
Ben Luke
Ben Luke is a contributing editor and podcast host at The Art Newspaper
Zurbarán in London, the Carnegie International, Walter Sickert’s Ennui—podcast
In this week's episode, Ben Luke takes a tour of the Zurbarán survey at the National Gallery in London, speaks to the director of the Carnegie Museum of Art ahead of this year's Carnegie International in Pittsburgh, and learns about a Walter Sickert painting on view at Charleston in Sussex.
A brush with... Andrew Cranston—podcast
Andrew Cranston talks to Ben Luke about his influences—from writers to musicians, and, of course, other artists—and the cultural experiences that have shaped his life and work
From intimate still lives to shadowed saints: the many sides of Spanish painter Francisco de Zurbarán go on show at London’s National Gallery
The exhibition at the National Gallery will also include newly discovered works
Chernobyl 40 years on, Paula Rego at Munch in Oslo, Gluck’s flower painting—podcast
In this week's episode, Ben Luke discusses an exhibition commemorating the 40th anniversary of the Chernobyl nuclear disaster, learns about Paula Rego's interest in Norwegian expressionist Edvard Munch, and explores a floral still life by Gluck featured in a new group exhibition at Kettle's Yard in Cambridge.
A brush with... Sanya Kantarovsky—podcast
Sanya Kantarovsky talks to Ben Luke about his influences—from writers to musicians, and, of course, other artists—and the cultural experiences that have shaped his life and work
Museum openings: V&A East and Los Angeles County Museum of Art. Plus, William Blake in Dublin—podcast
In this week's episode, Ben Luke gets a sneak peak of London's new V&A East Museum, speaks to California-based correspondent Jori Finkel about the new home of Lacma's collection, and learns about a work by William Blake on show at the National Gallery of Ireland
A Brush With... Hurvin Anderson—podcast
Hurvin Anderson talks to Ben Luke about his influences—from writers to musicians, and, of course, other artists—and the cultural experiences that have shaped his life and work
Comment | Catherine Opie shows us that in dark times, looking for joy can be radical
The artist's new show at the National Portrait Gallery offers plenty of reasons to be cheerful
Marcel Duchamp at MoMA, Dorothea Tanning book, Leonora Carrington at the Freud Museum, London—podcast
In this Surrealism-themed episode, Ben Luke discusses the first major US survey of Marcel Duchamp in half a century, Alyce Mahon’s new book on Dorothea Tanning, and a painting by Leonora Carrington
Readymades, replicas, reiterations: MoMA show explores Marcel Duchamp the inventor
The first major US exhibition of the conceptual artist in more than five decades presents his multi-sensory work and habit of making and remaking as “very, very today”
A Brush With... Lorna Simpson—podcast
Lorna Simpson talks to Ben Luke about her influences—from writers to musicians and, of course, other artists—and the cultural experiences that have shaped her life and work
Should English museums charge tourists? Plus, Raphael at the Met and Senga Nengudi at the Whitechapel Gallery—podcast
In this week's episode, Ben Luke discusses the UK government’s response to a report about the future of Arts Council England, talks to the curator of a new Raphael exhibition in New York, and takes a look at a work by the multimedia artist Senga Nengudi
A brush with… Karen Archey, head of curatorial at Düsseldorf's K20 and K21 museums
The curator talks about her love of Alice Neel—and keeping the meaning of art a secret
Matisse’s explosive finale and a new chapter for Hong Kong? Plus, Schiaparelli and Dalí—podcast
In this week's episode, Ben Luke talks to the curator of a landmark new Matisse exhibition in Paris, discusses the art market in Hong Kong with our chief contributing editor Gareth Harris, and takes a closer look at a Dali painting that inspired Elsa Schiaparelli, as a show devoted to the designer opens at London's V&A
‘Every minute was a minute to create’: Paris show presents Henri Matisse’s dazzling finale
The exhibition at the Grand Palais includes more than 300 works from the last 13 years of the artist’s life
New Museum extension opens, NextGen collectors, a Wardian Case in Oxford – podcast
In this week's episode of The Week in Art, Ben Luke discusses the newly-enlarged New Museum, talks to Georgina Adam about her new book on the latest generation of art collectors, and hears from the curator of a new exhibition on botany at the Ashmolean Museum in Oxford
Art communities and heritage in Iran, moderate recovery in the art market, Sydney Biennale—podcast
Ben Luke talks to Sarvy Geranpayeh about the continuing violence in the Middle East, discusses the new Art Basel and UBS Global Art Market Report with its author Clare McAndrew, and speaks to our reporter in Australia, Elizabeth Fortescue, about a new installation at the Sydney Biennale.
Artists agonise over when a work is finished—but should we viewers care?
The thorny issue is relevant to current exhibitions of work by Howard Hodgkin, Henri Matisse and Paul Cezanne
War in the Middle East, the Whitney Biennial, and a newly-discovered Rembrandt in Amsterdam—podcast
Ben Luke talks to The Art Newspaper's Melissa Gronlund about the outbreak of war in a region that has invested heavily in arts and culture, while Ben Sutton discusses the 82nd Whitney Biennial in New York. Plus, a newly-discovered Rembrandt at the Rijksmuseum.
A brush with… Danh Vo—podcast
Danh Vo talks to Ben Luke about his influences—from writers to musicians, film-makers and, of course, other artists—and the cultural experiences that have shaped his life and work
Venice Biennale details revealed, Beatriz González and Tracey Emin in London—podcast
Ben Luke speaks to Jane Morris about the 2026 Biennale artists and framework, takes a tour of the late González's show at the Barbican. Plus, a conversation about a long-hidden Emin work
A brush with… Martina Droth, director of the Yale Center for British Art
From a year studying at the Cyprus School of Art to musical discoveries on NTS Radio, the museum director shares her cultural influences
A Brush With... Veronica Ryan—podcast
Veronica Ryan talks to Ben Luke about her influences—from writers to musicians and, of course, other artists—and the cultural experiences that have shaped her life and work
Comment | Time for a rethink: women artists were never meant to merely be canon fodder
Exhibitions pairing Munch with Paula Modersohn-Becker and Maria Lassnig provide opportunities to subvert the established order
London National Gallery’s deficit bombshell, Simon Schama on birds and art, Vilhelm Hammershøi—podcast
In this week’s episode, Ben Luke heard about surprise cuts at the National Gallery, a new exhibition at the Mauritshuis, and the Danish painter Vilhelm Hammershøi
A brush with… Catherine Opie—podcast
Catherine Opie talks to Ben Luke about her influences—from writers to musicians, film-makers and, of course, other artists—and the cultural experiences that have shaped her life and work
The US struggles with history, Stephen Friedman Gallery closes, Tudor Heart pendant acquired by the British Museum—podcast
Ben Luke speaks to our editor-in-chief, Americas, Ben Sutton about the disputes that have arisen as the US marks its 250 years since the Declaration of Independence—and hears about the demise of Stephen Friedman’s Gallery. Plus, the story of a heart-shaped pendant tied to Katherine of Aragon and Henry VIII
A brush with… Louis Fratino—podcast
Louis Fratino talks to Ben Luke about his influences—from writers to musicians, film-makers and, of course, other artists—and the cultural experiences that have shaped his life and work
Art Basel Qatar, Dürer portrait debate, Paula Modersohn-Becker and Edvard Munch—podcast
Ben Luke talks to art market editor Kabir Jhala about the inaugural fair in Doha, explores the debate surrounding a painting of Dürer’s father, and we hear about the synergies between two 20th-century painters
Venice Biennale: South African pavilion scandal, Marian Goodman remembered, Paul Cezanne in Basel—podcast
We discuss the cancellation of Gabrielle Goliath’s pavilion and the artist’s attempt have the decision overturned, pay tribute to the lauded gallerist Marian Goodman, and hear about Cezanne’s famous ‘The Card Players’





























