View in Browser
Hey Prazzlers,
Welcome to this week's edition of The Culture Dispatch!
It's a big week. Rencontres d'Arles opens for its 57th edition, Paris Haute Couture Week held this week, and the Hamptons Fine Art Fair opened in Southampton yesterday. Three events, one week - the calendar is full.
On the exhibitions side: Ai Weiwei's most ambitious Northern England show opens at Aviva Studios in Manchester, Anicka Yi continues at Storm King Art Center in New York, and Maggie Otieno's Sojourner is on view at Efie Gallery in Dubai.
On the opportunities side: the Cultural Protection Fund is offering grants of up to £500,000 to protect cultural heritage globally, one of the largest opportunities we've featured. Also this week: the TED × POSCA Global Artist Residency, the Frieze × Goethe-Institut Curator Travel Grant, and an open call for a group exhibition in Paris.
Editor’s Picks
3 July - 6 September 2026
Ai Weiwei
'Ai Weiwei: Button Up'
Aviva Studios, Water St, Manchester M3 4JQ, United Kingdom
The Warehouse, Aviva Studios, Manchester
Ai Weiwei: Button Up! is the artist's most ambitious exhibition ever presented in Northern England, bringing together monumental installations that examine two centuries of intertwined Chinese and British history through the lenses of empire, industrialisation, migration, trade, and political power.
7 March - 15 November 2026
Lee Ufan
'Relatum'
Pl. du Palais, 84000 Avignon, France
Palais des Papes, Avignon
Relatum brings the contemplative practice of Lee Ufan into one of Europe's most extraordinary historic monuments, transforming the UNESCO World Heritage-listed Palais des Papes into a space where contemporary art, architecture, silence, and spirituality exist in dialogue.
8 July - 27 May 2027
Nirbhai (nep) Singh Sidhu
'UNSTRUCK MELODY, A Journey Through Sikh Philosophy'
221 Bath Rd, Slough SL1 4AA, United Kingdom
without SHAPE without FORM, Slough
UNSTRUCK MELODY is a collaborative exhibition by Toronto-based interdisciplinary artist Nirbhai (nep) Singh Sidhu and without SHAPE without FORM, bringing together large-scale tapestries, mixed-media paintings, sculpture, and film to explore Sikh philosophy through the interconnected practices of Simran (focused practice of the mind), Seva (selfless service), and Sangat (community and gathering).
🎪Fairs and Biennials
Currently on view - explore our guide to the major art fairs and biennials shaping the global calendar this week.
Multiple heritage and cultural venues in various locations across Arles
6 - 12 July 2026
The 57th edition of the Rencontres d'Arles takes place from 6 July to 4 October 2026. The 2026 programme unfolds under the title Worlds to Reread, bringing together narratives rooted in diverse regions of the world, with particular attention to the African continent and the Mediterranean. Check out our guide for the most exciting exhibitions to see.
Multiple venues (Petit Palais, Musée Rodin, Grand Palais, L'Olympia, and others per house)
6 - 9 July 2026
Paris Haute Couture Week returns from July 6 to 9, 2026, bringing together more than 30 fashion houses under the Fédération de la Haute Couture et de la Mode for four days of runway presentations across the city.
Southampton Fairgrounds, 605 County Road 39, Southampton, NY 11968, USA
6 - 12 July 2026
The Hamptons Fine Art Fair (HFAF) returns for its nineteenth edition from 9–12 July 2026 at the Southampton Fairgrounds in New York. The 2026 edition continues HFAF's gallery-driven model, presenting an international roster of exhibitors from North America, Europe, Asia, and Latin America.
Featured Exhibitions
9 October - 17 January 2027
Christoph Schlingensief
'Es ist nicht mehr mein Problem, macht eure Scheiße alleine'
Niederkirchnerstraße 7, 10963 Berlin-Bezirk Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg, Germany
Gropius Bau, Berlin
16 July - 22 August 2026
Douglas Gordon
'Magic is sometimes very close to nothing at all'
456 N Camden Dr, Beverly Hills, CA 90210, United States
Gagosian, California
17 May - 9 September 2026
Anicka Yi
'Message from the Mud'
1 Museum Rd, New Windsor, NY 12553, United States
Storm King Art Center, New York
25 June 2026 - 5 June 2027
Maggie Otieno
'Sojourner: The Difference is the Same'
Alserkal Avenue - Warehouse 61 - 17th St - Al Qouz Ind.first - Al Quoz - Dubai - United Arab Emirates
Efie Gallery, Dubai
3 September - 3 January 2027
Bernhard Schobinger
'Going Underground: The Jewels of Bernhard Schobinger'
1001 Bissonnet St, Houston, TX 77005, United States
Museum of Fine Arts, Houston (MFAH)
Opportunities of the Week
The following are current art opportunities that you may be interested in:
Deadline: Jul 31, 2026
The TED × POSCA Global Artist Residency is a new international residency programme launched by TED and POSCA, with Fine Acts serving as the curatorial and coordination partner. Rather than bringing artists to a single location, the residency takes a distributed approach, enabling selected artists to remain in their own communities while joining a global cohort connected by a shared creative framework. Read more and apply for this opportunity HERE.
Deadline: Jul 20, 2026
The Cultural Protection Fund (CPF) is a major international grant programme led by the British Council in partnership with the UK Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS). Organizations can apply for grants of up to £500,000 to protect both tangible and intangible cultural heritage. Read more and apply for this grant HERE.
Deadline: Jul 31, 2026
The Frieze × Goethe-Institut Curator Travel Grant 2026 is a professional development initiative presented by Frieze in partnership with Goethe-Institut London. Designed to strengthen international cultural exchange, the programme offers Germany-based curators the opportunity to engage directly with one of the world's leading contemporary art fairs. Read more about this opportunity and apply HERE.
Deadline: Jul 28, 2026
The Names Gallery (Paris, France) invites artists of all nationalities, styles, and mediums to submit their work for upcoming group exhibitions. Painters, photographers, printmakers, illustrators, video artists, and multidisciplinary creators are all welcome. Read the eligibility criteria and apply HERE.
Deadline: Oct 11, 2026
UNSCRIPTED is the theme of the Autumn–Winter 2026 print issue of PURPLEHAZE and an offline group exhibition in Berlin, presented in collaboration with HAZEGALLERY. Artists are invited to respond to this theme across photography, painting, performance art, installation, and image-making of all kinds. Read more about this opportunity and apply HERE.
As always, if you know of an exhibition or opportunity we should feature, or simply want to give us feedback, just reply to this email.
Forward this letter to a friend who needs art in their life too 💌.
See you next week,
The Prazzle Team.
