July 20, 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 How Artists Are Using A.I. and Where They Are Drawing the Line by Elisa Carollo for Observer. Elisa Carollo explores how contemporary artists are embracing A.I. as a tool for research and studio efficiency, while keeping boundaries around its role in creative authorship.
The Art Newspaper
James Imam, Union threatens strike action over working conditions in Venice museums due to extreme temperatures
Gareth Harris, Cuban artist-activist Luis Manuel Otero Alcántara travels to Miami following end of prison sentence
Artforum
From the Editors, Japan’s New Flag-Desecration Law Raises Alarm for Artists, Museums
From the Editors, Soulages Painting Is The Subject Of A New Lawsuit By The Zeckendorf Family
From the Editors, Politicians Call for Investigation Into Potential ‘Interference’ on British Museum Labels
From the Editors, Murmurs Gallery In LA Shutters After Seven Years
From the Editors, Minneapolis Institute of Art Taps BMA’s Kevin Tervala to Lead Curatorial Affairs
From the Editors, Hauser & Wirth Announces Opening Show At New Location in Palo Alto
Artnet
Annika Olsen, At Carvalho, the Rhythms of Nature and Dance Take Center Stage
Jo Lawson-Tancred, James Cohan Gallery Rebrands Amid Ownership Shift—and More Industry Intel
Katya Kazakina, The Irresistible Rise of Massimiliano Gioni: Why the New Museum Is Betting on an Insider
Andrew Russeth, A New Culture Crackdown in Hong Kong—and Other Art Matters
ARTnews
Maximilíano Durón, Armory Show Names Nearly 230 Galleries for 2026 Edition, Pushed to Late September
Tessa Solomon, Leaks Spotted in New Museum Gallery with WangShui Work as NYC Braces for Floods
Leigh Anne Miller, Congressional Representatives Introduce New Bill to Protect Public Artworks in Government Buildings
Devorah Lauter, French Officials Confirm Bayeux Tapestry Undamaged by Controversial Trip to British Museum
Tessa Solomon, Shanghai Auction Executives Sentenced in Major Fraud Case as Industry Scrutiny Intensifies
Daniel Cassady, Strong First Half Numbers Confirm That the Auction Houses Have Changed, Even If the Rest of the Art Market Is Still Catching Up
Harrison Jacobs, Democrats Move to Shield Landmarks, Russian Artist’s Refugee Status, and More
Anne Doran, A Mural at Ancient City of Calakmul May Be the Oldest Known Image of Maya Hero Juun Ajaw
ArtReview
Ilaria Maria Sala, The Otherworldly Longings of Threads and Yarns
Euan Marshall, ‘Dark Horse’: The Bolsonaro Biopic You Have to See to Believe
Mia Stern, Marijn van Kreij’s Frames of Reference
Financial Times
Simon Schama, How Ana Mendieta made land art her own
Enuma Okoro, The art of joy, and how to learn it
Saul David, Trent Park, where Nazi officers relaxed — and let vital information slip
Lee Sharrock, Inside artist Koen Vanmechelen’s temple of friendship — to a tapir
Ariella Budick, Why the OGs of pop art still outshine today’s pretenders
Frieze
Qinyuan Deng, Must-See: Eliza Douglas Turns to the Haunted Unconscious
The Guardian
Grace Holliday, ‘As individuals, we keep ourselves in cages, without connecting to others’: Jibak Bhattacharya’s best phone picture
Carlos Mureithi, ‘We are preserving a tradition’: how Ghana’s sensationalist film posters became collectible art
Hyperallergic
Matt Stromberg, A Living Memorial to Palestinian Activist Alex Odeh Takes Flight
John Yau, Trevor Winkfield’s Cheerfully Sinister Worlds
Rhea Nayyar, Man Sentenced to 20 Years for Fatally Stabbing NYC Vogue Dancer
Emiline Smith, Zendaya’s Earrings Are Part of a Much Bigger Problem
Lakshmi Rivera Amin, A View From the Easel
The New York Times
Michael Kimmelman and Will Warasila, A Spectacular Theodore Roosevelt Library Deep in the Badlands
Observer
EDITOR’S PICK: Christa Terry, Why the Legend of the Montauk Monster Will Never Die: “The real debate is not over whether artists should use A.I., but over what kinds of use are legitimate.”
Elisa Carollo, How Artists Are Using A.I. and Where They Are Drawing the Line
Dan Duray, Jay and Ricki Blakesberg On Becoming Stewards of the Grateful Dead’s Visual History
Chenoa Baker, Toronto Outdoor Art Fair Asks What It Means to Sustain an Artistic Life
Elisa Carollo, At Christie’s Art+Tech Summit 2026, the State of A.I., New Wealth and the Art Market’s Next Chapter
Urgent Matter
Adam Schrader, Artists sue The Hole and Kathy Grayson over unpaid sale proceeds
Adam Schrader, Weekly Recap: Urgent Matter’s mold problem, NPR interview and new print edition
Adam Schrader, Court Documents: Um v. The Hole
Adam Schrader, MTA says the First Amendment bars it from pulling Museum of Sex bus ads
Adam Schrader, Kinston police charge former arts council director with money laundering
Adam Schrader, Getty Images abandons Shutterstock merger over U.K. divestiture demand
Adam Schrader, What We Skipped: A chicken-finger mural, a burning cathedral and more
Adam Schrader, Petrides show at center of Chicago lawsuit opens in Berlin in September
Adam Schrader, Getty Images abandons Shutterstock merger over U.K. divestiture demand
Adam Schrader, Petrides show at center of Chicago lawsuit opens in Berlin in September
Adam Schrader, Colby Museum show asks how U.S. became an empire as country marks 250 years
Adam Schrader, Bragg returns Nayarit figure seized from the Met as two related sculptures stay on view
Adam Schrader, Why America funds data centers but cuts the arts
Adam Schrader, Ukrainian band DakhaBrakha brings living archive of folk tradition to Brooklyn
Adam Schrader, Hong Kong museum bosses got raises as district that runs them opened $1B borrowing program
Wallpaper
Jonathan Bell, Britain’s motorway infrastructure serves as subject matter for artist Jen Orpin’s monograph
Hannah Silver, In London, play mini golf designed by Miranda July and Danielle Brathwaite-Shirley
Hannah Silver, The Prix Pictet's next photography prize will explore the jungle
Osman Can Yerebakan, This New York artist uses real human blood to interrogate sexuality, belonging and baseball fandom
Wall Street Journal
From the Editors, Arts Calendar: Happenings for the Week of July 19
Judith H. Dobryzinski, ‘The Etruscans: From the Heart of Ancient Italy’ Review: Exhibit of an Overshadowed Culture
From the Editors, America 250 Calendar: Ways to Celebrate the Nation Across the Nation
Judith H. Dobryzinski, ‘The Virgin of Cerro Rico’: Mother of Jesus, Mother of Earth
Brian P. Kelly, ‘Zizipho Poswa: iMbewu (The Seed)’ Review: Sculpting the Story of Xhosa Culture
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