Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

National Gallery of Art Closes amid Government Shutdown

Artforum @artforum.com · 19h

The National Gallery of Art in Washington, DC, closed its doors to the public on October 5, six days after the federal government ceased operations following the failure of Republicans and Democrats to agree on a spending bill. www.artforum.com/news/nationa...

The National Gallery of Art in Washington, DC, closed its doors to the public on October 5, six days after the federal government ceased operations.

Aimee Ng, curator at the Frick Collection, answers questions about her career, her curatorial approach, and her inspirations and influences.

Artforum @artforum.com · 1d

In an interview with Artforum earlier this year, Ng offered insight into how she approaches her work. “Live and let curate,” she said. “For me, curating is simply taking care of art in the fullest sense, including connecting people with its stories.” www.artforum.com/columns/aime...

Aimee Ng

Aimee Ng Named Chief Curator of the Frick Collection

Artforum @artforum.com · 1d

The Frick Collection in New York has announced Aimee Ng as its next chief curator, effective this November. Ng, who is currently the museum’s John Updike Curator, has been a member of its curatorial department since 2015. www.artforum.com/news/aimee-n...

The Frick Collection in New York has announced Aimee Ng as its next chief curator, effective this November.

In anyyywayyy whatever at New York's Amant, performers speak Cohen's words and execute graceful movements under lighting inspired by queer nightlife.

Artforum @artforum.com · 2d

“My practice aims to build solidarity with viewers,” Cohen explains. “‘anyyywayyy whatever’ embeds points of access within the piece for audiences who may not have a background in the art world but who—I hope—might see themselves in it.” www.artforum.com/columns/barn...

Barnett Cohen

In anyyywayyy whatever at New York's Amant, performers speak Cohen's words and execute graceful movements under lighting inspired by queer nightlife.

Artforum @artforum.com · 2d

In a new interview for Artforum, Shuli Branson speaks with performance artist and political activist Barnett Cohen about their latest work, “anyyywayyy whatever,” and the politics of opacity. www.artforum.com/columns/barn...

Barnett Cohen

Petrit Halilaj Wins $100,000 Nasher Prize for Sculpture

Artforum @artforum.com · 2d

Kosovar artist Petrit Halilaj has won the 2027 iteration of the Nasher Prize, considered to be the world’s most prestigious sculpture honor. www.artforum.com/news/petrit-...

Kosovar artist Petrit Halilaj has won the 2027 Nasher Prize. The award is considered to be the world’s most prestigious sculpture honor.

UC Irvine Acquires Orange County Museum of Art

Artforum @artforum.com · 5d

The University of California, Irvine, has acquired the Orange County Museum of Art and merged it with the UC Irvine Langson Institute and Museum of California Art to form the UC Irvine Langson Orange County Museum of Art. www.artforum.com/news/uc-irvi...

The University of California, Irvine, has acquired the Orange County Museum of Art, which it will merge with its Langson Institute and Museum of California Art

Turkey Announces Artist, Curator for 2026 Venice Biennale

Artforum @artforum.com · 7d

The Istanbul Foundation for Culture and Arts has named multidisciplinary artist Nilbar Güreş, known for her humorous, poetic, yet critical works commenting on social topics, as Turkey’s representative to the Sixty-First Venice Biennale. www.artforum.com/news/turkey-...

The Istanbul Foundation for Culture and Arts has named multidisciplinary artist Nilbar Güreş as Turkey’s representative to the Sixty-First Venice Biennale.

The October 2025 issue of Artforum, featuring Ibrahim Mahama, Okwui Enwezor, Ecoformalism, and Culture Wars

Artforum @artforum.com · 7d

On Artforum’s October 2025 cover: Ibrahim Mahama, Beasts of no nation (detail), 2013–22, wood panel wrapped in wax-print cloth and jute thread, 74 × 48".

Artforum @artforum.com · 7d

Plus: Joanna Warsza on the art of the Ukrainian collective Open Group, Harmon Siegel defines a new artistic mode he calls “ecoformalism,” Anne Reeve provides a close reading of Lucy Raven’s 2025 video “Murderer’s Bar,” and Meredith Monk shares her Top Ten.

October 2025

The October 2025 issue of Artforum, featuring Ibrahim Mahama, Okwui Enwezor, Ecoformalism, and Culture Wars

Artforum @artforum.com · 7d

In Artforum’s October 2025 issue: Edna Bonhomme on the art of Ibrahim Mahama; Ron Athey, Karen Finley, Andres Serrano, and Helen Molesworth on the culture wars of the late 1980s and ’90s; Simon Njami on “Okwui Enwezor: Selected Writings”; and more.

October 2025

Musée National Picasso-Paris Announces Major Expansion Including Free Sculpture Park

Artforum @artforum.com · 7d

The Musée National Picasso-Paris has unveiled plans for a €50 million renovation that will see it merge its own interior garden with the nearby Square Léonor-Fini to create a 25,000-foot open-air sculpture garden that will be free to the public. www.artforum.com/news/musee-n...

The Musée National Picasso-Paris has announced a $59 million renovation and 25,000-foot sculpture garden that will be free to the public.

Brian Jungen Wins 2025 Audain Prize

Artforum @artforum.com · 8d

Canadian sculptor Brian Jungen, known for transforming contemporary mass-produced objects into traditional artifacts, has been named the winner of this year’s C$100,000 ($71,700) Audain Prize for the Visual Arts. www.artforum.com/news/brian-j...

Canadian sculptor Brian Jungen, known for transforming mass-produced objects into traditional artifacts, has won this year’s Audain Prize for the Visual Arts.

Longtime New Museum Director Lisa Phillips to Depart

Artforum @artforum.com · 8d

Lisa Phillips, who has served as director of New York’s New Museum since 1999, is retiring after twenty-six years in the role. www.artforum.com/news/longtim...

Lisa Phillips, who has served as director of New York’s New Museum since 1999, is retiring after twenty-six years in the role.

In this episode of Artforum’s Under the Influence video series, the artist shares pivotal moments in her career.

Artforum @artforum.com · 9d

In the September episode of Under the Influence, Catherine Opie reflects on pivotal moments in her career, from discovering photography via a social studies book in elementary school to having her works on display at the Museu de Arte de São Paulo.

Catherine Opie

Lola Kramer on the first round of fall openings in New York

Artforum @artforum.com · 12d

“‘Where does reality stop . . . and the game begin?’ goes the tagline for David Cronenberg’s ExistenZ (1999). I think of this film on Friday, after a blur of fairs and openings,” writes Lola Kramer, reporting on the start of the fall exhibition season in New York.

Virtual Dementia Tours

Chicago Architecture Biennial Loses Participants Over Sponsor’s Ties

Artforum @artforum.com · 13d

A cadre of participants have withdrawn from the Sixth Chicago Architecture Biennial (CAB) citing a sponsor’s connection to a munitions maker whose weapons have been used in Israel’s occupation of Gaza. www.artforum.com/news/chicago...

Nine participants have withdrawn from the Chicago Architecture Biennial citing its connections to a munitions maker whose weapons are used in Israel’s occupation of Gaza.

New York’s Tilton Gallery Closes After More Than Four Decades

Artforum @artforum.com · 13d

The Tilton Gallery, a New York art world fixture since 1983, is set to close on November 15. Its last exhibition will be a show of work by German-born conceptual artist Ruth Vollmer (1903–1982), which opens September 30. www.artforum.com/news/new-yor...

The Tilton Gallery, a New York art world fixture since 1983, is set to close on November 15. Its last exhibition will be a Ruth Vollmer show, which opens September 30.

Statue of Trump and Epstein Holding Hands Removed from DC’s National Mall

Artforum @artforum.com · 13d

US Park Police early this morning assisted the National Park Service in removing a sculpture depicting President Donald Trump cavorting hand-in-hand with convicted pedophile Jeffrey Epstein from the National Mall in Washington, DC. www.artforum.com/news/statue-...

US Park Police and the National Park Service this morning removed a sculpture depicting President Donald Trump cavorting hand-in-hand with convicted pedophile Jeffrey Epstein from the National Mall in...

Art historian Elizabeth Mangini examines the symbolism in the paintings of Carol Rama.

Artforum @artforum.com · 14d

The exhibition, which closes September 28, “provides another opportunity to consider the artist’s foundational contributions to contemporary art and aesthetic discourse.”

Sweetest Taboo

Art historian Elizabeth Mangini examines the symbolism in the paintings of Carol Rama.

Artforum @artforum.com · 14d

In Artforum’s September 2025 issue, Mangini revisits Rama’s radical oeuvre on the occasion of “a tiny jewel box of a show that recently opened at the Aspen Art Museum in Colorado—‘Carol Rama: THE TONGUE, THE EYE, THE FOOT.’”

Sweetest Taboo

Art historian Elizabeth Mangini examines the symbolism in the paintings of Carol Rama.

1 1 7

Artforum @artforum.com · 14d

“The art of Carol Rama is resplendent with surprises, contrasts, and challenges to the stability of quotidian objects and the integrity of bodies. Indeed, her subject matter maintains the ability to astonish,” writes Elizabeth Mangini.

Sweetest Taboo

NEA Implementation of Trump’s “Gender Ideology” Order Ruled Unconstitutional

Artforum @artforum.com · 14d

A Rhode Island federal court ruled that the NEA could not implement a new policy of reviewing grant applicants to make certain they comply with a White House executive order regarding “gender ideology,” on the grounds that such a policy violates the US Constitution. www.artforum.com/news/nea-tru...

A Rhode Island federal court on September 19 ruled that the National Endowment for the Arts could not require grant applicants to comply with a White House order prohibiting “gender ideology."

Haegue Yang Named Chair of KW and Berlin Biennale

Artforum @artforum.com · 14d

Kunst-Werke Berlin, the institution that oversees the KW Institute for Contemporary Art and the Berlin Biennale, has announced South Korean artist Haegue Yang as its new chair. www.artforum.com/news/haegue-...

Kunst-Werke Berlin, the institution that oversees the KW Institute for Contemporary Art and the Berlin Biennale, has announced South Korean artist Haegue Yang as its new chair.