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Art
May 22, 2026
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Art World Roundup: Churchill's Paintings, Sci-Fi Installations and Valie Export's Legacy

AI Summary
This week's art scene features Winston Churchill's paintings, futuristic installations by Liam Young, and tributes to pioneering feminist artist Valie Export. The article highlights major exhibitions across London and significant art news.

The Churchill Exhibition: War Leader's Artistic Escape

Britain's eloquent war leader kept himself sane by puffing on cigars, swilling brandy – and painting the world around him. The Wallace Collection in London is hosting "Winston Churchill: The Painter" from 23 May to 29 November, offering a rare glimpse into the artistic side of the historical figure.

New Voices in Contemporary Art

The London art scene is buzzing with new exhibitions featuring contemporary artists:

  • Kira Freije presents hollow metal people at Modern Art Oxford, showing shadows of Berlin Dada in her work. The exhibition runs from 23 May to 16 August.
  • Miriam Elia, known for her witty take on Ladybird books, turns her eye towards Moses in this exhibition for Jewish Cultural Month at JW3, until 30 June.
  • Liam Young offers futuristic but lo-fi worlds you can walk through at the Barbican, until 6 September, with installations finding hope for our planet.
  • Zsuzsi Ujj presents her first UK solo show at Arcadia Missa, from 22 May until 18 July, establishing her presence from Hungary's dissident art and underground music scenes.

Remembering Valie Export

The art world mourns the passing of Austrian feminist artist and film-maker Valie Export, who died this week. Her 1968 performance piece "Tapp und Tastkinema" (Tap and Touch Cinema) is highlighted as typically provocative but playful, giving people the opportunity to interact with and appraise a real female body: her own. Export's fearless approach to challenging beauty standards continues to influence contemporary artists.

Notable Art News and Developments

The week brought several significant stories from the art world:

  • Taiba Akhuetie makes wild creations out of hair – Rihanna and Cate Blanchett are fans
  • Whistler should have used better paint to capture his mother
  • Nina Simone's chewing gum is going on show in a new exhibition celebrating the superfan
  • Christo made the invisible visible
  • Grayson Perry's life story is to be made into a musical
  • Florentina Holzinger rocked this year's Venice Biennale with naked jetskiers, human bells and urine divers
  • Gen Z can't get enough of the king of colour, Mark Rothko
  • Sanya Kantarovsky's paintings of Christian iconography and children will haunt you

Masterpiece of the Week: The Judgement of Paris

Joachim Wtewael's "The Judgement of Paris" (1615) stands as this week's masterpiece. The painting depicts the moment when Trojan prince Paris foolishly rates the beauty of Minerva, Venus, and Juno, giving the prize to Venus in return for her helping him seduce Helen. This decision sparked the Trojan War, with the Greeks supported by the furious Juno. Wtewael's mannerist style, with its bony, angular forms and deliberate distortions, creates an overabundance that presages doom, reflecting the war-torn Europe of the 1600s. The painting is on display at the National Gallery in London.