Zurbarán in London, the Carnegie International, Walter Sickert’s Ennui—podcast

This episode of The Art Newspaper's podcast covers three major art events opening this weekend. The largest career survey of 17th-century Spanish master Francisco de Zurbarán since the 1980s opens at the National Gallery in London, co-curated by Francesca Whitlum-Cooper. The 59th Carnegie International, titled "If the word we," opens at the Carnegie Museum of Art and other venues in Pittsburgh, directed by Eric Crosby. The Work of the Week is Walter Sickert's "Ennui" (c.1914), featured in the exhibition "Walter Sickert: Working Notes" at Charleston in Lewes, curated by Robert Travers of Piano Nobile in partnership with Charleston.

Tokyo Architect Kengo Kuma Beats Out Renzo Piano and Selldorf to Design National Gallery’s £350 M. New Wing

The National Gallery in London has appointed Tokyo-based architect Kengo Kuma to design a new £350 million wing as part of its ambitious £750 million "Project Domani" expansion. Kuma, known for the V&A Dundee, beat out high-profile Pritzker Prize winners Renzo Piano and Norman Foster for the commission. The project involves the demolition of St. Vincent House to create 15,000 square feet of new exhibition space dedicated to 20th and 21st-century art, along with new pedestrian zones and a roof garden.

National Gallery picks Tokyo Olympic stadium architect to design new wing

The National Gallery in London has selected Japanese architect Kengo Kuma to design a major new wing as part of its ambitious £750m "Project Domani." Kuma, known for the Tokyo Olympic stadium and V&A Dundee, beat out high-profile competitors including Norman Foster and Renzo Piano. The expansion will occupy a site near Trafalgar Square currently housing a hotel and office complex, and is supported by record-breaking £150m donations from both the Julia Rausing Trust and the Crankstart foundation.

Ides Kihlen, Abstract Painter and Argentine Art Legend, Dies at 108

Ides Kihlen, the beloved Argentine abstract painter, died on April 14 at age 108. Her first solo exhibition came at age 85 in 2002 at the National Museum of Decorative Arts in Buenos Aires, after which her career blossomed with presentations at institutions including the Museum of Modern Art of São Paulo and the Emilio Caraffa Fine Arts Museum. Known for rhythmic compositions blending geometric forms, experimental line work, and collage on varied supports, Kihlen maintained a daily routine of painting from morning and playing piano after sunset, reflecting her lifelong dual commitment to art and music.

Thailand Biennale 2025 Review: Beyond the Tropical Paradise

The fourth Thailand Biennale, titled 'Eternal [Kalpa]', has launched across 19 venues in Phuket, aiming to challenge the island's reputation as a mere tropical leisure destination. Curated by a team including Hera Chan, the exhibition utilizes diverse locations—from municipal gymnasiums to mangrove forests—to explore themes of subjective time and local history. Despite logistical delays that saw some artists still installing works during the press preview, the biennial presents a series of site-specific commissions that engage with Phuket’s ecological and social complexities.

Tel Aviv Museum turns shelters into art spaces during war

During weeks of war in Israel, the Tel Aviv Museum of Art closed its galleries and moved a rare exhibition, "The Day Is Gone: 100 Years of the New Objectivity," into reinforced protected spaces. Director Tania Coen-Uzzielli then created guided tours inside the shelter, complete with live piano music and interpretation, allowing visitors to experience the artworks in a space designed for safety rather than display. The tour, titled "The Event Has Not Ended," plays on the automated safety notification that signals the end of a siren threat, suggesting that the event of war never truly ends.

An Italian Photographer Traveled to Palestine to Document the Growth of Two Bedouin Twins

Una fotografa italiana ha viaggiato in Palestina per documentare la crescita di due gemelle beduine

Italian photographer Monica Biancardi presents a nearly two-decade-long photographic project documenting the growth of two Bedouin twins, Sara and Sarah, in Palestine. The exhibition, titled 'Il capitale che cresce' (The Capital That Grows), opens at the MAN museum in Nuoro on April 24, 2026, and features black-and-white pigment prints from 2009 to 2023, alongside plexiglass maps and a travel video.