‘Money! Glamour! Yachts! But not for me!’ Adrian Searle relives 30 glorious years as our chief art critic

Adrian Searle, the outgoing chief art critic for The Guardian, reflects on his 30-year career by recounting a vivid, personal montage of the art he has witnessed. He describes unforgettable encounters with works ranging from Vermeer's intimate paintings to Fiona Banner's suspended jet fighter, Roger Hiorns's crystal-filled flat, and Emily Jacir's poignant project on Palestinian displacement, highlighting how these experiences blend memory, story, and direct observation into a critic's life.

timo kappeller joins pace gallery senior director

Timo Kappeller has joined Pace Gallery as a senior director in New York, focusing on sales and artist relationships, starting January 20. He arrives from The Campus, a collaborative exhibition space in upstate New York, and previously held senior roles at Hauser & Wirth and Andrew Kreps, with early career experience at Documenta and KW Institute for Contemporary Art in Berlin. His hiring follows several high-profile departures from Pace, including senior vice president Jessie Washburne-Harris to White Cube and artist Yoshitomo Nara to David Zwirner.

philipp kaiser leaves marian goodman gallery

Philipp Kaiser is leaving Marian Goodman Gallery after more than six years, with his last day on May 2. He will remain as a curatorial consultant as needed. The gallery cited the recent Los Angeles wildfires as a factor in his decision to return to independent curatorial practice. Kaiser joined in 2019, a surprising move given his museum background, and became president and partner in 2021 when founder Marian Goodman stepped back. During his tenure, the gallery opened new spaces in New York and Los Angeles, but also lost major artists Gerhard Richter, Nan Goldin, and William Kentridge to rival galleries.

studio museum in harlem 2026 artists in residence

The Studio Museum in Harlem has selected Derriann Pharr, Simonette Quamina, and Taylor Simmons as its 2026 Artists-in-Residence. This cohort will be the first to work in the museum's new Bruce Llewellyn Artist in Residence Center, with their residency running from March 15 to October 15, culminating in an exhibition and publication funded by the Glenstone Foundation.

jack hanley gallery scene

Jack Hanley, a beloved and idiosyncratic New York gallerist, announced he would close his gallery after 37 years in business. In a conversation with Artnet News co-host Kate Brown, Hanley reflects on his career as a disruptor who followed instinct over market logic, giving early shows to now-iconic artists like Günther Förg, Christopher Wool, Sophie Calle, and Christian Marclay, and even hosting Beeple's first gallery show. Hanley, a former Grateful Dead roadie and avid orchid grower, also founded an art fair and ran galleries in multiple cities.

carroll dunham matthew brown

Carroll Dunham, a leading painter known for his psychologically charged works, has joined the fast-rising Matthew Brown gallery, which has locations in Los Angeles and New York. Dunham, 75, left Gladstone Gallery after nearly 20 years, citing a desire for change. His first solo show with Brown is scheduled for September 2026 in Tribeca. Dunham will continue to be represented by several established dealers including Galerie Max Hetzler, Blum, Eva Presenhuber, and Gerhardsen Gerner.

‘The story can be almost as important as the piece itself’: philanthropist Christian Levett on his approach to collecting

Philanthropist and collector Christian Levett, who opened the Mougins Museum of Classical Art in 2011 in southern France, closed that institution in 2023 and replaced it with Female Artists of the Mougins Museum, reflecting his growing focus on abstraction by women artists. Levett, a former investment manager, now owns around 1,700 works spanning antiquity to contemporary art, with significant holdings in post-war American art, African cutting-edge works, and the Zero movement. He recently bought Françoise Gilot's 1942 painting 'Geneviève Pensive' privately through Christie's and will speak at Tefaf Talks in New York on a panel titled 'Collecting with a Mission for Public Access.'

Zoe Leonard Departs Hauser & Wirth for New York’s Maxwell Graham Gallery

Zoe Leonard, a celebrated conceptual artist whose work will appear at the Venice Biennale next week, has left Hauser & Wirth—a global gallery with 14 locations—to join Maxwell Graham, a smaller New York-based gallery known for spare conceptual presentations. Leonard will continue to be represented by her longtime galleries, Cologne’s Galeria Gisela Capitain and Milan’s Raffaella Cortese. Maxwell Graham staged its first Leonard exhibition last year with “Display,” featuring photographs of historical objects in museums. Leonard is the second artist to depart Hauser & Wirth in the past year, following George Condo’s exit in November.

amy sherald time 2026 women of the year

Artist Amy Sherald has been named one of TIME magazine’s 2026 Women of the Year, a distinction honoring her leadership and commitment to equity. The recognition follows Sherald's high-profile decision to withdraw her solo exhibition, "American Sublime," from the National Portrait Gallery in Washington, D.C., after the institution attempted to censor or alter the presentation of her painting 'Trans Forming Liberty' (2024) due to political pressure. The Baltimore Museum of Art subsequently stepped in to host the show, where it has since shattered all-time attendance records for the institution.

amy sillman david zwirner representation departs gladstone

David Zwirner Gallery now represents New York-based artist Amy Sillman, whose colorful paintings and drawings bridge figuration and abstraction. She previously worked with Gladstone Gallery, where her 2018 show “Mostly Drawing” was praised by critic Phyllis Tuchman. Sillman continues her relationships with Thomas Dane Gallery in London and Capitain Petzel in Berlin, and will participate in a three-person exhibition at Chantel Crousel in Paris this summer. Her first show at Zwirner is scheduled for 2027.

the monument maker barbara chase riboud

Barbara Chase-Riboud, now 86, reflects on her transformative 1958 trip to Egypt, which she undertook on a dare as a 19-year-old student at the American Academy in Rome. The journey, during which she explored the pyramids and temples of Luxor and Karnak alone, profoundly influenced her artistic practice, leading her to create abstract bronze sculptures that evoke ancient Egyptian forms. The article traces her remarkable career as a sculptor and writer, highlighting her many firsts: the first Black female artist acquired by MoMA (at age 16), the first Black woman to earn an MFA from Yale, the first living female artist to have a solo show at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and the only visual artist to appear on the cover of Ebony.

annie armstrongs final dispatch farewell 2025 farewell wet paint

Annie Armstrong bids farewell to Artnet Pro's Wet Paint column after 198 editions, reflecting on her four-and-a-half-year tenure as the art world's gossip columnist. She recounts her first assignment at the 2021 Felix Art Fair in Los Angeles, where she nervously approached a group of art-world insiders, and describes the highs and lows of covering galas, parties, and scandals from Frieze Seoul to the Henry Street gallery scene.

saudi arabia art scene athr gallery interview

ARTnews interviews Mohammed Hafiz, co-founder of Athr Gallery in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, as part of its Newsmakers series. Hafiz discusses the evolution of the Saudi art scene since Athr's founding in 2009, the gallery's expansion into multiple locations and a foundation offering grants and residencies, and the role of grassroots patrons and collectors before the Ministry of Culture's involvement in 2018. The interview, conducted at the Athr Foundation in Riyadh during the first annual Art Week Riyadh, also touches on Hafiz's personal history with art, including buying his first artwork in high school in the 1990s, and challenges misconceptions that the Saudi art scene began only recently.

alma allen perrotin

Sculptor Alma Allen has officially joined Perrotin, a move that follows his high-profile departure from former galleries Mendes Wood DM and Olney Gleason. The transition comes as Allen prepares to represent the United States at the 2026 Venice Biennale with the exhibition "Alma Allen: Call Me the Breeze," curated by Jeffrey Uslip. The artist reportedly split with his previous representation after they opposed his acceptance of the Biennale commission under the current political climate.

newsmakers alissa friedman salon 94 art design

Alissa Friedman has returned to Salon 94, the New York gallery where she spent 15 years shaping its identity, after a stint at Stephen Friedman Gallery's US outpost, which is closing. In an interview with ARTnews, she discusses the gallery's early days in the mid-2000s, its unconventional program that embraced Indigenous artists, ceramics, and design before such categories were widely accepted, and how the art world has since aligned with that vision. She also explains her departure in 2021 when founder Jeanne Greenberg Rohatyn joined LGDR, as Friedman preferred working directly with living artists.

magdalene odundo interview

Magdalene Odundo, the 75-year-old Kenyan-born British ceramic artist, discusses her lifelong practice and the cultural and spiritual significance of the ceramic vessel in a recent interview at her studio in Farnham, England. Her career has reached new heights following a record auction result this past summer, when an untitled 1990 piece sold for £723,900 ($995,462) at Sotheby's London, nearly tripling its estimate. This milestone coincides with her debut solo exhibition at Xavier Hufkens in Brussels, running until January 24, featuring works including the large-scale installation Transition II (2014) with 1,001 miniature glass vessels.

industry moves december 30 2025

This ARTnews industry moves roundup from December 30, 2025, reports that Fabienne Levy Gallery now represents Amit Berman, whose work is currently in a group show at the Haifa Museum of Art and was previously presented at the Jewish Museum of Venice during the 2024 Venice Biennale. Kevin Umaña has joined The Pit gallery; the New York-based artist had his first solo exhibition in Los Angeles in 2025 and received the Louis Comfort Tiffany Foundation Award that same year. Additionally, Qatar Museums and the Nita Mukesh Ambani Cultural Center have signed a five-year partnership to create educational programs in India and Qatar. The article also notes that the Bayeux Tapestry will be loaned to the British Museum in 2026, requiring a UK Treasury guarantee of $1 billion to insure the work while its French owner undergoes renovation.

consultant gulf gold rush south arts new ceo

This week's art industry moves include South Arts appointing Doug Shipman as its next president and CEO, departing his role as Atlanta City Council president to lead the regional nonprofit across nine Southern states. London gallery Alison Jacques now represents Cape Town–born painter Gina Kuschke, with a debut solo exhibition opening January 15. Gallery Wendi Norris in San Francisco will represent the Marie Wilson estate, while Berlin's Galerie Judin adds Jorinde Voigt to its roster in partnership with David Nolan, Dirimart, and Sicardi | Ayers | Bacino. Thaddaeus Ropac appoints John Utterson as director in London, and Aperture secures $2 million in gifts toward its new permanent home. A record $31.4 million was paid for François-Xavier Lalanne's 'Hippopotame Bar' at Sotheby's New York, tripling its high estimate. The article also notes a growing trend of consultancies—mostly US- and European-based—being hired to help the UAE, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia build their cultural sectors.

art basel miami beach bridget finn interview

Bridget Finn, who became director of Art Basel Miami Beach in July 2023, has organized the 22nd edition of the fair from start to finish for the first time. In an interview days before the VIP opening at the Miami Beach Convention Center, she discussed welcoming 286 galleries, the importance of hospitality, and the fair's role in Miami's art scene. She highlighted 34 new galleries joining this year, notable works by Augusto Machado and Roberto Huarcaya, and the fair's efforts to engage diverse audiences including VIPs, institutions, and the general public.

dyani white hawk gallery representation alexander gray

Dyani White Hawk, a prominent Native American artist known for her beaded abstract works, has joined Alexander Gray Associates in New York while maintaining her long-standing representation with Bockley Gallery in Minneapolis. White Hawk, who gained widespread recognition at the 2022 Whitney Biennial, creates paintings that incorporate beadwork and emphasize the contributions of Native women to abstraction. Her recent achievements include a MacArthur "genius" fellowship in 2023, a Guggenheim Fellowship in 2024, and a site-specific ceramic mosaic installation titled "Nourish" currently on view at the Whitney Museum.

whitney museum names dan nadel curator drawings and prints

Dan Nadel, a critic known for championing overlooked American artists, has been appointed curator of drawings and prints at the Whitney Museum in New York. His appointment comes ahead of the opening of his upcoming Whitney exhibition “Sixties Surreal,” which will explore Surrealism’s impact on American art from 1958 to 1972. Nadel previously organized acclaimed shows at Karma gallery, including a pivotal 2018 exhibition of Gertrude Abercrombie, and has held curatorial roles at the Lucas Museum of Narrative Art and the Jan Shrem and Maria Manetti Shrem Museum of Art. The Whitney also announced the appointments of Jennie Goldstein as curator of the collection and Roxanne Smith as assistant curator of the collection.

laurie simmons and carroll dunham

Husband-and-wife artists Laurie Simmons and Carroll Dunham, who met in 1977 and married in 1983, are holding their first-ever concurrent solo shows in New York City. Dunham is exhibiting new paintings of naked men wrestling at Gladstone Gallery, while Simmons presents photographic portraits of women in body paint at Salon 94 and a revisitation of her ventriloquism dummy photographs from the 1990s at Mary Boone Gallery. In an interview with artnet News, the couple discusses their contrasting work habits—Dunham works steadily over long periods, while Simmons works in intense, episodic bursts—and how they have balanced their careers and family life, including raising daughters Lena Dunham and Grace Dunham.

ArtReview Podcast | Episode 5: Rene Matić

Artist Rene Matić discusses their multidisciplinary practice and cultural influences in the latest episode of the ArtReview Podcast. The conversation explores Matić’s background as a second-generation skinhead of St Lucian heritage, their status as the youngest-ever Turner Prize nominee, and the upcoming commission for the grand opening of the V&A East Museum in April 2026.

ArtReview Podcast | Episode 3: Noémie Goudal

ArtReview Podcast | Episode 3: Noémie Goudal

The ArtReview Podcast released its third episode featuring an interview with artist Noémie Goudal. Hosted by ArtReview editor J.J. Charlesworth, the conversation explores Goudal's practice through three selected artworks, touching on VR technology, the representation of time in photography, and the concept of 'immersiveness' in contemporary art.

'Trusting that first reaction is important': Nacho Polo and Robert Onuska on the process of collecting

Nacho Polo and Robert Onuska, co-founders of the design gallery Studiotwentyseven, discuss their art collection in an interview with The Art Newspaper. Housed in their Tribeca apartment, the collection spans painting, sculpture, and photography with an emphasis on materiality and sculptural form. They recount their first acquisition—Ron Gorchov's *Autolykos* (2019)—and their most recent purchase, Alex Katz's *Nine Women 5* (2009). The couple also shares their instinctive buying process, a regret over missing a Nick Cave sculpture, and their anticipation for the Jean and Terry de Gunzburg collection at Sotheby's this spring.

‘It was life-changing’: the celebrated art historian who spent 46 years sitting for Frank Auerbach

Art historian and curator Catherine Lampert is the subject of a career-spanning profile following the opening of her latest exhibition, 'Euan Uglow: An Arc from the Eye,' at MK Gallery. The article details her deep personal and professional relationships with giants of British figurative painting, including Lucian Freud, Frank Auerbach, and Euan Uglow. Lampert, who served as the director of the Whitechapel Gallery for over a decade, continues to be a prolific force in the art world, recently co-authoring Freud’s catalogue raisonné and curating major retrospectives.

Guardian Art Critic Adrian Searle Steps Down

guaridian art critic adrian searle steps down

Chief art critic Adrian Searle is leaving his full-time role at the Guardian after nearly 30 years, with his final article scheduled for April 1. He will continue to contribute occasional pieces to the publication.

Hirshhorn Director Melissa Chiu Departs to Lead Guggenheim Museum

Melissa Chiu is stepping down as director of the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden after a decade-long tenure to lead the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum in New York. Appointed by Guggenheim Foundation CEO Mariët Westermann, Chiu will officially assume her new role on September 1, while deputy director Aaron Seeto takes the interim helm at the Hirshhorn.

Gozo Yoshimasu Wins £200,000 Serpentine x FLAG Art Foundation Prize

Tokyo-based poet and artist Gozo Yoshimasu has won the inaugural Serpentine x FLAG Art Foundation Prize, receiving £200,000 (approximately $272,000) along with solo exhibitions at Serpentine Galleries in London in fall 2027 and at the FLAG Art Foundation in New York in spring 2028. Yoshimasu, 87, emerged from the avant-garde scene of 1960s Tokyo and is known for blending poetry with performance, photography, audio recordings, and moving image. His work has been featured in the Shanghai Biennale, the Bienal de São Paulo, and major surveys such as “Poet Slash Artist” at Factory International. The prize was selected by a jury including Serpentine artistic director Hans Ulrich Obrist, FLAG Foundation director Jonathan Rider, MoMA curator Michelle Kuo, Museum MACAN director Venus Lau, and artist Rirkrit Tiravanija.

Transformative Director Madeleine Grynsztejn to Leave MCA Chicago

Madeleine Grynsztejn, the director of the Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago since 2008, will step down at the end of 2026. Her departure marks the end of an 18-year tenure during which she significantly expanded the museum's budget and collection, secured major donations, and launched high-profile exhibitions and artist-focused programs.