sam gilliam foundation sued over disputed drape painting and more art industry news

The Sam Gilliam Foundation has been sued over a disputed Drape painting, while the Art Dealers Association of America announced it will not hold its annual New York fair, The Art Show, in 2025, citing a strategic pause. Christie's reported $2.1 billion in auction sales for the first half of 2025, matching last year's figure but down 22% from 2023, and a juvenile Ceratosaurus fossil sold for $30.5 million at Sotheby's. Galleries are seeing movement: Nicole Wittenberg joins Acquavella Galleries, Harper Levine plans a Bangkok space, and Felix Rödder will open Rodder on Manhattan's Upper East Side. Yale University Art Gallery withdrew federal grant applications over anti-DEI language, and the Smithsonian American Art Museum named Mary Savig curator-in-charge of the Renwick Gallery.

met revamp african and oceanic galleries

The Metropolitan Museum of Art has unveiled its renovated Michael C. Rockefeller Wing, featuring 1,800 objects from 663 cultures across Africa, Oceania, and the ancient Americas. The $70 million, 12-year project includes Fang masks, ceremonial dance paddles, and 15-foot funerary poles, with a multi-day celebration that featured a sunrise blessing. The wing, named after Nelson Rockefeller's son who disappeared in 1961, opened in 1982 and was revitalized as part of a master plan by Beyer Blinder Belle Architects.

infinite images algorithmic art toledo museum

The Toledo Museum of Art has opened "Infinite Images: The Art of Algorithms," an exhibition tracing the history of code-based art from the 1960s to the present. Curated by Julia Kaganskiy, the show features 24 artists including pioneers like Sol LeWitt, Josef Albers, and Vera Molnár, alongside contemporary digital creators such as Larva Labs, Snowfro, Dmitri Cherniak, Operator, and Emily Xie. Works range from Molnár's "Interruptions" series (1968–69) to recent generative and on-chain pieces like CryptoPunks (2017) and Chromie Squiggles (2020), many drawn from the collection of hedge fund manager Alan Howard.

basquiat the hole kenny schachter

Kenny Schachter explores the existential threat posed by the rapid advancement of Artificial Intelligence and its projected impact on the global economy by 2028. Citing the Citrini Report, he highlights a future of mass unemployment among white-collar professionals—the primary demographic for art consumption—who account for over 50% of discretionary spending in the U.S. As tech leaders like Jack Dorsey begin significant workforce reductions attributed to AI, the financial foundation of the art market appears increasingly precarious.

reefline underwater art project miami beach leandro erlich

The Reefline, a non-profit eco-art initiative, has launched its first phase of a seven-mile underwater sculpture park and artificial reef along Miami Beach. The project debuted with 'Concrete Coral' by Argentinian artist Leandro Erlich, a submerged sculpture depicting a traffic jam designed to provide a habitat for marine life. Future phases include works by Carlos Betancourt, Alberto Latorre, and Petroc Sesti, all overseen by the architecture firm OMA and founder Ximena Caminos.

No Attitude, Nowhere: Conviction, Zero Meaning

Keine Haltung, nirgends Gesinnung, null Bedeutung

The article critiques the current state of the art world and broader culture, arguing that right-wing calls for depoliticized art are intensifying while the progressive art establishment silently tolerates a culture war that restricts free expression. It uses the 2025 Met Gala as a prime example, describing the event as a heartless display of wealth and power aligned with Trump-era capitalism, where celebrities and artists perform progressive values while participating in a spectacle sponsored by anti-union figures like Jeff Bezos. The author draws on Hannah Arendt's ethics lectures to suggest that moral norms have collapsed overnight, and that the commercial art world now legitimizes anti-democratic tendencies through its silence.

Can Art Feel?

Hyperallergic's newsletter explores the question of whether artworks can possess personhood, drawing on Lisa Siraganian's essay that references the 2010 Citizens United Supreme Court decision and Pierre Huyghe's uncanny human statues. Other featured pieces include Ed Simon's review of Elizabeth Goldring's new book on Hans Holbein the Younger, Michael Glover's introduction to George Stubbs's equine portraits at the National Gallery in London, and news of a historic $116M gift to the National Gallery of Art for an artwork lending program. The newsletter also covers Byron Kim's exhibition at James Cohan Gallery, the new V&A East museum in London, and obituaries for Desmond Morris, James Hayward, and Flo Oy Wong.

museum openings 2026

Major international museum projects are nearing completion for 2026, signaling a period of significant institutional expansion despite global economic and political pressures. Key highlights include the long-awaited Guggenheim Abu Dhabi, designed by Frank Gehry, which will finally open its doors on Saadiyat Island after two decades of planning. Meanwhile, Los Angeles is preparing for two major debuts: George Lucas’s $1 billion Lucas Museum of Narrative Art and Refik Anadol’s Dataland, a dedicated space for AI-driven digital art.

Guggenheim to Screen Artistic Portrait of Soccer Legend Zinédine Zidane

The Guggenheim Museum in New York will screen Douglas Gordon and Philippe Parreno's 2006 film "Zidane, a 21st century portrait" from June 11 to July 19, 2026, timed with the FIFA World Cup. The two-channel video piece follows French soccer legend Zinédine Zidane during a 90-minute match between Real Madrid and Villarreal, captured by 17 cameras to create an intimate, voyeuristic portrait of the player. This marks the film's first showing at the Guggenheim since the museum acquired one of 17 unique editions.

Back to the 90s: Tate exhibition to explore decade’s art and fashion

Tate Britain will stage a major exhibition titled "The 90s: Art and Fashion" this autumn, curated by former British Vogue editor Edward Enninful. The show will feature nearly 70 artists, photographers, and designers, including Steve McQueen, Chris Ofili, Damien Hirst, Alexander McQueen, and Tracey Emin, alongside works by Juergen Teller, Mark Leckey, and others. It will explore the decade's art, fashion, and club culture, with pieces such as McQueen's film "Bear" (1993), Ofili's Turner Prize-winning "No Woman, No Cry" (1998), and images from Manchester's Haçienda and London's Bagley's nightclubs.

affordable art fair new york city

The Affordable Art Fair New York returns for its spring 2026 edition at the Starrett-Lehigh Building in Chelsea, featuring a diverse array of local and international exhibitors. A central highlight of this year's fair is the curated exhibition "Sight Unseen: How Photography Shapes Perception," which showcases artists pushing the boundaries of photography through new technologies, sculptural elements, and alternative processes. All works at the fair are priced between $100 and $12,000, maintaining the event's commitment to price transparency and accessibility.

Beeple's Robot Dogs to Roam Berlin's Neue Nationalgalerie

beeple robot dogs nationalgalerie berlin

Digital artist Beeple is set to make his German institutional debut at Berlin’s Neue Nationalgalerie with "Regular Animals" (2025), an installation featuring ten robotic dogs with heads modeled after tech moguls like Elon Musk and iconic artists like Pablo Picasso. The sculptures, which gained viral fame at Art Basel Miami Beach, use AI to process their surroundings and "defecate" stylized prints for visitors. The 11-day pop-up presentation will place Beeple’s work in dialogue with Nam June Paik’s "Andy Warhol Robot" (1994), exploring the intersection of art, media, and mechanical reproduction.

On Curating Carnage

On Curating Carnage

The Berlin-based art journal *OnCurating* published a September 2025 issue titled "Let’s Talk About… Anti-Democratic, Anti-Queer, Misogynist, Antisemitic, Right-Wing Spaces and Their Counter-Movements." The article critiques this publication, arguing it uses the language of feminism, anti-racism, and anti-Semitism as a political tool to unconditionally support Israel and demonize the Palestinian cause, thereby aligning with German state policy and a specific strain of leftist thought known as Antideutsch.

Portland Art Museum

The Portland Art Museum (PAM), the oldest art museum in the Pacific Northwest, has recently completed a significant 100,000-square-foot expansion to enhance its public and gallery spaces. The museum's diverse collection of over 50,000 objects is particularly noted for its holdings in Native American art, English silver, and graphic arts. Current highlights include the Joe and Shelley Voboril Gallery’s focus on Plains regional works and the 'Conductions: Black Imaginings II' series of in-gallery activations.

Art Basel Miami Beach 2025

Art Basel Miami Beach 2025 is set to take place, bringing together leading galleries, artists, and collectors from around the world for its annual edition in Miami. The fair will feature a curated selection of modern and contemporary art, with special sections dedicated to emerging artists and large-scale installations.

travel guide joshua tree robert goff art food

Robert Goff, a journalist-turned-art dealer and current Deputy Chairman and President of Private Sales at Gurr Johns, launches a new column for CULTURED titled "Out of Office" that explores destinations through the lens of local artists and creatives. The inaugural edition focuses on Joshua Tree and the Yucca Valley, highlighting off-the-beaten-path art experiences such as Rachel Whiteread's concrete casts of 1950s homesteader cabins on Jerry Sohn's private property, the outdoor sculptures of Noah Purifoy, and a memorable outdoor dinner at Andrea Zittel's A-Z West compound organized by sculptor Dan John Anderson, complete with a meal from the acclaimed High Desert restaurant La Copine.

From YBAs to McQueen: Tate Britain’s New Exhibition Reframes the Creative Explosion of the 1990s

Tate Britain has announced a major new exhibition, *The 90s: Art and Fashion*, opening in autumn 2026, which will be the first to examine the intersection of contemporary art, photography, and fashion during the 1990s in Britain. Featuring over 100 works by nearly 70 artists, photographers, and designers—including Sarah Lucas, Alexander McQueen, Tracey Emin, and Steve McQueen—the show explores the decade's raw experimentation, anti-establishment energy, and the rise of the Young British Artists. Curated with input from Edward Enninful, the exhibition also highlights subcultures, nightlife, and the work of figures who challenged dominant narratives around race, identity, and class.

Miami Art Week guide: Some of the top art fairs to visit

Miami Art Week, headlined by Art Basel Miami Beach, returns December 1-7, 2025, transforming Miami-Dade County into a sprawling arts celebration. The guide highlights major fairs including Art Basel (283 galleries from 43 countries), Art Miami + Context Art Miami (celebrating 35 years with 160 international galleries), Scope Art Show (featuring padel matches and 80+ galleries), and Untitled Art Fair (160 exhibitors including nonprofits for the first time). Notable new additions include Cuban gallery El Apartamento making history as the first gallery founded on the island to participate in Art Basel, and a new digital art sector called Zero 10.

Versailles Restores Royal Bedroom to Its 1789 Splendor

The Palace of Versailles has completed a multi-decade restoration of the King’s Private Bedroom, meticulously recreating the space as it appeared on October 6, 1789, the day the royal family fled the French Revolution. The project involved an intergenerational team of curators and master craftspeople who utilized archival descriptions and surviving fabric scraps to reconstruct the room's ornate Rocaille embellishments, silk tapestries from Lyon, and a central gilded bed carved from linden wood.

2026 Art Trends: Whitney Biennial, Greater New York, and Carnegie International

2026 art trends

Three major American art surveys—the Whitney Biennial, MoMA PS1’s Greater New York, and the Carnegie International—are set to define the artistic landscape of 2026. Early analysis of the artist lists reveals a significant overlap in curatorial interest for figures like Taína Cruz, Akira Ikezoe, and Jonathan González. These exhibitions appear to be moving away from rigid thematic structures in favor of "mood and texture," reflecting a broader institutional retreat from definitive political or social statements.

pierre huyghe las foundation

Pierre Huyghe has unveiled his most ambitious project to date in Berlin, a major exhibition titled 'Liminals' staged at the cavernous Halle am Berghain. Commissioned by the LAS Art Foundation as part of its 'Sensing Quantum' program, the installation features a massive 50-minute film projected in a former electrical station, accompanied by a droning, atmospheric soundscape. The work continues Huyghe’s exploration of AI-driven systems and 'unworlding,' attempting to create a space that transcends human subjectivity through bio-technological environments.

art basel miami beach report viral moments

Art Basel Miami Beach 2025 generated viral moments with Beeple's 'Regular Animals' installation featuring robot dogs with billionaire faces, while Leandro Erlich's underwater sculpture garden 'Reefline' debuted concrete cars in Biscayne Bay. The fair's priciest work was Andy Warhol's $18 million 'Muhammad Ali' (1977), sold by Lévy Gorvy Dayan. Other highlights included Katie Stout's public commission 'Gargantua's Thumb' in the Miami Design District, Refik Anadol's AI screen, and the return of Sukeban, a Japanese women's wrestling league, as a crowd favorite.

Exhibition | Kenjiro Okazaki, 'Never could be any other way — anagnorisis' at Pace Gallery, London, United Kingdom

Pace Gallery in London is presenting an exhibition by Japanese artist Kenjiro Okazaki titled 'Never could be any other way — anagnorisis'. The show features Okazaki's latest works, which explore themes of recognition and revelation through his distinctive blend of painting, drawing, and conceptual practice.

We Know You’re Preparing for the Onslaught, so Here’s a List of 15 Solo Gallery Shows Worth Seeing in New York This Month

Cultured magazine has published a curated list of 15 solo gallery shows worth seeing in New York this September, highlighting exhibitions at venues such as Gagosian, Meredith Rosen Gallery, Michael Werner, 56 Henry, and Matthew Marks Gallery. Featured artists include Christopher Kulendran Thomas, whose AI-driven installation "Peace Core" re-edits pre-9/11 television footage alongside paintings of a Sri Lankan massacre; Catharine Czudej, who pairs consumerist paintings with merchandise and a new film; Florian Krewer, whose ominous animalistic paintings explore human emotion; Ohad Meromi, whose works focus on moments of rest and reflection; and Nayland Blake, whose three-part exhibition spans queer sexuality, the AIDS crisis, and new sculptural works.

How to Feel Confident Visiting an Art Gallery, According to Gallerist Hannah Traore

Gallerist Hannah Traore offers advice on how to feel confident visiting commercial art galleries, addressing common anxieties like intimidation, unclear etiquette, and perceptions of elitism. The article follows a group of newcomers who visited galleries in New York and reported their experiences, which Traore then responds to with practical tips for making gallery visits more approachable and inclusive.

Folklore, mythology and tradition: five must-see shows at London Gallery Weekend

London Gallery Weekend features several exhibitions that draw on folklore, mythology, and traditional processes, offering a counterpoint to the AI-dominated art world. The article highlights five female artists whose shows span from Argentina to Australia to South Korea: Anna Perach at Richard Saltoun explores ancient folklore and identity through tufted sculptures; Francis Upritchard at Kate MacGarry presents uncanny sculptures inspired by mythology and science fiction; and Soyoung Hyun at IMT Gallery examines memory and ritual through clay vessels and shadow works. Other shows include indigenous Aboriginal artist Emily Kam Kngwarray and New Zealand-born Upritchard, who borrows from diverse cultural sources.

Where to go this weekend?

Wohin am Wochenende?

This week's art tips include Anton Corbijn's birthday exhibition at Fotografiska Berlin, featuring iconic portraits alongside personal favorites; the 25th anniversary of Daniel Libeskind's extension at the Jewish Museum Berlin; Refik Anadol's first Belgian AI-driven installation at Brusk in Bruges; the Schirn Kunsthalle Frankfurt's 40th anniversary weekend with free entry and performances; and a Lee Ufan solo show at Dia Beacon in New York, following his Wolfgang Hahn Prize.

Salvador Dalí painting behind Schiaparelli’s “Tears Dress” to make London debut.

Salvador Dalí's 1936 painting 'Necrophiliac Spring' will be exhibited in the UK for the first time as part of the 'Schiaparelli: Fashion Becomes Art' exhibition at London's Victoria and Albert Museum. The show, dedicated to designer Elsa Schiaparelli, runs from March 28th to November 8th.

Lubaina Himid and Magda Stawarska: Zanzibar

Lisson Gallery in London presents "Lubaina Himid and Magda Stawarska: Zanzibar," an immersive installation running from June 4 to August 22, 2026. The exhibition features nine diptychs painted by Himid in 1999, paired with a 38-minute multi-layered sound composition by Stawarska created in 2023. The works explore themes of memory, displacement, and belonging, drawing on Himid's birthplace in Zanzibar and her family's migration to London. The installation includes Taraab music, opera, archival BBC clips, and Himid's own voice, creating a multi-dimensional experience that reflects both artists' sense of loss and connection to their native countries.

Dallas Art Fair Returns April 16-19 with 90+ Art Dealers

The 2026 Dallas Art Fair is set to return from April 16–19 at the Fashion Industry Gallery, featuring over 90 national and international dealers. A major highlight of this edition is the introduction of the inaugural Dallas Art Prize, a $20,000 unrestricted award granted to landscape painter John McAllister. The fair is also expanding its scope with a new design crossover featuring Carpenters Workshop Gallery and Sputnik Modern, alongside the debut of the KTX Biennial, Texas’ first biennial dedicated to public art.