India Art Fair Records, ICA San Francisco Becomes Nomadic, and More Art World News

By Rachel Kubrick – 31 October 2025

As one museum reopens in Princeton, another reveals plans in Dubai. Two countries announce Venice Biennale artists, and President Trump looks to make his mark on the U.S. capital. Here’s Ocula’s briefing on the past seven days in the art world.

K. Muralidharan, Iyravdam (2010). Acrylic on canvas. Courtesy India Art Fair.

Art Fairs and Market

India Art Fair Announces Record Number of Exhibitors for 2026 Edition

The 17th edition of the fair, taking place in New Delhi from 5–8 February, has announced a record 123 participants. Complementing a strong cohort of Indian galleries—including Chemould Prescott Road, Jhaveri Contemporary, and Nature Morte—are international blue-chip attendees such as David Zwirner and Galleria Continua, as well as seven first-time international exhibitors including London’s LAMB and Danfe Arts from Kathmandu.

Mallorcan Stairway as seen from the Grand Stair, Princeton University Art Museum (2025). Courtesy Princeton University Art Museum. Photo: Richard Barnes.

Biennials and Institutions

Suspected Louvre Jewel Thieves Arrested

Seven suspects, primarily identified through DNA found at the crime scene, have been arrested on suspicion of stealing the French Crown Jewels, while at least one of the thieves still remains at large. Meanwhile, museum directors and curators across the U.S. and Europe have signed an open letter in support of the Louvre Museum and its staff.

President Trump Fires Commission of Fine Arts

The U.S. president has terminated the roles of six members of the Commission of Fine Arts, which advises the federal government on designs for urban and architectural projects, as well as coins, medals and public art. They will be replaced by those ‘more aligned with President Trump’s “America First” policies’, according to a White House spokesperson. The news follows the demolition of the East Wing of the White House for an expansive ballroom and plans by the president for Washington D.C. triumphal arch.

Tara Donovan, Stratagems (2024). CDs, concrete, stainless steel. © Tara Donovan. Courtesy Pace Gallery. Photo: Melissa Goodwin.

ICA San Francisco Goes Nomadic

San Francisco’s Institute of Contemporary Art announced on Tuesday that it will transition to a nomadic model, staging commissions and exhibitions across the Bay Area from early 2026. The museum, which does not have a permanent collection, only moved into its current home in the financial district last October.

Revamped Princeton University Art Museum Debuts Today

New Jersey’s Ivy League university reopens its art museum today, with new commissions on view including a Nick Cave mosaic at the entrance, a Jane Irish panel painting, and sculptures by Tuan Andrew Nguyen and Diana Al-Hadid. The refurb, which sees the museum double in size, was not without controversy: architect David Adjaye was accused of sexual misconduct when construction was well under way. Adjaye has since been distanced from the project.

Design for ‘Floating’ Dubai Museum of Art Unveiled

Emirati prime minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum revealed the plans for the Dubai Museum of Art this past weekend. Designed by Japanese architect Tadao Ando, the state-of-the-art museum will appear to float on Dubai Creek, and Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum said it is positioned to be ‘a new beacon for the city’. An opening date has yet to be announced.

Artist Mark Francis. Photo: Erin Francis.

Mark Francis, Audio Code (2024). Oil on aluminium. 60 x 79 cm. Courtesy the artist and FR Istituto d’Arte Contemporanea S.p.A.

The Bahamas and San Marino Announce Venice Biennale Artists

With the 2026 Venice Biennale only six months away, the Bahamas has announced its first biennale participation since its debut in 2013. A show of Bahamian artists Lavar Munroe and John Beadle (who died last year) will be curated by art historian Dr Krista Thompson. Meanwhile, Northern Irish painter Mark Francis will represent the Republic of San Marino, in an exhibition titled Sea of Sound and curated by Italian gallerist Luca Tommasi.

Galleries

Nir Altman Shuts Down as Paulina Caspari Moves in

The closing celebration for both the Nir Altman gallery and its Curtis Talwst Santiago exhibition ‘Offsides’ took place yesterday evening, concluding a decade for the gallerist in Munich. Fellow Munich gallery Paulina Caspari will take over the space, in the city’s Maxvorstadt cultural district, from Saturday.

Reginald Madison in Hudson, New York (2022). Courtesy Uffner & Liu, New York. Photo: Pete Mauney.

Reginald Madison, The Joyful Noise (2015). Repurposed found wood, hardware. 243.8 x 91.5 x 30.5 cm. Courtesy the artist and Uffner & Liu, New York.

Reginald Madison, Hot House 2 (2006). Oil on canvas. 236.2 x 257.8 x 6.3 cm. Courtesy the artist and Uffner & Liu, New York.

Gallery Representations

Reginald Madison Joins Uffner & Liu

Chicago-born artist Reginald Madison (based in Hudson, New York) is now represented by Manhattan gallery Uffner & Liu, in addition to his Hudson Valley representative SEPTEMBER. A self-taught painter and sculptor, Madison rose to prominence as part of the Black Arts Movement in Chicago during the late 1960s and early 1970s.

Mimmo Jodice, Pergamo (1994). Gelatin silver print. 40.5 x 32.5 cm (unframed); 68.5 x 60.5 cm (framed). Courtesy the artist and Galerie Greta Meert, Brussels.

Obituaries

Italian Photographer Mimmo Jodice Dies at 91

The Neapolitan avant-garde photographer died earlier this week. Jodice, who passed away on 27 October, was known for his black-and-white film photography, often of Italian scenes, and was a longtime photography professor at the Accademia di Belle Arti di Napoli. He was awarded the Antonio Feltrinelli Prize in 2003. —[O]