Ten of the best by Banksy — from Queen Victoria to Kate Moss

Christie’s has highlighted ten of Banksy’s most iconic works following a dedicated online auction held in March 2026. The selection spans the artist's career, featuring famous motifs such as the 'Flower Thrower Triptych'—originally sold through his Gross Domestic Product pop-up shop—and 'NOLA,' a commentary on the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. Other notable entries include his 'Pulp Fiction' parody featuring bananas and the globally recognized 'Girl with Balloon,' which continues to command high prices on the secondary market.

For Which It Stands...

The Fairfield University Art Museum has launched "For Which It Stands…," a landmark exhibition featuring over 70 artworks that utilize the American flag as a central motif. Curated by Carey Mack Weber, the show spans more than a century of artistic production, from World War I-era paintings by Childe Hassam to contemporary works by artists such as Julie Mehretu and Danielle Scott. The exhibition is a centerpiece of the university's America250 programming, marking the 250th anniversary of the United States.

National Museum of Asian Art Explores the Power of Water in New Exhibition Featuring Hiroshi Senju and Bingyi

The Smithsonian’s National Museum of Asian Art will present “Into the Waters with Senju and Bingyi: Two Contemporary Paintings,” a new exhibition opening April 2 and running through Aug. 23. It features two recent paintings by Hiroshi Senju (born 1958) and Bingyi (born 1975), each offering hypnotic visualizations of water. Senju’s pair of folding screens reimagines waterfalls using traditional Japanese techniques and contemporary methods, while Bingyi’s hanging scrolls, created with cloth and paper wrapped around an uprooted tree, incorporate natural elements like sea breeze and humidity. The exhibition marks the first showing of these works, which were acquired to expand the museum’s contemporary collections.

Comment | Digital art today has a narcissism problem

Art Basel Miami Beach's new digital art section, Zero 10, featured a heavily subsidized presentation curated by Eli Scheinman, bypassing the fair's usual selection process. The centerpiece was Beeple's installation "Regular Animals" (2025), which displayed dog-like robots with humanoid masks of figures including Kim Jong-un, Elon Musk, and Beeple himself, which critics argue lacks substantive critique and relies on shallow satire.

Booming stock market is fueling a mega-billion return to classic art and a backlash to junk

A booming stock market and increased disposable income among the ultra-wealthy have fueled a $2.2 billion fall auction season in New York, led by Gustav Klimt's "Portrait of Elisabeth Lederer," which sold for $236.4 million at Sotheby's. Other major sales include Frida Kahlo's "El sueño (la cama)" setting a record for a female artist at $55 million, and Mark Rothko's "No. 31 Yellow Stripe" fetching $62 million at Christie's. The surge is attributed to a convergence of high-quality estates coming to market—including those of Leonard Lauder, Robert and Patricia Ross Weis, and Jay and Cindy Pritzker—and renewed confidence among wealthy buyers after a stagnant period for art prices.

Mandopop Icon Jay Chou Curates Two Dazzling Sales of Art and Memorabilia

Taiwanese Mandopop superstar Jay Chou has curated two simultaneous auctions on Pharrell Williams's platform Joopiter: one featuring 14 personal memorabilia items from his three-decade career, and another titled "The Contemporary Take: A Look With Jay Chou" offering 25 paintings and prints by international artists. Highlights include works by Oscar Yi Hou, Young-il Ahn, Daniel Richter, Hajime Sorayama, Diane Dal-Pra, Ernie Barnes, and Yoshitomo Nara. Bidding closes on October 31 for the art sale and November 4 for the memorabilia. Proceeds from the memorabilia sale will support a charitable initiative backed by Chou.

Peter Doig is bringing a cult classic London pub back to life—here's why it matters

Artist Peter Doig and his partner, gallerist Parinaz Mogadassi, have purchased McGlynn's, a beloved London pub in King's Cross that closed after its landlord Gerry died in 2023. They submitted a planning application to restore the Grade II listed building, preserving its original character while ensuring it remains a functioning pub. Doig, who lived near the pub in the 1980s, bought the building opposite to open a gallery, with a Merry Alpern show opening October 13 organized by Tramps.

The Ohio Art League's Newest Exhibit Features Uncensored, Provocative Art at RAW Gallery

The Ohio Art League has opened a new exhibition titled "Uncensored" at RAW Gallery in Downtown Columbus, running from July 13 through September 12, 2025. The show features provocative, unfiltered artworks that address politically charged topics such as gun violence and reproductive rights. Participating artists include Jim Bowling, a professor at Otterbein University, whose sculpture "Second Amendment Rites" critiques gun violence and was previously questioned for being "too political"; Gwen Waight, whose assemblage "Free Abortion" was censored in another show over funding concerns; and Kenia LaMarr, a master's student at Ohio State University, whose painting "Virtuous Intimacy" explores the sexualization of women's bodies. The exhibition is free and open to the public.

11 Worst Modern Art Collection & It’s Reviews

The article presents a list of what it considers the worst modern artworks, including Jackson Pollock's abstract expressionist paintings, Tracey Emin's installation 'My Bed,' and Damien Hirst's project 'The Currency.' It offers personal commentary and critical reviews for each piece, questioning their artistic merit and cultural value.

Justin Sun and David Geffen's legal feud over $78m Giacometti sculpture expands

Crypto billionaire Justin Sun and entertainment mogul David Geffen are escalating their legal dispute over Alberto Giacometti's sculpture *Le Nez* (1947), valued at $78.3 million. Sun alleges that his former art adviser, Sydney Xiong, sold the sculpture to Geffen without authorization using forged documents and fake lawyers, and that Xiong is now detained in China. Geffen countersues, calling Sun's claims "bizarre and baseless," pointing to inconsistencies in Sun's story and his financial troubles.

Illustrative Artist: Anthony Bartley’s Journey From Science into the Gallery

Anthony Bartley, a 27-year-old artist from Chicago's South Side, is presenting twenty acrylic paintings from 2023 to the present in his solo exhibition “Words I’ve Never Said: A Community Healing and Art Exhibition” in Hyde Park. The show explores themes of love, grief, and mental health, doubling as a creative space for community engagement. Bartley’s journey began with childhood interests in anime, Pokémon cards, and video games like Kingdom Hearts and Halo Reach, later influenced by his mother Jeanette, a dean at Triton College, who exposed him to science. He initially majored in molecular biology at Washington University in St. Louis before turning to art as a form of journaling, developing a style he calls “illustrative painting” that blends pop art and street art elements.

At MoMA, Duchamp Vanishes Into the Shadow of His Own Legend

EXPO Chicago 2026 serves as the backdrop for a series of compelling exhibitions across the city, ranging from Josh Brainin’s frantic two-channel video installation at Tala to a group show at the Chicago Cultural Center exploring the city's physical and social infrastructure. These curated highlights showcase a mix of local talent and conceptual rigor, emphasizing Chicago's diverse contemporary art landscape during the major international fair.

in leaked transcript unt dean cites politics as the reason behind cancelation of show with anti ice art show

University of North Texas (UNT) Dean Karen Hutzel revealed in leaked transcripts that the cancellation of artist Victor “Marka27” Quiñonez’s exhibition was an "institutional directive" driven by political pressure. The show, titled “Ni de Aquí, Ni de Allá,” featured art critical of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and was abruptly shut down shortly after opening. Hutzel warned faculty that the university is "vulnerable" to retaliation from Texas state officials who have previously targeted academic programs and funding at other state institutions over ideological disagreements.

appeals court clears spanish dealer convent sculpture

The High Court of Justice of Andalusia has overturned a four-year prison sentence for antiques dealer Santos Boy Jiménez Cortés, who was previously convicted of misappropriating a 17th-century Baroque sculpture. The artwork, 'Saint Margaret of Cortona' by José de Mora, was purchased from the Our Lady of the Angels convent in Granada for €21,600 before being resold to a Madrid gallery and eventually offered at TEFAF New York for €400,000. The court ruled that the nuns' claims—that they had only requested a restoration budget rather than selling the piece—were inconsistent and lacked documentation.

artist renee good last words new york ice office

Performance artist Maria De Victoria spent Tuesday chanting the last words of Renee Nicole Good—a poet and mother killed by an ICE agent in Minneapolis—outside the ICE field office in New York City's Jacob K. Javits Federal Building. Dressed in a coat bearing Good's phrase "I'm not mad at you, dude," De Victoria performed the endurance piece from sunrise to sunset as an act of dissent against federal immigration crackdowns. The work concluded with a silent vigil, and De Victoria, an immigrant from Peru represented by Desnivel Gallery, has a history of politically charged endurance performances.

artdiscovery launches insured authenticity guarantee

ArtDiscovery, a scientific art analysis firm with offices in London and New York, has launched what it calls the world's first insured authenticity guarantee for artworks. The service combines connoisseurship, provenance research, laboratory science, and proprietary AI, then backs the conclusion with an insurance policy from an A+ rated global insurer. If a certified attribution is later proven incorrect, the policy covers financial loss to the artwork's owner. The company's CEO, Denis Moiseev, and CFO, Steven Maslow, explained that the insured certificate is priced at 60 basis points of the certified value and travels with the artwork as a transferable warranty. The launch follows ArtDiscovery's acquisition by Hephaestus Analytical, a London-based tech company that uses AI, provenance research, and chemical analysis for authentication.

Art Exhibits: What's on display in the Fort Wayne area

The article lists current and upcoming art exhibitions in the Fort Wayne, Indiana area, including shows at The Orchard Gallery of Fine Art, Garrett Museum of Art, Clark Gallery, ArtSpace/Lima, Fort Wayne Museum of Art, Artlink, Ruth Koomler Art Gallery, Foellinger-Freimann Botanical Conservatory, Visual Arts Gallery at Purdue University Fort Wayne, Allen County Public Library, Langhinrichs Art Gallery, and Atelier. Featured artists include Heidi Malott, Hope Wallace, Greg Lookerse, Jim Gabbard, Angela Green, Chuck Sperry, Jeff Schofield, Katherine Kratzer, Julie Wall, Andrea Granger, and KristinA, with exhibitions ranging from oil paintings and mixed-media to photography, printmaking, and electric vehicle art.

1-54 Contemporary African Art Fair highlights Afro-Brazilian art

The 1-54 Contemporary African Art Fair will return to New York's Starrett-Lehigh Building from May 13 to May 17, 2026, for its 12th edition. Featuring over 20 exhibitors from 12 countries, the fair introduces a curated section titled "1-54 Presents: Brazil Beyond Brazil," led by Brazilian curator and professor Igor Simões, marking the fair's first focus on Afro-Brazilian art and the cultural connections between Africa and Latin America. New participants include Adegbola Gallery (Lagos), Aura (São Paulo), and Black Pony Gallery (Bermuda), alongside returning exhibitors such as 193 Gallery and Galerie Myrtis.

kanye wet cuck album cover kkk backlash

Ye, formerly known as Kanye West, revealed the cover of his new album "Cuck" earlier this month, featuring an unauthorized photograph by acclaimed photojournalist Peter van Agtmael. The image depicts two Ku Klux Klan members in full regalia embracing, with one holding a bouquet, originally titled "The wedding of two members of the KKK in a barn in rural America." West altered the photo to make one Klansman appear Black and removed a dog with a "White Power" cape. Van Agtmael confirmed that neither West nor his team sought permission, and a legal process is now underway.

Max Giermann is not looking for recognition with his painting

Max Giermann sucht mit seiner Malerei nicht nach Anerkennung

German comedian and actor Max Giermann has launched his first Berlin art exhibition, titled "Figuring Out," at the Janinebeangallery. The showcase features large-scale acrylic paintings on canvas depicting figures, heads, and body fragments, including a final tribute to Klaus Kinski, whom Giermann famously parodied throughout his comedy career. Although he grew up in a household of art educators and began drawing as a child, this exhibition marks a significant return to painting after a 20-year hiatus.

Kazakhstan's creative industry accelerates. A new foundation supporting the art scene emerges

L’industria creativa del Kazakhstan accelera. Spunta una nuova fondazione che sostiene la scena artistica

A new private foundation called TOVA Foundation, based in Geneva, has been established to promote contemporary art from Central Asia, specifically focusing on Kazakhstan's art scene. The foundation debuted at the Venice Biennale with an exhibition titled "Trading Treasures" featuring Kazakh artists Saule Suleimenova and Sayan Baigaliyev at Casa dei Tre Oci. The initiative is backed by Togzhan Wertheimer, a Kazakh-born entrepreneur and philanthropist connected to the fashion industry through her husband David Wertheimer, and includes a board with figures like Tatiana de Pahlen and art consultant Jean-Olivier Despres. The foundation's curator is Vladislav Sludskiy, who previously worked at Ethan Cohen Gallery and co-founded the ARTBAT FEST and Eurasian Cultural Alliance.

An exhibition in Milan brings visionary contemporary landscapes into dialogue with a great Turner watercolor. Review and interview

Una mostra a Milano fa dialogare visionari paesaggi contemporanei con un acquerello del grande Turner. Recensione e intervista

The exhibition "Continuum" at Robilant+Voena in Milan marks the first solo show in the city for American artist Maria Kreyn. It presents a selection of her contemporary landscapes—charged with pathos, abstract geometries, and references to art history—alongside a rare watercolor by J.M.W. Turner, *The Splügen Pass* (1842–43). Kreyn’s seascapes, influenced by her background in mathematics and philosophy, feature turbulent waves, ovoid and parabolic forms, and a sense of latent tension, creating a visual dialogue with Turner’s Romantic vision of nature.

Directors Chosen by Internal Call Rather Than Competition: The Great Restoration of State Museums

Direttori scelti per interpello e non per concorso. La grande restaurazione dei musei statali

The Italian state museum system is undergoing a significant reversal of the landmark 2015 Franceschini reforms, which originally opened director positions to international competition and private-sector expertise. Recent appointments at major institutions like the Reggia di Caserta and the Gallerie dell’Accademia in Venice indicate a shift away from global searches toward internal ministerial assignments, effectively turning museum leadership back into a closed bureaucratic career path.

Lee Jong-gu turns 'Pensive' in self-reflective solo exhibition at Hakgojae Gallery

Veteran Korean artist Lee Jong-gu, a key figure in the 1980s minjung art movement, has opened a solo exhibition titled "Pensive" at Hakgojae Gallery in Seoul. The show features 38 paintings that mark a shift from his decades-long focus on social realism toward a more contemplative approach, centering on the bangasayusang (contemplative bodhisattva figures) from the National Museum of Korea. Lee blends these sacred images with nude bodies, flames, and crowd scenes, drawing on the Buddhist concept of non-duality to explore themes of life, death, and the sacred versus the profane. The exhibition runs through June 20.

A new AGWA exhibition will showcase giant 12-metre paintings by a WA street artist

Perth-raised street artist Stormie Mills will present his first-ever solo exhibition at an Australian state gallery, titled *All the secrets are buried between the oceans and the mountains*, at the Art Gallery of Western Australia (AGWA) from August 1 to November 8, 2026. The show features works from his four-decade career, including two monumental 12-metre-long paintings inspired by the sea and mountains, exploring themes of connection, isolation, and human vulnerability.

Shaniqwa Jarvis: Only Love Can Break Your Heart

Artist Shaniqwa Jarvis is set to debut her first UK solo exhibition, "Only Love Can Break Your Heart," at London’s Public Gallery on April 30, 2026. The show features twelve new works that blend photography with silk, mirrored surfaces, aluminum, and collage to explore themes of grief, memory, and renewal. Central to the exhibition are immersive silk installations that create live double exposures and a new film work that weaves together personal archival footage with intimate conversations on motherhood, labor, and identity.

New National Galleries of Scotland chair to lead opening of Edinburgh’s The Art Works

The National Galleries of Scotland has appointed Catherine Muirden as the new Chair of the Board, effective 1 November 2025, for a four-year term. Muirden brings extensive experience from corporate roles at Barclays, Marks & Spencer, the John Lewis Partnership, and The Co-operative Group, alongside two decades of arts board service in Scotland, including as Vice Chair of Scottish Ballet and Chair of the Fruitmarket Gallery. She succeeds Benny Higgins, who led the board through a period of significant challenges. Director-General Anne Lyden expressed enthusiasm for working with Muirden to advance The Art Works, a new state-of-the-art facility in North Edinburgh that will serve as a community space, conservation center, and art storage hub, enabling broader public access to Scotland's national collection.

Legendary Looks: My Ballroom Story Felix Rodriguez

Filmmaker Felix Rodriguez's archival work is featured in "Legendary Looks: My Ballroom Story," a multi-site exhibition running across Pioneer Works, ArtsWestchester, and City Lore throughout summer 2025. Co-curated by prominent ballroom leaders Jonovia Chase Lanvin, Twiggy Pucci Garçon, and Michael Roberson Maison-Margiela, the exhibition explores the artistry and cultural legacy of the house ballroom community. Rodriguez has documented this community since 1991, amassing an encyclopedic archive of New York's ballroom figures, and his multimedia installation at Pioneer Works highlights the role of commentators who live-narrate balls, presented along a red carpet evoking ball runways.

Brooklyn exhibit showcases art by Rikers Island inmates

A groundbreaking exhibition at the Von King Cultural Arts Center in Brooklyn's Bedford-Stuyvesant neighborhood features 20 artworks created by inmates at Rikers Island. The show, organized in collaboration with the New York City Department of Correction, includes pieces made with unconventional materials such as markers, cardboard, bedsheets, and toothpaste due to restricted access to traditional art supplies. One featured artist, Brian Croskey, was granted a rare supervised visit to see his work on display, as inmates are typically only allowed to leave for court dates or medical visits.

The Death of the Art School

In a faculty meeting at Purchase College in New York, an administrator referred to students as "consumers," prompting the author to reflect on the pervasive corporatization and "administrification" of American higher education. The article argues that this language reflects a broader restructuring of universities as businesses, where students are customers, knowledge is a product, and faculty are service providers. It cites data showing that between 1976 and 2011, non-faculty professional positions grew by 369% while tenure-track faculty grew by only 23%, and at Purchase College, administrator salaries rose over 45% from 2016 to 2024 while assistant professor salaries rose just 14%, with inflation at 31%.