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Es Devlin, the renowned set designer behind iconic pop culture moments for Beyoncé, Kanye West, Lady Gaga, and Miley Cyrus, is shifting focus from large-scale commercial spectacles to more personal artistic projects. A new monograph and retrospective at the Cooper Hewitt, titled "An Atlas of Es Devlin," catalogues her three-decade career, while her latest installation "Surfacing," commissioned by BMW and unveiled at Art Basel 2024, marks a turn toward fine art. Devlin, now 50, describes this phase as a liberating new chapter where she feels "nothing to lose."

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Jordan Wolfson's new virtual reality artwork "Little Room" at the Fondation Beyeler in Basel, Switzerland, immerses participants in a multi-stage experience that begins with a full-body scan and proceeds to a VR encounter designed to be "morally and emotionally challenging." The piece combines elements from Wolfson's earlier puppet-based works with his notorious VR piece "Real Violence" (2017), which sparked controversy at the Whitney Biennial for depicting a brutal beating. Participants are paired, scanned, and guided through the experience by assistants, with early reactions suggesting the work provokes strong emotional responses.

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The Robert Rauschenberg Foundation is launching a global centenary celebration for the artist's 100th birthday, spanning 2025–2026. The program includes major exhibitions at seven institutions across five countries, such as "Five Friends" at Museum Brandhorst in Munich and Museum Ludwig in Cologne, photography shows at the Museum of the City of New York and Fundación Juan March in Madrid, and an exhibition at M+ in Hong Kong focusing on Rauschenberg's ROCI program. The foundation is also initiating grant-making initiatives to highlight Rauschenberg's legacy in art, technology, environmentalism, and social justice.

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Cristin Tierney, a seasoned art dealer, has opened a new gallery space in New York's Tribeca district, marking her fourth relocation in fifteen years. The inaugural exhibition, titled “Fifteen,” is a group show featuring over 30 artists who have shaped the gallery's identity, including Dread Scott, Mary Lucier, Judy Pfaff, and Shaun Leonardo. Tierney's move comes amid widespread reports of gallery closures, positioning her expansion as a strategic bet on the viability of midsize, independent dealers. The gallery's model combines a conceptual front-room program with secondary-market sales, a practice Tierney likens to the legacy of Leo Castelli.

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Two major New York museums are celebrating the centennial of Robert Rauschenberg's (1925–2008) birth this fall with exhibitions that spotlight lesser-known chapters of his career. At the Guggenheim New York, the monumental silkscreen painting "Barge" (1962–63) returns to New York in October for the first time in nearly 25 years as part of a show titled "Life Can't Be Stopped." The Museum of the City of New York (MCNY) will showcase Rauschenberg's undersung photography work focused on New York City. Neither exhibition features his famous "Combines," instead highlighting other aspects of his wide-ranging practice. The Guggenheim's show is part of its new "Focus" series, launched in November 2024, which aims to highlight the museum's collection.

Radiohead Hits the Road With a Haunting Immersive Installation

Radiohead has announced a North American tour for "Motion Picture House," a massive 17,000-square-foot immersive audiovisual installation. The project features a 75-minute film titled Kid A Mnesia, directed by Sean Evans, which incorporates art created by frontman Thom Yorke and longtime collaborator Stanley Donwood. Launching at the Coachella festival before traveling to cities like Brooklyn and Mexico City, the experience combines surround-sound studio recordings with physical galleries displaying the original source art from the band's seminal turn-of-the-century albums.

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The Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum will reopen its newly renovated Flight and Arts Center in July 2026 with a major exhibition devoted to Robert Rauschenberg. Titled “The Ascent of Rauschenberg: Reinventing the Art of Flight,” the show features 30 works by the American Pop artist, some never before exhibited, tracing how aviation and space exploration themes permeated his six-decade career. Highlights include his lithograph *Sky Garden (Stoned Moon)*, inspired by the Apollo 11 mission, and works from his “Combines” series. The exhibition draws loans from the Hirshhorn Museum, the Smithsonian American Art Museum, the National Gallery of Art, and the Robert Rauschenberg Foundation.

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Sue Williamson's first-ever retrospective, "There's something I must tell you," is on view at the Iziko National Gallery in Cape Town through September 24, 2025. The exhibition spans five decades of her practice, which combines photography, drawing, and installation to explore themes of memory, remembrance, and the enduring impacts of apartheid and colonialism in South Africa. Key works include the video "There's something I must tell you" (2013), featuring conversations between anti-apartheid activists and their granddaughters; "A Few South Africans" (1982–87), a series of photo etchings celebrating influential women; and the installation "Messages from the Moat" (1997), which memorializes enslaved people brought to Cape Town. A new installation, "Don't Let the Sun Catch You Crying" (2024), is also featured.

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The New York Botanical Garden's 34th annual "Holiday Train Show" features miniature replicas of New York landmarks crafted from natural materials by the botanical artists of Applied Imagination. This year's edition adds two new models: the recently renovated Delacorte Theater in Central Park and the Whitney Museum of American Art's Meatpacking District flagship, designed by Renzo Piano. The Whitney replica, built over three months by artist Ava Roberts and fabrication director Kaitlin Schmidt, uses a new two-way mirrored acrylic glass technique for the windows and incorporates materials like purple smoke bush branches, horse chestnut bark, and fallen Zelkova bark. The company, founded by Paul Busse in 1991 and now run by his daughter Laura Busse Dolan, creates whimsical versions of landmarks using leaves, sticks, fungi, and other dried plant materials.

Pittsburgh’s new $31m Arts Landing combines public art with civic engagement

Pittsburgh's new $31 million public space, Arts Landing, opened on 17 April, just before the NFL Draft and the 59th Carnegie International. Developed by the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust, the project features public artworks by vanessa german, Darian Johnson, Lenka Clayton, Phillip Andrew Lewis, Sharmistha Ray, Mikael Owunna, Marques Redd, John Peña, Shikeith, and the late Thaddeus Mosley. Highlights include Shikeith's neon sculpture *Hold*, part of his *Project Blue Space*, and Mosley's *Touching the Earth* series, originally commissioned by New York's Public Art Fund. The space also includes a playground, bandshell, and artist-designed pickleball courts.

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Emma McIntyre, a New Zealand-born painter known for her oxidation technique using rust on canvas, has rapidly ascended in the art world. After earning MFAs in Auckland and Pasadena, she joined mega-gallery David Zwirner in 2024, with additional representation by Château Shatto in Los Angeles and Air de Paris. Her auction record was set at Phillips London in October 2025, with her work "Seven types of ambiguity" selling for $225,100. McIntyre's practice blends material experimentation—including iron oxide pigments and bubble wrap—with references spanning Greek myth to Rococo art.

Robert Rauschenberg at 100: How the Relentless Experimenter Rewired American Art

A global celebration marks the centennial of Robert Rauschenberg's birth on October 22, 1925, with a bumper program of exhibitions at major museums including the Museum of the City of New York, the Guggenheim in New York, the Walker Art Center in Minneapolis, the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, Des Moines Art Center, the Menil in Houston, Museum Ludwig in Cologne, and M+ in Hong Kong. The article highlights eight key facts about Rauschenberg's life and career, from his early use of the G.I. Bill to study art in Paris and at Black Mountain College, to his rebellion against teacher Josef Albers, and his invention of the "Combines"—radical painting-sculpture hybrids that broke with Abstract Expressionism and predicted Pop Art.

Natasha Tontey to Unveil Major New Immersive Installation Exploring Indigenous Resistance During Venice Biennale

Artist Natasha Tontey will unveil a major immersive installation titled "The Phantom Combatants and the Metabolism of Disobedient Organs" during the Venice Biennale at the Ateneo Veneto di Scienze, Lettere ed Arti. Jointly commissioned by Berlin’s LAS Art Foundation and Helsinki’s Amos Rex, the work combines video, sound, light, and sculpture to reimagine the story of Len Karamoy, a combatant in the CIA-supported Permesta movement that fought the Indonesian government from 1957 to 1961 in North Sulawesi. Tontey, a Minahasan Indigenous artist, uses LiDAR, quantum ghost imaging, and other technologies to explore Indigenous identity, ecology, and the blurring of history and myth.

On View: 'Jacob Lawrence: African American Modernist' at Kunsthal KAdE is First Retrospective of Celebrated Artist in Europe

Kunsthal KAdE in Amersfoort, Netherlands, is hosting 'Jacob Lawrence: African American Modernist,' the first European retrospective of the American artist Jacob Lawrence (1917-2000). The exhibition spans his six-decade career from the 1930s, featuring 70 paintings, 25 drawings, and 75 prints, along with photographs and archival materials. It includes works from his celebrated series on the Great Migration, Builders, World War II, and historical figures like Harriet Tubman and Toussaint L'Ouverture, as well as new works by contemporary artists Barbara Earl Thomas and Nina Chanel Abney inspired by Lawrence.

Smithsonian American Art Museum Debuts Monumental New Commission by Nick Cave in February 2026

The Smithsonian American Art Museum will debut "Nick Cave: Mammoth," a monumental new commission by artist Nick Cave, in February 2026. This marks Cave's first solo exhibition in Washington, D.C., and represents the museum's largest-ever commission by a single artist. The installation combines sculpture, video, and found objects, drawing on Cave's childhood in Chariton County, Missouri, and exploring themes of family history, landscapes, and craft traditions. The exhibition will be on view from February 13, 2026, through January 3, 2027, and is organized by curator Sarah Newman.

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Nayland Blake, a conceptual artist known for blending cerebral ideas with visceral, queer sensibilities, is the subject of a major solo exhibition at Mathew Marks Gallery in New York, running through October 2025. Concurrently, a new book titled *My Studio Is a Dungeon Is the Studio: Writings and Interviews 1983–2024* is set for release next month, compiling decades of the artist's writings and interviews. The article explores Blake's unique approach to art, which combines psychoanalytic theory, queer aesthetics, and a critical stance toward institutional power, as seen in their analysis of figures like Judge Daniel Paul Schreber and artist Jack Smith.

Music & Maker's Night with “Get Surreal (A Surreal Lens)” Tour, May 14

The Figge Art Museum in Davenport, Iowa, is hosting a Music & Maker's Night on May 14, featuring a guided tour of the exhibition "Get Surreal (A Surreal Lens)" led by Co-Senior Curator Joshua Johnson. The event includes an art-making activity and live music in the museum's Quad City Bank & Trust Grand Lobby. The exhibition explores how photographers from the earliest days of the medium have used techniques like montage, double exposure, and digital manipulation to distort reality and create dreamlike imagery, featuring works by artists such as Alan Cohen, György Kepes, Olivia Parker, and Emmet Gowin.

Turner prize 2026 shortlist points to sculpture as a way of thinking about power, ecology and belief

The Turner Prize 2026 shortlist has been announced, featuring four artists—Simeon Barclay, Marguerite Humeau, Kira Freije, and a fourth unnamed artist—whose practices are rooted in sculpture and installation. The jury, chaired by Alex Farquharson (director of Tate Britain) and including Sarah Allen, Joe Hill, Sook-Kyung Lee, and Alona Pardo, praised the artists for their material intelligence and ability to link sculptural language to systems of power, memory, and belief. Barclay's work combines performance and industrial materials to explore British national identity, Humeau's speculative sculptures investigate non-human intelligence and belief systems, and Freije's hybrid figures examine vulnerability and identity through fabric and metal.

Texas Art Legend Robert Rauschenberg is Celebrated in Groundbreaking Nasher Exhibition

The Nasher Sculpture Center in Dallas has launched "Rauschenberg Sculpture," a major exhibition marking the first museum presentation dedicated exclusively to Robert Rauschenberg’s three-dimensional works in three decades. Organized by senior curator Dr. Catherine Craft in collaboration with the Robert Rauschenberg Foundation, the show features over two dozen works spanning the 1950s to the 1990s, including his iconic "Combines," rotating Plexiglas "Revolvers," and experimental clay and metal assemblages.

Taichung’s new ‘Museumbrary’ expands Taiwan’s culture credentials

A new cultural complex called the Taichung Green Museumbrary, designed by Japanese architecture firm SANAA, opens tomorrow in Taichung, Taiwan. The 58,000-square-meter project combines the Taichung Art Museum and Taichung Public Library across eight interconnected white-box structures in Central Park. The opening includes site-specific commissions by artists Michael Lin and Haegue Yang, and an inaugural exhibition titled 'A Call of All Beings: See You Tomorrow, Same Time, Same Place' featuring international artists such as Joseph Beuys, Joan Jonas, and Myrlande Constant alongside Taiwanese artists.

UC Davis Artist, Sociologist, Ph.D. Student Reflect on ‘Breathe' Exhibition at Manetti Shrem Museum

Three UC Davis scholars—artist and professor Margaret Laurena Kemp, a sociologist, and a Ph.D. student—reflect on the exhibition 'Breath(e): Toward Climate and Social Justice' at the Manetti Shrem Museum. The show, curated by Glenn Kaino and Mika Yoshitake, combines climate change and social justice themes through works like Jin-me Yoon's video installation 'Turning Time (Pacific Flyways),' 2022. Kemp incorporates the exhibit into her course, using breathwork and dance to engage students with Black literature and visual art, culminating in a student performance at the museum on November 13.

Artworks That Give Back. Our Selection of 10 Artists at the Artis Arundo Spotlight.

The article highlights the Artis Arundo Spotlight, a chapter of the TOP CHARITY Art exhibition in Warsaw, featuring 10 contemporary artists including Helena Stiasny, Courage Hunke, Aleksandra Liput, and Zuzanna Szary. Their works are available in an online charity auction until June 8, 2025, with proceeds supporting artist grants, residencies, and project funding. The exhibition, held at the King John III Palace Museum in Wilanów, also includes a preview of the OmenaArt Foundation's African art collection, a Sculpture Garden with Opera Gallery, and a tribute to Amedeo Modigliani's Tête de Cariatide.

Heading for Brittany! 5 art galleries to visit in Rennes

Cap sur la Bretagne ! 5 galeries d’art à visiter à Rennes

Beaux Arts Magazine highlights five art galleries to visit in Rennes, France, a city already known for its Musée des Beaux-Arts, art centers 40mcube and La Criée, and a spectacular Frac designed by architect Odile Decq. The featured galleries include Oniris, which celebrates 40 years and the centenary of artist François Morellet in 2026; Jonathan Roze, a newcomer from Paris now located on Place du Parlement; Mica, a gallery in Saint-Grégoire run by former cabinetmaker Michaël Chéneau; and Divet, an even older gallery with a strong Breton identity.

Sara Shamma on Representing Syria at the 61st Venice Biennale

Sara Shamma will represent Syria at the 61st Venice Biennale (2026) with a large-scale immersive installation titled *The Tower Tomb of Palmyra*. The 15-meter-high multisensory work combines painting, architecture, light, sound, and scent, inspired by the ancient funerary towers of Palmyra that were destroyed during the Syrian War. Shamma describes the piece as a reflection on loss, resilience, and cultural memory, and notes its resonance with the Biennale's theme, *In Minor Keys*, curated by Koyo Kouoh.

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Artist Ryan McGinness has published a new art book titled 'Trip Advisor: Notes From over 25 Years of Psychedelic Voyages.' The book combines images of his paintings, studio photos, and personal diaries chronicling his experiences with psilocybin mushrooms since 1999, alongside essays reflecting on their significance.

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Lynart Store, an online platform and art gallery based in Paris, is profiled through an interview with its founder Lior Brahami. Founded in 2019, Lynart specializes in prints, editions, and sculptures by both established and emerging artists from around the world. Brahami explains that the gallery was created to make art more accessible and less intimidating than traditional galleries, focusing on emotional connection and narrative in the artworks selected. The article highlights Lynart's commitment to supporting emerging artists through curatorial strategy, international exposure, and career guidance.

Olafur Eliasson Uses Art and Sound to Raise Climate Awareness in Utah

Danish-Icelandic artist Olafur Eliasson has created a new installation in Utah that combines art and sound to raise awareness about climate change. Drawing on his childhood experiences in Iceland and Denmark, the work uses natural elements and sensory engagement to connect viewers with environmental issues. The piece is part of a broader effort by the artist to use immersive, site-specific art to provoke reflection on humanity's relationship with the planet.

Practice what you preach: artists reflect on ocean crisis at England's Baltic as centre wins sustainability award

Baltic Centre for Contemporary Art in Gateshead, England, has opened a major group exhibition titled "For All at Last Return," featuring 13 international artists whose work addresses the ocean crisis. Inspired by Rachel Carson's 1950 book, the show explores marine habitats from the surface to the deep seabed, with works by Bianca Bondi, Kristina Ollek, Joan Jonas, Taloi Havini, Michael Toisuta, Shezad Dawood, Otobong Nkanga, and Michele Allen. The exhibition includes installations, videos, tapestries, and a public program that engages local communities and examines the fragile balance between industry and ecology on Britain's North East coast.

Art gallery exhibition of works by Alberto Rey through Nov. 21

An exhibition titled “ATLAS: Historical Works and Recent Journeys of Alberto Rey” is on view at the Marion Art Gallery through November 21. The show features 133 paintings, drawings, and ceramics by Alberto Rey, a SUNY Distinguished Professor Emeritus who taught at Fredonia from 1989 to 2022. The works were created during and after a five-month expedition to 14 countries and 22 UNESCO World Heritage Sites in 2024, alongside pivotal pieces from past series such as “Binary Forms,” “Extinct Birds,” and “Critically Endangered Palms of Cuba.” The exhibition also includes journal entries, sketchbooks, and art supplies from the voyage.

Important Early Works from the Cy Twombly Foundation

Gagosian Gallery will present an exhibition of six early works by Robert Rauschenberg from the Cy Twombly Foundation, opening April 25 at 980 Madison Avenue. The show coincides with the centennial of Rauschenberg’s birth and runs alongside a Marcel Duchamp exhibition in the gallery’s new ground-floor space. The featured works, including a rare 1950 sculpture and the photogram *Untitled (1950)*, were preserved by Cy Twombly, reflecting the close friendship and artistic exchange between the two artists who met in 1951 at the Art Students League of New York and later traveled together through Europe and North Africa.