Lee Ufan: ‘I try to bring together those things which are made and unmade’

Lee Ufan, the South Korean artist and founding member of the Mono-ha movement, is being honored with a major solo exhibition at SMAC San Marco Art Centre as an official Collateral Event of the Venice Biennale, marking his 90th year. Simultaneously, a new display of his painting and sculpture opens at Dia Beacon in New York State, and his first show in Portugal opens at Casa e Parque de Serralves in July. In an interview with The Art Newspaper, Ufan discusses his artistic journey, his rejection of the artist's hand, and the influence of seeing a Barnett Newman exhibition at MoMA in 1971, which led him to develop his signature From Point and From Line paintings that use repeated marks to express the passage of time.

Raghu Rai obituary

Raghu Rai, the renowned Indian photographer known for capturing his country's post-independence history through singular, enduring images, has died at age 83 from cancer. Rai's career spanned six decades, during which he documented events from the 1984 Bhopal gas disaster to the Bangladesh war of independence, and photographed figures including Indira Gandhi, Mother Teresa, and the Dalai Lama. He joined Magnum Photos in 1977 after being invited by Henri Cartier-Bresson, and worked as a staff photographer for the Statesman and as picture editor for India Today.

Venice Biennale 2026 Highlights: Arsenale & Giardini

ArtReview editors highlight the must-see national pavilions at the 61st Venice Biennale, running from 9 May to 22 November 2026. Notable presentations include Austria's Florentina Holzinger turning her pavilion into a toilet and sewage-treatment plant with naked performers, and Germany's pavilion featuring works by Sung Tieu and the late Henrike Naumann, who died in February 2026, exploring East German memory and conceptual minimalism.

Inside Sunpride Foundation’s Mission to Champion LGBTQ+ Art Across Asia

Patrick Sun founded the Sunpride Foundation in 2014 to support LGBTQ+ communities through art, combining his passion for contemporary queer Asian art with philanthropy. The foundation's flagship "Spectrosynthesis" exhibition series has been staged at major institutions across Asia, including the Museum of Contemporary Art, Taipei, and the Bangkok Art and Culture Centre. The latest iteration, "Spectrosynthesis Seoul," opened at Seoul's Art Sonje Center and runs through June 28, 2026. Sun, a Hong Kong-born real estate developer and longtime art collector, built the foundation's collection with a focus on works suitable for museum exhibitions about queer identity.

Art Movements: New Museum Names Its First Artist Studio Residents

The New Museum has named Yun Choi, Alison Kuo, and Korakrit Arunanondchai as the first artists-in-residence for its new Artist Studio, a 730-square-foot space created by the museum's OMA-designed expansion. The residencies will run from spring 2025 through winter 2027, with each artist developing new work, onsite exhibitions, and public programs. Separately, Forge Project announced its 2026 fellows—six Indigenous artists including Jay Bellis, Heidi Brandow, and Tiare Ribeaux—who will each receive $25,000 and a three-week residency. In other news, the Robert Therrien Estate has left Gagosian for David Zwirner Gallery, Laurel Nakadate won the Maud Morgan Prize, and Frieze New York revealed a staff uniform designed by artist Reika Takebayashi.

What You Should Definitely Avoid in Venice

Was man in Venedig unbedingt vermeiden sollte

The article humorously critiques the Venice Biennale, highlighting several disappointments. It describes a Japanese pavilion installation by Ei Arakawa-Nash featuring baby dolls for diaper-changing, which a critic dismisses as a male artist over-romanticizing parenthood. Other flops include long queues for the German and Austrian pavilions, underwhelming main exhibition "In Minor Keys," and annoying self-promotional performers outside venues. The piece also laments the presence of loud American collectors and donors who dominate the event.

Collateral Events Not to Miss at 61st Venice Biennale

The article highlights several collateral events not to miss at the 61st Venice Biennale, including "The Spirits of Maritime Crossing 2026" at Palazzo Rocca Contarini Corfù, featuring 20 artists from Southeast Asia, Ireland, and Serbia, anchored by Marina Abramović's performance piece "Sea Punishing" (2006). Other notable exhibitions include a seven-decade survey of Korean artist Lee Ufan at San Marco Art Centre, "TURANDOT: To the Daughters of the East" at ACP Palazzo Franchetti featuring 11 female artists from Central Asia, Li Yi-Fan's "Screen Melancholy" at Palazzo delle Prigioni, and Nalini Malani's "Of Woman Born" at Magazzini del Sale.

The Permanence of Refusal: Interview with Ding Yi

Chinese artist Ding Yi, who first appeared at the Venice Biennale in 1993 as part of the inaugural Chinese contemporary art exhibition, has returned to Venice with his first solo show in the city, titled “Cosmotechnics: Ding Yi as a Planetary Code” at Fondazione Querini Stampalia. The exhibition, referencing philosopher Yuk Hui's concept of cosmotechnics, traces Ding Yi's abstract visual language from the 1980s to the present, featuring new and historic works that engage with the modernist architecture of Carlo Scarpa. In an interview with ArtAsiaPacific during the 61st Venice Biennale preview week, Ding Yi reflects on the evolution of his practice, his travels, and the deep perceptual frameworks of ancient civilizations.

Siteless Athens Arts Institution NEON Closing After 14 Years

The Athens-based cultural institution NEON, founded by prominent art collector Dimitris Daskalopoulos in 2012, is closing after 14 years. Operating without a permanent building, NEON organized 44 exhibitions across unconventional spaces, including ancient archaeological sites, commissioning works by artists such as Marina Abramović, Anastasia Douka, and Danh Vo. Its final project is a trilogy by artist Michael Rakowitz titled "Michael Rakowitz & Ancient Cultures," which began at the Old Acropolis Museum and will conclude later this year.

The Best Exhibitions to See in Paris Right Now

Les meilleures expos du moment à voir à Paris

Beaux Arts Magazine has published a guide to the best current exhibitions in Paris for spring 2026, highlighting major shows such as "Martin Parr. Global Warning" at the Jeu de Paume, "Matisse. 1941–1954" at the Grand Palais, "Michel-Ange Rodin" at the Musée du Louvre, "Renoir et l'amour" at the Musée d'Orsay, "Calder. Rêver en équilibre" at the Fondation Louis Vuitton, and "Splendeurs du baroque" at the Musée Jacquemart-André. The article also features retrospectives of Hilma af Klint at the Grand Palais, Károly Ferenczy at the Petit Palais, Henry Taylor at the Musée Picasso, a Lee Miller exhibition at the Musée d'Art moderne de Paris, a Giovanni Segantini show at the Musée Marmottan Monet, and a Nan Goldin multimedia presentation at the Grand Palais.

The Essential Works of Yin Xiuzhen

ArtAsiaPacific published a profile of Chinese artist Yin Xiuzhen, born in 1963 in Beijing, highlighting her career as a pivotal figure in Chinese contemporary art since the 1990s. The article revisits milestone works following the closing of her solo exhibition "Yin Xiuzhen: Heart to Heart" at London's Hayward Gallery, including early pieces like *Dress Box* (1995) and *Washing River* (1995). Yin emerged alongside the second wave of Chinese contemporary artists, including Yu Hong, Song Yonghong, Wang Jinsong, and her husband Song Dong, and was an early practitioner of what art historian Gao Minglu termed "Apartment Art." Her practice uses discarded clothing, household ephemera, and industrial materials to address urbanization, globalization, environmental crisis, and collective memory.

Indonesian artist Dian Suci wins 2026 Max Mara Art Prize for Women.

Indonesian multimedia artist Dian Suci has won the 10th edition of the Max Mara Art Prize for Women, as announced by curator and jury chair Cecilia Alemani in Venice at the Serra dei Giardini. Suci was selected from a shortlist of five finalists that included Betty Adii, Dzikra Afifah, Ipeh Nur, and Mira Rizki. The jury was organized and chaired by Alemani and included Museum MACAN director Venus La.

Venice off the beaten track

The article highlights collateral exhibitions at the 2024 Venice Biennale that take place beyond the main venues of the Giardini and Arsenale, offering visitors unexpected discoveries in historic Venetian palazzos and warehouses. Featured shows include Hernan Bas's 'The Visitors' at Ca' Pesaro, exploring tourism's contradictions; 'Turandot: To the Daughters of the East' at Palazzo Franchetti, a group exhibition of women artists from Central Asia; and Amoako Boafo's first solo show in Italy at Palazzo Grimani, presented by Gagosian.

May Arts Calendar 2026

The May Arts Calendar 2026 highlights a wide range of visual art exhibitions and events in the Seattle area, including group and solo shows at galleries such as Gallery B612, Visual Arts Gallery No. 85, JG Art Gallery, Piano Nobile, ArtXContemporary Gallery, and Common Objects. Notable exhibitions include "Layered Being: A Celebration of AAPINH Heritage" at Gallery B612, "Moving As One" by Tetsuo Aoki, "Material Meditations" featuring woodworker Andy McConell, blacksmith Maria Cristalli, and mixed media artist Jill Kyong, and "TADAIMA: 'I'm Home'" at MOHAI, which explores Japanese American history through dolls. The calendar also features a solo show by Yaminee Patel and a group show titled "Moga" at Fresh Mochi, celebrating Japanese and Japanese American artists.

The Kyrgyzstan Pavilion at the Venice Biennale Builds a Bridge Between Two Cultures

Il Padiglione del Kirghizistan alla Biennale di Venezia getta un ponte tra due culture

Alexey Morosov presents "BELEK" at the Kyrgyzstan Pavilion of the 61st Venice Biennale, a project inspired by the mountainous landscapes, glaciers, and brutalist dams of Kyrgyzstan. Combining video, sculpture, painting, and sound, Morosov explores water as a key resource for the future and a deep cultural memory of Central Asia, linking the region's hydro-engineering transformations with the nomadic heritage of the Kyrgyz people. The project centers on the traditional equestrian game Kok-Börü, which Morosov describes as constitutive of Kyrgyz identity, and features centaur-like figures made from raw earth used in local dwellings.

At the Venice Biennale I saw anger at Russia and Israel – and its leadership pretending everything was fine | Charlotte Higgins

At the 2024 Venice Biennale, the Russian pavilion returned with festive performances and prosecco deliveries, drawing sharp criticism from observers who saw it as a propaganda effort to distract from Russia's war in Ukraine. Meanwhile, Ukraine's Kramatorsk was bombed, and protests erupted, including a Pussy Riot intervention. Biennale president Pietrangelo Buttafuoco defended Russia's and Israel's participation, rejecting preemptive bans despite open letters and appeals. European Commission investigated potential sanctions breaches, and culture ministers from Ukraine, Poland, Estonia, and Baltic states boycotted or condemned the biennale's stance, accusing it of yielding to the aggressor.

Kader Attia to Curate 2027 Kochi-Muziris Biennale

French Algerian artist, curator, and educator Kader Attia has been appointed curator of the Seventh Kochi-Muziris Biennale, scheduled to open in Kochi, India, in December 2027. The selection was made by a jury led by Biennale president Jitish Kallat and including Shilpa Gupta, Amrita Jhaveri, Pooja Sood, Tasneem Zakaria Mehta, Mariam Ram, and Rirkrit Tiravanija. Attia, who participated in the 2014 edition of the biennale, is known for his practice addressing social injustice, postcolonialism, and marginalized communities, and previously curated the 2022 Berlin Biennale.

« Les artistes sont des fous, des enfants » : rencontre avec Annette Messager au cœur du bric-à-brac poétique de son atelier

French artist Annette Messager, 82, welcomes Beaux Arts Magazine into her Malakoff studio and home ahead of her exhibition at the Musée de la Chasse et de la Nature in Paris. The studio is a chaotic, poetic bric-à-brac filled with hybrid creatures, stuffed toys, anatomical objects, and textile works, including her iconic piece "Les Piques" (1992–1993). Messager, who won the Golden Lion at the Venice Biennale in 2005, discusses her playful yet serious approach to art, describing artists as "mad, like children" who play constantly, sometimes very seriously. Her upcoming shows include presentations at Centre Pompidou Málaga, Galería Albarrán Bourdais in Madrid, the National Taiwan Museum of Fine Arts, and the Kunsthalle Prague.

Weekly News Roundup: May 5, 2026

The article reports three major developments in the global art world. Saudi Arabia's Diriyah Company has awarded a $490 million contract for a new flagship space of the Saudi Arabia Museum of Contemporary Art (SAMoCA) in Diriyah, designed by Godwin Austen Johnson. The Sharjah Art Foundation has announced details for Sharjah Biennial 17 (SB17), titled "What remains, sits restive," curated by Angela Harutyunyan and Paula Nascimento, featuring 109 artists and set to open in 2027. Additionally, DATALAND, a new AI art museum founded by Refik Anadol and Efsun Erkılıç, will open on June 20 in Los Angeles, showcasing digital and immersive artworks.

Must-See National Pavilions at the 61st Venice Biennale

The 61st Venice Biennale features standout national pavilions from Japan, the Philippines, Timor-Leste, Singapore, and India. Japan presents Ei Arakawa-Nash's 'Grass Babies, Moon Babies,' an interactive exhibition with hand-sewn baby dolls and sound pieces exploring queer parenthood and collective care. The Philippines showcases Jon Cuyson's 'Sea of Love / Dagat ng Pag-ibig,' a solo show using 'mussel thinking' to highlight Filipino seafarers. Timor-Leste's 'Across Words' brings together three artists addressing ethnolinguistic diversity and cultural memory, while Singapore presents Amanda Heng's 'A Pause,' a feminist performance on vulnerability and resilience. India's pavilion features Ranjani Shettar's work, supported by Talwar Gallery.

Amanda Heng Walks the Walk

Singaporean artist Amanda Heng, now 74, is representing Singapore at this year's Venice Biennale with her exhibition titled *A Pause*, featuring a site-specific installation and durational performance. Known for her decades-long performance *Let's Chat* (1996–), in which she cleans mung bean sprouts with participants to foster casual conversation, Heng transforms everyday domestic gestures into feminist acts. Her work reclaims the body, labor, and relationships as sites of personal autonomy. She was part of the pioneering, male-dominated generation of Singaporean contemporary artists in The Artists Village, but left due to its hierarchical structure to pursue collaborations with women artists and further studies.

Three artists, three questions: Immersed in colors

Three Israeli artists—Vera Kunis, Avraham Kan, and Tal Tenne Czaczkes—are featured in a column exploring their use of color amid the ongoing war with Iran. Kunis, a data engineer and artist, opened her first solo exhibition, "Imagination Algorithm," at the Global Art Gallery in Tel Aviv on March 10, 2026, during the conflict. The interview was conducted remotely due to war conditions, with a siren interrupting the conversation. The artists discuss their inspirations, definitions of art, and what makes their work unique, emphasizing resilience and optimism through color.

Boulder County art exhibits this week include a Boulder Valley School District student showcase

This article lists current and upcoming art exhibitions in Boulder County, Colorado, including a student showcase from the Boulder Valley School District at Canyon Theater and Gallery, a show by the Colorado South Asian Artist Group at Bus Stop Gallery, and a historical exhibit on racism at the Lafayette Swimming Pool at Collective Community Arts Center. Other featured venues include BMoCA at Frasier, Groundworks Art Lab, and the Museum of Boulder, with works by artists such as Rodney Carswell, Jorge Vinent, Margaret Johnson, and Melody Melamed.

Pussy Riot Storms Russia Pavilion at Venice Biennale

Pussy Riot staged a dramatic protest at the Russia Pavilion during the Venice Biennale, releasing pink smoke and waving Ukrainian flags while chanting slogans like 'Blood is Russia’s art.' Around 50 protesters, including members of Femen, occupied the area. Pussy Riot founder Nadya Tolokonnikova called for the pavilion to be closed and given to oppressed peoples, challenging Biennale president Pietrangelo Buttafuoco to meet her. The protest lasted about 20 minutes, with performers climbing the pavilion and exposing political slogans on their chests.

Parasol Unit returns with a showcase of women from Central Asia and beyond

Parasol Unit, the London non-profit exhibition space that closed in 2020 after 16 years, has relaunched with a new exhibition titled "Turandot: To the Daughters of the East" as an official collateral event of the Venice Biennale. Held at the historic Palazzo Franchetti, the show features 11 female artists from Central Asia and surrounding regions, curated by founder Ziba Ardalan. The exhibition spans video, installation, sculpture, painting, textile, and sound works by artists including Lida Abdul, Huma Bhabha, Mona Hatoum, and Tala Madani, and runs from 9 May to 31 October.

Kader Attia announced as curator of the 7th Kochi-Muziris Biennale

Kader Attia has been announced as the curator of the 7th edition of the Kochi-Muziris Biennale, scheduled for 2027–2028. The announcement was made by the Kochi Biennale Foundation via Instagram, with Attia selected by a committee chaired by Jitish Kallat and including Shilpa Gupta, Amrita Jhaveri, Pooja Sood, Tasneem Zakaria Mehta, Mariam Ram, and Rirkrit Tiravanija. Attia, an artist, curator, and professor at HfbK-Hamburg, is known for his work exploring history, memory, repair, and colonial legacies across installation, sculpture, film, and archival research.

Realms of the Dharma

The Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) has opened "Realms of the Dharma: Buddhist Art Across Asia," an exhibition on view through July 12, 2026, that brings together approximately 180 Buddhist artworks from its permanent collection for the first time in a single space. Curated by Stephen Little and Tushara Bindu Gude, the show features paintings, sculptures, ritual objects, and sacred texts spanning Asia, including a notable gray schist bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara from Gandhara (c. 200 CE). The exhibition highlights the transformative work of curator Pratapaditya Pal, who from 1970 built LACMA's Indian, Himalayan, and Islamic collections into one of the nation's premier repositories.

Mr.’s New Museum Show Is All About Otaku Fantasy

Japanese Superflat artist Mr. has opened 'We’ll Meet Again', his first major museum solo exhibition in Japan in over a decade, at the Fukuoka Asian Art Museum. Running through June 21, 2026, the show features over 80 works including paintings, sculptures, installations, and video pieces, exploring themes of nostalgia, video games, manga, and the yanki subculture. Highlights include an immersive bedroom installation filled with beer cans and manga, a screening of his 2008 film 'Nobody Dies', and a new motorcycle work called 'itasha'.

Hiroshi Sugimoto's first Southeast Asian show opens at SAM on May 29

Hiroshi Sugimoto's first major Southeast Asian exhibition, "Hiroshi Sugimoto: Form Is Emptiness," opens at the Singapore Art Museum (SAM) on May 29, 2026, running through October 4, 2026. The show spans five decades and features 63 works from 11 series across photography, sculpture, installation, and architecture, plus 14 fossils from the artist's personal collection. Sugimoto designed the exhibition as a mandala, with a circular layout that encourages visitors to drift through interconnected sections reflecting the Buddhist Five Elements.

UAE unveils ‘Washwasha’ at Venice Biennale

The article reports on the UAE Pavilion's presentation at the Biennale Arte 2026 in Venice, titled 'Washwasha'. It also covers several art exhibitions in Dubai, including 'In Abstracto, In Concreto' at Efie Gallery featuring artists like Tunji Adeniyi-Jones and Ludovic Nkoth, the 'White' faculty exhibition at XVA Gallery, and the inaugural exhibition at Tatintisian Gallery's new Dubai space with works by Ron Arad, Peter Saul, and Tony Matelli. Additionally, it mentions a book of the week and a photo of the UAE Pavilion.