Director of the Hermitage Museum Sanctioned by the European Union

Le directeur du Musée de l'Ermitage sanctionné par l'Union européenne

The European Union has imposed sanctions on Mikhail Piotrovsky, the 81-year-old director of the State Hermitage Museum in Saint Petersburg, as part of its 20th sanctions package against Russia. Piotrovsky was blacklisted for supporting the war in Ukraine and overseeing illegal archaeological excavations in occupied Crimea. The EU cited his use of Kremlin war rhetoric—calling the museum's exhibition policy a "cultural special operation"—and the Hermitage's role in incorporating Ukrainian cultural objects from occupied territories into Russia's state museum fund. Additionally, under his leadership, unauthorized digs were conducted at the ancient Greek site of Myrmekion in Crimea, led by Hermitage archaeologist Alexander Butyagin, who was arrested in Warsaw and later released in a prisoner exchange.

Forgers, One-Way Mirrors of the Art Market

Les faussaires, miroirs sans tain du marché de l’art

Anthropologist Monique Jeudy-Ballini has published a new book, "Peintres de l’ombre. Les faussaires à l’œuvre," in which she examines art forgers through an ethnographic lens. Drawing on autobiographical accounts, published interviews, and expert writings—including those of notorious forgers Wolfgang Beltracchi, Eric Hebborn, and Guy Ribes—she explores the motivations and practices of these clandestine figures, arguing that their work involves not only technical skill but also the creation of elaborate narratives and pedigrees for their forgeries. The book is part of the Ethnologiques series edited by Philippe Descola and published by Éditions Mimésis.

Meloni takes control of Italian museums

Meloni reprend en main les musées italiens

Italy’s culture ministry under Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has appointed 14 new directors for so-called “second-tier” museums, reinforcing a shift away from the international “super-director” model introduced by the 2014 Franceschini reform. All appointees are Italian except for French director Axel Hémery, who was reappointed at the Pinacoteca di Siena due to his strong performance. The move follows the earlier ousting of foreign directors at top-tier museums, with only two foreign-born directors—Eike Schmidt and Gabriel Zuchtriegel—remaining, both of whom hold Italian citizenship.

How the State Supports Provenance Research

Comment l’État soutient la recherche de provenance

The French Ministry of Culture has created two specialized missions to assist museums in researching the provenance of their collections, addressing looted artworks, human remains, colonial acquisitions, and illicit trafficking. The Mission for Research and Restitution of Looted Cultural Property (M2RS), established in 2019, focuses on Nazi-era spoliations (1933-1945) with a budget of €220,000 annually, while the newer Mission "Provenance," launched in 2024 under curator Catherine Chevillot, covers human remains, colonial-era objects, and illicit goods with a €450,000 budget. These missions provide expertise, funding, and coordination with institutions like the Commission for the Restitution of Property and Compensation of Victims of Anti-Semitic Spoliation (CIVS), though most museums still only initiate provenance checks during acquisitions or donations.

Sébastien Allard à la tête du département des Peintures du Louvre

Sébastien Allard has been appointed interim head of the Paintings Department at the Musée du Louvre, effective April 14. The 47-year-old specialist in 19th-century art previously served as deputy to Vincent Pomarède, who moved to a new role overseeing museum mediation. Allard's permanent appointment awaits confirmation by Culture Minister Aurélie Filippetti, on the recommendation of Louvre director Jean-Luc Martinez. Meanwhile, the search for a director of the Research and Collections Support division continues, with recruitment expected to be external.

Victoria & Albert Museum yields to Chinese censorship

Le Victoria & Albert Museum cède à la censure chinoise

The Victoria & Albert Museum in London removed a map and other content from its exhibition catalogues after its Chinese printer, C&C Offset Printing, flagged them as unacceptable to Chinese censors. The map, showing 1930s British Empire trade routes, was rejected by China's General Administration of Press and Publication (GAPP) because it included Chinese territory and borders, requiring the use of state-approved maps. The museum also previously removed a map and a photograph of Vladimir Lenin from a 2021 Fabergé exhibition catalogue.

Six months after the Louvre heist, a 'Complément d'enquête' takes stock, with never-before-seen images broadcast tonight on France 2

Six mois après le casse du Louvre, un « Complément d’enquête » fait le point, avec des images inédites diffusées ce soir sur France 2

On October 19, 2025, eight historic and priceless jewels were stolen from the Galerie d'Apollon at the Louvre Museum in Paris in just over three minutes, using a hoist and an angle grinder. Six months later, the French investigative program "Complément d'enquête" airs a 50-minute documentary titled "Musée du Louvre : dans les coulisses du casse du siècle" on France 2, featuring exclusive surveillance footage, interviews with guards, police, experts, and ministers, and new details about the four suspects arrested within weeks.

4 artistes sami, peuple autochtone d’Europe du Nord, à découvrir avant tout le monde

Four Sámi artists, representing the Indigenous people of Northern Europe, are being highlighted in Finnish museums as Oulu, the European Capital of Culture, hosts exhibitions showcasing their work. The article introduces these artists and their practices, emphasizing their unique perspectives rooted in Sámi culture and traditions.

The controversy raised by Timothée Chalamet has made us reflect on the fragility of culture

« La controverse soulevée par Timothée Chalamet a eu le mérite de nous faire réfléchir à la fragilité de la culture »

Timothée Chalamet, l'acteur franco-américain, a suscité une controverse en déclarant qu'il ne souhaitait pas travailler dans le ballet ou l'opéra, qualifiant ces disciplines de "trucs où c'est genre : 'Hé, continuez à faire tourner ça, même si plus personne n'en a rien à faire.'" Ses propos, tenus alors qu'il était en lice pour l'Oscar du meilleur acteur, ont provoqué des réactions dans le monde culturel, notamment dans le magazine Art Review, où Will Ferreira Dyke a défendu la pérennité du ballet et de l'opéra, arguant qu'ils survivraient aux attaques des "chalametistes". L'article relie cette polémique à la fragilité de la culture face aux coupes budgétaires, évoquant les demandes de Donald Trump pour augmenter le budget militaire américain au détriment de l'éducation, de la santé et de l'environnement.

According to an AI, El Greco would actually be the sole author of the 'Baptism of Christ' in Toledo, long considered a workshop work

Selon une IA, Greco serait en réalité l’unique auteur du « Baptême du Christ » de Tolède, longtemps considéré comme une œuvre d’atelier

A new study published in Science Advances uses an AI tool called Patch to analyze the monumental painting "Le Baptême du Christ" (1608–1614) by El Greco, long believed to be a workshop piece completed by his son Jorge Manuel Theotocópuli. By mapping the 3D microtopography of the brushstrokes and comparing them with El Greco's authenticated "Christ on the Cross" at the Cleveland Museum of Art, the AI found consistent painterly gestures across the entire work, suggesting the master himself painted it despite tremors from neurological disorders in his old age.

Károly Ferenczy, Elusive Inventor of Hungarian Modernity at the Petit Palais

Károly Ferenczy, insaisissable inventeur de la modernité hongroise au Petit Palais

The Petit Palais in Paris is presenting a major exhibition dedicated to Károly Ferenczy, a pivotal figure in Hungarian modernism. The show features works like his 1896 painting 'Le Sermon sur la montagne,' exploring his role within the Nagybánya artists' colony and his synthesis of plein air painting with a European artistic education.

Galleries condemned, bones exploding… The National Museum of Natural History is in a serious state of disrepair, warns its president

Galeries condamnées, ossements qui explosent… Le Muséum national d’Histoire naturelle est dans un grave état de vétusté, alerte son président

The president of the Muséum national d’Histoire naturelle in Paris, Gilles Bloch, has issued a public alarm about the institution's severe state of disrepair. He warns that 74% of the museum complex is in grave danger, with urgent repairs costing an estimated €500 million needed to prevent collapse and reopen closed galleries. The deterioration includes mold-infested herbariums, flooded archives, and mineralized bones exploding due to heat and humidity, threatening the museum's world-class collection of over 70 million specimens.

Nastaran Mir Sadegh | Untitled (2025) | For Sale

Nastaran Mir Sadegh's painting "Untitled" (2025) is listed for sale at US$2,500 through Sahar K. Boluki Gallery in Toronto. The work, an acrylic on canvas measuring 76 × 59 cm, is hand-signed by the artist and includes a certificate of authenticity. Mir Sadegh, an Iranian artist born in 1985 and based in Tehran, holds a bachelor's degree in Fine Art from Art University of Tehran. Her exhibition history includes shows in Toronto, Tehran, Dubai, and at institutions such as the Tehran Museum of Contemporary Art and Saba Cultural Institute. The listing appears on Artsy, with shipping available within Canada and internationally.

My NADA Sketchbook

Lehman College Art Gallery is presenting the 2026 Thesis Exhibition, running from May 20 to 28. The show features over thirty undergraduate and graduate artists, showcasing a wide range of conceptual approaches and material experimentation.

Mimmo Paladino torna a Milano con una grande mostra dopo anni. Sotterranea e immersiva

Mimmo Paladino returns to Milan with a major exhibition after 15 years, opening on May 16 at Palazzo Citterio's underground Sala Stirling. The show features his iconic series "Dormienti" (Sleepers), 32 anthropomorphic terracotta sculptures in fetal positions, arranged in a theatrical, immersive installation. The exhibition also includes a soundscape by Brian Eno and a selection of 15 drawings on paper from 1973, curated by Lorenzo Madaro and organized by Grande Brera and the Archivio Paladino. It runs until July 26, 2026.

Historic Strike Disrupts Biennale as Thousands March in Venice

On May 8, 2026, artists and cultural workers staged the first strike in the 131-year history of the Venice Biennale, disrupting the pre-opening of the international exhibition. At least 27 of the 100 national pavilions were partially or fully shut down, and thousands marched through Venice to the Arsenale, which was barricaded by Italian riot police. The strike, organized by the Art Not Genocide Alliance (ANGA) and local activist groups, was a 24-hour action for Palestine and workers' rights, with some artists altering or draping their works in the main exhibition, "In Minor Keys."

"In Minor Keys" Hits All the Right Notes

The 61st Venice Biennale's international exhibition, titled "In Minor Keys," opened with a somber curatorial press conference, as artistic director Koyo Kouoh, who died in May 2024 at age 57, was not physically present. The exhibition features 110 invited participants across the Arsenale and Giardini, including works by Buhlebezwe Siwani, Johannes Phokela, Wangechi Mutu, Ebony G. Patterson, and Kambui Olujimi. Protests marked the opening, with gatherings at the temporary Israeli pavilion and Pussy Riot's presence at the Russian pavilion, while the exhibition itself asks viewers to look closer at overlooked forms of representation and consider innovative models of measuring the world.

Artists Pay Tribute to Koyo Kouoh in Poetry Caravan at Venice Biennale

At the Venice Biennale on May 7, 2026, Cuban artist María Magdalena Campos-Pons led a poetry caravan across seven locations in the Giardini to honor Koyo Kouoh, the late curator of the Biennale's main exhibition "In Minor Keys," who died of cancer at age 57 in 2025. The procession, inspired by a 1999 voyage Kouoh took with nine African poets from Dakar to Timbuktu, featured performances by poets Natalie Diaz, Robin Coste Lewis, Batool Abu Akleen, and Anne Waldman, kora player Saliou Cissokho, and Kouoh's husband, Swiss saxophonist Philippe Mall, who played a composition dedicated to her. The event was organized by a team of Kouoh's assistants and advisers, including Marie Hélène Pereira, who served as stand-in lead of the 2026 Biennale.

A Whole Lot of Nothing at the US Pavilion

The US Pavilion at the 2026 Venice Biennale features sculptor Alma Allen's exhibition "Call Me the Breeze," curated by Jeffrey Uslip. The show presents untitled, amorphous sculptures in bronze, wood, and stone, including Colorado Yule marble. The selection process was controversial: after the Trump administration excluded the National Endowment for the Arts, the State Department initially picked artist Robert Lazzarini and curator John Ravenal, but that plan collapsed. The American Arts Conservancy, a new nonprofit led by Jenni Parido (a former pet food store operator with Mar-a-Lago ties), then took over, hiring Uslip, who approached Barbara Chase-Riboud and William Eggleston before settling on Allen. Donors include businessman John Phelan and fashion designer Tommy Hilfiger.

Steven Durland, Champion of Performance Art, Dies at 75

Steven Durland, a longtime editor of *High Performance* magazine and a champion of performance art, died on March 11 at age 75 after a brief illness. His life partner, Linda Frye Burnham, confirmed his death in Saxapahaw, North Carolina. Durland was born in Long Beach, California, raised in South Dakota, and trained as a ceramic artist with a BFA from the University of South Dakota and an MFA from the University of Massachusetts Amherst. He became deeply involved in performance and mail art, and from 1986 to 1994 served as editor of *High Performance*, a magazine founded by Burnham that featured thousands of artists including Nancy Buchanan, Carolee Schneemann, Paul McCarthy, Suzanne Lacy, and Ulysses Jenkins. Durland also maintained his own artistic practice, creating performances such as "Win Defeat/BID FOR POWER" (1978) and "Death and Taxis" (1982), and produced the micro-newspaper *Tacit*.

Shoot the Shit With Jack Kerouac

An exhibition at the Grolier Club in New York City, titled "Running Through Heaven: Visions of Jack Kerouac," presents over 60 pieces of ephemera and unpublished correspondence from the Beat Generation icon's life. Curated by antiquarian collector Jacob Loewentheil, the show includes first editions, a Buddhist mala, a tobacco pouch, and a signed 1964 portrait of Kerouac, organized thematically around religion, jazz, and family. The exhibition runs through May 16 and offers an intimate look at the man behind the myth.

Hundreds Protest Israel’s “Genocide Pavilion” at Venice Biennale

On May 6, 2026, the first day of previews at the Venice Biennale, hundreds of pro-Palestine activists led by the Art Not Genocide Alliance (ANGA) blocked the entrance to the Israeli pavilion, demanding its immediate closure. Protesters waved Palestine flags and banners reading "No Artwashing Genocide" and "No Genocide Pavilion at Biennale," chanting accusations of genocide against Israel. The demonstration temporarily shut down access to Belu-Simion Fainaru's exhibition "Rose of Nothingness" for about half an hour. The protest followed a letter signed by over 200 artists urging the Biennale to exclude Israel, which instead moved the pavilion to an alternative location in the Arsenale due to renovations. Separately, Pussy Riot and FEMEN rallied outside the Russian pavilion, which will only open during preview days due to sanctions. Venice cultural workers plan a 24-hour strike on May 8 in solidarity with Palestinians, potentially disrupting the Biennale's schedule.

Culture Workers Announce Venice Biennale Strike in Israeli Pavilion Protest

Cultural workers, unions, and grassroots groups are planning a 24-hour strike on Friday, May 8, at the Venice Biennale to protest Israel's participation amid the ongoing genocide in Gaza. Organized by the Art Not Genocide Alliance (ANGA), the action includes a rally on Viale Garibaldi and calls for a boycott of Israel's "genocide pavilion." Participating groups include Biennaleocene, Sale Docks, Mi Riconosci, Vogliamo Tutt’altro, and several Italian trade unions. The strike follows months of activism, including a letter signed by over 200 event participants, and comes after the Biennale jury resigned over award eligibility rules that initially excluded Israel and Russia.

Banksy Erects Anti-Imperialist Monument in Central London

Banksy has installed a new sculpture in Waterloo Place, central London, depicting a suited man with his face covered by a flag walking off a plinth toward his demise. The artist confirmed his authorship via an Instagram video and left his signature on the base. The statue was covertly placed in the early hours of April 29, among existing monuments celebrating the British Empire, including King Edward VII, Florence Nightingale, and the Crimean War Memorial.

The Major Exhibitions at LUMA Arles in France: Zaha Hadid, Gerhard Richter and Patti Smith

Le grandi mostre al LUMA di Arles in Francia: Zaha Hadid, Gerhard Richter e Patti Smith

LUMA Arles in France will launch a new exhibition cycle on May 1, 2026, followed by a second series starting July 4. The program, presented by CEO Mustapha Bouhayati and artistic director Vassilis Oikonomopoulos, includes a major show of Gerhard Richter's "Overpainted Photographs" in the Frank Gehry-designed tower, a Zaha Hadid retrospective titled "I Think There Should Be No End to Experimentation" marking the tenth anniversary of her death, and a centennial celebration of the influential art magazine Cahiers d'Art. The exhibitions aim to bridge visual arts with music, performance, and live events, bringing together voices from diverse geographies and disciplines.

Sotheby’s Auction Raises Funds for Yale MFA Scholarships

The Yale School of Art is partnering with Sotheby’s to host an auction benefiting scholarships for its Master of Fine Arts program. The 13 lots, including works by Howardena Pindell, Josef Albers, Richard Prince, Mickalene Thomas, Do Ho Suh, and Barkley L. Hendricks, will be sold as part of Sotheby’s Contemporary Day Auction in New York on May 15. Estimates range from $5,000 to $700,000. Dean Kymberly Pinder, who has raised $13 million toward debt-free graduation since 2021, stated the auction supports a larger initiative to ensure MFA students graduate without debt.

The Mysterious Life of Fluxus Dame Alison Knowles

A new book, "Performing Chance: The Art of Alison Knowles In/Out of Fluxus" by art historian Nicole L. Woods, is the first major study of the late Fluxus artist Alison Knowles, who died last fall at age 92. The book focuses on the first two decades of her career (1958–1975), analyzing key works such as her 1962 performance "Proposition #2: Make a Salad" at London's Institute of Contemporary Arts, and her shift from painting to experimental, ephemeral art after being exiled to a basement by Josef Albers at Syracuse University.

Where did the great artist Joseph Beuys live? The comic story by Gianluca Costantini

Dove viveva il grande artista Joseph Beuys? Il racconto a fumetti di Gianluca Costantini

In the summer of 2022, the author visited Düsseldorf and discovered that Joseph Beuys's former home at Drakeplatz 4 in Oberkassel was for sale, but the city's cultural department declined to purchase it. Beuys lived and worked there from 1961 until his death in 1986, using the space as both a residence and studio. The article recounts the intimate details of family life there, including how Beuys painted the main room white for his wife Eva's photography, and how the family navigated the blend of private life and artistic practice. Two years later, the Brunhilde Moll Foundation acquired the house and opened it to the public, though it was closed for renovations when the author returned. The house now displays about sixty works from Beuys's creative period and will host artist residencies and events.

Kim Gordon Was Never Just the “Girl in the Band”

Kim Gordon, best known as co-founder of the influential indie rock band Sonic Youth, is the subject of a new exhibition titled "Count Your Chickens" at Amant in New York. Curated by Patricia Margarita Hernández, the show surveys Gordon’s visual art from 2007 to the present, including paintings, drawings, ceramics, and video works such as "Jeanetta and Alex" (2026). The exhibition explores themes of celebrity, gender, electricity, and the tension between public image and private reality, featuring pieces like "Paris, Paris" (2025) and the "Airbnb Series" (2019).

Printed Matter’s LA Art Book Fair Returns May 7–10

Printed Matter's LA Art Book Fair (LAABF) returns to ArtCenter South Campus in Pasadena, California, from May 7 to 10, 2026. The fair will feature 250 exhibitors, including international artists, publishers, and booksellers, alongside programs such as talks and panels in The Classroom, music and performances on The Stage, and special Project Spaces presentations by groups like Archivos Desviados, Bread & Puppet Press, and Getty. An Opening Night celebration on May 7, co-organized with Orange Radio & Homebody, will include live music by sonrisita and Mia Carucci, a limited edition ticket by Amia Yokoyama for the first 500 guests, and a new collaborative artist edition by Deanna Templeton and Ed Templeton.