Shreg the green ogre, a grey obsessive and Vermeer’s boiled egg – the week in art

This week's art roundup from The Guardian highlights a range of exhibitions across the UK, including Bruce Asbestos's 'Bootleg Shreg 2' at Exeter Phoenix Gallery, a playful show featuring a green ogre that parodies copyright rules. Other notable shows include Roy Oxlade's primitive paintings at Alison Jacques, May Morris's craft legacy at Lady Lever Art Gallery, a 30-year anniversary group show at Timothy Taylor, and Alan Charlton's monochrome grey works at Annely Juda Fine Art. The article also features an image of a naturally sculpted rock on Kangaroo Island, a review of the Turner Prize nominees, and a masterwork analysis of Vermeer's 'The Guitar Player' at Kenwood House, which was stolen in the 1970s and recovered with the help of a clairvoyant.

Art with Bite: Putting Claude Cahun and Marcel Moore’s Bravery on Display

An exhibition at the Art Institute of Chicago, 'Claude Cahun and Marcel Moore: The Seeing Stone,' presents the collaborative and subversive work of the French artists and life partners. The show features over 200 objects, including photographs, photomontages, and manuscripts, focusing on their radical self-portraiture and resistance to gender and social norms.

Cathalijn Wouters’s Lyrical Practice Blurs Painting and Drawing

Amsterdam-based artist Cathalijn Wouters has joined the roster of SmithDavidson Gallery. Her practice, which blends painting and drawing through fields of color and linework, is informed by her graphic design training and a pivotal encounter with modern art at the Stedelijk Museum. She describes her process as beginning with drawings and sketches on linen treated like paper, and cites influences ranging from Marcel Proust to Egon Schiele and postwar painting.

This influential L.A. collector bought the artists no one else would. The art world is finally catching up

Eileen Harris Norton, a foundational figure in the Los Angeles art scene, is being celebrated with a major exhibition of her collection at Hauser & Wirth. The show, "Destiny Is a Rose: The Eileen Harris Norton Collection," features over 80 works, many from her home, highlighting her five-decade commitment to collecting artists who were often her friends and neighbors, particularly women, artists of color, and Southern California-based artists.

Refik Anadol’s AI Art Museum DATALAND Will Open in Los Angeles in June

Refik Anadol and Efsun Erkılıç will open DATALAND, a museum dedicated to AI art, in Los Angeles on June 20, 2026. Located in the Grand LA complex designed by Frank Gehry, the 25,000-square-foot venue will feature five gallery spaces plus 10,000 square feet for supporting technology. Its inaugural exhibition, "Machine Dreams: Rainforest," created by Refik Anadol Studio, uses AI trained on ecological datasets to generate sensory experiences, including a version of Anadol's Infinity Room with a 1987 recording of an extinct Hawaiian bird and AI-generated scents. Membership starts at $350 per year.

Dutch Designer Iris van Herpen’s High-Tech Garments Are On View in a Mid-Career Retrospective at the Brooklyn Museum

The Brooklyn Museum is opening a mid-career retrospective titled “Iris van Herpen: Sculpting the Senses,” showcasing the Dutch designer’s high-tech garments. The exhibition features over a decade of van Herpen’s work, including the first 3D-printed garment sent down a runway in 2010, pieces worn by celebrities like Lady Gaga, Björk, and Beyoncé, and new collaborations such as an algae dress grown from living microorganisms. Organized by senior curator Matthew Yokobosky, the show originated at the Musée des Arts Décoratifs in Paris and has traveled internationally before arriving in Brooklyn, where it is augmented with objects from the museum’s collections in art, science, and natural history.

Cosmic, concrete, earthy: Nancy Holt’s Land Art on show in UK

Nancy Holt (1938-2014), a pioneering land artist who studied biology at Tufts University, is the subject of her first major UK exhibition at the Goodwood Art Foundation in West Sussex. The show includes the first posthumous installation of *Hydra's Head*, an earthwork of six pools aligned with the Hydra constellation, originally sited on the Niagara River in 1974, and *Ventilation System* (1985-92), which extends from the gallery into the landscape. Curated by Ann Gallagher, the exhibition draws on Holt's archives and the Holt/Smithson Foundation, which preserves her legacy and that of her husband Robert Smithson.

Diedrick Brackens’s Tapestries Beckon the Light of Freedom

Diedrick Brackens presents his first solo exhibition in the Bay Area, "gather tender night," at Yerba Buena Center for the Arts in San Francisco. Guest-curated by Eungie Joo, the show features 15 tapestries from 2020 onward and three new works from 2026, including the immersive installation "clearing (2026)." Brackens, a Black queer artist and CCA professor, uses hand-dyed cotton and acrylic yarn to weave narratives of personal memory, myth, and the natural world, drawing from West African weaving, California fiber art, European tapestry, and Gee's Bend quilting. His approach, influenced by the "sloppy craft" ethos of his mentor Josh Faught, embraces unfinished edges and visible process as acts of refusal against polished traditions.

34 Of The Best London Art Exhibitions To See In May 2026

The article highlights 34 of the best London art exhibitions to see in May 2026, focusing on three major shows: the V&A's 'Schiaparelli: Fashion Becomes Art', the first UK exhibition dedicated to designer Elsa Schiaparelli; Tate Modern's 'Tracey Emin: A Second Life', the largest retrospective of the YBA artist's 40-year career; and the Design Museum's 'NIGO: From Japan with Love', a retrospective of Japanese creative NIGO spanning over 700 objects. These exhibitions showcase fashion, contemporary art, and street culture, with the V&A show running until November, Tate Modern until August, and the Design Museum until October.

Art Basel’s ‘Basel Exclusive’ Initiative Asks Galleries to Withhold at Least One Work from PDF Previews, and Other News.

Art Basel is launching a new initiative called "Basel Exclusive" for its June 2026 Switzerland fair, asking exhibitors to withhold at least one key work from pre-fair digital PDF previews to encourage in-person viewing. Around 170 of 232 exhibitors, including major galleries like Gagosian, Hauser & Wirth, Pace, and David Zwirner, have already adopted the program. Separately, Tate Britain announced the 2026 Turner Prize shortlist featuring artists Simeon Barclay, Tanoa Sasraku, Kira Freije, and Marguerite Humeau, with the exhibition opening at Middlesbrough Institute of Modern Art (MIMA) in September. The Museum of Sonoma County will also commemorate the 50th anniversary of Christo and Jeanne-Claude's land art installation "Running Fence" with a major exhibition opening June 27.

Exhibition | Kiki Smith, 'Flight' at Galerie Lelong, 13 Rue de Téhéran, Paris, France

Kiki Smith presents her tenth solo exhibition at Galerie Lelong in Paris, titled 'Flight'. The show features bronze sculptures, two large stained-glass windows, drawings, and an imposing print, all exploring themes of continuity and unity across humans, animals, and plants. Birds such as eagles, doves, and owls carry symbolic weight, reflecting the artist's fears, desires, and dreams.

Why our country needs the artist Lubaina Himid right now: "I had to figure out how to represent Britain"

Lubaina Himid has been selected to represent Great Britain at the Venice Biennale, taking over the British Pavilion. The announcement came just before Christmas 2024, shortly before the opening of her first solo exhibition in China at the UCCA Center for Contemporary Art in Beijing, which features major works including 'Naming the Money' (2004). Himid, who was born in Zanzibar and raised in London, is a Turner Prize-winning artist known for centering Black narratives and marginalized histories through theatrical, life-size cut-out figures.

Valerio Adami | Valerio Adami @Miart 2026 (2026) | Art & Prints

Valerio Adami, a prominent Italian painter born in 1935, is offering a new acrylic-on-canvas work titled "Valerio Adami @Miart 2026" (2026) through Dep Art Gallery. The painting, sized 198 × 147 cm, is a unique piece accompanied by a certificate of authenticity. Adami is known for his graphic, comic-inspired narrative figuration, with works held in major museums including MoMA, Centre Pompidou, and the Art Institute of Chicago.

PATRICK HERON: Early works, 1950-54

Hazlitt Holland-Hibbert presents a focused exhibition of Patrick Heron's early works from 1950 to 1954, tracing the British modernist's decisive shift from figuration to abstraction. The show brings together pieces from the artist's estate, including several never before exhibited, alongside loans from museums and private collections, highlighting a formative moment in post-war British art. Key works such as 'Christmas Eve: 1951' and 'Black Fish on Blue Table' demonstrate Heron's evolving visual language, influenced by the School of Paris and encounters with Braque, Matisse, and Bonnard.

Valie Export ist tot

Valie Export, the pioneering Austrian media and performance artist, has died at age 85 in Vienna. Born Waltraud Lehner in Linz in 1940, she adopted the name Valie Export in the late 1960s, derived from a cigarette brand, and became internationally known for provocative works such as "Tapp- und Tastkino" (1968) and "Aktionshose: Genitalpanik." Her practice critically examined gender roles, power structures, and the representation of the female body through film, video, photography, and performance. She participated in major exhibitions including Documenta, the Centre Pompidou, and the Museum of Modern Art, and represented Austria at the Venice Biennale in 1980 alongside Maria Lassnig. She also taught as a professor of media and performance art in Berlin and Cologne, and the VALIE EXPORT Center opened in Linz in 2017.

Monopol gives away 5 × 2 tickets for Peter Hujar and Liz Deschenes at the Gropius Bau

Monopol verlost 5 × 2 Tickets für Peter Hujar und Liz Deschenes im Gropius Bau

Monopol magazine is giving away 5 × 2 tickets to the exhibition "Peter Hujar / Liz Deschenes: Persistence of Vision" at the Gropius Bau in Berlin. The show pairs Hujar's iconic black-and-white photographs of New York's downtown scene—featuring figures like Susan Sontag, Divine, and David Wojnarowicz—with Liz Deschenes' abstract, material-focused works on glass and photosensitive paper. To enter, readers must email their name with the subject line "Hujar" by May 30.

Bubbles, Algae, and Plastics Go Haute Couture in ‘Iris van Herpen: Sculpting the Senses’

The Brooklyn Museum is opening a new edition of 'Iris van Herpen: Sculpting the Senses,' building on a 2023 retrospective at the Musée des Arts Décoratifs in Paris. The exhibition features over 140 haute couture designs by Dutch fashion designer Iris van Herpen, known for merging high-tech materials like laser-cut Plexiglas with biological elements such as glowing algae and plastic bubbles. It includes recent collections like 'Sympoiesis' and works by artists including Kenny Nguyen, Wim Delvoye, and Tara Donovan, alongside a soundscape by Salvador Breed. The show runs from May 16 to December 6.

Julia Heyward “Miracles in Reverse” at Kunstverein Nürnberg

Kunstverein Nürnberg – Albrecht Dürer Gesellschaft is presenting "Miracles in Reverse," the first institutional solo exhibition in Europe by American artist Julia Heyward (born 1949). Heyward was a central figure in New York's downtown art scene during the 1970s and 1980s, and her work anticipated major developments in art history. The exhibition showcases her distinctive practice developed over five decades.

In Venice to Install Work for the Biennale, Artist Guadalupe Maravilla Alleges Racial Profiling by Police

New York–based artist Guadalupe Maravilla, in Venice to install his work for the 2026 Venice Biennale, alleges he was racially profiled by police after leaving the Arsenale venue. Two officers demanded his documents, called backup, and attempted to handcuff him before he de-escalated the situation and left. Maravilla, known for his 'Disease Thrower' sculptures that address migration and healing, shared the incident on Instagram and provided a statement to ARTnews.

Sonic investigations non-profit to be artist-in-residence at London's Gasworks

The non-profit organization Earshot, founded by artist Lawrence Abu Hamdan, has been awarded a three-year studio bursary at London's Gasworks. The bursary, backed by Spanish patron Mercedes Vilardell, provides an annual stipend and covers monthly rent for a studio space at the south London exhibition and residency space. Earshot uses sound in the defense of human and environmental rights, and the residency gives it a platform to operate independently after an incubation period with Forensic Architecture. Abu Hamdan and Earshot will also take over the Barbican Centre this autumn for an event titled Repercussions, featuring installations, performances, screenings, and live music.

Your Australian art guide for May 2026 is here

May 2026 brings a packed calendar of art exhibitions across Australia, with highlights including Rone's 'Another TIME' at COMA Gallery in Sydney, the Archibald, Wynne and Sulman Prizes at the Art Gallery of NSW, and solo shows by Eleanor Louise Butt, Jordan Gogos, Natalya Hughes, Patricia Piccinini, and Michaela Gleave. Regional venues like Bundanon and Ngununggula also feature major exhibitions, including a posthumous show of Rosalie Gascoigne alongside new commissions by First Nations women artists.

May 2026 Exhibitions

Several galleries and a museum in Columbus's Short North arts district are opening new exhibitions for May 2026. Highlights include a women's group show at Sean Christopher Gallery Ohio, environmental abstract paintings by Annette Poitau at Marcia Evans Gallery, a spring-themed solo exhibition by Amy Adams at Sharon Weiss Gallery, and a salon exhibition at 24 Lincoln St. Gallery & Art Studios. The Columbus Museum of Art at the Pizzuti is presenting the first U.S. museum survey of Bahamian conceptual artist Tavares Strachan, featuring his 'Encyclopedia of Invisibility'.

Alfonso Gonzalez Jr. Gives New Context to Street Art and Commercial Signage in New LACMA Show

Alfonso Gonzalez Jr., a second-generation Los Angeles artist with roots in graffiti, sign painting, and muralism, has opened his first museum exhibition at LACMA. Titled “In Between Stops,” the show features 12 benches installed along the museum’s Kendall Concourse, each serving as a functional sculpture that honors the street art and vernacular signage of LA. Gonzalez Jr., who learned the sign-painting trade at Los Angeles Trade Tech College and worked for outdoor advertisement companies like Wall Dogs and Colossal Media, draws on his background to create fictitious ads that critique advertising tactics while preserving rapidly disappearing elements of LA culture, such as mom-and-pop shops and barber shops.

Ha Chong-hyun's 6 decades of art head to San Francisco's Asian Art Museum

Korean artist Ha Chong-hyun, a key figure in the Dansaekhwa (monochrome painting) movement, will receive his first North American museum retrospective at the Asian Art Museum in San Francisco. The exhibition, opening in September, will feature approximately 50 works spanning six decades, including his recent paintings and his signature 'Conjunction' series.

Exhibition | Kelly Akashi, 'Heirloom' at Lisson Gallery, 508 West 24th Street, New York, United States

Kelly Akashi presents her first exhibition with Lisson Gallery in New York, titled 'Heirloom,' featuring a new body of work that explores loss, grief, and absence through sculpture. The exhibition includes bronze, Corten steel, flame-worked glass, and carved stone pieces, many inspired by her garden and personal artifacts like an inherited stone ring and her grandmother's lace tablecloth. It coincides with her participation in the 2026 Whitney Biennial and a commission for John F. Kennedy International Airport's New Terminal One.

Where Thoughts Provoke and Truths Take Form.

Henry Taylor's major exhibition 'Where Thoughts Provoke' has opened at the Musée national Picasso-Paris. The show is a survey of nearly four decades of his work, featuring paintings, sculpture, and installation that focus on portraiture, observation, and the politics of looking.

tschabalala self painting sculpture trafalgar square

Tschabalala Self, the Harlem-born artist known for vibrant paintings and sculptures of everyday life, discusses her upcoming public commission "Lady in Blue" for the Fourth Plinth in London's Trafalgar Square. In an interview with Cultured, she reflects on her childhood, her love of storytelling, and her recent move to upstate New York, while also citing influences like Oliver Stone and Quentin Tarantino.

Thousands of Strips of Silk Undulate in Kenny Nguyen’s ‘Deconstructed Paintings’

Kenny Nguyen, a Vietnamese-born artist based in Charlotte, North Carolina, creates large-scale wall works using thousands of hand-cut strips of silk. Drawing on his background in fashion design, he employs techniques like pinning, weaving, sewing, and layering to produce what he calls “deconstructed paintings.” Each piece is built around an imaginary body, with creases and undulating forms that evoke movement. Though the works appear fixed, they are malleable—their shape changes depending on pin placement during installation. Nguyen’s work is currently on view in the group exhibition *Textile Art Redefined* at Saatchi Gallery in London.

The Met Costume Institute Unveils Its New Condé M. Nast Galleries

The Metropolitan Museum of Art's Costume Institute has unveiled its new 12,000-square-foot Condé M. Nast Galleries, named for the founder of Architectural Digest's parent company. Designed by the architecture firm Peterson Rich Office (PRO), the five-room exhibition space was carved from a former interior courtyard and gift shop, revealing historic brick and masonry facades that highlight the museum's architectural evolution. The galleries debuted alongside the exhibition "Costume Art," which explores the significance of dressed human form in fashion and fine art, curated by Andrew Bolton and celebrated at the Met Gala on May 4, 2026.

One Fine Show: “Wes Anderson, The Archives” at the Design Museum in London

The Design Museum in London has opened "Wes Anderson: The Archives," the first major museum exhibition dedicated to the filmmaker. Featuring over 700 pieces of ephemera—including costumes, props, stop-motion puppets, miniature models, paintings, and Anderson's notebooks and storyboards—the show draws from a personal archive he has built since 1998. The exhibition, a collaboration with la Cinémathèque française in Paris where it premiered last year, has been expanded by some 300 additional objects for its London run. It runs through July 26, 2026.