7 New Art Books to Step Into Spring

Artnet News has curated a selection of seven significant new art book releases for the spring season, highlighting diverse subjects from historical archives to contemporary memoirs. Featured titles include a deep dive into Frida Kahlo’s private sanctuary, 'Casa Roja,' authored by her descendants; a curatorial history of Hong Kong’s avant-garde art scene by Oscar Ho Hing-kay; and a vibrant exploration of color in contemporary art featuring works by Yayoi Kusama and Tomás Saraceno.

The Women Defining Printmaking at the 2026 IFPDA Print Fair

The 2026 IFPDA Print Fair opened at New York’s Park Avenue Armory, placing a significant spotlight on the contributions of women artists to the medium. High-profile offerings include a new release by Laura Owens from Crown Point Press, Louise Bourgeois’s "Spirals" woodcut series presented by Carolina Nitsch, and large-scale sculptural works by Joan Hall and Orit Hofshi. The fair demonstrates the technical breadth of modern printmaking, ranging from traditional woodcuts to unique, hand-embellished compositions and experimental collaborations between artists and master printers.

More Than 300 Yayoi Kusama Works Take Over a German Museum

The Museum Ludwig in Cologne has launched a major retrospective of Yayoi Kusama's work to mark its 50th anniversary. The exhibition features over 300 pieces, including sculptures, paintings, and installations, and spans her entire career from a childhood drawing to a newly commissioned Infinity Room. It also debuts several works in a museum setting and spreads beyond the gallery walls to the museum's roof.

Are We Too Reverent of Marcel Duchamp?

The Museum of Modern Art has launched a major retrospective of Marcel Duchamp, co-organized with the Philadelphia Museum of Art. The exhibition tracks the artist's evolution from his early Cubist experiments and the scandal of 'Nude Descending a Staircase' to his radical invention of the readymade, exemplified by the infamous urinal, 'Fountain'. The show presents a comprehensive look at 'The Duch' through a reverential, church-like atmosphere, concluding with his later years as a dapper, enigmatic figure of the avant-garde.

A Duchamp Retrospective at MoMA Presents an Artist Who Challenged the Very Definition of Art

The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) has launched a major retrospective of Marcel Duchamp, marking the first comprehensive North American survey of the artist’s work in over 50 years. Co-organized with the Philadelphia Museum of Art and the Centre Pompidou, the exhibition traces Duchamp’s evolution from his early Cubo-Futurist paintings to his revolutionary "Readymades" and optical experiments. The show features seminal works such as Nude (Study), Sad Young Man on a Train and explores his various personas, including his female alter ego, Rrose Sélavy.

Pressing issues: the vital role of printmaking in the history of art

Author and journalist Holly Black has released a new book titled 'The Story of Printmaking: A Global History of Art', published by Yale University Press. The publication traces the evolution of the printed image from its 9th-century origins in East Asia through the innovations of Old Masters like Albrecht Dürer and Rembrandt to modern digital techniques. Drawing on her training at the London College of Printing, Black demystifies complex technical processes such as intaglio and mezzotint while highlighting both canonical figures like Picasso and influential but lesser-known pioneers like Robert Blackburn.

Our pick of the best museum and gallery shows to see in Chicago this spring

Chicago’s spring art season is highlighted by a series of significant institutional and gallery exhibitions, ranging from deeply personal solo debuts to expansive cultural surveys. Key highlights include Dabin Ahn’s first solo show at Document, featuring paintings that explore grief and impermanence following the death of his father, and a retrospective of the late Lucas Samaras at the Art Institute of Chicago. Additionally, the Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago is launching a major group exhibition titled "Dancing the Revolution," which examines the political and cultural impact of dancehall and reggaetón through the work of over 35 artists.

How New York City Shaped Harry Winston’s Dazzling Legacy

The luxury jeweler Harry Winston continues to expand its 'New York' collection, a high-jewelry suite first launched in 2018 that pays homage to the founder's birthplace and the city's architectural landmarks. The collection translates iconic New York City motifs—including the hand-carved facades of Upper West Side brownstones, the neon glow of the Broadway theater district, and the neo-Gothic spires of St. Patrick’s Cathedral—into intricate diamond and gemstone arrangements.

Matisse, 1941-1954 review – hit after glorious hit in a show of life-enhancing genius

A major exhibition at the Centre Pompidou and the Grand Palais focuses on the final, revolutionary period of Henri Matisse's career, from 1941 to 1954. The show charts his artistic reinvention following a life-threatening surgery, beginning with obsessive, reworked paintings from his Nice studio during the war and culminating in the radiant, large-scale cut-outs for which he is widely celebrated.

Paying tribute to storied printmaker Kenneth Tyler at the IFPDA Print Fair

The International Fine Prints and Drawings Association (IFPDA) Print Fair at the Park Avenue Armory is honoring the legacy of master printer Kenneth E. Tyler. A central highlight of the event is the presentation by the National Gallery of Australia (NGA) of a new three-volume catalogue raisonné documenting Tyler Graphics from 1986 to 2001. The 94-year-old Tyler, a foundational figure in American printmaking, collaborated with titans of Modern art including Robert Rauschenberg, Helen Frankenthaler, and Roy Lichtenstein across his storied career at Gemini GEL and Tyler Graphics.

Duchamp in New York

The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) has launched a major solo exhibition dedicated to Marcel Duchamp, marking the artist's first comprehensive survey in New York City in over 50 years. The exhibition explores Duchamp’s revolutionary impact on modern art, featuring iconic works and archival materials that trace his history from the 1913 Armory Show to his later years in New York. The opening is complemented by a broader "Duchamp spring" in the city, including a forthcoming exhibition of his readymades at Gagosian.

Museum as Dreaming Machine

Artist Refik Anadol, cofounder of Refik Anadol Studio, announces the opening of DATALAND, a new museum for data designed from the ground up in collaboration with architect Frank Gehry at The Grand LA. The project aims to create an architectural space inherently designed for immersive, AI-generated, and constantly evolving art, moving beyond the need to retrofit traditional museum structures like the white cube.

The Untold Story of Peter Hujar and Paul Thek’s Intimate—and Complex—Bond

Andrew Durbin’s new dual biography, *The Wonderful World That Almost Was*, explores the profound and volatile relationship between photographer Peter Hujar and artist Paul Thek. Spanning from their meeting in the late 1950s to their deaths from AIDS-related complications in the 1980s, the book details how their shared experiences—most notably a 1963 visit to the Capuchin Catacombs in Palermo—fundamentally shaped their artistic trajectories. While Hujar captured the mummified remains in haunting photographs, Thek translated the encounter into his visceral "meat pieces" and wax effigies.

Rare Portraits Reveal How Elizabeth I Turned Image Into Power

Philip Mould & Company in London is hosting a new exhibition titled "Elizabeth I: Queen and Court," featuring four rare portraits of the Tudor monarch alongside depictions of her closest advisors and political rivals. The show traces Elizabeth's visual evolution from a pious young princess to a formidable, iconographic ruler, highlighting how she utilized fashion and symbolism to solidify her authority and manage public perception during a period of immense political and religious transition.

Readymades, replicas, reiterations: MoMA show explores Marcel Duchamp the inventor

The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York is launching the first major U.S. survey of Marcel Duchamp in over 50 years, organized in collaboration with the Philadelphia Museum of Art. The exhibition features approximately 300 works, including iconic pieces like "Nude Descending a Staircase, No. 2" and "Fountain," organized in a strict linear chronology. This approach highlights Duchamp’s practice of remaking and replicating his own work, presenting replicas only at the point in time they were physically created rather than as stand-ins for lost originals.

Marcel Duchamp Was the Messenger of History

The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York is launching the first comprehensive U.S. exhibition of Marcel Duchamp’s work in over 50 years. In an interview regarding the opening, renowned scholar Thierry de Duve discusses the artist's enduring legacy, from his infamous readymades like "Fountain" to his complex, labor-intensive works like the "Large Glass." The exhibition seeks to reconcile Duchamp’s identity as both a conceptual provocateur and a meticulous craftsman.

MoMA Plans a Retrospective for Marcel Duchamp, the Dada Artist Who Was Unimpressed With His Own Masterpieces

The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York will open a major retrospective of Marcel Duchamp in April 2026, marking the first U.S. retrospective for the artist in over 50 years. The exhibition will feature more than 200 works, including a 1968 replica of his infamous 'Fountain,' spanning his experiments in Cubism, Futurism, film, photography, and his pioneering readymades.

Matisse Is a Crowd-Pleaser. Here’s What the Crowds Rarely Get to See

Acquavella Galleries in Manhattan has unveiled a major exhibition featuring over 50 works by Henri Matisse, many of which are rarely seen pieces drawn from private collections. This comprehensive survey includes paintings, drawings, and sculptures that span the artist's prolific career, offering a unique glimpse into works that typically remain behind closed doors.

Para Site 30th Anniversary Programme: Q&A with Junni Chen

Para Site, a Hong Kong contemporary arts center, has launched a year-long 30th anniversary programme featuring exhibitions, performances, and residencies. The programme is structured around acts of response, pairing artists and fostering new collaborations, drawing inspiration from the organization's earliest experimental exhibitions.

The Artist Whose Shimmering Obelisks Are Cropping Up All Over the World

Artist Gisela Colón is currently the subject of a major retrospective at the Museo de Arte Contemporáneo de Puerto Rico (MAC), showcasing her signature "monoliths" and iridescent obelisks. These monumental sculptures, which have appeared in global locations ranging from the Great Pyramids of Giza to the Saudi Arabian desert, utilize advanced aerospace carbon fiber and site-specific minerals to create shifting, phenomenological experiences. The exhibition tracks her evolution from 1996 to the present, highlighting her unique ability to blend high-tech materials with ancient totemic forms.

A New Exhibition at the British Museum Dismantles the Popular Understanding of Samurai

The British Museum has opened a major exhibition titled 'Samurai,' which challenges the widespread, simplified portrayal of samurai as solely honor-bound, hyper-violent warriors. The show, curated by Rosina Buckland, presents them as a complex social class who were also bureaucrats, administrators, and cultural figures, emphasizing their roles during periods of peace and governance.

30 Iconic Feminist Works By Women Artists

ARTnews has expanded its list of iconic feminist works by women artists, adding 15 new entries to a previous selection. The article highlights specific pieces, such as Edmonia Lewis's *The Death of Cleopatra* (1876), Mary Cassatt's *The Reader* (1877), and Alice Pike Barney's *Medusa* (1892) and *Lucifer* (1902), providing historical context for each artist and their contribution to feminist discourse through art.

The Must-See Exhibitions in Milan During Art Week 2026

Le mostre da non perdere a Milano durante i giorni dell’Art Week 2026

Milan Art Week 2026 features a series of major solo exhibitions across the city's premier contemporary art institutions. Fondazione Prada is hosting site-specific installations by Mona Hatoum exploring global instability alongside Cao Fei’s multimedia investigation into the technological revolution of agriculture. Meanwhile, Pirelli HangarBicocca presents Benni Bosetto’s architectural exploration of the female body and Rirkrit Tiravanija’s interactive examination of authorship and communal space.

How to Take Great Photographs of Art, According to Artists

Contemporary gallery-going has become synonymous with digital documentation, as visitors increasingly use smartphones to capture paintings, sculptures, and installations. This shift from passive observation to active photography serves as a method of personal archiving, allowing viewers to preserve the fleeting experience of a physical exhibition and share it within their social circles.

Calvin Tomkins, Who Profiled Giants of Modern Art, Dies at 100

Calvin Tomkins, the longtime New Yorker staff writer renowned for his profiles of major 20th-century artists, has died at the age of 100. His career spanned more than six decades at the magazine, where he produced intimate and influential portraits of figures like Marcel Duchamp and Robert Rauschenberg, and authored several books including "Living Well Is the Best Revenge."

Unseen George Condo Works Arrive at Auction From Anna Condo’s Collection

Anna Condo, the former wife of American painter George Condo, is bringing 27 previously unseen works from her private collection to auction at Christie’s. The collection, which includes paintings, drawings, and sculptures acquired during their 28-year marriage, will be featured in the Post-War and Contemporary Art day sale on May 21. These works have never been exhibited or sold publicly, offering a rare glimpse into the artist's private creative output between 1988 and 2017.

A book exploring the evolution of J.M.W. Turner’s positions on slavery

Art historian Sam Smiles has released a comprehensive new book examining J.M.W. Turner’s complex relationship with the slave trade, expanding on his 2007 discovery of the artist's personal investment in a Jamaican cattle farm that utilized enslaved labor. The research traces Turner’s financial ties from his early patronage by wealthy plantation owners to his own speculative ventures, challenging the long-held perception of the artist as a straightforward abolitionist.

At the Grand Palais, the Art Paris Fair Focuses on Language, with a BNP Paribas Private Bank Prize at Stake

Au Grand Palais, la foire Art Paris s’intéresse à la question du langage, avec un Prix BNP Paribas Banque Privée à la clé

The 28th edition of the Art Paris fair is set to return to the Grand Palais in 2026, featuring a mix of 60% French and 40% international galleries. This year’s edition emphasizes emerging talent through its 'Promesses' sector and introduces a strong curatorial focus with two thematic paths: 'Reparation,' curated by Alexia Fabre, and 'Babel,' curated by Loïc Le Gall. The latter explores the intersection of language, signs, and translation through the work of 20 artists from the French scene.

Event: Hammad Nasar and Billy Tang, Off the Record

ArtReview and Ursula magazine have announced a collaborative talk featuring curators Hammad Nasar and Billy Tang as part of their "Off the Record" series in London. The event, held at the Farm Shop in Mayfair, is designed as an intimate, live conversation focused on the working methods and inspirations of creative visionaries. Nasar, a veteran curator and MBE recipient, will join Tang, the Artistic Director of the new Yan Du Project, to discuss their respective practices and the evolution of creative thinking.

Forget Masterpieces—Show Me Everything

The Victoria & Albert Museum has launched the V&A Storehouse in East London, a massive open-storage facility housing over 250,000 objects, 1,000 archives, and a vast library. Designed by Diller Scofidio + Renfro in collaboration with Austin-Smith:Lord, the space eschews traditional curated narratives in favor of a dense, immersive environment where visitors navigate four stories of artifacts arranged by cataloging logic rather than art-historical themes.