Art News. Vasari Codex

article culture schedule Aug 2, 2025 visibility 25 link 9 artists, 1 gallery

okwui enwezor cuator duke collected writings

A new two-volume collection of Okwui Enwezor's writings, titled "Okwui Enwezor: Selected Writings, Volume 1: Toward a New African Art Discourse" and "Volume 2: Curating the Postcolonial Condition," has been published by Duke University Press in 2025, edited by Terry Smith. Spanning over a thousand pages and covering the years 1994 to 2019, the collection gathers Enwezor's catalog essays, exhibition reviews, and analyses, tracing his evolution as a poet, writer, curator, theorist, educator, and museum director who died in 2019 at age 56.

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article culture schedule Feb 20, 2026 visibility 20 link 8 artists

frida kahlo commercialization too far

Frida Kahlo’s descendants are expressing growing concern over the hyper-commercialization of the artist’s image, which has expanded from museum walls to coffee mugs, dolls, and even a luxury apartment complex in Miami. Cristina Kahlo, the artist’s great-niece, warns that the proliferation of licensed merchandise by the Frida Kahlo Corporation (FKC) often distorts Kahlo’s legacy, reducing a complex painter to a shallow pop-culture brand. This family tension highlights a rift between those profiting from the trademark and those who believe the artist's historical significance is being eclipsed by 'Fridamania.'

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article culture schedule Dec 8, 2025 visibility 16 link 9 artists

art bites facts holiday small talk

Artnet News offers a lighthearted holiday guide with seven art-historical conversation starters designed to deflect awkward family small talk. The article reveals quirky facts such as a secret apartment atop the Eiffel Tower, the Surrealists' party game 'Exquisite Corpse,' Leonardo da Vinci's role as a wedding planner for Milan's nobility, Marcel Duchamp paying his dentist with a fake check, and Frank Lloyd Wright inspiring Lincoln Logs.

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article culture schedule Jul 22, 2025 visibility 17 link 10 artists

how ancient egypt influenced modern art

The article explores how ancient Egyptian art and design have influenced modern Western aesthetics, from Empire furniture to Art Deco. It traces the phenomenon of 'Egyptomania' back to the 19th century, when European artists and archaeologists like Dominique Vivant Denon, Jean-Léon Gérôme, and Howard Carter brought Egyptian motifs and artifacts to public attention. The piece highlights three key examples: the adoption of Egyptian-inspired Empire furniture under Napoleon, the use of Nubian tribute scenes in decorative arts, and the impact of King Tutankhamun's tomb discovery on early 20th-century design.

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article culture schedule Jun 30, 2025 visibility 17 link 7 artists

the art angle canyon art basel adrien brody

The Art Angle podcast team reviews three major art stories from June. First, Canyon, a new museum-like venue dedicated to immersive video art, has been announced for New York's Lower East Side. Second, the team discusses the outcomes of Art Basel in Switzerland, the art world's most important fair, and ongoing volatility in art pricing. Third, they examine the buzz—and mockery—surrounding Oscar-winning actor Adrien Brody's painting exhibition in New York City. Culture editor Min Chen joins host Ben Davis and senior editor Kate Brown to analyze these developments.

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article culture schedule May 9, 2025 visibility 22 link 23 artists, 2 galleries

david cancel tina knowles nancy magoon

CULTURED magazine revisits its weekly series on top art collectors, offering a peek into the homes and collections of David Cancel, Jarl Mohn, Nancy Magoon, César and Mima Reyes, and Nicola Erni. The article highlights Cancel's journey from graffiti and Keith Haring's Pop Shop to supporting Puerto Rican and Afro-Caribbean artists, Mohn's dramatic installation of a four-ton Michael Heizer sculpture, and the Reyes' commitment to women artists and Puerto Rican cultural institutions.

newspaper Cultured open_in_new Read original

article culture schedule Apr 28, 2026 visibility 29 link 9 artists, 1 gallery

Sur Arte Radio et dans une expo, l’enquête d’Adrianna Wallis sur les traces de sa grand-mère peintre spoliée par les nazis

Artist Adrianna Wallis (born 1981) discovers that her paternal grandmother, painter Diane Esmond (1910–1981), was a victim of Nazi looting during World War II. After being contacted by historians Patricia Helletzgruber and Sophie Juliard, Wallis learns that much of Esmond's work was systematically destroyed by the ERR, the Nazi organization responsible for art theft in occupied countries. This revelation sparks a personal investigation that becomes a podcast for Arte Radio titled "Il restera la gravité," blending documentary, autobiographical inquiry, and sound installation. Wallis delves into archives, examining microfilms and lists that detail 46 of Esmond's paintings—each methodically described and declared destroyed, such as "Woman in blue evening dress: annihilated."

newspaper Beaux Arts Magazine open_in_new Read original

article culture schedule Feb 12, 2026 visibility 22 link 11 artists

art dasha zhukova ray real estate

Dasha Zhukova, the former fashion designer, magazine publisher, and museum founder, has launched a new real estate development company called Ray. Its first project, Ray Harlem, is a 21-story residential building on Fifth Avenue in Harlem, built in collaboration with the National Black Theatre (NBT). The development replaces NBT's original building and integrates a 27,000-square-foot theater as its centerpiece, with 222 apartments above, a quarter of which were offered through an affordable housing lottery. The building features site-specific commissioned artworks by emerging Black artists such as Jurell Cayetano, Freddy Carrasco, Nikko Washington, and Ellon Gibbs, and was designed by Frida Escobedo Studio with Handel Architects.

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article culture schedule Apr 17, 2026 visibility 45 link 9 artists

Andrew Lloyd Webber Says He's Writing a New Musical About the Time the 'Mona Lisa' Vanished Without a Trace in 1911

Andrew Lloyd Webber, the legendary composer behind 'The Phantom of the Opera,' has announced he is developing a new musical centered on the 1911 theft of Leonardo da Vinci’s 'Mona Lisa.' The production will dramatize the true story of Vincenzo Peruggia, an Italian glazier who stole the masterpiece from the Louvre, leading to a two-year international search before the painting was recovered in Italy.

newspaper Smithsonian Magazine Art open_in_new Read original

article culture schedule Nov 25, 2025 visibility 21 link 8 artists

parties cultured at home anthony roth costanza

Cultured magazine hosted a launch party at opera singer Anthony Roth Costanzo's New York apartment to celebrate the debut issue of its interiors magazine, 'CULTURED at Home.' Guests including artists Cassie Griffin and Francesca DiMattio, curator Jarrett Earnest, fashion designers Jackson Wiederhoeft and Tanner Richie, and other creative figures gathered in Costanzo's historic Chelsea home, a former residence of architect David Webster, for cocktails, snacks, and a striking ice sculpture featuring the magazine.

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article culture schedule Oct 28, 2025 visibility 78 link 11 artists

design fashion black bourgeois aesthetic rob franklin

The article is a personal essay by a writer reflecting on the play "Purpose" and its depiction of a Black political family's home, which triggers memories of his own childhood in the Morehouse College president's residence. He observes a recent surge in popular culture's portrayal of Black bourgeois aesthetics, citing examples like the Met Gala exhibition "Superfine: Tailoring Black Style," Ralph Lauren's Oak Bluffs collection, and the HBO series "And Just Like That…" with its focus on the Todd Wexley family's art-filled apartment.

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article culture schedule Oct 24, 2025 visibility 14 link 12 artists

parties ruba katrib lawrence kumpf hosting

Blank Forms celebrated its ninth anniversary with performances by Dez Andrés, Douglas Sherman, and 7038634357 at the Ukrainian National Home in the East Village. The article, written by Ruba Katrib and Lawrence Kumpf, offers a personal glimpse into their New York apartment, filled with books, records, art from friends, and a curated sound system, alongside recipes and anecdotes about hosting artists, musicians, and curators for dinners and listening sessions.

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article culture schedule Jun 6, 2025 visibility 17 link 13 artists

secret mall apartment documentary michael townsend

A new documentary titled *Secret Mall Apartment*, directed by Jeremy Workman and produced by Jesse Eisenberg, tells the true story of eight artists who secretly built and lived in a hidden apartment inside the Providence Place mall in Providence, Rhode Island, for four years in the late 1990s and early 2000s. Led by Michael Townsend, the group—including Adriana Valdez Young, Andrew Oesch, Jay Zehngebot, Colin Bliss, James Mercer, Greta Scheing, and Emily Ustach—transformed a forgotten dead zone of the corporate complex into a living space and art collective headquarters, calling the project "Malllife." The film features never-before-identified participants and footage of their discovery by mall authorities.

newspaper Artnet News open_in_new Read original

article culture schedule May 4, 2026 visibility 38 link 5 artists

‘It’s a world heritage site, but it’s my home’: the last resident of Casa Milà on life in Gaudí’s masterwork

Ana Viladomiu, a 70-year-old writer, is the last remaining tenant of Antoni Gaudí’s Casa Milà (La Pedrera) in Barcelona, a UNESCO World Heritage site that receives about a million visitors annually. She has lived in the luminous apartment since 1988, originally moving in with her then-husband Fernando Amat, owner of the iconic design store Vinçon. Viladomiu holds a rare renta antigua (fixed-rent contract) that allows her to stay until she or Amat dies, after which the not-for-profit foundation managing the building will take ownership. The rest of the building now houses offices and cultural event spaces.

newspaper The Guardian open_in_new Read original

article culture schedule Mar 26, 2026 source 2 sources visibility 22 link 2 artists, 1 gallery

Required Reading

This week's cultural roundup connects diverse stories from art conservation to literary analysis. Novelist Karma Brown draws parallels between restoring artworks and revising novels, inspired by visits to the Art Gallery of Ontario, while an interview with Namwali Serpell examines the complex "monumentalization" of Toni Morrison's legacy. The column also includes a poignant image from Tehran—a framed artwork hanging in a bomb-damaged apartment—and touches on topics ranging from celebrating Eid in Gaza to discussions about "girl games" and the Lindy West drama.

newspaper Hyperallergic open_in_new Read original

article culture schedule May 2, 2026 visibility 20 link 11 artists

Les pionniers de la photographie à connaître

Beaux Arts Magazine publishes a dossier on the pioneers of photography, marking the medium's 200th anniversary. The article profiles key figures such as Nicéphore Niépce, Louis Daguerre, Anna Atkins, Gustave Le Gray, Nadar, Eugène Atget, Girault de Prangey, Alfred Stieglitz, Julia Margaret Cameron, and Edward Steichen, highlighting their innovations in heliography, cyanotype, daguerreotype, and pictorialism. It also includes a focus on the oldest known photograph.

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article culture schedule May 22, 2026 visibility 7 link 4 artists

In a Year of Remarkable Filmmaker Debuts, Here’s How Aleshea Harris Set ‘Is God Is’ Apart

Aleshea Harris has adapted her award-winning 2016 play 'Is God Is' into a feature film, marking her directorial debut. The story follows twin sisters with burn scars who, summoned to their mother's deathbed, learn their father caused their disfigurement and are urged to seek revenge. The film stars Kara Young, Mallori Johnson, Vivica A. Fox, Sterling K. Brown, and Janelle Monáe. Harris brings her playwright's precision to the screen, using avant-garde typography and captions inspired by a 1964 edition of Eugène Ionesco's 'The Bald Soprano' designed by Robert Massin, with title design by Teddy Blanks.

newspaper Cultured open_in_new Read original

article culture schedule Aug 6, 2025 visibility 19 link 14 artists, 1 gallery

art david salle east hamptons

CULTURED magazine interviews David Salle at his East Hampton home, discussing his new "Windows" series of paintings debuting at Seoul's Storage by Hyundai Card space as part of the exhibition "David Salle: Under One Roof." The Neo-Expressionist artist explains how the series evolved from an idea for a digital game, placing characters from his "Tree of Life" paintings into apartment windows against backgrounds drawn from details of his own past works spanning 40 years. Salle also reflects on his long history with the Hamptons, first visiting in 1976 through his connection to CalArts dean Paul Brach, and the area's deep ties to Abstract Expressionist history.

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article culture schedule Mar 19, 2026 visibility 18

An English Countryside Home That Became Lovelier the More It Fell Apart

The article profiles the unique aesthetic and historical significance of Kettle's Yard, a house in Cambridge, England, created by Jim Ede. Ede, a former Tate curator, transformed a series of dilapidated cottages into a living work of art and a haven for modern artists in the mid-20th century. He filled the space with a carefully arranged collection of modern art, natural objects, and furniture, embracing the building's worn, imperfect character rather than restoring it to pristine condition.

newspaper New York Times Art open_in_new Read original

article culture schedule Nov 17, 2025 visibility 18 link 10 artists

design literature best books of 2025

Cultured magazine has published its annual list of the best design and architecture books of 2025, featuring ten titles that span cookbooks, travelogues, political design history, photography, and architectural theory. Highlights include "Campania: Recipes & Wandering Across Italy’s Polychromatic Coast" edited by Apartamento, "Furnishing Fascism" by Ignacio G. Galán, "Synthesis" by Mari Katayama, and "Monumental" by Cat Dawson, which examines how contemporary artists are reshaping memorial landscapes.

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article culture schedule Nov 14, 2025 visibility 19 link 10 artists

ira sachs director peter hujars day interview

Ira Sachs's new film *Peter Hujar's Day* dramatizes a 1974 interview in which photographer Peter Hujar recounted his day to journalist Linda Rosenkrantz. The transcript, originally intended for a book project, was rediscovered and published by Magic Hour Press in 2021. Starring Ben Whishaw as Hujar and Rebecca Hall as Rosenkrantz, the film is set entirely in a Westbeth apartment, capturing the texture of New York's downtown art scene through Hujar's anecdotes about figures like Susan Sontag, William Burroughs, and Allen Ginsberg.

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article culture schedule Apr 4, 2026 visibility 12 link 2 artists

‘The shadows, the figures playing basketball … I waited for the magic to appear – then it did’: José Luis Morales Martín’s best phone picture

Architect José Luis Morales Martín captured a photograph of two teenagers playing basketball in his Madrid apartment complex's courtyard from his living room window. He was struck by the interplay of light, shadow, and geometry, using his phone to seize the moment when the scene's 'magic' became apparent.

newspaper The Guardian open_in_new Read original

article culture schedule Jan 23, 2026 visibility 9 link 1 artist

secret mall apartment documentary mall artists netflix

The 2024 documentary film "Secret Mall Apartment," directed by Jeremy Workman, was released on Netflix on Friday. The film recounts the true story of artist Michael Townsend and seven others, many of them former students from the Rhode Island School of Design, who secretly built and lived in a hidden apartment inside the Providence Place mall from 2003 to 2007 as a protest against gentrification and consumer culture. The group was discovered in 2007, and Townsend was charged with trespassing, receiving probation and a lifetime ban from the mall. Originally released in theaters in March 2024, the documentary had been available on Amazon Prime Video and Apple TV before its Netflix debut.

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article culture schedule May 2, 2025 visibility 8 link 3 artists

great sphinx origin

The article examines the enduring mystery of who the Great Sphinx of Giza was modeled after. While the 66-foot-tall statue is universally recognized, its origins remain debated among Egyptologists. Some believe Pharaoh Khafre commissioned it in his own image, citing a 1853 discovery of a Khafre statue nearby and a connecting road to his pyramid. Others argue it was built by Khafre's brother Redjedef to honor their father Khufu, the builder of the Great Pyramid. Damage to the Sphinx's nose from erosion and human conflict complicates identification.

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article culture schedule Oct 22, 2025 visibility 11 link 3 artists

design david webster anthony ross costanzo new york

Architect David Webster's preserved High-Tech design home and office in New York, completed in 1981, has been purchased by countertenor and Opera Philadelphia general director Anthony Roth Costanzo. The apartment, located near the Chelsea Hotel, features an industrial, off-the-shelf aesthetic with repurposed vanity lightstrips, custom iron windows, and a sliding door. Webster and Costanzo discuss the home's history, design details, and the legacy of gatherings that once included writer and AIDS activist Larry Kramer.

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article culture schedule Apr 30, 2026 visibility 16 link 1 gallery

In the Studio with Jevon Brown

Artist Jevon Brown, a Miamian of Bahamian, Jamaican, and Black Southern descent, discusses his multidisciplinary practice in an interview conducted in his Miami Beach apartment and studio. Brown works across textiles, silkscreen printing, fashion, and photography to explore cultural identity, belonging, queerness, and history. He describes how memories of Miami sunsets, family members like his uncle (a sneakerhead and hat collector), and ancestral references inform his creative process. Key works discussed include the "HAIREtage" series (2025), which uses materials like burlap and raffia to connect contemporary streetwear culture with African and Caribbean spirituality, and his inclusion in the exhibition "Material, Material World" at David Castillo Gallery.

newspaper Burnaway open_in_new Read original

article culture schedule Oct 14, 2025 visibility 16

Manga Is a Pop Culture Phenomenon. It’s Also a Singular Art Form.

The New York Times publishes an article examining manga as both a global pop culture phenomenon and a distinct artistic medium. The piece explores how manga, originating in Japan, has evolved from a niche interest into a worldwide force, influencing entertainment, fashion, and visual storytelling. It highlights the unique visual language of manga—its panel layouts, expressive linework, and narrative pacing—that sets it apart from Western comics and other art forms.

newspaper The New York Times open_in_new Read original