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Sotheby's will hold its first luxury marquee sales in Abu Dhabi from December 3 to 5 as part of Abu Dhabi Collectors' Week, featuring Formula 1 cars, an Aston Martin, diamonds, and rare Rolexes. The sales coincide with the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix and other major events, backed by a $1 billion investment from majority shareholder Patrick Drahi and Abu Dhabi's sovereign wealth fund ADQ, along with support from the Abu Dhabi Investment Office. The auction house is focusing on luxury goods rather than fine art, with only a non-selling exhibition of Old Masters to contemporary works.

Art meets tech: 6 ways to experience both during Miami Art Week

Miami Art Week is featuring a strong intersection of art and technology, with digital art taking center stage at major fairs. Art Basel Miami Beach (Dec. 5–7) debuts Zero 10, a curated section focused on digital art, showcasing works by Beeple (including robotic dogs resembling billionaires), Lu Yang, and others. CONTEXT Art Miami (Dec. 2–7) hosts Blackdove, a Miami-based digital art company, presenting its first fair exhibit titled "Code and Canvas: The Digital Art Genome." Other tech-forward installations include Emmanuel Van der Auwera's thermal video piece and Holly Herndon & Mat Dryhurst's AI-driven digital canvas.

Why former Sotheby's chief executive Tad Smith is bullish on blockchain art

Former Sotheby's CEO Tad Smith, who led the auction house from 2015 to 2019, has emerged as a prominent supporter of blockchain art. The article traces his connection to artist Robert Alice, who first encountered Smith while working as a porter at Sotheby's. Alice, a pioneer in NFT art, sold the first NFT through a major auction house at Christie's in 2020. Now, his blockchain-based painting BLOCK 1 (24.9472° N, 118.5979° E) from the Portraits of a Mind series is being offered at Sotheby's with an estimate of $600,000 to $800,000. Smith, who owns another work from the series, is not the consignor or guarantor but expresses hope the sale will promote Alice's work, Bitcoin, and Sotheby's, particularly among younger generations.

Frieze Los Angeles Diary: hockey hotties, roaming Rami and Simon sells

Frieze Los Angeles week kicked off with a flurry of high-profile events, celebrity sightings, and charitable initiatives across the city. Key highlights included the Felix Art Fair, where RF. Alvarez’s painting inspired by the queer hockey drama 'Heated Rivalry' drew significant attention, and a major benefit auction led by Simon de Pury that raised over $500,000 for natural disaster relief. The week also featured a prestigious gathering at a private James Turrell Skyspace to celebrate the Serpentine Americas Foundation.

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Ariel Emanuel, through his newly formed company Mari, has finalized the acquisition of Frieze, which includes its publication, seven art fairs worldwide, and two exhibition spaces. The deal also encompasses tennis events like the Miami Open and Madrid Open, and a majority stake in Barrett-Jackson, a collector car auction house. The acquisition, first announced in May, was valued at around $200 million, with Goldman Sachs and LionTree Advisors serving as financial advisers. Mari, backed by $2 billion in equity from investors including Apollo, RedBird Capital Partners, and the Qatar Investment Authority, will be led by Emanuel alongside Mark Shapiro, with Simon Fox remaining as Frieze CEO.

‘Studio Iron’ to Launch at Saatchi Yates, Blurring the Boundaries Between Art and Design

Saatchi Yates is partnering with creative director and makeup artist Isamaya Ffrench to launch Studio Iron, a new design gallery whose inaugural exhibition opens April 30 and runs through June 7, 2026. The show presents a dense, post-industrial landscape dominated by steel and iron, featuring works by artists including Jannis Kounellis, Paul McCarthy, Jordan Wolfson, Anne Imhof, Marina Abramovic, Nico Vascellari, and others. Furniture, sculpture, installation, and painting collide in a space that resists categorization, hovering between function and non-function, utility and image.

Modern Freskos: Berlin Artist Paul Kuntze Debuts Solo Show at Black Cube Gallery

Berlin-based contemporary artist Paul Kuntze (b. 1995) will debut his first solo exhibition in India, titled “Modern Freskos,” at Black Cube Gallery in Hauz Khas, New Delhi, from December 5 to 27, 2025. The show presents Kuntze’s reinterpretation of European Baroque frescoes—inspired by masters like Pietro da Cortona, Giovanni Battista Tiepolo, and Andrea Pozzo—merged with 20th-century Abstract Expressionism and street-art techniques, using layered acrylic sprays to create atmospheric perspectives.

Auction house Phillips presents highlights of the next art and design auction in Milan

La casa d’aste Phillips presenta a Milano gli highlights della prossima asta tra arte e design

Phillips auction house is presenting a selection of highlights from upcoming auctions and private sales in Milan during the city's Art Week and Salone del Mobile. The exhibition, staged in a space with architecture and furnishings by Dimoregallery and Dimoremilano, features significant Italian post-war art and design pieces, including a notable 1983 'Mappa' by Alighiero Boetti made in Kabul, works by Carla Accardi and Piero Dorazio, and a Carmen Herrera painting slated for auction in New York.

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Signature items from Carolyn Bessette Kennedy's personal wardrobe are being sold at auction by the Fashion Auctioneer. The sale includes four key pieces gifted to her friend Rosemarie Terenzio, such as three cherished Prada coats and a Yohji Yamamoto dress, with estimates reaching up to $30,000. The auction is supplemented by dozens of vintage items from a private collector, some of which were used as wardrobe for the new FX television series 'Love Story,' which dramatizes the couple's relationship.

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A Bob Ross painting titled *Authentic Mountain Retreat* is among $1 million in prizes being given away during a live game show hosted by YouTube star MrBeast on the live shopping marketplace Whatnot, airing ahead of the Super Bowl on February 8. The giveaway also includes a Lamborghini Spyder, a Hermès Birkin bag, and a sealed Pokémon Booster Box. The painting, sourced from Minneapolis gallery Modern Artifact, comes as Ross's auction record has surged to $787,900 at Bonhams, driven by renewed market interest.

Is It Simple to Be a Communist in Philosophy? Review of Alberto Toscano, Communism in Philosophy

Is It Simple to Be a Communist in Philosophy? Review of Alberto Toscano, Communism in Philosophy

The article reviews Alberto Toscano's book 'Communism in Philosophy', which examines the intellectual convergence of philosophers Alain Badiou and Antonio Negri. Both thinkers, whose major works gained prominence in the early 2000s, are analyzed for their shared commitment to rethinking communism as a philosophical concept beyond its historical political failures.

Calls for Artists: April 2026

Multiple open calls for artists and grants have been announced for April 2026 deadlines. The 2027 Creative Capital Open Call offers unrestricted project grants up to $50,000 for artists across all 50 states, while also selecting recipients for the new State of the Art Prize, which grants $10,000 to one artist from each state and territory. Delfina Foundation, in partnership with the Jorge M. Pérez Collection, is offering four fully funded residencies for Latin American and Caribbean artists, with two spots available in this round. The Ogden Museum of Southern Art is accepting submissions for its Louisiana Contemporary 2026 statewide juried exhibition, and the Handweaver’s Guild of America has issued calls for entries for its Convergence 2026 fiber art exhibitions.

For this 2026 too, the Fuorisalone is full of fashion. Here are the events halfway between fashion and design

Anche per questo 2026 il Fuorisalone è pieno di moda. Ecco gli eventi a metà strada tra fashion e design

The 2026 Fuorisalone in Milan continues to be a major platform for the convergence of fashion and design. Numerous fashion brands are presenting immersive installations, special collections, and cultural formats across the city, transforming urban spaces into narrative environments. Key presentations include YOOX's digital installation with Keta Bart, Gucci's archival project by Demna, Prada's symposium curated by Formafantasma, and new collections from Armani, Fendi, Dior Maison, and Louis Vuitton.

An Artist Embraces the Metaphorical Cracks of Matzah

Artist Emily Drew Miller has created a series of collograph prints titled "Matzot" by running sheets of matzah through a printing press. The resulting black-and-white impressions capture the intricate textures and cracks of the unleavened bread, transforming the traditional Passover food into a medium for her grid-based painting practice. The series began as a personal ritual around the holiday and has evolved into a decade-long exploration.

Grove Gallery to host opening reception for ‘Triptych’ exhibition on Jan. 10

Grove Gallery in Grove Street will host an opening reception on January 10 for "Triptych," a group exhibition featuring works by artists Kate Berry-Brown, Vanessa Filley, and Darren Oberto. The show runs through January 31 and brings together figurative photography, pencil-based portraits, and oil paintings, exploring themes of motherhood, belonging, place, and the cosmos through geometric abstraction and experimental mark-making.

At Milan Design Week, Function and Form Take on New Meanings

Milan Design Week has transformed the Italian city into a sprawling showcase of avant-garde furniture and experimental objects. This year's highlights include whimsical, kinetic installations such as a spinning Christmas tree and sculptural tables designed to mimic the organic forms of flowers, pushing the boundaries between utilitarian furniture and fine art.

Between Fashion and Design, a New Issue of TAILOR Returns, Artribune's Newsletter on the Culture of Clothing

Tra moda e design torna un nuovo numero di TAILOR, newsletter di Artribune sulla cultura del vestire

Artribune has announced the return of TAILOR, a specialized newsletter exploring the intersections of art, fashion, and design. The upcoming April 19, 2026 edition focuses on the synergy between fashion brands and the Milan Design Week, featuring an interview with Mauro Simionato, founder of the experimental knitwear brand Vitelli, regarding sustainable material processes and community-building.

Jersey City Arts + Studio Tour Returning for 2025

Jersey City’s 36th annual Jersey City Arts + Studio Tour (JCAST) returns from October 3rd to October 5th, 2025, with the theme “Convergence: Art, Technology, Business, and Wellness.” The festival features over 120 venues across all six wards, including more than 60 open artist studios, gallery exhibitions, two JCAST-curated shows, performances, music, poetry, film, and guided tours. Events include a kick-off party, VIP fundraiser, JCAST Legend Awards, art talks, bike crawls, and after parties. The festival is produced by The Creative Side and supported by the City of Jersey City and other sponsors.

Jersey City Arts + Studio Tour Returning for 2025

The Jersey City Arts + Studio Tour (JCAST) returns for its 36th annual festival from October 3rd to October 5th, 2025, with the theme "Convergence: Art, Technology, Business, and Wellness." The event features over 120 venues across all six wards, including more than 60 open artist studios, gallery exhibitions, two curated shows, performances, music, poetry, film, and guided tours. Highlights include the JCAST Legend Awards ceremony honoring Ernie Pannicioli and the late Ruth Moore, art talks, a bike art crawl organized by Bike JC, and after parties at various local venues.

Water's Way: A Conversation with Brazilian Conceptual Artist Daniel de Paula About His Expo Chicago Debut

Brazilian conceptual artist Daniel de Paula is set to make his Expo Chicago debut with a solo presentation hosted by gallery Yehudi Hollander-Pappi. The installation features industrial thousand-liter water tanks filled with water from the San Francisco Bay, a site chosen for its symbolic and material convergence of neoliberal history and digital infrastructure. The water contains both the scattered ashes of economist Milton Friedman and chemical effluents from Silicon Valley data centers, creating a visceral link between economic theory and environmental reality.

Visual art and live performances converge at CHAMP gallery exhibition opening | News

CHAMP gallery in Grass Valley, California, opened a new exhibition titled "Convergence" that blends visual art with live performances. The opening featured works by local artists alongside dance, music, and spoken word performances, creating an immersive experience for attendees. The exhibition aims to break down traditional boundaries between artistic disciplines.

Art of Luxury

The article introduces *Art of Luxury*, a biannual magazine published by *The Art Newspaper* that examines the intersection of high-end fashion, jewelry, travel, and lifestyle with the visual arts. It covers how luxury brands engage with artists, the art market, and museums and heritage institutions.

From Dior's golden coat to landscape jewellery at Christie's: where the worlds of art and luxury collide this autumn

The article highlights two luxury-art crossovers this autumn: Jonathan Anderson's debut Dior menswear collection for spring/summer 2026, presented in Paris, and Natasha Wightman's new jewellery collection displayed at Christie's London. Anderson's show reimagined Dior's iconic women's silhouettes for men, featuring a standout €200,000 coat embroidered with ancient Indian mukesh work that took 12 artisans 34 days to create. Wightman's jewellery incorporates bog oak, a semi-fossilised wood from British fens, carved into pendants celebrating the country's remaining temperate rainforests.

Varley Art Gallery Hosts Opening Reception for 2025 Fall Exhibitions

The Varley Art Gallery of Markham will host an opening reception on September 20, 2025, for two new fall exhibitions: "Kejie Lin: A Garden of My Own," a solo show of meticulous Chinese ink paintings by former landscape architect Kejie Lin, and "Sights of Convergence," a group exhibition featuring Jess Riva Cooper, Gabriela García-Luna, and Stanzie Tooth that explores the entanglement of human and natural worlds. The free public event includes a guided tour by guest curator Yuluo Wei, family-friendly activities, and light refreshments, with both exhibitions running through January 11, 2026.

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Alexander Calder's market remains strong despite a broader art market downturn. Thirteen Calder works have sold for over $1 million at auction this year, all within or above estimates, led by Christie's sale of *Gypsophila* (1949) for $8.5 million. Next month, Gladstone Gallery will bring Calder's standing mobile *Caged Stone on Yellow Stalk* (ca. 1955) to Art Basel Paris, priced at $5.5 million, after it sold for $3.2 million at the Gerald Fineberg collection sale in 2023. This market resilience coincides with major institutional shows: the opening of Calder Gardens in Philadelphia and a Whitney Museum exhibition celebrating the centennial of Calder's *Circus* (1926–31).

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Christie’s has appointed Max Carter as chairman of 20th and 21st Century art for the Americas. Carter, a Canadian-American writer and art specialist who joined the auction house in 2007, previously led the Impressionist and modern art department in the Americas from 2017 to 2022. He has overseen major collection consignments from Anne Bass, Paul Allen, S.I. Newhouse, Mica Ertegun, Robert F. Weis and Patricia G. Ross Weis, and Elaine Wynn, and has achieved record prices for artists like Ed Ruscha and Henri Rousseau. Carter will report to Christie’s global president and succeeds in the role as the auction house prepares for its marquee November sales in New York.

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Art historian Dieter Buchhart, a leading expert on Jean-Michel Basquiat and Keith Haring, will debut a new Basquiat exhibition titled “Signs: Connecting Past and Future” at the Dongdaemun Design Plaza in Seoul, opening September 23 and running through January 31, 2026. In a recent interview with Jing Daily, Buchhart discussed the growing convergence of branding, fashion, and art, highlighting the role of luxury companies like LVMH in underwriting major exhibitions, citing their sponsorship of the 2023 show “Basquiat x Warhol. Painting 4 Hands” without special requests, though the exhibition premiered at LVMH’s Fondation Louis Vuitton.

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The fourth edition of Frieze Seoul opened with strong collector turnout and solid first-day sales, despite a turbulent global art market. High-profile attendees included MoMA PS1 director Connie Butler, Hawai‘i Triennial 2025 cocurator Wassan Al-Khudhairi, and Top 200 Collectors Lonti Ebers, Yassmin Ghandehari, and Qiao Zhibing, alongside K-pop stars Lisa (BLACKPINK), RM (BTS), and The8 and Vernon (Seventeen). Major sales included Hauser & Wirth’s $4.5 million sale of Mark Bradford’s triptych "Okay, then I apologize" (2025) and a George Condo painting for $1.2 million, while White Cube, Thaddaeus Ropac, Pace Gallery, and others reported significant transactions. International blue-chip galleries with Seoul spaces are doubling down, presenting top-tier shows of star artists like James Turrell, Antony Gormley, and Lee Bul, with Korea’s private museums also mounting blockbuster exhibitions.