2026 Whitney Biennial Lineup Announced

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The Whitney Museum of American Art has announced the artist lineup for the 82nd edition of its prestigious biennial, scheduled to open on March 8, 2026. Curated by Marcela Guerrero and Drew Sawyer, the exhibition will feature 56 artists, duos, and collectives selected after more than 300 studio visits. The upcoming edition is currently untitled and focuses on the theme of "relationships," exploring everything from family ties and technology to geopolitical entanglements and interspecies connections.

Designs for a Better Future

Entwürfe für eine bessere Zukunft

The Rimowa Design Prize has awarded its fourth edition to Samuel Nagel and Paul Feiler from the Schwäbisch Gmünd University of Applied Sciences for their bracelet "Nura," which translates sign language into spoken language and converts speech into written text. Other finalists include Jakob Schlenker's bird-shaped device to encourage movement in the elderly, Niklas Henning's harvesting system for restoring moors, Tobias Kremer and Yannick Stilgenbauer's inflatable cooling capsule for use without electricity, and Valerio Sampognaro's lightweight furniture that can both support and lift off. The exhibition runs until May 13 at the Berlin Kulturforum.

Vancouver Biennale names senior curator for 2027-29 edition

The Vancouver Biennale has appointed Marcello Dantas as senior curator for its 2027-29 edition. Dantas, a Brazilian curator and art director, has worked on major projects including co-curating Desert X AlUla in Saudi Arabia, curating an Es Devlin exhibition in São Paulo, and serving as art director at Sfer Ik in Tulum. He previously contributed to the Vancouver Biennale's 2013-15 edition with a Vik Muniz project. Dantas emphasizes collaboration with local First Nations and community groups, and plans to explore themes of belonging, displacement, and public art that is ephemeral and participatory.

Frist Art Museum Presents Exhibition Spanning 100 Years of Contemporary Indigenous Art, Highlighting a Continuum of Elders and Emerging Makers

The Frist Art Museum is presenting a new exhibition that spans 100 years of contemporary Indigenous art, featuring works from both established elders and emerging makers. The show aims to highlight the continuity and evolution of Indigenous artistic practices across generations.

Solidarity and shared optimism take centre stage at 1-54 fair in London

The 1-54 Contemporary African Art Fair in London, held at Somerset House until 19 October, showcases a wide range of African and diaspora artists. Galleries from Nigeria, Kenya, Zambia, and beyond present works that highlight both historical and contemporary practices, with notable sales and institutional interest already reported. The fair coincides with Tate Modern's Nigerian Modernism exhibition and the opening of the Museum of West African Art (MOWAA) in Benin City, creating a moment of heightened global attention on African art.

Frist Art Museum Will Present 100 Years of Contemporary Indigenous Art

The Frist Art Museum in Nashville will present "An Indigenous Present," an exhibition spanning 100 years of modern and contemporary Indigenous art, from June 26 to September 27, 2026. Co-curated by artist Jeffrey Gibson and independent curator Jenelle Porter, the show features 15 artists who use abstraction as a tool for liberated expression, including Teresa Baker, Raven Chacon, Kimowan Metchewais, Caroline Monnet, George Morrison, Mary Sully, Jaune Quick-to-See Smith, and Kay WalkingStick. Organized by the Institute of Contemporary Art/Boston, the exhibition draws from Gibson and Porter's landmark 2023 publication of the same title and is structured into five thematic sections that place emerging artists in dialogue with established makers.

56 participating artists, duos and collectives revealed for 2026 Whitney Biennial

The Whitney Museum of American Art has announced the 56 artists, duos, and collectives participating in the 2026 Whitney Biennial, the 82nd edition of the landmark U.S. contemporary art survey. Co-curators Marcela Guerrero and Drew Sawyer have chosen not to give the exhibition a thematic title, instead letting conversations with artists guide the selection. The roster includes well-known figures like Andrea Fraser, Kamrooz Aram, Precious Okoyomon, Pat Oleszko, and Julio Torres, alongside emerging talents and historical or overlooked figures such as Carmen de Monteflores, José Maceda, and Kimowan Metchewais. The exhibition opens March 8, 2026, occupying most of the Whitney's Manhattan building with performances, public events, and online programming.

mowaa archeological project findings benin city nigeria 1234760131

The Museum of West African Art (MOWAA) in Benin City, Nigeria, will open its MOWAA Institute next week, the first completed building of a planned 15-acre campus that will also include the Rainforest gallery and other facilities by 2028. In advance of the opening, Antiquity magazine published an updated report on the MOWAA Archeological Project (2022–2024), a collaboration among MOWAA, the British Museum, and Nigeria’s National Commission for Museums and Monuments, with Cambridge Archaeological Unit and Wessex Archaeology as delivery partners. The excavations, the first at the royal palace complex since the 1960s, used both digs and ground-penetrating radar, with radiocarbon dating revealing artifacts spanning from before the Benin Kingdom through its collapse and colonial and postcolonial eras.

Wisconsin Artists Biennial exhibition opens at MOWA on Feb. 7

The Wisconsin Artists Biennial exhibition opens at the Museum of Wisconsin Art (MOWA) in West Bend from February 7 to April 19, featuring 52 works by 50 Wisconsin artists. Selected from nearly 500 artists who submitted over 1,200 entries, the show was juried by Nicole Jacquard, Taylor Jasper, and Melissa Oresky. The biennial awards $10,000 in cash prizes, including the MOWA Prize of $5,000 and a solo museum exhibition. An opening party on February 7 includes a reception, juror talk, and award presentation.

MOWA hosting new landscape exhibition for America’s 250th

The Museum of Wisconsin Art (MOWA) in West Bend is presenting a new exhibition titled "The American Landscape: Beyond the Horizon" from Saturday through July 19, in celebration of America’s 250th anniversary. The show brings together works from MOWA’s permanent collection and select loans, spanning the 19th century to the 2020s, to examine how artists have interpreted Wisconsin’s landscape through painting, photography, and sculpture, highlighting native voices and immigrant narratives.

Opening of Museum of West African Art in Nigeria delayed after protests

The official preview weekend of the Museum of West African Art (MOWAA) in Benin City, Nigeria, was disrupted on Sunday when a group of protestors broke into the main building. Over 250 invited guests, including donors and diplomats, had gathered for a cultural program featuring the exhibition "Nigeria Imaginary: Homecoming," which was an expanded presentation of the Nigerian Pavilion at the 2024 Venice Biennale. The protestors, wearing red hats, blocked access, shouted accusations about former governor Godwin Obaseki, and forced their way inside, leading to the indefinite cancellation of remaining events. MOWAA subsequently announced a postponement of public opening events, citing the protests and misconceptions about its role, while welcoming a presidential committee to resolve related matters.

design the winter show antiques preview

New York's art, design, and philanthropic leaders gathered at the Park Avenue Armory for the Winter Show's Opening Night Preview, marking the fair's 72nd edition and honoring Caroline Kennedy. The event featured 75 international exhibitors, with co-hosts including Executive Director Helen Allen, East Side House Settlement Executive Director Daniel Diaz, Honorary Co-Chair Wendy Goodman, and designers Noz Nozawa, Ben Pentreath, Jane Keltner de Valle, Giancarlo Valle, Michael Bargo, and CULTURED Editor-in-Chief Sarah Harrelson. Attendees included fashion designer Cynthia Rowley, interior designers Reed and Delphine Krakoff, and architect Peter Marino, among others.

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Protesters stormed the campus of the Museum of West African Art (MOWAA) in Benin City, Nigeria, on Sunday, just hours before its first preview events were set to begin. Demonstrators entered through a gate after being denied access, hurling insults at foreign guests and journalists. All preview events have been canceled and the public opening postponed. The museum attributed the unrest to disputes between previous and current state administrations, while local residents claimed anger over the perceived hijacking of a local initiative, with the Oba of Benin reportedly unhappy about the project.

Lagos art fair defies macroeconomic headwinds to reach double figures

Art X Lagos, West Africa's leading international art fair, celebrates its 10th edition in November 2025 under the theme 'Imagining Otherwise, No Matter the Tide.' Founder Tokini Peterside-Schwebig reflects on the fair's resilience despite Nigeria's currency crisis, economic volatility, the Covid-19 pandemic, and a softening global art market. This year's streamlined edition features 15 exhibitors from Nigeria, Uganda, Cameroon, Ghana, and the UK, hosted at the Federal Palace Hotel in Lagos. The fair coincides with the upcoming opening of the Museum of West African Art (MOWAA) in Benin City.