I believe that a new way of thinking, new perceptions and experiences can take us, step by step, to the answer of the fundamental question who we really are, says performance artist Michail Michailov in an interview with Maria Vassileva.

Those who walk or cycle through the empty streets of Amsterdam these days can meet a dancing member of Dutch National Ballet. Six of the marvelous dancers, independently of each other and in completely different public places in the city, will perform out in the open their parts in a piece of choreography inspired by the coronavirus lockdown.

Italy has the most UNESCO World Heritage Sites around the world, it relies on its cultural heritage and the tourists who come and visit and fall in love with it. But under lockdown, its cultural institutions are now struggling to come up with ideas. Some are experimenting with virtual tours, while others are displaying art in their windows, yet all are struggling to survive. 

Made of translucent glass, Laura Hart’s brilliant orchids appear to be the paragon of delicacy: the fleshy petals and neon-illuminated columns are in full bloom, representing a fleeting stage of life that’s modeled with an easily breakable substance. The Suffolk-based artist, though, is more concerned with the floral family’s historical resilience and aptitude for survival.

Banksy, the elusive anonymous artist, who usually works in the street, revealed his latest work in lockdown – a series of rats causing mayhem in his bathroom. He posted the images on his Instagram on Wednesday night, with the caption: “My wife hates it when I work from home.”

The visionary Swedish artist Hilma af Klint (1862–1944) was a pioneering abstract painter, but her place in the art history books is only now being assured. The first major step in cementing her legacy was the blockbuster 2019 exhibition at the Guggenheim, and now, a new documentary film coming out this week, Beyond the Visible: Hilma af Klint, is the latest attempt to chronicle her contributions to abstract art.

I do not want to think about humankind having to leave Earth, but it is high time that we changed our lifestyle. Sculptor Bistra Lechevalier, who has been living and working in France for many years, wrote these prophetic words long before our planet was given its recent grave warnings and shaken out of its deep sleep.

In the coronavirus lockdown, Russians can’t go to their beloved and renowned museums. So they’re filling the holes in their souls by recreating artworks while stuck at home and posting them on social media. The Facebook group where the works are posted has become a huge hit. The art recreations range from studious and reverent to flippant and goofy.

Parties, new exhibits and a big anniversary show: The 150th anniversary of New York Metropolitan Museum was supposed to be marked with fanfare. Monday, 13 April was to be an occasion to celebrate the achievements that brought the museum to this moment, as well as to show where things go from here, director Max Hollein said last year when presenting the anniversary program. The museum was even making its own biscuits bearing the anniversary logo in sugar icing: "The Met 150".

Marina Abramovic is likely the most acclaimed performance artist living today. Known for risky performances that push the limits of human endurance, it’s difficult to overstate her importance within the art world and pop culture at large.