by the numbers despite 70 million giacometti failure sothebys made money at modern evening sale 2644393

Sotheby's Modern art evening sale in New York generated $186.4 million in total sales after fees, but the headline was the failure of Alberto Giacometti's 1955 sculpture *Grande tête mince (Grande tête de Diego)*, estimated at $70 million, which failed to receive a single bid. Despite the high-profile flop, Sotheby's walked away with $34.4 million in buyer's premium net of fees paid to third-party backers, and because it did not guarantee the Giacometti, it faced no financial risk from the unsold lot. The top seller was Pablo Picasso's *Homme assis* (1969), which sold for $15.1 million with fees. The sale's sell-through rate was 76.9 percent, and the hammer total of $152 million fell $88.3 million below the presale low estimate.

Artists, clowns, runaways: a stay at the Chelsea Hotel – in pictures

Photographer Albert Scopin has released a new book through Kerber Verlag documenting his residency at New York’s iconic Chelsea Hotel between 1969 and 1971. The collection features rare, intimate portraits of the hotel's legendary inhabitants, including a young Patti Smith and Robert Mapplethorpe before their rise to global fame, alongside long-time manager Stanley Bard and avant-garde figures like Vali Myers and Holly Woodlawn. Scopin’s lens captures the 'creative chaos' of the era, from the art-filled lobby to the eccentric private quarters of residents like composer George Kleinsinger.

Take a Look Inside This Year's 2026 Met Gala 'Costume Art' Exhibition

The Metropolitan Museum of Art has announced its spring 2026 Costume Institute exhibition titled "Costume Art," along with the accompanying Met Gala fundraiser scheduled for May 4, 2026, with a "Fashion is Art" dress code. The exhibition will debut in the newly designed 12,000-square-foot Condé M. Nast Galleries, featuring nearly 400 objects that juxtapose historical garments with fine art across thematic bodily categories such as the "Classical Body" and "Pregnant Body." Curated by Andrew Bolton, the show includes standout pairings like a Glenn Martens suit with an ancient marble statue and a Comme des Garçons ensemble with a Max Weber painting, with mannequins featuring polished steel heads by artist Samar Hejazi.

Maria Balshaw to step down as Tate director

Maria Balshaw, director of the Tate, will step down in spring 2026 after nearly a decade leading the institution. She joined in 2017, succeeding Nicholas Serota, and oversaw blockbuster exhibitions including Van Gogh and Britain, Yoko Ono: Music of the Mind, and Sargent and Fashion. Her final project will be a major survey of Tracey Emin. The Tate credited her with diversifying the collection, improving gender and geographic balance, and growing membership to 150,000, the largest arts membership globally.

Groundbreaking Achievement: 2025 Turner Prize Goes to Nnena Kalu, First Artist With Learning Disability to Win Prestigious Award

London-based artist Nnena Kalu (b. 1966) won the Turner Prize 2025 at a ceremony in Bradford on December 9, becoming the first artist with a learning disability to receive the prestigious award since its inception in 1984. Kalu’s practice spans sculpture, installation, and works on paper, featuring cocoon-like hanging sculptures made from unconventional materials like masking tape and VHS ribbon, as well as large-scale drawings of spiraling vortexes. She was selected from a shortlist that included Rene Matić, Mohammed Sami, and Zadie Xa, and was recognized for her presentation in the group exhibition “Conversations” at the Walker Art Gallery and her work at Manifesta 15 in Barcelona. The prize includes a £25,000 award.

Nnena Kalu wins the 2025 Turner Prize

Scottish artist Nnena Kalu has won the 2025 Turner Prize, becoming the first learning-disabled person to receive the prestigious award. Her winning work includes suspended sculptures bound with rope and tape, along with swirling vortex drawings, currently on display at Cartwright Hall Art Gallery in Bradford as part of the UK City of Culture festival. Kalu, who is autistic and has limited verbal communication, was nominated for her contributions to the Conversations exhibition at the Walker Art Gallery in Liverpool and for her work Hanging Sculpture 1 to 10 at Manifesta 15 in Barcelona. The jury, chaired by Tate Britain director Alex Farquharson, praised the visual and aesthetic quality of her abstract art, noting its powerful presence and enigmatic expressiveness.

Get Ready to Explore the Recently Renovated Portland Art Museum All Winter Long

The Portland Art Museum (PAM) will reopen its completely renovated campus on November 20 after nine years and $111 million in construction. The centerpiece is the Mark Rothko Pavilion, a glass structure that connects the museum's two historic buildings—the Main Building (1932) and the Mark Building (1924)—replacing a confusing underground tunnel that often caused visitors to miss entire exhibitions. The renovation touches 100,000 square feet total, including a new media gallery, upgraded spaces, and a 24/7 public passageway through the pavilion. An exhibition of eight paintings by Mark Rothko, who spent his childhood in Portland, will open alongside the pavilion.

The Metropolitan Museum of Art Announces the Opening of the Condé M. Nast Galleries, Designed by Peterson Rich Office

The Metropolitan Museum of Art has announced the opening of the Condé M. Nast Galleries, a 12,000-square-foot exhibition space designed by the New York-based architecture firm Peterson Rich Office (PRO). The galleries, located adjacent to the museum's Great Hall, will be inaugurated in May 2026 by The Costume Institute's spring exhibition titled "Costume Art," which explores the dressed body by juxtaposing garments from the Institute's holdings with treasures from the museum's broader collections. The project is part of a larger renovation that also includes a redesign of the Fifth Avenue and 83rd Street entrance to improve visitor flow.

The Art of an Art Exhibition

Seventeen Colby College seniors, all studio art majors, have organized the Senior Art Exhibition 2025 at the Joan Dignam Schmaltz Gallery of Art in downtown Waterville, Maine. The exhibition, on view through May 24, features work by four sculptors, two photographers, three painters, five printmakers, and three digital media artists. It is the culmination of a yearlong capstone course that taught students the behind-the-scenes process of mounting an exhibition, including installation, collaboration with museum preparators, and producing a print catalog with artist statements and critical essays.

Manon Awst and Dylan Huw on Representing Wales at the 61st Venice Biennale

Artist Manon Awst and curator Dylan Huw will represent Wales at the 61st Venice Biennale with a project titled "Sownd." The exhibition, located at the Istituto Santa Maria della Pietà, features a sculptural environment inspired by the peatlands of North Wales. Central to the installation is a wooden boardwalk that mirrors both the boggy terrain of the Welsh landscape and the flood-prone pathways of Venice, integrating material samples, oral poetic traditions, and the ancient Welsh craft of cynghanedd.

Arthur Jafa and Julie Mehretu Among Art Basel Awards 2026 Medalists

Art Basel has announced the thirty-three winners of its 2026 Art Basel Awards, recognizing individuals and institutions across nine categories. The winners include prominent artists like Arthur Jafa, Julie Mehretu, and Barbara Kruger, as well as institutions such as The Brick in Los Angeles and the Diriyah Biennale Foundation. A new jury member, Prof. Dr. Bonaventure Soh Bejeng Ndikung, was also added for this edition.

Inaugural Medina Triennial in Western New York Will Include 39 Artists

The inaugural Medina Triennial has announced its artist lineup for its debut edition running from June to September in Western New York. Featuring 39 participants, the walkable exhibition will showcase site-specific works by international and local figures including Tania Candiani, Lina Lapelytė, and Asad Raza. Installations and performances will be integrated into the town's civic fabric, utilizing non-traditional venues such as a railroad museum, local churches, hospital corridors, and a century-old high school.

Frist Art Museum Presents Exhibition Spanning 100 Years of Contemporary Indigenous Art, Highlighting a Continuum of Elders and Emerging Makers

The Frist Art Museum is presenting a new exhibition that spans 100 years of contemporary Indigenous art, featuring works from both established elders and emerging makers. The show aims to highlight the continuity and evolution of Indigenous artistic practices across generations.

Philadelphia Museum of Art 'Rising Up: Rocky and the Making of Monuments (4/25-8/2)'

필라델피아미술관 '라이징업: 록키와 기념비 제작(Rising Up: Rocky and the Making of Monuments, 4/25-8/2)' - Lounge

The Philadelphia Museum of Art has announced a major exhibition titled "Rising Up: Rocky and the Making of Monuments," scheduled to open in April 2026. Curated by Paul Farber of Monument Lab, the show will feature over 150 works by more than 50 artists, including Keith Haring, Kara Walker, and Andy Warhol. The exhibition uses the iconic Rocky statue—a fictional character that has become one of the city's most visited landmarks—as a focal point to explore the history, mythology, and evolving role of public monuments from antiquity to the present day.

Spring Gallery Night MKE: 7 Art Exhibits to See

Milwaukee’s art scene is celebrating its seasonal renewal with Spring Gallery Night MKE, a city-wide event featuring over 60 participating galleries across neighborhoods like the Third Ward and Walker’s Point. The weekend-long program highlights diverse local talent through curated exhibitions, including Var Gallery’s "30x30x30" creative marathon, a Surrealist-inspired group show at Portrait Society Gallery, and the expansive MIAD Senior Exhibition featuring over 200 graduating students.

To-Do List: A night of poetry at the art museum, the rodeo comes to town and a Beatles tribute

This article is a weekly events roundup from Free Times, listing activities in the Columbia, South Carolina area from May 6-11. It includes an art exhibition by sculptor Ellen Emerson Yaghjian at Stormwater Studios, a poetry and performance night at the Columbia Museum of Art responding to Rodney McMillian's exhibition, a Beatles tribute concert, a rodeo, an oil paint-making workshop, a music concert, a historic walking tour, a teen craft workshop, and a rock concert.

WATCH | Steelman to host studio tour with Arts and the Park Saturday and Sunday

Bethannie Newsom Steelman will host a studio tour at 415 Park Ave. in Hot Springs on Saturday and Sunday, starting at 11 a.m., as part of Arts and the Park. The event features live painting by Steelman, musical performances by Ricko Donovan, DJ Schaeffer, Gino Del Ray, and the band Inoculated Log, as well as New Orleans-style snowballs from Spa City Snowballs. Steelman, who creates murals for businesses, began renting her studio in April and is excited to share her creative process with the public.

Hurvin Anderson and Caroline Walker to show new works on London Underground

London's Art on the Underground programme has announced its 2026 lineup, featuring new public artworks by Hurvin Anderson, Caroline Walker, Phoebe Boswell, and Ain Bailey. Anderson will create a commission for Brixton station tied to his long-standing studio in the area, while Walker will depict women working night shifts on the Jubilee line. Boswell will install photographic assemblages at Bethnal Green and Notting Hill Gate stations focusing on Black swimming communities, and Bailey will produce an audio piece for Waterloo station highlighting closed London venues.

Right bank, Left bank: A walk through the sites of “Black Paris”

The article explores the sites of "Black Paris" through a walking tour of locations significant to Black artists and musicians in postwar Paris. It highlights jazz clubs like the Blue Note and Chez Haynes, galleries such as Galerie Huit and Galerie Intemporel, and museums including the Louvre and the Musée de l'Homme, where artists like Gordon Parks, Herbert Gentry, Bob Thompson, and Ernest Mancova found inspiration and community. The tour also examines the film "Harlem-sur-Seine" and the exhibition "Paris Noir," which document these cultural hubs.

National Museum of Asian Art Opens New Exhibition in June About Its Origin Story

The Smithsonian's National Museum of Asian Art will open a new exhibition titled "A Museum in the Making" on June 27, 2026, running through August 8, 2027. The show explores the origin story of the Freer Gallery of Art, America's first national art museum, by examining how collector Charles Lang Freer used his Detroit home as a living laboratory for museum design. It highlights collaborations with artists and architects, including James McNeill Whistler, Stanford White, and Mary Chase Perry Stratton, and features a video walkthrough of the Freer House. The exhibition is part of the nation's 250th anniversary celebrations and the Smithsonian's broader "Our Shared Future" initiative.

Landmark Exhibition at the Smithsonian American Art Museum Unites U.S. Bicentennial Photography Surveys for the First Time

The Smithsonian American Art Museum will present "Much Here Is Beautiful: Photography Surveys of the U.S. Bicentennial," a landmark exhibition opening September 18, 2026, that brings together for the first time photography surveys created through a federally funded grant program by the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) around the 1976 U.S. Bicentennial. Featuring 225 photographs by more than 70 photographers, the show draws on the museum's holdings and collections nationwide, including previously unseen works, and places them in the context of federal survey photography dating back to the 19th century.

This Liminal Moment

The article reviews the exhibition "MONUMENTS" at the Geffen Contemporary at MOCA and the Brick in Los Angeles, which addresses the legacy of Confederate monuments through contemporary art. It highlights Cauleen Smith's installation "The Warden" (2025), which features a live-feed of the decommissioned Confederate sculpture "Vindicatrix" (also known as "Miss Confederacy") by Edward V. Valentine, originally atop the Jefferson Davis Memorial in Richmond, Virginia. The exhibition is curated by Hamza Walker, Kara Walker, and Bennett Simpson.

independent new york relocation pier 36 1234745084

Independent, the New York art fair, will relocate to Pier 36 on Manhattan’s Lower East Side for its May 2026 edition. The 70,000-square-foot venue more than doubles the size of its previous home at Spring Studios, accommodating increased gallery participation post-pandemic. The fair hosted 83 exhibitors in 2025, and founder Elizabeth Dee noted that even the coat check was repurposed for a special project. The architectural redesign will be led by Solid Objectives Idenburg Liu (SO–IL), with exhibition design by Berlin’s D_P_S.

art abbas akhavan venice biennale canadian pavilion

Abbas Akhavan has transformed the Canadian Pavilion at the Venice Biennale into a greenhouse-like installation titled "Abbas Akhavan: Entre chien et loup." The pavilion's wooden doorway has been replaced with glass, revealing a pond with pinkish water illuminated by sunlight and LED grow-lamps. Visitors encounter mossy boulders, a vintage fur coat sprayed with water, sharpened bronze sticks, and custom frosted mirrors that blur the architecture. The centerpiece will be three giant Bolivian water lilies, grown from seeds sent from Kew Gardens to Padua, which will gradually take over the pond over the summer. The exhibition is curated by Kim Nguyen, commissioned by the National Gallery of Canada, and supported by the Canada Council for the Arts.

art best painting shows guide new york

The article is a guide to three painting shows in New York's Tribeca neighborhood, curated by a critic who recommends visiting them in reverse order, ending with Nicole Eisenman's exhibition at 52 Walker. The featured shows are Katherine Bradford's "Communal Table" at Canada gallery (through December 13, 2025), Leslie Smith III's "Gentle Thoughts" at Chart gallery (through December 20, 2025), and Kate Spencer Stewart's exhibition at Bureau gallery (through December 20, 2025). Each show is described with critical observations about the artists' techniques, themes, and visual impact.

art ivan argote paris studio pigeon

The article profiles Colombian-born, Paris-based artist Iván Argote, focusing on his monumental aluminum-cast pigeon sculpture *Dinosaur* (2024), currently installed on the High Line Plinth in New York. It discusses his broader practice, which includes performance, video, and installation, often addressing themes of power, resistance, and public space. Argote is preparing for his second exhibition at Albarrán Bourdais in Madrid, centered on a civic performance where he fills sidewalk cracks with colored concrete. The piece also includes a studio visit during Paris Art Week, revealing his creative process, team, and personal touches like a stocked champagne fridge.

literature art magma bottega veneta

The third edition of the art journal Magma, titled “Archive of the Future,” has been published, featuring over 100 previously unpublished works and texts from artists, filmmakers, and musicians. Highlights include voice memos by Charles Ray, Polaroids by Jonas Mekas from a 1971 Fluxus dinner with Yoko Ono and John Lennon, selections from Jean-Luc Godard’s archive, a text by Patti Smith, and contributions from Precious Okoyomon and Pol Taburet. The 388-page volume, backed by Bottega Veneta and edited by Paul Olivennes, includes a foreword by Hans Ulrich Obrist and will be accompanied by exhibitions at Tramps gallery in London and Forma in Paris.

louvre laurence des cars senate hearing 1234758381

On Wednesday, Laurence des Cars, president and director of the Louvre Museum, testified before the French Senate about the theft of nine pieces of France's crown jewels from the Apollo Gallery. The heist occurred on Sunday when robbers used a cherry picker and angle grinder to steal jewelry worth an estimated $102 million in under eight minutes. Des Cars revealed that security cameras were outdated and inadequate, with only one camera covering the breached balcony, and that she offered her resignation afterward, which the French Minister of Culture refused. The museum had previously faced criticism over security, including a staff walkout in June over staffing and safety concerns, and an official report had flagged outdated systems and lack of CCTV.

lotus l kang on channeling poetry memory and spirits into her new work 2646703

Lotus L. Kang's latest exhibition, "Already," is on view at 52 Walker in New York through June 7, 2025. The Brooklyn-based Canadian artist transforms the gallery into a diasporic memoryscape using steel greenhouses, mixed-media paintings, sculpture, and found objects like oversized kelp knots and soju bottles. The show takes its title from a poem in Kim Hyesoon's "Autobiography of Death" (2016), and Kang's installation explores themes of presence and absence, memory, and the transmutative qualities of photography and film. In an interview, Kang discusses how Korean poetry helps her understand her own origins as a Korean-Canadian gyopo, and how translation—both linguistic and material—shapes her work.

New Kickernick Gallery Exhibition Celebrates 50 Years of a Women’s Art Collective

The article reports on a new exhibition at the Kickernick Gallery in Minneapolis celebrating the 50th anniversary of WARM (Women's Art Registry of Minnesota), a pioneering women's art collective founded in 1976. The show features works by founding members including Harriet Bart, whose textile piece "Concrete Poem" (1985) is made from discarded garment labels she collected from her studio floor. The exhibition is curated by Christy Frank and runs until mid-June, highlighting the collective's history of mentorship, activism, and advocacy for gender equity in the arts.