Art
‘VHS Dreams’ Explores the Art of Ghana’s Mobile Cinema
SummaryVHS Dreams explores the art of Ghana's hand-painted movie posters through the work of 10 paintersNow on view at BEYOND THE STREETS, the exhibition presents one of the largest collections of its kindIn the 1980s, Ghanaian mobile cinema operators brought the magic of movies to rural villages with little more than a TV, VCR and gas generator. Without access to ample printing infrastructure, they turned to local artists to create hand-painted posters. More than promotional materials, what emerged was a figurative form in a lane of its one; a visual culture defined by exaggerated muscles, blood-splattered drama and imagined monsters.Now, BEYOND THE STREETS in Los Angeles is shining a light on this inventive art form with VHS Dreams: The Art of Ghana’s Mobile Cinema. Curated by Accra and ...
NIGO, Pharrell Williams and NOT A HOTEL Team Up for JAPA VALLEY TOKYO
Fresh of their appointment as NOT A HOTEL creative advisors, Pharrell Williams and NIGO have announced plans for JAPA VALLEY TOKYO, the latest cultural complex by the Japanese hospitality group, set to open in 2027.JAPA VALLEY TOKYO reimagines the splendor and serenity of California's wine country through a distinctly Japanese lens, swapping Napa Valley wine for craft sake brews. Staged in the upcoming Yurakucho Park, the project describes itself as a "visionary art, retail and hospitality precinct" with a rotating lineup of fashion, food and design pop-ups.Marking a first for NOT A HOTEL, JAPA VALLEY TOKYO breaks from the brand's usual getaway model to introduce a city-centered creative playground in the heart of Tokyo, with the hopes to "weave art into the fabric of daily life."Concept r...
Mark Rothko’s Former Studio Returns to Market for $9.5 Million USD
SummaryRothko painted here in the 1960s, using the skylit upper floor to create immersive works Co-owned by a private family and the Urasenke Tea Ceremony SocietyA historic carriage house in New York City once used by Mark Rothko as his studio is now on the market for $9.5 million USD. Originally built in 1884 by architect William Schickel, the red-brick property situated on the Upper East Side has evolved from a horse stable into a five-bedroom residence complete with arched windows, a wood-burning fireplace, elevator, rooftop garden, wine cellar and a traditional tea room with Shoji screens.But what sets the 4,700-square-foot home apart is its cultural legacy. Rothko painted here in the 1960s, using the skylit upper floor to create the immersive works now housed in Houston’s Rothko Chape...
Greg Girad’s Ode to Old Hong Kong Lights Up M+ Museum Facade
Greg Girard's Hong Kong archive comes home in HK:PM, a new moving image commission, now on view on the facade of the M+ Museum. The Canadian photographer is the latest name to take over the 7,000-square-meter screen, lighting up the waters of Victoria Harbour with a tender tribute to the city's past.HK:PM animates analogue photographs from the artist's personal collection, shot in during his time in Hong Kong between the 1970s and the 1990s. The collection captures life in motion across the crowded streets of Central, the now-demolished Kowloon Walled City and neon-soaked nightclub scenes.“This commission offers me the unique opportunity to revisit these photographs, transforming fragments of Hong Kong’s recent past into a cinematic sequence,” the artist said in a recent statement.At last,...
BlackStar Film Festival Gives the Floor to Cinema for Liberation
SummaryThe 14th edition of the BlackStar Film Festival will run from July 31 through August 3The festival will showcase over 90 films by Black, brown and Indigenous directors hailing from 35 countriesThe selections will be viewable in-person in Philadelphia or online for international audiencesThe BlackStar Film Festival returns to Philadelphia for its 14th edition. Kicking off on July 31 and running through August 3, the 2025 iteration promises over 90 films from 35 country, spotlighting the work of Black, Brown and Indigenous artists from around the world.“In our fourteenth year we continue to view the festival as an urgent gathering for filmmakers and cinephiles of color,” said BlackStar founder Maori Karmael Holmes. “The need in this moment is not only visionary cinema, but to be in sp...
‘Miss Subway NYC’ Takes Us Back to Lady Pink’s New York
SummaryNew York graffiti legend Lady Pink has opened Miss Subway NYC, a new exhibition at D'Stassi Art in LondonNow on view through late September 2025, the exhibition transforms the gallery into a NYC subway station, featuring a host of new works, archival materials and original sketchesLondon’s D’Stassi Art is currently hosting Miss Subway NYC, a landmark solo exhibition by New York graffiti legend Lady Pink. Staged in the heart of Shoreditch, the artist transforms the gallery into a fully tagged subway station, bringing the raw energy of the 1980s underground across the pond.Born in Ecuador and raised in Queens, the artist began tagging trains at 15. By 17, she was featured in the featured in the landmark 1981 New York/ New Wave exhibition at MoMA PS1 situated amongst the likes of Jean-...
Amy Sherald Cancels Major Smithsonian Show Over Censorship Concerns
SummaryAcclaimed artist Amy Sherald withdraws her upcoming solo exhibition, American Sublime, from the Smithsonian's National Portrait Gallery after discussions surrounding her 2024 work of a transgender woman provoking President Trump.The artist cites the “culture of censorship” and the “broader climate of political hostility” as reasons behind her decision.Amy Sherald, the artist behind the iconic 2018 portrait of Michelle Obama, has pulled her upcoming solo exhibition, American Sublime, from the Smithsonian’s National Portrait Gallery, citing concerns over potential censorship and political pressures linked to the Trump administration’s growing influence over the institution.According to the New York Times, the decision follows reports of internal discussions of the museum removing of “...
Visionary Painter Raymond Saunders Dies at 90
SummaryRaymond Saunders, the influential painter whose assemblage-style works explored the expansivity of Black artists in the modern and contemporary art landscape, has died at 90.The announcement comes just a week after the closing of Saunders' first major museum retrospective in his hometown Carnegie Museum of Art.Raymond Saunders, the radical American artist known for his radical approach to abstraction and assemblage, passed away at the page of 90. His death was confirmed in a joint statement co-published by his representing galleries — Casemore, Andrew Kreps and David Zwirner — earlier this week.Saunders' oeuvre is defined by his resistance to categorization. Through texture, symbolism and material he challenged the viewer to reconsider assumptions about Black identity and cultural e...
Art Basel Miami Beach Reveals 2025 Exhibitor Lineup
SummaryArt Basel has announced the exhibitors for this December's fair in Miami Beach.With over 250 galleries on deck, the upcoming edition will highlight the “the most urgent artistic currents shaping the American scene today” with an exciting roster of established names and 41 newcomers.Art fair season is just around the corner and as galleries around the world ready for this fall's Armory Show and Frieze Seoul, Art Basel is chiming in with the exhibitor lineup for its upcoming Miami Beach edition. Set to take place from December 5 through 7, 285 galleries hailing from 44 countries and territories will come together at the Miami Beach Convention Center for the 2025 iteration of Art Basel Miami Beach.Under the direction of Bridget Finn for the second year, the fair will spotlight “the mos...
Artists Reflect on LA Wildfires in opa projects Group Show
Summary'Out of LA: Contemporary Voices' highlights paintings, sculptures and mixed media works that touch on the LA wildfire disasterParticipating artists incldue Cleon Peterson, Ed Ruscha, Kour Pour and more notable namesMiami-based opa projects is showing a group exhibition featuring works by eight notable artists from Los Angeles whom were affected by the Southern California wildfires that took place this past January. Entitled Out of LA: Contemporary Voices, the group presentation features a range of diverse works, encompassing painting, sculpture and media, that channel themes of survival, renewal and resilience. Participating artists include Cleon Peterson, Ed Ruscha, Kour Pour, Emily Ferguson, Jessica Taylor Bellamy, Kenny Scharf, Nicholas Shake and Zoe Walsh.Highlights include a li...
New Show Traces the Love and Legacy of Marina Abramović and Ulay
SummaryCukrarna in Slovenia is set to open ART VITAL, the first comprehensive exhibition dedicated to Marina Abramović and Ulay's career as an artistic duo.Opening on November 30, the exhibition will feature documentation of seminal performances from the couple's 12-year run, alongside archival materials, letters and personal ephemera.For Marina Abramović and Ulay, their relationship was the medium. In 1988, they ended their personal and professional relationship with a final unforgettable act: walking from opposite ends of the Great Wall of China to meet and part for the last time as a duo. While the end of this era saw a rocky, bittersweet end, the shared spiritual synergy shared between the two continues to redefine the possibilities of contemporary performance art.Their life and legacy...
Offline Gallery Challenges Stigma Surrounding Digital Art
SummaryOffline positions itself as a response to the limitations of the post-NFT crash art landscapeUnlike typical galleries, Offline does not follow a fixed exhibition calendarSuperRare’s new physical gallery, Offline, has officially opened its doors to the public with Mythologies for a Spiritually Void Time, a group show featuring 15 artists working across digital and physical media. Located at 245 Bowery in New York, the exhibition runs through July 25 and marks a sharp shift in how digital art is presented in traditional spaces.Led by curator Mika Bar-On Nesher, Offline positions itself as a response to the limitations of the post-NFT crash art landscape. “Digital art is not a gimmick,” Bar-On Nesher told ARTnews. “It’s part of contemporary culture, and artists using these tools deserv...
