Maurizio Cattelan Opens Up About Sin, Silence, and Stealing: ‘I’m Guilty Too’

Italian artist Maurizio Cattelan directed the Renaissance Society’s annual benefit gala, titled "The Silent Party!", held at the Chicago Athletic Club during the week of Expo Chicago. The event subverted traditional gala expectations by requiring guests to remain silent for two hours, communicating only via handwritten notes while navigating a labyrinth of performances. The evening featured contributions from artists including Jacob Ryan Renolds, Davide Balula, and Isabelle Frances McGuire, culminating in a dinner that raised approximately $600,000 for the non-profit institution.

Miami Beach’s Bass Museum picks architect for new pavilion

The Bass Museum of Art in Miami Beach has appointed the Los Angeles-based architecture firm Johnston Marklee to design a new 22,000-square-foot pavilion. The expansion, funded in part by a $20.1 million municipal bond, will occupy a site currently used for parking and will feature an elevated gallery designed to withstand South Florida’s environmental challenges, alongside an outdoor patio and performance stage.

10 Art Shows to See in Los Angeles This April

April in Los Angeles features a diverse array of art exhibitions, from major institutional retrospectives to politically charged group shows. Highlights include a 60-year retrospective of the influential printmaking studio Gemini G.E.L. at its own space, a survey of the Grunwald Center at the Hammer Museum, and shows celebrating LA performance art icons Bob & Bob and Rachel Rosenthal. The month also sees a newly discovered collection of matchbook miniatures by Joe Brainard and Dave Muller's work on social connection at ArtCenter.

Comment | Catherine Opie shows us that in dark times, looking for joy can be radical

The artist Catherine Opie is currently the subject of a major three-decade portrait survey, 'To Be Seen', at the National Portrait Gallery in London. The exhibition highlights Opie’s career-long commitment to representing the LGBTQ+ community, specifically the leather dyke scene in Los Angeles, through a lens that balances defiance with playfulness. Even her most provocative works, such as the 1993 self-portrait featuring a domestic scene carved into her back, are revealed to contain elements of humor and historical allusion that counter the despair of the AIDS crisis and personal heartbreak.

Is Dubai’s loss Palma's gain? Newly revived Mallorca fair offers ’sun, sand and safety’ for wealthy Germans

The Art Cologne Palma Mallorca fair has been successfully revived at the Palau de Congressos, attracting 88 exhibitors with a heavy concentration of Spanish and German galleries. The event capitalizes on Mallorca's status as a premier second-home destination for wealthy Europeans, particularly Germans, and benefits from significant local government backing of €500,000. Early sales reports indicate strong performance in the lower and mid-market price brackets, with artists like Neo Rauch and Brian Eno finding quick buyers, though seven-figure works by Anselm Kiefer and Georg Baselitz moved more slowly.

Shoplifting, sex shows and sheepdog-breeding: great artists and the side-hustles they did to get by

The article explores the unconventional and often illicit side jobs that famous artists historically took to support their creative pursuits. It details examples like Jean Genet's specialized book theft, Jean-Luc Godard's pilfering of books and cash, Chantal Akerman's ticket-skimming at a porn theater, and Kathy Acker's simulated sex show performances, highlighting how financial necessity drove them to inventive, sometimes desperate, measures.

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.

Art Movements: Frieze Partners With ... the Whitney?

Frieze New York announced a partnership with major New York cultural institutions, including the Whitney Museum of American Art and Dia Art Foundation, to present performances and exhibitions timed with its May fair. The Whitney will show Jonathan González's "Body Configurations," while Dia will display David Lamelas's video work. This initiative explicitly aims to extend the fair's presence beyond its commercial venue into established museums.

Why Filmmaker Ming Wong Is the Ultimate Shape-Shifter

Berlin-based Singaporean artist Ming Wong premiered a new film, *Dance of the Sun on the Water | Saltatio Solis in Aqua*, at London's National Gallery. The work, created during a residency, reimagines Saint Sebastian as a queer, shape-shifting figure, with Asian performers of multiple genders enacting the martyrdom amidst the museum's collection of historical paintings of the saint.

Remembering Agosto Machado, Keeper of Queer Histories

Agosto Machado, a seminal performer, archivist, and fixture of New York’s downtown queer arts scene, has passed away. Known as a "keeper of secrets" and a vital connector within the avant-garde community, Machado was a muse to filmmaker Jack Smith and a lifelong friend to Warhol superstar Mario Montez. His life spanned the height of the East Village performance era, where he transitioned from a quiet observer to an essential participant in the preservation of underground history.

From The Magic Faraway Tree to 5 Seconds of Summer: your complete entertainment guide to the week ahead

The Guardian has published a comprehensive weekly entertainment guide covering cinema, gigs, art exhibitions, stage performances, and home entertainment options. The guide highlights new film releases like the adaptation of Enid Blyton's 'The Magic Faraway Tree' and the documentary 'Orwell: 2+2 = 5', major concerts from 5 Seconds of Summer, and art exhibitions featuring Estonian modernist Konrad Mägi and Scottish painter Joan Eardley.

The art of technology jostles for position in venues both new and historic

Canyon, a new 40,000-square-foot institution dedicated to moving image, sound, and performance art, is set to open this autumn on Manhattan’s Lower East Side. Founded by entrepreneur Robert Rosenkranz and led by former Mass MoCA director Joe Thompson, the space aims to bypass the slow curatorial cycles of traditional museums by hosting international media-rich exhibitions with a faster 18-to-24-month turnaround. Unlike traditional collecting institutions, Canyon will focus on public accessibility and domestic-style hospitality rather than building its own permanent archive.

Art as Experimental Setup

Kunst als Versuchsanordnung

The influential Berlin-based artist and professor Thomas Zipp has passed away unexpectedly. Known for his immersive installations that blurred the lines between art, science, and madness, Zipp created complex "experimental setups" involving painting, sculpture, and performance. His work often explored dark parallel worlds, notably evidenced in his haunting 2013 Venice Biennale project that transformed a palazzo into a derelict psychiatric ward.

Gladstone Gallery Now Represents the Estate of Pope.L, Boundary-Crossing Performance Artist

Gladstone Gallery has announced its representation of the estate of the late performance and conceptual artist Pope.L. The gallery will present its first solo exhibition of his work in New York in 2027, joining existing representatives Modern Art in London and Vielmetter Los Angeles in stewarding his legacy.

Rare Rauschenberg Experimental Dance Revived at Brooklyn Roller Rink

The Trisha Brown Dance Company is reviving Robert Rauschenberg's first choreographed dance, 'Pelican,' for the first time in 60 years. The single-night performance will take place at the vintage Xanadu roller rink in Brooklyn as part of a 'Pelican Gala,' which also features two long-unseen dances by Trisha Brown. The event coincides with the centennial of Rauschenberg's birth.

Sinners, Maurizio Cattelan Is Taking Confession

Maurizio Cattelan has launched a participatory artwork and sales campaign titled 'The Confessional,' where people can call a hotline to submit their sins for his consideration. Selected participants will be invited to a livestreamed event on April 23 where Cattelan, acting as a priest, will absolve them. The project is tied to the re-release of his controversial 1999 sculpture 'La Nona Ora,' a miniature wax figure of Pope John Paul II struck by a meteorite.

Julia Heyward “Voices of Many Voices” at Westfälischer Kunstverein, Münster

The Westfälischer Kunstverein in Münster is presenting "Voices of Many Voices," a significant exhibition dedicated to the pioneering work of Julia Heyward. The show highlights Heyward’s multidisciplinary practice, which emerged from the 1970s New York performance scene, blending vocal experimentation, monologues, and complex multimedia orchestrations. By juxtaposing music, image, and language, the exhibition captures the artist's unique ability to navigate emotional extremes and the "simultaneity of opposites."

Artist Shana Moulton to speak at Humanities Decanted

Artist Shana Moulton is set to discuss her multidisciplinary practice at the "Humanities Decanted" event on April 21. The talk will focus on her long-running 'Whispering Pines' series and her recent site-specific installation at MoMA’s Kravis Studio, which features her iconic alter ego, Cynthia. Developed in collaboration with composer Nick Hallett, the project utilizes performance and video to explore a multi-chapter narrative centered on themes of wellness and consumerism.

Lee Bul's Retrospective Transforms M+ During Art Basel

The M+ museum in Hong Kong has launched a major retrospective of South Korean artist Lee Bul, timed to coincide with Art Basel Hong Kong 2026. Titled 'Lee Bul: From 1998 to Now,' the exhibition features over 200 works, including her iconic 'Cyborg' and 'Anagram' series, as well as large-scale immersive installations like 'The City of the Sun.' Co-organized with the Leeum Museum of Art, this exhibition marks the artist's largest retrospective to date and traces her evolution from early body-centric performances to complex, sci-fi-inspired urban landscapes.

NGV Has Been Named As One Of The Most Visited Art Museums In 2025, Ranking Among Other Notable Sites Like The Louvre And Tate Modern

The National Gallery of Victoria (NGV) has secured its position as Australia’s most visited art museum, ranking 25th globally in The Art Newspaper’s 2025 attendance report. The institution welcomed over 3 million visitors across its two Melbourne locations, bolstered significantly by a record-breaking Yayoi Kusama retrospective that drew 570,537 attendees. This blockbuster exhibition became the most popular ticketed show in the gallery's history, attracting international celebrities and a high percentage of overseas tourists.

Performance Artist Crackhead Barney Moves From the Streets to the Stage: ‘Art Should Be Going Insane’

Performance artist Crackhead Barney, known for her viral street interventions and ambush interviews at protests and public events, is transitioning her work to the formal stage. Her new play, GOD IS RAPING ME, is having sold-out dates at the Pageant performance space in Brooklyn, marking a significant shift from her guerrilla-style, social media-driven practice to theatrical production.

German artist Anne Imhof to be subject of ‘ambitious’ Hong Kong solo exhibition

German artist Anne Imhof will present her first solo exhibition in Asia at the Tai Kwun culture complex in Hong Kong from September 26, 2025, to January 3, 2027. The ambitious show will feature a survey of key works and a new commission, converging performance, image, sound, and architecture to create immersive encounters.

Artists, clowns, runaways: a stay at the Chelsea Hotel – in pictures

Photographer Albert Scopin has released a new book through Kerber Verlag documenting his residency at New York’s iconic Chelsea Hotel between 1969 and 1971. The collection features rare, intimate portraits of the hotel's legendary inhabitants, including a young Patti Smith and Robert Mapplethorpe before their rise to global fame, alongside long-time manager Stanley Bard and avant-garde figures like Vali Myers and Holly Woodlawn. Scopin’s lens captures the 'creative chaos' of the era, from the art-filled lobby to the eccentric private quarters of residents like composer George Kleinsinger.

Rirkrit Tiravanija to Assemble “A Gathering of Remarkable People” for Qatar Pavilion at Venice Biennale

Thai artist Rirkrit Tiravanija will headline the Qatar Pavilion at the 61st Venice Biennale with a collaborative project titled “Untitled (a gathering of remarkable people).” Curated by Tom Eccles and Ruba Katrib, the exhibition will be housed in a temporary tent in the Giardini on the site of Qatar’s future permanent pavilion. The presentation features a multidisciplinary roster including filmmaker Sophia Al-Maria, sound artist Tarek Atoui, sculptor Alia Farid, and chef Fadi Kattan, blending live performance, cinema, and Middle Eastern culinary traditions.

Phallus, Vagina, Universe

Phallus, Vagina, Universum

Marina Abramović is presenting a major retrospective at the Neue Nationalgalerie in Berlin, shifting focus from her well-known explorations of physical pain to the erotic energy of the human body. The exhibition draws heavily on Slavic folklore and pagan traditions from her Balkan heritage, exploring how ancient rituals used sexuality and the body as tools for spiritual and cosmic connection.

Art as seen by… Louise Bourgoin

L’art vu par… Louise Bourgoin

French actress Louise Bourgoin discusses her deep-rooted connection to the visual arts, stemming from her studies at the Beaux-Arts de Rennes. She reflects on her first art purchase in the Czech Republic, her obsession with line drawing, and how the abstract works of Mark Rothko have informed her acting performances. Bourgoin also reveals her upcoming project: illustrating a children's book written by Arthur Dreyfus, set for release in September.

The Asian Market Carries Art Basel Hong Kong

Le marché asiatique porte Art Basel Hong Kong

Art Basel Hong Kong 2026 concluded with strong attendance and significant sales, demonstrating the fair's central role in the Asian art market. The event attracted over 91,000 visitors and featured 240 galleries, with a strong presence from the Asia-Pacific region, Europe, and the United States. Major international galleries like Gagosian, Hauser & Wirth, and David Zwirner reported multimillion-dollar sales of works by artists such as Louise Bourgeois, Liu Ye, and Marlene Dumas, alongside notable transactions for works by Tracey Emin and Antony Gormley.

In the Heart of the Marais in Paris, the Swiss Cultural Center (Finally) Reopens its Doors

Au cœur du Marais à Paris, le Centre culturel suisse rouvre (enfin) ses portes

The Centre Culturel Suisse (CCS) in Paris is set to reopen on March 26, 2026, following a four-year renovation of its Marais district headquarters. The architectural overhaul, led by firms ASBR and Truwant+Rodet+, features modernized modular galleries, a redesigned bookstore, and a new courtyard café. The relaunch will be celebrated with a three-day festival featuring performances by choreographer Edouard Hue and music from the Bongo Joe Records label.

Art Dubai Unveils Leaner ‘Special Edition’ Built Around Regional Core

Art Dubai has announced a streamlined "special edition" for its 2026 iteration, featuring a reduced roster of approximately 75 exhibitors. Scheduled for May 15–17 at Madinat Jumeirah, the fair is pivoting toward a regional core, with 60 percent of participants hailing from the Gulf and Southwest Asia. To address economic pressures and regional instability, the fair is implementing a novel risk-sharing financial model where booth costs are partially tied to sales performance.

Artists respond to the continuing toll of colonialism in the Americas

The Chicago art space Wrightwood 659 is hosting a major survey titled "Dispossessions in the Americas: The Extraction of Bodies, Land, and Heritage from La Conquista to the Present." Featuring over 35 contemporary Latin American artists, including Regina José Galindo and the late Ana Mendieta, the exhibition serves as the culmination of a multi-year research project funded by the Mellon Foundation. The show explores the historical and ongoing impacts of colonial dispossession on Indigenous, Afro-descendant, and LGBTQ+ communities through diverse media ranging from performance art to installation.