best artworks 2025

Artnet News editors and journalists compiled their annual roundup of the best artworks seen in 2025, highlighting standout pieces from around the world. Among the featured works are Richard Serra's monumental steel sculpture "East-West/West-East" (2014) in the Qatari desert, Emma Ferrer's painting "You Will Return the Evil to Its Steppe (Homage to Josefa de Óbidos)" (2024) shown at New York's Sapar Contemporary, and Kerry James Marshall's "The White Queens of Africa: Colette" (2025) from his retrospective at the Royal Academy of Art. Each artwork is accompanied by a personal reflection from the journalist who encountered it.

venus over manhattan closing adam lindemann

Adam Lindemann announces the closure of Venus Over Manhattan, the gallery he founded in 2012 after a career as a contemporary art collector and writer. The gallery opened with a show titled "À Rebours," inspired by a novel about a decadent aristocrat, and featured works by Warhol, Hammons, and others—a show that famously saw a Dalí stolen from the wall. Over its 14-year run, Venus Over Manhattan mounted exhibitions including a Maurizio Cattelan show during a market lull, a Calder installation with spotlights and fans, and a show mixing African masterpieces with works by Koons, Prince, and Hirst. Lindemann reflects on the challenges of opening a gallery against advice, the theft that made international news, and the quiet validation he received from artists like David Hammons.

the very quotable larry gagosian turns 80 and more juicy art world gossip

Larry Gagosian turned 80 on Saturday, and the art world marked the occasion with two blockbuster exhibitions: a de Kooning show in Chelsea and a Picasso exhibition uptown, curated by Paloma Picasso. This edition of Wet Paint, an Artnet News gossip column by Annie Armstrong, celebrates Gagosian's lesser-known talent for delivering memorable quotes to journalists, despite his legendary elusiveness. The article catalogs some of his most striking lines, including a menacing comment to an employee after the 2008 crash, a Bond-villain-style text to artist Issy Wood, and a six-word response to Jeff Koons leaving for Pace Gallery.

10 Art Shows to See in Los Angeles This April

April in Los Angeles features a diverse array of art exhibitions, from major institutional retrospectives to politically charged group shows. Highlights include a 60-year retrospective of the influential printmaking studio Gemini G.E.L. at its own space, a survey of the Grunwald Center at the Hammer Museum, and shows celebrating LA performance art icons Bob & Bob and Rachel Rosenthal. The month also sees a newly discovered collection of matchbook miniatures by Joe Brainard and Dave Muller's work on social connection at ArtCenter.

My toddler threw a toy pig at an artwork – and inspired this guide for small kids in galleries

A journalist recounts a stressful visit to the Royal Academy with her toddler, where a toy pig was thrown toward a Kerry James Marshall painting. This incident serves as the catalyst for a new series exploring the compatibility of small children and art galleries, addressing the anxieties parents face regarding museum etiquette, accessibility, and the fear of damaging artworks.

gordon parks foundation 20th anniversary

The Gordon Parks Foundation is celebrating its 20th anniversary in 2026, marking two decades since the founding of the organization dedicated to preserving the legacy of photographer and artist Gordon Parks. Executive Director Peter W. Kunhardt, Jr. reflects on the foundation's growth, including exhibitions, museum partnerships, publications, and fellowships that support emerging artists. The foundation was co-founded by Parks and Kunhardt's grandfather, Phil Kunhardt, in 2006. As part of the anniversary, the foundation is publishing a new edition of "Gordon Parks: Diary of a Harlem Family, 1967/1968" and will realize three gallery exhibitions, starting with "We Shall Not Be Moved" at Alison Jacques Gallery in London, curated by Bryan Stevenson.

renovated frick expansion reopening highlights

The Frick Collection reopens to the public on April 17 after a five-year closure and a $220 million expansion and renovation by Selldorf Architects. The project adds 18,000 square feet, including 10 new galleries in the family's original second-floor living quarters, a marble staircase, cafe, gift shop, and a new auditorium. The percentage of the collection on view has increased from 25% to 47%, and Ukrainian artist Vladimir Kanevsky has created porcelain floral arrangements for the reopening. New director Axel Rüger, who joined from London's Royal Academy of Arts, welcomed journalists at a press preview.

kenny schachter art basel report

Kenny Schachter recounts his fraught journey from Newark to London for his curated Paul Thek exhibition at Thomas Dane Gallery and the 56th edition of Art Basel in Switzerland, describing a near-crash landing and widespread anxiety among U.S. attendees about returning home amid FAA cutbacks and immigration fears. He highlights Mary Lovelace O’Neal’s presence at Jenkins Johnson as his Basel highlight, dismisses panic over a single unsold Giacometti as overblown, and critiques art journalists for lacking real market experience, while sharing conversations with collectors Mera Rubell and Dakis Joannou.

Time Magazine’s 100 Most Influential List Includes Artist Cao Fei and Photojournalist Lynsey Addario

Time magazine has named artist Cao Fei and photojournalist Lynsey Addario to its 2026 list of the 100 most influential people in the world. Cao Fei is recognized for her multidisciplinary work exploring digital technology and modernity, while Addario is honored for her decades of courageous reporting from global conflict zones, including her Pulitzer Prize-winning coverage of the war in Ukraine. The list also acknowledges prominent art patrons Susan and Michael Dell.

julie curtiss motherhood pumping painting

Artnet News journalist Annie Armstrong recounts her emotional experience at Art Basel Miami Beach, where she desperately sought to see Julie Curtiss's painting "Mary With the Medela" (2024), a portrait of a woman using a breast pump. As a new mother balancing work and pumping, Armstrong felt a deep personal connection to the work but arrived at the White Cube booth moments after it had been sold and removed from view, leaving her in tears.

‘He sent someone to intimidate me’: Christopher Anderson, the photographer who shot Jeffrey Epstein

Photographer Christopher Anderson has revealed the details behind his 2015 encounter with Jeffrey Epstein, whom he photographed for a cancelled New York magazine profile. Anderson describes a series of unsettling interactions, including Epstein's attempts to buy the image rights for $20,000 and the eventual dispatch of a "mafia-esque" intimidator to Anderson's studio to seize a hard drive. The photographer's email exchanges with Epstein’s staff were recently made public as part of the Department of Justice's release of the Epstein files.

artist studio

Journalist Bianca Bosker went undercover as a studio assistant for painter Julie Curtiss and other artists, revealing the gritty, athletic reality behind art-making—a world of blood, sweat, and sleepless nights. The article explores how mounting financial pressures, especially for sculptors and installation artists like Ivana Bašić, Erwin Wurm, and Lindsey Mendick, force tough decisions about studio space and production. Bašić, despite critical acclaim, lost a subsidized Dumbo studio and now outsources production to keep costs down, while a growing number of established artists pass on wisdom through residencies and assistant teams.

Remembering Raghu Rai, Jack Thornell, and Jarvis Rockwell

Hyperallergic's weekly 'In Memoriam' column honors eight recently deceased figures from the art world, including Indian photojournalist Raghu Rai (1942–2026), Argentine abstract painter Ides Kihlen (1917–2026), Israeli painter and activist Yair Garbuz (1945–2026), British photographer Mark Gerson (1921–2026), Japanese art collector Kurt Gitter (1937–2026), Danish antiquities dealer Ittai Gradel (1965–2026), indigo textile artist Leigh Magar (1968–2026), and Kenyan muralist Patrick Mukabi (1967–2026). Each entry summarizes their life, career highlights, and contributions to visual art and photography.

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.

The 10 Exhibitions to See in May 2025

The article highlights ten exhibitions to see in May 2025, including the Venice Architecture Biennale curated by Carlo Ratti, which explores intelligence in natural, artificial, and collective forms, alongside a parallel show by AMO/OMA at Fondazione Prada. It also covers Gallery Weekend Berlin, featuring Sky Hopinka's new film and photographs at Tanya Leighton, an exhibition by exiled Russian journalists Meduza at Kunstraum Kreuzberg, and a study group on Palestinian agrarian initiatives at Spore Initiative.

Louisa Buck

Louisa Buck, a prominent art critic and journalist, has been featured in a profile by The Art Newspaper, highlighting her career and contributions to art journalism. The article discusses her role as a columnist and critic, her insights into the contemporary art world, and her longstanding association with the publication.

Archibald prize 2026: Jacob Collins portrait wins the Packing Room prize as finalists revealed

The Packing Room prize for the 2026 Archibald Prize has been awarded to Sean Layh for his portrait of actor Jacob Collins, titled 'The tragicall historie of Hamlet, Prince of Denmarke'. The prize, worth $3,000, is chosen by Art Gallery of NSW staff who unpack and hang the exhibition. Layh, a self-taught Melbourne-based painter, drew inspiration from Collins' performance as Hamlet in a 2024 Melbourne Shakespeare Company production. The Archibald Prize main announcement, along with the Wynne and Sulman prizes, will take place on 8 May, with finalists including portraits of Bondi shooting hero Ahmed al-Ahmed, journalists Virginia Trioli and Jan Fran, surfer Layne Beachley, and artist Khaled Sabsabi.

A Long-Running Case Centering on Alleged Robert Indiana Forgeries Is Resolved with a $102 M. Settlement

A New York jury has awarded $102.2 million in damages to the Morgan Art Foundation in a long-running copyright and forgery case against art publisher Michael McKenzie. The jury found that McKenzie created unauthorized and altered versions of works by Pop artist Robert Indiana, including multiple iterations of Indiana's iconic LOVE prints and sculptures, as well as works such as *The Ninth American Dream* (2001), *USA FUN* (1965), and a sculpture titled *BRAT*. The lawsuit, which began in 2018 shortly before Indiana's death at age 89, alleged that McKenzie and others sought to isolate the artist and profit from selling forged works. McKenzie's lawyer indicated he may appeal.

Pressing issues: the vital role of printmaking in the history of art

Author and journalist Holly Black has released a new book titled 'The Story of Printmaking: A Global History of Art', published by Yale University Press. The publication traces the evolution of the printed image from its 9th-century origins in East Asia through the innovations of Old Masters like Albrecht Dürer and Rembrandt to modern digital techniques. Drawing on her training at the London College of Printing, Black demystifies complex technical processes such as intaglio and mezzotint while highlighting both canonical figures like Picasso and influential but lesser-known pioneers like Robert Blackburn.

Epstein Emails and the Art Market

epstein emails art market

A massive release of over three million documents by the U.S. Department of Justice has exposed the deep ties between the late financier Jeffrey Epstein and prominent figures in the global art world. The files reveal how Epstein utilized sophisticated financial structures to manage and enhance the value of blue-chip art collections, most notably for billionaire Leon Black. The fallout from these disclosures has already led to high-profile resignations, including Jack Lang from the Arab World Institute and David A. Ross from the School of Visual Arts, while others like collector Steve Tisch face renewed scrutiny.

walter robinsons legacy is celebrated with honorary doctorate new scholarship

Hundreds gathered on a cold Monday night in New York at Phillips auction house and the Metropolitan Club to celebrate the life and legacy of Walter Robinson, the beloved art-world figure who died in February 2025. The event, organized by the New York Academy of Art as part of its annual “Take Home a Nude” fundraiser, featured silent and live auctions, a posthumous honorary doctorate awarded to Robinson, and the announcement of the Walter Robinson Scholarship funded by auction proceeds. The evening raised over $800,000, with works by students and acclaimed artists like Richard Prince and Kiki Smith on offer, and Robinson’s painting *Blood on the Sun* (2018) selling for $35,000.

trump epstein emails salvator mundi

Newly released emails between Jeffrey Epstein and journalist Michael Wolff reveal Epstein speculating about the $450 million sale of Leonardo da Vinci's *Salvator Mundi* and its possible connection to Donald Trump. In a May 2019 exchange, Epstein suggested that the painting's sale by Russian oligarch Dmitry Rybolovlev to Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman might have been a covert bribe to secure Trump's support on Middle Eastern policy, specifically his veto of a congressional resolution against U.S. involvement in the Yemen war. Epstein also noted that his "art guy" thought the painting wasn't very good.

mika rottenberg says trumps smithsonian situation is fucked up

Artist Mika Rottenberg, whose work is included in an upcoming show at the Smithsonian-run Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden, called the Trump administration's interference with the Smithsonian "fucked up" in a Vanity Fair article. She praised Amy Sherald for canceling a Smithsonian show, calling it "amazing." British artist Richard Long also expressed concern about the administration "strangling everything" at the institution. The article notes that many other artists with works slated for Smithsonian presentations—including Nick Cave, Paul Chan, Olafur Eliasson, Spencer Finch, and Rashid Johnson—declined to speak to Vanity Fair, reflecting a cautious environment. Dread Scott, however, has been vocal, calling for the regime to be driven from power and urging art institutions to support dissenting artists.

art basel paris loic prigent edward enninful

Art Basel has partnered with French journalist and filmmaker Loïc Prigent and British fashion editor Edward Enninful to curate public events at its upcoming Paris fair, running October 24–26 at the Grand Palais. Prigent will curate 'Oh La La!', an initiative inviting galleries to present new works during the fair's second half, while Enninful will oversee a day of talks under Art Basel's Conversations program, marking the launch of his media company EE72. The talks, held at the Petit Palais, will preview Enninful's exhibition 'The '90s' scheduled for Tate Britain next year.

consuelo kanaga brooklyn museum

The Brooklyn Museum has opened "Consuelo Kanaga: Catch the Spirit," a major solo exhibition dedicated to the pioneering American photographer Consuelo Kanaga (1894–1978). The show features nearly 200 works drawn from the museum's extensive collection of 2,000 negatives and 340 prints, gifted by Kanaga's third husband, artist Wallace Putnam. Kanaga, one of the nation's first women photojournalists, is celebrated for her socially conscious images capturing labor activists, the poor, and African Americans under Jim Crow laws, as well as cityscapes, portraits, and still lifes. The exhibition is organized with Madrid's Fundación MAPFRE and the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, and curated by Drew Sawyer, formerly of the Brooklyn Museum and now at the Whitney Museum of American Art.

sebastiao salgado photographer dead

Sebastião Salgado, the acclaimed Brazilian photographer known for his powerful black-and-white images documenting worker exploitation, environmental destruction, and human rights abuses, has died at age 81. His death was announced by Instituto Terra, the organization he co-founded with his wife Lélia Wanick Salgado. Salgado had been in declining health since contracting malaria in the 1990s. His work spanned decades and continents, from the Sahel desert to the Amazon rainforest, and he was widely regarded as one of the most beloved photographers of his generation.

smithsonian teams up with saudi arabias alula project

The Smithsonian’s National Museum of Asian Art (NMAA) has signed a formal partnership agreement with Saudi Arabia’s Royal Commission for AlUla (RCU), formalizing two years of behind-the-scenes collaboration. Signed by NMAA director Chase Robinson and RCU chief executive Abeer Al Akel, the deal covers joint archaeological research, exhibition loans, curatorial exchange, and professional development, with a focus on the ancient site of Dadan, a key stop on the Incense Road. The partnership is part of Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 plan to rebrand the kingdom as a global cultural destination.

10 chefs-d’œuvre de l’impressionnisme décryptés par Beaux Arts

Beaux Arts Magazine presents a detailed dossier analyzing ten iconic masterpieces of Impressionism, including works by Edgar Degas, Édouard Manet, Berthe Morisot, Auguste Renoir, Gustave Caillebotte, Claude Monet, and Mary Cassatt. The article explores the technical innovations, modern subjects, and revolutionary spirit of the movement, which began in 1874 and was initially rejected by critics. Each featured painting—such as *Le Déjeuner sur l’herbe*, *Impression, soleil levant*, and *Le Bal du moulin de la Galette*—is examined by art historians and journalists to reveal its composition, historical context, and lasting impact.

art sophie calle interview juergen teller

Cultured magazine publishes an interview with French conceptual artist Sophie Calle, conducted by a journalist who navigates Calle's characteristic conditions for the conversation. The article recounts the process of securing the interview—including a preliminary phone call from Calle to set rules—and describes Calle's home in the South of France, her tan arms, black sleeveless top, and signature glasses. The journalist references Calle's early photobooks published by Siglio, her "Unfinished" series displayed at the Musée Picasso in Paris (2023–24), and her project "The Address Book," which involved interviewing acquaintances of a stranger whose address book she found on the streets of Paris. The interview also touches on a companion catalog of moldy works after a flood in Calle's storage space, and a large photograph of dried flowers from architect Frank Gehry.

Switzerland’s flagship fair brings the art world to town

The article recounts a journalist's trip to Switzerland for Art Basel 2025 and the surrounding satellite events, including Zurich Art Weekend and visits to galleries and museums in Zurich and Bern. It highlights the participation of Canadian galleries like Catriona Jeffries and Eli Kerr, as well as encounters with artists such as Jeffrey Gibson, Monster Chetwynd, and Pipilotti Rist. The tour covers institutional highlights like the Kunsthalle Zürich, Kunsthaus Zürich, Zentrum Paul Klee, and the Kunstmuseum Bern, with exhibitions featuring Carol Rama, Kurt Schwitters, and Tai Shani.