A new four-volume catalogue, authored by former royal surveyor Jonathan Marsden, documents approximately 1,800 sculptures in the Royal Collection. The publication reveals the unsystematic nature of the collection's growth, driven by royal tastes and historical opportunities, and highlights significant discoveries like a previously unknown bronze satyr by Benvenuto Cellini.
The Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) has grown from a fledgling institution into a world-class museum through a deliberate, long-term strategy of cultivating collectors, building strong local relationships, and leveraging its exhibition program to acquire major works. This approach, described as "a teaspoon at a time," involved patient donor cultivation and using international loan shows as opportunities to secure significant pieces for the permanent collection.
Juan Rafael Coronel Rivera, grandson of Diego Rivera, has donated his private collection of 157,300 objects to Mexico City's Museo Anahuacalli. The vast donation spans ceramics, textiles, prints, photographs, archives, and a research library, with works dating from the 16th century to the present. It will be transferred in stages and is expected to be fully integrated by the end of the year.
The ongoing conflict involving the United States, Israel, and Iran has severely disrupted the global art logistics network, particularly in Asia. A report in the Art Newspaper details soaring costs and shipping delays, with international air freight for fine art spiking up to 300% due to increased oil prices. Some exhibitions, like a Per Kirkeby show in China, have opened with fewer works, and shipments for Art Basel Hong Kong were stuck at sea for over a month. Shippers are now considering alternative routes, such as the China-Europe Railway Express, to mitigate delays and costs.
Five UK museums have been shortlisted for the 2026 Art Fund Museum of the Year prize. Norwich Castle Museum & Art Gallery, recently restored through a £27.5 million redevelopment, is nominated alongside the National Gallery in London, The Fitzwilliam Museum in Cambridge, The Box in Plymouth, and the V&A East Storehouse in London. The winner, to be announced on 25 June, will receive £120,000.
The artist lineup and thematic framework for the tenth edition of the British Art Show have been revealed. Curated by Ekow Eshun and titled 'A Chorus of Strangers,' the exhibition will feature 30 artists, including Alex Margo Arden, Liz Johnson Artur, and Jesse Darling, and will tour five UK cities from October 2026 to June 2028, beginning in Coventry.
The ongoing US-Israel war on Iran has severely disrupted global art logistics, causing oil prices to surge and key shipping routes to close. Air freight costs for fine art have skyrocketed by 70% to 300%, and critical corridors like the Strait of Hormuz have become impassable, leaving exhibitions stranded at airports and shipments stuck at sea.