Contemporary Art | smithsonianmag.comhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/rss/tag/contemporary-art/RSS feed for Contemporary ArtenThu, 27 Aug 2026 15:59:17 +0000Yayoi Kusama Created Fantastical 'Infinity Mirror Rooms' That Became the Art World's Most Famous Backdrops. Her Work Spanned Counterculture to the Cosmoshttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smithsonian-institution/yayoi-kusama-created-fantastical-infinity-mirror-rooms-that-became-the-most-famous-backdrops-of-the-art-world-her-work-spanned-from-counterculture-to-cosmos-180989409/The Japanese artist, who died on August 14 at 97, sought solace from hallucinations in her art, developing a visual language of polka dots, pumpkins and mirrors that entranced the worldThu, 27 Aug 2026 15:59:17 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smithsonian-institution/yayoi-kusama-created-fantastical-infinity-mirror-rooms-that-became-the-most-famous-backdrops-of-the-art-world-her-work-spanned-from-counterculture-to-cosmos-180989409/This Couple Found a Mysterious 150-Pound Sculpture Buried in Their Backyard. Now, They're Trying to Figure Out Who Made Ithttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/this-couple-found-a-mysterious-150-pound-sculpture-buried-in-their-backyard-now-theyre-trying-to-figure-out-who-made-it-180989347/After discovering a large limestone bust on their San Francisco property in May, Greg Gatwood and Judy Gittelsohn have spent the past few months trying to unravel its backstoryMon, 17 Aug 2026 14:33:57 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/this-couple-found-a-mysterious-150-pound-sculpture-buried-in-their-backyard-now-theyre-trying-to-figure-out-who-made-it-180989347/First a Volcanic Eruption, Now a Crustacean Invasion? See the Giant Lobsters Taking Over the Ancient City of Pompeiihttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/first-a-volcanic-eruption-now-a-crustacean-invasion-see-the-giant-lobsters-taking-over-the-ancient-city-of-pompeii-180989275/A pop art installation featuring more than 30 sculptures from artist Philip Colbert is the first contemporary sculpture exhibition to land in Pompeii in three decadesFri, 07 Aug 2026 14:17:49 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/first-a-volcanic-eruption-now-a-crustacean-invasion-see-the-giant-lobsters-taking-over-the-ancient-city-of-pompeii-180989275/How Artist Nick Cave Memorializes His Ancestors Through ‘Mammoth’ Workhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smithsonian-institution/how-artist-nick-cave-memorializes-his-ancestors-through-mammoth-work-180989262/An exhibition at the Smithsonian American Art Museum spotlights how everyday objects can serve as the foundation for artistic expressionTue, 04 Aug 2026 20:50:23 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smithsonian-institution/how-artist-nick-cave-memorializes-his-ancestors-through-mammoth-work-180989262/See the New Frank Gehry Building Rising From the Shore of the Persian Gulf in Abu Dhabi to House a Global Art Collectionhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/see-the-new-frank-gehry-building-rising-from-the-shore-of-the-persian-gulf-in-abu-dhabi-to-house-a-global-art-collection-180989224/Officials just announced a December opening for the Guggenheim Abu Dhabi, the long-awaited fourth installment in the Guggenheim Foundation's lineup of art museumsWed, 29 Jul 2026 18:20:42 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/see-the-new-frank-gehry-building-rising-from-the-shore-of-the-persian-gulf-in-abu-dhabi-to-house-a-global-art-collection-180989224/Wacky, Mysterious Paintings by This Surrealist Still Influence Contemporary Artists. An Exhibition in London Will Explore the Legacy of René Magrittehttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/wacky-mysterious-paintings-by-this-surrealist-still-influence-contemporary-artists-an-exhibition-in-london-will-explore-the-legacy-of-rene-magritte-180989181/The Belgian Surrealist was famous for his playful subversion, like when he created a painting of a pipe and then defiantly declared it wasn’t a pipe, after allThu, 23 Jul 2026 17:34:57 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/wacky-mysterious-paintings-by-this-surrealist-still-influence-contemporary-artists-an-exhibition-in-london-will-explore-the-legacy-of-rene-magritte-180989181/