Art News. Vasari Codex

article culture schedule Sep 15, 2025 visibility 18 link 4 artists

newly discovered snail named after picasso

An international team of malacologists has discovered 46 new species of Southeast Asian microsnails, all under the genus Anauchen. One of them, Anauchen picasso, is named after Pablo Picasso because the angular patterns on its 3mm-wide shell resemble Cubism. The findings were published in the peer-reviewed journal ZooKeys, based on fieldwork in Cambodia, Myanmar, Laos, Thailand, and Vietnam, and comparisons with specimens from the Florida Museum of Natural History.

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article news schedule Sep 12, 2025 visibility 17 link 3 artists

lee ufan painting bribery investigation south korea

South Korea's impeached former president Yoon Suk-yeol's wife, Kim Keon-hee, was arrested in August on charges including bribery. A special prosecutor revealed that a painting by renowned artist Lee Ufan is central to the inquiry. Prosecutors allege that former prosecutor Kim Sang-min purchased Lee's work *From Point No. 800298* in 2023 for about $75,000 on behalf of Kim Keon-hee's brother, Kim Jin-woo, and that the painting was given to the former first lady's circle. The transaction is being investigated for possible links to political favors, including Kim Sang-min's bid for a ruling-party nomination and his later appointment as a legal adviser to the National Intelligence Service.

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museum exhibitions schedule Sep 12, 2025 visibility 22 link 13 artists

sao paulo bienal 36 2025 bonaventure sharon hayes

The 36th São Paulo Bienal, curated by Bonaventure Soh Bejeng Ndikung and his team, explores the theme of humanity through six chapters, from the primordial to the transcendent. The exhibition features works by artists such as Precious Okoyomon, Frank Bowling, Aline Baiana, Gervane de Paula, Frankétienne, and Sharon Hayes, with a focus on textiles, sound, and jewel-toned aesthetics. The curators draw inspiration from avian migration and estuaries, structuring the show like tributaries connecting "the river to the sea," a phrase echoing Palestinian sovereignty without explicit mention. Highlights include Okoyomon's installation of dirt and plants, a career-spanning Frank Bowling survey, and Gervane de Paula's playful wood carvings that reveal subtle, provocative details upon close inspection.

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trending_up market schedule Sep 11, 2025 visibility 13 link 2 artists

lost jesus painting peter paul rubens paris mansion osenat

A long-lost painting of Jesus Christ's crucifixion by 17th-century Flemish master Peter Paul Rubens, titled *Christ on the Cross* (1613), was discovered in a Parisian mansion by auctioneer Jean-Pierre Osenat last September. The large Baroque work, measuring 42 by 29 inches, was authenticated by German curator and art historian Nils Buttner, chairman of the Centrum Rubenianum, through X-ray imaging and pigment analysis. It will be auctioned by Osenat's auction house in Fontainebleau on November 30, with no estimate yet released.

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article culture schedule Sep 11, 2025 visibility 12 link 2 artists

mahmoud khalil nan goldin market tanked palestine activism

Artist Nan Goldin and Palestinian activist Mahmoud Khalil discussed Khalil's 104-day ICE detention, the 'Palestine Exception' to free speech, and the backlash faced by pro-Palestinian activists in a conversation published in Dazed magazine. Khalil was arrested in March 2024 after serving as a negotiator during Columbia University protests, with the Trump administration alleging he undermined foreign policy and later claiming he failed to disclose information on his green card application. Goldin compared her own experience leading the activist group PAIN, which successfully pressured museums to cut ties with the Sackler family over the opioid crisis, noting that pro-Palestinian activism has faced far greater criminal and professional repercussions.

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article culture schedule Sep 11, 2025 visibility 15 link 4 artists

girl with a pearl earring vermeer why so important

This article explores the enduring fascination with Johannes Vermeer's "Girl with a Pearl Earring" (1665–67), examining the mystery of the unknown subject and the painting's history. It debunks popular theories about the sitter's identity, clarifying that the work is a "tronie"—a formal study of facial features, not a portrait—and traces Vermeer's life, his limited output of 34 known paintings, and his posthumous obscurity for 200 years before rediscovery in the mid-19th century.

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article news schedule Sep 10, 2025 visibility 14 link 6 artists

banksy mural judge protestor scrubbed off royal courts wall

On September 8, 2025, street artist Banksy painted a new mural on an exterior wall of the Royal Courts of Justice in London, depicting a judge using a gavel to beat a protester lying on the ground, with a red blood-like spatter on the protester's placard. The artwork was quickly covered and guarded, and by September 10, a masked man was filmed scrubbing the image off the wall while police stood nearby. The Ministry of Justice stated the mural was destroyed because the building is a protected heritage site, and the court was obliged to maintain its original character.

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trending_up market schedule Aug 30, 2025 visibility 21 link 11 artists

christies robert patricia weis collection sale

Christie’s has secured the collection of Robert F. Weis and Patricia G. Ross Weis for its November sales in New York, with 80 lots valued at over $180 million. The collection spans Cubism to Abstract Expressionism and includes major works by Picasso, Matisse, Mondrian, and Rothko, with top estimates reaching $50 million. The Weis family, founders of Weis Markets, assembled the collection over more than seventy years, and 18 lots will be sold in a single-owner sale ahead of Christie’s 20th-century evening sale.

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article culture schedule Aug 28, 2025 visibility 15 link 9 artists

james baldwin nicholas boggs love story beauford delaney

A new biography of James Baldwin, titled "Baldwin: A Love Story" by Nicholas Boggs, frames the writer's life through his relationships with four key figures: the painter Beauford Delaney, Lucien Happersberger, Engin Cezzar, and Yoran Cazac. The article focuses on Baldwin's formative bond with Delaney, who served as mentor and artistic inspiration, teaching Baldwin about light, music, and cultural heritage in his Greenwich Village studio.

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gavel restitution schedule Aug 21, 2025 visibility 14 link 3 artists

christies lawsuit milos vavra egon schiele nazi looted art

A Czech man named Milos Vavra, a descendant of Jewish cabaret performer and collector Fritz Grünbaum who was murdered by the Nazis, has filed a lawsuit against Christie's in New York Supreme Court. Vavra demands that the auction house disclose the ownership and location of several blue-chip artworks from the Grünbaum Collection, including works by Egon Schiele. He alleges that Christie's entered a nondisclosure agreement with a Swiss family seeking to auction looted artworks, and he needs the information urgently to file claims before the Holocaust Expropriated Art Recovery Act (HEAR Act) statute of limitations expires in late 2026.

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trending_up market schedule Aug 20, 2025 visibility 14 link 1 artist

sasan ghandehari lawsuit christies picasso auction guarantee

Collector Sasan Ghandehari has filed a lawsuit against Christie’s in the High Court of England & Wales, alleging the auction house failed to disclose that a Picasso painting he guaranteed was owned by a man convicted of drug-related charges. The work, Picasso’s *Femme dans un rocking-chair* (1956), was offered in a February 2023 London evening sale with a third-party guarantee from Ghandehari’s company, Brewer Management Corporation (BMC). Ghandehari claims Christie’s told him the owner was José Mestre Jr., but the painting actually belonged to his father, José Mestre Sr., who was sentenced to nine years in prison after 202 kilos of cocaine were found on a cargo ship in 2010. The lawsuit seeks to cancel the guarantee contract and recover a £4.8 million partial payment.

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trending_up market schedule Aug 19, 2025 visibility 24 link 14 artists

barbara hepworth sculpture uk national collection

The Hepworth Wakefield and Art Fund have successfully raised £3.8 million to acquire Barbara Hepworth’s sculpture *Sculpture with Colour (Oval Form) Pale Blue and Red* (1943). The wood and string artwork, previously in private hands and rarely seen publicly, was sold at Christie’s in London last March for £3.5 million. A temporary export bar imposed by the UK government gave the museum time to raise funds, with the deadline set for August 27. The funding came from over 2,800 donations and major grants, including £1.89 million from the National Lottery Heritage Fund and £750,000 from the Art Fund, along with private support.

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museum exhibitions schedule Aug 19, 2025 visibility 15 link 1 artist

alexandria biennale returns 2026

The Alexandria Biennale will return in September 2026 after a 12-year hiatus, with its 27th edition curated by Egyptian artist Moataz Nasr under the title “This Too Shall Pass.” The exhibition will feature 55 artists from across the Mediterranean, with a main program complemented by smaller shows in Alexandria museums focusing on emerging Egyptian artists. Venues include the Roman amphitheater, the Alexandria Library, and the Qaitbay Citadel. The biennale was originally established in 1955 under Gamal Abdel Nasser, suspended in 2011 amid the Egyptian revolution, briefly reopened in 2014, and then shuttered again due to financial and political instability.

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article news schedule Aug 18, 2025 visibility 21 link 3 artists

greenpeace unfurls anish kapoors bloody butchered work across north sea gas rig

Greenpeace activists scaled a Shell-operated gas rig in the North Sea and unfurled a 315-square-foot canvas titled "Butchered," designed by artist Anish Kapoor. The activists sprayed crimson paint made from beetroot powder and pond dye across the canvas, creating a blood-like stain intended to symbolize environmental destruction. The work, described as the first fine art exhibited from a working gas rig, was erected during the UK's fourth heat wave of the summer to protest fossil fuel companies' role in climate change.

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museum exhibitions schedule Aug 11, 2025 visibility 19 link 6 artists

george lucas comic con panel lucas museum preview

George Lucas made his long-awaited debut at Comic-Con's Hall H to present a sneak peek of the Lucas Museum of Narrative Art, set to open in Los Angeles next year. The panel, moderated by Queen Latifah, included filmmaker Guillermo del Toro and production designer Doug Chiang, and revealed details about the 300,000-square-foot building designed by Ma Yansong of MAD, with 33 galleries, two theaters, and 11 acres of green space. Lucas discussed his personal collection of over 40,000 works, emphasizing narrative art's role in shaping community and shared beliefs, and highlighted pieces by Norman Rockwell, Kadir Nelson, Beatrix Potter, and Frida Kahlo.

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article news schedule Jul 25, 2025 visibility 17 link 3 artists

anish kapoor lists 56 leonard street apartment new york

Artist Anish Kapoor is selling his New York apartment at 56 Leonard Street in Tribeca for $17.75 million. The 3,576-square-foot unit on the 47th floor features four bedrooms, four-and-a-half bathrooms, private outdoor spaces, and a travertine marble bath. The building, designed by Herzog & de Meuron, houses a smaller version of Kapoor's famous sculpture Cloud Gate at its base. Kapoor purchased the apartment for roughly $14 million in 2016 and previously listed it for about $18 million last year. The listing is held by Serhant's Krista Nickols and Martin Garcia.

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article news schedule Jul 25, 2025 visibility 14 link 3 artists

samherji odee copyright case

A London high court has upheld a previous ruling against Icelandic artist Oddur Fridriksson, known as Odee, ordering him to surrender ownership of his conceptual artwork *We’re Sorry* (2023). The work consisted of a website impersonating Samherji, Iceland’s largest fishing company, and featured a fake apology for the company’s role in the 2019 “fishrot” corruption scandal. Judge Anthony Mann rejected Odee’s final appeal, affirming that the artwork constituted copyright infringement, trademark infringement, and malicious falsehood. The artist must now hand over control of the domain samherji.co.uk to the corporation.

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museum exhibitions schedule Jul 25, 2025 visibility 17 link 8 artists

alan sonfist seeds of time

American artist Alan Sonfist, a pioneer of the Land Art movement known for his 1978 work "Time Landscape" in New York City, has opened a solo exhibition titled "Seeds of Time" at Parco Arte Vivente (PAV) in Turin, Italy. Curated by Marco Scotini, the show features a new installation, "Growth Between the Cracks" (2025), for which Sonfist collaborated with local residents to collect soil samples from overlooked urban spaces across Turin. The exhibition revisits Sonfist's early ecological works and includes a conversation between the artist and curator about the evolution of environmental art.

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article news schedule Jul 25, 2025 visibility 17 link 2 artists

uk high court rejects artists final appeal after he issued fake apology for fishing firms alleged role in fishrot scandal

The UK High Court has rejected a final appeal by Icelandic artist Oddur Eysteinn Friðriksson, known as ODEE, to retain ownership of his conceptual artwork *We're Sorry* (2023), a fake website that mimicked Iceland's largest fishing company Samherji and apologized for its alleged role in the Fishrot corruption scandal. Judge Anthony Mann upheld a previous order requiring ODEE to surrender control of the domain, ruling that the site was not a parody and constituted an instrument of fraud, thus not protected under Article 10 of the Human Rights Act.

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article news schedule Jul 24, 2025 visibility 15 link 1 artist

banksys migrant child removed from venice

A fading Banksy mural titled *Migrant Child*, painted on a palazzo in Venice during the 2019 Venice Biennale, was removed from its wall late Wednesday night by a conservation team led by Federico Borgogni. The piece, which shows a child in a lifejacket holding a pink smoke flare, had suffered water damage and salt exposure. The restoration is financed by Banca Ifis, a Venice-based bank, which plans to display the work at free cultural events after conservation. The removal proceeded despite earlier criticism from artists and activists who argued that the work's decay was integral to its meaning.

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museum exhibitions schedule Jul 23, 2025 visibility 15 link 3 artists

eames house restored reopened

The Eames House, designed by Charles and Ray Eames in the late 1940s in Los Angeles's Pacific Palisades, has reopened after a six-month closure due to smoke damage from the January 2025 wildfires. The property was saved from destruction partly because hundreds of surrounding trees were removed in 2024. The restoration has expanded visitor access, opening the studio for the first time, which will host exhibitions on the house's evolution and contemporary design influences. The first exhibition may focus on community rebuilding after the fires.

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article culture schedule Jul 23, 2025 visibility 13 link 3 artists

hieronymus bosch garden of earthly delights why important

The article examines Hieronymus Bosch's masterpiece "The Garden of Earthly Delights" (c. 1490–1510), explaining that while modern viewers often call it surreal, the term is an anachronism; the painting reflects a medieval worldview where damnation and divine order were accepted realities. It describes the triptych's structure, its likely commission by Engelbert II, Count of Nassau, and its narrative flow from grisaille exterior to vivid interior panels depicting Eden and hell. The piece also notes how 20th-century Surrealists like André Breton and Salvador Dalí claimed Bosch as a precursor, with Dalí directly borrowing motifs from the painting.

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trending_up market schedule Jul 23, 2025 visibility 22 link 10 artists

art market mugrabi nahmad kenny schachter

Kenny Schachter critiques the art market's doomsaying media narrative, coining the acronym Salsa (Scribes Always Love Sensational Apocalypse) to describe clickbait-driven hype. He contrasts current market anxieties with past downturns, notably the 1991-1996 recession when the market evaporated, citing a 1991 Roberta Smith article. Schachter observes that the Nahmads and Mugrabis, once feuding families, now invest together, and he recounts his experience at Phillips during his "Hoarder 6" exhibition, where young collectors showed genuine interest. He argues that the market, though wounded, remains healthy and calls for a less transactional, more patient approach to selling art.

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trending_up market schedule Jul 22, 2025 visibility 12 link 2 artists

refik anadol lionel messi favorite goal ai data sculpture

Refik Anadol's A.I. data sculpture "A Goal in Life," based on Lionel Messi's favorite goal from the 2009 Champions League final, sold for $1.87 million at Christie's. The artwork uses millions of data points, including Messi's biometric voice data, breathing patterns, and heartbeat rhythms, to recreate the moment in an immersive 16K-resolution mirrored room. Proceeds benefit education programs in Latin America and the Caribbean supported by the Inter Miami CF Foundation.

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trending_up market schedule Jul 22, 2025 visibility 16 link 9 artists

maripol sophie bramly joopiter marketplace sale

Maripol, the French-born photographer who documented downtown New York's 1980s cultural scene, is selling selections from her archive through Joopiter's Marketplace platform in a sale titled "Downtown Archive: '80s – '90s New York." The sale includes her Polaroid portraits of icons like Jean-Michel Basquiat, Madonna, Grace Jones, Debbie Harry, and Andy Warhol, as well as ephemera such as an invitation to Fiorucci's 15th anniversary party at Studio 54. Also featured are artifacts from Sophie Bramly, creator of "Yo! MTV Raps," including her custom bomber jacket and photographs of hip-hop pioneers like Kool Herc, Run-DMC, and Keith Haring. The sale is rounded out with vintage designer fashions from Chanel, Thierry Mugler, Bob Mackie, and Donna Karan, curated by retailer Vintage Grace.

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trending_up market schedule Jul 22, 2025 visibility 10 link 6 artists

ronald perelmans 410m trial finally begins

Billionaire collector Ronald Perelman's $410 million insurance trial has finally begun after seven years of litigation, over 1,500 court filings, and a 2018 fire at his East Hampton estate. The dispute centers on five paintings by Cy Twombly, Ed Ruscha, and Andy Warhol that survived the fire but were exposed to smoke and sprinklers. Perelman claims the works lost their market appeal—their "oomph"—while insurers at Lloyd's of London dispute any detectable damage and allege Perelman quietly tried to sell some of the pieces. The trial has also revealed that Perelman sold over 70 works from his collection after a margin call from Deutsche Bank, with some contested paintings used as collateral.

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article culture schedule Jul 22, 2025 visibility 16 link 3 artists

eddington ari aster poster david wojnarowicz

Ari Aster's upcoming film *Eddington*, premiering at Cannes, uses David Wojnarowicz's 1988–89 artwork *Untitled (Buffalos)* as its poster image. The film, set in May 2020, follows a sheriff and mayor clashing over face masks during the COVID-19 pandemic. Wojnarowicz's work, originally a critique of U.S. government indifference during the AIDS crisis, depicts bison falling off a cliff—a metaphor for societal collapse. The poster slightly alters the image, and A24, the production company, has not commented on the design.

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gavel restitution schedule Jul 16, 2025 visibility 14 link 1 artist

risque pompeii mosaic looted german restituted

A Roman erotic mosaic looted from Pompeii by a German Wehrmacht captain during World War II has been returned to Italy and is now on display at the Archaeological Park of Pompeii. The heirs of the last owner contacted the Carabinieri in Rome, leading to a diplomatic repatriation via the Italian Consulate General in Stuttgart, Germany, in September 2023. The mosaic, dating to around 79 C.E., depicts a pair of lovers and is thought to have decorated a bedroom floor in a Roman villa.

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trending_up market schedule Jul 16, 2025 visibility 13 link 8 artists

christies first half results 2025

Christie's reported that its auction sales for the first half of 2025 totaled $2.1 billion, identical to the same period last year, suggesting the art market may be stabilizing. However, the $2.1 billion figure marked a 22 percent drop from the first half of 2023, indicating stabilization at a lower level. The house sold seven of the top 10 works at auction, led by Piet Mondrian's *Composition with Large Red Plane, Bluish Gray, Yellow, Black, and Blue* (1921) for $47.6 million from the collection of Barnes & Noble founder Leonard Riggio. Luxury sales rose 29 percent, while Old Master sales increased 15 percent, but Asian art and Classics fell 28 percent and 32 percent respectively. The Americas led buyer activity at 45 percent, followed by EMEA at 34 percent and APAC at 21 percent.

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person people schedule Jul 15, 2025 visibility 21 link 15 artists

racquel chevremont interview and just like that

Racquel Chevremont, a curator and collector who recently appeared on the Real Housewives of New York, was brought in by the producers of the Sex and the City reboot And Just Like That… to build the art collection for the character Lisa Todd Wexley. Chevremont selected works by Black artists including Carrie Mae Weems, Deborah Roberts, Barkley Hendricks, Gordon Parks, Mickalene Thomas, Derrick Adams, and Alma Thomas to adorn the Wexley family home, carefully choosing each piece to reflect the character's identity as a successful Black documentarian and mother. In an interview with ARTnews, Chevremont explains how she researched the character's background to curate a collection that feels authentic, and describes the process of licensing images for reproduction on set rather than borrowing original works.

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