Artist Charles Ross Spent 50 Years Trying to Bring the Stars Down to Earth. At 88, Has He Done It?

Artist Charles Ross is nearing the completion of Star Axis, a monumental naked-eye observatory in the New Mexico desert that has been under construction for over 50 years. Conceived in 1971 and situated on a mesa Ross discovered in 1975, the massive architectural sculpture is designed to make the 26,000-year cycle of Earth’s axial precession perceptible to the human eye. The project began after a chance encounter with a local ranching family provided Ross with the square mile of land necessary to realize his cosmic vision.

How Dalí’s Amber Varnish May Have Caused This Painting to Decay

A new scientific study has revealed the cause of deterioration in Salvador Dalí's 1946 painting 'The Temptation of Saint Anthony.' Researchers from the Royal Museums of Fine Arts of Belgium and an international team used advanced imaging techniques to determine that the degradation, which includes areas becoming transparent or textured, is linked to the chemical interaction between a zinc white paint layer and an amber varnish layer, both materials specifically advocated by Dalí in his own artistic manual.

What’s the True State of Bangkok’s Art Ecosystem?

The article examines the current state of Bangkok's art scene, which is experiencing a surge of private investment and international attention. New institutions like UNITED Unlimited and Misiem's/bangkok are opening, and events like the Bangkok Art Biennale are gaining prominence, leading some international media to compare the city's potential to art hubs like Miami.

The rise and fall of ‘buy-one, give-one’ art sales

A once-common sales tactic in the contemporary art market, known as "buy-one, give-one" or "bogo," has significantly declined. Under this arrangement, collectors gained preferential access to in-demand artists' paintings by agreeing to purchase two works and donating one to a museum. The practice peaked from 2021 to 2023, with institutions like the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Institute of Contemporary Art, Miami, acquiring works this way.

An Intimate Portrait of Basquiat’s Early Life Returns to Brooklyn

The exhibition “Our Friend, Jean” returns to Brooklyn this May at The Bishop Gallery, coinciding with Frieze Week. The show features twenty artworks alongside personal ephemera and photographs from Jean-Michel Basquiat’s formative years between 1979 and 1980, primarily sourced from the collection of his former roommate Alexis Adler. This iteration includes previously unseen items from Adler’s trove, such as hand-painted garments and postcards, and will be activated by panels featuring Basquiat’s early collaborators.

Spheres of influence: the Bauhaus’s radical female photographers – in pictures

An exhibition titled 'New Woman, New Vision: Women Photographers of the Bauhaus' opens at the Museum of Photography in Berlin. It focuses on the pioneering work of female Bauhaus photographers like Marianne Brandt, Lucia Moholy, and Gertrud Arndt, who used the camera to capture unconventional perspectives and explore artistic freedom during the Weimar Republic.

Nat Faulkner: The Stuff of Photography

Artist Nat Faulkner has opened a new exhibition at Camden Art Centre featuring works that explore the physical and chemical foundations of photography. The show includes large-scale photographic pieces like 'Aqua Fortis' and sculptural works such as 'Aperture (Iodine)', which uses iodine solution in skylight panels to bathe the space in amber light, alongside silver-plated 'Analogue' reliefs created through electroplating.

Major News from International Museums: London's National Gallery Expands and Pompidou Opens in Seoul

Le grandi novità dei musei internazionali: cresce la National Gallery di Londra e il Pompidou apre a Seoul

The National Gallery in London has selected a design team led by Kengo Kuma and Associates, alongside BDP and MICA, to lead its massive £750 million expansion project titled 'Project Domani.' Chosen from 65 international entries, the winning proposal will transform the St Vincent House site into a new museum wing featuring a stepped Portland stone facade, public roof gardens, and light-filled galleries. The project coincides with the institution's bicentenary and has already secured half of its required funding through private and anonymous donations.

Kengo Kuma Architects Chosen to Design New Wing of London’s National Gallery

Kengo Kuma and Associates has been selected to lead the design of a massive £750 million extension to London’s National Gallery, titled Project Domani. The Tokyo-based firm won the commission over sixty-four other competitors and will collaborate with UK firms BDP and MICA to develop the new wing on land currently occupied by a hotel and office complex. The design features a dual-level approach, utilizing vaults and arches on the main floor to harmonize with existing galleries while introducing a modern geometric aesthetic on the upper level.

Racheal Crowther review – unnerving installation attacks your mind … and your nostrils!

London-based artist Racheal Crowther has transformed the Chisenhale Gallery into a sensory-heavy, paranoid environment for her first institutional solo exhibition. The installation centers on a decommissioned U.S. military mobile health unit, once used during the 2018 Novichok decontamination efforts, set against walls painted in "drunk tank pink." The experience is defined by an aggressive olfactory component—a chemical cocktail of powdered milk scents and hexadecanal, a molecule found on infants' heads known to manipulate human aggression.

The Spiritual Ear: On Daniel Heller-Roazen’s Far Calls

The article is a critical review of Daniel Heller-Roazen's new book, 'Far Calls: On Omens, Slips, & Epiphanies.' It examines the book's central thesis, which explores the historical and philosophical concept of a 'spiritual ear'—the interval between speaking and hearing where language escapes its intended meaning, giving rise to omens, slips of the tongue, and epiphanies. The review traces Heller-Roazen's genealogical investigation from ancient divinatory practices to modern psychoanalysis, highlighting his argument that linguistic accidents hold prophetic potential.

Nicéphore Niépce in 2 Minutes

Nicéphore Niépce en 2 minutes

Joseph Nicéphore Niépce, a Burgundian engineer and inventor, is credited with creating the world's first permanent photograph, "Point de vue du Gras," in 1827. Using a process he termed heliography, Niépce utilized bitumen of Judea on pewter plates to fix images captured in a camera obscura. Despite his groundbreaking achievement, he died in relative obscurity in 1833, shortly after entering a partnership with Louis Daguerre, who would later receive the primary credit for the invention of photography.

8 Artists to Follow if You Like Elsa Schiaparelli

The article profiles eight contemporary artists whose work resonates with the legacy of fashion designer Elsa Schiaparelli. It highlights creators like Shona McAndrew, whose soft sculptures explore the body's interior, and Kiki Smith, known for visceral, anatomical forms, drawing direct parallels to Schiaparelli's surrealist and corporeal inspirations.

In a Rome Exhibition, Nature Participates in the Creation of Artworks

In una mostra a Roma la natura partecipa alla creazione delle opere

Artist Pietro Pasolini presents his latest body of work, "Ossigrafie," in the solo exhibition "Il tempo inciso" at Galleria Valentina Bonomo in Rome. Moving away from his origins as a travel photojournalist, Pasolini has developed a sustainable, experimental technique that utilizes metal plates—specifically brass and copper—interacted with by natural elements like palm leaves, vines, water, and fire. These works require months to complete, as the artist allows the natural world to act as a co-creator, moving away from the environmentally harmful chemicals associated with traditional darkroom photography.

Space: the ultimate wardrobe challenge – in pictures

Thames and Hudson has released Space Journal: The Art and Science of Cosmic Exploration, a new visual compendium curated by BBC presenter Dallas Campbell. The book chronicles humanity’s aesthetic and technical obsession with the cosmos, featuring a diverse array of archival imagery ranging from 17th-century illustrations and 1930s rocket experiments to high-fidelity spacesuit replicas and mid-century astronomical art.

Roksana Pirouzmand’s Dual‑Site Meditation on Loss

Roksana Pirouzmand’s dual-site exhibition in Los Angeles, hosted at OXY ARTS and JOAN, features performance-based sculptures and installations that utilize literal erosion to explore themes of loss and displacement. The works include anatomical clay casts of the artist and her mother, which are subjected to water, vibration, and physical interaction, causing them to crack and deteriorate over the course of the show. At OXY ARTS, a kinetic metal floor involves the viewer directly, as their footsteps cause clay hands to collide and break, illustrating the physical impact of movement and presence.

Take a walk on the wild side with the Haas Brothers' fantastical new show

The Museum of Arts and Design (MAD) in New York has opened "Uncanny Valley," a major exhibition dedicated to the Los Angeles-based duo Nikolai and Simon Haas. The show features 85 works spanning 15 years of their practice, showcasing their signature blend of art, furniture, and craft through zoomorphic sculptures and kooky forms. Organized in collaboration with the Cranbrook Art Museum, the exhibition places these physical objects against surreal, algorithmically-generated backdrops that explore the intersection of human craftsmanship and digital technology.

Monika Baer at Kölnischer Kunstverein

The Kölnischer Kunstverein in Cologne is hosting a solo exhibition by German artist Monika Baer titled "Defection." Running from February 27 through May 3, 2026, the presentation features new and recent works supported by Greene Naftali and Trautwein Herleth. The exhibition continues Baer’s long-standing exploration of the boundaries of painting, utilizing her signature blend of technical precision and surrealist-inflected imagery.

In Venice, Su Xiaobai will fill a historic palazzo with works crafted in natural lacquer

Artist Su Xiaobai will present a major solo exhibition titled "Alchemical Universe" at the Palazzo Soranzo Van Axel as an official Collateral Event of the 61st Venice Biennale. Curated by Stephen Little of LACMA, the show features 35 works spanning two decades, highlighting Su’s transition from oil painting to the mastery of natural lacquer. The exhibition includes his latest series, "Niao Niao," which utilizes mineral and metallic powders to create monochromatic, ethereal surfaces that emphasize material spontaneity over rigid artistic control.

Dizzy, Nauseous Columbus Art Museum Workers Issue Complaints About Chemical Fumes

Workers at the Columbus Museum of Art have filed a complaint with OSHA, reporting symptoms like headaches, nausea, and dizziness believed to be caused by fumes from a chemical floor sealant used during renovations. The sealant, GT 275, is intended for outdoor or well-ventilated use and carries warnings about inhalation risks, with a former employee expressing concern over potential long-term health effects from exposure.

An exhibition in Milan tells the story of the legendary Elisabetta Catalano, the great photographer and friend of artists

A Milano una mostra racconta la mitica Elisabetta Catalano, grande fotografa amica degli artisti

The Viasaterna gallery in Milan is hosting a comprehensive exhibition titled "Elisabetta Catalano: Cinema, Moda e Performance," curated by Laura Cherubini. The show explores the prolific career of the Roman photographer, featuring her iconic portraits of film stars on the sets of Federico Fellini and Luchino Visconti, her high-fashion photography for Vogue, and her deep collaborations with avant-garde artists like Fabio Mauri and Michelangelo Pistoletto.

154-Million-Year-Old Dinosaur Fossil Debuts in the U.K.—But Its Species Remains a Mystery

A remarkably complete 154-million-year-old theropod fossil, nicknamed Juliasaurus, has made its public debut at the Hollytrees Museum in Colchester, U.K. Discovered in Wyoming’s Morrison Formation in 2020 and sold by the David Aaron gallery to a private collector, the 20-foot-long specimen is currently part of the “Discover: Museum Wonders” exhibition. While initially thought to be an Allosaurus or Marshosaurus, unique anatomical features in its skull and pelvis suggest it may represent an entirely new species.

Winter Solstice: Seeds of Nothingness. Edo Costantini in collaboration with Delfina Braun & Delfina Muniz Barreto

WINTER SOLSTICE: SEEDS OF NOTHINGNESS. EDO COSTANTINI EN COLABORACIÓN CON DELFINA BRAUN & DELFINA MUNIZ BARRETO

Praxis Gallery in New York is hosting "Winter Solstice: Seeds of Nothingness," a multidisciplinary exhibition by Argentine artist Edo Costantini in collaboration with Delfina Braun and Delfina Muniz Barreto. The show features photography, sound, moving images, and bronze sculptures that explore the quiet, latent biological processes occurring during the winter season. Based on Costantini’s decade-long observation of the landscapes in Katonah, New York, the works focus on the concept of stillness as an active state of reorganization and persistence.

Alice Peach “Still Curly” at Iowa, New York

Alice Peach’s solo exhibition "Still Curly" at Iowa, New York, features a series of new sculptures constructed from popsicle sticks. These humble, mass-produced materials are transformed into modular, skeletal forms that mimic biological structures such as spines and torsos. The works are displayed in various states of tension, either splayed against the gallery walls or suspended from the ceiling to create a sense of precarious movement.

Two new exhibitions debut today at St. Pete’s MFA

The Museum of Fine Arts St. Petersburg has launched two major exhibitions: a career-spanning survey of Iranian-born artist Ali Banisadr and a site-specific installation by Ward Shelley and Douglas Paulson. Banisadr’s exhibition, "The Alchemist," features nearly 20 years of work including large-scale paintings that blend abstraction with intricate, emerging figures. Accompanying this is "The Last Library IV: Written in Water," a life-sized library constructed from corrugated cardboard that explores the fragility of the written word and the impact of censorship and AI on language.

Casper artist Zak Pullen talks his new exhibit and his cowboy art philosophy

Wyoming artist Zak Pullen is returning to the Nicolaysen Art Museum (the NIC) for his first solo exhibition in eleven years. The showcase features his signature comically exaggerated style and includes the first-ever public display of the complete interior oil paintings from his latest children’s book, "A Home for Steamboat." The exhibition also provides a rare look into Pullen’s creative process, featuring sketches and reference photos that highlight his meticulous approach to character-focused storytelling.

Vulnerability Seen Through the Eyes of Two Artists on Display in Romagna

La vulnerabilità vista dallo sguardo di due artiste in mostra in Romagna

The Galleria d’Arte Contemporanea Vero Stoppioni in Santa Sofia is hosting "Corpi invisibili, fuori controllo" (Invisible Bodies, Out of Control), a dual exhibition featuring artists Claudia Amatruda and Carla Giaccio Darias. Part of the broader "Un Problema del Genere" festival, the show explores the concept of vulnerability through contrasting artistic methods. Amatruda utilizes photography, sculpture, and video to depict bodies in risky, natural environments that highlight relational dependency, while Giaccio Darias uses archival imagery and painting to present fragmented, anatomical forms that challenge the viewer's gaze.

Sound Archives Open in Ravenna: The Best of National and International Performing Arts Now Available

A Ravenna aprono gli Archivi Sonori: a disposizione il meglio delle arti performative nazionali e internazionali

The city of Ravenna has officially inaugurated the Archivi Sonori (Sound Archives) at Palazzo Malagola, a new international center dedicated to vocal and sonic research. Founded by actress Ermanna Montanari and scholar Enrico Pitozzi, the archives offer public access to a vast collection of audio and video materials documenting the experimental work of 33 influential Italian and international performers, including Demetrio Stratos, Joan La Barbara, and Alvin Curran. The facility features specialized listening and viewing rooms, including an immersive sonic chamber and a cinema hall, all navigated via touchscreens featuring anatomical heart motifs designed by artist Stefano Ricci.

Photos: Somersfield Host Visual Arts Exhibition

Somersfield Academy recently hosted its DP2 Visual Arts Graduate Exhibition at the Rock Island Café, showcasing the final portfolios of students Nico Bean, Hayden Smith, and Excell Jordan. The event marked the conclusion of a two-year International Baccalaureate (IB) creative journey, featuring a diverse range of works including acrylic pour paintings, marine-inspired dot paintings, and detailed anatomical illustrations of dinosaurs.

Water's Way: A Conversation with Brazilian Conceptual Artist Daniel de Paula About His Expo Chicago Debut

Brazilian conceptual artist Daniel de Paula is set to make his Expo Chicago debut with a solo presentation hosted by gallery Yehudi Hollander-Pappi. The installation features industrial thousand-liter water tanks filled with water from the San Francisco Bay, a site chosen for its symbolic and material convergence of neoliberal history and digital infrastructure. The water contains both the scattered ashes of economist Milton Friedman and chemical effluents from Silicon Valley data centers, creating a visceral link between economic theory and environmental reality.