asia pivot art news july

Art Collaboration Kyoto announced 72 exhibitors for its fifth edition, with 25 first-time participants. Patti Wong, former Sotheby's executive, launched New Perspectives Art Partners with Ed Dolman, Brett Gorvy, and others. Art Fair Tokyo's 20th edition saw sales of ¥2.86 billion, down 10% from last year. Lisa Horikawa and Mizuki Takahashi were appointed co-curators of Japan's pavilion at the Venice Biennale. The Sharjah Art Foundation named Angela Harutyunyan and Paula Nascimento curators of the 17th Sharjah Biennial. YDP, a new non-profit space in London, will open with a solo show by Duan Jianyu. At Sotheby's London, Yu Nishimura's painting sold for £292,100. Hong Kong collector Adrian Cheng resigned from New World Development's board.

romania wins long term hold on disputed el greco

Romania has secured a "long-term hold" on El Greco's painting *Saint Sebastian* (1610–1614), which was pulled from a Christie's New York Old Masters sale in February. The work is claimed by Romania as unlawfully taken from its national collection in 1947. The painting will remain at Christie's until legal proceedings resolve the dispute. Meanwhile, Italian sculptor Arnaldo Pomodoro died in Milan at age 98, and abstract painter Thornton Willis died in New York at 89. Other news includes a letter from National Gallery director Gabriele Finali defending the Rubens attribution of *Samson and Delilah*, Japan's curatorial appointments for the 2026 Venice Biennale, and a Bristol City Council fundraiser to acquire an early JMW Turner painting.

Must-See National Pavilions at the 61st Venice Biennale

The 61st Venice Biennale features standout national pavilions from Japan, the Philippines, Timor-Leste, Singapore, and India. Japan presents Ei Arakawa-Nash's 'Grass Babies, Moon Babies,' an interactive exhibition with hand-sewn baby dolls and sound pieces exploring queer parenthood and collective care. The Philippines showcases Jon Cuyson's 'Sea of Love / Dagat ng Pag-ibig,' a solo show using 'mussel thinking' to highlight Filipino seafarers. Timor-Leste's 'Across Words' brings together three artists addressing ethnolinguistic diversity and cultural memory, while Singapore presents Amanda Heng's 'A Pause,' a feminist performance on vulnerability and resilience. India's pavilion features Ranjani Shettar's work, supported by Talwar Gallery.

Mind the baby! Visitors to the Japanese Venice Biennale pavilion will be asked to look after dolls

Ei Arakawa-Nash, a Japanese-born artist who no longer holds Japanese citizenship, will represent Japan at the Venice Biennale with an exhibition titled "Grass Babies, Moon Babies." The pavilion will feature over 100 baby dolls that visitors are invited to adopt and carry, engaging in caregiving tasks such as changing a nappy. Each doll corresponds to a historically significant date tied to minority communities, linking intimate acts of care to broader historical narratives. The project also includes a collaboration with the Korean Pavilion, marking the first such partnership between the two national pavilions in Biennale history.

Al Padiglione del Giappone della Biennale di Venezia vi affidano una bambola da accudire

The Japan Pavilion at the Venice Art Biennale 2026 features an immersive, interactive exhibition titled "Grass Babies, Moon Babies" by Japanese-American artist Ei Arakawa-Nash. Visitors are invited to care for one of 200 dolls, each with a QR code that provides a "diaper poem" linked to the doll's symbolic birth date—reflecting the artist's personal experience of becoming a father in 2024 and broader social dynamics in Japan. The pavilion, curated by Lisa Horikawa and Mizuki Takahashi, evolves over the seven months of the Biennale as a platform for shared care and participation.

Open Call | Tokyo Contemporary Art Award 2026-2028

公募｜Tokyo Contemporary Art Award 2026-2028

The Tokyo Contemporary Art Award (TCAA) 2026-2028 has opened applications starting June 9, 2025, targeting mid-career artists with international ambitions. Organized by the Tokyo Metropolitan Government and Tokyo Arts and Space (Tokyo Metropolitan Foundation for History and Culture / Museum of Contemporary Art Tokyo), the award offers a 3 million yen prize, up to 2 million yen for overseas activities, an exhibition at the Museum of Contemporary Art Tokyo, and monograph production. Two winners will be selected through a combination of nominations and open call, with new jurors Joselina Cruz (Director and Curator, MCAD Manila) and Kenichi Kondo (Senior Curator, Mori Art Museum) joining the panel.