Christie's 20/21 sales achieve $693 million

Christie's 20th and 21st Century Art sales in New York from 12-15 May 2025 achieved a total of $693 million across six sales, reaching 123% of the low estimate. The top lot was Piet Mondrian's 1922 painting *Composition with Large Red Plane, Bluish Gray, Yellow, Black and Blue*, which sold for $47.56 million. Other highlights included Claude Monet's *Peupliers au bord de l'Epte, crépuscule* (1891) at $42.96 million, and Marlene Dumas's *Miss January* (1997), which set a record for a living female artist. The Leonard & Louise Riggio collection alone brought $272 million, while the 20th Century Evening Sale achieved $217 million with a 100% sell-through rate. New artist records were set for Dorothea Tanning, Remedios Varo, Louis Fratino, Simone Leigh, and Emma McIntyre.

Jewelry By Picasso, Dalí on Display at Florida Art Museum

A new exhibition titled "Artists’ Jewelry: From Cubism to Pop, the Diane Venet Collection" has opened at the Norton Museum of Art in West Palm Beach, Florida. It features over 150 pieces of artist-designed jewelry from the personal collection of Diane Venet, including works by Pablo Picasso, Salvador Dalí, Alexander Calder, and Yoko Ono, displayed alongside about sixty companion works from the museum's permanent collection.

In Toscana il borgo di Monte San Savino si apre all’arte contemporanea con una mostra itinerante e di genere

The Tuscan hill town of Monte San Savino launched a contemporary art exhibition titled "Art Gender Gap" on International Women's Day, featuring 40 female artists and 53 works across multiple historic venues including the GAS, Chiesa di Santa Chiara, Palazzo Ciocchi di Monte, and the Renaissance Cisternone. Curated by Giuseppe Simone Modeo, Nicoletta Castellaneta, and Domenico de Chirico, the show includes loans from the National Museum of Women in the Arts in Washington (via its Italian committee president Claudia Pensotti Mosca), the Christian Levett collection, and the FAMM Museum in Mougin, France—a museum dedicated exclusively to women artists. Participating artists range from historical figures like Louise Bourgeois, Carol Rama, and Sonia Delaunay to contemporary names such as Kiki Smith, Pipilotti Rist, Marlene Dumas, Tracey Emin, and Mona Hatoum.

Performance, gioco, rischio. Il grande Paul McCarthy è in mostra a Madrid: l’intervista

Paul McCarthy's latest exhibition, titled "A&E," is on view at Bowman Hal gallery in Madrid, part of the SOLO CONTEMPORARY initiative founded by a Spanish collector couple. The show features large-scale works on paper and videos created in collaboration with German actress Lilith Stangenberg, exploring role-play, performance, and the blurred lines between art and entertainment. The acronym "A&E" alludes to historical pairs like Adam and Eve or Adolf Hitler and Eva Braun, as well as "Arts & Entertainment." The works stem from private encounters between McCarthy and Stangenberg, with drawings serving as storyboards for videos that capture their improvisational, trance-like interactions.

A new foundation for contemporary art has been born in Spain. Collector Gabriel Calparsoro told us about it

In Spagna è nata una nuova fondazione per l’arte contemporanea. Il collezionista Gabriel Calparsoro ce l’ha raccontata

The Calparsoro Foundation, a new contemporary art foundation, has been launched in Spain by collector Gabriel Calparsoro. Its inaugural event was the presentation of Isaac Julien's video installation "Once Again … (Statues never die)" at the Museo Lazaro Galdiano in Madrid. The foundation aims to share Calparsoro's private collection of around 180 works, which focuses on North American and international artists addressing political and social issues related to ethnic and gender minorities.

It's full of artworks behind the looks seen on the Met Gala 2026 red carpet

È pieno di opere d’arte dietro ai look visti sul red carpet del Met Gala 2026

The Met Gala 2026, held at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, adopted the dress code "Fashion Is Art," prompting designers and celebrities to transform their bodies into living canvases and sculptures. Notable looks included Emma Chamberlain in custom Mugler evoking Vincent van Gogh, Anne Hathaway wearing a Michael Kors Collection dress hand-painted by artist Peter McGough with ancient Greek iconography, and Madonna in a Saint Laurent by Anthony Vaccarello ensemble inspired by Leonora Carrington's surrealist work. Other celebrities like Kendall Jenner and Kylie Jenner referenced classical sculptures such as the Nike of Samothrace and Venus de Milo, while Anok Yai, in collaboration with Pierpaolo Piccioli for Balenciaga, created a metallic bronze effect honoring the Black Madonna.

art criticism lynne tillman paying attention book

Lynne Tillman celebrated the publication of her new collection, *Paying Attention: Essays on Art and Culture*, from David Zwirner Books, at an event hosted by Coco’s at Colette. The article features a conversation between Tillman and the author, in which she discusses her origin story as a critic, her background in fiction writing, and her unconventional entry into art criticism through an invitation from Craig Owens at *Art in America*. She recounts writing a Madame Realism story about a Renoir exhibition after eavesdropping on museum tours, a piece that angered some art historians.

Major News from International Museums: London's National Gallery Expands and Pompidou Opens in Seoul

Le grandi novità dei musei internazionali: cresce la National Gallery di Londra e il Pompidou apre a Seoul

The National Gallery in London has selected a design team led by Kengo Kuma and Associates, alongside BDP and MICA, to lead its massive £750 million expansion project titled 'Project Domani.' Chosen from 65 international entries, the winning proposal will transform the St Vincent House site into a new museum wing featuring a stepped Portland stone facade, public roof gardens, and light-filled galleries. The project coincides with the institution's bicentenary and has already secured half of its required funding through private and anonymous donations.

5 exhibitions in Provence for the 100th anniversary of Fragonard, the historic perfume house

5 mostre in Provenza per i 100 anni di Fragonard, la storica maison di profumi

The historic French perfume house Fragonard is preparing to celebrate its centenary in 2026 with a series of five exhibitions in Provence. Founded in 1926 by Eugène Fuchs and named in honor of the Rococo painter Jean-Honoré Fragonard, the maison has evolved into a significant cultural patron under the leadership of the Costa family. The upcoming celebrations highlight the family's extensive private collections, which span ancient perfume artifacts, traditional Provençal costumes, and fine art, housed across several free public museums in Grasse, Paris, and Arles.

parties moma ps1 50th anniversary

MoMA PS1 kicked off its 50th anniversary year with an intimate cocktail event at the Tribeca townhome of board member Michi Jigarjian, hosted by the museum's patron group the Greater New Yorkers. Over 100 guests—including artists, collectors, dealers, and curators—gathered for remarks from Director Connie Butler, Chief Curator Ruba Katrib, and co-chairs Leslie Fritz, Ed Tang, and Amitha Raman, followed by a performance by experimental cellist Dorothy Carlos. Attendees received a first look at the upcoming quinquennial exhibition "Greater New York 2026," which will feature over 50 New York-based artists, with a partial list including Farah Al Qasimi, Fields Harrington, Hardy Hill, Sofia Sinibaldi, and Julia Wachtel.

parties young artist prize 2025 mz wallace

CULTURED magazine and fashion brand MZ Wallace celebrated the 10-year anniversary of their Young Artists List with an event at (SUB)MERCER in SoHo, where they announced Iraqi-born, Los Angeles-based artist Ali Eyal as the winner of the 2025 Young Artist Prize. Eyal received an unrestricted $30,000 grant, selected by a jury of curators from the Met, the Hammer, and MoMA, for his multidisciplinary practice reflecting on violence endured during his upbringing in Baghdad.

Met Gala guests take artistic liberties with dress code

Guests at the 2025 Met Gala embraced the dress code 'Fashion is art' with bold, artistic ensembles. Beyoncé wore a custom Olivier Rousteing sculptural skeleton dress with a feathered train and diamond crown. Naomi Osaka stunned in a Robert Wun white sculptural dress that revealed a red beaded gown underneath. Emma Chamberlain arrived in a hand-painted Mugler dress by Miguel Castro Freitas. Co-chairs Anna Wintour, Nicole Kidman, and Venus Williams also made statements, with Williams wearing a sparkling gown in homage to her own portrait by Robert Pruitt. Many guests referenced famous artworks, such as Lena Dunham channeling Artemisia Gentileschi's 'Judith Slaying Holofernes' through a Valentino design by Alessandro Michele, and Lauren Sánchez Bezos wearing a Schiaparelli gown inspired by John Singer Sargent's 'Madame X.'

미시시피미술관 '사진과 흑인미술운동, 1955-1985'(7/25-11/8) - Lounge

The Mississippi Museum of Art (MMA) presents "Photography and the Black Arts Movement, 1955–1985," a landmark exhibition exploring the role of photography in fostering Black visual culture and identity during the civil rights and Black Arts Movement eras. The show features approximately 150 works by over 100 artists, including Dawoud Bey, Gordon Parks, and Carrie Mae Weems, drawn primarily from the National Gallery of Art's collection, and runs from July 25 to November 8, 2026, as the final stop on a national tour.

Australian artist Khaled Sabsabi reveals details of presentations in the Australia Pavilion and in the International Exhibition In Minor Keys at Biennale Arte 2026 – News Hub

Australian artist Khaled Sabsabi will present two major installations at the 2026 Venice Biennale. At the Australia Pavilion, he unveils "conference of one’s self," an immersive multisensory work featuring eight monumental canvas paintings, video projections, and a soundscape inspired by a 12th-century Sufi allegory. Simultaneously, he becomes the first Australian artist to also exhibit in the International Exhibition, titled "In Minor Keys" curated by Koyo Kouoh, with a second installation called "khalil" at the Arsenale. Both works explore spirituality, migration, and shared humanity through a framework of Sufi thought.

Khaled Sabsabi Unveils Biennale Arte 2026 Showcase

Khaled Sabsabi will represent Australia at the 61st Venice Biennale in 2026 with two major installations. At the Australia Pavilion, he presents "conference of one's self," an immersive multisensory installation featuring eight monumental canvas paintings, suspended video projectors, and an analogue soundscape, all inspired by the 12th-century Sufi allegory "The Conference of the Birds." In a historic first for an Australian artist, Sabsabi also debuts a second work, "khalil," in the Biennale's main exhibition "In Minor Keys" curated by Koyo Kouoh at the Arsenale. Both works explore spirituality, migration, and shared humanity through a Sufi philosophical framework.

Is an auction house's loss a gallery's gain? Pilar Ordovas collaborates with former Sotheby's specialists for African and Oceanic art show

Pilar Ordovas opens an exhibition at her Mayfair gallery titled *Dialogues: European, American, African and Oceanic Art from the 20th and 21st Centuries*, running from 9 October to 12 December. The show is a collaboration with Jean Fritts, former international chairman of African & Oceanic Art at Sotheby’s, and Pierre Mollfulleda, formerly head of Sotheby’s African & Oceanic Art department in Paris. It pairs Modern and contemporary Western works with African and Oceanic objects that inspired them, including pieces from the landmark 1984 MoMA exhibition "Primitivism" in 20th Century Art.

These are the 5 Kansas City art exhibits you need to explore this summer

This article highlights five must-see art exhibitions in Kansas City for summer 2025, curated by KCUR's Adventure newsletter. Featured shows include the Kansas City Flatfile + Digitalfile at KCAI Artspace, a massive showcase of over 200 emerging 2D artists; "North by Southeast: A Kansas City Double Feature" at Holsum Gallery and Gallery Athanor, a collaborative exhibition of six local emerging artists; and "Iro to Katachi (Colors and Shapes)" at Leedy-Voulkos Art Center, a solo show by Japanese-American sculptor Rie Egawa. Other notable mentions include a two-person exhibition "Threshold III: Ancestral Memory" at the same venue.

Where to see art in Houston now: 9 fun new exhibits opening in July

Nine new art exhibitions are opening in Houston in July, spanning traditional paintings, sculptures, high-tech immersive shows, and textile works. Highlights include Nick Vaughan and Jake Margolin's "Town Meeting 1978-2028" at Art League Houston, which uses wind-drawing techniques to explore pre-Stonewall queer histories; Jeffly Gabriela Molina's "Fragmentos de un sueño que yo también soñé," focusing on immigrant experiences of home and memory; and Lin Qiqing's "Every Fiber of Their Bodies," weaving narratives of gender, immigration, and human relationships. The Menil Collection also re-installs René Magritte paintings after their return from a major retrospective in Sydney.

Sargent and Paris

The article announces an exhibition titled "Sargent and Paris" at The Metropolitan Museum of Art, focusing on John Singer Sargent's formative decade in Paris from his arrival in 1874 through the mid-1880s. It traces his rapid rise as a young American art student who studied under Carolus-Duran at the École des Beaux-Arts, immersed himself in Parisian cultural life, and produced daring portraits of cosmopolitan subjects. The exhibition highlights key works including his scandalous success "Madame X" and other canvases that captured Parisian society, culminating in his reputation as the era's greatest portrait painter.

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Derrick Adams to Install Monumental Portrait of Koyo Kouoh in Venice During the Biennale

Artist Derrick Adams will install a monumental banner version of his collage "Heavy is the head that wears the crown" (2026) on the facade of the Palazzetto dello sport Giobatta Gianquinto in Venice, near the Arsenale, during the Venice Biennale. The work features a portrait of the late curator Koyo Kouoh, artistic director of the 2026 Venice Biennale, with the word "JOY" radiating golden rays above her head. The tribute was conceived by curator Francesco Bonami, who had invited Kouoh to serve on the Golden Lion jury for his 2003 Biennale, and developed after a studio visit with Adams.

More than 30 exhibitions on display in May at art centers from Marco Island to Sarasota

More than 30 exhibitions are on display in May at art centers across Southwest Florida, from Marco Island to Sarasota. Venues like Art Center Sarasota host shows featuring member, regional, and nationally renowned artists, including the "North Sarasota County Schools Spring Art Show" with over 1,500 student artists, solo exhibitions by Anja Palombo and Cat Tesla, and the "Architects Who Art" show co-curated by Morris Hylton III.

"Transformations" Art Exhibit at Wilton's browngrotta arts Explores Inventive Uses of Materials in Art

Wilton gallery browngrotta arts will present "Transformations: Dialogues in Art and Material" from May 9-17, 2026, a Spring exhibition exploring how artists transform materials such as clay, silk, steel, bark, seaweed, bamboo, and horsehair. The show features nearly three dozen international artists, including Kiyomi Iwata, John McQueen, Marian Bijlenga, Toshiko Takaezu, and Kay Sekimachi, whose works demonstrate what curator Glenn Adamson calls "material intelligence"—a deep understanding of material properties and possibilities. Co-curator Tom Grotta notes that artists often start with the same material yet arrive at remarkably distinct outcomes, revealing how artistic vision reshapes substance itself.

Artists take a satirical look at the financial crisis in a new London show

Three emerging artists—Jenna Bliss, Buck Ellison, and Jasmine Gregory—present a multi-media exhibition titled 'Genuine Fake Premium Economy' at London’s Institute of Contemporary Arts (ICA). The show satirically examines the societal and economic fallout of the 2008 financial crisis, using works that critique capitalism, inheritance, and art-world stereotypes. Gregory repaints Patek Philippe ads to expose class structures, Bliss films a fictional art fair that blurs reality and fiction, and Ellison creates lightboxes for a fictional private bank, manipulating corporate language and philosophy.

NEXT in the Gallery: See Pittsburgh-made art in the streets, coffeehouses and a warehouse in Brooklyn

NEXTpittsburgh's August gallery guide highlights a wave of Pittsburgh-made art appearing in streets, coffeehouses, open studios, and even a warehouse in Brooklyn. Featured exhibitions include the Pittsburgh Photography Club's 140-year retrospective at Manos Gallery, Monica Matthews' graphite pencil drawings at Ruckus Coffee Gallery & Café, the juried group show "Living Canvas III" at Studio 4, Kristin Divers' pastel solo show at Mark Rengers Gallery, the multimedia group exhibition "Horizons" at Castle Consortia, and Annie Heisey's paintings at Sweetwater Center for the Arts. The month also includes a one-night solo show by New Orleans muralist Dago at Studio 4.

Zero Art Fair Isn’t Selling Art—It’s Giving It Away, With Just a Few Caveats

Zero Art Fair, debuting its second edition at the FLAG Art Foundation in New York City from July 10 to 12, offers a radical alternative to traditional art fairs: attendees can take home selected artworks for free. The fair uses a "store-to-own" contract developed by artist William Powhida, NYU professor Amy Whitaker, and artist-attorney Alfred Steiner. Participants commit to a five-year vesting period before ownership transfers, during which artists retain rights to sell or borrow the work. After transfer, artists receive 50 percent of any sale price and a 10 percent royalty on subsequent resales. The fair was conceived by Powhida and artist Jennifer Dalton, rooted in their experiences with unsold work and structural gaps in the art market.

NEXT in the Gallery: July art is a ‘time capsule of medieval Pittsburgh’

NEXTpittsburgh's July gallery guide highlights a range of new exhibitions and events across Pittsburgh. Featured shows include Nathan Van Patter's 'Medieval Pittsburgh' at Irma Freeman Center for Imagination, which reimagines the city's modern figures and landmarks in a medieval fantasy style; 'Five on Five' at Spinning Plate Gallery presenting new works by five local painters; Ben Schonberger's 'Hi-NRG' at 707 Penn Gallery, drawing from gay underground visual culture and disco music; and Ashley Andrykovitch's 'LAN Party' at UnSmoke Systems Artspace, inspired by 1990s local area network gaming gatherings.

NEXT in the Gallery: June art brings John Lennon, the Fiberart International and a moral compass

NEXTpittsburgh's June gallery guide highlights a packed month of art events across Pittsburgh, including the Dollar Bank Three Rivers Arts Festival (June 5-8) with 191 artists, a Juried Visual Arts Exhibition at SPACE Gallery, and a rare photography exhibit by May Pang documenting John Lennon's "lost weekend" at Atithi Studios. Other openings include ceramicist Philip Soucy's solo show, painter Caroline Heckman's portraits at Revel, Stephanie Gonzalez's cosmic "Nebulas" at BoxHeart Gallery, the Fiberart International 2025 triennial at Contemporary Craft and Brew House Arts, and Natalie Westbrook's "Corners of My Mind" at ZYNKA Gallery.

Quatre Moreau le Jeune pour Versailles

The French state has preempted four drawings by Jean-Michel Moreau le Jeune at a Christie's Paris auction, securing them for the Palace of Versailles. The works, sold in two lots, depict the festivities in Paris following the birth of the Dauphin Louis Joseph in autumn 1781, including the arrival of the Queen at the Hôtel de Ville and a fireworks display. The drawings were commissioned by the City of Paris and were intended to be engraved, marking a high point of public commissions under the ancien régime. The preemption was made possible through the support of the Friends of the Louvre, echoing a similar acquisition of Hubert Robert works from the same Veil-Picard sale.

Two Hubert Robert paintings from Madame Geoffrin offered to the museum by the Friends of the Louvre

Deux Hubert Robert de Madame Geoffrin offerts au musée par les Amis du Louvre

Two paintings by Hubert Robert, once owned by Madame Geoffrin, were acquired by the Musée du Louvre through a preemptive purchase at Christie’s Paris on March 25. The works sold for €1,950,000 hammer (€2,439,000 with fees) and are being donated to the museum by the Société des Amis du Louvre. The paintings, described as 18th-century snapshots, were part of the historic Veil-Picard collection and will undergo restoration before being displayed.