99 Variations of a Volcano

99 Variationen eines Vulkans

Julian Charrière has released a new artist's book titled "After the Smoke Cradle," documenting a series of 99 lithographs originally exhibited at the Verein für Originalgraphik in Zurich. The project features 33 variations of three different volcanoes, created using a unique process where the artist transformed collected lava, ash, obsidian, and sulfur into printing pigments. This material-focused approach ensures that the physical essence of the volcanic sites is literally embedded into the photographic imagery.

A Dismembered Album by Gerard van Honthorst (1592-1656): Unpublished Drawings and Reconstruction of a Corpus

Un album démembré de Gerard van Honthorst (1592-1656) : dessins inédits et reconstitution d'un corpus

An article in La Tribune de l'Art presents a significant expansion of the known corpus of drawings by Dutch Golden Age painter Gerard van Honthorst (1592-1656). Following the 2014 exhibition of twenty-seven drawings identified by the author, this study adds thirty-two more sheets—twenty-two of which are previously unpublished—as a preliminary step toward reconstructing a dismembered album. The research, conducted with direct observation and advanced imaging techniques (digital microscopy, ultraviolet, raking light), aims to restore the album's original order and shed light on the role of drawing in Honthorst's workshop and creative process.

The Fantasy of the Femme Fatale

Le fantasme de la femme fatale

A documentary titled "Le fantasme de la femme fatale" (The Fantasy of the Femme Fatale), directed by Susanne Brand, is available on Arte.tv. The film traces the visual history of the femme fatale, a seductive and dangerous figure prevalent in centuries of figurative painting by male artists like Gustave Moreau and Franz Von Stuck, often depicted as Salome or languid nymphs.

From Agnès Varda to Giuseppe Penone, the strange passion of artists for potatoes deciphered in Aubenas

D’Agnès Varda à Giuseppe Penone, l’étrange passion des artistes pour les patates décryptée à Aubenas

The article explores the exhibition "Des patates" at Le Château – Centre d'Art Contemporain et du Patrimoine in Aubenas, France, which celebrates the humble potato as an artistic subject. It highlights how filmmaker and visual artist Agnès Varda turned potatoes into art with her 2003 Venice Biennale project "Patatutopia," dressing as a potato and scattering 700 kilos of tubers, inspired by her documentary *Les Glaneurs et la glaneuse*. The show also features works by Giuseppe Penone, Michel Blazy, Valérie Geissbühler Pacheco, and Lucas Chanoine, all using potatoes to explore themes of consumption, waste, colonialism, and the cycle of life.

L’œuvre « indocile » du photographe Guido Guidi exposée au BAL

The article announces the exhibition of photographer Guido Guidi's work at Le BAL in Paris, curated by Simona Antonacci, Pippo Ciorra, and Antonello Frongia, with scenography by Cyril Delhomme. The show, titled "Col tempo, 1956-2024," runs from February 20 to May 24, 2026, and was previously presented in a larger version at the MAXXI museum in Rome. Guidi, now 85, is described as the last of a generation of Italian photographers—alongside Luigi Ghirri and Ugo Mulas—who radically redefined photographic language through patient, obstinate reflection on the act of seeing.

The Nahmad family ordered to return a Nazi-looted Modigliani, valued at 21.5 million euros, to a French farmer

La famille Nahmad sommée de restituer à un agriculteur français un Modigliani spolié par les nazis, estimé à 21,5 millions d’euros

The New York State Supreme Court has ordered the restitution of Amedeo Modigliani’s 1918 painting, 'Seated Man (with a Cane)', to Philippe Maestracci, the grandson of Jewish art dealer Oscar Stettiner. The artwork, valued at approximately €21.5 million, was looted from Stettiner’s Paris gallery by the Nazis in 1944. Despite a 1946 court ruling in Stettiner's favor, the painting remained hidden for decades before being acquired in 1996 by the billionaire Nahmad family through an offshore entity.

On Arte, the Fascinating Odyssey of a Lost Klimt Retraced in a Documentary

Sur Arte, la fascinante odyssée d’un Klimt disparu retracée dans un documentaire

A long-lost portrait by Gustav Klimt, depicting a young Black man, has been rediscovered and is the subject of a new documentary on Arte. The film, "Gustav Klimt and the Enigma of the Ghanaian Prince," details the painting's authentication and the investigation into the identity of its sitter, who was identified in 2024 as Prince William Nii Nortey Dowuona, a member of the Ga people who was in Vienna in the late 19th century.

Kate Moss’s portrait sessions with Lucian Freud will be the focus of “Moss & Freud.”

A new biographical drama film titled "Moss & Freud" is set to premiere in the UK, focusing on the portrait sessions between supermodel Kate Moss and painter Lucian Freud. The film stars Ellie Bamber as Moss and Derek Jacobi as Freud, and is directed by James Lucas, having first appeared at the London International Film Festival.

Willem de Rooij at Lumiar Cité

Artist Willem de Rooij presents a new exhibition titled "Hut Hut" at Lumiar Cité in Lisbon. The show, curated by Jürgen Bock, runs from February 21 to May 17, 2026, and is documented with 11 images on the Contemporary Art Daily platform.

Thomas Bayrle at dépendance

German artist Thomas Bayrle presents a solo exhibition at the Brussels-based gallery dépendance, running from March 14 through April 11, 2026. The presentation showcases a comprehensive selection of Bayrle’s work, documented through an extensive collection of 42 installation views and individual piece images that highlight his signature aesthetic of repetitive patterns and industrial motifs.

Jay Heikes, J. Parker Valentine at David Petersen Gallery

David Petersen Gallery in Minneapolis is presenting a two-person exhibition featuring artists Jay Heikes and J. Parker Valentine, titled "Salvador Dalí’s Birthday Party." The show runs from March 6 to April 26, 2026, and is documented with 40 installation images.

Marieta Chirulescu, Fred Sandback at Galerie Thomas Schulte

Galerie Thomas Schulte in Berlin is presenting a two-person exhibition featuring works by Marieta Chirulescu and Fred Sandback. The show, titled "Phase," runs from February 28 to April 18, 2026, and includes 17 documented images of the installation.

Candids at Timeshare

Timeshare in Los Angeles has opened a group exhibition titled "Candids at Timeshare," featuring works by artists William Leavitt, Alexandra Noel, Ludovic Sauvage, and Frances Stark. The show, curated by Fiona Vilmer, runs from February 27 to March 22, 2026, and is documented with 38 installation images on Contemporary Art Daily.

Matt Mullican at Galerie Thomas Schulte

Artist Matt Mullican has opened a solo exhibition titled "Above and Below the Three Worlds" at Galerie Thomas Schulte in Berlin. The show, which runs from February 14 to April 18, 2026, features new work documented by 41 images on the gallery's site.

Matt Mullican at Peter Freeman Inc.

Artist Matt Mullican has opened a solo exhibition titled "The Universe" at Peter Freeman Inc. in New York. The show, which runs from February 28 to April 11, 2026, is documented with 38 installation photographs taken by Nicolas Knight.

The Groups and Other Artistic Revolts: Networks and Collectivities in Mexico, 1976-1985

LOS GRUPOS Y OTRAS REVUELTAS ARTÍSTICAS. REDES Y COLECTIVIDADES EN MÉXICO, 1976-1985

The Museo Universitario Arte Contemporáneo (MUAC) in Mexico City has launched a major exhibition titled "Los grupos y otras revueltas artísticas," which re-examines the surge of artist collectives in Mexico between 1976 and 1985. Drawing from the Arkheia Documentation Center, the show moves beyond a simple chronological survey to reconstruct emblematic works and document the radical shifts in artistic language that occurred during this era. It highlights key historical moments, such as the 1977 Paris Biennial and the formation of the Mexican Front of Cultural Workers' Groups, while exploring how these collectives navigated urban spaces and institutional boundaries.

A Visit to Tomás Saraceno’s Berlin Studio Delves into a Deeply Empathetic Practice

A Visit to Tomás Saraceno’s Berlin Studio Delves into a Deeply Empathetic Practice

A new documentary from Art21 offers an inside look into artist Tomás Saraceno's Berlin studio, highlighting his collaborative and interdisciplinary practice. The film explores several of his projects, from large-scale suspended installations to community-focused works, all centered on how humans inhabit space and relate to other species.

“Human Being Human” at The Private Museum

The Private Museum in Singapore presents "Human Being Human: Selections from the Collection of John and Cheryl Chia," an exhibition running from January 19 to April 26, 2026. Organized into four chapters—"Stateless," "State," "Statehood," and "Rebirth"—the show features works by artists including Joseph Beuys, Lee Wen, Eadweard Muybridge, Sherman Ong, John Clang, Sun Xun, and Green Zeng, exploring the body as a central site of inquiry into identity, vulnerability, and societal conditioning. The collection, amassed over 25 years by doctors John and Cheryl Chia, uses the body to examine themes of statelessness, state control, collective ideology, and rebirth, with works that challenge linear narratives and embrace conceptual loops.

Trippy Film by British-Ethiopian Artist Theo Eshetu Hits the Venice Biennale

British-Ethiopian artist Theo Eshetu is presenting a new installation, *The Garden of the Broken-Hearted* (2026), at the Venice Biennale. The work features a live olive tree mounted on a rotating dais, with a video of the tree projected onto itself, marking a shift from his decades-long practice of multi-screen video installations. Eshetu discusses the project's origins in conversations with the late Biennale curator Koyo Kouoh, framing the tree as a space for mourning, human consciousness, and elemental storytelling.

Did This Photographer’s Provocative Work Inspire a Key Plot Point in The Drama?

The new film *The Drama*, directed by Kristoffer Borgli and starring Zendaya and Robert Pattinson, features a central plot point involving a fictional photobook titled *Brainrot*. In the movie, Pattinson’s character, a museum curator, becomes obsessed with the book's provocative imagery of young women with firearms after learning of his fiancée’s past violent intentions. While *Brainrot* is a fictional creation, its aesthetic and subject matter draw significant parallels to Lindsay McCrum’s 2011 photography book, *Chicks with Guns*, which documented the diverse demographics of female gun owners in America.

michelangelo sculpture reattributed rome 1234775993

A marble bust of Jesus Christ located in Rome’s Basilica of Sant’Agnese fuori le mura has been reattributed to Michelangelo. Independent researcher Valentina Salerno, a member of the Vatican committee for Michelangelo’s 500th anniversary, used archival records and inventories to trace the sculpture back to the Renaissance master, reversing a 19th-century dismissal of its origins. Simultaneously, a private owner in Belgium is claiming a recently acquired Pietà painting is also a work by Michelangelo, supported by carbon dating and stylistic analysis from art historian Michel Draguet.

a cleveland artist is transforming a trashed greyhound bus into a museum of migration 1234747377

Cleveland-based artist, historian, and preservationist Robert Louis Brandon Edwards is transforming a 1947 Greyhound bus he rescued from a Pennsylvania junkyard into a traveling Museum of the Great Migration. The bus, designed by Raymond Loewy and originally operating in the Great Lakes region, will feature virtual reality exhibitions highlighting the experiences of African Americans who moved from the rural South to the North, Midwest, and West between 1910 and 1970. Edwards, who is pursuing doctoral studies in historic preservation at Columbia University, is partnering with Cleveland nonprofit Playhouse Square and hopes to have the bus on the road within a year.

prospect new orleans archival book project 1234747026

Prospect New Orleans, the citywide triennial launched in 2007, will not mount a seventh edition in 2027. Instead, the organization will focus on creating a publication titled "20 Years of Prospect," featuring oral histories, critical essays, and archival imagery from its first six editions. The decision, driven by factors including legacy preservation and funding constraints, was characterized by former executive director Nick Stillman as a holistic step back from the demanding three-year cycle to ensure the organization's accomplishments are recognized and organized. Prospect has operated on budgets between $5 million and $6.3 million per cycle and has received NEA grants since 2019.

NASA’s Artemis II Returns to the Moon—and Captures a Powerful New Image of Earth

NASA has released the first images from the Artemis II mission, marking humanity's first return to the moon since 1972. During a lunar flyby on April 6, Commander Reid Wiseman captured a series of high-resolution photographs using a Nikon D5, including a striking image titled 'Earthset' that shows the planet sinking below the lunar horizon. The mission's four-person crew produced approximately 10,000 images, documenting the far side of the moon and a total solar eclipse from a unique celestial perspective.

scott kelly photographer astronaut 342386

Astronaut Scott Kelly is utilizing his record-breaking year-long mission aboard the International Space Station to capture high-altitude photography of Earth's surface. Dubbing his work #EarthArt, Kelly shares abstract, vividly colorful images of terrestrial landscapes—ranging from the Australian outback to the Himalayas—with his massive social media following. His approach favors formal abstraction over traditional documentation, highlighting the planet's diverse topography through a lens that blurs the line between science and fine art.

tracing the transition from mannerism to baroque at tefaf maastricht 2751235

London-based gallery Trinity Fine Art has announced a curated presentation for TEFAF Maastricht 2026 focusing on the stylistic evolution from Mannerism to the Baroque. The showcase features three significant works: an ambitious 1580 biblical scene by Lavinia Fontana, a rare and well-documented 1610 depiction of St. Jerome by Orazio Gentileschi, and a mature 1620 composition of the Holy Family by Giulio Cesare Procaccini.

mysterious art installation turns up on nycs north brother island 65895

A mysterious art installation featuring an outdoor living room has been discovered on the shores of North Brother Island, an abandoned site in New York City’s East River. The arrangement, which includes a vintage wood-paneled television and a leather armchair perched on a concrete block, was spotted by a local kayaker. The island, once home to a quarantine hospital and the site of the General Slocum maritime disaster, has been closed to the public since 1963.

apple contract constitution christies sale 2720751

Christie's auction "We the People: America at 250" on January 23, 2026, achieved $35.5 million in total sales, doubling its presale estimate. The top lot was a draft of the U.S. Constitution annotated by founding father Rufus King, which sold for $7.3 million. Other highlights included a signed Emancipation Proclamation ($6.7 million), a 1776 Declaration of Independence copy ($5.6 million), and the Apple Computer Company Partnership Agreement from 1976, signed by Steve Jobs, Steve Wozniak, and Ronald Wayne, which fetched $2.5 million. A Gilbert Stuart portrait of George Washington (ca. 1804) realized $2.8 million, setting a new auction record for the Athenaeum type.

george washington dollar portrait gilbert stuart auction 2731865

Christie’s is launching its largest-ever Americana Week in January, featuring a George Washington portrait by Gilbert Stuart that inspired the dollar bill. The painting, commissioned by James Madison, is expected to fetch between $500,000 and $1 million. The auction includes 700 lots across nine sales, with highlights such as a signed Emancipation Proclamation and the contract that created Apple. The portrait, a Vaughn-type from 1795, was consigned by Clarkson University and has a provenance tracing back to Madison, confirmed by a 19th-century catalog and a note from Madison’s secretary.

haitian museum police rescue artworks from gangs 2669538

Haitian police conducted a two-day armed operation to evacuate thousands of artworks and documents from the Centre d’Art in Port-au-Prince, as gangs tightened control over the capital. The museum, founded in 1944 and housing works by artists such as Hector Hyppolite, Georges Liautaud, and Philomé Obin, had been forced to suspend operations in February after gang members stole solar panels and a generator. Under gunfire, authorities used armored vehicles to clear barricaded streets and removed an estimated 6,000 artworks and 3,600 documents to safety.