Durham’s new gallery opens with Victory Over the Sun, a re‑creation of the 1913 Russian futurist spectacle that frames a broad survey of light art. Installations by Olafur Eliasson, Ceal Floyer and others turn the space into a luminous laboratory, inviting visitors to linger until mid‑January.

Across the Thames, the Tate Modern presents a moving tribute to Ana Mendieta, whose performance‑based works continue to inspire a fresh generation of artists. The show runs through January, offering a contemplative journey through the artist’s mythic imagination.

In Scotland, Sgàire Wood transforms the wooded grounds of Jupiter Artland into a playful arena of heraldry, fashion and sectarian politics, weaving narrative sculpture into the landscape. Meanwhile, Claire Curneen’s eerie sea‑side installations at Anima Mundi explore mortality with a macabre, salt‑kissed aesthetic that feels both timeless and unsettling.

The week also marked the loss of several cultural icons. Japanese visionary Yayoi Kusama, celebrated for her infinity rooms and obsessive motifs, died at 97, leaving a legacy of self‑obliteration and boundless imagination. American assemblage pioneer Betye Saar passed at 99, and Korean abstract painter Ha Chong‑Hyun reflected on rebellion in his late works. In other news, Freddie Mercury’s iconic costumes are heading to display, and a Rotterdam waterfront plan has drawn cheeky comparisons to a cartoonish nightmare.

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