The 2025 edition of TEFAF Maastricht has opened with 277 dealers from 24 countries, showcasing 7,000 years of art history despite significant geopolitical instability in the Middle East. While the fair remains a premier destination for Old Masters and high-end antiques, exhibitors are navigating logistical hurdles caused by regional conflicts and airport closures in major transit hubs like Dubai.
British artist Dylan Doe explores the physical manifestations of digital saturation in his solo exhibition, "Muscle Memory," at Mandy Zhang Art in London. The body of work focuses on "bodily glitches"—involuntary physical actions, such as attempting to zoom in on a physical drawing, that stem from repetitive interactions with technology. Through a surrealist lens, Doe’s paintings depict disembodied limbs and futuristic armatures that reflect a synthesis of sentient and non-sentient elements.
London-based gallerist and advisor Varvara Roza has established a unique business model that merges commercial representation with strategic artist development and collector education. Drawing from her background as a second-generation collector, Roza’s eponymous gallery focuses on mid-career and established international artists, prioritizing long-term career sustainability over short-term market trends. Her approach emphasizes a dual perspective, acting as both a mediator of cultural value and a strategic manager for her roster.
louvre robbery
The Louvre Museum has announced a massive €80 million ($92 million) security overhaul following a brazen daytime heist on October 19, where thieves stole imperial jewels valued at €88 million. The investigation revealed significant institutional failures, including outdated software and weak passwords like "Louvre," allowing local thieves to enter via a movers' lift and escape on scooters in under seven minutes. While four suspects from the Paris suburbs have been charged, the majority of the stolen items remain unrecovered.
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.
A trove of previously undeveloped films shot by Andy Warhol and his team has been recovered and processed. The hour-long collection includes eight new Screen Test portraits, unused footage for known films, and significant pornographic footage predating his famous 'Blue Movie.' The films will premiere in a one-night-only screening at the Museum of Modern Art in New York.
Dib Bangkok, Thailand's first international-standard contemporary art museum, opened on December 20 with a festive and dramatic inauguration in Bangkok. Founded by the late industrialist and art collector Petch Osathanugrah and completed by his son Purat "Chang" Osathanugrah, the museum debuted with the exhibition "(In)Visible Presence," curated by Ariana Chaivaranon and Dr. Miwako Tezuka, featuring 81 works by 40 artists from the museum's collection. The opening included a visceral performance by Marco Fusinato, where Chang struck a wall with a baseball bat to complete the artwork, symbolizing a "big bang" for Thailand's cultural landscape.
Laurence des Cars, president of the Louvre, is under pressure to resign after a tense Senate hearing on Wednesday, October 2025, following the theft of $102 million worth of imperial jewels. Lawmakers questioned her failure to act on security warnings from audits commissioned in 2017 and 2018 by her predecessor, Jean-Luc Martinez. Des Cars claimed she was unaware of those audits until after the theft. In response, she has accelerated a $92 million security plan, including 100 additional cameras, a new security coordination hire, and a 20% budget increase for staff training. She also announced a new internal audit on information sharing within the museum's bureaucracy, which she described as disorganized.
Kevin McGarry reviews the debut issue of *Even*, a new print art journal launched by *Guardian* contributor Jason Farago during Frieze New York. Named after a phrase from Marcel Duchamp's *The Bride Stripped Bare By Her Bachelors, Even*, the magazine is a small, paperback-sized publication that prioritizes text over images, positioning itself as an antidote to market-driven art discourse. The first issue features a lengthy essay on artist Joan Jonas by Elisabeth Lebovici, timed to Jonas's U.S. pavilion at the 56th Venice Biennale, and a piece by Zachary Woolfe on the Björk exhibition at MoMA. McGarry critiques the journal's ambition to revitalize art criticism, noting that while its goals are lofty, the content sometimes falls back on familiar artspeak.
The editor's letter for the 2025 ARTnews Top 200 Collectors issue recounts a cinematic moment at Art Week Riyadh in Saudi Arabia, where a government-affiliated collector described their role as "everyone and no one," reflecting the behind-the-scenes, museum-focused art acquisitions under Vision 2030. The issue features a report by Melissa Gronlund on the Gulf art scene, noting that Saudi Arabia is prioritizing museums and noncommercial programming before an independent market can emerge, while private collectors and foundations are also gaining ground. The article also highlights the cooling art market in Europe and the US, with collector Christen Sveaas criticizing blue-chip galleries for over-commercial pricing strategies.
Schoelkopf Gallery in New York has opened "Mary Abbott: To Draw Imagination," the first comprehensive survey exhibition dedicated to Abstract Expressionist painter Mary Abbott, who died in 2019. The show follows the gallery's announcement that it now represents Abbott's estate. Abbott, born in 1921 into a prominent New York family with presidential lineage, studied at the Art Students League and Subjects of the Artists, and showed alongside Jackson Pollock, Willem de Kooning, and others in the landmark 1951 Ninth Street Show, yet her legacy has remained largely overlooked.
An anonymous buyer purchased an untitled René Magritte drawing on eBay for $1,580 in January 2025. The work, executed in ballpoint pen, colored pencil, and pencil on paper, will be auctioned by Rago/Wright in Lambertville, New Jersey on May 21 with a high estimate of $150,000—a nearly hundred-fold increase. The drawing depicts three giant white chess pieces towering over a landscape and once belonged to Mora Henskens, companion of Harry Torczyner, a friend and collector of the artist. It was acquired by Henskens from Magritte's widow, Georgette Berger Magritte, and later sold through VanDeRee Auctions before appearing on eBay.
Was man in Venedig unbedingt vermeiden sollte
The article humorously critiques the Venice Biennale, highlighting several disappointments. It describes a Japanese pavilion installation by Ei Arakawa-Nash featuring baby dolls for diaper-changing, which a critic dismisses as a male artist over-romanticizing parenthood. Other flops include long queues for the German and Austrian pavilions, underwhelming main exhibition "In Minor Keys," and annoying self-promotional performers outside venues. The piece also laments the presence of loud American collectors and donors who dominate the event.
Große Krise, kleine Gesten
The article reviews the second edition of the Klima Biennale Wien, which opened in early April in Vienna. It notes that while the biennale aims to address the urgent triple crisis of climate change, biodiversity loss, and pollution, its execution falls short. The exhibition features symbolic works such as a beached whale, a broken boat, and a compostable SUV sculpture, but these motifs feel repetitive and lack the necessary impact. The author contrasts these with historical precedents like Menashe Kadishman's 1978 Venice Biennale installation and Joseph Beuys' "7000 Eichen" (1982), arguing that the themes of nature and sustainability are not new, only the urgency has intensified.
Tate Modern has announced its 2027 exhibition program, headlined by "Monet: Painting Time," the museum's first-ever solo exhibition dedicated to Claude Monet since it opened 26 years ago. The show, opening February 27, 2027, will feature rarely seen works from global lenders and new research, following an initial presentation at the Musée de l'Orangerie in Paris opening this September to mark the centenary of Monet's death.
The 61st Venice Biennale, titled "In Minor Keys" and curated by the late Swiss-Cameroonian curator Koyo Kouoh, opened in 2026. The main exhibition at the Arsenale and Giardini features works by artists such as Éric Baudelaire, Maria Magdalena Campos Pons, Mohammed Z. Rahman, Sohrab Hura, and Rose Salane, among others. The exhibition centers on themes of mourning, colonial history, slavery, and healing, with works like Baudelaire's video installation linking the flower trade to the transatlantic slave trade, and a tribute section honoring artists Beverly Buchanan and Issa Samb.
Qui est Yto Barrada, représentante de la France à la Biennale de Venise avec une œuvre-monde ?
Yto Barrada, the artist representing France at the 2026 Venice Biennale, has created a multidisciplinary installation titled "Saturne" for the French Pavilion. The work centers on textiles and natural dyeing, weaving together themes of postcolonial history, migration, craft transmission, and the symbolism of Saturn—from its astronomical mystery to its mythological role as the devourer of children. The installation features wool curtains, Aubusson tapestry, goat skins, wasp-nest sculptures, masks, muzzles, a color chart, and video, all housed in a renovated pavilion designed with the help of numerous artisans. Barrada, born in Paris in 1971 and raised in Tangier, founded the Cinémathèque de Tanger and later The Mothership, a research center focused on textiles and natural dyes. The exhibition is curated by Myriam Ben Salah.
The 2026 Venice Biennale has opened to the public, featuring the main exhibition 'In Minor Keys' conceived by the late Cameroonian Swiss curator Koyo Kouoh, who died unexpectedly in May 2025. Kouoh, the first African woman appointed to lead the Biennale, had her curatorial team—including Rasha Salti, Marie Hélène Pereira, and Gabe Beckhurst Feijoo—carry forward her vision of art as a 'shared and sustaining force.' The opening was weighted with politics and emotion.
The 2026 Venice Biennale is embroiled in multiple controversies, including the cancellation and reinstatement of Australia's representative artist Khaled Sabsabi, ongoing calls to bar Israel from participating, criticism over allowing Russia to participate, and mounting voices to exclude the U.S. in response to President Donald Trump's actions in Iran. Despite these disputes, the article highlights that many of the city's most exciting shows will take place away from the main Biennale venues.
At the Guggenheim, Carol Bove Bends Metal—and Minimalism—to Her Will
A major new exhibition of Carol Bove's work has opened at the Guggenheim Museum in New York. Titled "Carol Bove: The séance isn't over," the show features over two dozen of the artist's large-scale sculptures, many crafted from delicately arranged steel tubing and precariously balanced metal plates. The installations are strategically placed within the museum's iconic rotunda, creating a dynamic conversation with the Frank Lloyd Wright-designed spiral.
How This Cannabis CEO Brings an Edge to Art Collecting
A cannabis industry CEO is applying the aggressive, data-driven tactics of his business to the art market, building a significant collection focused on underrepresented artists. Steve DeAngelo, co-founder of Harborside Inc., leverages his company's analytical approach to identify value and emerging trends, targeting works by artists of color, women, and LGBTQ+ creators that he believes are undervalued by the traditional market.
The article highlights several collateral events not to miss at the 61st Venice Biennale, including "The Spirits of Maritime Crossing 2026" at Palazzo Rocca Contarini Corfù, featuring 20 artists from Southeast Asia, Ireland, and Serbia, anchored by Marina Abramović's performance piece "Sea Punishing" (2006). Other notable exhibitions include a seven-decade survey of Korean artist Lee Ufan at San Marco Art Centre, "TURANDOT: To the Daughters of the East" at ACP Palazzo Franchetti featuring 11 female artists from Central Asia, Li Yi-Fan's "Screen Melancholy" at Palazzo delle Prigioni, and Nalini Malani's "Of Woman Born" at Magazzini del Sale.
Art Basel Hong Kong 2026 drew 91,500 visitors and featured 240 galleries at the Convention and Exhibition Centre, alongside over 100 galleries at Art Central, three new boutique fairs, four new art spaces, multiple auction previews, and dozens of institutional shows and gallery openings. Despite a challenging 2025 that saw mega-galleries Pace and Perrotin close their Hong Kong spaces and auction results hit an eight-year low, blue-chip galleries reported strong sales, including David Zwirner’s USD 3.8 million sale of Liu Ye’s "Snow White" (2006) and Hauser & Wirth’s USD 2.95 million sale of a Louise Bourgeois work. The prevailing sentiment among collectors and gallerists was cautious optimism, with the phrase "Are you surviving?" overheard frequently.
The fourth edition of "Spectrosynthesis," Sunpride Foundation's exhibition series dedicated to LGBTQ+ art in Asia, opens at Art Sonje Center in Seoul. Curated by Sunjung Kim and Youngwoo Lee, the show unfolds in two parts: "The Two-Sided Seashell" and "Tender: Invisibly Visible, Unlocatably Everywhere," featuring works by artists including Sin Wai Kin and Young-Jun Tak. The exhibition engages with queer theory, particularly José Esteban Muñoz's concept of queerness as a horizon of potentiality, and responds to South Korea's recent political turbulence, including the 2024 martial law declaration and presidential impeachment.
Artnet News resurfaces an interview with painter Taína H. Cruz, who is featured in both the Whitney Biennial and MoMA PS1's Greater New York exhibition. Cruz, born in 1998 and a recent MFA graduate from Yale School of Painting, creates moody paintings often depicting Black female figures, drawing on African American and Caribbean folklore, horror, fantasy, and personal imagery. The interview, conducted by Ben Davis, explores her influences and her response to the sudden surge of attention from major institutions.
Philadelphia is set to launch a new contemporary art fair called Elsewhere on June 4, organized by Megan Galardi, founder of Blah Blah Gallery. The fair will take over the Yowie Hotel, a pair of 1900s rowhouses, featuring 26 galleries from cities including Los Angeles, Toronto, and London. Booth prices are kept low—around $3,000 for the largest rooms—and some exhibitors can sleep in their spaces to reduce costs. Participating galleries include Harlesden High Street, DARLA, and Blah Blah Gallery, with artists such as Patricia Renee’ Thomas, Emmanuel Massillon, and Qualeasha Wood. The fair also includes panels, DJ sets, reciprocal museum tours, and VIP studio visits.
A legal battle over a collection of 1,800 paintings attributed to Russian modernist masters has escalated after the litigation funder backing the claimants, LitFin, raised concerns it may have been misled about the works' authenticity. The funder is now in a dispute with the claimants, the family of the late Palestinian collector Uthman Khatib, over halted payments and control of the lawsuits, which seek the return of the paintings or $323 million from Israeli-Russian businessman Mozes Frisch, who is accused of stealing them.
A self-portrait by Artemisia Gentileschi sold for $5.69 million at Christie’s New York, setting a new auction record for the artist. The painting, *Self-Portrait as Saint Catherine of Alexandria*, is one of only five self-portraits by Gentileschi and is believed to be the earliest, painted when she was around 20 years old in Florence. It far exceeded its presale estimate of $2.5–$3.5 million. On the same day, the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., announced its acquisition of another Gentileschi work, *Mary Magdalene in Ecstasy* (circa 1625), funded by a gift from Nina J. Cohen and the Patrons’ Permanent Fund.
A previously unknown Michelangelo drawing, a red chalk study for the foot of the Libyan Sibyl on the Sistine Chapel ceiling, was discovered after an owner submitted a photograph to Christie's online estimate service. The work, created around 1511–12, sold at Christie's New York for $27.2 million, far exceeding its $1.5–2 million estimate and setting a new auction record for a Michelangelo drawing. The anonymous seller inherited the piece from his grandmother, and it had been in his family since the late 1700s.
A recently rediscovered painting by Baroque artist Artemisia Gentileschi sold for €865,000 ($1.19 million) at a Sotheby's Paris auction, shattering the artist's previous auction record set in 1998. The work, which had been hidden for over 80 years in southern France, fetched nearly three times its presale estimate after being identified by Sotheby's Old Master department.