April 17, 2026
Your morning brew of art world media
Welcome to Art Spell, a daily, comprehensive roundup of art news and reviews for the visual arts community. Today’s Editor’s Pick is Our Critics Disagree on MoMA PS1’s Greater New York, a Wide-Ranging Survey Defined by a Fascination with Fragility by Maximilíano Durón and Alex Greenberger for ARTnews. Two critics engage in a lively written debate over the merits and shortcomings of the new MoMA PS1 show.
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Aruna D’Souza, Noah Davis
Apollo Magazine
From the Editors, Jennifer Scott, Dulwich Picture Gallery
Art Asia Pacific
Kevin Jones, Defying Soft Power: “Proximities” at SeMA
Jennifer S. Li, Roksana Pirouzmand’s Dual‑Site Meditation on Loss
Annette Meier, Vietnam to Debut at 2026 Venice Biennale
Emmanuelle Richter, 2026 Art Basel Award Winners Announced
Michele Chan, Kazakhstan Presents “Qoñyr: Archive of Silence” at Venice Biennale
Yuqian Fan, Qatar Pavilion Announces Artists for 2026 Venice Biennale
The Art Newspaper
Gareth Harris, English museums should only charge tourists if digital ID checks in place, UK politician says
Martin Bailey, How did a 16th-century European basin end up as a sacred object in West Africa?
James Imam, The Big Review: Rothko in Florence ★★★★★
Larry Humber, Toronto Biennial takes waterways as inspiration for its fourth edition
Hadani Ditmars, Ruins of ‘unique’, circular water temple discovered in Egypt
Barry Pierce, How Wayne McGregor’s epic ballets draw on help from his artistic friends
Martin Bailey, Zurich’s controversial Bührle Collection is rehung, including five paintings by Van Gogh—plus one forgery
Gareth Harris, London’s Southbank Centre to receive £10m government funding boost
Carlie Porterfield, Art Basel reveals 33 medalists for second edition of its awards
James Imam, Barcelona museum refuses to return Sijena murals to monastery
Artforum
María Carri, The Conditions of Legibility: Silät from A to Z
Michael Lobel, Jacob Lawrence and the Unfinished History of American Inequality
From the Editors, Toronto Biennial of Art Announces Artists and Theme for 2026 Edition
From the Editors, V&A Museum Has Acquiesced to Censorship Requests from Chinese Printer: Report
From the Editors, Morad Montazami Named Artistic Director of 16th Dak’Art Biennial
From the Editors, Artnet and Artsy Announce They’re ‘Joining Forces’ Under Shared Leadership
Artnet
Ben Davis, Here’s What LACMA’s Lavish New Building Looks Like
Richard Whiddington, Monet Masterpiece, Unseen for a Century, Sets Auction Record in France
Vittoria Benzine, This Watch Witnessed the Rise of the Empire State Building. Now It’s Up for Sale
Richard Whiddington, Giacometti Meets the Gods in the Met’s Temple of Dendur Show
Vittoria Benzine, Lost Lincoln Portrait From Teddy Roosevelt’s Office Reemerges After a Century
Sonia Manalili and Andrew Russeth, One of the Art Market’s Biggest Secrets, Revealed
Richard Whiddington, French Engineer Snags $1 Million Picasso With $116 Raffle Ticket
ARTnews
Alex Greenberger, Walker Art Center Severs Ties with Restaurant for Laying Off Workers in Favor of QR Codes
Tessa Solomon, Prominent German Art Foundation Accuses Top Culture Official of ‘Attempted Intimidation’
Brian Boucher, Lorna Simpson’s David Adjaye–Designed Brooklyn Home and Studio Remains On the Market—At a Much-Reduced Price
Brian Boucher, Arts Groups Speak Out Against US Trade Representative’s Potential New Tariffs
Brian Boucher, Maurizio Cattelan Opens Up About Sin, Silence, and Stealing: ‘I’m Guilty Too’
EDITOR’S PICK - Maximilíano Durón and Alex Greenberger, Our Critics Disagree on MoMA PS1’s Greater New York, a Wide-Ranging Survey Defined by a Fascination with Fragility: Many of the show’s 53 artists are concerned with weakened infrastructure and failing systems of support.
Andy Battaglia, New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani to Skip Met Gala, Sources Say
Alex Greenberger, Artnet Makes Significant Layoffs Following Consolidation with Artsy
Harrison Jacobs, Foundation, a Prominent NFT Platform of the 2021 Boom, Shuts Down After Failed Sale
ArtReview
Abdul Halik Azeez, Galle Facing
Sofia Hallström, The Antwerp Six and the Problem of Now
From the Editors, Art Dubai announces details for revised 2026 edition
From the Editors, Morad Montazami appointed artistic director of 2026 Dakar Biennale
BOMB
Erica Dawn Lyle, Grace Rosario Perkins by Erica Dawn Lyle
Frieze
Jessica Simmons-Reid, Marsha Pels Presents a Material Memorandum on Grief
The Guardian
Eddy Frankel, Racheal Crowther review – unnerving installation attacks your mind … and your nostrils!
Eddy Frankel, Petal passion, super-surreal Polaroids and Billy Childish’s California – the week in art
Ima Caldwell, Australian photographer wins at world photography awards with ‘barefoot volcanologist’ image
Diane Taylor, V&A faces calls to become living wage employer on eve of Stratford opening
Oliver Wainwright, Like a concrete aircraft carrier: was LA’s giant new $724m gallery really worth all the carbon emissions?
Dalya Alberge, Pooh in pencil: sketches for original Winnie-the-Pooh book shared for first time
Hyperallergic
Hrag Vartanian, Lisa Yin Zhang and Rhea Nayyar, MoMA PS1’s “Greater New York” Is Gritty, Stunning, and Gutting
Valentina Di Liscia, Art Movements: Dozens Laid Off at Artnet and Artsy
Anna Oakes, Rawya El Chab Tends to the Wounds of Lebanon’s Civil War
Nanase Shirokawa, The Unnameable Artists of the Canton Trade System
Isa Farfan, In Surprising Twist, ADAA Art Fair Will Now Benefit the Whitney Museum
Matt Stromberg, LACMA’s New Building Invites You to Chart Your Own Path
Lakshmi Rivera Amin, Required Reading
The New York Times
Max Lakin and Vincent Tullo, ‘Greater New York’ Brings the Noisy, Messy Vitality of 53 Artists
Patricia Leigh Brown, The Phillies Owner and His Wife Collect Art’s Heavy Hitters
Shivani Vora, Pittsburgh’s Children’s Museum Satisfies a Hunger for Eric Carle
Laurel Graeber, A ‘Cabinet of Wonders’ on Show at the American Academy of Arts and Letters
Leslie Wayne, In Its ‘Greater New York’ Show, MoMA PS1 Focuses on the Here and Now
Observer
Elisa Carollo, Jessica Taylor Bellamy’s Captured Realities Are Never Fully What They Seem
Tolani Akinola, Author Tolani Akinola’s 10 Best Books About Dysfunctional Families
Elisa Carollo, Marcel Duchamp at MoMA: Five Revelations From the Artist’s First North American Survey in Over 50 Years
Puck
Marion Maneker, Art Market Moneyball, With Clare McAndrew
Urgent Matter
Adam Schrader, Bloodbath by Beowolff: Artnet editorial staff slashed in mass layoff after Artsy consolidation
Art Spell is a subscription-based daily roundup of art news and reviews to help you stay current with what’s being reported on in the visual arts community. The profits from Art Spell are donated to organizations supporting art journalists and writers.