Art Workers Plan First Organized Strike at Venice Biennale

Cultural workers and organizers are planning what they call the first organized strike within the Venice Biennale, scheduled for Friday, May 8. The action, organized by the Art Not Genocide Alliance and other groups, protests Israel's inclusion in the event. Labor unions, participants, and individuals will withhold their labor with a call to 'shut down the genocide pavilion.' The strike coincides with the Biennale's preview week. Hyperallergic will cover the event. Additionally, the newsletter highlights exhibitions in Los Angeles, memes about the Bezos-funded Met Gala, and a profile of nonagenarian artist Mohammad Omer Khalil, whose work is on view in Pennsylvania, Michigan, and New York. Khalil's practice incorporates found elements like stamps and fragments. A rare Keith Haring self-portrait and intimate works are on view at Sotheby's in New York, exploring his friendship with Kermit Oswald. Rosy Simas, a Seneca artist, discusses her exhibition at the Walker Art Center in Minneapolis. The newsletter also includes a guide to 10 art shows in Los Angeles, a member comment on Damien Davis's column, and an archival piece on Hiroshige's woodblock prints at the Brooklyn Museum.