International cultural exhibition held in Venice every two years
The Independent reports that an encounter at the Apostolic Palace shows a close, informal exchange between Pope Leo and a prominent, non-Catholic music figure, underscoring a mood of openness following the pope’s death and a resurgence of cultural diplomacy.
Venice Film Festival names NAZA, by Israeli directors Yuval Abraham and Rachel Szor, as the festival’s only documentary in competition. The film, shot at night from Tel Aviv rooftops, examines what the filmmakers describe as Israel’s calculated mass killing of Palestinian civilians in Gaza. It builds on reporting by +972, Local Call and The Guardian, with production by The Guardian and JW Films and executive producing by Jonathan Glazer. The festival runs 2–12 September.
Yayoi Kusama has died at 97, her studio has announced. The Japanese artist has become globally famous for polka dots, Infinity Nets and Infinity Mirror Rooms, and she has continued to paint into her final days. Her work has drawn huge museum audiences and influenced generations of artists across pop, minimalism and performance art.
Yayoi Kusama has died at 97 in Tokyo, with a life spanning seven decades of radical art. Born in Matsumoto in 1929, she rose from early visions to international fame, with Infinity Mirror Rooms and pumpkin motifs shaping modern sculpture and installation art.
A wave of art and urban-design initiatives is reshaping public spaces in European cities. From Aberdeen’s Bon Accord Baths hosting a large-scale art installation to Glasgow’s archives becoming public, the trend emphasizes accessible, site-specific works that invite community engagement.