Hyperallergic’s Guide to the 2026 Venice Biennale

Hyperallergic has published its guide to the 2026 Venice Biennale, detailing what to see and do at this year's edition. The guide covers the three main categories of the Biennale—the Giardini with 29 permanent national pavilions, the Arsenale with temporary rented spaces, and collateral events across the city. Key developments include the return of Russia to its permanent Giardini pavilion and Israel's participation with a new contractual stipulation preventing its artist from closing the pavilion, after Ruth Patir's protest in 2024. South Africa withdrew following the cancellation of Gabrielle Goliath's video installation 'Elegy,' which mourns victims of Israel's genocide in Gaza and will now be shown at a historic church. The United States will be represented by Alma Allen after Barbara Chase-Riboud stepped down, and Qatar is set to become the first country in decades to build a new pavilion in the Giardini.

It’s Gabriele Münter’s World, We’re Just Living in It

The Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum is hosting "Contours of a World," a retrospective dedicated to Gabriele Münter, a co-founder of the Blue Rider group. The exhibition moves beyond the shadow of her long-time partner Wassily Kandinsky, showcasing her distinct approach to German Expressionism through photography, intimate domestic scenes, and vibrant landscapes. Unlike her contemporaries who leaned toward total abstraction, Münter utilized bold outlines and layered compositions to create a dynamic, phenomenological experience of seeing.

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.

Berlin Art: What Exhibitions Are on Now?

Berlin’s spring art season features a diverse array of exhibitions ranging from established international names to local prize winners. Key highlights include Yalda Afsah’s spiritual film installation at CCA Berlin, Jim Lambie’s psychedelic vinyl floor works at Konrad Fischer Galerie, and the 10th Neukölln Art Prize exhibition at Galerie im Saalbau, which honors artists like Va-Bene Elikem Fiatsi. The city's programming spans non-profit institutions, commercial galleries, and experimental spaces, covering themes from folk traditions to gender identity.

21 Renoirs From the Collection of the Artist’s Muse Hit the Market

Bonhams has announced an online auction titled “A Lasting Impression,” featuring 21 previously unseen or little-known paintings by Pierre-Auguste Renoir. These works originate from the personal collection of Gabrielle Renard, the artist’s longtime muse and his children's nanny, who sat for the Impressionist master nearly 200 times. The sale, scheduled for May 10–20, includes intimate portraits of Renard, landscapes, and a floral still life, with estimates ranging from $220,000 to $700,000.

‘Even more beautiful than I imagined’: the nifty Japanese printing gadget uniting artists worldwide

Designer Gabriella Marcella has curated a new exhibition at Glasgow’s Glue Factory Galleries celebrating the global community of risograph printing. The show highlights work from her 'Riso Club' initiative, a non-profit program that distributes monthly sets of artist-designed postcards from cities ranging from Kyiv to Damascus. Originally developed in Japan in the 1980s as an affordable office tool, the risograph has been reclaimed by independent creatives for its unique soy-ink aesthetic and tactile, screenprint-like quality.

London’s National Gallery announces architects for new £350m wing

The National Gallery in London has selected Japanese architecture firm Kengo Kuma and Associates to design a new £350m wing, scheduled to open in the early 2030s. Chosen from a shortlist of six finalists, Kuma’s design features a Portland stone exterior and will be constructed on the site of the soon-to-be-demolished St Vincent House. The extension will provide nearly double the space for temporary exhibitions and an additional 1,500 square meters for the permanent collection, connected via bridges to the existing Sainsbury Wing and Wilkins building.

Who Do Chicago’s Art Fairs Serve?

Expo Chicago and its satellite fairs serve as a complex barometer for the Midwestern arts ecosystem, highlighting both the successes of local representation and the tensions of institutional growth. While galleries like Andrew Rafacz and Corbett vs. Dempsey demonstrate viable career paths for Chicago-based artists like Melissa Leandro and Gabrielle Garland, the fair's shifting structure reveals a narrowing field for smaller nonprofits.

Art Fund celebrates decade of lending programme with Rossetti and Surrealist loans

The Art Fund is celebrating the tenth anniversary of its Weston Loan Programme by facilitating the loan of major masterpieces to 15 regional UK institutions. High-profile works, including Dante Gabriel Rossetti’s 'Beata Beatrix' and Joseph Wright of Derby’s 'An Experiment on a Bird in the Air Pump', will travel from national collections like the National Gallery and Tate to smaller galleries in Newcastle, Derby, and Ipswich. The program covers essential logistical costs such as insurance, transport, and security that are typically prohibitive for local museums.

An exhibition in New York reconfigures German Expressionism. The curator explains everything

Una mostra a New York riconfigura l’Espressionismo Tedesco. La curatrice ci spiega tutto

The Guggenheim Museum in New York has launched "Contours of a World," the first major U.S. retrospective of German Expressionist painter Gabriele Münter in nearly thirty years. Curated by Megan Fontanella, the exhibition features a significant selection of paintings and photographs produced between 1908 and 1920, including a rare loan from the Vatican Museums. The show follows a major 2025 retrospective in Paris and aims to present Münter as a primary figure of the avant-garde in her own right.

Milano Art Week 2026 Tops and Flops: The Best and Worst of the Art Week

Milano Art Week 2026 top e flop: il meglio e il peggio della settimana dell’arte

The 2026 edition of Milano Art Week, anchored by the 30th anniversary of the miart fair, presented a mixed bag of organizational shifts and high-quality artistic programming. Key highlights included the successful Milanese debut of Paris Internationale at Palazzo Galbani and the emergence of new cultural hubs like Mulino Factory, which continue Milan's trend of repurposing industrial heritage. However, the primary fair's relocation to the Allianz MiCo South Wing drew criticism for its labyrinthine layout and logistical hurdles despite the scenic park setting.

Color and Spirit: The Blue Rider at Lenbachhaus

The Lenbachhaus museum in Munich has opened a major exhibition titled "Beyond the World. The Blue Rider," running from March 10, 2026, to September 5, 2027. The show explores the cultural exchanges and historical context of the Blue Rider movement, featuring newly acquired works by Wilhelm Morgner, Emmy Klinker, and Albert Bloch, alongside iconic pieces by Wassily Kandinsky, Franz Marc, and Gabriele Münter. The exhibition is organized chronologically, beginning with the cross-cultural inspirations behind the 1912 Blue Rider Almanac and concluding with a reflection on the Nazi suppression of German Expressionism, including inventory lists of confiscated "degenerate" art.

Federal President praises Emder Kunsthalle: 'Extraordinary quality'

Bundespräsident lobt Emder Kunsthalle: "Außerordentliche Qualität"

German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier praised the Emder Kunsthalle on its 40th anniversary, calling its collection of "extraordinary quality." The museum was founded in 1986 by Henri Nannen, the late founder of Stern magazine, and his wife Eske Nannen. Steinmeier spoke at a ceremony attended by 500 guests, including his wife Elke Büdenbender and Lower Saxony's Minister President Olaf Lies. The anniversary exhibition "Bilder, die wir lieben" (Pictures We Love) showcases 200 works from the collection, which has grown to around 1,700 pieces, including pieces by Gabriele Münter, Paula Modersohn-Becker, Max Beckmann, and Franz Marc.

south africa venice biennale gabrielle goliath banned work exhibition 1234778846

South Africa’s official pavilion at the Venice Biennale will remain empty this year following the government's abrupt cancellation of artist Gabrielle Goliath’s planned exhibition. The controversy erupted when Culture Minister Gayton McKenzie pulled the project just days before the deadline, labeling Goliath’s work "highly divisive" due to its inclusion of a tribute to Palestinian poet Hiba Abu Nada. Despite the official ban and a failed court challenge by the artist and curator, the work, titled *Elegy*, will now be staged independently at the Chiesa di Sant’Antonin nearby.

Pre-Raphaelite exhibition explores LGBT+ stories

Cartwright Hall Art Gallery in Bradford has launched a new exhibition of Pre-Raphaelite masterpieces paired with contemporary reflections from the local LGBT+ community. Members of the Equity Partnership charity collaborated with museum staff to reinterpret 19th-century works by artists such as Dante Gabriel Rossetti, Ford Madox Brown, and John Collier through the lens of lived queer experience.

Gulistan at GNAMC of Rome

Chinese artist Gulistan, based in Beijing, presents her solo exhibition "Time Garden" at the National Gallery of Modern and Contemporary Art (GNAMC) in Rome. Curated by Gabriele Simongini and supported by the Foundation for Chinese Art in Italy and the International Federation of Women Artists 923 Art Space, the show explores a fusion of Eastern and Western aesthetics through painting, drawing on the legacy of the Silk Road. The exhibition features series such as "Fragments of Time," "The Nature of Memory," and "Memory of the Portraits," blending Chinese ink traditions with classical Western portraiture and archaeological motifs.

Gabriele Münter: Contours of a World

The Guggenheim Museums and Foundation has announced an exhibition titled "Gabriele Münter: Contours of a World," focusing on the German Expressionist painter Gabriele Münter. The show will explore her distinctive approach to landscape and portraiture, highlighting her role within the Blue Rider movement and her contributions to modern art.

Jean-Gabriel Peyre (1941-2026)

Jean-Gabriel Peyre (1941-2026)

Jean-Gabriel Peyre, a distinguished French art dealer and expert in antique ceramics, passed away on March 27 at the age of 85. Originally a fashion professional who worked for Jacques Esterel, Peyre transitioned to the art world in the late 1960s, establishing himself as a preeminent specialist in European ceramics from the 16th to 18th centuries. Based in Paris and later Aix-en-Provence, he was particularly renowned for his expertise in French faience and his significant personal collection of Apt ceramics.

This Risograph Studio Celebrates 400 Artist Postcards Mailed Around the Globe

Glasgow-based design studio Risotto is celebrating a major milestone for its Riso Club subscription service with a retrospective exhibition at the Glue Factory. Since 2017, the club has commissioned and mailed four artist postcards monthly to subscribers worldwide, reaching a total of 400 unique works. The exhibition, running from April 11 to 19, marks the 100th mailing and showcases the full collection of prints together for the first time.

The Shortlist: Must-see Milwaukee exhibits opening or closing in April

Milwaukee’s art scene is preparing for a busy April season anchored by the city’s quarterly Gallery Night on April 17 and 18. Key highlights include the Milwaukee Art Museum’s 18th annual Art in Bloom, which pairs floral arrangements with works from the permanent collection, and the Milwaukee Institute of Art and Design’s (MIAD) senior capstone exhibition. Other notable shows include Var Gallery’s 12th annual "30x30x30" challenge and Gabrielle Marie Stone’s "Snack Shop" at Kim Storage Gallery.

MEMORY MOURNING AND REBELLION BETTINI AT DA2

DA2 Domus Artium in Salamanca has opened the first Spanish retrospective of Gabriela Bettini, titled "Cierta tarde, la más bella de las tardes de mi vida." The exhibition surveys the Spanish-Argentine artist's career, centering on themes of memory, exile, and the trauma of the Argentine military dictatorship. A focal point is the work "Memoria del agua," inspired by an unfinished poem found in a book belonging to her grandfather, who was disappeared during the regime.

A Legacy of Fun & Focus: “Mini Art Museum” at the Contemporary at Blue Star, San Antonio

The Contemporary at Blue Star in San Antonio is hosting a retrospective of the "Mini Art Museum," a unique institution founded in 2013 by Mary Cantú and Gabriela Santiago. The exhibition features nearly 100 business-card-sized artworks by prominent local artists, presented within an immersive, miniature neighborhood installation. This showcase serves as a tribute to Cantú, a significant figure in the San Antonio art community who passed away in 2025.

A library of sensations in Rome in the exhibition of Gabriele Simei: The interview

Una biblioteca di sensazioni a Roma nella mostra di Gabriele Simei. L’intervista

Artist Gabriele Simei has transformed the VOLUME! art space in Rome into an immersive installation titled "LABiblioteca Sottotevere." Curated by Silvano Manganaro, the exhibition features metal sculptures shaped like books, alongside found objects such as old lace, blankets, and tools. Simei uses acid to etch the textures of leaves gathered from the banks of the Tiber River and vintage textiles onto iron and brass plates, creating a "library of sensations" that bridges the gap between nature and domestic memory.

At the Feast of the Revolution: A Film to Tell the Story of Gabriele D’Annunzio’s Fiume Enterprise

Alla Festa della Rivoluzione. Un film per raccontare l’impresa a Fiume di Gabriele D’Annunzio

Director Arnaldo Catinari’s new film, *Alla Festa della Rivoluzione*, explores the 1919 occupation of Fiume led by the poet-soldier Gabriele D’Annunzio. Distributed by 01 Distribution and set for a mid-April release, the film depicts the city-state as a visionary laboratory where art served as a structural foundation and social hierarchies were temporarily dismantled. The narrative follows three fictional characters—a spy, a government official, and a deserter—whose lives intersect amidst the political and aesthetic fever of the D’Annunzio enterprise.

KÜTRAL VARGAS HUAIQUIMILLA: PERFORMING BLOOD, INHABITING ITS FLOW, DIMENSIONING THE WOUND

KÜTRAL VARGAS HUAIQUIMILLA: PERFORMAR LA SANGRE, HABITAR SU FLUJO, DIMENSIONAR LA HERIDA

Mapuche visual artist and performer Kütral Vargas Huaiquimilla presents "Performance de la sangre" (Performance of Blood) at Galería Gabriela Mistral in Santiago, Chile. Based on the artist's 2024 novel of the same name, the exhibition utilizes video-performance, sculpture, and clinical materials like medication vials to explore the intimate and collective experience of living with HIV. The project marks a significant interdisciplinary intersection of Mapuche identity, pharmacology, and contemporary medicalization.

Weekender: Music, Live Sound Installation, Art

The UC Davis College of Letters and Science is hosting a weekend event titled "Weekender: Music, Live Sound Installation, Art" at the Jan Shrem and Maria Manetti Shrem Museum of Art. The event features a live sound installation by artist and composer Pamela Z, alongside a performance by the UC Davis Symphony Orchestra conducted by Christian Baldini, which will include a piece by composer Gabriela Ortiz.

From gallery to gavel: investment-grade art collection open to public

The Ann Bryant Art Gallery in East London, South Africa, is hosting a public viewing of an investment-grade art collection from a deceased estate before it goes to online auction through Thompson Property Sellers. The collection includes over 800 paintings, 600 collectables, a 1975 VW Beetle, and a 1976 Vespa, featuring works by artists such as Gabriel and Tinus de Jongh, Hargreaves Ntukwana, Amos Langdown, Christian Nice, Chris Tugwell, Jack Lugg, Tony Durheim, and Otto Klar. The event is part of the "Jazz in the City" festival, pairing jazz music with visual art to create a cultural experience.

Giovanni Segantini at the Marmottan Monet Museum: our photos from the exhibition on the painter of the Alps

The Marmottan Monet Museum in Paris has opened a major retrospective of Giovanni Segantini, an Italian painter known for his Symbolist and Divisionist Alpine landscapes. Titled "I Want to See My Mountains," the exhibition runs from April 29 to August 16, 2026, and features over 60 works including oil paintings, pastels, and drawings, plus around 30 works on paper from European collections. Curated by Gabriella Belli and Diana Segantini, the show traces Segantini's artistic journey from his early days in Italy to his time in the Engadine Valley in Switzerland, where he found inspiration in mountain landscapes. The exhibition is divided into ten sections and also includes a contemporary tribute to Anselm Kiefer, whose works create a dialogue with Segantini's vision.

Raheleh Filsoofi’s Deep Listening and Raheleh Filsoofi and Reza Filsoofi’s Listening: The Fourth String at the Ismaili Center, Houston, TX

Raheleh Filsoofi and Reza Filsoofi presented a collaborative sound performance titled *Listening: The Fourth String* at the Ismaili Center in Houston on April 11, 2026, alongside a participatory installation of the *ShahTár* (شهتار), a large Persian rug fitted with two four-string instruments. The performance featured Houston musicians Will Adams, Tom Carter, Parham Daighighi, Laura Dykes, Ruthie Langston, Gabriel Martinez, and Firuz Shukrikhudoev, blending improvisational music, poetry, and vocals. Audience members were invited to touch their own bodies and eventually join the stage, fostering an immersive, embodied experience.

Apenas meus cabelos são brancos... [Only my hair is white...]

Galerie Lelong in New York is presenting "Lucia Laguna: Apenas meus cabelos são brancos... [Only my hair is white...]," the Brazilian artist's first solo exhibition in the United States, organized in collaboration with Fortes D’Aloia & Gabriel. The show features new paintings from her ongoing series "Pequenos formatos" and "Paisagem," which explore the interplay between architecture and nature through vibrant color blocking and geometric forms. Laguna's work reflects her recent move from a suburban home with a garden to an apartment in Rio de Janeiro's Laranjeiras neighborhood, a shift that has prompted compositional changes as her studio space became more condensed and her views of the urban landscape changed.