The 2026 art season opens a new chapter for contemporary art. Exhibitions, emerging artists, new cultural venues and changing institutions are shaping an artistic landscape in motion. In issue 34, ART MAG turns its attention to the artists and institutions contributing to this evolution today.
The new art season is not simply a succession of exhibitions, fairs and openings. It is also a particular moment when new directions begin to emerge, institutions assert their choices, and some artists gain a level of visibility that can significantly influence their careers.
This is precisely the movement we wanted to explore.
And, as always, our focus begins with the artists.
Emerging artists at the heart of ART MAG
On the cover of this issue, Denis Doistau draws us into a world where light becomes both material and a principle of construction. His work reminds us of something that the accelerating pace of the art world can sometimes make us forget: an artistic practice is built over time. It develops, evolves and asserts itself before, sometimes, achieving recognition.
This attention to artistic trajectories lies at the heart of ART MAG’s editorial approach.
Since its creation, the magazine has chosen to present emerging artists alongside more established practices. Our aim is not simply to follow what has already been recognised, but also to identify the new visual languages, research and individual voices shaping contemporary creation today.
To look at what already exists, but above all at what is now emerging.
Cultural institutions in transformation
The 2026 art season also reveals the profound changes taking place within cultural institutions.
In Amiens, the Maison de la Culture is rethinking the relationship between artistic creation, artists, local communities and audiences. In Brussels, KANAL-Centre Pompidou is questioning what a contemporary museum can become when visual arts encounter live practices. On Île Seguin, Large also reflects the emergence of new cultural spaces where disciplines, cultures and uses intersect.
These projects are different, yet they raise the same question: what place do we want to give contemporary creation today?
It is a question that concerns institutions, but also artists, galleries, collectors and audiences.
Looking beyond what is already visible
This, more than ever, is where ART MAG sees its role.
To report on major projects, exhibitions and transformations within the art world, of course. But also to open our pages to those whose work deserves to be discovered before their names become familiar.
Contemporary art is not shaped solely within major institutions, art fairs or the art market. It begins in artists’ studios, through research and experimentation, and through the need to create that comes before any form of recognition.
To look at art today is also to recognise what may matter tomorrow.
It is with this conviction that ART MAG opens the new art season.
Welcome to ART MAG Issue 34, and to a new season of contemporary art.
Delphine Jonckheere
Founder and Publishing Director — ART MAG
Discover ART MAG Issue 34
If this editorial has sparked your curiosity, continue reading with the new issue of ART MAG, the independent magazine dedicated to contemporary art and today’s artists.
In this issue
✔ Contemporary artists to discover, with Denis Doistau on the cover and his exploration of light, material and construction.
✔ The 2026 art season: why is it such a decisive moment? A special feature exploring the key issues shaping this new season of contemporary art.
✔ How does an artwork enter a public collection? A behind-the-scenes look at a process that plays an essential role in the recognition and preservation of contemporary art.
✔ Reinventing the Maison de la Culture. In Amiens, ART MAG explores a new artistic project that places creation and artists at the heart of the institution.
✔ KANAL-Centre Pompidou in Brussels: what kind of museum for tomorrow? A new cultural venue that challenges traditional boundaries between visual arts, live practices and audiences.
✔ Île Seguin continues its cultural transformation with Large, a new project dedicated to contemporary culture.
✔ Frida Kahlo, The Making of an Icon. In London, Tate Modern explores the making of an icon whose influence extends far beyond art history.
✔ Valencia, a contemporary art scene to discover through its galleries, artists and emerging creative territories.
Artists to discover: Denis Doistau, Stéphane Clamens, Terry Rossberg, Alexandra Torres Herrero, Mezz Zapharelli, Richard Mougel, Gil Loison, BeuS…
Also featured: Frida Kahlo, Boris Charmatz, Rebecca Chaillon, Tatiana Julien, Yuval Rozman, Gurshad Shaheman, Collectif XY, Tiphaine Raffier, Julien Gosselin, Lisaboa Houbrechts, Miroirs Étendus…
Emerging artists, in-depth analysis, institutions, the art market, exhibitions and discoveries: ART MAG takes you to the heart of contemporary art today.
📥 Explore ART MAG Issue 34 and discover the artists, institutions and cultural figures shaping the art of today — and perhaps that of tomorrow.
