Rothko from Robert Mnuchin collection fetches US$85.8m, becoming artist’s second-priciest work at auction

A red-and-black Mark Rothko painting, *Brown and Blacks in Reds* (1957), sold for US$85.8 million at Sotheby’s New York on May 14, becoming the artist’s second-most expensive work at auction. The canvas came from the collection of Robert Mnuchin, a former Goldman Sachs partner turned gallerist, and was the star lot of a dedicated 11-lot evening sale that totaled US$166.3 million. The winning bid was placed by Sotheby’s chairman Helena Newman on behalf of a telephone client, with the hammer falling at US$74 million against an estimate of US$70–100 million. The painting was originally owned by Joseph E. Seagram & Sons and hung in the lobby of the Seagram Building, a landmark of corporate modernism designed by Ludwig Mies van der Rohe and Philip Johnson.

Ripple: Furniture Sculpture and Painting after 1982

David Kordansky Gallery is presenting "Ripple: Furniture Sculpture and Painting after 1982," an exhibition of historic works by Swiss artist John Armleder, on view from May 7 to June 13, 2026. The show focuses on Armleder's Furniture Sculpture series from the 1980s, which incorporates functional or decorative objects alongside paintings, exploring the intersection of art, design, and everyday life. Works like FS 156 (1987) and Untitled (FS) (1987) exemplify his interest in collectivity, chance, and the viewer's role in assigning meaning, influenced by experiences such as a prison stint for refusing conscription and his time on a rowing team, as well as the experimental compositions of Erik Satie and John Cage's writings on chance.

Expanded Vocabulary: Revisiting Deborah Kass’ Studio

The article recounts the author's visit to Deborah Kass's Brooklyn studio, which she shares with her wife, artist Patricia Cronin. The visit was prompted by logistical issues related to the author's exhibition "Social Minimalism" (2025). During the visit, the author and Kass revisited themes central to Kass's work over three decades: the exclusion of women from art history, Jewish identity, queer voice, lesbian subjectivity, and postwar American art. The conversation also touched on Kass's series including the Warhol Project, Feel Good Paintings, No Kidding, and the large painting/sculpture installation "Everybody" (2019), which was recently featured in a conversation between Kass and Titus Kaphar in Interview magazine.

Andy Warhol | Original Exhibition Poster (2021) | For Sale

An original Andy Warhol exhibition poster from 2021 is being offered for sale by Baldwin gallery, with locations in London, Miami, and Dubai. The offset lithograph on paper measures 19.7 × 27.6 inches, is in mint condition, unsigned, and includes a Certificate of Authenticity. Priced at £650, the work ships from London with domestic shipping at £45 and international at £55, and is covered by the Artsy Guarantee.

David Hockney | THE DOG SHOW (ca. 1990) | Available for Sale

An authorized David Hockney exhibition poster titled "THE DOG SHOW" (ca. 1990) has been made available for sale through MK Contemporary Ltd via the Artsy platform. The work is an offset lithograph measuring approximately 28 by 19 inches and features Hockney's signature aesthetic, including his distinct handwriting and playful use of shadows and light.

Marcel Duchamp - Hommage à Caissa (for the Marcel Duchamp Fund of the American Chess Foundation), 1966

Marcel Duchamp - Hommage a Caissa (for the Marcel Duchamp Fund of the American Chess Foundation) , 1966

This rare 1966 silkscreen poster commemorates the "Hommage à Caissa" exhibition at New York’s Cordier & Ekstrom Gallery, a fundraiser organized by Marcel Duchamp for the American Chess Foundation. The event featured contributions from 36 iconic artists, including Salvador Dalí, Jasper Johns, and Alexander Calder, and is famously remembered for Andy Warhol’s uninvited "guerrilla attack" appearance with the Velvet Underground. The poster's design incorporates RSVP cards sent to participating artists, some featuring personal notes and autographs.

London Saw Few Auction Shakeups as Guarantees Steadied the Market

Christie’s marquee evening sales in London achieved a combined total of £197.5 million ($263.8 million), characterized by a steady, prearranged atmosphere rather than high-stakes drama. The auction house relied heavily on financial safety nets, with a 52 percent year-over-year increase in third-party guarantees ensuring the sale of 21 key lots. While the event featured a theatrical unveiling of a new rostrum designed by Sir Jony Ive, the actual bidding remained largely conservative and focused on blue-chip stability.

Remembering Rauschenberg’s decades in Florida

Robert Rauschenberg (1925-2008), described by critic Robert Hughes as "the most important American artist of the last century," spent four decades in Florida, where materials and collaborators from the state fueled breakthroughs like his scrap-metal sculptures and the Rauschenberg Overseas Cultural Interchange (Roci). As Miami Art Week unfolds, two projects mark his centennial: "Robert Rauschenberg: Real Time" at NSU Art Museum Fort Lauderdale (through April 2026) and the forthcoming book "Out of the Real World: Robert Rauschenberg at USF Graphicstudio." However, the Robert Rauschenberg Foundation announced it will end its Captiva Island residency and sell the artist's home and studio, prompting reflection on how Florida shaped his legacy.

All the Art You Need to See During Miami Art Week 2025

Casey Lesser's guide to Miami Art Week 2025 highlights ten key art destinations, led by Art Basel Miami Beach at the Miami Beach Convention Center with over 280 galleries. Other featured venues include ICA Miami, which presents five solo exhibitions by artists such as Igshaan Adams and Masaomi Yasunaga, and Untitled Art, a beachside fair focusing on emerging and mid-career artists. The article also notes non-art events like an NFL pop-up and a Sukeban wrestling match, alongside REEFLINE, an underwater sculpture park.

The art world's most infamous toilet is heading to New York auction for US$10m – and the starting bid moves with gold

Maurizio Cattelan's solid-gold toilet sculpture, *America* (2016), will be auctioned at Sotheby's New York on 18 November 2025 as part of the Now & Contemporary Evening Auction. The work, weighing 223 pounds of 18-karat gold, has a raw material value of around US$10.2 million based on current gold prices. In a first for auction history, the starting bid will fluctuate with live gold prices until bidding begins. The sculpture was previously installed at the Guggenheim Museum, where over 100,000 visitors used it, and later made headlines when the Guggenheim offered it to the Trump White House as a loan alternative to a Van Gogh painting. One edition was stolen and never recovered, making this the only surviving example.

Robert Rauschenberg at 100: How the Relentless Experimenter Rewired American Art

A global celebration marks the centennial of Robert Rauschenberg's birth on October 22, 1925, with a bumper program of exhibitions at major museums including the Museum of the City of New York, the Guggenheim in New York, the Walker Art Center in Minneapolis, the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, Des Moines Art Center, the Menil in Houston, Museum Ludwig in Cologne, and M+ in Hong Kong. The article highlights eight key facts about Rauschenberg's life and career, from his early use of the G.I. Bill to study art in Paris and at Black Mountain College, to his rebellion against teacher Josef Albers, and his invention of the "Combines"—radical painting-sculpture hybrids that broke with Abstract Expressionism and predicted Pop Art.

Nara's vampire-girl portrait sells for US$10m at Sotheby's, leading US$43m Hong Kong Evening Sale

Sotheby's Modern and Contemporary Evening Auction in Hong Kong on 28 September achieved HK$335 million (US$43.1 million), with a 95% sell-through rate across 40 lots. The top lot was Yoshitomo Nara's 2012 painting *Can't Wait 'til the Night Comes*, which sold for HK$79.9 million (US$10.3 million) to a private Asian collector. A group of five works by Roy Lichtenstein from the artist's personal collection also debuted at auction, collectively bringing HK$46.4 million (US$5.9 million).

Fairfield University Art Museum Receives CT Humanities Grant for U.S. 250th Anniversary Exhibition

Fairfield University Art Museum has received a $15,000 grant from CT Humanities to support a 2026 exhibition titled *For Which It Stands…*, commemorating the 250th anniversary of the United States. The show will run from January 23 to July 25, 2026, featuring 75 works by diverse artists from the early 20th century to the present, all centered on depictions of the American flag. Highlights include Childe Hassam’s *Italian Day, May 1918* (lent by the Art Bridges Foundation), a new textile sculpture by Maria de Los Angeles, and works by Jasper Johns, Faith Ringgold, Robert Rauschenberg, Shepard Fairey, and Julie Mehretu. Loans come from private collections, artists, galleries, and institutions such as the Yale University Art Gallery, the Gordon Parks Foundation, and the Orlando Museum of Art.

London Art Exhibitions Not To Miss Opening Autumn 2025

London's major museums and galleries are preparing a packed autumn 2025 season with blockbuster exhibitions. Highlights include 'Radical Harmony: Helene Kröller-Müller’s Neo-Impressionists' at the National Gallery, 'Theatre Picasso' at Tate Modern, a Kerry James Marshall retrospective at the Royal Academy of Arts, Peter Doig at the Serpentine, Gilbert & George at the Hayward, and 'Encounters: Giacometti x Mona Hatoum' at the Barbican. The Barbican show pairs historic works by Alberto Giacometti with new and existing pieces by Mona Hatoum, including several UK debuts and site-specific large-scale sculptures.

Documenta Taps an All-Women Artistic Team—and More Art Industry News

Documenta has selected an all-women artistic team for its upcoming edition, marking a historic shift for the prestigious quinquennial exhibition. In other art industry news, Sotheby's will open its new global headquarters in the Breuer Building on November 8, Christie's London will auction the collection of Danish businessman Ole Faarup in October, and Bob Ross's market has surged with record auction prices. Several galleries announced new artist representations and relocations, including François Ghebaly adding Brooklin A. Soumahoro and Latitude Gallery moving to Tribeca. The Whitney Museum made three curatorial appointments, the Harvard Art Museums acquired a Heinz Mack sculpture, and Claudia Gould was named executive director of the Shaker Museum. The Helen Frankenthaler Foundation added new board members, and Maëlle Ebelle was appointed inaugural director of the Liu Shiming Art Foundation.

55 years. Berggruen Gallery

Berggruen Gallery in San Francisco announces its 55th Anniversary Exhibition, a group show running from June 26 to August 14, 2025. The exhibition features paintings, works on paper, sculpture, film, and archival ephemera from the SFMOMA Library and SFAI archive, showcasing museum-quality works by contemporary and historical artists. Many pieces are on loan from private collections and rarely exhibited publicly. The gallery, founded by John Berggruen in 1970 on Grant Avenue, quickly became a nationally recognized force in shaping the West Coast art scene, bridging New York and international artists with local collectors.

What does a so-called ‘buyer’s market’ look like at Art Basel?

At Art Basel 2025, a consensus has emerged among dealers and advisers that the fair represents a 'buyer's market,' characterized by slow sales, modest expectations, and increased negotiating power for collectors. Galleries are offering discounts of 20-30% below asking prices, particularly for works under $1 million, though open discussion of discounts remains taboo in Switzerland. Some dealers, like Tim Blum of Blum gallery, acknowledge a paradigmatic shift, with galleries adapting by focusing on established artists and estates, while still seeing demand for reasonably priced younger artists.

6 Shows Celebrating Asian American Artists This AAPI Heritage Month

Artsy Editorial highlights six exhibitions across the U.S. celebrating Asian American and Pacific Islander artists during AAPI Heritage Month 2025. Featured shows include "Painting As Method" at Alisan Fine Arts, presenting works by Mimi Chen Ting, Yifan Jiang, and Kelly Wang; Ellie Kayu Ng's "Bloom!" at LATITUDE Gallery New York; and Yunfei Ren's "Latitude Unknown" at Jonathan Carver Moore in San Francisco. The article also notes Art for Change's monthlong print spotlight and describes the diverse media and themes—from hyperreal fashion-inspired paintings to ceramic sculptures and abstract landscapes—that reveal the breadth of contemporary AAPI art.

Here Are This Spring’s 11 Must-See Museum Exhibitions in New York

This article highlights 11 must-see museum exhibitions in New York for spring 2025, including shows at Amant, the American Folk Art Museum, the Guggenheim, the Hill Art Foundation, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and MoMA PS1. Featured artists include Madalena Santos Reinbolt, Rashid Johnson, Sam Moyer, Jennie C. Jones, and Andro Eradze, with works spanning textiles, sculpture, sound installations, and mixed media.

What to Look for at Frieze New York 2025

Frieze New York 2025, its 13th edition, opens May 7 at The Shed in Hudson Yards with over 65 international galleries. The fair features solo, group, and themed presentations, including the Focus section curated by Lumi Tan showcasing 12 emerging galleries. Highlights include the Artist Plate Project (a collaboration with Coalition for the Homeless featuring limited-edition plates by Cindy Sherman, Rashid Johnson, and Takashi Murakami), performances by Pilvi Takala, Asad Raza, and Carlos Reyes, and notable presentations by Christine Sun Kim at François Ghebaly and Jennie C. Jones at Alexander Gray Associates. Frieze’s director of Americas, Christine Messineo, shares her top picks.

Ed Ruscha | A Particular Kind Of Heaven (1983) | Art & Prints

Ed Ruscha's 1983 work "A Particular Kind Of Heaven" is being offered at auction through Tate Ward, with current bidding at £100. The piece is an exhibition poster from the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco, measuring 61 x 92 cm, and is part of Tate Ward's Urban and Contemporary Art London sale. The listing also shows multiple other Ruscha works available from various sellers, including posters and prints from EHC Fine Art Auction, Blond Contemporary, and Baldwin.

Beverly Buchanan’s Anti-Monuments

Beverly Buchanan's outdoor sculptures, such as 'Marsh Ruins' (1981) and 'Unity Stones' (1983), are quietly eroding in landscapes across Georgia, Florida, and North Carolina. These anti-monuments, made from tabby concrete and stone, blend into their surroundings while subtly referencing the region's layered histories, including Indigenous shell middens, plantation ruins, and the 1803 slave revolt on St. Simons Island. Buchanan, who died in 2015, is now receiving renewed attention: her work will be featured at the Venice Biennale this spring, and a touring retrospective is currently at Frac Lorraine in Metz, following a posthumous show at the Brooklyn Museum in 2016–17.

What am I bid for a blown-up van? The bizarre art auction aiming to build an eco power station in Reform-held Clacton

Artists Hilary Powell and Dan Edelstyn are auctioning off their work from the past 15 years this Saturday to raise at least £250,000 for a community-led renewable power station in Clacton, the constituency of Reform UK leader Nigel Farage. The auction, which will be conducted by former YBA Gavin Turk, includes a gold Ford Transit van wreckage containing fake banknotes that the pair blew up in 2019 as part of their film *Bank Job*, now reconstituted as a mobile sculpture. An online auction runs until 31 May, but currently only £750 has been raised.

The New Costume Institute Show Gets Under the Skin

The Costume Institute at the Metropolitan Museum of Art has opened its 2026 spring exhibition, “Costume Art,” which explores the relationship between clothing and the human body through pairings of couture with artworks spanning 5,000 years. Curated by Andrew Bolton, the show is divided into thematic chapters such as “Nude Body,” “Disabled Body,” “Aging Body,” and “Anatomical Body,” featuring pieces from designers like Dior, John Galliano for Maison Margiela, and Renata Buzzo alongside historical artifacts and contemporary art.

Bharti Kher Commissioned by Powerhouse Parramatta, Australia’s New Cultural Center Opening Later This Year

British-Indian sculptor Bharti Kher has been commissioned to create a monumental sculpture titled 'Tree of Life' for the entrance of Powerhouse Parramatta, a major new cultural center opening later this year in Parramatta, west of Sydney, Australia. The work, made of four stacked bronze and clay heads, is part of Kher's ongoing 'Intermediaries' series, which began in 2016 after she found a collection of broken clay figurines in her Delhi studio. The commission was reported by Art Asia Pacific, and Kher previously installed related public works in Central Park and at Harvard Business School.

Six Artists Vie to Design Billie Holiday Monument in New York

Six artists have been selected as finalists to design a public monument honoring jazz singer Billie Holiday in Queens, New York, outside the Jamaica Performing Arts Center. The finalists—La Vaughn Belle, Nikesha Breeze, Nekisha Durrett, Tanda Francis, Thomas J. Price, and Tavares Strachan—submitted proposals after an open call in late 2025, site visits, and discussions with Holiday scholars and family. The New York City Department of Cultural Affairs released the designs on May 19 for public feedback through the end of May, with a final selection expected later this year. Proposals range from abstract silhouettes and bronze beans to more representational figures, reflecting Holiday's legacy and her connection to Queens.

S.I. Newhouse’s Brâncuși Sells at Christie’s for Record-Breaking $107.6 M.

A Constantin Brâncuși sculpture titled *Danaïde* (1913), formerly owned by media magnate and top art collector S.I. Newhouse, sold at Christie’s on Monday night for a hammer price of $93 million, totaling $107.6 million with fees. This set a new auction record for the modernist sculptor, surpassing the previous record of $71.2 million set by another Brâncuși work in 2018. The bronze head with gold leaf and black patina attracted half a dozen bids before selling to a client represented by Maria Los, deputy chairman of client advisory Americas. The work was one of six bronze casts, the only gilded example still in private hands, and had notable provenance, having been purchased by Eugene and Agnes Meyer at Brâncuși’s first solo exhibition in 1914.

$181.2 Million Pollock, $107.6 Brancusi Million Sell at Christie’s, as Records Fall

Christie's New York auctioned 16 works from the collection of late media magnate S.I. Newhouse for a total of $630.8 million, far exceeding the $450 million estimate. The top lot was Jackson Pollock's "Number 7A" (1948), which sold for $181.2 million, setting a new auction record for the Abstract Expressionist and making him the latest artist to join the $100 million club. Minutes earlier, Constantin Brancusi's bronze sculpture "Danaïde" (1913) achieved $107.6 million, also a record for the Romanian modernist and the second-highest price ever for a sculpture at auction.

Tate Britain previews new garden at RHS Chelsea Flower Show

Tate Britain is previewing its new garden at the 2026 RHS Chelsea Flower Show, offering a sneak peek of the forthcoming Clore Garden designed by Tom Stuart-Smith and scheduled for completion in 2027. The show garden features Barbara Hepworth's 1949 sculpture *Bicentric Form*, the first work Tate acquired by the artist, alongside Mediterranean plants adapted to London's warming climate, a wildlife pond, and recycled materials from the Millbank site. After the show, the garden will be relocated to Tate Britain.

Inside TEFAF New York’s Annual Wealth Pageant

The 12th annual TEFAF New York fair took place at the Park Avenue Armory from May 15 to 19, attracting wealthy collectors with a mix of blue-chip art, design objects, and jewelry. Highlights included Kathleen Ryan's bejeweled 'Bad Fruit' sculptures at Gagosian, Cai Guo-Qiang's gunpowder paintings at White Cube (which sold 11 of 12 works), Sheila Hicks's textiles at Demisch Danant, and a new David Hockney painting at Annely Juda Fine Art. The fair featured 88 galleries from 14 countries, with VIP previews drawing art advisors and high-net-worth clients.