artforum

Two of Marc Kokopeli’s blissed-out “South Park”–style figures party on the Summer 2026 cover of Artforum. Trapped inside LCD cabinets, they speak to what Theo Belci, in his feature essay on the artist, describes as the “abandoned adolescent inside each millennial heart.” artforum.com/issue/2026/sum…

The National Trust for Historic Preservation has unanimously elected Brent Leggs, formerly executive director of the African American Cultural Heritage Action Fund, as its 11th president—at a pivotal moment, as the Trust battles interventions from the Trump administration. artforum.com/news/national-…

A "routine narcotics raid" at a suburban Paris home turned up a Picasso worth up to $17 million, stolen from its Singapore-based owner, Artnet News reports. Le Parisien identifies it as part of the artist's 1937 portraits of his lover Marie-Thérèse Walter. artforum.com/news/paris-dru…

The western pediment of the Parthenon, one of the main attractions of the Acropolis of Athens, has been partially restored to its full splendor and was unveiled to the public last Thursday. The western flank of the temple is now viewable in the most complete state it’s been in in over two centuries. artforum.com/news/western-f…

Only two mourners attended David Hockney's funeral, per the artist's wishes: his partner, Jean-Pierre Gonçalves de Lima, and his great-nephew and longtime model and assistant, photographer Richard Hockney. A first public memorial is planned for London in spring 2027. artforum.com/news/only-two-…

Teresita Fernández will be the first artist in a new commissions program at the Menil Collection's Fresco Building in Houston, closed since 2018. Her site-specific work reopens the building in late 2027, marking the 40th anniversary of the Menil's main building. artforum.com/news/teresita-…

A New York Supreme Court judge has given billionaire dealer David Nahmad 30 days to return Modigliani's 1918 "Seated Man with a Cane" to the family of Jewish antiques dealer Oscar Stettiner, who left it in his Paris shop as he fled the Nazis. The painting is valued at more than $25 million. artforum.com/news/nahmad-gi…

In the lead up to the formal opening of the Obama Presidential Center in Chicago, former US president Barack Obama and former first lady Michelle Obama revealed their first dual portrait on June 15. The portrait was created by Nigerian-born artist Njideka Akunyili Crosby. artforum.com/news/obamas-un…

The organizers of Art Basel have canceled the Baloise Art Prize. Established in 1999, the SFr30,000 (roughly $37,000) honor had been presented annually to two artists whose work appeared in the fair’s Statements section, devoted to emerging artists. artforum.com/news/art-basel…

The Trellis Art Fund has named the 12 artists making up its 2026 Milestone Grant cohort. Each will receive an unrestricted grant of $100,000, disbursed in two installments over a two-year period. Among this year’s recipients are Kelly Akashi, Ei Arakawa-Nash, Alex Da Corte, and Candice Lin. artforum.com/news/trellis-a…

On June 16, Robert Kuzovkov, a Russian artist and political dissident, was killed outside his home in Biała Podlaska. Kuzovkov, 44, who often used the artistic name Semyon Skrepetsky, was a fierce critic of Russian President Vladimir Putin, Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov, and other world leaders. artforum.com/news/russian-a…

The Houston Museum of African American Culture has put Clarence Heyward's vandalized painting "Man in the Garden"—a Black man draped in an American flag—back on view, unrestored. "We felt that our visitors and the world should see what happens when individuals resort to violence instead of dialogue." artforum.com/news/houston-m…

MGLC, the International Centre of Graphic Arts in Slovenia, has named Colombian curator José Roca curator of the 37th Ljubljana Biennale of Graphic Arts, opening in 2027. Roca was artistic director of the 2022 Biennale of Sydney and is the Hirshhorn's curator-at-large of Latin American art. artforum.com/news/jose-roca…

Frieze has named Seoul-based collective Yagwang the recipient of the 2026 Frieze Seoul Artist Award—the first collective to win the prize. Founded in 2021 by Terri Kim and In Jeon, Yagwang works across sculpture, video, installation, and performance. artforum.com/news/yagwang-w…

The Republican-chaired House Appropriations Committee has requested that Congress allocate $0 to the Department of Education's Assistance for Arts Education program for fiscal year 2027, effectively seeking to cut the agency's only dedicated arts grant program. artforum.com/news/house-to-…

The Whitney Museum of American Art has appointed Soyoung Yoon as the new director of its prestigious Independent Study Program. Yoon comes to her new role from Parsons School of Design at the New School, where she was director of the fine arts MFA program. artforum.com/news/soyoung-y…

“The Widad Kawar Collection of Arab Dress and Heritage Arts”—comprising nearly 600 textiles, accessories, garments and other objects that attest to daily life across the Levant region and West Asia—has now found a home at the Royal Ontario Museum (ROM) in Toronto, Canada. artforum.com/news/the-royal…

On Tuesday, June 16, the Helen Frankenthaler Foundation announced the latest round of grants for the Frankenthaler Climate Initiative (FCI), awarding $4.5 million to 83 visual arts organizations across the United States and Puerto Rico. This is the foundation’s largest funding cycle to date. artforum.com/news/frankenth…

The Dormition Cathedral in Kyiv was damaged by a fire caused by a major Russian drone strike across Ukraine in the early hours of June 15. The structure, which dates to the eleventh century, is part of the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra, or Monastery of the Caves, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. artforum.com/news/dormition…

The Frank Bowling Foundation, celebrating the legacy of the 92-year-old British artist, launches in London on June 24, backed by a substantial gift of paintings, sculpture, works on paper, and archival material from Bowling himself. artforum.com/news/frank-bow…

Thai filmmaker Apichatpong Weerasethakul has been made a Knight of France's Legion of Honor for his contributions "to bringing cultures closer together and enriching the dialogue between France and Thailand." The award was bestowed in a June 10 ceremony in Bangkok. artforum.com/news/filmmaker…