Daily Newsletter Plus, the LA Art Book Fair, and a seagull becomes a Biennale star.

May 11, 2026 — 4 min read

Visitors at the Venice Biennale preview encountered a historic sight on Friday: Palestinian flags draped over artworks and more than two dozen shuttered national pavilions. As part of a 24-hour strike organized by the Art Not Genocide Alliance and local activist groups, thousands marched down one of Venice’s main streets as Italian police beat back protesters. Editor-in-Chief Hakim Bishara reports from the thick of the action at the first cultural strike in the Biennale’s 131-year history.

Another sight to behold in Venice last week: A nesting seagull planted herself near the shuttered Polish pavilion with the “aura of an accidental artwork,” reports Avedis Hadjian.…