Stories

Maya Lin, renowned for her groundbreaking Vietnam Veterans Memorial, continues to captivate with her innovative blend of architecture, fine art, and ecological advocacy. Her current exhibition at the Parrish Art Museum transforms maps and waterways of the Hamptons into delicate silver sculptures and intricate installations like Pin River—Sandy, inviting contemplation on the vital yet vulnerable nature of water. Lin’s work eloquently merges scientific precision with poetic symbolism, exploring water’s fluidity and ecological significance. As she expands her legacy of memorials with the final project “What Is Missing?,” Lin channels her artistic vision toward raising awareness of habitat loss and environmental crises, urging viewers to engage thoughtfully with the natural world and our shared future. Balancing large-scale public installations with intimate gallery pieces and ongoing architectural commissions, Lin remains a powerful force in reminding us of the deep histories and pressing necessities embedded in the landscapes around us.

Brittany Bailey, a lifelong dancer and performance artist, has forged a unique path that blends durational dance, sculptural body shapes, and deep meditative practice. Having trained with luminaries like Merce Cunningham and performed Marina Abramovic’s iconic works, Bailey approaches dance as a meditative exploration of space and time, often holding singular shapes for extended periods to invite reflection and stillness. Her meticulous daily routine combines technique, improvisation with collaborator Bryce Hackford, and self-observation through video, revealing a process rooted in endurance and presence. From a childhood devoted to dance in North Carolina to residencies at the Watermill Center and performances at MoMA, Bailey creates works that challenge perceptions of time, encouraging audiences to immerse themselves in the subtle beauty of the body’s forms and the poetic suspension of movement.

A century after the upheavals of World War I reshaped art and society, The Twenty First Century Art Book by Phaidon celebrates over 280 groundbreaking artists from 50 countries who are redefining contemporary art. These visionaries use a diverse array of media to explore themes of identity, politics, and the blurred lines between reality and the virtual. From Karla Black’s ethereal installations and Yto Barrada’s socially charged depictions of Tangier, to Tamy Ben-Tor’s satirical performances and Mircea Cantor’s politically infused multimedia works, this collection highlights artists who challenge and expand our perspectives. Featuring voices like Jimmie Durham’s activism-infused creations, Luisa Lambri’s intimate architectural photographs, and Zoe Leonard’s insightful documentations, the book captures the dynamic spirit of today’s art world. With contributions from worldwide talents such as Lucy McKenzie, Amalia Pica, and Gianni Motti, this volume offers a compelling snapshot of how art continues to provoke, engage, and inspire in our complex, rapidly changing era.

Jason Middlebrook’s art vividly explores the clash between humanity and nature through recycled materials and evocative forms, from uprooted tree roots to post-apocalyptic models. Recently relocated from Brooklyn to upstate New York, Middlebrook’s new project, Your General Store, reinvents an old shipping container into a dynamic art bartering post, fostering a communal exchange that challenges the money-driven art market. Rooted in his grandmother’s ethos of reuse, his work reflects a deep respect for nature’s endurance and transformation, capturing the tension and harmony between man-made and natural worlds. Embracing life in the countryside, Middlebrook finds inspiration in nature’s resilience and the slower rhythms of rural community, bringing a fresh, hopeful perspective to environmental themes while pushing the boundaries of public and conceptual art.

Since the dawn of avant-garde art, creators have relentlessly pushed the boundaries of traditional painting, experimenting with radical methods that transform the canvas into a site of performance, destruction, and provocative expression. From Yves Klein’s scorching flames and Niki de Saint Phalle’s paint-filled bullet holes to the Gutai group’s physical assaults on their work, artists have challenged conventions by injecting movement, violence, and even bodily fluids into their creations. Warhol’s provocative use of urine, Lucio Fontana’s spatial slashes, and Robert Rauschenberg’s incorporation of everyday objects into his Combines all redefined what a painting could be, blurring lines between sculpture, performance, and conceptual art. Meanwhile, Gustav Metzger’s auto-destructive acid paintings embodied the era’s anti-capitalist spirit, demonstrating that art could be both ephemeral and revolutionary. These daring and sometimes shocking approaches reveal a vibrant history of innovation, rebellion, and the relentless pursuit of new artistic frontiers.

Meyer Schapiro was a towering figure in 20th-century art history whose influence extended far beyond his relatively modest published output. A lifelong New Yorker and Columbia University professor, he revolutionized the study of Romanesque sculpture by insisting on understanding art within its social context. Deeply embedded in the vibrant New York art scene, Schapiro bridged academic, political, and artistic circles, encouraging groundbreaking artists like Willem de Kooning and Jackson Pollock. His belief that art and society are inseparable challenged prevailing ideas, emphasizing that even abstract art is shaped by experience and social conditions. While known as an inspiring lecturer and cultural connector, Schapiro also curated seminal exhibitions that mapped evolving movements like Post-Abstract Expressionism. His legacy endures not just through his essays and curatorial work, but through the generations of artists and historians shaped by his vision of art as a living dialogue between form, history, and society.

Photographer Jo Ann Callis’s evocative and surreal images, created over 40 years ago but only now publicly exhibited, explore intimate and complex facets of human sexuality, vulnerability, and desire through staged tableaux rich with domestic objects and subtle emotional narratives. Blending her background in sculpture with a nuanced photographic eye, Callis crafts scenes that feel both sensual and unsettling, inviting the viewer into a private world where fear, pleasure, and play intertwine. Encouraged by mentor Robert Heinecken, she pioneered a deeply personal artistic language that challenges conventional depictions of the female body and explores psychological landscapes within familiar, yet disquieting, domestic settings. Her newly published collection, *Other Rooms*, reveals the enduring power and contemporary resonance of her work, which celebrates beauty, control, and imagination beyond literal storytelling.

Summer is the perfect season to immerse yourself in the vibrant world of art on Instagram, and following the right tastemakers can transform your feed into a captivating gallery. From Cecilia Alemani, curator of Manhattan’s High Line Art known for showcasing global art installations, to Mills Moran, managing director of the hip OHWOW gallery blending contemporary art with indie culture, these accounts offer unparalleled access to the art scene’s hottest events, emerging talents, and behind-the-scenes moments. Heather Flow’s savvy art consultancy tips keep you ahead in the collector’s game, while the anonymous @icallb delivers sharp, hilarious critiques that challenge the art world’s hype. Dive into Niels Kantor's eclectic Los Angeles gallery highlights and family life, Loic Gouzer’s auction previews blending luxury and artistry, and Klaus Biesenbach’s star-studded museum adventures that blur fine art with pop culture. Whether you crave exclusive art reveals, incisive commentary, or insider glimpses of artists and collectors, these Instagram accounts are your ultimate summer art fix.

This captivating collection showcases the unique visions of contemporary artists pushing the boundaries of form and meaning. From Jason Middlebrook’s elegant fusion of nature and spray paint on black birch, to Lisi Raskin’s haunting Constructivist-inspired reflections on global conflict, each piece tells a compelling story. Margaret Lee’s provocative still-life photographs blur cultural references while Richard Learoyd’s painstakingly crafted portraits reveal hyperreal beauty with Vermeer-like light. Cory Arcangel’s playful digital art bridges gaming and fine art, and Miroslaw Balka’s minimalist works poignantly channel historical trauma through stark, evocative installations. Together, these works invite viewers into a rich dialogue about identity, memory, and the evolving language of contemporary art.

The Düsseldorf School of Photography emerged as a groundbreaking movement in late 20th-century Germany, redefining photography as a legitimate form of modern art. Rooted in the disciplined, methodical approach of teachers Bernd and Hilla Becher—who meticulously documented industrial structures with scientific precision—the school embraced a cool, documentary style that contrasted sharply with the emotional experimentation of earlier subjective photography. Drawing inspiration from the prewar New Objectivity movement and artists like August Sander, the Bechers and their students transformed mundane architectural forms into powerful conceptual art, influencing a generation of photographers including Andreas Gursky, Candida Höfer, and Thomas Struth. Their legacy continues to shape photographic art, pushing boundaries through rigorous technique and thoughtful exploration of form, space, and society.

The West Coast continues to blaze as a vibrant hub for groundbreaking art, featuring an eclectic mix of legendary figures and dynamic newcomers. From Ed Ruscha’s iconic explorations of Hollywood’s graphic culture to Laura Owens’ innovative blend of digital and traditional painting techniques, these artists push creative boundaries with urgency and flair. Mark Bradford transforms urban detritus into layered abstractions, while Andrea Bowers channels activism into multi-medium statements on pressing social issues. The diverse talents extend from Catherine Opie’s poignant documentary photography to Liz Craft’s whimsical fusion of vintage craft and satire. With visionaries like John Baldessari, the godfather of conceptual art, and playful storytellers like Jay Stuckey and Matt Lipps, the West Coast art scene pulses with energy and fresh perspectives that are reshaping contemporary art’s landscape.

Spencer Finch, a master of light and color, unveils three striking installations this summer, transforming spaces at the Morgan Library, the 9/11 Memorial Museum, and Britain’s Turner Contemporary. At the Morgan, Finch abstracts the medieval Books of Hours into a vibrant, seasonal calendar of 365 colored squares that shift with the sunlight, creating an immersive, ever-changing experience. His Turner Contemporary work, inspired by “The Wizard of Oz,” explores the fading of color into gray at dusk, inviting viewers to contemplate perception and the passage of time. Meanwhile, at the solemn 9/11 Museum, Finch’s delicate watercolor homage captures the iconic “severe blue” sky of that tragic day, bringing light and contemplation to a subterranean space. Throughout, Finch’s devotion to materiality and concept shines through, demonstrating his fearless embrace of diverse mediums to illuminate our relationship with light, memory, and time.

Clement Greenberg, one of America’s most influential art critics, shaped the postwar art scene with his passionate advocacy for formalist, "non-objective" art. Championing figures like Jackson Pollock and the Washington Color School painters, Greenberg emphasized the importance of flatness and purity in painting, insisting that art should be about painting itself rather than subject matter. While his rigid views eventually faced backlash from artists pursuing new directions, his essays and critiques remain essential for understanding Abstract Expressionism and Modernism. Beyond criticism, Greenberg’s complex relationships with artists, his occasional curatorial work, and his lesser-known pursuits like poetry highlight a multifaceted figure whose legacy continues to provoke and inspire.

This summer, the American West offers a rich tapestry of art and culture, from Donald Judd’s expansive minimalist installations at the Chinati Foundation in Marfa, Texas, to SITE Santa Fe’s groundbreaking "Unsettled Landscapes" biennial, showcasing 40 artists exploring themes of land and migration. Explore mid-career and emerging contemporary photography at Gilman Contemporary in Ketchum, Idaho, or dive into the Southwest’s deep cultural heritage at the Arizona State Museum in Tucson, home to over three million artifacts. Don’t miss the artist-run Tops Gallery in Memphis, Tennessee, featuring innovative contemporary works, or the Aspen Art Museum in Colorado, renowned for its edgy international shows and soon-to-be unveiled Shigeru Ban-designed building. Whether it’s monumental sculpture, provocative installations, or historic textiles, this curated road trip promises unforgettable encounters with some of the region’s most compelling creative spaces.

Art parks blend creativity and nature, offering immersive experiences where sculpture and landscape coalesce. Francesca Cigola’s Art Parks: A Tour of America’s Sculpture Parks and Gardens highlights over 50 such sites, many just a short trip from New York City. From the sprawling 500-acre Storm King Art Center, showcasing monumental works by Maya Lin and Richard Serra, to the innovative Socrates Sculpture Park in Long Island City, founded on reclaimed industrial land, these destinations invite exploration of contemporary and historic masterpieces in open-air settings. The Metropolitan Museum of Art’s roof garden provides a unique urban vantage with rotating installations by leading artists, while the Rockefeller estate’s Kykiut Gardens reveal a storied collection amid elegant terraces. Just across the river, Grounds for Sculpture in New Jersey transforms former fairgrounds into a vibrant 40-acre haven featuring works by Tom Otterness and Kiki Smith. Perfect for sunny days, these parks offer fresh air, striking art, and inspiring escapes from the city bustle.

In an era dominated by digital imagery and virtual storage, a renewed fascination is emerging around the physicality of photography through the hybrid art form of photo-sculpture. From its 19th-century origins—where François Willème’s “photosculptures” combined multiple photographs to create three-dimensional portraits—to contemporary artists who treat photographs as tangible materials or “skins” stretched over sculptural forms, this crossover challenges traditional notions of photography as merely a reproducible image. Exhibitions revisiting the medium's materiality highlight its evolving role, from ephemeral snapshots to complex objects blurring the boundaries between image and physical presence. As advances in 3D printing and experimental techniques push photography beyond conventional limits, the art world grapples with defining where photography ends and new artistic forms begin, reflecting both a historical lineage and forward-looking innovation.

Art galleries hold a unique place, balancing art as both a commercial venture and a philosophical pursuit, where success isn't solely measured by profit but by cultural impact. This article highlights ten historically significant galleries—from Los Angeles' Ferus Gallery, which launched iconic artists like Warhol and Ruscha, to Paris' Iris Clert Gallery, famous for debuting Yves Klein’s International Klein Blue works, and New York’s Green Gallery, a stepping stone for major Pop artists. Despite their profound influence on the art world, each gallery faced challenges—from financial struggles and changing public interests to political controversies—that ultimately led to their closure, reminding us that even the most pioneering art spaces often have fragile lifespans.

Zöe and Joel Dictrow embody a passionate and thoughtful approach to art collecting that contrasts sharply with today’s high-stakes, speculative market. Living in a cozy West Village apartment filled with works from icons like Gerhard Richter to emerging talents, they cherish collecting as a lifelong joy and form of connection, constantly engaging with galleries, artists, and fairs worldwide. Their shared yet distinct tastes, reverence for gallery ecosystems, and commitment to supporting younger artists reflect a deep, personal relationship with art that transcends mere acquisition. Known for their meticulously curated annual open-house tours during the Armory Show, the Dictrows value the ongoing dialogue art fosters—not only within their home but across a vibrant, evolving community—as they navigate the challenges and changes of an increasingly frothy market with patience, insight, and a spirited love for discovery.

This summer, New York’s galleries burst with vibrant group shows and solo exhibitions that spotlight fresh perspectives and bold conceptual work. At David Zwirner, junior staff curate industrial-inspired sculptures, while Louise Lawler’s vinyl wall drawings at Metro Pictures riff on art appropriation. Zach Feuer brings classical themes back to painting with emerging talents, and Petzel Gallery’s “A Machinery for Living” playfully probes invisible systems of daily life. Todd Levin’s “Another Look at Detroit” beautifully traces the city’s complex history beyond decay, while Anton Kern explores the art of display itself. Rico Gatson’s kaleidoscopic homage to Black Panther history enlivens Bushwick, and BFFA3AE’s multimedia exploration of modern relationships revitalizes the Lower East Side. Meanwhile, Gagosian celebrates Duchamp’s revolutionary readymades, and Hauser & Wirth revisits the intersection of photography and sculpture with a playful nod to summer leisure. Together, these exhibitions capture the restless energy and inventive spirit that define NYC’s art scene in the dog days of summer.

Sol LeWitt’s pioneering work in conceptual art challenges the expectation that minimalism equates to cold, inaccessible creativity by revealing the vibrant intellectual labor behind deceptively simple lines, colors, and shapes. Central to his practice are written instructions and texts, like his seminal "Paragraphs on Conceptual Art," which laid the groundwork for the movement by emphasizing intuition, lyrical expression, and the viewer’s interpretation. LeWitt’s art often involves permutations of basic forms, inviting chance and variation through collaborative fabrication. His iconic wall drawings—ephemeral works created from precise instructions—transform any space into a canvas and embody the interplay between idea and execution. These works continue to captivate audiences, embodying an enduring legacy that redefines how art can engage the mind and space.

Summer is the perfect time to immerse yourself in vibrant culture and art, and boutique art hotels across the U.S. offer an extraordinary way to do just that. From San Francisco’s Hotel des Arts, where graffiti transforms every room into a unique urban gallery, to Louisville’s 21c Museum Hotel that merges a living museum with luxurious lodging, these destinations blend creativity and comfort seamlessly. Seattle’s Hotel Max celebrates the city’s punk rock roots with original photography and vinyl, while New York’s Gramercy Park Hotel showcases prestigious contemporary artworks and a lavish design by artist Julian Schnabel. In Miami, Hotel Beaux Arts combines sleek, art-inspired design with access to cutting-edge local museums, making each stay a culturally rich experience. Whether you crave bold street art, immersive installations, or elegant contemporary décor, these hotels offer guests an inspiring retreat that dazzles both the eye and the soul.

Before exploring Jeff Koons’s unprecedented full-building retrospective at the Whitney Museum, this engaging quiz offers a deep dive into the artist’s remarkable career and distinctive style. Known for blending suburban Americana with grand scale and high-end craftsmanship, Koons thrives in the liminal space between kitsch and high art. From his early days as a Wall Street stockbroker to the massive, meticulously fabricated sculptures like the iconic stainless steel "Rabbit" and the topiary "Puppy," the quiz uncovers fascinating facts about his studio, influences, and record-breaking auction sales. With playful references to his controversial exhibitions, artistic philosophy, and personal life, this article invites readers to test their knowledge of one of contemporary art’s most polarizing figures.

Artists have long harbored complex feelings toward art criticism, with figures like Cézanne and Delacroix expressing skepticism, yet many artists have also embraced the critic’s role themselves. Donald Judd, for example, wrote concise and candid reviews that sparked both controversy and admiration, while Mel Bochner saw criticism as a way to engage with and shape the art world beyond the studio. From Marsden Hartley challenging the superficiality of early 20th-century criticism to Barnett Newman and John Miller using their critical voices to deepen understanding of art, artist-critics have historically used their dual roles to influence audiences and art culture. Today, artists like Walter Robinson and Julia Dault continue this tradition, highlighting how artist-critics not only critique but also cultivate appreciation, challenging and expanding the dialogue around art itself.

This collection showcases a dynamic array of contemporary artworks that blend tradition with innovation, featuring Michelle Grabner’s mesmerizing geometric canvases inspired by domestic patterns, Leo Villareal’s LED American flag sculpture echoing iconic imagery, and Jon Rafman’s thought-provoking Post-Internet interiors cloaked in art-historical motifs. Boris Mikhailov’s haunting photographs capture the harsh realities of post-Soviet life, while Jasper Johns’ masterful lithographs pack decades of signature symbolism into a single plane. Meanwhile, Marianne Vitale’s rugged shingle paintings evoke the rugged spirit of the American frontier, transforming reclaimed materials into powerful statements of perseverance and heritage. Each piece invites the viewer into a vivid dialogue between history, identity, and artistic expression.

For two decades, Anita and Poju Zabludowicz have passionately built a stunning collection of some 3,000 artworks by emerging and mid-career artists, displayed across their London home, public exhibition spaces, and an artist residency in Finland. Anita’s recent whirlwind tour of Art Basel and Liste reveals her keen eye for fresh, surprising art—from a child-sized Louise Bourgeois spider at Hauser & Wirth to Josh Kline’s thought-provoking sculptures and Philipp Timischl’s intense digital collages. Highlights include Sam Falls’ poetic crate imprint cloth, Carsten Nicolai’s immersive unidisplay, and Jeff Koons’s vibrant Incredible Hulk installation. Despite the frenetic pace, Anita finds moments of delight in Gavin Brown’s dynamic lineup, the ambitious but time-demanding 14 Rooms project, and compelling performances by Otobong Nkanga and Bruce Nauman. Back in London, she reflects with excitement on new works by Samara Scott and the serene installations by Sam Falls, underscoring her lifelong commitment to championing inventive artists and unexpected discoveries.

Curator Dieter Buchhart’s exhibition “Poetics of the Gesture” at New York’s Nahmad Contemporary boldly reunites the expressive lines of Egon Schiele, Cy Twombly, and Jean-Michel Basquiat, challenging traditional linear art history by highlighting their shared mastery of gesture and drawing. Buchhart reveals fascinating parallels between Schiele’s intense early 20th-century figurative work, Twombly’s poetic, calligraphic forms of the 1960s, and Basquiat’s dynamic, conceptually rich graffiti-inspired creations of the 1980s. Central to the show is Basquiat—not just a Neo-Expressionist but a deeply conceptual artist whose art functions as a multidimensional “knowledge space,” bridging historical styles through his unique, body-driven mark-making. This fluid, transhistorical approach redefines how we perceive artistic influence and legacy, exploring the profound physicality, motion, and intellectual depth that bind these seminal artists across time.

Fred Tomaselli, a celebrated artist known for embedding hallucinogenic pills in his vibrant paintings, has shifted his approach after nearly a decade of sobriety, now exploring new ways to transport viewers to mystical realms. Working in his Brooklyn studio surrounded by meticulously organized nature cutouts, he creates psychedelic collages that blend natural elements with the chaotic overload of visual culture. His latest exhibit at James Cohan Gallery highlights the intersection of social and political commentary, transforming New York Times front pages into surreal scenes where tornado clouds become eyes and world leaders are reimagined as provocative figures. Tomaselli views his art as a form of editorial expression, layering his subjective voice over the ostensibly objective news, while embracing ambiguity and cosmic beauty amid modern turmoil. Influenced by a steady influx of news and media from all sides, his work captures the tension between reality and escapism, inviting us to reflect on how we mutate ourselves and our perceptions in an ever-shifting world.

The artist’s studio has long been a captivating and complex space, evolving alongside art itself from the Renaissance bottega, where artists worked under the patronage system, to the reflective studios of the 17th century and the ateliers and academies that shaped the 19th century. The industrial era revolutionized painting with portable materials that spurred en plein air landscapes, while the 20th century ushered in the "post-studio" condition where creation extended beyond solitary workrooms into dynamic collaborative and conceptual environments. Icons like Andy Warhol transformed studios into vibrant cultural factories, blending production with performance, a legacy amplified today by Jeff Koons’s highly professionalized art factory employing skilled specialists. This rich history reveals the studio’s enduring role as both a site of artistic labor and a symbol of creativity’s changing spirit over time.

47 Canal, a Lower East Side gallery founded by artist Margaret Lee and Oliver Newton, has become a hub for boundary-pushing contemporary art that feels like a glimpse into an unsettling near future. From postapocalyptic sculptures to surreal culinary works, the gallery is dedicated to putting artists first, fostering experimental practices without compromising creative vision. Emerging in the wake of the 2008 recession, 47 Canal has thrived through a commitment to community, artist-driven exhibitions, and a thoughtful balance between commerce and artistic integrity. Lee’s journey from hosting underground parties to running a respected gallery reveals a passionate devotion to nurturing innovative voices outside mainstream art markets, all while navigating the challenges of sustaining an idealistic and rigorous program in today’s art world.

Artists, much like X-Men, possess unique powers that set them apart from ordinary people, carrying the mission of saving humanity through their creativity despite facing skepticism and hostility. The article explores this idea through encounters with notable art-world figures like KAWS, who transformed graffiti roots into a global brand, and Julia Chiang, known for her evocative ceramic works. It highlights the dynamic New York art scene—from established icons to emerging voices at the innovative NEWD fair in Bushwick—where collaboration, risk, and a spirit of magic drive the vibrant ecosystem. Ultimately, the art world emerges as a vast, open playground fueled by ambition, luck, and a relentless desire for a piece of its ever-expanding fortune.

Mika Tajima’s work explores the intersection of production, performance, and the body within shifting industrial and technological landscapes. Rooted in her long experience in Bushwick’s evolving post-industrial environment, Tajima creates installations that blur sculpture and performance while engaging collaborators ranging from contortionists to philosophers. Her recent “Negative Entropy” series transforms industrial and digital soundscapes into woven textiles that visualize the mechanized rhythms of fading textile factories and rising information economies. Drawing on Modernist design and corporate architecture, Tajima interrogates how historical aesthetics and workspace forms shape human behavior and freedom in contemporary labor. Through projects like the collaborative New Humans and site-responsive performances, she examines the roles objects and people play in producing meaning and experience. Looking ahead to her upcoming solo show, Tajima continues to blend form and function, creating hybrid sculptures that reflect on health, leisure, and the evolving relationship between bodies and environments shaped by industrial technology.

Since the Renaissance, painting aimed to replicate the world as seen through human vision, but the early 20th century saw a revolutionary shift with Cubism, pioneered by Pablo Picasso and Georges Braque. Inspired by non-Western art and advancements in photography, Cubism abandoned traditional perspective to depict multiple viewpoints simultaneously, creating fragmented, intellectual compositions that challenged perception itself. This movement evolved from Analytic Cubism’s muted palettes and angular forms to Synthetic Cubism’s collage techniques, fundamentally altering the relationship between artwork and reality. Though initially controversial and derided by critics, Cubism’s radical ideas reshaped modern art and influenced literature, poetry, and music, leaving a legacy that continues to shape contemporary culture and our understanding of perception today.

Garry Winogrand, a prolific mid-century American street photographer, captured the restless energy and layered complexity of 1960s America with a fierce, almost manic dedication. Known for his instinctive eye and relentless pace—shooting tens of thousands of rolls of film without immediate review—Winogrand’s work reveals spontaneous moments charged with wild energy, visual rhymes, and unexpected juxtapositions. His photographs, ranging from bustling street scenes to intimate portraits, blur the lines between candid documentation and fine art, presenting a vibrant, chaotic tapestry of everyday life. Though occasionally controversial, especially his “Women Are Beautiful” series, Winogrand’s images provoke a mix of elation and discomfort that lingers, inviting viewers to grapple with the ambiguity of beauty, liberation, and voyeurism. His legacy as a “student of America” is immortalized through a Met retrospective that unearths his vast, unedited body of work, offering a fresh, nuanced look at a transformative era.

Summer invites us to soak up not only Vitamin D but also a hearty dose of art-world gossip, revealing a world as colorful and scandalous as the masterpieces it produces. From Thomas Hoving’s daring, borderline illicit acquisitions at the Metropolitan Museum of Art to Larry Rivers’ wild artist memoir filled with jazz, lovers, and bold escapades, these insider tales pull back the velvet curtain on the art industry’s most tantalizing secrets. Enter the gritty backrooms of 1980s New York galleries with Anthony Haden-Guest, uncover Andy Warhol’s manipulative charm through Bob Colacello’s intimate portrait, and explore the volatile rise and tragic fall of Basquiat via Phoebe Hoban’s incisive narrative. Peggy Guggenheim’s candid confessions reveal the passionate pursuits behind art patronage, while Amy Newman’s oral history of Artforum magazine chronicles fierce battles and iconic moments that shaped contemporary art discourse. Finally, Geordie Greig’s revealing memoir of Lucian Freud exposes the man’s wild, complex nature behind his celebrated works. Together, these vivid accounts form a mosaic of ambition, excess, and intrigue that bring the art world’s dazzling surface—and its shadowy depths—vividly to life.

Margaret Lee is a multifaceted force in the contemporary art world—an artist whose sculptures and installations transform mundane subjects like produce into charged, surreal statements; the founder of the avant-garde Lower East Side gallery 47 Canal; and the trusted studio manager for legendary artist Cindy Sherman. Though she never pursued formal art school training, Lee carved her path through apprenticeships and a keen, instinctual approach to creation, favoring clear ideas over endless experimentation. Her work reflects a fascination with desire, consumption, and the complex blend of her immigrant upbringing and Western cultural ideals, often using commercial imagery and familiar objects to explore how technology and capitalism shape identity. Balancing a sharp intellect with a playful irreverence, Lee captures a world in flux—where art, technology, and daily life collide in intriguingly unexpected ways.

From the historic halls of Europe’s Staatliche Kunstakademie Düsseldorf, founded well before American independence, to the cutting-edge contemporary programs emerging in cities like Beijing and Johannesburg, the world's most influential art schools offer diverse and dynamic paths for aspiring artists. Whether it’s Frankfurt’s internationally minded Städelschule with its unique Mesterschüler(in) honor, Finland’s interdisciplinary Aalto University blending art and science, or London’s ultra-competitive Royal Academy of Arts with its state-of-the-art facilities, each institution brings a distinct legacy and vision. Meanwhile, China’s Central Academy of Fine Arts stands out for its rigorous selection and specialized graduate programs, and South Africa’s Wits School of the Arts champions artistic innovation across the continent. Across continents, these renowned institutions share a commitment to nurturing visionary talent and shaping the future of art on a global scale.

This article celebrates a diverse array of contemporary and modern artists, each offering a unique lens on creativity and cultural commentary. Alicia McCarthy shines with her vibrant, mood-lifting rainbow paintings rooted in the Mission School’s fusion of street art and gallery aesthetics. Bernard Buffet’s postwar figuration reemerges from obscurity, his poignant vanitas works hinting at a lasting legacy beyond Picasso’s shadow. Robert Heinecken’s provocative photo-collages dissect consumer culture with a bold, surreal intimacy, while Daniel Buren’s signature vertical stripes meld art with architectural space, now electrified through fiber optics. Paul McCarthy darkly subverts Disney nostalgia, transforming iconic imagery into unsettling reflections on innocence lost. Lastly, Allyson Viera’s haunting camera obscura captures the monumental construction of the Freedom Tower, inviting us to reconsider perspective and the very act of seeing. Together, these artists challenge, enchant, and redefine the boundaries of visual experience.

Juliette Binoche, acclaimed French actress and artist, brings a uniquely authentic touch to her latest film *Words and Pictures*, where she plays Dina, an art teacher grappling with rheumatoid arthritis that impacts her painting. Uniquely, all the artwork seen in the movie is created by Binoche herself, showcasing her real-life talent as she adapts her style to reflect her character’s evolving physical challenges. This creative choice sets the film apart from typical art-centric movies, where on-screen art is often produced by others or only briefly shown. Binoche’s long-standing passion for painting, previously featured in her 1991 film *The Lovers on the Bridge*, lends a genuine depth to her role, offering audiences a rare glimpse of her artistic skill alongside her celebrated acting career.

New Yorkers are currently experiencing a vibrant selection of documentary films that offer intimate and compelling portraits of contemporary artists both celebrated and overlooked. From the visionary environmental architect Eugene Tssui, who blends futurism with eccentricity, to Llyn Foulkes, a cantankerous septuagenarian revising his art as he prepares for a New York comeback, these films pull back the curtain on creative lives. The gripping tale of Chinese dissident Ai Weiwei reveals his harrowing house arrest amid political oppression, while Carolee Schneemann’s groundbreaking feminist art challenges taboos with visceral honesty. Minimalist master Sol LeWitt’s meticulous process is revealed with quiet reverence, and the story of Fritz, an unnoticed painter persevering against the odds, exposes the exclusionary nature of the art world. “Sign Painters” nostalgically memorializes a fading craft, capturing the intimate skill behind a lost American tradition. Together, these documentaries invite viewers into the backstage drama of art, revealing both its power and its struggles in today’s world.

Throughout the 20th century, avant-garde artists boldly proclaimed their visions through manifestos that defined their movements, but today’s contemporary art resists such clear-cut declarations, often relying on critics to label trends like conceptual art or new media. Instead of pioneering aesthetic agendas, modern artist manifestos tend to be defensive, framing complex ideas to help audiences grasp works that diffuse traditional boundaries and resist market forces. Artists like Seth Price, Hito Steyerl, Slavs and Tatars, Liam Gillick, Artie Vierkant, and Andrea Fraser exemplify this shift, merging provocative texts with their art to challenge notions of originality, language, social hierarchy, and the tangled relationship between art and economics. Their writings tether elusive, decentralized artworks to critical discourse, inviting deeper reflection on how art functions in an increasingly fragmented, image-saturated, and market-driven world.

On a cold night in 1970 New York, a life-changing moment led Bernie Taupin—best known as Elton John’s longtime songwriting partner—to rediscover a passion far beyond music: modern art. Having grown up surrounded by poetry and music, Taupin’s unexpected immersion in the city’s galleries ignited a creative fire that would later see him trade lyrics for brushstrokes. Now settled in California, he channels his energy into bold, abstract paintings that invite viewers to find their own meanings, distinct from his storytelling in song. With influences from the great Modernists and a keen eye for color and mood, Taupin embraces the physicality and freedom of painting, relishing this new artistic journey while acknowledging the challenges and preconceptions of moving from musical fame to visual arts. Ultimately, he defines himself simply as an artist—driven by passion, curiosity, and a relentless desire to create.

Pakistani artist Imran Qureshi’s signature perylene maroon paint evokes both the visceral impact of blood and the delicate beauty of traditional miniature painting, creating a powerful dialogue between violence and rebirth. His work spans monumental site-specific installations and tiny, intricate pieces, often merging these extremes to explore themes of death, beauty, and resilience. Whether sprawling across the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s rooftop or responding to Zaha Hadid’s architectural spaces, Qureshi’s art invites viewers into a haunting yet poetic reflection on global violence and human fragility. By weaving together abstract marks and precise hand-painted foliage, he transcends geographic and cultural boundaries, encouraging personal, emotional responses that unify diverse audiences through shared experience.

The rich history of alternative art spaces in the United States, flourishing in the vibrant experimental spirit of the 1970s, reveals a legacy of innovation and community-driven creativity. From Allen Ruppersburg’s immersive Al’s Grand Hotel to artist-run hubs like Food in Soho and The Kitchen in New York, these spaces challenged commercial norms by prioritizing political engagement and artistic discourse over market considerations. Despite drastic funding cuts during the Reagan era that shuttered many such venues, institutions like Artists Space, Franklin Furnace, and the Mattress Factory have endured, nurturing groundbreaking work across disciplines. These spaces fostered legendary figures in performance, conceptual art, and experimental media, while others like The Woman’s Building catalyzed feminist artistic movements. Spanning cities from New York to Seattle and Philadelphia, these alternative venues continue to incubate and promote visionary art, ensuring that the spirit of creative risk and cultural relevance thrives for future generations.

Showcasing a dynamic range of contemporary art, this collection highlights innovative approaches from a diverse group of artists. Sara Cwynar’s immersive collaged photographs challenge spatial perception, while Matthew Brandt redefines photography with unconventional materials like dust and lake water. Dave Hardy’s minimalist sculptures use found materials to create gravity-defying forms, contrasting with Summer Wheat’s bold, textured paintings that explore the beauty in imperfection. Xaviera Simmons interrogates history and identity through multimedia cycles, and David X. Levine impresses with monumental colored pencil and collage works. Lena Henke blurs boundaries between sculpture and photography with her unique transparent objects, and Douglas Melini’s meticulously layered paintings captivate with rich textures and an earthy palette. Together, these artists push the limits of medium and meaning, making for an engaging and thought-provoking exhibition.

David Lynch, hailed as "the first popular Surrealist," has crafted a unique artistic legacy that bridges unsettling cinema and evocative visual art. Beginning as a painter before transitioning to film, Lynch's work—from his cult classic Eraserhead to groundbreaking projects like Twin Peaks and Mulholland Drive—blends darkness and psychological depth with an oddly humorous surrealism. His paintings and drawings extend this sensibility, using fragmented text and symbolic imagery to evoke narrative mysteries and dream logic, inviting viewers into a space where foreboding lingers without resolution. Influenced by transcendental meditation, Lynch embraces darkness not as an end but as a gateway to infinity, creating minimalist, static compositions that pulsate with hidden meanings and cosmic depths. This multifaceted approach to art reveals a visionary who continuously explores the uncanny intersections of mind, dream, and reality.

April’s art scene proves there’s no slowing down after March Madness, with vibrant events from London to New York celebrating both established legends and rising stars. Highlights include the spirited Annual Art Quiz supporting Parasol Unit, Shezad Dawood’s intriguing new exhibition blending film and sculpture, and Calvert 22’s tribute to groundbreaking Perestroika-era artist Timur Novikov. Meanwhile, London’s Tate Modern showcases powerful Russian revolutionary posters, and the Serpentine Gallery debuts a playful, design-focused exhibition curated by Martino Gamper. Across the Atlantic, New York embraces a European flair with Pierre Soulages’s retrospective and a buzzing Free Arts Auction spotlighting emerging talents, all woven together by a shared passion for art history, innovation, and cultural exchange.

Art has the power to inspire and provoke, but some pieces take a delightfully strange turn, blending humor with absurdity to challenge our expectations and authority. From Garry Winogrand’s uncanny portrait of a boy resembling his sheep, to David Shrigley’s bleakly comedic prison cartoon, and Jeff Koons’s turducken-like stacked sculptures that revel in cliché, these works invite queasy laughter and reflection. Janice Kerbel’s theatrical “Kill the Workers!” plays with industry jargon, while Paul McCarthy’s unsettling Santa with a butt plug and Cindy Sherman’s mischievous Mrs. Claus twist festive iconography into something both hilarious and discomforting. Navid Nuur’s interactive foam brick implicates viewers in art’s fragility, Amy Sillman caricatures art-world pretensions with witty cartoons, and Gelitin’s mysterious roast chicken sculpture leaves you questioning reality. Finally, Anthea Hamilton’s pasta-covered “Manarch” brings a quirky, edible twist to classic Italian imagery—this collection celebrates art that makes us laugh, squirm, and think all at once.

Emerging as a radiant counterpoint to the austere Minimalism dominating 1960s New York, the Light and Space movement blossomed in Southern California with a unique focus on immersive, sensory experiences. Characterized by ethereal works that manipulate light, transparency, and reflection, artists like James Turrell, Doug Wheeler, and Robert Irwin transformed everyday materials using innovative, space-age fabrication techniques influenced by surf culture and industrial design. Celebrated for their playful, boundary-dissolving sculptures that invite viewers into an active relationship with art, Light and Space challenged the dominance of Minimalism’s rigid geometries by emphasizing atmosphere and perception. Rooted in California’s technological advances and aesthetic sheen, the movement left an indelible mark on post-Minimalism and continues to inspire contemporary artists exploring light, environment, and the act of seeing itself.

This article highlights a curated selection of influential contemporary and historical artists whose work spans photography, painting, and conceptual art. From Rochelle Feinstein’s vibrant, mixed-media pieces and David Benjamin Sherry’s ecologically charged, color-saturated landscapes, to Annette Kelm’s cerebral yet elegant commercial-photography-infused imagery, the featured artists exemplify diverse and compelling practices. The legacy of icons like Jennifer Bartlett’s intellectual grid-based paintings, Morgan Fisher’s avant-garde film explorations, and Garry Winogrand’s gritty New York street photography is celebrated alongside rising stars shaping the future of art, offering readers a captivating glimpse into the rich, evolving dialogue across artistic disciplines.

Sarah Lucas, a prominent figure in contemporary British art, reflects on her unconventional path—from dropping out of high school to studying art and collaborating with fellow YBA Tracey Emin—to her bold, often provocative works that challenge traditional aesthetics and gender norms. Known for her large-scale sculptures and installations infused with off-color wit and autobiographical elements, Lucas continues to push boundaries, recently earning the honor of representing Britain at the 2015 Venice Biennale. Her work blends theatricality, personal narrative, and social commentary, with pieces ranging from her iconic “bunnies” to evolving bronze “Nuds,” showing a journey from abjection to empowerment. Lucas also emphasizes the importance of context, collaboration, and life itself as integral to creativity, offering an insightful glimpse into her evolving practice and the vibrant contemporary art scene in Britain.

As graduation nears and back-to-school season looms, we take a deep dive into the world’s top 10 Masters of Fine Arts programs, highlighting prestigious institutions like Yale, Columbia, Goldsmiths College, and RISD. These programs, though pricey, offer unmatched opportunities for aspiring artists to connect with influential curators, critics, and galleries, blending rigorous technical skill-building with innovative interdisciplinary approaches. From Yale’s cutting-edge eco-friendly facilities and high-profile faculty to Bard’s pioneering low-residency model and UCLA’s affordable, acclaimed "New Genres" program, these MFAs pave diverse paths into the art world. Whether your focus is traditional painting, sound art, or digital media, these elite programs are launching pads for the next generation of creative visionaries.

Since 1974, when John Szarkowski introduced New Japanese Photography to Western audiences, a distinct and bold tradition of Japanese photographers has flourished, known for their experimental and fleeting glimpses into reality. From Gen Aihara’s abstract silver gelatin prints to Naoya Hatakeyama’s explosive quarry blasts captured with kinetic energy, and Yuichi Hibi’s gritty nocturnal cityscapes of New York, these artists push the boundaries of photographic art. Iconic figures like Daido Moriyama embrace a raw, blurry aesthetic that captures the restless spirit of urban night walks, while Tokihiro Sato uses long exposures and light manipulation to create whimsical trails of illumination. Yasumasa Morimura’s transformative self-portraits explore cultural identity through playful impersonations of Western icons, and Hiroshi Sugimoto’s ethereal seascapes blur the lines between memory and reality. Together, these masters reveal a spectrum of Japanese photography that is simultaneously intimate, provocative, and deeply poetic.

Tracey Emin’s provocative sculpture *My Bed* (1998), featuring her untidy, unmade bed with scattered personal items, sparked intense debate when first exhibited at London’s Tate in 1999, challenging conventional notions of what constitutes art. This work is deeply rooted in the tradition of the "readymade," a concept pioneered by Marcel Duchamp in the early 20th century, who transformed everyday objects like urinals and bicycle wheels into autonomous artworks, shifting the focus from technical skill to the artist’s idea and choice. From Duchamp’s radical interventions through Dada and Surrealism to Pop Art’s embrace of consumer goods and beyond, the readymade has continuously redefined art’s boundaries, inspiring contemporaries to elevate the mundane and blur distinctions between art and life. Today, artists like Isa Genzken and Haim Steinbach continue this lineage, arranging found objects and consumer goods into new visual dialogues, while global perspectives on appropriation and reuse expand the conversation beyond Western art history.

Art museums are innovating to engage audiences increasingly captivated by screens, blending technology with traditional art experiences in inventive ways. From Scott Stulen’s guerrilla video festivals redefining public viewing to Shelley Bernstein’s crowd-sourced exhibitions that empower visitors as curators, these leaders are transforming engagement. Jake Barton’s interactive touchscreen installations merge technology with timeless art appreciation, while Amy Heibel revives LACMA’s Art + Technology Lab to pair artists with cutting-edge corporations. Shyam Oberoi brings deep digital expertise to the Dallas Museum of Art, poised to boost its online presence, and Heather Corcoran directs Rhizome’s pioneering efforts to preserve and critically examine digital art’s evolving landscape. Together, these visionaries are forging dynamic intersections of art, technology, and audience participation for the digital age.

Ceramics, an ancient medium with roots dating back tens of thousands of years, is experiencing a vibrant contemporary renaissance in the art world. From major exhibitions like the Whitney Biennial to innovative gallery shows, artists are redefining ceramics beyond traditional notions of craft, embracing its tactile authenticity and hand-imprinted uniqueness in contrast to sleek, conceptual art. This revival is driven by diverse creators such as Alice Mackler’s abstract forms, Sara Magenheimer’s hybrid assemblages, and Shinichi Sawada’s outsider art figures, all exploring ceramics as a versatile, expressive medium. The surge also highlights shifting art world dynamics, with many ceramicists being women or older artists traditionally marginalized, now gaining recognition. Whether through Jennie Jieun Lee’s striking glazed masks, Sterling Ruby’s sedimentary, graffiti-influenced vessels, or Liz Craft’s eerily lifelike snakes, contemporary ceramics reveals a rich interplay between history, personal narrative, and avant-garde experimentation, making fired clay a compelling force in today’s art landscape.

Dive into a captivating world where art blurs the line between reality and illusion, featuring ten mesmerizing works that challenge your perception. From Carlos Cruz-Diez's vibrant, three-dimensional color planes to Sheree Hovsepian’s floating shapes that tease the senses, each piece invites you to see the ordinary in extraordinary ways. Explore Robert Heinecken’s surreal photographic overlays, Tomma Abts' mind-bending geometric abstractions, and Aaron Young’s enigmatic floating figures evoking iconic faces. Sara Greenberger Rafferty’s playful nod to vintage trick photography, Adam McEwen’s hyper-realistic graphite sculptures, and Barbara Kasten’s intricate mirror setups further deepen the spell. Ivan Navarro’s infinite light sculptures and Cerith Wyn Evans' poetic interplay of space conclude this dazzling lineup, making you question where illusion ends and reality begins.

San Francisco-based artist Matt Lipps explores the evolution of photography through his innovative hybrid photo-sculptures that blend collage, assemblage, and seriality. Drawing from vintage photography manuals and his own archival negatives, Lipps stages cutout images from 1970s instructional books into theatrical, three-dimensional tableaux, which he then re-photographs, creating layered narratives that challenge our digital age’s obsession with image reproduction and remix culture. His work reflects on the history and intimacy of photography, bridging analog processes with contemporary image saturation, while inviting viewers to engage in playful recognition and reinterpretation of iconic and everyday photographs. Through this tactile, thoughtful approach, Lipps revitalizes the ways we see and interact with photographic history, memory, and meaning.

The AIPAD Photography Show in New York showcases the vast and evolving scope of photography, from 19th-century hand-colored prints to cutting-edge digital works, all while celebrating the medium’s enduring connection to history, science, and reality. Highlights include Raphaël Dallaporta’s vivid autopsy images that capture the fleeting natural colors of organs, Weegee’s stark urban crime scenes alongside an iconic Groucho Marx portrait, and Zhang Wei’s hyper-real Renaissance-inspired digital portraits. The fair also features Sameer Makarius’s neo-primitivist Buenos Aires scenes, Robert Heinecken’s innovative magazine collages, and Jeffrey Wolin’s intimate diptychs chronicling lives over time. Keith Smith’s mixed-media photo reworkings, Mark Power’s moody landscapes paired with British shipping forecasts, and Ayano Sudo’s ethereal missing persons-inspired self-portraits add further depth. Daniel Blau’s mini-exhibition “Consequence: Photographic Sequence” poignantly underscores photography’s power to freeze and sequence moments across time, reaffirming its unique role in a rapidly changing media landscape.

In recent years, museums across America have embraced a new wave of digital leadership, with innovative roles like "Curator of Audience Experiences" and "Director of Digital Engagement" transforming how art is experienced and shared. Trailblazers like Lauren Cornell at the New Museum are pushing the boundaries of new-media art and internet culture through groundbreaking programs like the Triennial and the “Seven on Seven” conference, while Sree Sreenivasan at the Met is revolutionizing visitor interaction with cutting-edge apps and digital storytelling. At MoMA, Paola Antonelli blends design with digital innovation, introducing provocative projects and even video games into the museum's collection. Meanwhile, New Museum’s Julia Kaganskiy is creating a vibrant incubator for art-tech collaboration, and Whitney’s Sarah Hromack champions the digital evolution of the museum experience—from rebranding websites to encouraging “museum selfies” as a form of engagement. Together, these visionaries are not only reshaping the future of museums but also forging dynamic connections between art, technology, and diverse audiences worldwide.

The São Paulo International Art Fair, SP-Arte, set in Oscar Niemeyer’s iconic pavilion, continues to affirm São Paulo as a vital hub of contemporary art in Latin America. This year's edition showcased a rich mix of established international galleries and exciting newcomers, presenting an impressive array of works from modern masters like Calder and Judd to vibrant contemporary artists such as Anna Bella Geiger, Pae White, and Oscar Murillo. Highlights included thoughtfully curated solo exhibitions, dynamic group installations, and striking sculptures that blended craftsmanship with conceptual depth. From bold Italian 1960s showstoppers to delicate Brazilian wooden sculptures and poignant political floor pieces, SP-Arte offered a compelling dialogue of textures, forms, and ideas. The fair’s blend of historical significance, artistic diversity, and cutting-edge presentations ensures it remains a must-visit event for collectors, curators, and art lovers worldwide.

Jens Hoffmann’s latest exhibition, "Other Primary Structures," revisits the groundbreaking 1966 show "Primary Structures" at the Jewish Museum, challenging its Western-male-centric legacy by incorporating diverse global perspectives and exploring the evolving role of contemporary art exhibitions as cultural events. This revival sparks a broader conversation about exhibition history, highlighting transformative shows like Harald Szeemann's "When Attitudes Become Form," Kynaston McShine's "Information," and Jean-Hubert Martin's "Magiciens de la Terre," each redefining artistic boundaries and curatorial practice through political engagement, global inclusion, and experimental formats. From the politically charged border-crossing projects of "inSITE" to the socially interactive works in Nicolas Bourriaud’s "Traffic," these landmark exhibitions have not only shaped art history but continue to influence how audiences and artists experience contemporary art today.

The recent uproar sparked by art flipper Stefan Simchowitz sheds light on the often opaque workings of the art market, revealing how deeply intertwined commerce and creativity have always been. Far from a simple battle between pure and compromised art, the reality is a complex ecosystem where power brokers like dealers, museums, and digital communities shape trends and value. A striking trend emerging from this milieu is what the author dubs "Zombie Formalism"—a revival of reductive, abstract painting styles once championed by critics like Clement Greenberg, now resurrected with a contemporary twist by artists such as Jacob Kassay and Lucien Smith. These works, elegant yet commercially savvy, embody a simulacrum of originality that plays deftly into market dynamics, blending a chic aesthetic with subtle philosophical undertones. Even as this movement provokes debate, it reflects the enduring dance between originality, value, and cultural capital in the evolving art world.

Paul P.'s latest show at Broadway 1602 in Manhattan invites viewers into what he calls an "aesthetic interior," merging Victorian Anglo-Japanese-inspired mahogany furniture, woven wool rugs derived from collaged paper, and abstract paintings that together create a sensuous, immersive atmosphere. Drawing from historical periods like the interwar "Bright Young People" and the late Victorian era, Paul intertwines themes of sensuality, romance, and coded queer histories, crafting a space where art transcends the canvas to become a lived experience. His works blur the lines between function and sculpture—delicate desks and stools that beckon interaction yet defy conventional use—and explore the evocative light and architecture of places like Venice. Rooted in deep fascination and a commitment to love as a driving force in art, Paul’s pieces invite us to reconsider the emotional and aesthetic potential of interiors, history, and form in contemporary art.

Qatar and the United Arab Emirates have transformed from traditional Bedouin societies into vibrant global art powerhouses through ambitious cultural strategies fueled by vast oil wealth. Both nations are rapidly developing world-class museums and cultural districts, often collaborating with renowned Western architects and institutions. Landmark projects like Abu Dhabi’s Guggenheim and Louvre on Saadiyat Island showcase cutting-edge architecture alongside extensive collections spanning local and global art histories. Doha’s pioneering museums highlight Islamic and modern Arab art, complementing the Gulf’s quest to position itself as a dynamic center of the art world. Despite challenges such as labor controversies and commercial pressures, these visionary endeavors promise to reshape the cultural landscape of the region for decades to come.

Artist residencies serve as vital milestones in an artist's career, offering immersive experiences that foster creative growth and industry recognition. From the rustic, nine-week program at Skowhegan School of Painting and Sculpture to the tech-forward, open-ended residencies at Eyebeam, these programs vary widely in location, duration, and focus. Historic residencies like the MacDowell Colony and the Chinati Foundation provide serene environments steeped in artistic legacy, while international opportunities such as the Rome Prize Fellowship and the DAAD Artist-in-Residence program encourage cross-cultural exchange and dialogue. Unique models like The Land in rural Thailand emphasize community engagement and architectural experimentation, redefining what an artist residency can be. Together, these prestigious residencies form a diverse tapestry of support and inspiration essential for artists dedicated to advancing their craft and vision.

The 2014 Whitney Biennial has met with mixed reviews, seen as exhausting and uneven by critics who find it apolitical and overly familiar. Yet beneath the critique lies a fascinating exploration of self-effacement and generosity among artists and curators, with many works highlighting collaboration and re-presentation rather than ego-driven shows. From Gaylen Gerber’s minimalist wall-mimicking painting juxtaposed with Trevor Shimizu’s provocative canvases, to Diego Leclery’s playful live game of Civilization as performance art, the exhibition presents a thoughtful, if subtle, meditation on art’s histories and purposes. Female painters dominate the gestural abstraction scenes, prompting reflections on gender and artistic identity, while Laura Owens’s imaginative blend of cartoon imagery and abstract illusionism humorously captures art’s enduring resilience. In a postmodern world, the biennial invites visitors to immerse themselves multiple times, with the best experience coming from the personal act of looking.

From the raw rebellious spirit of 1960s Swiss counterculture captured by Karlheinz Weinberger to the boundary-blurring abstractions of Amy Sillman and the hauntingly elegant portraits by Paul P., this curated selection showcases a dynamic range of contemporary art that savvy collectors will crave. Highlights include Ben Schumacher’s intellectually charged Post-Internet installations, Liliana Porter’s masterful exploration of space and light, and Ed Atkins’ unsettling hyperreal prints that challenge perceptions of the body and technology. These works, tied together by their innovative approach and critical acclaim, offer a compelling glimpse into the evolving landscape of modern art, featuring artists represented in major institutions and high-profile biennials worldwide.

The "Art Post-Internet" exhibition at Beijing’s Ullens Center for Contemporary Art explores a groundbreaking movement that transcends traditional internet art by using digital tools to create works both online and in physical form. Unlike early Net Art, which existed solely on the web, post-Internet artists like Artie Vierkant, Oliver Laric, Petra Cortright, and Seth Price blur the lines between virtual and real worlds, examining our evolving relationship with images, authorship, and digital culture. This generation harnesses the reproducibility and fluidity of online visuals to produce sculptures, prints, videos, and interactive objects that reflect the complexities of contemporary media and identity. As these artists navigate the interplay of digital and physical realms, their work challenges us to consider how art will endure and transform alongside ever-changing technologies, making post-Internet art a vivid expression of our current moment.

In 1968, Lawrence Weiner revolutionized art by declaring that the artist’s role ends with the concept, leaving the realization and interpretation to the viewer. Moving away from traditional materials, he transformed language itself into sculpture, creating over 1,000 text-based pieces that challenge how we perceive the world around us. From spray-paint instructions to poetic propositions etched onto manhole covers and historic towers, Weiner’s work democratizes art, dissolving boundaries between creator, object, and audience. Blending philosophy, performance, and public installations, his bold, materialist approach invites us all to participate in completing the artistic experience, turning everyday spaces into thought-provoking canvases that resonate far beyond conventional art forms.

The Whitney Biennial's final show in its iconic Breuer building invites viewers to dive into a provocative and diverse array of contemporary artworks that boldly merge art and life. From Zoe Leonard’s mesmerizing camera obscura transforming a gallery window into a living painting of the city, to Bjarne Melgaard’s audacious, irreverent installation overflowing with provocative imagery, the exhibition pulses with unexpected energy. Literary fans will be drawn to the late David Foster Wallace’s intimate notebooks, offering a glimpse into his creative mind and unfinished novel. Laura Owens stuns with her monumental, multi-technique painting that demands awe and closer inspection, while French artist Diego Leclery blurs the boundaries of art and endurance by playing a never-ending game of "Civilization" live for the duration of the Biennial. Together, these works challenge visitors to reconsider art’s role in daily life, all set against the backdrop of the Whitney’s final days in its storied home.

Marking the centennial of Marcel Duchamp’s provocative 1917 readymade sculpture, contemporary artists continue to redefine sculpture by transforming everyday commercial objects into powerful artistic statements. Building on Surrealist and Minimalist traditions, they layer found materials with rich narratives, personal histories, and cultural critiques, inviting viewers to look beyond appearances and engage intellectually with the works. From Jason Dodge’s subtle juxtapositions and Darren Bader’s playful use of perishables to Danh Vo’s historically charged artifacts and Timur Si-Qin’s commentary on meme culture, today’s sculptures challenge perceptions, merging the mundane with the conceptual in a post-conceptual landscape where anything—shopping bags, burritos, or even a disassembled chandelier—can become a meaningful emblem of our complex social, political, and digital world.

Now in its 27th year, The Art Show by the Art Dealers Association of America continues to captivate art lovers with its expertly curated and intimate format, featuring 72 booths spotlighting both emerging talents and established icons. Highlights include diverse presentations such as Kõji Enokura’s postwar Japanese assemblages at Blum & Poe, Roxy Paine’s intricate ink drawings at Marianne Boesky, and Diane Arbus’s poignant couple portraits at Fraenkel Gallery. The fair also showcases Jeff Wall’s meditative lightboxes, Fairfield Porter’s lyrical realism, and Petah Coyne’s evocative mixed-media installations. From H.C. Westermann’s handcrafted wood sculptures to Dana Schutz’s playful yet masterful charcoal works and Charles LeDray’s painstakingly detailed miniatures, the event offers a rich tapestry of creativity that honors both tradition and innovation in contemporary art.

In early 2014, the London art scene buzzed with excitement, from George Condo’s striking cubist portraits at Simon Lee Gallery to Daniel Lefcourt’s mesmerizing “accidental cryogenics” paintings in the East End and Mark Flood’s textured lace artworks at Modern Art. The city’s auction houses stirred lively debate, spotlighting emerging talents like Israel Lund and David Ostrowski, while the evolving art market continued to intrigue collectors and commentators alike. Amidst the galleries and soirées, an unexpected neighborly dispute over a neon artwork by Shezad Dawood added a colorful twist to the week. The art-rich atmosphere was mirrored by a cultural homage at the Sochi Olympics, where Malevich, Kandinsky, and Chagall’s visionary works were celebrated in spectacular ceremonies, offering a poignant reminder of Russia’s profound artistic heritage beyond the headlines.

Discover how these visionary artists blur the lines between street art and fine art, bringing the raw energy of graffiti into galleries around the world. From Brazilian artist Cabelo’s vibrant, colorful lines to Alexandre Orion’s compelling blend of photography and street interventions, and French “photograffeur” JR’s monumental urban portraits, each creator reinvents the cityscape as their canvas. Meanwhile, pop culture influences leap to life in Kenny Scharf’s playful characters, and the iconic legacies of Jean-Michel Basquiat and Keith Haring continue to inspire new generations. Dive into this dynamic fusion of art and urban expression, complete with unique projects like Rona Yefman’s interactive graffiti kit inviting you to join the movement.

As the art world shifted from Paris to New York after the war, the New York School of artists sought to distinguish themselves from European Surrealism, yet undeniable connections between the two movements remain. Both celebrate spontaneity and the subconscious, influencing contemporary art that blurs the line between Surrealism and Abstract Expressionism. Works by artists such as Joanne Greenbaum, Anna Ostoya, Jill Moser, Malcolm Morely, Richard Anuszkiewicz, and Denise Kuperschmidt illustrate this dynamic interplay through gestural strokes, abstract forms, and explorations of color, emotion, and psychological depth, showcasing the ongoing dialogue between automatism, expression, and minimalism in modern art.

Portraiture has evolved dramatically from its origins glorifying the powerful elite, shifting focus from status and authority to capturing emotion, personality, and everyday life. Beginning in the late 19th century as artists moved beyond illusionism and traditional subjects, portraiture embraced new perspectives, fueled by photography’s ability to capture exact likenesses. Contemporary artists now explore diverse techniques and media, from Deborah Brown’s impressionistic military portrait that questions genre conventions, to Chuck Close’s photorealistic self-portraits celebrating every imperfection. Meanwhile, Alex Katz experiments with vibrant printmaking and familiar subjects, Paul Jung captures fleeting emotion through photography, and Thomas Hoepker combines multiple views in one image of Andy Warhol, transforming photography into a tool for reimagining reality. Maxine Smith’s dynamic, color-rich portrayals of everyday people continue to challenge idealization, demonstrating how portraiture remains a deeply expressive and evolving art form.

Discover the hidden wonders within five captivating artworks on Artspace, where zooming in reveals intricate details and surprising stories. From Joe Fig’s miniature diorama capturing Chuck Close’s studio to Gonkar Gyatso’s vibrant collage of brand stickers and Buddhist imagery, each piece invites a closer look. Werner Bischof’s contact sheet transports you to the majestic Swiss Alps, while Wangechi Mutu’s collage layers culture and nature on the female form with striking complexity. Lastly, Huang Yan’s work blends traditional Chinese painting with living identity through body art. Dive into these selections and uncover the rich textures and secrets waiting just beneath the surface.

Blue has long held a profound and multifaceted significance in art, symbolizing everything from royal prestige to spiritual transcendence, the vastness of the sky, and even raw human emotion. Historically, ultramarine blue, made from precious lapis lazuli, was reserved for royalty and sacred figures, while artists like Wassily Kandinsky and Barnett Newman used blue to evoke heavenly and immersive experiences. The color also captures the awe-inspiring beauty of the sky, as seen in Joan Miró’s dreamlike works and contemporary installations by James Turrell and Ólafur Elíasson. Yet, blue is not just symbolic; artists like Yves Klein and Andy Warhol have explored it as a pure, formal element, stripping it down to its essence. Beyond its lofty meanings, blue also powerfully conveys sorrow and melancholy, from Picasso’s somber Blue Period to Tracey Emin’s intimate expressions of grief and loss, revealing the color’s enduring emotional depth across centuries of art.

Tony Feher’s new installation at ACME in Los Angeles transforms everyday objects like martini glasses, ashtrays, and antique drinking vessels into a vibrant suspended rainbow of color and form. Known for his minimalist yet richly rhythmic use of found materials, Feher plays with light and color to create a glowing, almost ironic constellation that invites viewers to see the familiar in new, unexpected ways. This delicate and provocatively titled installation is on view until July 6, while a 25-year retrospective of Feher’s work continues to travel nationwide, currently exhibiting at the deCordova Sculpture Park and Museum and soon at the Bronx Museum for the Arts.

Maria Baibakova, founder of Moscow's Baibakov Art Projects and strategic director of Artspace, highlights five contemporary artists making waves at Art Basel. Among her picks are the thought-provoking textile works of Slavs and Tatars, who cleverly explore geography and ethnicity with humor, and Eva Rothschild, whose evolving plastic forms captivate with their tactile intrigue. Eduardo Terrazas enchants with his meticulous wool yarn patterns that mimic stitching, while Mark Bradford impresses with textured pieces reminiscent of petrified wood, marking a fresh chapter in his career. Finally, Daniel Lefcourt’s intriguing installation at Campoli Presti signals a promising new talent worth watching.

Michael and Susan Hort have long been recognized as visionary collectors of emerging artists, consistently identifying and supporting groundbreaking talent early in their careers. Their discerning eye has led them to acquire pivotal works by artists such as Chris Ofili, Adrian Ghenie, and Richard Prince, while their dedication extends beyond acquisition to fostering creativity through the Rema Hort Foundation, established in memory of their late daughter. Recently, the Horts explored the buzzing art fairs in Basel, spotlighting standout pieces from the international contemporary scene. Highlights included Oscar Murillo’s provocative installations, Tomás Saraceno’s mesmerizing illuminated spider-web sculptures, and the evocative works of Billy Childish, Jakub Julian Ziółkowski, and Jonas Wood, among others, reflecting their ongoing commitment to the vibrant and experimental fringes of contemporary art.

This year’s Art Basel fair showcases a captivating array of works that span groundbreaking abstraction, poignant installations, and clever object transformations. Gerhard Richter’s early abstract piece reveals his evolution from photo-based art to vibrant, layered canvases, while Barbara Bloom’s post-accident creations poignantly explore fragility and resilience. Claes Oldenburg’s whimsical soft sculpture reimagines everyday objects with humor and grace, contrasted by Andreas Gursky’s surreal, digitally altered photograph that pays homage to pop culture villainy. Dominique Gonzalez-Foerster invites viewers into a labyrinth of historical and philosophical allusions with her immersive installation, while Gabriel Kuri’s fusion of Minimalism and found materials brings a witty, tactile elegance to marble and cigarette butts. Finally, Roger Hiorns captivates with his shimmering copper sulfate-coated engines, a striking meditation on the fleeting nature of technology and beauty.

Alexander S. C. Rower, president of the Calder Foundation and grandson of the iconic sculptor Alexander Calder, shared his top five favorite artworks from Art Basel this year, highlighting pieces that blend history, social relevance, and artistic innovation. From Francis Picabia’s enigmatic wartime portrait of an unknown woman, to Kawamata’s socially engaging Favela Café installation made from scavenged materials, Rower’s selections capture a vibrant dialogue between past and present. He also praises Darren Bader’s intellectually provocative assemblage that melds humor and discomfort, Giuseppe Penone’s moving exploration of time through direct wood carving, and Josef Sudek’s poetic photographs, which have soared in value for their unique depth and handmade quality. Each work offers a distinctive encounter with creativity that challenges and enchants art lovers alike.

This year’s Art Basel Unlimited section, curated by Gianni Jetzer, showcases a thrilling array of ambitious installations that blur the lines between gallery and museum-scale art. Highlights include Jonah Freeman and Justin Lowe’s immersive Artichoke Underground, a psychedelic environment centered around a fictional anarchist zine; Simryn Gill’s haunting black-and-white photographs of a decaying Malaysian ghost-town; Rob Pruitt’s charmingly heartfelt cartoon faces layered over vibrant gradients; Günther Förg’s serene abstract paintings that echo Bauhaus minimalism; and Betty Woodman’s inventive ceramics installation that boldly dialogues with Matisse’s masterpieces. Together, these diverse works create a dynamic and thought-provoking experience that captivates both the eye and imagination.

Art Basel feels like an endless loop of familiar faces and repetitive scenes, yet amidst the seeming monotony, the fair reveals fleeting moments of surprise and intrigue. From the buzzing galleries of Zurich showcasing Basquiat's skyrocketing market appeal to the labyrinthine charm of Liste housed in a repurposed brewery, the event blends the high stakes of commerce with the thrill of discovery. Despite cramped hotel rooms and the relentless pace, the author finds delight in genuine art encounters, quirky interactions, and the ever-present dance of power and influence that defines the art world. Beneath the surface of glossy exhibitions and high-profile dinners, there’s a candid, often humorous reflection on the rituals, personalities, and contradictions that make Art Basel both exhausting and irresistibly magnetic.

Art Basel opened with its signature Swiss precision, unveiling two floors teeming with exceptional works from the world’s leading galleries, capturing the vibrant pulse of contemporary art in a Venice Biennale year. The fair showcased an exhilarating mix of iconic legends like Roy Lichtenstein, Pablo Picasso, and Mark Rothko alongside rising stars such as David Adamo and Mai-Thu Perret. Highlights included playful and provocative installations, from Andreas Slominski’s clever enamel cans and Yüksel Arslan’s intense outsider paintings to delicate kinetic sculptures by Alexander Calder. Whether it was the gritty self-portraits of Martin Kippenberger, the stunning abstraction of Adrian Ghenie, or the pop culture-infused works of Richard Phillips and Robert Longo, the show offered a rich spectrum of styles and narratives, blending humor, sophistication, and emotional depth. With striking sculptures, mesmerizing paintings, and inventive new media pieces, Art Basel once again affirmed its place as the ultimate global stage where bold creativity meets discerning collectors’ eager eyes.

Artadia recently launched its Summer Open Studios program during DUMBO’s "First Thursdays," featuring past awardees in an immersive exhibition series at their DUMBO project space. The spotlight in June is on Micah Stansell, a 2011 Atlanta Artadia awardee known for his captivating multi-channel video and sound installations that transform entire environments. For this more intimate showcase, Stansell created a mesmerizing installation spanning three walls, where overlapping circles display haunting water imagery and ghostly moons, including scenes like a woman swimming seamlessly across the walls and another slowly reading in a studio flooding with water, creating a mosaic-like effect. Following Stansell, artist Gyun Hur, also a 2011 Atlanta awardee, will present his work at the space in July.

Sara Sosnowy’s latest solo show at Lesley Heller Workspace, running through July 3, vividly showcases her unique creative process of transforming everyday images into lush, abstract paintings. Inspired by a deep red curtain in the New York Times and historical Dutch Master paintings, Sosnowy’s works like Red Curtain and Holbein Curtain invite viewers into her intellectual explorations. Her evolving "Ribbon Gowns" series, emerging from studio ribbons and gown motifs, features large, vibrant canvases that ripple with life and ambiguity. Drawing from both art history and the natural world—such as the blue spruce tree she recently photographed at Brooklyn Botanical Gardens—Sosnowy’s paintings blur the lines between representational and abstract, inviting viewers to discover new forms and meanings within familiar objects.

The Costume Institute at the Metropolitan Museum of Art continues to push the boundaries of fashion as an art form with its latest exhibition “PUNK: Chaos to Couture,” blending rebellion and haute couture in a dynamic display. Since the groundbreaking 1983-84 Yves Saint Laurent retrospective curated by Diana Vreeland, fashion exhibitions have evolved from being seen as mere costume displays to critically acclaimed cultural events. Despite ongoing debates about the commercial ties and academic status of fashion in museums, institutions worldwide—including the Met, the Louvre, and the Victoria and Albert Museum—have embraced fashion’s vital role in contemporary visual culture. Collaborative events like MoMA PS1’s MOVE! demonstrate the exciting fusion of art and fashion, spotlighting creative partnerships that energize both fields. Blockbuster shows such as Alexander McQueen: Savage Beauty prove that fashion exhibitions can captivate vast audiences, affirming fashion’s rightful place at the intersection of art and culture.

During the whirlwind first week of the Venice Biennale, the city transforms into a vibrant playground for art lovers, bustling with excitement and discovery. From the playful political musings at Jeremy Deller’s British pavilion to Sarah Sze’s immersive American installation, and Antti Laitinen’s delicate Finnish tree reconstructions, each pavilion offers a unique encounter. Curator Massimiliano Gioni’s central pavilion dazzles with diverse works, including engaging sculptures and poignant performances, while the sprawling Arsenale showcases an eclectic mix of 158 artists, from immersive videos to earthy sculptures. Highlights include Ai Weiwei’s haunting reflections on detention and the Sichuan earthquake, Sonia Falcone’s colorful spice fields in the Bolivian Pavilion, and the sparkling “700 Snowballs” glass installation by Not Vital. Crowds and parties pulse through the city, celebrating art and life late into the night. Despite the frenzy, moments of serene contemplation await in hidden gems like Palazzo Peckham, capped by a stirring recreation of the groundbreaking 1969 “When Attitudes Become Form” exhibition at the Prada Foundation. As the week closes, the writer longs to return to Venice’s enchanting labyrinth for a quieter, more personal experience amid its boundless artistic treasures.

SoHo, once a gritty artist enclave below Houston Street, emerged in the late 1960s as a vibrant hub of creativity and informality, attracting artists with its vast, affordable loft spaces that doubled as studios and homes. Pioneers like Paula Cooper Gallery and figures such as Donald Judd played a pivotal role in shaping this avant-garde neighborhood, which grew to house thousands of artists despite zoning challenges and police resistance. Today, the legacy of SoHo’s artistic heyday is celebrated with restored landmarks like Judd’s iconic 101 Spring Street, showcasing works by luminaries including Claes Oldenburg and Dan Flavin. SoHo’s transformation from a bohemian community to a luxury hotspot epitomizes the “SoHo Effect,” illustrating how art can dramatically reshape urban landscapes and economies.

Since its inception in 1969, the Whitney Museum's Independent Study Program has been a powerful incubator for influential artists and critics, including Roberta Smith, who credits it with shaping her career profoundly. The program continues to inspire new generations across critical studies, studio arts, and curatorial fields. Recently, graduating fellows curated "Maintenance Required" at The Kitchen, an exhibition spotlighting the vital but often overlooked systems of maintenance that sustain society, from public sanitation to data storage. Featuring works by artists like Sam Lewitt, Mierle Laderman Ukeles, and Masaru Iwai, the show challenges viewers to reconsider the infrastructure of everyday life through powerful performances, installations, and conceptual art. With connections to ongoing public events and a dynamic community of past and present ISP alumni, the Whitney ISP remains a cornerstone of contemporary art education and innovation.

This vibrant roundup captures highlights from the world of contemporary art and exhibitions, featuring Annie Dorsen’s innovative chatbot dialogue between Noam Chomsky and Michel Foucault at bitforms, Leah Tinari’s playful paintings inspired by her young son at Mixed Greens, and the rare sunny moment at Venice’s 55th Biennale. Standout events include Walter De Maria’s iconic "Art by Telephone" reenactment answered by Miuccia Prada, John Outterbridge’s assemblage in the “Encyclopedic Palace,” and Ragnar Kjartansson’s beloved S.S. Hangover performance sailing through the city. Other notable moments spotlight works by Albert Oehlen, Laurie Simmons and Adam McCollum’s “Actual Photos,” Sarah Sze’s intricate American pavilion sculpture, and Ai Weiwei’s striking “Bang” installation at the German pavilion, all weaving together a dynamic portrait of today’s art scene.

The Metropolitan Museum of Art’s European painting galleries have reopened after a major reinstallation, showcasing over 700 works—more than ever before—in brilliantly lit, spacious new settings designed for clearer, more immersive viewing. Highlights include iconic paintings from Vermeer, Caravaggio, El Greco, and Rembrandt, each brought to vivid life through fresh framing, lighting, and thoughtful organization by chronology and region. Visitors can now experience Vanitas still lifes that sparkle with intricate detail, grand Tiepolo canvases that greet guests upon arrival, and a rare permanent display of five Vermeers. The galleries buzz with renewed energy, as exemplified by an artist recreating Velázquez’s Juan de Pareja live, inviting museumgoers to connect intimately with centuries of artistic mastery.

Barry McGee’s new exhibition at the Institute of Contemporary Art Boston blurs the boundaries between street art and gallery space, reflecting his roots as a street artist in 1980s San Francisco amid social upheaval. Known for his “Twist” tag, McGee brings humor, irony, and monumental installations that challenge notions of public versus private space and question the nature of gallery-going itself. Highlights include rusted aerosol cans arranged like an altar to graffiti, an animatronic tagger defacing gallery walls, and a recreated surreal mural from San Francisco’s Yerba Buena Center. The show’s playful, twisted Disneyland atmosphere features recurring characters, noisy paint-spraying totems, and a tower of glowing TVs, culminating in a satirical “Contemporary Art Centre” where McGee mocks the art world by elevating trash and vandalism guides to gallery status, underscoring the provocative spirit at the heart of his work.

Outside Hangzhou, China, an uncanny mini replica of Paris—with landmarks like the Eiffel Tower and Champs-Élysée—is taking shape amidst half-finished buildings and barren land. This surreal pastiche forms the backdrop for Jesper Just’s multi-channel film installation at the Venice Biennale’s Danish Pavilion, where three men navigate the architectural fantasy across five screens woven into a uniquely constructed environment. Just’s work explores themes of appropriation and cultural exchange, reflecting on China’s role as a cultural importer reimagining Western cityscapes while challenging traditional notions of national identity in a globalized art world. Through striking visuals and a parallel poster campaign spanning global cities, the installation invites viewers to reconsider originality, authenticity, and the fluid, sometimes strange intersections between East and West.

This week in art highlights captivating moments from the Museum of Modern Art garden party where Maillol’s sculptures seemed to blend seamlessly with their surroundings, to John Chamberlain’s dynamic work The Hedge displayed at the Lever House Lobby through August. Nate Lowman offered an exclusive look inside his Tribeca studio ahead of the Lyon Biennale, featuring his signature smiley-face paintings. Celebrations continued at the Webby Awards dinner at Cipriani, where Artspace was honored for Best Email Newsletter. Meanwhile, Jeff Koons’s latest "Gazing Ball" exhibition at David Zwirner Gallery juxtaposes classical Greco-Roman plaster figures with whimsical elements like a surprising snowman, creating a playful dialogue between past and present.

On May 4th, we visited Storm King Art Center to experience Thomas Houseago's first U.S. museum exhibition, "As I Went Out One Morning," inspired by a Bob Dylan song that highlights music's influence on his art. The show features a captivating mix of sculptures in bronze, aluminum, wood, plaster, and charcoal, including inviting plaster chairs that reflect Houseago's deep connection to his studio practice. Set amid Storm King’s breathtaking 500-acre landscape in the Hudson Valley, the exhibition offers a perfect harmony between art and nature. We explored the grounds by tram, encountering iconic works by Alexander Calder, Maya Lin, Richard Serra, Andy Goldsworthy, Marc di Suvero, and David Smith, making it clear that another visit is a must to fully appreciate this inspiring fusion of sculpture and environment.

Philip Johnson’s Da Monsta, a striking red-and-black structure at the Glass House estate, comes alive this season with artist E.V. Day’s site-specific installation, SNAP!, which weaves vibrant red ropes into web-like formations both inside and out, blurring the line between architecture and nature as real spiders even join in. Inside, Day’s sculptural works—including the scanned petals of Pollinator and the stretched fragments of a Bandage Dress—invite viewers into a tactile, immersive experience, while the Purring Chamber bathes the space in soft color and gentle, feline sounds, honoring Johnson’s vision of the building as a living entity. Complementing this dynamic display, Tauba Auerbach’s Gnomon/Wave Fulgurite I.I enchants within the Glass House itself, its rippling sand-and-resin form playing with light and shadow in tribute to Giacometti’s lost sculpture. Together, these installations transform the Glass House into a vibrant dialogue between art, architecture, and nature.

The Brant Foundation Art Study Center in Greenwich recently unveiled a stunning new survey of Andy Warhol’s work, showcasing pieces spanning the artist’s prolific career from iconic Campbell’s Soup cans to his bold “Death and Disaster” series and vibrant celebrity portraits. Owned by longtime Warhol collector Peter Brant, whose passion for the artist began with a purchase at age 20, the exhibition draws heavily from his personal trove of around 200 works. Highlights include Warhol’s monumental, cartoonishly large Last Supper and his playful Pop art renditions of Chairman Mao. The opening event attracted a star-studded crowd including Leonardo DiCaprio, Christopher Walken, and Owen Wilson, alongside art world elites like Jose Mugrabi and Jeffrey Deitch, creating an atmosphere befitting Warhol’s enduring legacy and influence.

This vibrant roundup captures the dynamic energy of New York's art scene, from the farewell to Frieze New York's "Art Island" to Dan Colen's enchanting new show "The Spirits That I Called" at Oko's intimate East 10th Street space. Classic and contemporary artworks mingle, with John Anster Fitzgerald’s whimsical Midsummer Night’s Dream-themed painting setting the tone alongside fantasy-inspired pieces by Colen. The city's art lovers packed tiny storefront galleries, mingled at exclusive cocktail parties hosted by prominent collectors like Susan and Michael Hort, and admired installations by Sarah Sze. The excitement continued at high-profile events such as Aby Rosen’s star-studded birthday bash at the Paramount Hotel and the immersive Drawing Restraint exhibition at the Morgan Library. The week concluded with gallerygoers marveling at Esteban Pastorino's latest show at Praxis International Art, highlighting the rich diversity and spirited atmosphere fueling New York’s contemporary art world.

We had the pleasure of previewing Esteban Pastorino's latest exhibition at Praxis International Art, where he showcases his innovative photography using a custom-built camera. His backlit images capture successive moments in a single location, creating a mesmerizing visual narrative that contrasts beautifully with the gallery’s dim lighting. This exclusive first look reveals Pastorino’s captivating technique and invites art lovers to experience his work in person at the opening reception. Don’t miss the stunning photographs and an accompanying video loop that bring to life the world’s longest photograph in a truly unforgettable way.

From Ragnar Kjartansson’s marathon six-hour rendition of The National’s “Sorrow” at MoMA PS1 to the vibrant gatherings honoring curatorial excellence and artistic innovation, the week was a dynamic celebration of contemporary art. Highlights included the Vanguard awards for Visual AIDS founders, immersive installations at the Calder Foundation, screenings of Jack Goldstein’s films, and bold exhibitions by Tim Noble and Sue Webster, Marianne Vitale, and Christian Holstad. Visitors explored kinetic sculptures by Carolee Schneeman, Matthew Barney’s evocative drawings at the Morgan Library, and unique photo series by Arne Svenson. The energy culminated in bustling opening parties for the Brant Foundation’s Andy Warhol survey and group shows at Marlborough Chelsea, showcasing the rich diversity and creativity defining the current art scene.

Bill Claps offers a compelling tour through this week’s Pulse and NADA art fairs, highlighting a range of innovative and thought-provoking works. At Pulse, Beatrice Pediconi’s fluid, abstract photographs and videos merge performance and painting to capture transient moments, perfectly complemented by Mia Pearlman’s organic blown-glass sculptures. Etsuko Ichikawa’s “glass pyrographs” immortalize fleeting gestures with molten glass on paper, while Ambreen Butt’s powerful mixed-media piece interrogates post-9/11 erosion of rights through intricate, hand-cut trial transcripts. Jessica Drenk’s installation transforms wax-encased books into enigmatic archaeological fragments, exploring humanity’s quest for knowledge. Over at NADA, David Kennedy Cutler’s aluminum sculptures evoke classic abstract forms through a blend of photography and metalwork, and Sara Greenberger Rafferty’s collages use manipulated paint on photographic images to confront themes of gender and the darker facets of performance and comedy with unsettling intensity. Together, these artists reveal fresh, unexpected engagements with form and meaning across mediums.

Last week, the international art scene converged in New York for the vibrant second edition of Frieze New York, hosted in the striking Frieze Tent on Randall's Island, designed by SO-IL. Amid the 180 booths, mirrors emerged as the star motif, captivating audiences with their reflective and transformative qualities. From Jeppe Hein's signature interpenetrating mirror sculptures at Berlin's Johann König to Olafur Eliasson's mirrored walls at Tanya Bonakdar Gallery, and Anish Kapoor's large-scale convex piece at London's Lisson Gallery distorting space, the fair was awash with glimmers and reflections. Other highlights included Sam Durant's bold messages on mirrors, Pae White’s kaleidoscopic suspended discs, Jim Lambie’s colorful enamel-mirror sculptures, and David Altmejd’s futuristic cracked mirrored forms. This dazzling exploration of mirrors highlighted themes of perception, identity, and playfulness, making Frieze New York a captivating spectacle of contemporary art’s luminous edge.

Cutlog, having captivated Paris for five years, made a vibrant New York debut by transforming the Clemente Soto Veléz building into a dynamic hub for emerging contemporary artists. Over five days, nearly 50 galleries from across the globe—from Los Angeles to Beijing—brought fresh, underrepresented voices to the Lower East Side, creating an eclectic mix of visual art, live performances, and film projections. Highlights included Brooklyn sculptor Kennedy Yanko’s striking installation, QR-coded portraits addressing social issues from DataSpaceTime, and mesmerizing body painting combined with 3D sculpture by Andy Golub. Visitors also experienced colorful toothpick assemblages, dynamic “Pour paintings,” and innovative musical performances using felt instruments, all underscoring the fair’s commitment to showcasing bold, boundary-pushing art in an intimate, community-centered setting.

The inaugural Collective Design Fair debuted at Pier 57 in Manhattan, bringing together 23 international galleries to showcase a vibrant array of contemporary design. Founded by a collective of designers, curators, and collectors, the fair filled a much-needed space for innovative artistic expression, featuring everything from welded nickel sculptures and multifunctional fan installations to explorations in hardwood craftsmanship. Highlights included a special exhibition of Gaetano Pesce’s work—his first New York show in over 25 years—and engaging installations like Peter Dayton’s immersive collages and playful “Pier Pong” tournament. This dynamic event not only celebrated creative design but also offered a refreshing glimpse into the cutting-edge ideas shaping the art world today.

The second edition of the New Art Dealers Alliance (NADA) New York fair took a vibrant leap from Chelsea’s Dia building to the dynamic Basketball City on the Lower East Side, transforming a sports arena into a playground for emerging art. The fair buzzed with playful, fresh energy as galleries like Eleven Rivington showcased bold mixed-media works and witty airbrushed canvases that resonated with today’s digital age. Highlights included the Brooklyn Academy of Music’s exclusive print portfolio featuring prominent contemporary artists, and East Hampton’s Halsey McKay Gallery’s elegant solo show by Denise Kupferschmidt. SculptureCenter's cleverly presented editions and photo-prints created a tactile experience, while Feature Inc. brightened the space with colorful, eclectic paintings. Meanwhile, Los Angeles's Anat Egbi gallery introduced textured, ethereal canvases by Joe Reihsen, rounding out a fair that celebrated innovation and artistic experimentation in an unexpected yet fitting setting.

Frieze New York dazzles this year with a vibrant mix of groundbreaking works from celebrated artists alongside early-career gems, sparking conversations around appropriation and artistic rivalry, notably Paul McCarthy’s provocative balloon dog sculptures targeting Jeff Koons. Highlights include Tino Sehgal’s immersive performance featuring “Ann Lee,” a captivating manga-inspired character challenging visitors’ perceptions of humanity, and Richard Prince’s evolution away from controversial appropriation toward a more personal photographic approach. Sculptural marvels like Do Ho Suh’s glowing Berlin corridor and Tom Friedman’s playful styrofoam food pieces add whimsical yet profound layers, while poignant works by Huma Bhabha and Thomas Ruff explore themes of memory, identity, and desolation. From Collier Schorr’s feminist-tinged portrait to Damien Hirst’s chilling yet mesmerizing medical sculptures, the fair offers an electrifying glimpse into the complex dialogues shaping contemporary art today.

As the 54th Venice Biennale approaches its May 29 opening, excitement builds around the diverse array of pavilions and parallel programs set to debut. Highlights include the Georgian pavilion Kamikaze Loggia featuring innovative works by Thea Djordjadze and others, Dina Nasser-Khadivi’s compelling project showcasing contemporary art from Azerbaijan and neighbors, and the intriguing Central Asia Pavilion curated by Tiago Bom, Ayatgali Tuleubek, and Suzanne Winterling, inspired by Kazakh poetry and regional themes. With the intense Adriatic summer as a backdrop, the art promises a fascinating contrast. Meanwhile, ArtReview offers a daily dose of insight through interviews with participating artists, kicking off with Jesper Just, Denmark’s representative, whose immersive video installation Intercourses is already generating buzz.

Tracey Emin’s latest exhibition, “I Followed You to the Sun,” at Lehmann Maupin presents a bold and intimate collection of 100 artworks spanning embroideries, drawings, sculptures, and a film across two New York spaces. Known for her raw emotional honesty, Emin explores themes of love, loss, and vulnerability—from her poignant short film “Love Never Wanted Me,” which poetically compares a fox in the wild to a fleeing lover, to a series of nude self-portraits rendered in gouache and pen. Highlights include a striking monoprint with bluntly emotional text and a captivating series of painted bronze animal sculptures engraved with personal statements, cast in a foundry famously used by Louise Bourgeois. This expansive show invites viewers into Emin’s deeply personal world, unfiltered and powerfully human.

The opening of "Richard Serra: Early Work" and "Palermo: Works on Paper 1976-1977" at David Zwirner's West 20th Street gallery offers a captivating exploration of groundbreaking art within a stunning LEED-certified space. Serra’s early sculptures, crafted from materials like vulcanized rubber and hot-rolled steel, challenge traditional notions of sculpture and space, with standout pieces such as "Strike: To Roberta and Rudy" on display. Upstairs, the Palermo exhibition honors the German artist’s vibrant, series-based works created shortly before his untimely death, showcasing striking acrylic drawings like the dynamic seven-part "1–7 Untitled," revealing his masterful command of color and form.

This week’s art scene buzzed with vibrant energy, from the stylish Whitney Art Party co-hosted by Maria Giulia Maramotti, Hannah Bronfman, and Nichole Galicia, to exclusive gatherings like the Performa soirée at Marianne Vitale’s Long Island City studio showcasing a forthcoming outdoor sculpture for Randall’s Island. Highlights included the engaging Artspace Offline event at Cirkers, where guests admired Daniel Joseph Martinez’s striking sculpture, and the lively opening of Adam Tetzloff’s "Trashure Island" exhibition featuring a captivating performance by storyteller T-Berry. Madison Square Park was transformed by Orly Genger’s stunning "Red, Yellow, and Blue" rope sculptures, while the Jewish Museum offered a unique blend of art and therapy through docent-led tours of Barbara Bloom’s collection. The week rounded out with gallery-goers enjoying the serene ambiance at Mathieu Malouf’s latest show in Brooklyn’s Real Fine Arts.

This week’s roundup celebrates a vibrant mix of art and culture around town, featuring the Push Pop Collective’s dynamic performance at the Brooklyn Museum gala honoring visionary artists, Patrick Lee’s captivating photo-realist portraits at Ameringer McEnery Yohe gallery, and Jerry Blackman’s enchanting ceramics at Williamsburg’s 109 Gallery. Ugo Rondinone’s monumental bluestone sculptures make a striking statement at Rockefeller Center, while Alexandre Arrechea reimagines the skyscraper in his new Park Avenue public art series. Visitors to David Zwirner’s sleek West 20th Street space admired late works by Blinky Palermo, and the Artspace softball team preps for their upcoming season with spirited batting practice at Chelsea Piers. A lively blend of tradition, innovation, and community energy pulses through this week’s artistic happenings.

In a controversial move, New York’s Museum of Modern Art announced plans to demolish the architecturally striking yet functionally challenging former American Folk Art Museum building, designed by Tod Williams and Billie Tsien, to create a more cohesive and practical space for its collection. Despite its status as a modern icon with a distinctive origami façade, the building’s vertical galleries have long been criticized for being ill-suited to MoMA’s signature “white box” exhibition style. The decision has sparked heated debate among architects and critics, with some viewing it as a betrayal of architectural innovation, while others see it as a necessary step to prioritize the experience of art over form. The Folk Art Museum itself emphasized that a museum’s identity lies beyond its physical space, underscoring the complex balance between architectural ambition and art presentation.

The upcoming Impressionist and Contemporary May sales at Sotheby’s and Christie’s promise an exciting lineup of masterpieces and record-breaking potential. Highlights from Sotheby’s include Francis Bacon’s Study for Portrait of P.L., Gerhard Richter’s Domplatz—potentially setting a new record for the artist—and works by Jeff Koons, Jackson Pollock, and Cy Twombly. Meanwhile, Christie’s showcases Jean-Michel Basquiat’s Dustheads, possibly fetching a new record, alongside Roy Lichtenstein, Jackson Pollock, and Ed Ruscha. Both sales feature a mix of evening and day sessions with exceptional pieces from private collections and notable donations benefiting the Whitney Museum. Collectors and art enthusiasts can look forward to a vibrant auction season packed with rare and coveted works from modern and contemporary art legends.

Several renowned fashion designers have seamlessly transitioned from the runway to the gallery, redefining themselves as visual artists. Helmut Lang moved from fashion to sculpture, transforming shredded garments into striking black-and-white totemic structures. Kenzo Takada embraced painting, showcasing vibrant depictions inspired by his signature floral kimonos. Issey Miyake, who famously rejects the label "fashion designer," pioneered innovative fabric techniques like A-POC, earning a permanent place in the Museum of Modern Art. Meanwhile, Karl Lagerfeld channeled his creativity into photography, producing evocative, fire-etched portraits of his muses that challenge traditional portraiture. These artists blur the lines between fashion and fine art, proving their creativity knows no bounds.

In her 2013 New York Times piece, Alice Gregory explores the surprising disconnect between the booming tech industry and the traditional art world, highlighting how newly minted tech millionaires rarely engage with or support contemporary art institutions. Despite their wealth and influence, social media entrepreneurs often find the art scene's social codes baffling and unwelcoming, leaving many frustrated with gallery experiences. While Gregory focuses on this cultural clash, the article also points to evolving efforts bridging these two spheres, such as online art platforms like Artsy and Artspace, and innovative initiatives like Rhizome’s Seven-on-Seven conference, which pairs artists with technologists to collaborate and create new forms of art and technology in just one day. This cross-pollination signals a promising shift towards more inclusive and digitally savvy art communities.

Hope Gangloff, celebrated for her vivid portraits capturing the essence of her friends, has evolved her artistic vision since moving from Brooklyn to upstate New York, embracing a more spacious studio and a connection to her surroundings. Her new show at Susan Inglett Gallery showcases nine large-scale paintings that reflect this shift, while she continues to explore the intimate dynamics of portraiture with close friends who model for her. Rejecting photographs for their lifelessness and color limitations, Gangloff prefers to paint from life, capturing candid moments and the subtle distortions of human presence through careful observation and measurement. Alongside her portraits, she creates small “postcard” drawings during travels and draws inspiration from colorful objects, collected fabrics, vintage typefaces, and even furniture, embedding these influences into her work. Ever prolific and creatively restless, Gangloff finds endless joy in painting, drawing, and sewing, constantly fueled by a deep love of people and visual storytelling.

This year’s Armory Show and Independent fairs reveal a striking shift in the art world’s focus from conceptual Dada antics to a deeper embrace of Surrealism, marked by uncanny, materially-driven figuration and a fascination with artifact-like aesthetics. Artists showcased a variety of evocative works, from Matthew Monahan’s Frankensteinian bronze sculptures and Nathan Mabry’s modified relics to eerie body-fragment motifs and craft-infused textiles. Exhibits ranged widely, featuring everything from outmoded technologies and handcrafted tapestries to artist-designed wallpapers, underscoring a renewed interest in history, craftsmanship, and surreal narratives. This rich tapestry of mediums and influences breathes new life into contemporary art, evoking both the mysterious past and playful innovation.

This year’s Armory Show celebrates a century since its groundbreaking 1913 debut that introduced Modern art to America, while showcasing today’s most dynamic and adventurous gallery booths. Highlights include Norwegian gallery Rod Bianco’s buzzworthy collaboration between Bjarne Melgaard and Sverre Bjertnes, featuring playful, immersive installations inspired by art dealer Mary Boone; David Zwirner’s cutting-edge presentation of Diana Thater’s mesmerizing video work ‘Day for Night’ on expansive, curved screens; Gagosian’s striking large-scale Andy Warhol camouflage paintings that stand out amid younger artists in the “Focus: USA” section; and Kysa Johnson’s thought-provoking Morgan Lehman booth, whose chalk drawings evoke both particle decay and ancient ruins, inviting reflection on art’s transient yet timeless nature. These inventive displays transform the traditional white-cube fair environment into captivating art experiences in their own right.

The ADAA Art Show offers an extraordinary blend of past and present artworks, captivating collectors with an eclectic selection that ranges from Mona Hatoum’s surreal steel daybed to Mary Corse’s luminous glass bead paintings. Highlights include Brie Ruais’s performative clay wall piece, Milton Avery’s early darkly atmospheric dancehall scenes, and Louise Lawler’s inventive RGB triptych homage to Degas. The show also celebrates Martin Wong’s gritty New York City narratives, Tam Van Tran’s shimmering bronze and palm frond paintings, and Karen Kilimnik’s hauntingly abstract portraits. Fred Tomaselli’s witty New York Times collages and Isca Greenfield-Sanders’s delicate, photo-inspired paintings round out a dynamic exhibition that brilliantly melds sculpture, painting, and unique storytelling in contemporary art.