canyon video art performance sound new york space 1234745078

A new arts institution called Canyon is set to open on Manhattan's Lower East Side in 2026, occupying a 40,000-square-foot former commercial space at the foot of the Williamsburg Bridge. Founded by philanthropist and art collector Robert Rosenkranz and Joe Thompson, the founding director of MASS MoCA, Canyon will focus on video art, sound art, and performance art. The venue will include 18,000 square feet of exhibition space, a 60-foot-tall performance area, and a 300-seat performance hall. Early programming plans include a retrospective of Japanese artist Ryoji Ikeda and an expanded iteration of the video game-themed group exhibition "Worldbuilding," curated by Hans Ulrich Obrist. The architecture firm New Affiliates is redesigning the space, and Sam Ozer has been appointed curator-at-large. Admission will be $30, with free access for school groups and library cardholders.

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On September 9, 2015, Queen Elizabeth II became the longest-reigning monarch in British history, surpassing Queen Victoria. To mark the occasion, the Royal Collection opened a photography exhibition titled “Long to Reign over Us,” featuring posed portraits and casual family shots of the Queen. Artnet News compiled 30 favorite photos and paintings of the monarch, including works by Cecil Beaton, Andy Warhol, and royal photographer Mark Stewart, highlighting her decades-long reign and her ease in front of the camera.

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The New Art Centre at Roche Court Sculpture Park in Wiltshire is presenting “Nao Matsunaga: A Year’s Thought,” a solo exhibition of the Japanese artist’s multidisciplinary work. The show features glazed porcelain sculptures and recent works made from timber sourced from the park itself, continuing a dialogue with the artist that began with his 2017 exhibition “Blue & White” at the same gallery. Matsunaga, who studied at the University of Brighton and the Royal College of Art, is known for his contemplative practice exploring form, material, and finish.

Review: Cleveland Museum of Art's Murakami show is big and bold but maybe too much of a good thing

The Cleveland Museum of Art has opened a sprawling retrospective exhibition of Takashi Murakami, one of Japan's leading contemporary artists, showcasing his signature "Superflat" style that blends fine art with pop culture. The show features vast wallpaper designs, sculptures with plastic-like smoothness, and immense mural-sized paintings that combine cartoon characters, acid-hued colors, and traditional Japanese ink-and-brush techniques. The exhibition runs through September 7 and costs $30 for adult non-member tickets.

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The article examines Giovanni Bellini's painting *The Feast of the Gods* (1514–29), a mythological scene depicting Roman deities at a feast, which was later reworked by Dosso Dossi and Titian. Commissioned by Duke Alfonso d'Este for his private gallery, the work is notable for including what is believed to be the earliest painted example of Chinese porcelain in European art. The painting draws from Ovid's 'Fasti' and was Bellini's last completed work, finished when he was in his 80s.

Lost-Lost Film by French Cinema Pioneer Turns Up in Michigan

A long-lost film by French cinema pioneer Georges Méliès has been discovered in a garage in Grand Rapids, Michigan, after sitting in a trunk for two decades. The 45-second silent short, titled 'Gugusse and the Automaton' (1897), was identified by specialists at the Library of Congress after the owner, Bill McFarland, donated a collection of nitrate reels that had belonged to his showman great-grandfather.

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Artist Hito Steyerl has published a new book, *Medium Hot: Images in the Age of Heat*, through Verso, continuing her long-running exploration of how images, technology, and politics intersect. The article traces her intellectual evolution from earlier works like *The Wretched of the Screen* (2013) and *Duty Free Art* (2017), highlighting key essays and video works such as *How Not to Be Seen: A Fucking Didactic Educational .MOV File* (2013), which satirizes surveillance culture. It notes that Steyerl topped ArtReview’s 2017 Power List as the most influential person in the art world, and that her latest book addresses war and violent conflict in the context of Web3, with a more decisive tone.

Why yellow was Van Gogh's favourite colour

The Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam has launched a new exhibition titled "Yellow: Beyond Van Gogh’s Colour," running until May 17. The show explores Vincent van Gogh’s profound obsession with the color yellow, featuring eight of his works alongside pieces by contemporaries like Paul Gauguin and Aubrey Beardsley. It highlights Van Gogh's technical use of chrome yellow pigments to capture the "high yellow note" of the Provencal sun and the symbolic association of the color with modernity and life-giving energy.

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Art Basel is expanding to the Middle East with a new fair in Doha, Qatar, set to launch in February 2026. The inaugural edition will feature around 50 galleries from local and international scenes, held across two venues: M7 and the Doha Design District. The fair is a partnership between Art Basel, Qatar Sports Investments (QSI), and QC+, a cultural commerce collective under Qatar Museums. A new artistic director will be announced soon, and the fair aims to scale up over time, with additional art activations in outdoor spaces like Msheireb Museums and Barahat Msheireb square.

What’s on now at San Francisco museums, January 2026

A roundup of current and upcoming exhibitions at San Francisco museums in January 2026 highlights several shows closing soon, including "Manet and Morisot" at the Legion of Honor and "Suzanne Jackson: What is Love" at SFMOMA, both ending March 1. New exhibitions opening include "The art of Cece Carpio" at SOMArts on Jan. 30, and "Trina Michelle Robinson: Open Your Eyes to Water" at 500 Capp Street and Root Division in February. The de Young Museum features "Boom and Bust: Photographing Northern California" and artist Rose B. Simpson's show "LEXICON," part of the newly opened galleries dedicated to Arts of Indigenous America. The Museum of the African Diaspora presents "Unbound: Art, Blackness and the Universe" and "Continuum: MoAD Over Time," while the Asian Art Museum hosts "Jitish Kallat: Covering Letter (Terranum Nuncius)."

SF Art Week brings new exhibitions to downtown SF landmark

The Institute of Contemporary Art San Francisco (ICA SF) is hosting a kickoff party for the third annual SF Art Week on January 17, 2026, at the Transamerica Pyramid Center. The event unveils two free public exhibitions: Tara Donovan's 'Stratagems,' featuring sculptures made from upcycled CD-ROM discs, and Lily Kwong's 'Earthseed Dome,' a 3D-printed installation with seeds that will grow over time. Both installations are on view through July 31. The ICA recently left its permanent space at The Cube on Montgomery Street to adopt a nomadic model, staging pop-up exhibitions in vacant buildings, public spaces, and landmarks like Pier 24 and the Dogpatch Power Station.

Museum of the African Diaspora caps 20th anniversary celebration

The Museum of the African Diaspora (MoAD) in San Francisco is celebrating its 20th anniversary with a public celebration on December 13 and two exhibitions: “Continuum: MoAD Over Time” and “UNBOUND: Art, Blackness and the Universe.” Since opening in 2005, MoAD has been defined by Chester Higgins’s photomosaic “The Girl from Ghana,” which features over 3,000 stamp-sized images from contributors worldwide. Under executive director Linda Harrison (2013–2019) and current CEO Monetta White, the museum shifted from a focus on historical and anthropological narratives to centering contemporary Black artists, hiring its first full-time staff curator, Key Jo Lee, in 2023.

What’s on now at San Francisco museums, December 2025

This article provides a comprehensive guide to current and upcoming exhibitions at San Francisco museums in December 2025. Highlights include "Printing Color: Chiaroscuro to Screenprint" closing January 4, "Rave into the Future: Art in Motion" closing January 12 at the Asian Art Museum, and the upcoming San Francisco Art Week from January 17 to 25. The Legion of Honor features "Manet and Morisot" through March 1, offering a deep dive into the artistic dialogue between Édouard Manet and Berthe Morisot, alongside "Drawn to Venice" opening January 24. The de Young Museum presents "Boom and Bust: Photographing Northern California," while the Museum of the African Diaspora showcases "Unbound: Art, Blackness and the Universe" and "Continuum: MoAD Over Time." A tribute to Lawrence Ferlinghetti, including his exhibition at the Legion of Honor, is also featured.

Humanitas Bong Joon Ho in conversation, new student art, and beach photos

Oscar-winning filmmaker Bong Joon Ho will visit Yale University on May 5-6 for a public conversation with photographer Gregory Crewdson about filmmaking, followed by a Schwarzman Session for students and the community. The visit coincides with a film retrospective of Bong's work organized by Marc Francis, including screenings of "Parasite," "The Host," and "Mickey 17." Separately, the Schwarzman Center has launched a virtual Storyboard exhibition titled "over time," featuring artworks by 10 Yale students responding to a prompt about the future, curated by Airi Gavan. The article also notes an upcoming summer exhibition of photographs by Yale School of Art professor emeritus Tod Papageorge.

Take a Peek Inside Peter Zumthor’s New Building for LACMA -

The Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) opened its new David Geffen Galleries, designed by Swiss architect Peter Zumthor in collaboration with SOM, for a summer preview before the building's official opening in April 2026. The 110,000-square-foot exhibition space, elevated on seven pavilions and made of concrete and glass, was opened to the public for three days with performances by 120 musicians. The preview also includes outdoor sculptures, commissioned artworks by Mariana Castillo Deball and Sarah Rosalena, and new dining and retail spaces.

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Egyptian archaeologist Zahi Hawass has renewed his demand for the return of the ancient bust of Nefertiti from Berlin's State Museums, citing the recent full opening of the Grand Egyptian Museum (GEM) near Giza as proof that Egypt can properly safeguard its artifacts. The bust, dating to ca. 1351–1334 BCE and discovered in 1912 by German Egyptologist Ludwig Borchardt, has been on display at the Neues Museum since 2009. Hawass, who has shifted his position over time—calling the bust not looted in 2010 but “brazenly stolen” in 2024—argues that Western museums can no longer claim Egyptian institutions lack adequate climate control and display standards.

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The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York is set to open "Divine Egypt" on October 12, 2025, the museum's first large-scale exhibition of ancient Egyptian art since 2012. The show features 210 objects, including strange and surreal works such as a limestone block with carved ears, a snake with a woman's head, and a giant quartz diorite scarab representing the god Khepri. Curated by Diana Craig Patch with research associate Brendan Hainline, the exhibition focuses on about 25 of the 1,500 gods worshipped in ancient Egypt, presenting them in nonchronological mini-sections that highlight how divine iconographies were remixed and subverted over time. Most works come from the Met's own collection, with none on loan from Egypt.

Form in the Age of Living Materials. Interview with Curator Pablo José Ramírez

LA FORMA EN LA ERA DE LOS MATERIALES VIVOS. ENTREVISTA AL CURADOR PABLO JOSÉ RAMÍREZ

The Hammer Museum in Los Angeles is presenting "Several Eternities in a Day: Form in the Age of Living Materials," an exhibition curated by Pablo José Ramírez running until August 23. Featuring 22 artists from the Americas, the show explores materials such as avocado, cacao, achiote, cochineal, stone, clay, and natural dyes that evolve, degrade, or transform over time. Organized into three acts, the exhibition challenges conventional notions of the art object by treating these materials as living agents with memory and agency, rooted in Indigenous knowledge and the concept of "brownness." In an interview, Ramírez discusses how these materials destabilize extractivist logics and institutional frameworks, forcing a rethinking of conservation protocols and the very conditions of exhibition-making.

LA museums to check out this Earth Month

Los Angeles museums are marking Earth Month with a series of exhibitions and events focused on sustainability and environmental consciousness. Highlights include the Hammer Museum’s exhibition, "Several Eternities in a Day: Form in the Age of Living Materials," which features works by 22 artists using organic substances like avocado, cochineal dye, and volcanic rock. Meanwhile, the Fowler Museum is hosting an immersive look at the indigenous rice cultivation practices of the Ifugao people in the Philippines.

lina lapelytė fills hamburger bahnhof with 400,000 cubes, inviting visitors to build and sing

Lithuanian artist Lina Lapelytė has filled Berlin's Hamburger Bahnhof museum with 400,000 lightweight foam cubes, creating an interactive installation titled "The Singing Cube." Visitors are invited to stack, carry, and rebuild the cubes while participating in collective singing performances, transforming the museum into a participatory sound and sculpture environment. The installation evolves over time through the collaborative actions of participants, blending architecture, music, and social interaction.

The 'Rocky' anniversary year starts with the Philadelphia Museum of Art's “Rising Up”

The Philadelphia Museum of Art has opened a new exhibition titled “Rising Up: Rocky & the Making of Monuments” to mark the 50th anniversary of the original Rocky film (1976) and the 250th anniversary of the United States. The show examines the Rocky statue as a monument tied to the museum and Philadelphia, featuring works by artists such as Keith Haring, Rashid Johnson, Delilah Montoya, Tavares Strachan, Hank Willis Thomas, Kara Walker, Andy Warhol, and Carrie Mae Weems. It also highlights Philadelphia's boxing history, including Joe Frazier and the Blue Horizon venue.

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British photographer Polly Penrose documented her changing body over seven years in a nude self-portrait series titled "A Body of Work." The project involved physically demanding poses taken on self-timer, leaving her bruised and aching, as she hammered her body into various spaces. Penrose described the process as a punishing, repetitious fight to fit into each setting, with the resulting images capturing both visible physical transformations and concealed emotional changes.

Give it a chance and you might love abstract art, too

Katie Ruiz, a textile artist and programs associate at Space 4 Art, curated the exhibition "Non-Objective Lessons" at Art Produce Gallery in San Diego, running through Feb. 12. The show features minimalist, non-objective abstract art by artists including Tom Demello and Melissa Walter, aiming to help viewers who struggle to appreciate abstract work. It is the first of seven exhibitions supported by a $200,000 Arts Ecosystem Grant from the Prebys Foundation, which funds a year of programming at Space 4 Art.

Kimbell Art Museum to Exhibit Rare Ancient Roman Sculptures

The Kimbell Art Museum in Fort Worth will host "Myth and Marble: Ancient Roman Sculpture from the Torlonia Collection" from September 14, 2025, to January 25, 2026. This exhibition features 58 marble masterpieces from the Torlonia Collection, the world's greatest private collection of ancient Roman sculpture, many of which have never left Italy. It marks the first time these works are displayed in North America, and the Kimbell is one of only two U.S. museums to receive this honor. The sculptures range from the fifth century B.C. to the early fourth century A.D., with thematic sections exploring mythology, imperial power, and restoration.

Imbued, Between Flower and Wind: Lee Chae Solo Exhibition

South Korean artist Lee Chae will present a solo exhibition titled "Imbued, Between Flower and Wind" at Whitestone Gallery Taipei from April 11 to May 16, 2026. The show features new series including "Afterimage of Wind" and "Wind-Infused," which utilize metaphors of flora and wind to explore the relationship between external stimuli and the human inner soul. Lee’s technique involves layering translucent pigments and then wiping them away to create poetic afterimages that visualize the transformation of emotions over time.

Kengo Kuma: "The first time architecture moved me, it was a church"

Kengo Kuma : « La première fois qu’une architecture m’a ému, c’était celle d’une église »

Renowned Japanese architect Kengo Kuma discusses his design philosophy and his recent intervention at the Angers Cathedral in France. He emphasizes a "dialogue with the place" over architectural ego, focusing on topography, local materials, and the Japanese concept of wabi-sabi, which finds beauty in the aging of materials over time. Kuma reflects on how his first emotional encounter with architecture occurred in a Christian chapel as a child, an experience that continues to inform his use of light and verticality.

Dani Guindo’s Dramatic Aerial Photos Reveal the Ghostly Outline of an Icelandic Glacier

Dani Guindo’s Dramatic Aerial Photos Reveal the Ghostly Outline of an Icelandic Glacier

Spanish artist Dani Guindo has released a striking new aerial photography series titled *Terminus*, which captures the Múlajökull glacier in Iceland. Using a drone, Guindo documented the glacier's intricate rivulets and, more significantly, a ghostly semi-circular outline etched into the rocky landscape below, revealing the glacier's former, much larger footprint.

Rocky Balboa statue takes up a new home inside Philly art museum

The iconic bronze statue of Rocky Balboa, the fictional boxer portrayed by Sylvester Stallone, is moving inside the Philadelphia Museum of Art for the first time starting Saturday, as part of the museum's new exhibition "Rising Up: Rocky and the Making of Monuments." The exhibition, which marks the 50th anniversary of the original film, features over 150 artworks and ancient artifacts, and explores how monuments are created and reinterpreted by artists and communities. The statue had stood outside the museum for more than 20 years and was originally a prop from the 1982 film "Rocky III."

Local creatives weave together art and action with month-long Orozco Gallery exhibit

Curator Yen Ospina has organized "We Are La Voz II," a month-long pop-up exhibition at Orozco Gallery on The Commons in Ithaca, running from April 3 to May 2. The nomadic gallery highlights Latine fiber artists, featuring works that evolve over time and include textiles, embroidery, and fiber paintings. The exhibition serves as a tribute to Debra Castillo, a Cornell professor who co-founded the first Orozco Gallery exhibit in 2024 and passed away in October 2025. Artists like Sarah Lopez and Carolina Osorio Gil contribute pieces that explore themes of identity, memory, and resilience, with Ospina using the project to process her grief and counter rising anti-immigrant rhetoric.

A short guide to the hidden meanings in great paintings

Former picture researcher Caroline Chapman has released a new book titled "Painted Mysteries: Interpreting Great Paintings," which decodes the hidden symbolism in over 135 historic artworks. The publication serves as a guide for modern viewers to understand the complex visual language used by masters such as Botticelli, Rembrandt, and Raphael, unravelling layers of meaning that have become elusive over time.