Art critic Ben Davis reflects on the cultural landscape of early 2026, identifying a chaotic aesthetic defined by AI-generated imagery, esoteric Nazi dog whistles, internet trolling, and gaudy luxury, which he calls the "Chaotic Style." He also discusses the muted response to the 2025 Fall of Freedom initiative, the ongoing credibility crisis of liberal institutions over Gaza, and the need for serious AI criticism that moves beyond dismissing it as "slop."
Christie’s has announced the sale of the private collection of the late legendary art dealer Marian Goodman, who passed away in January at age 97. Estimated to bring in approximately $65 million, the collection is headlined by a group of significant works by Gerhard Richter, an artist Goodman championed for four decades. The centerpiece of the auction is Richter’s 1982 painting "Kerze (Candle)," which carries a high estimate of $50 million and will lead a series of dedicated sales in New York this May.
Sotheby’s Hong Kong concluded its fall auction series with a robust $426 million total, headlined by a record-breaking $25 million sale for Yoshitomo Nara. Amidst this market momentum, Nara’s upcoming LACMA retrospective was announced to travel to Shanghai’s Yuz Museum. Meanwhile, the New York art scene is bracing for major institutional milestones, including the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s 150th-anniversary plans and the imminent public opening of MoMA’s $450 million expansion.
Jean Baudrillard, the French philosopher whose concept of simulation inspired *The Matrix* (1999), is the subject of a new biography by Emmanuelle Fantin and Bran Nicol. The article explores Baudrillard's complex relationship with the art world: he was celebrated by artists and served on *Artforum*'s editorial board, yet he disavowed the Neo-Geo movement that claimed his ideas, arguing that art had become indistinguishable from commerce and lost its critical distance. His 1987 lecture at the Whitney Museum drew thousands, but he used the platform to declare art's irrelevance.
Agosto Machado, an artist and activist central to New York's Downtown scene and a participant in the 1969 Stonewall uprising, has died following a brief illness. His gallery, Gordon Robichaux, announced his passing but, respecting his wishes, did not disclose his age. Machado was known for creating intricate shrine sculptures from collected ephemera to honor figures from his community, and one of these altars is currently featured in the 2024 Whitney Biennial.
The article traces the evolution of "systems art," a term coined by critic Jack Burnham in 1968 to describe art that uses rules, seriality, and repetition to mirror and reveal the growing protocols of the Cold War era. It highlights early practitioners like Kenneth Noland, Robert Morris, Dan Flavin, and notably Hans Haacke and Adrian Piper, who shifted from atmospheric systems (e.g., Haacke's *Condensation Cube*) to social systems (e.g., Haacke's *Shapolsky et al. Manhattan Real Estate Holdings*). The piece argues that systems thinking has become unavoidable in contemporary life—from algorithms to systemic racism—and that art remains a crucial tool for making these invisible systems legible.
Bruno Bischofberger, the legendary Swiss art dealer who championed American artists like Andy Warhol and Jean-Michel Basquiat in Europe, has died at age 86. His Zurich-based gallery announced his death on Saturday. Bischofberger founded his eponymous gallery in 1963, which became one of Switzerland's most important blue-chip art spaces. He forged deep personal and professional relationships with artists, including acquiring a stake in Warhol's Interview magazine, producing Warhol's film L'amour, and famously proposing the collaborative paintings between Warhol and Basquiat in 1984. Bischofberger also maintained a decades-long tradition of placing advertisements on the back page of every Artforum issue.
A senior curator and two collections committee volunteers have resigned from the Art Gallery of Ontario (AGO) after the institution voted against acquiring a new slideshow work by artist Nan Goldin. The purchase was rejected by an 11-9 vote, with some committee members finding Goldin's November 2024 speech denouncing Israel's attacks on Gaza as genocide to be "offensive" and "antisemitic." Goldin had spoken at the Berlin opening of her traveling retrospective, expressing moral outrage and arguing that calling anti-Zionism antisemitic is a false equivalency. The AGO's modern and contemporary curator, John Zeppetelli, stepped down allegedly because of the incident, while the Vancouver Art Gallery and Walker Art Center proceeded with their part of the acquisition.
Swiss art dealer Bruno Bischofberger, who catalyzed the famous collaboration between Andy Warhol and Jean-Michel Basquiat, died on May 9 at age 86. His death was announced by his namesake gallery, which he had operated since 1963. Bischofberger played a pivotal role in introducing US Pop artists to Europe, representing Warhol and Basquiat, and commissioning collaborative works that led Warhol to return to painting after a two-decade hiatus. He also represented European artists like Francesco Clemente, Enzo Cucchi, Gerhard Richter, and Jean Tinguely, and his idiosyncratic ads graced Artforum's back cover for nearly four decades.
The Turner Prize shortlist for 2026 has been announced, featuring four artists: Simeon Barclay, nominated for his spoken-word performance 'The Ruin'; Tanoa Sasraku, recognized for her solo exhibition 'Morale Patch' exploring the political history of oil; Kira Freije, shortlisted for her first major solo show 'Unspeak the Chorus'; and Marguerite Humeau, nominated for her exhibition 'Torches'. The shortlist was selected by a jury chaired by Alex Farquharson, director of Tate Britain, who praised the diverse range of work spanning installation, performance, and sculpture. An exhibition of the shortlisted artists will be held at Teesside University's Middlesbrough Institute of Modern Art (Mima) from September 2026 to March 2027, with the winner announced on December 10, 2026, receiving £25,000.
Contemporary Art Market Declines For Fourth Straight Year, as Old Masters and Impressionist Works Rebound: Art Basel UBS Report
The contemporary art market has declined for the fourth consecutive year, with auction sales for postwar and contemporary works falling to $4.5 billion in 2025 from a peak of $8.5 billion in 2021. Simultaneously, the market has seen a significant rebound in more established categories, with auction sales of Impressionist and Post-Impressionist works rising 47% and Old Masters climbing 30% last year.
James Hayward, a West Coast painter known for his thickly applied monochrome abstractions, died on April 16 at the age of 82. His work, which developed a dedicated following among fellow artists, was characterized by a deliberate, eccentric process that set it apart from other minimalist painting of his era.
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This installment of the Wet Paint gossip column reports on several high-profile developments within the New York and Los Angeles art scenes. Key highlights include internal museum deliberations at the Whitney Museum regarding Precious Okoyomon’s provocative installation for the upcoming Biennial, which features dolls hanging from nooses, and sightings of former Artforum editor David Velasco meeting with Whitney director Scott Rothkopf. Additionally, the column tracks celebrity sightings at Frieze Los Angeles and confirms Lotus L. Kang as the artist for Bvlgari’s pavilion at the Venice Biennale.
The New York art scene is witnessing a shift in the Tribeca gallery landscape as 1969 Gallery, a fixture known for championing emerging painters, has shuttered its physical space at 39 White Street. Founder Quang Bao confirmed the closure following the building owner's decision to sell the property, noting that he is currently operating from Barcelona with plans to pivot toward collaborations and residencies rather than the traditional gallery model. Meanwhile, the itinerant Ward Gallery continues to gain traction by hosting pop-up symposia at institutions like the International Center for Photography, signaling a broader trend toward real-estate-free dealership.
Volume Gallery, a Chicago gallery specializing in art and design, is tripling its size and moving to a new location in the West Town neighborhood. The gallery, founded by Claire Warner and Sam Vinz, will open a 3,500-square-foot space on February 13, marking its third location since its 2010 launch. The inaugural exhibition, "The Heresy of Legacy," will feature works by artists and designers including Selva Aparicio, Richard Artschwager, and Joyce Scott.
Brown University terminated both curators at the David Winton Bell Gallery—Kate Kraczon, director of exhibitions and chief curator, and Thea Quiray Tagle, associate curator—on December 4, as part of broader layoffs and austerity measures amid a financial crunch. The university eliminated 55 vacant positions and laid off 48 staff across campus, but has not publicly commented on the curators' terminations, which were confirmed via an internal message shared with ARTnews. Faculty members expressed surprise and frustration, saying they received no clear explanation beyond budget cuts, and it remains unclear who will handle future programming at the gallery.
Rosalyn Drexler, a Pop artist known for her 1960s paintings exploring Hollywood, violence, and gender, died in New York at age 98. Her death was confirmed by Garth Greenan Gallery, which represents her. Drexler also wrote novels and briefly worked as a professional wrestler before turning to art.
Mary Lovelace O’Neal, an activist, educator, and artist known for her monumental lampblack paintings that expanded the possibilities of abstraction, died on May 10 in Mérida, Mexico, at age 84. Despite a six-decade career, she was long considered an "artist's artist" before gaining international acclaim in recent years, with major exhibitions at Mnuchin Gallery, Marianne Boesky Gallery, the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, and inclusion in the 2024 Whitney Biennial and the 2025 group show "Paris Noir" at the Centre Pompidou.
VALIE EXPORT, the radical Austrian performance artist, filmmaker, and sculptor widely regarded as the most significant feminist artist of the postwar era, died in Vienna on May 14, just three days before her 85th birthday. Her death was confirmed by Thaddaeus Ropac gallery, which represents her. Known for provocative works such as *Tapp und Tastkino* (1968), in which she invited passersby to touch her bare breasts through a miniature theater, EXPORT faced hate mail, death threats, and indecency charges but remained undeterred in her mission to challenge patriarchal norms through the female body and sexual agency.
Georg Baselitz, the influential German Neo-Expressionist painter, printmaker, and sculptor, died on April 30 at age 88. His death was announced by Thaddaeus Ropac gallery, his longtime representative. Born Hans-Georg Kern in 1938 in Saxony, Baselitz was profoundly shaped by his childhood experience of war and the destruction of Nazi Germany. He was expelled from art school in East Berlin for "socio-political immaturity," moved to West Berlin, and adopted his pseudonym from his hometown. His first solo exhibition in 1963 was raided by police for obscenity, cementing his reputation as a provocateur. Known for his upside-down figures and fierce brushwork, he created series such as "Heroes" and "Fracture" that addressed trauma, violence, and the psychic toll of postwar life.
The Box, a pioneering Los Angeles gallery known for its nonprofit-style support of experimental and performance art, has announced its closure after nearly two decades. Founded in 2007 by Mara McCarthy, the gallery’s final exhibition featured late California painter Wally Hedrick, and a closing event will include a fashion show by Johanna Went. Mara McCarthy cited the shifting market for her father Paul McCarthy’s work and the loss of family homes in the Eaton Fire as factors behind the decision.
Multidisciplinary artist Trevor Paglen has been awarded the 2026 LG Guggenheim Award. The honor, established by the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum and LG, includes an unrestricted $100,000 grant and recognizes artists working at the intersection of art and technology.
The Louvre maintained its position as the world's most-visited museum in 2025, drawing approximately 9 million visitors according to the Art Newspaper's annual ranking. The Vatican Museums and the National Museum of Korea in Seoul followed closely, rounding out a top ten list that includes major institutions in London, New York, and Shanghai. Overall, about 200 million people visited the top 100 museums globally, a figure still below the pre-pandemic 2019 peak of 230 million.
The family of Op Art pioneer Victor Vasarely is leading a major restoration effort for his foundation's iconic building and artworks in Aix-en-Provence. The striking 50-year-old structure, a historic monument, had suffered from years of neglect, leaking roofs, and failed climate systems, with many of its 42 monumental site-specific works in urgent need of conservation. A €12 million renovation, 85% publicly funded, has addressed the building's fabric, but restoring the complex artworks remains a slow, costly process.
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.
The Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden in Washington, DC, acquired 314 works in 2025, bringing its collection to over 13,000 pieces. The acquisitions, announced in conjunction with the museum's 50th anniversary, include major works by Lorna Simpson, Sarah Sze, Mickalene Thomas, and Adam Pendleton, as well as photographs by Graciela Iturbide, Danny Lyon, Ezra Stoller, and Joel-Peter Witkin. The museum also received 176 works by Adam Pendleton as part of a multiyear gift from collectors Doug and Toni Gordon.
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.
The Louvre has announced an international team of architects—New York's Selldorf Architects and Studios Architecture Paris—to lead its "Nouvelle Renaissance" expansion, a project estimated to cost over €1 billion ($1.2 billion). The plan, first announced by French President Emmanuel Macron in early 2025, includes a new entrance to accommodate three million additional visitors annually and a dedicated 33,000-square-foot exhibition space for Leonardo da Vinci's *Mona Lisa*. The museum's new director, Christophe Leribault, is moving forward with the project despite significant budget uncertainty, with cost estimates ranging from €270 million to €1.1 billion.
Four hooded thieves stole three valuable paintings from the Magnani-Rocca Foundation in Parma, Italy, in a swift nighttime heist. The stolen works include Paul Cézanne's 'Still Life with Cherries,' Henri Matisse's 'Odalisque on the Terrace, 1922,' and Pierre-Auguste Renoir's 'Les Poissons (Fish), 1917,' collectively worth millions of euros. The operation, described as highly structured and organized, took less than three minutes.
A new documentary titled "Maintenance Artist," directed by Toby Perl Freilich, premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival this month. The film follows Mierle Laderman Ukeles, the longtime unpaid artist-in-residence with New York City's Department of Sanitation, as she reflects on her career. It traces her journey from graduate student at Pratt Institute to pioneering maintenance art, including her Queens Museum retrospective and international projects elevating everyday workers. The documentary features interviews with art historians, curators, and city officials, and highlights Ukeles's iconic performances, such as shaking hands with every sanitation worker over 11 months.