Art News. Vasari Codex

article news schedule Jan 7, 2026 visibility 31 link 18 artists, 11 galleries

8 artists poised to break out in 2026

Artnet News asked four curators and four art advisors from around the world to each select one artist they believe is poised to break out in 2026. The article profiles the first two of eight artists: Indonesian artist Bagus Pandega, known for kinetic plant-based installations, who has had solo shows at Kunsthalle Basel and Swiss Institute New York; and Max Hooper Schneider, a Los Angeles-based artist creating aquarium-like works blending organic and artificial materials, recently exhibited at 125 Newbury gallery in New York.

newspaper Artnet News open_in_new Read original

article news schedule May 14, 2026 visibility 32 link 5 artists, 2 galleries

Peter Doig, Tracey Emin, and More Sign Letter Defending Southbank Centre Chair

A letter signed by environmental activist Greta Thunberg and artists Tracey Emin and Peter Doig is circulating in support of Misan Harriman, chair of London's Southbank Centre. The letter defends Harriman against what it calls a "dishonest smear campaign" by the Telegraph and other right-wing outlets, which accused him of promoting conspiracies and comparing Reform Party voters to Nazis. The controversy stems from Harriman's social media comments about a knife attack on Jewish men and a video referencing Susan Sontag and Kurt Vonnegut on the Holocaust, which critics say minimized antisemitism or drew inappropriate parallels. Harriman denies making such analogies, and 70,000 people have complained to media watchdog Ipso, while 15,000 signed the letter.

newspaper ARTnews open_in_new Read original

article news schedule Jul 11, 2025 visibility 17 link 5 artists, 1 gallery

ulay sues marina ambramovic amsterdam

Performance artist Marina Abramović is being sued by her former creative and romantic partner Frank Uwe Laysiepen, known as Ulay. Ulay alleges that Abramović violated a 1999 contract by failing to share royalties and credit for collaborative works they created together. He claims Abramović has omitted his name from attributions and provided inaccurate sales statements, paying him only four times in 16 years. Abramović's lawyer has dismissed the allegations, and the case may be heard in Amsterdam district court.

newspaper Artnet News open_in_new Read original

article news schedule Jan 26, 2026 visibility 18 link 2 artists, 1 gallery

art gallery of ontario trustee nan goldin work israel gaza

A trustee at the Art Gallery of Ontario (AGO), Judy Schulich, advised the museum's acquisitions committee not to acquire a Nan Goldin video installation, *Stendhal Syndrome* (2024), due to Goldin's pro-Palestine statements and criticism of Israel's war in Gaza. The AGO had planned to purchase the work jointly with the Vancouver Art Gallery and the Walker Art Center, but the AGO withdrew after internal concerns were raised. The controversy led to the resignation of two committee members and one curator, and the museum promised a review of its acquisition process.

newspaper ARTnews open_in_new Read original

article news schedule Jan 22, 2026 visibility 18 link 3 artists, 1 gallery

art gallery of ontario nan goldin acquisition gaza comments

The Art Gallery of Ontario (AGO) chose not to acquire Nan Goldin's 2024 video "Stendhal Syndrome" due to the artist's comments on Israel's war in Gaza, according to a report by the Globe and Mail. The work, which shows blurred images of semi-nude figures and sculptures, was instead purchased by the Vancouver Art Gallery and the Walker Art Center in Minneapolis. An AGO acquisitions committee voted against the acquisition, with internal memos citing Goldin's past statements—including her description of the war as a "genocide" and her criticism of weaponized antisemitism—as the reason. The decision led to the resignation of curator John Zeppetelli and two unnamed committee members, and prompted director Stephan Jost to call for a review of the committee's processes.

newspaper ARTnews open_in_new Read original

article news schedule Jun 20, 2025 visibility 25 link 18 artists, 7 galleries

The Art World This Week: 20 June 2025

This week's art news is dominated by the opening of Art Basel 2025, where dealers reported a strong start with numerous six-figure sales, including a David Hockney painting at Annely Juda Fine Art for $13–17 million and a $9.5 million Ruth Asawa sculpture at David Zwirner. Other major developments include the Museum of Modern Art announcing a major Marcel Duchamp survey for 2026, the reopening of a historic Paris building (temporary home for Centre Pompidou) after a £395 million rebuild, and the Studio Museum in Harlem receiving a significant gift from Vancouver real estate magnate Bob Rennie. The article also covers gallery representation changes, awards, and the passing of sculptor Joel Shapiro and businessman/art patron Leonard Lauder.

newspaper Ocula open_in_new Read original

article news schedule Jun 14, 2025 visibility 15 link 4 artists, 2 galleries

tehran galleries close israel air strike iran

Galleries across Tehran have begun closing their doors indefinitely following Israel's Friday air strike on the Iranian capital's nuclear and military facilities. Iran retaliated with dozens of missiles toward Israeli territory, calling the strikes a 'declaration of war.' Shirin Gallery postponed two exhibitions, including 'Uncollective Memories' by Leila Yaghoubi and 'Endless Joy' by Mazyar Tahouri. Laleh Gallery postponed its group show 'New Saghakhaneh,' while Moshen Gallery, Hoor Gallery, and Bavan Gallery announced closures until further notice. Ab-Anbar, a Tehran-rooted gallery now based in London, instead opened its doors for a community lunch. The Israel Museum in Jerusalem and the Tel Aviv Museum of Art also closed indefinitely citing national security guidelines.

newspaper ARTnews open_in_new Read original

article news schedule Jan 28, 2026 visibility 15 link 1 artist

lego reverses policy ai weiwei

Lego has reversed its policy on bulk orders after facing international backlash for refusing to sell toy bricks to Chinese dissident artist Ai Weiwei. The artist had sought the bricks to create politically sensitive portraits of dissidents for an exhibition at the National Gallery of Victoria in Melbourne. Lego initially cited a policy against selling bricks for political statements, but after Ai Weiwei's social media campaign—including Instagram posts and a global donation drive—the company announced it will no longer ask bulk customers about their intended use.

newspaper Artnet News open_in_new Read original

article news schedule Jul 11, 2025 visibility 13 link 6 artists

ulay wins case regarding against former collaborator marina abramovic

A Dutch court has ordered performance artist Marina Abramović to pay her former collaborator Ulay (Ulay Laysiepen) over €250,000 ($280,500) for violating a 1999 contract regarding joint works created between 1976 and 1988. The court ruled that Ulay is entitled to 20 percent net royalties on sales of those works, plus €23,000 in legal costs. Ulay had accused Abramović of failing to provide accurate sales statements and making only four payments over 16 years. The case stems from their decade-long artistic and romantic partnership, which ended in 1988 with their famous walk on the Great Wall of China.

newspaper Artnet News open_in_new Read original

article news schedule Dec 19, 2025 visibility 19 link 10 artists

vienna museum exhibition religious controversy

Conservative religious groups in Austria have launched a campaign against the exhibition “You Shall Make For Yourself An Image” at Vienna’s Künstlerhaus contemporary art museum, which explores Christian iconography from critical, feminist, and queer perspectives. The backlash, including an online petition and a “prayer of atonement” protest outside the museum, has been linked to a prior attack on another religious-themed exhibition at a Jesuit Church in Vienna. The show features over 30 artists, including Martin Kippenberger, Andres Serrano, and Marina Abramović, and has drawn particular ire for works like Kippenberger’s crucified frog and Anouk Lamm Anouk’s depiction of the Virgin Mary as a transgender woman.

newspaper Artnet News open_in_new Read original

article news schedule Sep 23, 2025 visibility 13 link 1 artist

ai weiwei censorship die zeit allegations

Chinese artist Ai Weiwei has accused the German newspaper Die Zeit of publishing a “distorted and unjust” article about him, following an earlier incident in which he claims the paper censored an article it commissioned him to write. In a series of posts on X, Ai detailed how Die Zeit’s magazine, Zeit Magazin, invited him to write a piece in July, then revised and ultimately refused to publish it—an act he calls censorship. He later agreed to an interview with Die Zeit journalist Olivia Kortas in Kyiv, where he had just unveiled a large-scale installation at Pavilion 13 responding to armed conflict. Ai alleges that Kortas had not seen the exhibition and that her published article, titled “The Annoyance,” contained distortions and subjective judgments, particularly regarding his statements on arms deliveries to Ukraine.

newspaper ARTnews open_in_new Read original

article news schedule Jan 13, 2026 visibility 17 link 4 artists

south africa pavilion venice biennale cancelation qatar

South Africa has canceled its pavilion at the Venice Biennale, which was to feature a performance by artist Gabrielle Goliath addressing the killings of women and queer people in South Africa, a German-led genocide in Namibia, and Israel’s war in Gaza. The performance would have included readings of poetry by Palestinian poet Hiba Abu Nada, who was killed in an Israeli airstrike in 2023. South African Culture Minister Gayton McKenzie blamed an unidentified foreign nation for seeking to use the pavilion for "proxy power," and Israeli publication Ynetnews reported that nation is Qatar. McKenzie denied censorship, claiming a rift with the nonprofit Art Periodic South Africa over a foreign nation's offer to purchase artworks after the Biennale.

newspaper ARTnews open_in_new Read original

article news schedule May 12, 2026 visibility 16 link 7 artists

Somali artists and culture workers express concern over Somalia Pavilion in Venice

Somali artists, cultural workers, and organizations have published multiple open letters and statements expressing concern over the Somalia Pavilion at the Venice Biennale. The pavilion, announced in March for the 2026 edition, is titled 'SADDEXLEEY' and features Somali-Swedish artist Ayan Farah, Somali-Danish poet and filmmaker Asmaa Jama, and Somali-British writer Warsan Shire, curated by Stockholm-based Mohamed Mire and Italian project manager Fabio Scrivanti. Critics, including the Somali Arts Foundation and the queer collective Warbixinta Cidda, allege that the pavilion was organized without meaningful consultation of artists and organizations based in Somalia, and object to the appointment of an Italian co-curator given Italy's colonial history in Somalia. An anonymous open letter further alleges intimidation and coercive pressure against critics, and demands Scrivanti's removal, calling for a boycott if demands are not met.

newspaper ArtReview open_in_new Read original

article news schedule May 19, 2026 visibility 3

Canadian Museum of Human Rights Threatened With Legal Action Over Palestinian Nakba Show

The Canadian Museum for Human Rights in Winnipeg has been threatened with legal action by Shurat HaDin – Israel Law Center over an upcoming exhibition titled "Palestine Uprooted: Nakba Past and Present," scheduled to open June 27. The exhibition focuses on the 1948 expulsion of approximately 750,000 Palestinians, known as the Nakba, and features video testimonies, photography, visual art, and text exploring human rights violations and forced displacement. Shurat HaDin's letter, sent to the museum's board and senior leadership, argues the exhibition omits Jewish historical ties to the region, politicizes history, and could fuel hostility against the Jewish community. The organization demands the museum halt work on the show, commission an independent review, and retract statements about Israeli human rights violations, threatening litigation if the museum does not respond within 14 days. The museum has confirmed the letter is under review but stated the exhibition is still expected to open as scheduled.

newspaper ARTnews open_in_new Read original

article news schedule May 14, 2026 visibility 14 link 12 artists, 1 gallery

At the Venice Biennale, protests, self-mutilation and rage against Israel and Russia. Is anyone left to talk about the art?

At the 61st Venice Biennale, protests and controversies have overshadowed the art itself. The Art Not Genocide Alliance (ANGA) demonstrated against the inclusion of Israel and Russia, while the Israeli Pavilion became a flashpoint. Artist Belu-Simion Fainaru, presenting his installation "Rose of Nothingness" in a temporary space, complained that he was forced to defend his art's right to exist amid questions about politics rather than his work. The Biennale also saw barricades, strikes, the resignation of the Golden Lion jury, Iran's last-minute withdrawal, and anger directed at the American pavilion over Trump administration policies. The central exhibition, "In Minor Keys," curated by the late Koyo Kouoh, was eclipsed by these events.

newspaper The Forward open_in_new Read original

article news schedule May 14, 2026 visibility 6 link 1 artist

Trial Begins in Brent Sikkema Murder-For-Hire Case

Opening statements and witness testimony began on Tuesday in a Manhattan court for the murder-for-hire trial following the 2024 killing of New York art dealer Brent Sikkema. Alejandro Triana Prevez, a Cuban national, was arrested shortly after Sikkema was found murdered in his Rio de Janeiro apartment, and claims that Sikkema's ex-husband, Daniel Carrera Sikkema, offered him $200,000 to commit the crime. Carrera Sikkema was charged in February 2025 with hiring Prevez. Prosecutors presented evidence including phone records, financial transactions, and witness testimony, while the defense argued the case relies on circumstantial evidence and that Carrera Sikkema's statements were made amid a contentious divorce.

newspaper ARTnews open_in_new Read original

article news schedule Sep 18, 2025 visibility 13 link 1 artist

florida atlantic university art history professor suspended charlie kirk

Karen Leader, an associate professor of art history at Florida Atlantic University (FAU), was placed on administrative leave after sharing critical comments on social media about Charlie Kirk, the right-wing activist who was shot dead in Utah. FAU President Adam Hasner announced the leave pending an investigation, citing repeated comments regarding Kirk's assassination. Two other FAU professors—finance professor Rebel Cole and English professor Kate Polak—were also placed on leave. Leader's posts did not include her own words or directly reference Kirk's murder, but shared others' critiques of Kirk's statements.

newspaper ARTnews open_in_new Read original