Art News. Vasari Codex

museum exhibitions schedule Jan 27, 2026 visibility 23 link 13 artists

london courtauld new contemporary art galleries blavatnik 1234771100

London’s Courtauld Gallery will open two new contemporary art galleries at its Somerset House campus, funded by a £10 million ($13.8 million) gift from the Blavatnik Family Foundation. The top-floor spaces, originally built as a display area for the Royal Society in the 18th century, are expected to debut in 2029. The donation brings the foundation’s total support for the Courtauld to £20 million ($27.5 million), following earlier backing for the museum’s 2021 renovation. The new galleries will be programmed in part by students in the Courtauld’s curating master’s program and will host exhibitions connecting historical and contemporary art.

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article culture schedule Jan 21, 2026 visibility 30 link 9 artists

art trends 2026 2738010

Art critic Ben Davis reflects on the cultural landscape of early 2026, identifying a chaotic aesthetic defined by AI-generated imagery, esoteric Nazi dog whistles, internet trolling, and gaudy luxury, which he calls the "Chaotic Style." He also discusses the muted response to the 2025 Fall of Freedom initiative, the ongoing credibility crisis of liberal institutions over Gaza, and the need for serious AI criticism that moves beyond dismissing it as "slop."

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article news schedule Jan 16, 2026 visibility 19 link 1 artist

david hockney bayeux tapestry 2737689

David Hockney has publicly condemned the planned loan of the Bayeux Tapestry from France to the British Museum, calling the transport of the 950-year-old, 224-foot-long embroidered chronicle across the English Channel “madness” and an unnecessary risk. Writing in an op-ed for The Independent, the 88-year-old artist warned that moving the fragile artifact—which has nearly 10,000 holes and 30 tears—could cause irreversible damage such as fiber contraction, expansion, or color fading. The tapestry is scheduled for a 10-month loan to the British Museum later this year, and despite a £800 million insurance scheme and assurances from museum director Nicholas Cullinan, Hockney remains unconvinced, noting that a museum representative who met with him had not read his book "Secret Knowledge." The tapestry has already been moved from the Bayeux Museum to a secret storage facility, its first relocation in 40 years.

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museum exhibitions schedule Jan 15, 2026 visibility 19 link 7 artists

rijksmuseum sculpture garden 2737060

The Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam has announced an $11.5 million permanent sculpture garden, funded by a €60 million donation from the Don Quixote Foundation. Designed by Foster + Partners and landscape architect Piet Blanckaert, the garden will transform three areas of the museum grounds into a permanent display of Modern and contemporary sculpture, featuring works by Alberto Giacometti, Louise Bourgeois, Alexander Calder, Henry Moore, and Roni Horn. Three existing pavilions will be converted into exhibition spaces, and the garden is slated to open later this year, pending local council approval.

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trending_up market schedule Jan 14, 2026 visibility 23 link 16 artists

christies london belgian 54 million collection magritte 1234769866

Christie's London will auction a major collection of modern and contemporary art from Belgian collectors Roger and Josette Vanthournout during its March marquee sales week. The collection, estimated at £40 million ($53.8 million), spans six decades of collecting and includes works by René Magritte, Henry Moore, Pablo Picasso, Yayoi Kusama, Lucio Fontana, Agnes Martin, and Max Ernst. It will be offered across three sales: a March 5 evening sale, a March 6 daytime sale, and an online sale from February 25 to March 12. Highlights include Magritte's 'La plaine de l'air' (1940) and Moore's 'Goslar Warrior' (1973–74), each estimated at £3.5–5.5 million.

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article news schedule Jan 12, 2026 visibility 13 link 1 artist

sasha suda philadelphia art museum ceo title removed 1234769452

Sasha Suda, the former director and CEO of the Philadelphia Art Museum, gave her first extensive interview since her firing last November to Philadelphia Magazine, alleging that the board attempted to strip her of the CEO title. She claims former board chair Leslie Anne Miller initially offered both roles but later tried to separate them, only allowing her to hold both temporarily. Suda says she rejected the revised offer, leading the board to backpedal. The article also reveals that Suda placed chief curator Carlos Basualdo on administrative leave in 2024, a decision that upset some trustees and may have contributed to tensions. Suda was abruptly fired on Election Day via email citing "cause," and she and the board have traded allegations over misuse of funds and unfair investigations.

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museum exhibitions schedule Jan 9, 2026 visibility 18 link 7 artists

columbia museum new collection galleries renovation 1234769385

The Columbia Museum of Art in Columbia, South Carolina, is unveiling newly reconfigured collection galleries to cap its 75th anniversary and culminate a yearlong renovation. The museum will reopen its collection galleries following a gala on January 16, presenting a newly conceived display across 20 galleries. The reinstalled galleries draw from the museum’s American, Asian, European, and modern and contemporary holdings, including Italian Renaissance works from the Kress Collection, an Asian gallery anchored by Chinese art from the Tang dynasty, and thematic galleries focused on landscape, still life, and art and architecture. The renovation, which began in January 2025, included new lighting and ceilings, reinforced walls, and conservation work on pieces by Sam Gilliam, Teiji Takai, and Benjamin Wilson.

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article policy schedule Jan 9, 2026 visibility 27 link 22 artists

antwerp contemporary art museum controvery 2735239

Belgium plans to revoke the museum status of Antwerp's Museum of Contemporary Art (M HKA) and transfer its 8,000-work collection to Ghent's Municipal Museum of Contemporary Art (Smak), canceling a promised $93 million new building. The proposal by Flemish culture minister Caroline Gennez has sparked resignations, legal challenges, and backlash from artists including Luc Tuymans and Anish Kapoor, who call it unlawful and a threat to cultural independence. A parliamentary hearing is expected in January 2026.

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trending_up market schedule Dec 23, 2025 visibility 34 link 40 artists, 2 galleries

what is reference baiting art market 2732751

At Art Basel Miami Beach 2025, the art market showed a strong turn toward historical references, with galleries like Gagosian featuring Jeff Koons' antique-inspired sculptures and Takashi Murakami's reproductions of Cézanne and Van Gogh. The new Zero 10 sector, named after a 1915 Malevich exhibition, highlighted digital artists such as Beeple and Larva Labs. This trend reflects a broader "flight to quality" in an uncertain market, where collectors seek reassurance by associating emerging or overlooked artists with established historical names.

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article news schedule Dec 22, 2025 visibility 16 link 13 artists

jeffrey epstein art world connections 2732681

The article details the ongoing release of documents related to disgraced sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, revealing his extensive ties to prominent art world figures. Key connections include former MoMA chairman Leon Black, who paid Epstein tens of millions for tax advice and engaged in art transactions involving a Giacometti sculpture and a Cézanne watercolor; retail mogul and art collector Leslie Wexner; and artist Andres Serrano. It also highlights the story of artist Maria Farmer, who was assaulted by Epstein and Maxwell and faced threats against her art career when she tried to report them in the 1990s.

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article news schedule Dec 18, 2025 visibility 18 link 8 artists

trump white house morisot walmart 2731458

Vanity Fair published a two-part feature with unprecedented imagery of the Trump administration, shot by photographer Christopher Anderson. Diet Prada annotated the photos, highlighting that a floral still life by French impressionist Berthe Morisot, titled *Peonies* (1869), appears behind press secretary Karoline Leavitt and is currently available as a print through Walmart. The painting belongs to the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., which lists it as not on view and declined to comment on whether it is on loan to the White House. The Trump administration has not responded to inquiries about the artwork's provenance or whether it was newly installed or left over from a previous administration.

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rate_review review schedule Dec 17, 2025 visibility 18 link 12 artists

worst artworks we saw around the world in 2022 2219621

Artnet News editors compiled a list of the worst artworks they encountered in 2022, including a chaotic performance by Poncili Creación at NADA Miami, an overproduced Danish Pavilion installation by Uffe Isolotto at the Venice Biennale, and a Paul Cézanne painting at the Barnes Foundation that disappointed a critic. The article offers subjective, critical takes on these works, describing the NADA performance as bizarre and jolting, the Danish pavilion as graphic and lacking a powerful message, and the Cézanne as a disappointment within an otherwise memorable museum visit.

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trending_up market schedule Dec 15, 2025 visibility 45 link 33 artists, 5 galleries

frieze new york 2025 sales report 1234741303

Frieze New York opened on a warm Wednesday morning, with a packed spring art week schedule that saw the fair and TEFAF's US edition separated by just 24 hours. The VIP day was animated with strong sales, including Jeff Koons's *Hulk (Tubas)* reportedly selling for $3 million at Gagosian, which presented the artist's first collaboration since he left the gallery in 2021. Other notable sales included works by Liza Lou, Joan Snyder, David Salle, and Adam Pendleton, with Pace Gallery selling all six of Pendleton's paintings within hours. Galleries reported a slower but deliberate pace of buying, with collectors taking more time to make decisions.

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rate_review review schedule Dec 10, 2025 visibility 24 link 21 artists

what are the 10 best works of art in new york museums let the debate begin 253472

Artnet News critic Christian Viveros-Fauné has published a personal list of the ten best works of art in New York museums, sparking debate among readers. The selection includes iconic pieces such as Giovanni Bellini's *St. Francis in the Desert* at the Frick Collection, Gerhard Richter's *October 18, 1977* at MoMA, Paul Cézanne's *The Card Players* at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, James Rosenquist's *F-111* at MoMA, Diego Velázquez's *Juan de Pareja* at the Met, and Pablo Picasso's *Les Demoiselles d'Avignon* at MoMA, among others.

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museum exhibitions schedule Dec 9, 2025 visibility 27 link 23 artists

philadelphia art museum rocky statue exhibition 1234765749

The Philadelphia Art Museum is organizing a 2026 exhibition titled “Rising Up: Rocky and the Making of Monuments,” centered on the famous Rocky Balboa statue that sits atop the museum's steps. Curated by Paul Farber, co-founder of Monument Lab, the show will feature over 150 works by more than 50 artists, spanning 2,000 years of artifacts, and explore the role of monuments in fine art, sports, and popular culture. The exhibition coincides with the 50th anniversary of the original Rocky film and includes works by Keith Haring, Rashid Johnson, Kara Walker, and Andy Warhol, among others.

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trending_up market schedule Dec 9, 2025 visibility 24 link 18 artists

most expensive female artists 817277

Artnet News has published a list of the ten most expensive female artists at auction, based on data from the Artnet Price Database. The article highlights recent record-breaking sales, including Frida Kahlo's *El Sueño (La Cama)* (1940), which sold for $54.7 million at Sotheby's, and Marlene Dumas's *Miss January* (1997), which realized $13.6 million at Christie's, making Dumas the most expensive living woman artist. The list features artists such as Rosemarie Trockel, Bridget Riley, Cindy Sherman, Vija Celmins, and Cady Noland, with auction records ranging from $4.9 million to $9.7 million.

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article news schedule Dec 9, 2025 visibility 20 link 3 artists

asia society muhammad artwork censorship 2286435

New York's Asia Society and Museum has been accused of censorship by Islamic art scholars after a virtual tour of its exhibition "Comparative Hell: Arts of Asian Underworlds" blurred two artworks depicting the Prophet Muhammad. The museum acknowledged the error, blaming an outside contractor and insufficient oversight, and announced plans to restore the images to the online tour. The blurred works include a folio from the Falnama (ca. 1555) on loan from the Arthur M. Sackler Museum at Harvard and a manuscript page from the David Collection in Copenhagen showing Muhammad ascending to heaven. The controversy follows a similar incident at Hamline University, where an adjunct professor lost her contract after showing images of Muhammad in an art history class.

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trending_up market schedule Dec 2, 2025 visibility 20 link 12 artists

new york auction measures 2719737

New York's spring auction season concluded with a dramatic five-day marathon across Sotheby's, Christie's, and Phillips, generating a combined $2.2 billion. Sotheby's led with $1.17 billion in total sales, fueled by Gustav Klimt's *Portrait of Elisabeth Lederer* (1914–16) from the estate of Leonard A. Lauder, which sold for $234.6 million—a single work accounting for 20% of Sotheby's total. Christie's followed with $962.6 million, and Phillips added $92.1 million. Notable highlights included Frida Kahlo's *El sueño (La cama)* (1940) achieving $54.7 million, a new record for the artist and the highest price for a female artist at auction in raw dollars, and a triceratops fossil named Cera selling for $5.4 million at Phillips.

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trending_up market schedule Dec 2, 2025 visibility 16 link 7 artists

simon de pury art market confidence 2720560

The article reports on the upcoming Art Basel in Miami Beach and the improved mood in the art market, driven by strong auction results. Sotheby's emerged as the clear winner over Christie's in the fall 2024 auctions, achieving over $2.2 billion in total sales across Sotheby's, Christie's, and Phillips. Key consignments included the Leonard Lauder Collection, featuring a record-making Klimt, a Frida Kahlo that became the highest-selling work by a woman artist, and Maurizio Cattelan's golden toilet. The article credits Sotheby's move into the Breuer building—formerly home to the Whitney, the Met, and the Frick—for enhancing the presentation and aura of the previews.

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article news schedule Dec 1, 2025 visibility 24 link 11 artists

romare bearden digital catalogue raisonne 1234764015

The Wildenstein Plattner Institute (WPI) and the Romare Bearden Foundation have launched the first installment of a digital catalogue raisonné for the artist Romare Bearden, covering his work from 1964 to 1969. The project, which began in earnest in 2017, has so far documented 3,000 artworks, including 210 in this initial chapter, and has uncovered previously unknown works such as a portrait of artist Edmonia Lewis. The research builds on three decades of archival work by the foundation, which digitized Bearden's ephemera to aid in tracking down works he often gave away informally.

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museum exhibitions schedule Nov 24, 2025 visibility 27 link 15 artists

princeton university art museum reopening 1234759500

The Princeton University Art Museum (PUAM) reopened after nearly six years, replacing its 1969 building with a 146,000-square-foot complex designed by Adjaye Associates. The new structure features nine interlocking modernist pavilions, a 40-foot mosaic by Nick Cave, and flexible spaces like a central hall convertible into a lecture hall. The museum's collection of 117,000 objects is installed with ahistorical juxtapositions, pairing works such as Andy Warhol's Blue Marilyn (1962) with a 14th-century Virgin and Child, and Titus Kaphar's To Be Sold (2018) with a George Washington portrait. The reopening follows controversy: David Adjaye stepped back from the project in 2023 after allegations of sexual misconduct, which he denied.

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trending_up market schedule Nov 21, 2025 visibility 16 link 13 artists

magritte bucksbaum collection sothebys sale 2698202

At Sotheby’s Modern evening auction, René Magritte’s 1942 painting *Le Jockey perdu*—which the artist considered a turning point in his career—sold for over $12.3 million, exceeding its high estimate. The work was part of a group of ten consignments from the estate of shopping mall magnate Matthew Bucksbaum and his wife Carolyn “Kay” Bucksbaum, influential collectors and philanthropists who met on a blind date in 1952. Alongside works by Salvador Dalí, Jean Dubuffet, Paul Klee, and Joan Miró, the evening sale netted more than $25 million, with remaining pieces appearing in subsequent day sales.

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trending_up market schedule Nov 20, 2025 visibility 17 link 6 artists

sothebys leonard lauder contemporary by the numbers 2715607

Sotheby's held a marathon evening sale in New York on Tuesday night, achieving $706 million in total sales—the highest single-evening total in the auction house's history. The standout was the collection of Leonard A. Lauder, which alone brought $527.5 million, led by Gustav Klimt's *Portrait of Elisabeth Lederer* (1914-16) that sold for $236.4 million after a 20-minute bidding war. A second sale of contemporary and ultra-contemporary works added $178.5 million, with Jean-Michel Basquiat's *Crowns (Peso Neto)* (1981) topping that session at $48.3 million. Notably, no lots were withdrawn across both sales, and Asian collectors drove bidding on many high-value lots. Maurizio Cattelan's gold toilet *America* (2016) sold for $12.1 million, drawing only one bid.

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trending_up market schedule Nov 20, 2025 visibility 23 link 15 artists

christies edlis neeson sale 124 million 2716072

Christie's 21st-century evening sale in New York on Wednesday night achieved $123.6 million, just below its $126 million high estimate and 16% above last year's sale. The sale featured 19 lots from the collection of the late Stefan Edlis and his widow Gael Neeson, which brought in $49.2 million against a $30 million estimate. The top lot was Christopher Wool's "Untitled (RIOT)" (1990), selling for $19.8 million. New auction records were set for Firelei Báez ($1.1 million) and Olga de Amaral ($3.1 million). Only one of 45 lots failed to sell—a Cecily Brown painting estimated at $4–6 million. The sale was characterized by careful use of third-party guarantees and lowered reserves, with art advisor Aileen Agopian noting bidding was "deep and robust" despite a flat atmosphere.

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trending_up market schedule Nov 19, 2025 visibility 24 link 14 artists, 1 gallery

the art market has lost its grip on price 2653663

Former Sotheby's rainmaker Brooke Lampley, now a director at Gagosian, discusses the art market's loss of control over pricing, citing a failed $70 million Alberto Giacometti bust at auction as a symptom of deeper market confidence issues. The article traces the evolution of art pricing from opaque, dealer-driven norms to a data-rich system enabled by Artnet's Price Database in 1989, which fueled a price spiral and attracted speculators. Now, in 2025, the market faces a correction with auction sales down 27.3 percent to $10.2 billion, and buyers are pausing as traditional pricing signals become scrambled.

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rate_review review schedule Nov 19, 2025 visibility 14 link 5 artists, 3 galleries

jeff koons gagosian porcelain series review 1234762301

Jeff Koons's latest exhibition at Gagosian Gallery in New York features his new series of large-scale porcelain and stainless-steel sculptures, including the centerpiece *Aphrodite* (2016–21), an eight-and-a-half-foot-tall nude. The show marks Koons's first solo presentation in New York in seven years and follows a turbulent period in his career, including record auction sales, a move to Pace Gallery and back to Gagosian, and two lawsuits. Critic Christopher Garcia Valle panned the works as unstimulating and banal, arguing they fail to awe viewers despite their technical ambition and massive scale.

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trending_up market schedule Nov 19, 2025 visibility 17 link 14 artists

records fall during 706 million night at sothebys turbocharged by blue chip lauder trove 2714943

Sotheby's achieved a record-breaking $706 million auction night at its new global headquarters in the Breuer Building, New York, the highest total in the auction house's 281-year history. The sale was propelled by the collection of late art patron Leonard A. Lauder, whose 24 pieces sold for $527.5 million, led by Gustav Klimt's *Portrait of Elisabeth Lederer* (1914–16) which fetched $236.4 million, becoming the second-priciest artwork ever sold at auction. A subsequent contemporary and ultra-contemporary art sale added $178.5 million.

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trending_up market schedule Nov 18, 2025 visibility 30 link 21 artists, 8 galleries

shanghai art021 west bund art recap 1234762135

Shanghai's West Bund Art & Design fair and Art021 opened last week with unexpectedly strong sales, despite economic headwinds and regional competition. Many galleries reported brisk first-day sales, with Thaddaeus Ropac placing five works including a Martha Jungwirth painting for €500,000, and Hauser & Worth selling two works for over $1 million. However, major blue-chip galleries like Gagosian and Pace opted out entirely, while others like Almine Rech, White Cube, and David Zwirner scaled back their participation. The fairs took place against a backdrop of China's ongoing property slump and the overlapping Art Collaboration Kyoto, which siphoned attention from international collectors.

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trending_up market schedule Nov 18, 2025 visibility 22 link 11 artists

art gallery of ontario major gift 2714505

The late Toronto collectors Morton and Carol Rapp have donated over 450 artworks by 203 artists to the Art Gallery of Ontario (AGO) from their estates. The gift includes major Pop art works: 13 screen prints by Andy Warhol, including four Marilyn Monroe portraits (1967); works by Robert Rauschenberg, Jasper Johns, Claes Oldenburg (including the sculptural print 'Teabag' from 1966), David Hockney, and Roy Lichtenstein; plus Barnett Newman's 1964 lithograph 'CANTO XVIII', marking the Abstract Expressionist's debut in the collection. The donation also features photography by Yinka Shonibare and Kara Walker. The couple, who began supporting the AGO in 1966, had previously donated 474 works, bringing their total contribution to nearly 1,000 pieces.

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trending_up market schedule Nov 14, 2025 visibility 17 link 11 artists

sothebys charles stewart supply and demand 1234761813

Sotheby's CEO Charles Stewart told CNBC that the art market has entered a new phase this fall, with supply finally catching up with demand after months of strong bidder activity. New York's marquee auction houses are preparing for sales expected to total more than $1.4 billion, a roughly 50% jump from last year, driven by major consignments including the estate of Leonard Lauder (55 works valued at over $400 million, led by Gustav Klimt's Portrait of Elisabeth Lederer) and collections from Jay and Cindy Pritzker. Christie's highlights include a Monet Nymphéas, a David Hockney portrait, and a Mark Rothko, each estimated at $40–60 million.

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