Art Movements: Larry Gagosian Heads to the Big Screen

This week's Art Movements roundup covers several major art world developments. Larry Gagosian is the subject of a new unauthorized documentary by Canadian director Barry Avrich, completing his trilogy on the art industry. Pace Gallery has taken on representation of the Constantin Brancusi Estate. The Maxwell/Hanrahan Foundation announced five winners of its 2026 Awards in Craft, each receiving $100,000. Selldorf Architects and Studios Architecture Paris have been selected to lead a $1 billion renovation of the Louvre Museum, including a new room for the Mona Lisa. Other news includes the Sharpe-Walentas Studio Program's 2026–2027 cohort, A Blade of Grass's 2026 In Fellowship cohort, and several appointments.

Louis Vuitton revives Keith Haring collaboration at lavish New York show

Louis Vuitton staged a lavish fashion show at the Frick Collection in New York, reviving a collaboration with the estate of artist Keith Haring. The collection, designed by Nicolas Ghesquière, featured Haring's signature motifs on classic LV handbags and was presented in the museum's marble galleries. The event also marked a three-year sponsorship deal, with Louis Vuitton funding exhibitions, public access, and a curatorial position at the Frick, including rebranded free entry evenings as Louis Vuitton Free Fridays.

India's Kiran Nadar Museum to take over Christie's London headquarters this summer

The Kiran Nadar Museum of Art (KNMA) in New Delhi will take over Christie’s London headquarters this summer for a month-long non-selling exhibition titled "The Meeting Ground: Scenes from the KNMA Collection" (16 July-21 August). The show will feature 180 works by 60 Indian, Pakistani, and Bangladeshi artists from the 1950s to the present, drawn from billionaire collector Kiran Nadar’s vast collection of South Asian Modern art. The exhibition anticipates the delayed relocation of KNMA to a new 100,000 sq. m building near Delhi airport, designed by David Adjaye and now about 60% complete, with former Louvre Abu Dhabi director Manuel Rabaté appointed to run the museum.

The New Costume Institute Show Gets Under the Skin

The Costume Institute at the Metropolitan Museum of Art has opened its 2026 spring exhibition, “Costume Art,” which explores the relationship between clothing and the human body through pairings of couture with artworks spanning 5,000 years. Curated by Andrew Bolton, the show is divided into thematic chapters such as “Nude Body,” “Disabled Body,” “Aging Body,” and “Anatomical Body,” featuring pieces from designers like Dior, John Galliano for Maison Margiela, and Renata Buzzo alongside historical artifacts and contemporary art.

Billie Holiday Comes to Queens

A shortlist of artists including Thomas J Price and Tavares Strachan is competing to design a new public monument honoring jazz legend Billie Holiday in Queens, New York. The New York City Department of Cultural Affairs has revealed six commission proposals for the project, which aims to celebrate Holiday's groundbreaking legacy as a vocalist and cultural icon. Separately, the Museum of the City of New York is opening the Puffin Foundation Center for Social Activism, dedicated to civic engagement and social justice.

Dubai wants to put on a brave face by announcing a new digital art museum

Dubaï veut donner le change en annonçant un nouveau musée d’art numérique

Dubai has announced plans for a new Museum of Digital Art (MODA), designed by Adrian Smith + Gordon Gill Architecture, the firm behind the Burj Khalifa. The five-story museum will be located in the DIFC Zabeel District and feature permanent and temporary exhibitions, immersive experiences, educational spaces, and a digital twin for global access. The announcement comes amid regional turmoil, including Iranian missile and drone strikes on the UAE in March 2025 that damaged infrastructure, disrupted tourism, and reduced the 20th edition of Art Dubai from 120 galleries to just 50 stands.

Art Basel Qatar Announces Artistic Director and Theme for 2027 Edition

Art Basel Qatar has appointed Iraqi curator Wassan Al-Khudhairi as artistic director for its second edition, scheduled for January 28–30, 2027, in Doha. The fair will be themed “between / بين,” exploring states of betweenness and fluid cultural encounters, and will feature a scaled-up Special Projects sector with large-scale, site-specific works, alongside solo gallery presentations. Al-Khudhairi, a specialist in modern and contemporary Arab art, previously served as founding director of Mathaf: Arab Museum of Modern Art in Doha and held curatorial roles at the Contemporary Art Museum St. Louis.

How Former Fashion Designer Emma Safir Turns Fabric into Beguiling Paintings

Emma Safir, a former fashion designer and printmaker, creates beguiling paintings and tapestries that blend textiles, digital printing, and traditional embroidery techniques. Her works, such as "APRICOT SILK" (2025) and "BABY DARLING" (2025), use smocking, glass beads, and shells to produce organic, jewel-toned surfaces that resist easy reflection or entry, challenging viewers to engage with layered material hierarchies.

Phantasmagoria review: digital sorcery at the Henry Moore Institute

The Henry Moore Institute in Leeds presents 'Phantasmagoria: Folkloric Sculpture for the Digital Age,' a major group exhibition exploring how digital technologies are reshaping contemporary sculpture. The show features works by artists including Joey Holder, Jürgen Baumann, and Danielle Brathwaite-Shirley, who fuse ancient folklore, occult practices, and modern digital tools such as AI, 3D printing, and video game mechanics. Highlights include Holder's immersive installation 'The Woosphere' with arcade-style consoles and Brathwaite-Shirley's interactive boat sculpture 'PIRATING BLACKNESS/BLACKTRANSSEA.COM.' The exhibition draws on the historical concept of phantasmagoria—18th-century theatrical spectacles using smoke and light—to critique the seductive illusions of digital capitalism.

브루클린뮤지엄: 패션디자이너 아이리스 반 페르펜전 'Iris van Herpen: Sculpting the Senses'(5/16-12/6)

The Brooklyn Museum will present the North American debut of "Iris van Herpen: Sculpting the Senses" from May 16 to December 6, 2026. The exhibition features over 140 haute couture creations by Dutch fashion designer Iris van Herpen, displayed alongside contemporary art, design objects, and scientific artifacts. It explores her fusion of traditional craftsmanship with cutting-edge technology, sustainability, and themes from nature and science. The show first opened at the Musée des Arts Décoratifs in Paris in 2023 and has traveled to QAGOMA, ArtScience Museum Singapore, and Kunsthal Rotterdam. The Brooklyn presentation coincides with the museum's annual Brooklyn Artists Ball, where Van Herpen will be honored.

Thomas J. Price and Tavares Strachan Make Shortlist for Billie Holiday Monument Designs

The New York City Department of Cultural Affairs has announced a shortlist of six finalists for a public monument honoring jazz singer Billie Holiday, to be installed outside the Jamaica Performing Arts Center in Queens. Among the top contenders are British sculptor Thomas J. Price and Bahamian conceptual artist Tavares Strachan, whose proposals include abstract bronze forms and a mirrored column, respectively. Other finalists are La Vaughn Belle, Nikesha Breeze, Nekisha Durrett, and Tanda Francis, all of whom consulted with Holiday scholars and family members to develop their designs.

Christie's presents SLG Forever a special selling exhibition in partnership with the South London Gallery raising vital funds in its 135th anniversary - Christie's

Christie's is partnering with the South London Gallery (SLG) for a special selling exhibition titled 'SLG Forever,' running at Christie's London from 5 to 25 June 2026 and online until 30 September. Over 25 renowned artists—including Firelei Báez, Tracey Emin, Frank Bowling, Antony Gormley, and Yinka Shonibare—have donated works to raise funds for the SLG's 135th anniversary campaign, which aims to collect £2 million. The exhibition coincides with London Gallery Weekend and features artists with strong ties to the SLG, many of whom have had solo shows or studios nearby.

One of England’s greatest art galleries is set for a £90 million transformation

The Sainsbury Centre in Norwich, one of England's greatest art galleries, has received a £91.2 million donation from the Gatsby Charitable Foundation, created by David Sainsbury. The funds will finance a major refurbishment of the Grade II-listed building, originally designed by Norman Foster in 1978, including structural repairs, energy efficiency upgrades, and enhanced visitor amenities. The centre houses a renowned collection featuring works by Picasso, Degas, Bacon, Moore, and Lalique.

Isamu Noguchi was never a designer, affirms High Museum of Art, Atlanta

The High Museum of Art in Atlanta presents "Isamu Noguchi: 'I am not a designer'," the first design retrospective of the Japanese-American sculptor in 25 years. Co-curated by Monica Obniski and Marin R. Sullivan, the exhibition features nearly 200 objects, including sculptural models, furniture for Herman Miller and Knoll, Akari light fixtures, and large-scale installations like Martha Graham's stage set for "Seraphic Dialogue" (1955). The show challenges Noguchi's own resistance to categorization by framing his multidisciplinary practice—spanning sculpture, design, architecture, and public art—through a design lens.

Clark Art Institute to Exhibit Priceless Art Donated by Tavitian Foundation

The Clark Art Institute in Williamstown, Massachusetts, announced an upcoming exhibition titled “An Exquisite Eye: Introducing the Aso O. Tavitian Collection,” on view from June 13, 2025, through February 21, 2027. The show features approximately 150 works from the Tavitian Collection, a major private collection of European art assembled by the late collector and philanthropist Aso O. Tavitian. Spanning c. 1450–1850, the exhibition includes paintings, sculpture, drawings, and decorative arts by artists such as Jan van Eyck, Jean-Antoine Houdon, and Elizabeth Louise Vigée-Lebrun. The collection, comprising 331 objects, was donated to the Clark and will eventually be housed in a new wing designed by Selldorf Architects, set to open in 2028.

British Museum reveals ticket prices for Bayeux Tapestry exhibition

The British Museum has announced ticket prices for its upcoming Bayeux Tapestry exhibition, running from 10 September 2026 to 11 July 2027. Top-price adult tickets will cost £33, with off-peak tickets at £27 and student/disabled tickets at £25. Super-off-peak tickets priced at £25 will be available for the last weekday slot during school terms. Members can book free timed tickets from 16 June, with public booking opening on 1 July. The tapestry, depicting the Norman invasion of 1066, will be displayed in the Sainsbury Exhibitions Gallery while its home museum in Normandy undergoes renovations. Additionally, a garden installation titled 'Tapestry of Trees' by designer Andy Sturgeon has been unveiled on the museum forecourt, featuring 37 silver birch trees inspired by the tapestry.

130+ Artists Illuminate the Vast Creative Possibilities of the Nightlight

DUDD LITE, a collaboration between design collective Dudd Haus and The Future Perfect gallery, presents over 130 artist-designed nightlights on view through June 26. Curated from nearly 400 open-call submissions, the exhibition transforms a mundane household object into a canvas for small-scale sculptures made from stained glass, wood, sea shells, ceramic, cotton, and more. Featured artists include James Burial, Chris Wolston, Nicholas Holmes, and Mikei Huang, among others.

Hubert Robert & Fragonard. Le sentiment de la nature

The Musée d'art et d'archéologie in Valence, France, is presenting an exhibition titled "Hubert Robert & Fragonard. Le sentiment de la nature" from March 7 to June 21, 2026. The show traces the artistic friendship between Hubert Robert and Jean-Honoré Fragonard, who met as young French artists sketching in the ruins of Rome under the guidance of Charles-Joseph Natoire. It features works from the museum's renowned collection of sanguine drawings, notably those from the foundational bequest of Julien Victor Veyrenc (1835-1836), and includes new attributions proposed by curator Sarah Catala, a graduate conservator from the Institut National du Patrimoine.

Stonewall Monument Named Among Most Endangered Sites in the US

The Stonewall National Monument in Manhattan has been named one of the most endangered places in the US by the National Trust for Historic Preservation, marking the first time the site has appeared on the annual list. The designation comes amid the Trump administration's efforts to control LGBTQ+ history, including the National Park Service's removal of references to transgender individuals from the monument's official website and the removal of the rainbow pride flag from the site. Activists and the Gilbert Baker Foundation fought back, with the foundation filing a lawsuit that led to a settlement allowing the pride flag to be flown again, though the NPS has not restored the original website text.

Romane de Watteville “I’ll miss you when I scroll away” at Istituto Svizzero, Milan

Romane de Watteville's exhibition "I'll miss you when I scroll away" opens at Istituto Svizzero in Milan, featuring an environmental installation designed specifically for the venue. Her figurative paintings explore the tension between aesthetic saturation and the disorienting experience of digital consumption, drawing from online imagery and personal archives.

Art Exhibit 'Color in Motion' by Lucy C. Pierpont at Shutter Speed Through June 13

The Art Gallery at Shutter Speed Photo in Middlebury, Connecticut, is hosting an exhibit titled "Color in Motion" by artist Lucy C. Pierpont, on display through June 13. Pierpont, a Middlebury native now living in Woodbury, has a background in marketing and graphic design and has shown her work at numerous local venues including the Mattatuck Museum, Hartwick College, and the Kent Memorial Library.

Art fair showcases Beijing’s evolution as cultural destination - China Daily

The Beijing Dangdai Art Fair opened on Thursday at the National Agricultural Exhibition Center, running through Sunday. It features a wide range of works from late artist Zao Wou-ki’s tiny sketch drafts to large-scale installation art and robot pieces co-developed by artists and tech companies. Galleries from Beijing’s 798 art zone, other Chinese cities, and international institutions are participating. The fair also marks the launch of the 2026 Beijing Art Season, which includes Beijing Design Week and Gallery Weekend Beijing, and offers an off-site exhibition at WONDER · China World Mall through May 31.

In my Auntieversum, everyone is free, there are no rules

"In meinem Auntieversum sind alle frei, es gibt keine Regeln"

Wenhui Lim, a Singapore-raised artist and former architecture designer, creates AI-generated images and videos featuring older Asian women she calls 'Aunties.' Her surreal 'Auntieversum' depicts these figures bathing in oversized ramen bowls, playing with pastel jellyfish, and driving sushi cars—a fantastical parallel universe where they are free from societal and familial expectations. Lim began the project in early 2023 as a personal exploration to reconcile her own feelings toward the aunties in her life, who often made blunt comments about her appearance while also plying her with food.

Lié au musée Guimet, l’hôtel d’Heidelbach rouvre pour la Nuit des musées, sublimé par Constance Guisset

The Hôtel d'Heidelbach, now renamed 'Maison Guimet,' has reopened after months of renovation led by designer Constance Guisset. Located at 19 Avenue d'Iéna, just steps from the Musée Guimet in Paris, the early 20th-century mansion will welcome visitors for the Nuit des musées on May 23. The guided tour includes reception rooms, an impressive collection of Chinese ceremonial furniture, and a Japanese garden with a tea pavilion, ending with a tea tasting. The renovation was intentionally sober, reversible, and modular, aiming to enhance rather than overhaul the space.

Around North America, Community Members Are Stitching Nearly 11,000 Birds

Artist and educator Holly Greenberg launched the multi-year project "Bird Collisions in the Anthropocene" in 2024 after learning about a mass bird collision at Chicago's McCormick Place Lakeside Center in October 2023, where nearly 1,000 birds died in a single night. Using data from the Chicago Field Museum and ornithologist Dave Willard, Greenberg focuses on the 10,863 birds found dead after hitting Chicago buildings in 2023 alone. The project involves community members stitching nearly 11,000 fabric birds to raise awareness and educate the public about preventing window collisions, which kill an estimated one billion birds annually across North America.

Harris County Juried Exhibition

Griffin Museum of Photography brings summer exhibits to Winchester

The Griffin Museum of Photography in Winchester is presenting a series of summer exhibitions running from late May through July 2026. Featured shows include "Photosynthesis XXI," a collaboration between Burlington and Winchester high schools; "Atelier 40," showcasing emerging and advanced photographers from a year-long portfolio course; "Caleb Cain Marcus: A Thousand Rectangles: On Design and the Expression of Art"; "Cassidy Thurber: I Want the Sun to Shine Down on You," the winner of the 2025 Carolyn Harder Scholarship; the 16th Annual Photobook Exhibition; a Handmade Photobook show; and "Visionary." A satellite location at Griffin Museum @WinCam will host Ellen Feldman's "WE PROTEST" from June 16 to September 1.

Danielle Brathwaite-Shirley Expands THE DELUSION Beyond the Gallery with New Interactive Online Game

Serpentine has launched "I DIDNT REALISE YOU THOUGHT LIKE THAT," a new online game and critical thinking tool by artist and game designer Danielle Brathwaite-Shirley. Available from May 21, 2026, on web and mobile platforms, the project extends the world of Brathwaite-Shirley's acclaimed "THE DELUSION" and explores polarization, identity, and social connection beyond the gallery. Developed with nonprofit Beyond Code Collective and supported by Glass Castle Foundation, the game places players in a post-apocalyptic universe where they encounter fictional characters and make decisions that shape narratives and determine multiple endings, drawing on real-world materials from news cycles, social media, and community testimonies.

Auctions of the week: ancient art, design and antiques

A busy week of auctions is scheduled for May 21-27, 2026, spanning Milan, New York, and other global hubs. Italian auction houses including FarsettiArte, Wannenes, Gonnelli, Finarte, Capitolium AuctionHouse, Pananti, Aste Bolaffi, Il Ponte, Maison Bibelot, Babuino Fine Art Auctions, and Pandolfini will offer paintings, drawings, sculptures, antiques, design, jewelry, and vintage fashion. International houses Christie’s, Sotheby’s, Bonhams - Cornette de Saint-Cyr, and Dorotheum also hold sales in New York, Zurich, Paris, and Vienna, covering post-war and contemporary art, handbags, fine wine, and antiques.

Arte Museum, BTS team up for immersive "Arirang" exhibition in Las Vegas, Busan and New York

Digital art venue Arte Museum, operated by Seoul-based design company d'strict, has partnered with K-pop group BTS for a large-scale immersive exhibition titled "Arte Museum X BTS The City Arirang." Inspired by BTS's new album "Arirang," the exhibit debuted on Wednesday at the museum's Las Vegas branch and will run through June 17, with subsequent openings in Busan on June 5 and in New York at a later date. The show features five original media artworks—including "No. 29," "Body to Body," "Swim," "2.0," and "Into the Sun"—alongside an updated "Arirang Wave" installation, an interactive "Live Sketchbook" space, and a BTS-themed cafe. It is part of the band's "The City" project, which extends the concert experience into local venues during their "Arirang" world tour.