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57 stories on The Cultural Signal
Serpentine Galleries has opened 'processing…', an open-access archive display in the Education Space at Serpentine South, running from July 20 to September 6, 2026.
The Royal Academy of Arts has announced its 258th Summer Exhibition, opening on June 9, 2026. The 2026 edition explores the theme of 'Interconnectedness,' examining relationships between people, art, and the wider world.
Toby Ziegler has been awarded the 2025 Jean-François Prat Prize in Paris. The prize, presented by the Jean-François Prat Foundation, recognizes contemporary artists for their body of work.
On July 15, 2026, Tate announced the appointment of Daisy Desrosiers as the Britton Family Curator at Large, North America. Based in the United States, Desrosiers will focus on developing North American art in Tate’s collection through new research and acquisitions.
Bonhams will auction a rare Lotus 49B Formula 1 car, chassis number '49-R8', at its Festival of Speed sale on June 27. The car is the last Lotus to be sold from the collection of the late John Dawson-Damer and has never before been offered at auction.
Jenkin van Zyl's first major solo exhibition, 'Surrender,' has opened at Edel Assanti in London, featuring an immersive installation centered on Japanese love hotels and queer desire.
The fifth edition of Frieze London has opened, once again connecting the global art world to that of Asia, with new curated sections and an expanded programme.
Frieze announced the fifth edition of its London fair, which will once again connect the global art world to Asia, with new curated sections and an expanded programme.
On July 16, 2026, Frieze announced its fifth edition of Frieze London, which connects the global art world to Asia through new curated sections and an expanded programme.
Bonhams will present a single-owner ceramics sale featuring an extremely rare Meissen chocolate cup and saucer from the Swan service, estimated at £25,000–35,000.
Bonhams presented its Exceptional Jewels, London sale on June 11, featuring an outstanding selection of period and antique jewellery from six notable single-owner collections.
On July 15, 2026, the Victoria and Albert Museum announced its 2027 exhibition programme spanning three sites: V&A South Kensington, V&A East Museum, and V&A Dundee.
Tate and the National Galleries of Scotland announced that the Robert Rauschenberg Foundation has donated three sculptures from the artist's Glut series to the ARTIST ROOMS collection.
Bonhams presented its Fine Jewellery, London sale on 8 July, with a David Morris cultured pearl and diamond necklace achieving £40,960 against a £25,000-35,000 estimate. A natural pearl necklace with diamond clasp sold for £39,680, more than tripling its £7,000-10,000 estimate.
On July 14, 2026, Thaddaeus Ropac announced that the Robert Rauschenberg Foundation has donated three works from the artist's "Gluts" series (1986–87) to Artist Rooms, a collection jointly managed by Tate and the National Galleries of Scotland.
On July 13, 2026, White Cube announced an exhibition of works by Sara Flores at proyectoamil in Ardez, Switzerland, from July 25 to August 31, 2026.
On July 13, 2026, White Cube announced that the Wallace Collection in London will present 'Metamorphoses', an exhibition of porcelain sculptures by Rachel Kneebone, running from September 23, 2026 to April 25, 2027.
The Barbican Centre announced that Japanese artist Yuko Mohri will present a major new exhibition, "In Concert," in The Curve from October 1, 2026, to January 24, 2027.
Tate Modern will open the UK's first major exhibition dedicated to multidisciplinary artist Ana Mendieta (1948-1985) in over a decade, running from July 15, 2026 to January 17, 2027.
On June 30, 2026, Christie's announced its 6th Environmental Impact Report, revealing a 39% reduction in carbon emissions against its 2019 baseline year.
Bonhams will offer Jane Birkin's own Hermès Birkin bag in its Designer Handbags and Fashion sale on 20 July at Bonhams Knightsbridge. The bag, estimated at £15,000–20,000, was originally purchased by the current owners at a 2014 charity auction benefiting Anno's Africa.
On July 9, 2026, White Cube announced Hospital Rooms' tenth-anniversary campaign '10 Years. 10 Artists. 10,000 Artworks', which will bring ten posters by ten artists into every NHS inpatient mental health hospital in England.
Tate Modern will present free performances of Yvonne Rainer's seminal dance work "Trio A" in the Turbine Hall on July 10 and 11, 2026, marking the 60th anniversary of the piece's creation.
On June 26, 2026, Charles Ede, a London-based antiquities gallery, released a statement from its director explaining why the antiquities market operates differently from the broader art market.
On June 26, 2026, Sotheby's announced that its London June auction series achieved a combined total of £420.5 million. The figure represents the final tally across multiple sales held during the month, encompassing works from various categories.
Bonhams Classics Week achieved a total of £9,799,750 across seven live and four online auctions, with the top lot being Georgios Klontzas's triptych 'The Fall and Redemption of Man (the Spada Triptych)' which sold for £1,863,400, setting a world auction record for the artist.
Bonhams will offer the 1977 Porsche 911S driven by detective Saga Norén in the hit Scandi-noir series 'The Bridge' at its Festival of Speed Sale on July 13 at Goodwood, with proceeds donated to the charity WaterAid by the producers Filmlance International and Nimbus Film.
Serpentine Galleries announced a multi-year collaboration with Formafantasma, the research-based design studio led by Andrea Trimarchi and Simone Farresin, appointing them as Lead R&D Fellows, Ecology.
Serpentine Galleries has announced Park Nights 2026, an experimental live programme of performances inside the 25th Serpentine Pavilion, designed by the LANZA atelier of Isabel Abascal and Alessandro Arienzo.
On July 7, 2026, Christie's reported that an Old Masters auction held in London on June 30, 2026, saw a painting by an unknown 17th-century Dutch artist sell for £431,000 ($575,000), approximately four times its estimate.
Hauser & Wirth has announced it will present two major exhibitions with American artist George Condo in 2027 at its Paris and Palo Alto locations.
On July 1, 2026, White Cube announced three limited-edition prints by El Anatsui—Male, Female, and Head—derived from his XOHANAMI safety curtain project for the Vienna State Opera's 2025/26 season.
On July 8, 2026, Sadie Coles HQ announced an exhibition by artist Karimah Ashadu at Kestner Gesellschaft in Hanover, Germany. Titled 'Crystalline,' the show is scheduled to run from August 29 to November 15, 2026.
On July 1, 2026, the National Portrait Gallery in London unveiled a new portrait of its former Director, Nicholas Cullinan, by American artist Elizabeth Peyton. The work was commissioned to mark Cullinan’s tenure from 2015 to 2024 and has been given to the gallery by the artist.
On July 8, 2026, Sadie Coles HQ announced an exhibition of works by Rudolf Stingel at Sant’Andrea de Scaphis, a deconsecrated church in Rome. The exhibition is on view through September 2026.
On July 8, 2026, Lisson Gallery announced a guided tour of Daniel Buren's exhibition 'Pages in situ' on July 18, 2026, at 2pm at 67 Lisson Street, London.
Serpentine Galleries has relaunched its retail offer across its North and South gallery shops, featuring an expanded range of artist-led products, limited editions, and collectors' items.
On July 7, 2026, Phillips announced its 230th anniversary year results, achieving a 90% global sell-through rate. The auction house reported that 40% of buyers were first-time clients. Landmark private collections from Ambassador John L. Loeb Jr.
Bonhams will auction a rare Émile Gallé 'Rose de France' vase, dating from circa 1903, as a highlight of its Modern Decorative Art & Design sale on December 16 at Bonhams Knightsbridge in London.
Bonhams Knightsbridge will present 'A Feast for the Eyes', an online auction running from October 13 to October 23, 2025, centered on the theme of food. The sale features still life artworks, rare cookbooks, vintage kitchenware, and culinary ephemera.
Bonhams has announced a major sale dedicated to Oscar Wilde's life and works, taking place on February 18, 2026, at Bonhams Knightsbridge, London.
A portrait of Mahatma Gandhi by Clare Leighton, thought to be the only oil portrait for which he sat, leads Bonhams Travel and Exploration sale, running 7-15 July online. The work, never before offered at auction, carries an estimate of £50,000-70,000.
Lisson Gallery announced that Leiko Ikemura has been named a participating artist in 'TOKYO ATLAS', the inaugural international art exhibition in Tokyo's waterfront district.
On July 6, 2026, Galerie Max Hetzler announced a new catalogue for artist duo Tursic & Mille, published by JBE Books on the occasion of their solo exhibition at Carré d’Art – Musée d’art contemporain in Nîmes.
On June 22, 2026, Gagosian announced that Michael Craig-Martin has created the set design for the world premiere of Samuel Beckett's "How It Is" at Palazzo Diedo–Berggruen Arts & Culture in Venice.
Bonhams will offer the contents of Glyn Cywarch, the Welsh seat of Jasset Ormsby Gore, the 7th Baron Harlech, in a single-owner sale on March 29, 2017, at its New Bond Street saleroom in London.
On July 3, 2026, Galerie Max Hetzler announced that Liz Larner will present her first institutional solo exhibition in the UK at Camden Art Centre in London. The exhibition highlights Larner's versatility across mediums and techniques, with a focus on her long-standing engagement with ceramics.
On July 3, 2026, Galerie Max Hetzler announced a series of developments for artist Edmund de Waal, including a solo exhibition titled 'the eight directions of the wind' opening at The Huntington in Los Angeles on October 18, 2026.
On July 2, 2026, Phillips announced an exhibition of leading figures of British modernism, featuring rare loans from The Hepworth Wakefield and The Ingram Collection. The exhibition will be open to the public from July 9 to August 7.
The Victoria and Albert Museum announced a landmark national tour of over 100 highlights from its David Bowie archive, titled "David Bowie: On Tour," which will travel to venues across the UK beginning in November 2026.
On July 1, 2026, the National Gallery in London announced a gift of three paintings from Dallas-based collectors Richard and Luba Barrett, featuring the first history painting by Angelica Kauffmann to enter a UK national collection.
On July 1, 2026, Thaddaeus Ropac announced that Oliver Beer's solo exhibition 'The Sky in the Cave' is on view at its London gallery through July 31.
On June 23, 2026, the Serpentine Summer Party took place in Kensington Gardens, hosted by Michael R. Bloomberg, Chairman of Serpentine’s Board of Trustees; Bettina Korek, CEO; and Hans Ulrich Obrist, Artistic Director.
The Barbican Centre announced on June 26, 2026, details of 'Robert Ryman: The Real Thing', the first significant UK exhibition of the American painter in over 30 years.
Lisson Gallery has announced a talks series featuring artists Richard Deacon, Spencer Finch, and Mark Boulos, under the theme 'Following Nature'. The gallery, based in London, will host the artists for discussions that explore the intersection of art and nature.
Tate St Ives will present a major retrospective of Wilhelmina Barns-Graham (1912–2004), a key figure in British modernism and the St Ives artistic community, from October 24, 2026 to May 3, 2027.
Hauser & Wirth held its second annual Learning Exchange on September 19, 2024, at its Somerset gallery, convening artists, educators, and museum professionals for a day of panel discussions on interdisciplinary approaches to learning.
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