Today's Art Pulse
Hypha Studios Launches Massive South Bank Cultural Hub
Hypha Studios will open its largest cultural destination, Hypha Gallery South Bank, on 25 June 2026 in Bankside. The venue offers 9,000 sq ft of exhibition space and over 4,000 sq ft of artist studios, supporting roughly 600 artists and returning 70% of sales revenue to creators.
Richard Lewer’s Iluwanti Ken Portrait Won the Archibald Prize, and Other News.
Australian artist Richard Lewer captured the 2026 Archibald Prize with his portrait of Pitjantjatjara elder Iluwanti Ken, earning the A$100,000 award (about $66,000). The Metropolitan Museum of Art secured a gift exceeding $23 million to fund its fully paid internship program, supporting over 100 students annually. Meanwhile, the Aspen Art Fair returns to Hotel Jerome with more than 35 international exhibitors, Canali names former Brunello Cucinelli designer Alessio Lillocci as creative director, and SCAD launches BAZAAR boutique to showcase student‑made luxury pieces.
Marina Abramović’s Historic Venice Biennale Exhibition Is a Full-Circle Moment
Marina Abramović, the 80‑year‑old performance‑art pioneer, has become the first living woman to receive a dedicated solo exhibition at Venice’s Gallerie dell’Accademia. Titled “Marina Abramović: Transforming Energy,” the show weaves her seminal works with Renaissance masterpieces, creating a dialogue between...
Thinking Small and Dreaming Big in Isabel Nolan’s Imaginary World
Irish artist Isabel Nolan’s Ireland pavilion, Dreamshook, explores the hazy space between waking and dreaming, using a fictional Aldus Manutius narrative to examine how portable ideas shape culture. She employs intimate media such as textiles to grapple with grand concepts...
‘This Is an Opportunity that Will Never Happen Again’: Syrian Artist Sara Shamma on Rebuilding Her Country
Syria’s national pavilion at the 2026 Venice Biennale will feature a single artist, Sara Shamma, marking the country’s first post‑war cultural showcase. Shamma’s immersive installation, The Tower Tomb of Palmyra, reconstructs the ancient funerary towers destroyed by ISIS in 2015 using...
The Open: Odyssey
Hastings Contemporary and Sussex Contemporary are launching The Open: Odyssey, a gallery‑wide biennial running from March 28 to May 31, 2026. The show features 152 artists selected from more than 2,500 submissions, spanning painting, sculpture, film, textiles and installation. Internationally recognised names such...
Charles and Ray Eames | Eames Lounge Chair and Ottoman (Encore)
In this 12‑minute episode of Who Arted Weekly Art History, host Kyle Wood explores the partnership of Charles and Ray Eames, tracing their backgrounds, wartime innovations, and mid‑century modern influence. He highlights how their complementary skills—Charles’s engineering focus and Ray’s...
First Major UK Exhibition on Francisco De Zurbarán at the National Gallery
The National Gallery is hosting the United Kingdom’s first major monographic exhibition of 17th‑century Spanish master Francisco de Zurbarán, on view from 2 May to 23 August 2026. The show assembles almost 50 paintings that trace the full arc of Zurbarán’s career, drawing from...
Uncovering Meaning
"Joy Like Time" opens at the Sainsbury Centre in Norwich (June 20‑Nov 15, 2026), uniting Marina Abramović, Gillian Wearing and Kalliopi Lemos in a three‑artist investigation of time as material. The show treats duration, repetition and sustained attention as the primary medium, turning endurance performances,...
In Other Worlds by Liam Young Reimagines Cities, Landscapes, and Climate Futures at the Barbican Centre
The Barbican Centre will host "In Other Worlds," an immersive exhibition by speculative architect Liam Young from May 21 to September 6, 2026, spread across three venues within the complex. The show blends large‑scale projections, LED installations, soundscapes and artefacts...
Merola Opera Program to Present ‘La Tragédie De Carmen’
The Merola Opera Program in San Francisco will stage a stripped‑down French version of Bizet’s Carmen, titled “La Tragédie de Carmen,” on July 9 and July 11, 2026 at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music. The adaptation, created by Peter Brook, Jean‑Claude Carrière and Marius Constant, emphasizes...
Why Is Shoji Yamasaki Pretending to Be a Discarded Piece of Paper?
Performance artist Shoji Yamasaki’s "Littered Mvmnts" series pairs split‑screen videos of drifting trash with his own choreography mimicking the objects’ wind‑driven movements. The project, launched on TikTok and Instagram in 2023, has amassed millions of views and now appears on...
Frieze New York 2026
Frieze New York 2026 showcased a mix of provocative installations, market highlights, and cultural commentary. Austrian sculptor Erwin Wurm presented his oversized, consumer‑culture‑satirizing pieces, while a panel of artists and city officials warned that New York’s soaring living costs are...
You Can Wait Ages for a Rothko — Now Five Have Come Along All at Once
New York’s spring auction season will feature five Mark Rothko paintings, with estimates ranging from $10 million to $100 million. The flagship piece, "Brown and Blacks in Reds" (1957), is slated between $70 million and $100 million, while other works span 1949 to 1969...
Portrait of Iluwanti Ken by Richard Lewer Wins $100,000 Archibald Prize
Melbourne‑based artist Richard Lewer has captured the $100,000 Archibald Prize with his portrait of Pitjantjatjara elder and ngangkari Iluwanti Ken. Lewer spent a week on Country in the scorching 47 °C APY Lands, immersing himself in Ken’s community before completing the life‑size...
ARKET and Laila Gohar Unveil Surreal Carousel at Milan Design Week 2026
Swedish retailer ARKET and New York artist Laila Gohar reimagined a 300‑year‑old carousel into a rotating garden of oversized fruits and vegetables at Milan Design Week 2026, launching a 27‑piece ready‑to‑wear collection. The project highlights fashion’s expanding role in experiential and...
Croatia Launches Guinness Record Bid for Largest Dalmatian Dog Art Exhibition
The House of the Dalmatian Dog museum in Šibenik is spearheading a Guinness World Record attempt for the largest Dalmatian‑themed art exhibition, inviting kindergartens and primary schools across Croatia to submit paintings by June 10, 2026 for a September 14...
Who’s Afraid of____? At Turquoise
Turquoise, a New York contemporary‑art space, is mounting the group show “Who’s Afraid of____?” from March 27 through May 10, 2026. The exhibition brings together a diverse roster—including Anna‑Sophie Berger, K.P. Brehmer, David Diao, Gaylen Gerber, Joseph Grigely, John Heartfield, Nandi Loaf and Alicia Riccio—to examine themes of fear, identity and political...
The Biennale by Subtraction
The Venice Biennale opened amid a wave of political absences, with Iran withdrawing, the U.S. pavilion left essentially empty, and Pussy Riot disrupting the Russian pavilion. Simultaneously, European and U.S. arts funding faces cuts: a French parliamentary report proposes a 25%...
Inside Radiohead’s Immersive Motion Picture House: 6 Takeaways
Radiohead’s Kid A Mnesia Motion Picture House opened in Brooklyn’s Navy Yard, offering a two‑month New York run that blends a 75‑minute film, immersive art installations, and spatial‑audio mixes. The exhibit, originally built for Coachella in a 17,000‑square‑foot bunker, now tours Chicago, Mexico...
The Most Provocative Performance in Venice
Austrian artist Florentina Holzinger is headlining the 2026 Venice Biennale with a daring pavilion titled “Seaworld Venice.” The installation transforms Austria’s Giardini pavilion into an underwater theme park that also functions as a working sewage‑treatment system. Visitors are invited to...
The Most Provocative Performance in Venice
In this episode of The Art Angle, host Kate Brown talks with Austrian performance artist Florentina Holtzinger about her groundbreaking Venice Biennale pavilion, "SeaWorld Venice," which transforms Austria's Giardini pavilion into a water‑filled, sewage‑treating ecosystem complete with a jet‑ski, an...
Christie's Unveils $15‑$26 Million Jadeite Necklace, Most Valuable in a Decade
Christie's announced The Ethereal Jadeite Necklace, a 61‑bead jadeite masterpiece estimated at HK$110‑200 million ($15‑$26 million), as the centerpiece of its Hong Kong Magnificent Jewels auction. The offering underscores the auction house’s 40th‑anniversary push in Asia and signals strong demand for ultra‑rare...
Museum of Contemporary Art Detroit Reopens After Year-Long Renovation
The Museum of Contemporary Art Detroit (MOCAD) reopened on April 23, 2026 after nearly a year of closure for infrastructure upgrades, adding air‑conditioning and naming its main building after co‑founder Julia Reyes Taubman. The reopening signals a renewed commitment to...
Curiosity Delays Success, Extends Artistic Peak
The curious don’t peak early. That’s actually good news. An economist charted the value of paintings throughout artists’ careers. What he found was surprising. Some did their best work early in their careers. Some peaked late. The first group didn’t achieve success faster...
Prove Yourself with Finished Work, Not Promises
Galleries can't commit to showing your art before you start making it. You can have the most amazing ideas in the world about what you want to create, but no matter how brilliant your visions might be, you have to...
He Couldn’t Choose Between Dance And Visual Art. He’s Ended Up Putting Dancers In His Art Installations.
Chicago’s Driehaus Museum has appointed interdisciplinary artist Brendan Fernandes as its artist‑in‑residence for the immersive project “In the Round.” The installation transforms the Murphy Auditorium’s historic space with a dodecagonal arrangement of mirrored benches that capture dancers’ handprints, footprints, and...
Radiohead Spectacle in Brooklyn Teems with World-Building Paintings, Sculpture, and Film
Radiohead is staging a multimedia installation titled Motion Picture House KID A MNESIA at Brooklyn's Navy Yard through June 28, blending artwork from the Kid A and Amnesiac eras with a 30‑minute film and large‑scale sculptures. Tickets cost $72 for...
Johns Hopkins Acquires Major Work by Artist Lindsay Adams
Johns Hopkins University announced the acquisition of Lindsay Adams' large‑scale diptych *Kind of Blue (1959)*, a 14‑foot‑wide, six‑foot‑tall abstract work inspired by Miles Davis' iconic jazz album. The piece will be installed in the renovated Milton S. Eisenhower Library, slated...
What Iran’s Absence From The Venice Biennale Means
Iran announced it will not take part in the 2026 Venice Biennale, citing no official reason. The decision reflects severe logistical hurdles caused by restricted internet, suspended flights, and a sharply devalued rial that limits funding for overseas projects. It...
Maureen Dougherty’s Collectors: Pride without Greed
Maureen Dougherty’s solo show “The Completionists” opens at Mendes Wood DM in Germantown, NY, featuring nine large‑scale oil portraits of solitary collectors surrounded by their curated objects. The works, ranging from a mustard‑jar enthusiast to a skull‑laden crypt collector, employ...
Aspen Art Fair Names More Than 35 Exhibitors for 2026 Edition at Hotel Jerome
The Aspen Art Fair will stage its third edition at the historic Hotel Jerome from July 29 to August 1, featuring more than 35 galleries in an invitation‑only format. Kelly Cornell, who also directs the Dallas Art Fair, takes the helm, aiming...
Talking Headways: The Art of the Bus
Bloomberg Philanthropies’ third Public Art Challenge spotlights bus and shelter installations, turning transit vehicles into moving canvases. The initiative partners cities, transit agencies, nonprofits and artists to replace traditional advertising with murals, poetry and performance pieces that respect window visibility....
The Art of Macy’s Flower Show
Macy’s flagship stores in Chicago and New York launched the 2026 Flower Show, centering on a Homegrown theme that celebrates American gardens. The pop‑up features over 50,000 stems, 200 flower varieties, and interactive installations, including a Confetti Celebration Wall. As...
NSW Government Pours $300k Into First Nations Shows at Australian Fashion Week
The New South Wales government is committing $300,000 AUD (about $200,000 USD) to three new runway shows at Australian Fashion Week, spotlighting First Nations designers Buluuy Mirrii and Van Ermel Scherer and a collective called The Frontier. The funding aims...
Katara Cultural Village Unveils $0 Exhibition Featuring 170 Works by 29 Artists
The Katara Cultural Village Foundation inaugurated the “Contemporary Graphic Art” exhibition on May 6, 2026, displaying more than 170 works by 29 artists from Qatar and abroad. The show, running through May 18 in Hall 18, spotlights hand‑printed techniques and signals...
Judd’s Objects
The Judd Foundation keeps 101 Spring Street, Donald Judd’s former SoHo studio, exactly as he left it, offering a rare glimpse into his minimalist living and working environment. Built in 1870, the five‑story cast‑iron building houses white‑cube galleries, original hardwood...
Lina Lapelyte Takes over Hamburger Bahnhof in Berlin with 400,000 Wood Cubes
Lithuanian artist Lina Lapelyte’s new installation “We Make Years Out of Hours” occupies Hamburger Bahnhof’s 2,500 sq m hall with 400,000 hand‑cut wooden cubes. The work, commissioned by the Chanel Culture Fund, invites visitors and local performers to build, dismantle, and interact with the towering forest of blocks while...
Reginald Sylvester II: Until Then
Reginald Sylvester II’s fourth solo show at Maximillian William, running June 4‑August 2026, presents a new series of paintings that fuse rubber‑coated aluminium panels with discarded 1960s‑70s military shelter halves. The assemblages are overpainted with vivid acrylics, creating a tension between raw,...
Clay Sea Creatures Echo Venice’s Hand‑Made Tides
These clay sea creatures made by chiara.camoni for the #italianpavillion at labiennale somehow spoke to me, maybe it was the fact that each gesture of her hand is captured in those “scales” and the waters of Venice just outside the...
Here’s Why the Venice Biennale Main Show Lost One Artist During the Planning Stages
The 2026 Venice Biennale, curated posthumously by Koyo Kouoh, opened under the title “In Minor Keys” with 110 artists, down from the originally announced 111. The exhibition blends contemporary creators with a handful of deceased figures such as Marcel Duchamp, preserving historical...
Spatial Memories: "Photography Into Sculpture" At El Nido
El Nido, an artist‑run curatorial space in Los Angeles, is hosting “Photography Into Sculpture: An Homage and an Update” through May 16, 2026. The traveling exhibition revisits the 1970s MoMA show and its 2011 Getty restaging, assembling eight international artists who transform...
Gift Shops Rapidly Adopt AI Art—A Phenomenon Worth Studying
The swiftness at which gift shops transitioned to only ai art is insane and should be studied.
Rare Ian Curtis Archives Debut in NYC Exhibition
"Ian Curtis: Insight," a free exhibition of rare archival material from the Joy Division frontman, opens June 25 at the Voltz Clarke Gallery in New York City and runs through July 22. Many items on U.S. display for the first...
New Museum Spring Gala Raises Funds in Tribute to Departing Director Lisa Phillips
The New Museum held its Spring Gala in late April at Cipriani South Street, turning the event into a high‑profile fundraiser that honored longtime director Lisa Phillips. The night featured speeches from former Whitney director Adam Weinberg and artist Maya...
‘Ian Curtis: Insight’ Explores the Joy Division Frontman’s Short, Impactful Life
Voltz Clarke Gallery in New York is hosting "Ian Curtis: Insight," the first U.S. exhibition dedicated to Joy Division frontman Ian Curtis. The show features archival items from the John Rylands Library’s British Pop Archive, including handwritten lyrics, photographs, letters...
Parasol Unit Returns with a Showcase of Women From Central Asia and Beyond
London’s nonprofit gallery Parasol Unit, closed since 2020, reopens in Venice as a collateral event of the Biennale. Curated by founder Ziba Ardalan, the new show “Turandot: To the Daughters of the East” presents 11 women artists from Central Asia and...
Ceramic Art London Returns to Olympia May 8-10, Showcasing 125 Makers
The 22nd Ceramic Art London fair will run May 8‑10, 2026 at Olympia West Hall, featuring 125 selected makers from 27 nations. Over 300 applications were received, 25% of exhibitors are new, and the event is expected to draw more...
Lotus Kang Channels Desire Into Bvlgari's Venice Biennale Pavilion
Lotus Kang has created a site‑specific installation for Bvlgari’s pavilion at the Venice Biennale, titled “The Face of Desire is Loss.” Bvlgari, which will sponsor the next three Biennale editions, chose Kang for her material‑focused, liminal practice. The work cloaks...
Don’t Call It Entertainment
J. Hoberman’s review of *Everything Is Now* chronicles the confrontational New York avant‑garde of the 1960s. Exhibitions like MoMA’s 1965 “The Responsive Eye” and performances by LeRoi Jones, Archie Shepp, Yoko Ono and La Monte Young deliberately eschewed entertainment, using sensory overload to challenge audiences. The...
S&M-Inspired Greek Pavilion in Venice Confronts Its Fascist Chains
The Greek pavilion at the 2026 Venice Biennale, titled Grecia, presents an S&M‑inspired, neon‑lit installation that doubles as an escape‑room. Curated by Andreas Angelidakis and Ioli Kavakou, the work mixes drag performance, queer memorabilia, and fractured marble columns to question...