France Passes Historic Law for Restituting Colonial-Era Art, American Folk Art Museum Workers Protest, and More: Morning Links for May 8, 2026

France's Parliament unanimously passed a historic law easing the restitution of artworks looted during the colonial era (1815–1972), fulfilling President Emmanuel Macron's 2017 promise to return African heritage. The law streamlines the process by replacing the need for individual parliamentary acts for each item with a committee-based review system involving experts from France and the requesting country, plus government representatives. Separately, workers at the American Folk Art Museum in New York protested for better wages and benefits outside the museum's annual gala, while Indonesian-born artist Dian Suci won the 2025–27 Max Mara Art Prize for Women. A federal judge also ruled that the US DOGE Service's cuts to National Endowment for the Humanities grants were unconstitutional, citing discriminatory use of ChatGPT to cancel funding for projects mentioning diversity, equity, and inclusion.

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.

A mapping of all the intersections between the 2026 Venice Biennale and the fashion world

Una mappatura di tutti gli intrecci tra la Biennale di Venezia 2026 e il mondo della moda

The article maps the growing intersection between fashion brands and the 61st Venice Biennale in 2026, detailing specific collaborations. Zegna is the main sponsor of the Italian Pavilion, supporting Chiara Camoni's project "Con te con tutto" curated by Cecilia Canziani, using materials from Zegna's Oasi Zegna and Lanificio. Bottega Veneta renews its partnership with Pinault Collection to support Lorna Simpson's exhibition "Third Person" at Punta della Dogana, curated by Emma Lavigne, and also presents a public intervention at Campo Manin. Swatch celebrates 15 years of the Swatch Art Peace Hotel with the exhibition "Flora Fantastica" at the Giardini Reali, featuring artist Elisa Insu. The newly opened Fondazione Dries Van Noten at Palazzo Pisani Moretta debuts with "The Only True Protest Is Beauty," curated by Dries Van Noten and Geert Bruloot.

uk government spends big on arts sector creative time appoints jean cooney as executive director morning links for january 22 2026 1234770482

The UK government has announced a £1.5 billion funding package for the arts, described as the biggest reset for the sector in a generation. Culture secretary Lisa Nandy said London-based national museums like the British Museum and National Portrait Gallery will receive £600 million but must extend their reach beyond the capital to serve audiences nationwide. The package includes £425 million for a Creative Foundations Fund, £160 million for local and regional museums, £230 million for heritage, and smaller allocations for libraries and national organizations. Meanwhile, Vienna will temporarily close several composer museums due to culture budget cuts, and Jean Cooney has been appointed executive director of Creative Time.

Max Mara will stage next cruise show in Shanghai’s Long Museum West Bund - FashionNetwork

Max Mara has announced that its next cruise show, the Resort 2027 collection, will take place at the Long Museum West Bund in Shanghai on June 16, 2026. The event will also mark the opening of a public exhibition titled 'The Max,' curated by French fashion expert Olivier Saillard, celebrating the brand's 75th anniversary. The show continues Max Mara's tradition of staging cruise collections in museums, following previous shows at Berlin's Neues Museum and Venice's Doge Palace.

Review: Art museum’s big fall fashion show is captivating, sexy and fun, albeit with glitches

The Cleveland Museum of Art has opened a major fall exhibition titled "Renaissance to Runway: The Enduring Italian Houses," featuring roughly 80 garments and accessories from top Italian fashion houses such as Gucci, Pucci, Armani, Versace, Valentino, Ferragamo, Max Mara, and Missoni. The show juxtaposes these modern and contemporary designs with over 40 Renaissance, Mannerist, and Baroque artworks from the museum's collection, exploring how Italian couture has drawn inspiration from art history. A digital video installation by filmmaker Francesco Carrozzini and photographer Henry Hargreaves, using AI technology, humorously depicts models "invading" the museum, underscoring fashion's disruptive cultural power. Despite some pacing and spatial choreography issues, the exhibition makes a compelling case for fashion as high art.

This Is Where Max Mara Will Hold Its Resort 2027 Show in Shanghai

Max Mara has chosen the Long Museum West Bund in Shanghai as the venue for its Resort 2027 runway show on June 16. The event will coincide with the opening of an exhibition titled “The Max!”, curated by Olivier Saillard, celebrating the brand’s 75th anniversary. The Long Museum is a private art museum founded by collectors Liu Yiqian and Wang Wei, with three locations across China. This marks Max Mara’s second show in Shanghai, following a 2016 presentation at the Shanghai Exhibition Center.

parties art artwalk sheree hovsepian auction gala

The Artwalk NY gala and auction raised over $8 million on Tuesday, November 19, 2025, to support the Coalition for the Homeless. Presented by Max Mara, the event at the Grill and the Pool in the Seagram Building featured a live auction of artist-designed plates from the Artist Plate Project, along with works by Sheree Hovsepian and Ed Ruscha. Honorees included artist Sheree Hovsepian and Artist Plate Project Founder Michelle Hellman, with remarks from Coalition Executive Director Dave Giffen and a DJ set by AKU. The evening drew a crowd of artists, collectors, and philanthropists, including Rashid Johnson, Joel Mesler, Thelma Golden, and Don Lemon.

gaetano pesce glass house summer party

The Glass House in New Canaan, Connecticut, hosted its annual Summer Party on a recent Saturday, honoring the late designer Gaetano Pesce. The event featured the debut of Big Surprise 2, a limited-edition resin vase created with Italian furniture firm Meritalia and inspired by two Feltri chairs from the host's collection. Guests enjoyed a site-responsive performance by dance company Pilobolus, the exhibition “Barbara Kasten: Structure, Light, Land,” a DJ set by Pete Brockman, and activations by Max Mara. Notable attendees included artists Deborah Brown and Naudline Pierre, architect Paul Goldberger, and museum director Cybele Maylone.