighting artists who have chosen peripheral, rural, or marginalized locations as bases for their research, including Francesco Arena, Davide Maria Coltro, Andrea Mastrovito, and emerging talents under 35.
Finalmente il Ministro della Cultura Giuli ha visitato il Padiglione Italia alla Biennale di Venezia 2026 e ha fatto pace con il Presidente Buttafuoco
Italian Culture Minister Alessandro Giuli finally visited the Italy Pavilion at the 2026 Venice Biennale alongside Biennale President Pietrangelo Buttafuoco, marking their first public appearance together after earlier tensions led Giuli to skip the opening ceremony. During the visit, Buttafuoco proposed that the work of artist Chiara Camoni, whose exhibition "Con te con tutto" is curated by Cecilia Canziani, should find a permanent home after the Biennale ends, sparking discussion about the future of pavilion artworks.
The European Night of Museums returns on Saturday, May 23, 2026, with participating museums across Europe opening their doors for special evening hours. In Italy, the Ministry of Culture organizes extraordinary openings from 8 PM to midnight at the symbolic price of 1 euro, alongside events in theater, music, dance, literature, and cinema. Highlights include Rome's Notte dei Musei (16th edition) with civic museums open until 2 AM, Villa Adriana and Villa d'Este in Tivoli offering evening access and contemporary performances, and the Royal Savoy Residences in Piedmont featuring guided tours, exhibitions, and family activities.
Giuli compra tutto! Il Ministero della Cultura vuole prendersi anche Il Teatro delle Vittorie di Roma e Palazzo Labia a Venezia?
Italian Minister of Culture Alessandro Giuli is pursuing an aggressive acquisition campaign for cultural properties. After high-profile purchases including Antonello da Messina's *Ecce Homo* and Caravaggio's *Portrait of Monsignor Maffeo Barberini* (€30 million), the Ministry has now expressed interest in acquiring Rome's Teatro delle Vittorie and Venice's Palazzo Labia—both part of a real estate portfolio being sold by state broadcaster Rai. The Ministry also recently bought Verona's historic Cinema Astra (with a €7.5 million restoration plan) and Naples' Teatro Sannazzaro after a fire.
Future Fair, held at Chelsea Industrial in New York from May 13–16, 2026, brought together 69 exhibitors from nine countries. Unlike traditional art fairs with segmented booths, the fair emphasized interconnectedness and interpersonal connection, featuring artist-run booths and family-led presentations. Notable participants included Nanor Hakimian showing her brother Garo's paintings, Olivia Janna Genereaux exhibiting with her son Hans Silas Jovine, and artists Cloe Galasso, John Vitale, and Miles Ingrassia. The fair also highlighted its profit-sharing model, dedicating 15% of proceeds plus exhibitor donations to subsidize emerging galleries.
The Kremlin is systematically erasing the memory of Soviet repression under Joseph Stalin from Russian museums. The Gulag Museum in Moscow, which documented Stalin-era crimes, has been rebranded as a "Museum of Memory" focused on Nazi war crimes, with its entire website replaced and exhibitions packed up. Simultaneously, Russia's supreme court banned Memorial, a human rights organization founded to document Stalin-era atrocities, labeling it an "anti-Russian" extremist group. The Yeltsin Presidential Center in Yekaterinburg has also removed references to Memorial from its walls, and the Sakharov Center in Moscow was disbanded and evicted from its facilities.
The article recounts a journalist's 72-hour visit to the Venice Biennale, beginning with a protest by Pussy Riot and Femen at the Russian Pavilion. The action features pink smoke, chants of "Blood is Russia's art," and a guerrilla performance of the song "Disobey," set against a backdrop of internal Biennale strife—including juror resignations over countries whose leaders face ICC arrest warrants (Netanyahu and Putin). The narrative also notes the presence of alt-right figures like Ryan Coyne and sculptor Alma Allen's troubled U.S. pavilion representation.
On May 3, 2026, the activist group Everyone Hates Elon projected messages condemning Jeff Bezos and Amazon onto Bezos's luxury penthouse in Manhattan's Madison Square Park, ahead of the Met Gala on May 4. The projections included a video testimony from Amazon warehouse worker Mary Hill, who called for honoring workers instead of billionaires, and slogans such as 'Boycott The Bezos Met Gala.' The group also projected onto the Chrysler and Empire State buildings. This action follows earlier protests, including littering the Met with fake urine bottles and wheatpasting posters across the city, all targeting Bezos's role as an honorary co-chair of the gala.
Il Padiglione Irlanda alla Biennale Arte 2026 di Venezia parla di sogni e omaggia Aldo Manuzio
The Ireland Pavilion at the 2026 Venice Biennale will present "Dreamshook," a project by Irish artist Isabel Nolan. The exhibition explores dream states and pays homage to the Venetian printer Aldo Manuzio, drawing on the humanist revolution between the late Middle Ages and the Renaissance. Nolan, who works across sculpture, embroidery, photography, and text, will create new tapestries, drawings, and sculptures that engage with classicism, Christianity, humanism, Irish heritage (including the Book of Kells), and the invention of printing. The project is curated by Georgina Jackson and produced by Cian O'Brien, with support from Culture Ireland and the Arts Council.
Alla Biennale di Venezia c’è anche Taiwan. Con un evento collaterale sulla malinconia
Taiwan will present a collateral event at the 2026 Venice Biennale titled "Screen Melancholy," curated by Raphael Fonseca and featuring artist Li Yi-Fan. The exhibition, organized by the Taipei Fine Arts Museum, will be held at Palazzo delle Prigioni and run until November 22, 2026. It explores anxieties of the digital age through a site-specific installation combining a single-channel video and monumental human sculptures, reflecting on information overload, fragmented perception, and the limits of human knowledge.