A 24-hour strike has shut down some exhibitions at the Venice Biennale.

The protest, which called for pavilions to "be closed" and other works to be "shut off", was organized by the Art Not Genocide Alliance (ANGA) in protest at the presence of Israel's pavilion.

Among the pavilions that shut was Austria's where Florentina Holzinger's performance art has drawn huge crowds and critical acclaim.

The New York Times reported a sign informed disappointed visitors it had closed because "some team members have decided to participate in the strike".

Also closed were shows by artists from Belgium, Egypt, Japan, the United Kingdom and South Korea.

The event's international jury resigned last week after saying they would not give the Golden Lion award to "countries whose leaders are currently charged with crimes against humanity by the International Criminal Court" - effectively ruling Russia and Israel out of consideration.

See our pick of the solo shows in the city at the moment here.

It was sixth time lucky for Richard Lewer after his portrait of indigenous Australian healer and artist Iluwanti Ken won the $72,000 Archibald Prize.

The Melbourne-based painter beat 1,033 other entries for the portrait prize run by the Art Gallery of New South Wales in Sydney.

Lewer, who is a six-time finalist, said he was "proud" for himself and Iluwanti who was a finalist herself this year.

He said: "I hope this work recognizes her role as a healer, artist and custodian of the knowledge she carries and so generously shares."

The prize, first awarded in 1921, is given annually to the best portrait "of some man or woman distinguished in art, letters, science or politics, painted by any artist resident in Australasia".

The time that has passed since plans were first announced for Rio de Janeiro's Museum of Image and Sound (MIS-RJ). The museum near Copacabana Beach, designed by architects Diller Scofidio + Renfro, finally opens tomorrow.

Researchers have started to uncover more information about an unknown enslaved boy whose portrait was painted by Joshua Reynolds more than 250 years ago.

The boy, aged around 11 and previously known only as Jersey, features in his portrait of a Royal Navy officer Paul Henry Ourry which can be seen at Saltram House in Plymouth, southwest England, from tomorrow.

Naval records helped identify the boy as having served as Ourry's servant under the name Boston Jersey - suggesting he may have had links to the American city.

He was also known as George Walker and served in the British Navy as an able seaman before being discharged in 1753 which is the last trace that could be found of him.

Researcher Mark Brayshaw said: "A key motivation for our research was to explore whether more could be discovered about Jersey than merely his supposed name. Could we acknowledge and honor him as a distinct individual, and affirm his life as a person with hopes, potential and aspirations?"

Indonesian artist Dian Suci will spend six months working and travelling in Italy after winning the Max Mara Art Prize for Women.

She was chosen from a shortlist of five finalists for the award which was announced last night.

The prize will see her live and work among monks in Umbria before moving on to Rome, Lecce and Florence ahead of a solo show at Museum MACAN in Jakarta next year.

Her work will then be shown again at Collezione Maramotti in Reggio Emilia before becoming part of its permanent collection.

The prize's curator Cecilia Alemani said Suci's work was "perfectly aligned with the core concept of this prize" and her time in Italy would be "a true cultural dialogue".

1 - Yun Choi, Alison Kuo and Korakrit Arunanondchai are the first artists-in-residence at the New Museum's studio. The trio will be based in the New York museum's 730 sq ft space in its new building in the Bowery.

2 - Works by Cindy Sherman, Arthur Jafa and Bridget Riley will feature in a show celebrating a decade of the Spruth Magers gallery in Los Angeles. The show, called 10 Years LA!, opens on Thursday and runs to August 8.

3 - Artists including Jacolby Satterwhite and Puppies Puppies are among the 12 recipients of this year's Treat a Stranger grants of $4,545 given out by the Giorno Poetry Systems foundation. Also benefiting is the estate of Agosto Machado who died earlier this year after the recipients were decided.