7 New Art Books to Step Into Spring

Artnet News has curated a selection of seven significant new art book releases for the spring season, highlighting diverse subjects from historical archives to contemporary memoirs. Featured titles include a deep dive into Frida Kahlo’s private sanctuary, 'Casa Roja,' authored by her descendants; a curatorial history of Hong Kong’s avant-garde art scene by Oscar Ho Hing-kay; and a vibrant exploration of color in contemporary art featuring works by Yayoi Kusama and Tomás Saraceno.

Dealers at TEFAF Maastricht Report Robust Sales, Offering Works Ranging from Two Inches to Room-Size

Dealers at TEFAF Maastricht Report Robust Sales, Offering Works Ranging from Two Inches to Room-Size

Dealers at the TEFAF Maastricht art fair reported strong sales, defying concerns over global unrest and geopolitical tensions that limited some collectors' travel. The fair, featuring 277 dealers from 24 countries, saw a high caliber of international collectors engaging with works ranging from monumental 18th-century sculptures to minuscule, intricately detailed pieces. First-time exhibitors and veterans alike expressed satisfaction, with one rare books dealer calling it his best year in three decades of participation.

swiss artist publisher childrens books rachel harrison 1234771027

Rachel Harrison's recent exhibition "The Friedmann Equations" at Greene Naftali in New York was a highlight of 2025, featuring her signature brainy, oblique, and funny sculptures and drawings. The show included works alluding to Marcel Duchamp and his alter-ego Rrose Sélavy, as well as drawings riffing on Hans Holbein's portraits of Henry VIII and his court. During a visit to the gallery, Harrison's dealer Carol Greene handed the author a copy of Harrison's new children's book, "Hold Still, Henry!", which reproduces those Holbein-inspired drawings in a board-book format for young readers. The book is published by Rookie Books, a small press founded in 2022 by artist Camillo Paravicini of Basel, Switzerland, who has previously worked with artists like Monster Chetwynd, Martin Parr, and Nathalie Du Pasquier.

gene hackman bonhams auction 1234757821

Bonhams will auction works from the collection of late actor Gene Hackman this November, spanning three sales—one live and two online. The live sale, titled “Gene Hackman: A Life in Art, Part I,” takes place November 19 in New York and features highlights such as Milton Avery’s 1957 painting *Figure on the Jetty* (estimate $500,000–$700,000) and Richard Diebenkorn’s 1986 color etching *Green* (estimate $300,000–$500,000). Online sales include two of Hackman’s Golden Globes, a still life painting by the actor himself, and additional lots of annotated books, scripts, and cinematic memorabilia. Hackman, who died in February, was a major arts patron in Santa Fe, a painter, and a board member of the Georgia O’Keeffe Museum.

lacma donation from the otto kallir family gustav klimt 1234756125

The Otto Kallir family has donated over 130 Austrian Expressionist works valued at more than $60 million to the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA). The gift includes the first paintings by Gustav Klimt, Egon Schiele, and Richard Gerstl to enter LACMA’s collection, along with works by Oskar Kokoschka, Alfred Kubin, Marie-Louise von Motesiczky, Lovis Corinth, and Käthe Kollwitz. The donation spans paintings, drawings, prints, posters, and mixed-medium works from the turn of the 20th century through the 1920s, and will be transferred over several years. A selection of 24 works will be on view in the exhibition “Austrian Expressionism and Otto Kallir” from November 23, 2025 to May 31, 2026, with a comprehensive exhibition planned for 2030.

women in abstract expressionism 636611

The Denver Art Museum is hosting "Women of Abstract Expressionism," the first major museum exhibition dedicated exclusively to female painters of the movement. Curated by Gwen Chanzit, the show features over 50 works by artists including Helen Frankenthaler, Jay DeFeo, Elaine de Kooning, and Mary Abbott. The exhibition highlights how these women were integral to the first internationally influential American art movement but were historically sidelined in favor of male peers like Jackson Pollock and Willem de Kooning.

10 Art Books for Your Spring Reading List

Hyperallergic has published a curated list of ten art books recommended for spring reading. The selection emphasizes historical retellings through an artistic lens, featuring works such as a memoir by activist-artist Susan Simensky Bietila, a chronicle of the Jewish Bund by Molly Crabapple, and the first major catalog on artist Theresa Hak Kyung Cha in 25 years. The list also includes exhibition catalogs like "Chicano Camera Culture" and a monograph on painter Ewa Juszkiewicz.

See Photos from Archives of Nine Photographers Going to Center for Creative Photography

The Center for Creative Photography at the University of Arizona has acquired the archives of nine photographers: Laura Aguilar, Jack Dykinga, Jody Forster, Frank Gohlke, Mark Klett, Nathan Lyons, Stephen Marc, Patrick Nagatani, and Susan Wood. The collections include photographic prints as well as supporting materials like correspondence, notebooks, and working proofs that document the artists' creative processes.

8 Books We’re Looking Forward to in April

ARTnews previews eight notable art and culture books scheduled for release in April 2026. The list includes Ben Lerner's novel "Transcription," a dual biography of artists Peter Hujar and Paul Thek by Andrew Durbin, Luke Goebel's art-world satire "Kill Dick," and an academic study of Alberto Giacometti's 1930s work by Joanna Fiduccia. Also featured are a memoir by curator Hans Ulrich Obrist, a book on Dorothea Tanning, and Julia Langbein's unconventional book about Monica Lewinsky.

martin parr dead photographer magnum 1234765602

Martin Parr, the acclaimed British photographer known for his wry, colorful images of tourists and leisure culture, died on December 6 at his home in Bristol, England, at age 73. His death was announced by the Martin Parr Foundation, which noted he had been diagnosed with myeloma in 2021. Parr was a longtime member of Magnum Photos and published countless photobooks, shot fashion campaigns for Vogue and Gucci, and created iconic series such as "The Last Resort" (1983–85) and "Small World" (1987–94). A retrospective themed around climate change and overtourism is planned for 2025 at the Jeu de Paume in Paris.

paris modern art museum donation henri matisse 1234766196

Barbara Dauphin Duthuit, the wife of Henri Matisse's grandson, has donated 61 works by Matisse to the Musée d’Art Moderne de Paris. The gift includes seven paintings, numerous drawings, etchings, lithographs, and illustrated books, most of which feature portraits of the artist's eldest daughter, Marguerite (1894–1982). Many of these works were on view in France for the first time during the museum's recent exhibition “Matisse and Marguerite: Through Her Father’s Eyes.” The donation spans from Marguerite's childhood to 1945, including pieces that reference her convalescence from diphtheria and her survival of Gestapo torture during World War II.

are there enough collectors for all the art fairs chanel opens chinas first public contemporary art library us style cultural giving on the rise in the uk morning links for november 25 20 1234763587

Frieze will launch an Abu Dhabi edition in November 2026, shortly after Art Basel opens in Qatar in February 2026, joining Art Dubai and Art Week Riyadh in an increasingly crowded Middle Eastern art fair landscape. Meanwhile, Chanel has opened mainland China's first public contemporary art library, Espace Gabrielle Chanel, at Shanghai's Power Station of Art, housing over 50,000 books and audiobooks. In other news, New York Mayor-Elect Zohran Mamdani named an arts transition committee including Elizabeth Alexander and Ruba Katrib, and London's major museums have seen a surge in large philanthropic donations, including a £10.3 million pledge to the British Museum and two £150 million gifts to the National Gallery.

Rare Leonora Carrington Sketches of Her Inner Turmoil Resurface in London Show

Rare sketches by Surrealist artist Leonora Carrington, created during her 1940 confinement in a Spanish psychiatric hospital, have been reunited and are on display at London's Freud Museum. The exhibition, "Leonora Carrington: The Symptomatic Surreal," features sketchbooks that reimagined the hospital as a mythological underworld and served as preparatory studies for her seminal painting Down Below.

An expert's guide to Alexander Calder: six must-read books on the US sculptor

An exhibition of nearly 300 works by Alexander Calder opens at the Fondation Louis Vuitton in Paris, exploring the development of his mobiles and wider practice. Guest curators Dieter Buchhart and Anna Karina Hofbauer have compiled a list of six essential books to deepen understanding of the artist's life and work.

Shoplifting, sex shows and sheepdog-breeding: great artists and the side-hustles they did to get by

The article explores the unconventional and often illicit side jobs that famous artists historically took to support their creative pursuits. It details examples like Jean Genet's specialized book theft, Jean-Luc Godard's pilfering of books and cash, Chantal Akerman's ticket-skimming at a porn theater, and Kathy Acker's simulated sex show performances, highlighting how financial necessity drove them to inventive, sometimes desperate, measures.

carol bove guggenheim museum retrospective review 1234775914

The Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum has launched a major retrospective of Carol Bove, filling the iconic Frank Lloyd Wright rotunda with approximately 100 works spanning her career. The exhibition showcases Bove’s evolution from her early assemblages of driftwood, peacock feathers, and vintage books to her more recent large-scale, brightly colored steel sculptures. A defining feature of the show is Bove’s inclusion of "para-artworks"—pieces by other artists such as Lionel Ziprin, Agnes Martin, and Arnaldo Pomodoro—integrated into her own installations to highlight the influences and histories that inform her practice.

The Art World Is a Joke

Hyperallergic's April newsletter features a roundup of the best April Fools' jokes from the art world this year, compiled by staff writer Rhea Nayyar. The issue also highlights critic Aruna D'Souza's meditation on the work of abstract painter Kamrooz Aram, who is having a prominent year with appearances from Mumbai Art Week to the Whitney Biennial.

Ed Ruscha | Ed Ruscha - Reading Ed Ruscha (Hand Signed by Ed Ruscha) (2012) | Available for Sale

A hand-signed offset lithograph poster by Ed Ruscha, created for the 2012 "Reading Ruscha" exhibition at the Kunsthaus Bregenz in Austria, is available for sale. The poster features an iconic 1971 photograph of the artist by Jerry McMillan and is noted for its rarity, with Ruscha having signed fewer than 50 copies for the institution.

Everything you need to know about Henri Matisse, star of the Grand Palais this spring

Tout ce qu’il faut savoir sur Henri Matisse, star du Grand Palais ce printemps

The Grand Palais in Paris is hosting a major retrospective focusing on the final masterpieces of Henri Matisse, the pioneer of Fauvism. The exhibition highlights the artist's late-career reinvention between 1941 and 1954, featuring his innovative gouache cut-outs, illustrated books, and stained glass designs created while he was bedridden in Nice.

What does 250 years of American art look like?

The National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C. has launched "Dear America," a major exhibition commemorating the U.S. semiquincentennial through more than 100 works on paper. Drawing from the museum’s deep permanent holdings, the show features a diverse range of media including photography, lithographs, and artist books by figures such as Andy Warhol, Ansel Adams, Faith Ringgold, and Kara Walker. The curation spans 250 years, juxtaposing iconic American imagery with lesser-known folk art and contemporary works that explore the complexities of national identity.

All we want for Christmas: The Art Newspaper 2025 gift guide

The Art Newspaper has published its 2025 Christmas gift guide, featuring a curated selection of art-related presents. Suggestions include art supplies from London's historic L. Cornelissen & Son, Japanese Irojiten color pencils, and cookbooks like "The Kitchen Studio: Culinary Creations by Artists" and the out-of-print "The Museum of Modern Art Artists' Cookbook." The guide also includes fantasy gift lists from Frieze and Art UK, with items such as Alexander Calder playing cards and a Tom of Finland cushion from House of Voltaire, alongside more unusual ideas like a sponsorship deal for a Victorian loo or a Lego Louvre heist set.

The best art books of 2025, as picked by The Art Newspaper’s editors

The Art Newspaper’s editors have selected their top art books of 2025, featuring a diverse range of titles. Highlights include "Kerry James Marshall: The Histories," a catalogue from the Royal Academy of Arts exhibition surveying the American artist’s large-scale history paintings centered on Black figures; "Minimal, edited by Jessica Morgan," which reassesses overlooked Minimalist artists; and "Lee Miller," the Tate Britain exhibition catalogue exploring the photographer’s multifaceted career. Other notable picks include monographs on Celia Paul, Shahzia Sikander, and Edward Gorey, as well as a comprehensive overview of Middle Eastern art from 1900 to now.

new museum reopening march 21 2026 1234769578

The New Museum in New York will reopen on March 21, 2026, after a two-year closure for a major expansion. Designed by OMA / Shohei Shigematsu and Rem Koolhaas, the project adds 60,000 square feet to the existing SANAA-designed building, bringing the total footprint to nearly 120,000 square feet. New features include expanded exhibition space, a 74-seat Forum, an enlarged Sky Room, artist commissions by Tschabalala Self, Klára Hosnedlová, and Sarah Lucas, a larger bookstore, and a restaurant by Henry Rich with executive chef Julia Sherman. The reopening weekend will offer free admission funded by trustee Charlotte Feng Ford, and the museum will debut the exhibition “New Humans: Memories of the Future,” featuring over 200 artists including Francis Bacon, Salvador Dalí, and contemporary figures like Meriem Bennani and Hito Steyerl.

banksys walled off hotel in bethlehem reopens for the first time since october 7 attacks 1234766810

Banksy's Walled Off Hotel in Bethlehem has reopened for the first time since the October 7 attacks on Israel and the subsequent war in Gaza. The hotel, which opened in 2017 across from the West Bank barrier, functions as a guesthouse, museum, art gallery, bookstore, and spray-paint shop, with nearly every window facing the 30-foot-high concrete wall. Manager Wisam Salsaa described the reopening as a symbol of hope and a cultural platform carrying the narrative of Palestine, featuring more than 20 original Banksy works and accommodation ranging from $70 bunk beds to a $495 presidential suite.

condo moves from hauser wirth to spruth magers and skarstedt was j m w turner neurodivergent trump squeezes arts talent pool morning link for november 10 2025 1234760829

Artist George Condo has left Hauser & Wirth and will now be jointly represented by Sprüth Magers and Skarstedt, marking a return to galleries with which he had long-standing relationships. Condo first showed with Monika Sprüth in 1984 and was represented by Skarstedt from 2004 to 2019 before joining Hauser & Wirth in late 2019. Separately, a new BBC documentary titled *Turner: The Secret Sketchbooks* explores whether J. M. W. Turner's creative genius was shaped by childhood trauma and neurodivergence, featuring commentary from artists, actors, and a psychotherapist. The article also reports that Dana Awartani will represent Saudi Arabia at the 2026 Venice Biennale, and that the Trump administration has tightened H-1B visa rules, making it harder for arts institutions to hire foreign specialists.

victoria albert east museum to open olympic park london 1234760259

London's Victoria and Albert Museum has announced that its new branch, V&A East Museum, will open to the public on April 18, 2026. The five-story building, designed by Irish architecture firm O'Donnell + Tuomey, is located in Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park and will feature exhibitions, live events, site-specific commissions, and performances. The V&A East Storehouse, designed by Diller Scofidio + Renfro, opened earlier this year and offers free behind-the-scenes access to over half a million objects and books from the V&A's collections. Artists Tania Bruguera, Carrie Mae Weems, Rene Matić, and Thomas J. Price have been commissioned to create new works for the museum.

future of the art world andras szanto review 1234757915

András Szántó has published the third volume of his trilogy on the future of museums and the art world, titled "The Future of the Art World." The book compiles 38 interviews conducted between April 2024 and June 2025 with a wide range of art-world stakeholders, including artists, curators, collectors, dealers, auctioneers, art fair directors, sociologists, philosophers, and policymakers. Unlike his previous books, which focused on museum directors and architects, this volume gives significant voice to artists, who offer provocative critiques and predictions about the future of museums, art education, and digital art.

leading artists call for nationwide resistance against authoritarian forces 1234757308

Visual artist Dread Scott, playwright Lynn Nottage, and dozens of cultural figures have launched "Fall of Freedom," a nationwide weekend of creative demonstrations scheduled for November 21–22, 2025, to protest rising authoritarianism under the Trump administration. The project invites arts communities to organize independent actions—such as storefront readings, pop-up performances, exhibitions, and workshops—at museums, galleries, classrooms, comedy clubs, or any community gathering space. Participating institutions include the Institute of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles, which will host a "Wear Your Rights" silk-screening workshop, and New York's Leslie-Lohman Museum of Art, which will turn a gallery into a library of queer art activism books. Other notable participants include artists Marilyn Minter, Robert Longo, and Amy Sherald, who recently canceled a Smithsonian exhibition after concerns over her painting of a Black transgender Statue of Liberty.

solange art book library saint heron 1234754336

Solange has launched the Saint Heron Community Library, a new initiative making rare and out-of-print art books available to the public for free borrowing. The digital library, run through her Saint Heron platform, includes exhibition catalogs for artists such as Barbara Chase-Riboud, Henry Ossawa Tanner, Martin Puryear, Gary Simmons, and Pope.L, as well as texts like Cedric Dover's 1960 book *American Negro Art*. Books are loaned for 45 days, though most are already checked out. The collection also features works by Black thinkers and writers including Audre Lorde, Ntozake Shange, Octavia Butler, and Wanda Coleman.

Rare Books Stolen From Ex-MoMA President’s Home Recovered After Nearly 40 Years

Seventeen rare books, valued at over $2 million and stolen nearly 40 years ago from the Long Island estate of former Museum of Modern Art president John Hay Whitney, have been recovered and will be formally returned to his descendants. The trove includes a first edition of James Joyce's *Finnegan's Wake*, letters from Oscar Wilde, and a portfolio of John Keats's love letters worth $2 million.