Art Basel Curbs Pre-Fair Sales—and More Art Industry News

Art Basel has launched a "Basel Exclusive" initiative to curb pre-fair PDF sales, encouraging galleries to withhold works from previews to drive in-person discovery at its flagship Swiss event (June 16–21). Around 170 of 232 exhibitors have opted in. Meanwhile, Volta returns to Basel with a new "5,000 Edit" section for works under CHF 5,000 to attract younger collectors, and the alternative fair Esther will hold its third edition in New York during Frieze Week. In other news, Sotheby's set a U.S. record for design auctions with the Jean and Terry de Gunzburg collection totaling $96 million, and billionaire collector Mitchell P. Rales pledged $116 million to the National Gallery of Art to fund loans to smaller museums. The Smithsonian American Art Museum named Lynda Roscoe Hartigan as its new director, and Gladstone Gallery plans a new Seoul space for 2026.

Hotel Room Transforms into Media Art Exhibition Space

South Korea's only media art fair, Loop Plus, was held from April 23 to 26 at the Grand Josun Busan Hotel in Haeundae, Busan. The fair transformed 26 hotel rooms on the 13th floor into exhibition spaces, featuring media artworks from 19 international galleries including Tang Contemporary Art, Esther Schipper, Chiwen Gallery, and Baek Art. Highlights included a 38-minute video installation by Russian artist group AES+F titled *‘Inverso Mundus’*, presented by Tang Contemporary Art, which humorously subverts societal absurdities. The event also included artist booths for Kang Lee-yeon and Lucia Levolino, and institutional booths for the Justice Foundation and Gwangju Media Art Platform. A related festival, Loop Lab Busan 2026, runs until June 28 across multiple venues in Busan.

Julie Hamisky's garden, the artist who fixes the ephemeral in time, is on show in a Milan auction house

Il giardino di Julie Hamisky, l’artista che fissa l’effimero nel tempo è in mostra in una casa d’aste di Milano

French artist and designer Julie Hamisky presents 'Giardino Alchemico' (Alchemical Garden) at Pandolfini Auction House in Milan during Fuorisalone. The exhibition, organized in collaboration with Galerie Mitterrand of Paris, features around twenty works including monumental sculptures like 'La Géante' (a giant poppy), jewelry, and a chandelier titled 'Aqua'. Hamisky uses electroplating—a 19th-century technique she learned from her father-in-law—to preserve fresh plants and flowers by coating them in metal, freezing them at their peak of beauty before decay. The process involves immersing botanicals in a galvanic bath with electric current, creating unpredictable color variations from deep greens and electric blues to lilacs and warm copper tones.

‘Embrace of the Earth’: Rajib Ahasen’s debut solo exhibition opens at AFD

Rajib Ahasen's debut solo exhibition, 'Embrace of the Earth', opened on April 24, 2026, at La Galerie, Alliance Française de Dhaka (AFD). The show features around 36 works in watercolour and acrylic, rooted in the artist's memories of rural Bangladesh and his transition to urban life. Scenes of earthen roads, canals, riverbanks, and agrarian life dominate the collection, reflecting a personal narrative shaped by observation and recollection. Ahasen, who earned a Mawlana degree from a Qawmi madrasah in 2014 without formal fine arts training, has previously participated in national and international exhibitions including the Friendship Art Exhibition and Kahal International Art Fair.

Art in Bloom returns to Mia, transforming galleries with floral interpretations

Art in Bloom, the Minneapolis Institute of Art's annual floral showcase, returned from April 23 to 26, 2026, featuring over 160 flower arrangements inspired by artworks from the museum's permanent collection. The free, four-day event, presented by the Friends of the Institute, drew thousands of visitors and included guided tours, family activities, and expanded programming. Floral designers, florists, and garden clubs placed their interpretations alongside original pieces, with this year's centerpiece inspired by a Japanese Presentation vase from the early 20th century, once owned by railroad magnate James J. Hill.

Art exhibition at Two Selves Gallery explores a journey through depression

Two Selves Gallery in Troy, New York, opened a new exhibition titled "Coming Out of Darkness: Landscapes of Presence" by artist Patricia Wood during the April Troy Night Out event. The show, on display through May, is divided into three sections: a series of acrylic paintings on black velvet depicting forest scenes from the Adirondacks, a middle section featuring reference photos, miniatures, encaustic works, and mental health resources, and a front section with oil paintings of Winnie the Pooh characters and Wood's jewelry. Wood describes the exhibition as a personal journey through depression, using light and dark to convey her struggle and recovery.

Melville to become an open-air art gallery for a weekend

Melville Open Studios returns for its ninth year, transforming the Western Australian suburb into an open-air gallery for one weekend. Seventy-seven local artists will open their home studios and dedicated hubs—including Atwell House, Goolugatup Heathcote, Applecross Art Gallery, Feld & Co., and Myaree Ceramics—to the public. Visitors can explore ceramics, painting, printmaking, floristry, mixed media, and textiles, purchase artworks commission-free, and take guided bus tours across six routes. Coordinator Jennifer Gaye, who took over the event from the City of Melville in 2022, reports that last year's edition attracted 5,000 visitors and generated over $100,000 in direct sales for artists.

Prairie photography and Fantastical Art featured at EAGM

Two exhibitions are currently on view at the Estevan Art Gallery and Museum (EAGM) in Saskatchewan, Canada. One features prairie landscape and wildlife photography by Nicola Dare, while the other presents colorful, fantastical sculptures and drawings by Kristin Teetaert in a show titled "A Selection of Specimens." Both exhibitions run through the end of May, offering visitors contrasting artistic experiences from realistic nature imagery to imaginative, biomorphic forms.

In Venice, a new project aims to transform museums into living, participatory spaces

A Venezia un nuovo progetto punta a trasformare i musei in spazi vivi e partecipati

The Fondazione Musei Civici di Venezia (MUVE) has launched "Performing MUVE," a new program set to begin in spring 2026 that reimagines museums as dynamic, participatory spaces. The initiative, developed by MUVE Academy and MUVE Education, will unfold across three venues: Museo Fortuny, Casa di Carlo Goldoni, and the new MUVEC – Casa delle Contemporaneità in Mestre. The program includes four distinct projects—led by Mattia Berto, choreographer Elena Ajani, actress Sara Urban, and dancer Giulia Gemma Manfrotto—that use dance, theater, and embodied practices to transform visitors from passive observers into active participants.

From Rocky to Rizzo: Monument Expert Paul Farber Talks Statues and Public Spaces

Paul Farber, founder of Monument Lab, discusses his new exhibition "Rising Up: Rocky and the Making of Monuments" at the Philadelphia Museum of Art. The show moves the iconic Rocky statue inside the museum and examines how a fictional boxer's statue became Philadelphia's most famous work of art, exploring broader questions about collective memory and public commemoration. Farber also reflects on the dismantling of the Frank Rizzo statue and how unintentional monuments like the Berlin Wall shape cultural discourse.

LA LECHUZA DE MINERVA

The Círculo de Bellas Artes in Madrid, founded in 1926 by a small group of artists, has launched a centenary exhibition titled "La lechuza de Minerva" (The Owl of Minerva). Curated by Isabella Lenzi, the project revisits the institution's most disruptive exhibition, "El sueño imperativo" (1991), curated by Mar Villaespesa, which invited twelve artists to intervene in both exhibition spaces and transit areas, challenging traditional display logic. The new exhibition features works by artists including Dagoberto Rodríguez, Elo Vega, Rogelio López Cuenca, Isidoro Valcárcel Medina, Itziar Okariz, Los Carpinteros, María Salgado, Pedro G. Romero, Regina Silveira, Silbatriz Pons, and Tino Sehgal, who activate hidden and unexpected corners of the building through visual and sound actions. The project also restores Nancy Spero's 1991 intervention "Minerva, Sky Goddess," which had largely disappeared, through archaeological research led by restorer Rocío Casasus.

Lee ShinJa's Handwoven Portals

Hyperallergic profiles the work of South Korean textile artist Lee ShinJa, whose handwoven artworks are described as 'portals' that bridge traditional craft and contemporary abstraction. The article highlights her use of traditional Korean weaving techniques to create layered, ethereal pieces that evoke both physical and metaphysical spaces.

Step Inside Mariem Akmal's 'Visual Diaries' Exhibit at Samak Laban

Cairo-based artist Mariem Akmal opened her second solo exhibition, 'Visual Diaries', at Samak Laban Creative Studio in Downtown Cairo. The show features 16 works in oil, acrylics, pastels, spray paint, and glass, capturing emotional snapshots from the past four years of her life, including her graduation from the Faculty of Fine Arts in Zamalek. The exhibition runs until May 25th, 2026.

Spice up your life: Tate channels 90s glam at The Groucho Club

Tate Britain held a press preview for its upcoming exhibition "The 90s: Art and Fashion" (8 October 2026 – 14 February 2027) at The Groucho Club in London. The show, curated by former British Vogue editor Edward Enninful alongside Tate curators, explores the creative energy of the 1990s, featuring works by artists such as Damien Hirst, Corinne Day, Helen Chadwick, and Jenny Saville. Enninful emphasized that the exhibition is not solely focused on the Young British Artists (YBA) moment but presents a broader cultural narrative.

The Art of the Chosen Family

Die Kunst der Wahlfamilie

Mike D, co-founder of the Beastie Boys, has co-curated an exhibition titled "Mishpocha. The Art of Collaboration" at the Jewish Museum Frankfurt. The show explores the concept of family beyond biological ties, featuring works such as Ira Eduardovna's video installation "The Library Room," which depicts a family packing for emigration, and immersive audiovisual spaces evoking techno, hip-hop, punk, and Riot Grrrl subcultures. The exhibition includes contributions from artist Jan Ove Hennig, photographer Jan Zappner, design studio Atelier Markgraph, and hospitality group Ima Clique, with Mike D serving as artistic director and ambassador.

Printed Matter’s LA Art Book Fair Returns May 7–10

Printed Matter's LA Art Book Fair (LAABF) returns to ArtCenter South Campus in Pasadena, California, from May 7 to 10, 2026. The fair will feature 250 exhibitors, including international artists, publishers, and booksellers, alongside programs such as talks and panels in The Classroom, music and performances on The Stage, and special Project Spaces presentations by groups like Archivos Desviados, Bread & Puppet Press, and Getty. An Opening Night celebration on May 7, co-organized with Orange Radio & Homebody, will include live music by sonrisita and Mia Carucci, a limited edition ticket by Amia Yokoyama for the first 500 guests, and a new collaborative artist edition by Deanna Templeton and Ed Templeton.

Masure Gallery Brings a Focused Lens to Local Fine Art Photography in Fort Worth

Masure Gallery of Photography has opened in Fort Worth, Texas, as the city's only gallery dedicated exclusively to fine art photography. Founded through a partnership between gallery manager Simone Fischer and the co-owners of Fort Worth Camera, Jeff and CJ Masure, the space transforms a former event room into a white-walled exhibition venue with gallery-quality lighting. The gallery launched with "RED – A Bold Photography Exhibition," selected from nearly 200 open-call submissions requiring the color red, and now represents six local photographers: Walt Burns, Brooks Burris, Caroline Hanson, Chris Ireland, Felix Schilling, and K.P. Wilska. The first solo show, "Modern Exposure" by Walt Burns, opens June 4.

Schloss Bellevue wird temporär Ausstellungshaus

Schloss Bellevue, the official residence of German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier in Berlin, will be transformed into a temporary pop-up gallery for two weeks from June 13 to 28, before undergoing a major renovation expected to last around eight years. The exhibition, organized in cooperation with the Akademie der Künste, will feature works by artists including Katharina Grosse, Wolfgang Tillmans, and Monica Bonvicini, taking advantage of the emptied rooms ahead of the president's move-out before the summer break. Free timed-entry tickets will be available from May 18 via the Akademie's website.

Local artist Shauna McChesney hosting solo art exhibition in Cranberry in June

Local artist Shauna McChesney will host a solo exhibition titled “Colors of Nature” from June 5th to June 30th at the Cranberry Township Municipal Center in Cranberry Township, Pennsylvania. The opening reception runs from 6 to 8 p.m. on June 5th, and McChesney is the Cranberry Artists Network’s featured artist for June. Her work draws inspiration from the colors and textures of the natural world and incorporates a variety of media.

Cranbrook Art Museum mini-golf returns with free gallery admission

Cranbrook Art Museum in Bloomfield Hills is bringing back its artist-designed miniature golf course, Cranbrook on the Green, starting May 2, 2026. The nine-hole course will be set beside the iconic Triton Pools, blending mini-golf with an outdoor art experience, and each round includes free admission to the museum's galleries.

Giant Buddha Lands in New York

Artist Xandra Ibarra staged a nude performance titled "Nude Laughing" at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, walking through the contemporary galleries to challenge viewer etiquette and spark conversations about consent, art history, and the human body. Separately, a 27-foot-tall Buddha sculpture has been installed on the High Line in New York, serving as a resurrection of the destroyed Bamiyan Buddhas and a critical piece of cultural heritage.

The Essential Works of Rirkrit Tiravanija

ArtAsiaPacific profiles Rirkrit Tiravanija, a pioneering figure in relational aesthetics known for participatory works centered on communal dining and shared rituals. The article traces his career from his first solo exhibition "untitled 1990 (pad thai)" at Paula Allen Gallery in New York, where he cooked and served pad thai to visitors, to his current major retrospective "The House That Jack Built" at Pirelli HangarBicocca in Milan, running through July 26. Tiravanija, born in Buenos Aires in 1961 and raised across multiple countries, has received numerous accolades including the Hugo Boss Prize (2004) and a nomination in the Established Artist category at the 2026 Art Basel Awards. He is also preparing to present a tent-like structure at the Qatari pavilion for the 2026 Venice Biennale, featuring contributions by Sophia Al-Maria, Tarek Atoui, Alia Farid, and Fadi Kattan.

Night of the Museums will be held in Tampere on Saturday, May 16 [City of Tampere]

The Night of the Museums will take place in Tampere, Finland, on Saturday, May 16, featuring over 40 exhibitions across multiple venues including the Tampere Art Museum, Sara Hildén Art Museum, Museum Centre Vapriikki, Moomin Museum, Finnish Labour Museum Werstas, and others. The event offers special guided tours, children's activities with clowns and circus performances, art workshops led by visual artists, live music and poetry, dance lessons, and themed tours covering topics from football history to men's fashion.

Flinders exhibition revives the ’60s-’70s

Flinders University Museum of Art (FUMA) presents 'Anarchive: knowledge follows form', a solo exhibition by South Australian artist Bridget Currie running from 27 April to 19 June 2026. The show reimagines the archive as a living force, drawing on FUMA's 'Post-object and Documentation Art' collection from the 1960s and 1970s. It features works by Bonita Ely, Alison Goodwin, Poppy Johnson, Dorothy Thompson, and Eva Yuen Man-Wah, including Thompson's playful protest performances in bird costumes. The exhibition is co-presented with Adelaide Contemporary Experimental and includes a guest-edited issue of Artlink magazine.