the art world in 2025

Artnet News staff reflects on the most impactful stories of 2025, covering a wide range of topics from institutional shifts and devastating wildfires to market sensations and conceptual art. Key pieces include Ben Davis's analysis of the art world's 'post-woke' turn, Sarah Cascone's report on Los Angeles artists losing homes in the Eaton Fire, Katya Kazakina's tale of a David Hockney painting yielding a 7,000 percent return at Christie's, Andrew Russeth's coverage of Richard Prince's seven-hour deposition video, Kate Brown's profile of Friedrich Kunath, and Annie Armstrong's introduction of the 'red-chip' art market driven by hype and crypto.

duct taped banana maurizio cattelan comedian eaten again

A visitor at France's Pompidou-Metz ate a banana from Maurizio Cattelan's conceptual artwork "Comedian" (2019), which consists of a banana duct-taped to a wall. Security staff intervened calmly, and the work was reinstalled within minutes, as the fruit is regularly replaced per the artist's instructions. The incident occurred during the exhibition "The Endless Sunday," celebrating the museum's 15th anniversary, which features 30 works by Cattelan alongside over 400 others from the Musée National d'Art Moderne.

artnotnet facebook marketplace art la scene

Artnet News is searching for a permanent writer for its Wet Paint gossip column, with guest writers like Janelle Zara filling in temporarily. The column focuses on speculating about the identity of the anonymous Instagram account @artnotnet, which posts humorous, all-caps commentary on art world headlines, and notes the rise of art sales on platforms like Facebook Marketplace.

el greco paint drippings art industry news jun 20

This week's art industry roundup covers a range of developments: a new wave of younger, deliberate collectors is reshaping the art market, as reported from Art Basel; the Independent art fair will relocate to Pier 36 in New York in 2026; Riga Contemporary, a new fair, launches in Latvia; and the inaugural Arrival art fair took place in North Adams, Massachusetts. In auctions, seven never-before-seen Picasso ceramic plates sold in Geneva for nearly double their estimate, while a Giacometti sculpture made the top 10 sales list. Galleries news includes Nara Roesler now representing Asuka Anastasia Ogawa, a new gallery called Open Studio opening in New York, and Andrew Edlin Gallery relocating. In museums, a government watchdog found the Trump Administration broke the law by withholding funding for the Institute of Museum and Library Services, and UC Irvine and the Orange County Museum of Art plan to merge. A legal battle over an El Greco painting withdrawn from Christie's auction is advancing, with the owner revealed as Russian billionaire Dmitry Rybolovlev.

damien hirst will keep making artworks after dies

Damien Hirst, the 59-year-old British artist and one of the world's wealthiest living artists, has revealed a plan to continue creating artworks after his death. In an interview with the London Times, Hirst described a system of 200 notebooks, each representing one year after his demise, which will contain instructions for artworks that collectors can buy the rights to produce. These rights will be tradable certificates, and the works will be signed by his descendants. The scheme allows for back-dating of works, including a sculpture of a pig in formaldehyde conceived in 1991 but never made, which could be fabricated 145 years after his death and dated to 1991. This follows criticism Hirst faced in 2024 for assigning 1990s dates to formaldehyde sculptures actually produced recently, which his company Science Ltd. defended as conceptual artworks dated by conception.

New Rules: The Artists to Watch for 2026

The article profiles three emerging artists to watch in 2026: Lebanese artist Dala Nasser, who creates politically charged works using materials like salted water and cyanotypes; Chinese-born, Berkeley-based artist Connie Zheng, whose work maps plantation economies and resource extractivism through painterly and symbolic compositions; and New York-based artist Nina Hartmann, who creates resin works inspired by DIY plaques and memorials, exploring hidden histories and Freemason symbolism. Each artist is highlighted for upcoming exhibitions or new series in 2026.

banksy sentimental lighthouse

Banksy has unveiled a new artwork featuring a lighthouse with the text 'I want to be what you saw in me,' posted on his Instagram account without any caption or location details. The piece, rendered in his signature black stencil on a stucco wall, appears to be his first major work since the 2023 'Beastly London' campaign, which included animal-themed murals across the city. Within two hours of posting, the image garnered over 300,000 likes, continuing the artist's tradition of cryptic, location-ambiguous public interventions.

sean combs diddy may lose kerry james marshall painting

Sean Combs, also known as Diddy, may lose a prized Kerry James Marshall painting, *Past Times* (1997), among other assets if found guilty of sex trafficking charges, which he has denied. The painting was purchased at Sotheby's in 2018 for $21.1 million, setting an auction record for Marshall. Reports indicate Combs had been actively collecting art since 2014 with adviser Maria Brito, but with multiple civil suits pending, speculation has grown that he might be forced to sell.

jeff bezos lauren sanchez bezos met gala

Billionaire couple Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sánchez Bezos are sponsoring the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s 2026 Met Gala, the annual benefit for the Costume Institute. The news has revived speculation that Bezos may buy Condé Nast, Vogue’s parent company, which organizes the gala. Sánchez Bezos, a former TV reporter and recent Vogue cover subject, has been increasingly active in fashion circles, attending Paris Fashion Week and sitting front row at Chanel and Balenciaga shows. The 2026 gala will be the first since Anna Wintour’s retirement, with Chloe Malle taking over Vogue, and will feature a new dedicated Costume Institute gallery and the theme “Costume Art.”

banksy new mural queens mews centrepoint london

A new Banksy mural appeared on a wall in west London on Monday, December 22, 2025, depicting two children in winter clothing lying on their backs and gazing at the sky. The stenciled artwork, located on Queen’s Mews in Bayswater near Notting Hill, was officially claimed by Banksy via Instagram. An identical version was also spotted outside the Centre Point tower in central London, though not yet claimed. The piece has sparked widespread speculation about its meaning, with interpretations ranging from a commentary on childhood imagination and wonder to a satirical critique of consumerism and the replacement of sacred values by utility.

jeffrey epstein emails art guy leonardo salvator mundi

Newly released emails from Jeffrey Epstein, published by House Republicans, show the disgraced financier discussing Leonardo da Vinci's *Salvator Mundi* with journalist Michael Wolff. In a May 2019 exchange, Epstein referenced the $450.3 million painting—the most expensive artwork ever sold at auction—and suggested its sale was linked to a real estate deal involving a Russian billionaire and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. Epstein also mentioned that his "art guy" thought the painting wasn't very good.

Possible new Banksy appears in London

Möglicherweise neuer Banksy in London aufgetaucht

A life-sized statue has suddenly appeared on Waterloo Place in central London, depicting a figure stepping off a pedestal into the void with a flag blowing in its face. The base bears the signature "Banksy," leading to speculation that the anonymous street artist is behind the work. However, as of the morning, Banksy had not posted the piece on Instagram as he typically does, leaving its authenticity unconfirmed.

Une grande statue signée Banksy apparaît à Waterloo Place à Londres

On April 29, a large statue attributed to Banksy appeared on a plinth at Waterloo Place in London's St James's district. The work depicts a man in a suit stepping forward with a flag covering his face, bearing the artist's signature. Banksy later claimed the piece on Instagram, sparking crowds and speculation.

bayeux tapestry canterbury mealtime reading

A new study by University of Bristol historian Benjamin Pohl, published in the journal *Historical Research*, proposes that the Bayeux Tapestry was originally designed as mealtime reading for monks in the refectory of St. Augustine’s Abbey in Canterbury. Pohl argues that the tapestry’s moralistic episodes, inclusion of Aesop’s fables, and simple Latin text align with Benedictine rules requiring silent dining accompanied by edifying readings. The theory builds on earlier speculation that the tapestry once hung in a private school’s refectory, but Pohl provides documentary and archaeological evidence for the Canterbury location.

Is Banksy getting personal? New lighthouse mural prompts speculation over its philosophical meaning

Banksy has unveiled a new mural on Instagram after a six-month hiatus, depicting a black lighthouse with the stenciled phrase “I want to be what you saw in me.” The work, located in Marseille’s Rue Félix Fregier, marks the first time the artist has referred to himself in the first person in a public mural. Speculation about its meaning ranges from a tribute to a deceased artist known as Lonely Farmer to a moment of rare self-reflection, though Banksy’s studio Pest Control declined to comment.

The Forgotten of Art: The Story of Architect and Sculptor Pietro De Laurentiis

I dimenticati dell’arte. La storia dell’architetto e scultore Pietro De Laurentiis

The life and legacy of Pietro De Laurentiis, a multifaceted Italian architect, sculptor, and cultural activist, are being rediscovered through a retrospective look at his prolific career. Born into a peasant family in Abruzzo, De Laurentiis rose to prominence in Rome's mid-century art scene, balancing a forty-year teaching career at the Faculty of Architecture with significant public commissions, including bronze panels for the ACEA headquarters and marble works for INPS. His artistic style evolved from rural-inspired figuration to a unique geometric abstraction that blended Cubism with folk traditions.

Was This Anne Boleyn’s Seat? Rare 500-Year-Old Chair Linked to Tudor Queen

A rare, intricately carved wooden chair, potentially used by Anne Boleyn during her time in the French courts between 1510 and 1520, has been acquired and is now on display at Hever Castle. The chair was purchased by antiques dealer Paul Fitzsimmons from an online American auction in 2022, and its carvings—featuring dolphins, a Tudor rose, and the initials "AB" intertwined with a cordelière emblem of Queen Claude—suggest a strong link to the Tudor queen's early life.

berlin artists studio protest

During Berlin Art Week, a group of artists from the Alliance of Endangered Studio Spaces (AbBA) staged a protest at Alexanderplatz on September 16, calling on the Berlin Senate to repurpose abandoned properties for artistic and cultural use. The demonstration highlighted that five studio cooperatives housing about 150 artists were shut down by private owners in 2014 and 2015, with many more studios threatened by foreclosure due to rising rents and gentrification.