Art News. Vasari Codex

trending_up market schedule May 11, 2026 visibility 20 link 1 artist

Comment | Flourishing markets beyond the big three will benefit the art ecosystem—and the planet

The article analyzes the shifting dynamics of the global art market, reporting that regions outside the traditional 'big three' hubs of the US, UK, and China have increased their market share from 17% in 2015 to 24% in 2025. This shift is driven by nationally protective regulations like Brexit and tariffs, which have stifled the free circulation of contemporary art. While the US market remains dominant at 44%, countries such as South Korea, Switzerland, Japan, and Australia have seen growth, and emerging cultural energy is noted in places like Bangkok, Warsaw, Margate, and Qatar.

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article news schedule May 9, 2026 visibility 27 link 8 artists

Venice Biennale Artists Decline Consideration for Golden Lions Chosen by Public Vote

Nearly half of the artists in the main exhibition of the Venice Biennale have signed a statement declining consideration for the Golden Lion awards, in solidarity with the jury that resigned last month. The statement, published by e-flux, includes prominent names such as Alfredo Jaar, Tuan Andrew Nguyen, Otobong Nkanga, and Walid Raad, as well as national pavilion representatives from France, Lithuania, and the Netherlands. The Biennale had planned to replace the jury-selected Golden Lions with "Visitor Lions" decided by public vote, but the artists' refusal marks an unprecedented protest within the exhibition.

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museum exhibitions schedule May 8, 2026 visibility 21 link 8 artists

Khaled Sabsabi is finally at the Venice Biennale: ‘Being here is already a win’

Khaled Sabsabi has opened his exhibition 'conference of one’s self' at the Australian Pavilion of the 61st Venice Biennale, alongside a second installation 'Khalil' in the Arsenale. This follows a tumultuous period in which Creative Australia rescinded his appointment as Australia’s representative in February 2025, sparking widespread backlash from the art community. After being reappointed in July 2025, Sabsabi presents two monumental multimedia works inspired by Sufi practice, created in Bangkok and described as 'one body with two limbs'.

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museum exhibitions schedule May 7, 2026 visibility 26 link 24 artists

Drained, Drowning, and Decay: The Best National Pavilions at the Venice Biennale

The 2026 Venice Biennale is defined by themes of ruin and decay, with standout national pavilions exploring bodily, infrastructural, and archaeological collapse. The Slovenian Pavilion features the Nonument Group repurposing materials from past Biennales into a ruin of a mosque for Bosnian Muslim soldiers from World War I. Syria presents its first national pavilion since the Civil War, with Sara Shamma invoking Palmyra, destroyed by ISIS. Germany's pavilion, titled "Ruin," features works by Henrike Naumann (who died in February) and Sung Tieu, questioning the pavilion's fascist architecture and nationalist residue. The Austrian Pavilion, curated by Florentina Holzinger, offers a visceral performance titled "Sea World." The Biennale is also marked by the abrupt resignation of its five-member jury, who refused to consider nations charged with crimes against humanity, leading to awards being chosen by public vote. Additionally, the main exhibition "In Minor Keys" was affected by the death of its curator, Koyo Kouoh.

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rate_review review schedule May 7, 2026 visibility 20 link 4 artists

Keith Haring Before the End of the World

The article reviews Keith Haring's early work from 1980 to 1983, currently on view at the Brant Foundation in New York. The author reflects on initially dismissing Haring's graffiti-inspired style as trite and playful, but now sees darker, prophetic themes in pieces featuring apocalyptic imagery, UFOs, nuclear power, and mindless obedience to higher powers. The exhibition, curated by Dieter Buchhart and Anna Karina Hofbauer, runs through May 31.

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article news schedule May 7, 2026 visibility 20 link 2 artists

Lithuanian, Latvian, and Estonian Pavilions Stage Pro-Ukraine Procession During Venice Biennale

On May 6, 2026, the Lithuanian, Latvian, and Estonian pavilions at the Venice Biennale organized a procession in solidarity with Ukraine, walking approximately one and a half miles from the Lithuanian Pavilion in the Fucina del Futuro to the Estonian pavilion. The action honored Ukrainian cultural workers creating under war conditions and those who have died. It is one of several political protests at the contentious 2026 Biennale, including demonstrations by Pussy Riot and FEMEN at the Russian pavilion, a "Solidarity Drone Chorus" opposing Israel's inclusion, and a planned 24-hour strike by the Art Not Genocide Alliance.

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museum exhibitions schedule May 7, 2026 visibility 19 link 11 artists

Fondazione Sandretto Re Rebaudengo’s New Art Island Made a Sunny Splash in a Rainy Venice Vernissage Week

Patrizia Sandretto Re Rebaudengo, an ARTnews Top 200 collector, inaugurated a new art site on the island of San Giacomo in Venice’s Northern Lagoon during the rainy preview week of the Biennale. The island, purchased in 2018, features two Napoleonic-era powder magazines transformed into exhibition spaces: one hosting the group show “Don’t have hope, be hope!” from the Sandretto Re Rebaudengo Collection, and the other presenting “Fanfare/Lament,” a solo exhibition by Matt Copson curated by Hans Ulrich Obrist. The site also includes permanent installations by artists such as Claire Fontaine, Mario Garcia Torres, Hugh Hayden, Goshka Macuga, Pamela Rosenkranz, and Thomas Schütte, and will serve as a venue for exhibitions, performances, and residencies.

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article news schedule May 7, 2026 visibility 19 link 4 artists

An Unprecedented 24-Hour Strike Could Upend the Venice Biennale

An unprecedented 24-hour strike is set to interrupt the Venice Biennale's opening week on Friday, May 8, in protest of Israel's participation in the global art event. The action, organized by the activist group Art Not Genocide Alliance (ANGA), follows a letter signed by over 230 Biennale participants demanding Israel's exclusion. The strike has exposed divisions among participants, with some artists and pavilion teams weighing solidarity against the rare opportunity to platform their own political messages. The Slovenian pavilion, represented by Nika Grabar of the Nonument Group, has committed to the strike, while others like Ecuador's Tawna Collective remain undecided, balancing protest with their mission to highlight ecological crises in the Amazon.

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museum exhibitions schedule May 7, 2026 visibility 20 link 5 artists

Arch Hades Turns a Venetian Palazzo Into an Emotional Landscape

British artist Arch Hades has transformed the Scoletta Battioro e Tiraoro di Venezia, a historic palazzo on Venice's Grand Canal, into an immersive solo exhibition titled “Arch Hades: Return | Ritorno,” timed to the 61st Venice Biennale. The show features site-specific paintings, sculptures, and a soundscape, anchored by the monumental 22-panel painting *Return* (2025), which draws on Greco-Roman sculpture, Symbolism, Surrealism, and Romanticism, and echoes Gustav Klimt's lost “Faculty Paintings.” New works from Hades's “Confessions” series and the mirrored chrome piece *Sphinx* (2026) further explore themes of memory, connection, and existentialism.

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museum exhibitions schedule May 6, 2026 visibility 31 link 17 artists

First Impressions of a Venice Biennale Torn Apart by the Present

The 61st Venice Biennale, titled "In Minor Keys," opens amid turmoil: its curator Koyo Kouoh died of cancer during planning, and the festival jury resigned after a controversial statement about excluding Israel and Russia from prizes, replaced by a Eurovision-style people's choice award. The main exhibition, completed by a team of five collaborators using Kouoh's plans, features over 110 artists and collectives, with highlights including works by Big Chief Demond Melanchon, Tammy Nguyen, Guadalupe Maravilla, Ayrson Heráclito, and a section focused on Michael Armitage's Nairobi Contemporary Art Institute.

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article news schedule May 6, 2026 visibility 21 link 7 artists

Pussy Riot protest at Venice Biennale forces Russian pavilion to briefly close

On the second day of the Venice Biennale preview, the activist group Pussy Riot staged a chaotic protest at the Russian pavilion, forcing it to temporarily close. Wearing pink balaclavas and carrying flares, about 40 activists—including members of Femen—gathered outside the pavilion, shouting slogans like "Blood is Russia's Art" and attempting to enter before being pushed back by police. Founding member Nadya Tolokonnikova led the protest, condemning Europe for allowing Russian participation despite the war in Ukraine. Separately, the Art Not Genocide Alliance (Anga) demonstrated outside the Israeli pavilion, which was locked from inside, over Israel's war in Gaza.

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gavel restitution schedule May 6, 2026 visibility 30 link 12 artists

Malaysia Showcases Recovered 1MDB Artworks, From Picasso to Miró

Four artworks recovered from the 1MDB scandal—by Picasso, Miró, Balthus, and Maurice Utrillo—have gone on public display for the first time at the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission headquarters in Putrajaya. The paintings were repatriated from New York after being traced through Sotheby’s and shipped back to Malaysia on April 14. They are part of a broader art trail linked to the massive financial fraud, with Malaysian officials framing the display as an act of restitution rather than an art event.

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article news schedule May 6, 2026 visibility 23 link 10 artists

In Protest of Israeli Pavilion, Activists and Unions Plan Strike on Venice Biennale’s Opening Day

The Art Not Genocide Alliance (ANGA) has announced a 24-hour strike and rally on May 8, the day before the 2026 Venice Biennale opens to the public, in protest of the Israeli Pavilion. ANGA, formed in opposition to Israel's inclusion in the 2024 Biennale, refers to the current Israeli presentation—featuring Haifa-based artist Belu-Simion Fainaru—as the "Genocide Pavilion." Over 200 artists, curators, and culture workers have signed an open letter demanding Israel's exclusion, and a separate action called Solidarity Drone Chorus involved 60 artists. ANGA is collaborating with local labor and culture organizations including Biennalocene, Vogliamo Tutt'altro, S.a.L.E. Docks, and Mi Riconosci.

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museum exhibitions schedule May 5, 2026 visibility 24 link 7 artists

A Pavilion of Ruins: Germany Reconsiders Its Past in Venice

The German Pavilion at the 61st Venice Biennale features a dual presentation exploring the country's layered political history. Artist Sung Tieu has cloaked the pavilion's fascist-era facade with a mosaic reconstruction of a GDR housing estate for Vietnamese contract workers, where she lived as a child. Inside, the late Henrike Naumann's immersive installation 'The Home Front' uses furniture and design to stage a confrontation between East and West German domestic and political ideologies. Naumann died in February 2025 at age 41, but her fully realized concept was completed collaboratively by her partner and curator Kathleen Reinhardt.

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article news schedule May 5, 2026 visibility 28 link 9 artists

Dark clouds, protests and resignations dampen start of 61st Venice Biennale

The 61st Venice Biennale opened under grey skies and rain, with political tensions overshadowing the art world's premier event. The Russian pavilion, absent for two editions due to the Ukraine war, reappeared with a party atmosphere, though the Italian ministry of culture confirmed it would not be open to the public. The Ukrainian culture minister called Russia's symbolic presence powerful. The Iranian pavilion withdrew without explanation, and a protest by 60 artists from the In Minor Keys show marched through the Giardini humming in solidarity against Israel's participation. Over 200 artists, including Lubaina Himid and Alfredo Jaar, signed an open letter demanding the Israeli pavilion's cancellation. The event also proceeded without its curator, Koyo Kouoh, who died in May 2025; her curatorial team delivered the exhibition following her plans.

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rate_review review schedule May 5, 2026 visibility 19 link 9 artists

Pleasure, parody and propaganda: rethinking the art of illustration in a new history of the genre

D.B. Dowd's new book "Reading Pictures" offers a sweeping 400-page history of illustration, tracing the genre from the Diamond Sutra frontispiece in Tang China (AD868) to Molly Crabapple's Gaza reports in 2015. The book examines key works such as Jules Chéret's 1891 poster for the Alcazar d'Été Club, Stuart Davis's caustic covers for The Masses, and Duong Ngoc Canh's Vietnamese propaganda poster, arguing that illustrations are meant to be "read" rather than admired like museum paintings.

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article culture schedule May 5, 2026 visibility 32 link 11 artists

May Book Bag: from a guide on entering the art world to a publication about artists influenced by Ovid’s Metamorphoses

The May Book Bag article from The Art Newspaper reviews four new art-related publications. It covers "Metamorphoses: Ovid and the Arts," edited by Francesca Cappelletti and Frits Scholten, which examines Ovid's influence on Western art through works by artists like Titian, Caravaggio, and Louise Bourgeois. Other featured books include Hettie Judah's "How to Enter the Art World," a practical guide for emerging artists; "Derrick Adams: Prints," showcasing the artist's printmaking from 2019-2025; and "Whistler's Legacy" by Daniel Sutherland, which explores the legacy of James Abbott McNeill Whistler through his close associates.

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article news schedule May 5, 2026 visibility 24 link 5 artists

Venice Biennale’s fierce pussy Group Says City Censored Posters About Queer and Trans People

The lesbian artist collective fierce pussy, comprising Nancy Brooks Brody, Joy Episalla, Zoe Leonard, and Carrie Yamaoka, claims that the city of Venice censored their posters for the Venice Biennale. The posters, which feature phrases like "Welcome queers and trans people" and "we are queers and trans people" alongside a list of occupations, were intended to be pasted across the city. After the city blocked the full-scale posting, the group created stickers and placed them on walls, windows, and advertising spaces. As a concession, La Biennale installed the original posters inside the Arsenale entrance.

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rate_review review schedule May 5, 2026 visibility 25 link 3 artists

Lubaina Himid’s British pavilion at the Venice Biennale review – alienation in a green and pleasant land

Lubaina Himid's installation at the British pavilion of the Venice Biennale presents monumental paintings and a wall of painted oars depicting tailors, cooks, architects, gardeners, and sailors—figures who shape Britain. The work is accompanied by an audio piece of bucolic country sounds, but the black figures in the paintings exchange sideways glances of discomfort, questioning whether they truly belong. The exhibition is anchored by 26 philosophical questions on the wall, such as "Can flies settle here?" and "Can poison taste delicious?"

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article culture schedule May 5, 2026 visibility 31 link 2 artists

How the adoption of canvas in Venice changed the way artists painted

Art historian Cleo Nisse has published a new book, *Venetian Canvas and the Transformation of Painting*, examining how 16th-century Venetian painters such as Titian, Veronese, and Tintoretto pioneered the use of canvas as a painting support. Nisse reveals that canvas was not a uniform material—artists experimented with different weaves, including tabby and herringbone patterns, and even repurposed sailcloth and tablecloth-quality fabrics to achieve specific visual effects. The book argues that canvas was already familiar in the late Middle Ages for banners and alternatives to tapestry, and that Vittore Carpaccio was the first master of the medium, varying canvas types for expressive purposes in his *Legend of St Ursula* series.

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article news schedule May 5, 2026 visibility 20 link 4 artists

BBC ‘Buried’ Footage of Banksy at NYC Mural Site, Former Reporter Claims

Former BBC New York correspondent Nick Bryant claims the BBC suppressed footage he captured of Banksy at a mural site in New York City in March 2018. In a Substack post, Bryant recounts being tipped off by Banksy's PR team about a new artwork at the Houston Bowery Wall, where he and his cameraman filmed the artist—described as a middle-aged man in a black beanie and grey coat—fleeing the scene with fresh paint on his fingers. Despite believing he had a world exclusive, Bryant says BBC editors in London decided not to air the footage, citing concerns about unmasking the artist and preserving the mystery for audiences, including a senior colleague's daughter who compared revealing Banksy's identity to telling children there is no Santa Claus.

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article news schedule May 4, 2026 visibility 23 link 4 artists

Anish Kapoor says US’s ‘politics of hate’ should exclude it from Venice Biennale

Anish Kapoor has called for the United States to be excluded from the Venice Biennale, citing the country's "abhorrent politics of hate" and "incessant warmongering." His comments follow the resignation of the five-member international jury, who stepped down in protest over the inclusion of Israel and Russia. Kapoor praised the jury's decision as "courageous" but argued they should have also targeted the US. The US pavilion, featuring artist Alma Allen and his exhibition "Call Me the Breeze," has faced scrutiny over perceived Trump administration interference and a delayed selection process. Meanwhile, the Israeli and Russian pavilions remain flashpoints, with over 200 participants signing a letter demanding the cancellation of the Israeli pavilion, and the Russian pavilion closed to the public but viewable through windows.

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article news schedule May 4, 2026 visibility 20 link 9 artists

What It Takes to Build the Venice Biennale

Three weeks before the Venice Biennale opens on May 5, the city remains a construction site, with the Giardini closed and parts of the Arsenale requiring special access. Artist Faustin Linyekula rehearses his performance *The Galeazze Project* in a 16th-century roofless complex, working with the existing gravel, natural light, and lagoon acoustics rather than imposing a structure. Geopolitical conflicts, supply chain disruptions, and the sudden resignation of the Biennale’s international jury via Instagram add pressure to the already challenging logistics of mounting the global exhibition.

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museum exhibitions schedule May 1, 2026 visibility 23 link 8 artists

After His Untimely Death, Rutherford Chang’s Survey Rewrites What a Square Can Do

Rutherford Chang, who died last year at age 45, is the subject of a posthumous survey at UCCA Center for Contemporary Art Beijing titled "Hundreds and Thousands." The exhibition centers on Chang's socially engaged works that explore value, circulation, and systems through the deceptively simple form of the square. His best-known piece, "We Buy White Albums" (2013–25), involved amassing roughly one percent of the first pressing of the Beatles' "White Album," highlighting how objects accrue personal and economic worth through use and history. Other works include melting 10,000 copper pennies into a cube and assembling Wall Street Journal portraits from 2008 into a grid that captures a year of crisis and change.

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article news schedule Apr 30, 2026 visibility 24 link 4 artists

Texas Man Who Orchestrated $20 M. Crypto Scam Based on Fictitious Van Gogh and Picasso Masterpieces Sentenced to 23 Years in Prison

A Houston man, Robert Dunlap, was sentenced to 23 years in federal prison for orchestrating a $20 million cryptocurrency scam. Between 2018 and 2023, Dunlap defrauded nearly 1,000 investors by promoting a digital asset called “Meta-1 Coin,” falsely claiming it was backed by a $1 billion art collection featuring works by Salvador Dalí, Vincent van Gogh, and Pablo Picasso, as well as $44 billion in gold. He used forged legal and insurance documents to conceal that he owned neither the art nor the gold. A federal jury in the Northern District of Illinois convicted him on mail fraud charges in 2025, and US District Judge LaShonda A. Hunt imposed the sentence, also ordering restitution.

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trending_up market schedule Apr 30, 2026 visibility 35 link 12 artists

Masterpieces by Klimt, Matisse and Freud set for London’s most valuable auction

Sotheby's will auction a major collection of masterpieces by artists including Gustav Klimt, Henri Matisse, Lucian Freud, and Francis Bacon, consigned by Joe Lewis and his daughter Vivienne, whose family owns Tottenham Hotspur. The collection, expected to fetch over £150 million, is projected to become the most valuable ever offered in London, with highlights such as Klimt's 'Bildnis Gertrud Loew' (estimated £20-30m) and Egon Schiele's 'Danaë' (estimated £12-18m, potentially setting a new artist record). The works will be exhibited in New York and London before the June sales.

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article news schedule Apr 30, 2026 visibility 28 link 7 artists

Statue with Banksy signature of man blinded by flag appears in London

A new statue bearing Banksy's signature has appeared in Waterloo Place, central London, depicting a man marching forward with a large flag obscuring his face. The elusive artist has not yet confirmed the work, though he typically posts confirmation on his website after public discovery. The statue stands near monuments to Edward VII and Florence Nightingale, and follows Banksy's previous sculptural works like *The Drinker* (2004) and recent murals addressing homelessness and protest.

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article news schedule Apr 29, 2026 visibility 27 link 37 artists

Venice Bound? Here’s All the News You Need to Know About This Year’s Biennale

The 61st Venice Biennale is embroiled in geopolitical controversy over Russia's return to the event in 2026, which has sparked widespread backlash. Nearly 10,000 artists and cultural leaders signed an open letter opposing Russia's participation, and the European Union withdrew €2 million in funding for the 2028 edition. Leaked emails reveal Biennale officials worked with Russian pavilion commissioner Anastasia Karneeva to circumvent EU sanctions, while Italy's culture minister Alessandro Giuli plans to boycott the opening week. Meanwhile, activists continue to push for Israel's removal from the Biennale, though Israel will be accommodated in the Arsenale this year.

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trending_up market schedule Apr 28, 2026 visibility 23 link 5 artists

Wildenstein dispute over Monet work highlights art market opacity

A long-running dispute involving the Wildenstein art dynasty has resurfaced over a 2004 transaction for Claude Monet's *Adolphe Monet Reading in a Garden* (1867). The painting was acquired by Guy Wildenstein through a €4.5m deal that included works by Pierre Bonnard and Alfred Sisley, among them Monet's *Marine, Amsterdam* (1874). That work was later resold via Christie's, but a 2020 sale attempt revealed that the original canvas had been lost during a transfer process, significantly reducing its value. Court-appointed specialists concluded in 2024 that the alteration predated the transaction and that the gallery likely knew of the damage. The sellers have filed a claim alleging "vitiated consent" under French law, with a court date set for 7 May in Rouen. The disputed Monet now reportedly belongs to billionaire Larry Ellison.

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trending_up market schedule Apr 27, 2026 visibility 24 link 4 artists

Is A Random Unknown Artist More Valuable Than Picasso? AI Thinks So.

An experiment using a custom AI model to evaluate artistic value independent of market context found that the model assigned a seven-figure price to an unknown street artist's work while valuing a Picasso at under $1,000. The project, run by an art journalist with a data scientist and an AI expert, trained a Fine Art Large Vision Model on millions of images and price data. Without metadata like artist name or gallery affiliation, the model's predictions were technically interesting but commercially useless; only when those market signals were added did predictions align with real auction outcomes.

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