Staff at Goldsmiths art college plan industrial action ahead of redundancies

Staff at Goldsmiths, University of London, have voted to take industrial action in response to a massive restructuring plan aimed at saving £22 million by 2027. The University and College Union (UCU) reports that the 'Future Goldsmiths' initiative will lead to significant redundancies for both professional services and academic staff. Tensions have escalated following revelations that the institution spent over £14 million on private consultants and legal fees related to previous restructuring efforts while simultaneously cutting jobs.

The Beautiful Renaissance of the [mac] in Marseille

La belle renaissance du [mac] à Marseille

The [mac] (Musée d’Art Contemporain) in Marseille is undergoing a significant revival following years of stagnation and underfunding. Under the new leadership of Stéphanie Airaud, who was appointed in 2023, the museum has completed major renovations including updated storage facilities, a new rooftop terrace, and a reorganized gallery layout. The institution is leveraging its impressive but previously underutilized collection of over 1,000 works—featuring masters like Basquiat, Klein, and Saint Phalle—while actively working to correct historical gender imbalances and strengthen ties to Mediterranean contemporary art.

The Story of Art + Water

Author Dave Eggers and artist JD Beltran have launched Art + Water, a new initiative located at Pier 29 in San Francisco designed to bypass the traditional art school model. The program seeks to resurrect the historical artist-apprentice and atelier systems, providing students with practical skills and studio space without the prohibitive costs of modern higher education. By partnering with the Port of San Francisco and the Community Arts Stabilization Trust, the founders aim to revitalize the city's waterfront while offering a sustainable alternative to the current debt-heavy academic landscape.

Fresh voices of Pakistani art

The Islamabad Art Gallery has launched 'Souch Say Saqafat Tak,' a landmark exhibition showcasing the debut works of recent art school graduates from across Pakistan. Curated by Raheel Arshad in collaboration with Khyal Art Space, the show features a diverse array of mediums including digital glitches, traditional calligraphy, and abstract portraiture. The opening event drew significant cultural figures, including writer Irfan Ahmed Urfi and photographer Mobeen Ansari, highlighting a collective effort to bridge the gap between academic training and professional practice.

“100% L’Expo”: 5 Young Talents Shaping Today’s Art at La Villette

« 100 % L’Expo » : 5 jeunes talents qui font l’art d’aujourd’hui à La Villette

The Grande Halle de La Villette in Paris is hosting "100% L’Expo," a major showcase featuring emerging talents from art schools across France. Curated by Inès Geoffroy, this year’s edition highlights a diverse range of multidisciplinary installations focusing on themes of living ecosystems, diasporic memories, and new spiritualities. Notable participants include Zoé Saudrais, whose work blends activism with ceramics and textiles, and Joséphine Berthou, who presents a tense, two-screen video installation exploring social aggression.

What Future for Art Centers?

Quel avenir pour les centres d’art ?

The article examines the uncertain future of contemporary art centers in France, a category that encompasses vastly different institutions from major venues like the Palais de Tokyo to smaller regional spaces. These non-collecting institutions, dedicated to exhibiting emerging artists and experimentation, face fragility due to heavy reliance on local government funding and difficulty proving their utility to elected officials. Their core mission is further challenged by more robust regional contemporary art funds (Fracs), which have greater resources for similar goals of exhibiting ultra-contemporary art and cultural democratization.

VCUarts’ 2026 MFA Thesis Exhibition at the Institute for Contemporary Art

Virginia Commonwealth University's School of the Arts (VCUarts) is presenting its 2026 Master of Fine Arts Thesis Exhibition in two parts at the Institute for Contemporary Art in Richmond. The exhibition showcases the culminating work of 28 MFA candidates across disciplines including Craft/Material Studies, Graphic Design, Painting + Printmaking, and Sculpture + Extended Media, curated by Egbert Vongmalaithong of the ICA and guest curator Taylor Jasper from the Walker Art Center.

Grackle Art Gallery presents "Blank" opening reception

Grackle Art Gallery is set to host "Blank," a group exhibition curated by the artist duo Kickpigeon Kids. Featuring works from students and affiliates of The Alternative Art School, the show explores the conceptual theme of blankness as a site of limitless potential and unsaid narratives. The curators, Cosmo Jones and Max Marshall, employ an experimental approach by integrating the artists' works with found objects and ephemera to create a singular, immersive installation.

Whitefield Art Collective celebrates ninth edition of its annual festival

The Whitefield Art Collective has launched its ninth annual edition in Bengaluru, transforming the VR Bengaluru mall into a sprawling public art gallery. This year's festival, themed around 'Sustain,' features over 100 artworks including sculptures, paintings, and installations created by both established artists and students from prestigious institutions like the Government College of Fine Arts and the Karnataka Chitrakala Parishath. The event includes a diverse program of photography workshops, live painting, and musical performances, anchored by a signature 'Wearable Art' fashion show.