Vasari Art Codex

museum exhibitions schedule Jan 23, 2026 visibility 2 link 2 artists

Long lost portrait of Scotland’s great poet Robert Burns goes on show for first time

A long-lost portrait of Robert Burns by Henry Raeburn, painted in 1803, has gone on public display for the first time at the National Gallery of Scotland in Edinburgh, just in time for Burns Night on 25 January. The painting resurfaced in a house clearance in Surrey and was auctioned in Wimbledon in March 2025 with a guide price of £300–£500; collector and Burns enthusiast William Zachs purchased it for £68,000 after a tense bidding war, gambling on the Raeburn attribution. Experts including Patricia Allerston and Duncan Thomson have since confirmed the work is authentic, and it is now exhibited alongside Alexander Nasmyth's 1787 portrait of Burns.

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rate_review review schedule Jan 23, 2026 visibility 3 link 7 artists, 2 galleries

Book offers fresh perspectives on why Cubism came into being

Christopher Green, a leading scholar of Cubism, has published a new book titled *Cubism and Reality*, which reexamines the origins and intentions of early Cubism through the works of Georges Braque, Pablo Picasso, and Juan Gris. The book focuses on the years immediately before World War I, arguing that Cubism was not a step toward abstraction but a deliberate reinvention of reality based on lived visual experience. Green draws on decades of research, including his own earlier works and the foundational 1959 study by John Golding, and contrasts the movement with mass-produced imagery in chapters on Roy Lichtenstein and Francis Picabia.

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museum exhibitions schedule Jan 22, 2026 visibility 5 link 7 artists, 1 gallery

super bowl lx jeffrey gibson public art commission 1234770518

The Institute of Contemporary Art San Francisco announced a major public art commission by Jeffrey Gibson for Super Bowl LX festivities. The work, an adaptation of Gibson's 2022 video installation "THIS BURNING WORLD," will be installed as a 433-foot-long vinyl mural on the former Bloomingdale's building at San Francisco Centre, wrapping an entire city block. It will be fully unveiled on February 2, 2026, coinciding with the FOG Design+Art Fair. The project is funded by the San Francisco Downtown Development Corporation and the Yerba Buena Partnership, which have previously supported public art by Sarah Sze and Hank Willis Thomas.

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article news schedule Jan 22, 2026 visibility 3 link 4 artists

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South Africa's culture minister Gayton McKenzie canceled artist Gabrielle Goliath's selected presentation for the country's national pavilion at the 2026 Venice Biennale, prompting Goliath and curator Ingrid Masondo to file a constitutional court challenge on January 22. The artist's work, *Elegy*, commemorates victims of injustice including women, queer people, and victims of the Herero and Nama genocide, and was to address deaths of Gazan women and children since October 2023. McKenzie described the work as "highly divisive" and canceled the exhibition on January 2, despite an independent committee's binding selection. The minister now plans to replace it with a project by the collective Beyond the Frames titled "Shameless Rebellions: a South African Chorus."

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article news schedule Jan 22, 2026 visibility 2 link 3 artists, 2 galleries

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The Art Gallery of Ontario (AGO) chose not to acquire Nan Goldin's 2024 video "Stendhal Syndrome" due to the artist's comments on Israel's war in Gaza, according to a report by the Globe and Mail. The work, which shows blurred images of semi-nude figures and sculptures, was instead purchased by the Vancouver Art Gallery and the Walker Art Center in Minneapolis. An AGO acquisitions committee voted against the acquisition, with internal memos citing Goldin's past statements—including her description of the war as a "genocide" and her criticism of weaponized antisemitism—as the reason. The decision led to the resignation of curator John Zeppetelli and two unnamed committee members, and prompted director Stephan Jost to call for a review of the committee's processes.

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museum exhibitions schedule Jan 22, 2026 visibility 3 link 4 artists, 2 galleries

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Nahmad Contemporary will present an exhibition titled “Picasso | Painter and Model, Reflections by Naomi Campbell” at its Gstaad, Switzerland space from February 14 to March 15. The show focuses on Pablo Picasso’s late series “Le Peintre et son modèle” (The Painter and his model), featuring 14 works from 1963–1965, many previously exhibited at institutions like the Centre Pompidou, Fondation Beyeler, Museo Reina Sofía, and Guggenheim Museum. Supermodel Naomi Campbell contributes personal reflections on the artist-muse relationship, offering a contemporary perspective on themes of desire, power, and the gaze.

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museum exhibitions schedule Jan 22, 2026 visibility 4 link 6 artists, 2 galleries

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Nahmad Contemporary is presenting a new exhibition at Tarmak22 in Gstaad, Switzerland, focusing on Pablo Picasso's 1963–65 series 'Le Peintre et Son Modèle' ('The Painter and His Model'). The show features 14 paintings that explore the artist's gaze, power dynamics, and the relationship between painter and sitter. Uniquely, British supermodel Naomi Campbell contributes her personal reflections on the works, drawing from her own experience of being photographed and observed throughout her career.

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museum exhibitions schedule Jan 22, 2026 visibility 2 link 3 artists

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Artist Ai Weiwei will unveil a new exhibition titled “Button Up!” at Factory International in Manchester, England, opening July 2. The show features monumental installations made from 30 tons of buttons he rescued from a shuttered British factory in 2019, along with over 3.5 million Lego pieces. Highlights include eight flags sewn with 9,000 buttons each, referencing the Eight-Nation Alliance that invaded China during the Boxer Rebellion, and a new version of his Lego work *History of Bombs*. The buttons were secretly shipped to China, where artisans assembled the works over 281 days.

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museum exhibitions schedule Jan 22, 2026 visibility 1 link 1 artist, 1 gallery

Upcoming Exhibition Celebrates Artwork of Lois Dodd

The Art Gallery at Brooklyn College will present “Lois Dodd: A Radiant Simplicity,” a major exhibition celebrating the work of painter and former faculty member Lois Dodd, who taught at the college from 1971 to 1992. This is Dodd’s first solo show in a noncommercial gallery in the United States in 20 years, running from February 3 through March 25, with an opening reception on February 10.

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museum exhibitions schedule Jan 22, 2026 visibility 5 link 2 artists, 2 galleries

Alfred Ceramic Art Museum to host “Fihankra,” exhibition by Eugene Ofori Agyei, former Turner Teaching Fellow at Alfred University

The Alfred Ceramic Art Museum will host “Fihankra,” an exhibition of ceramic sculptures by Eugene Ofori Agyei, opening February 12 and running through July 19. The works, created during Agyei’s tenure as Turner Teaching Fellow at Alfred University, incorporate Adinkra symbols from Ghana’s Akan ethnic group, wooden benches, batik fabric, yarn, and found objects to explore themes of diaspora, cultural adaptation, and belonging. A reception will be held from 5 to 7 pm on opening day, and the exhibition will be accompanied by the 2026 Perkins Lecture featuring a conversation between Agyei and independent curator Larry Ossei-Mensah.

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article policy schedule Jan 21, 2026 visibility 4 link 3 artists

gabrielle goliath legal action south africa venice pavilion 1234770389

Artist Gabrielle Goliath and curator Ingrid Masondo are filing a court case against South African culture minister Gayton McKenzie after he canceled their planned pavilion for the Venice Biennale. McKenzie objected to a performance from Goliath's "Elegy" series that would address Israel’s war in Gaza, calling it "polarizing," a move Goliath described as censorship. McKenzie later attributed the cancellation to alleged interference by an unnamed foreign nation, with reports suggesting Qatar was involved, though the Qatar Museums ultimately did not purchase the work. The application, to be filed in the South African high court in Pretoria, seeks to have McKenzie's actions declared unconstitutional.

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article news schedule Jan 20, 2026 visibility 1 link 3 artists, 1 gallery

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South Africa withdrew its national pavilion from the Venice Biennale after Culture Minister Gayton McKenzie claimed a foreign power attempted to purchase artist Gabriele Goliath's work *Elegy*, which addresses femicide, anti-queer violence, the war in Gaza, and Germany's colonial genocide in Namibia. McKenzie deemed the financial interest a use of "proxy power." New reporting from Daily Maverick reveals that the alleged foreign party was Qatar Museums, a state-owned network, which had expressed interest in acquiring the work but never committed to a purchase. The minister's decision has sparked political backlash, with South Africa's public protector processing a formal complaint against McKenzie, and Goliath's team accusing him of censorship and deflection.

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museum exhibitions schedule Jan 20, 2026 visibility 2 link 4 artists, 1 gallery

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Artist Ming Wong has created a new video installation titled "Dance of the Sun on the Water / Saltatio Solis in Aqua," currently on view at the National Gallery in London. The work reimagines the figure of Saint Sebastian, drawing inspiration from the museum's collection of classical paintings, including a 1475 altarpiece by Antonio and Piero del Pollaiuolo, as well as Derek Jarman's 1976 queer film "Sebastiane." Wong, the fifth artist selected for the National Gallery's Modern and Contemporary program, completed the piece during a one-year residency, exploring how the martyr's image has evolved across centuries and what it means in contemporary times.

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article news schedule Jan 19, 2026 visibility 1 link 1 gallery

3d tech reveals new gladiator graffiti in pompeii 2738381

Researchers using Reflectance Transformation Imaging (RTI) and 3D photogrammetry have uncovered 79 previously invisible graffiti fragments on a 90-foot walled corridor in Pompeii's theater district. Among the discoveries are a dynamic sketch of two gladiators in combat and a love declaration beginning "Erato amat…" (Erato loves…). The work, detailed in Pompeii's e-journal, was conducted by teams from Sorbonne University and the University of Québec at Montréal, who developed a custom 3D-image platform to visualize and digitally annotate the ancient carvings.

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museum exhibitions schedule Jan 19, 2026 visibility 2 link 1 artist, 1 gallery

New London exhibition uses architecture to explore the experiences of Iran’s American diaspora

Arash Nassiri's first institutional solo exhibition, 'A Bug's Life,' has opened at London's Chisenhale Gallery. The show features a moving-image commission set within a sculptural installation, following an insect puppet protagonist through a cavernous mansion in Los Angeles. The mansion is a 'Persian Palace'—a hybrid of Iranian and French Empire architectural styles that emerged in 1960s-70s Iran and was recreated by wealthy Iranian exiles in Los Angeles after the 1979 revolution. Nassiri, who is Tehran-born and Berlin-based, uses the film to explore themes of disorientation, displacement, and the ambiguous dual belonging of Iran's American diaspora.

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article local schedule Jan 19, 2026 visibility 2

Travelling art exhibition to visit North East Fife communities

A traveling art exhibition called the Rural Art Exhibition is visiting seven venues across North East Fife from January to March 2025. The exhibition was created for the Rural Poverty Conference held during Challenge Poverty Week and features artwork by members of the Rural Voice Panel, Crail Community Larder, and NEF Youth Voice, funded by Fife Council’s Community Learning and Development service. The works share real experiences of rural life and the challenges of living in a rural area.

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museum exhibitions schedule Jan 19, 2026 link 1 artist

Rashid Johnson: A Poem for Deep Thinkers

The Guggenheim Museums and Foundation has announced an exhibition titled "Rashid Johnson: A Poem for Deep Thinkers." The show will feature the work of contemporary artist Rashid Johnson, known for his multidisciplinary practice encompassing sculpture, painting, photography, and installation.

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museum exhibitions schedule Jan 18, 2026 visibility 2 link 2 artists, 1 gallery

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Lithuania's pavilion at the 2019 Venice Biennale presents "Sun & Sea (Marina)," an opera about a day at the beach that serves as a subtle, chilling commentary on climate change. Viewers observe performers lounging on a sandy tableau from a balcony, as they sing about mundane inconveniences and environmental apathy. The work, created by theater director Rugilė Barzdžiukaitė, playwright Vaiva Grainytė, and composer Lina Lapelytė, was adapted into English for the biennale and organized by Lucia Pietroiusti of London's Serpentine Galleries.

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article news schedule Jan 18, 2026 visibility 1 link 3 artists

boston midtown hotel ai art warhol 2735290

Boston's Midtown Hotel has sparked outrage after decorating its newly renovated space with AI-generated artwork that mimics Andy Warhol's style to depict local celebrities like David Ortiz and Barbara Walters. Guest Alex Steed publicly criticized the hotel on social media, noting the art's uncanny valley quality and the placard proudly stating the works were entirely created by artificial intelligence. The complaint went viral, drawing thousands of views and comments condemning the hotel for choosing AI over hiring local artists in a city known for its art schools and museums.

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museum exhibitions schedule Jan 17, 2026 visibility 2 link 2 artists, 1 gallery

MONSTRARE - Raminta S. R. Mint SOLO SHOW

Contour Art Gallery in Vilnius is presenting 'Monstrare', a solo exhibition by emerging artist Raminta S. R. Mint. The show explores the human body through three layers—exterior, interior, and invisible—using painting to critique social media's filtered self-image, anatomical abstraction, and digital medical imaging. Influenced by Gothic literature and H. R. Giger, the works combine red, black, and white palettes in a 'Frankensteinian' visual language.

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museum exhibitions schedule Jan 17, 2026 visibility 1 link 1 artist, 1 gallery

Oregon artist’s ‘Don’t Touch My Hair’ exhibition makes complying impossible

Ashland artist Crystal Proffitt's interactive installation 'Don't Touch My Hair: An Interactive Crowned Experience' at the Langford Art Gallery in Phoenix, Oregon, invites viewers to touch the braids and locs attached to portraits of local Black models while listening to voice recordings about hair as cultural identity and resilience. The work, supported by the Oregon Cultural Trust and the Black Alliance & Social Empowerment (BASE) Southern Oregon, debuted January 3 and runs through January 24, after which it will join BASE's Black Cultural Legacy Series at the Rogue Gallery & Art Center in Medford. Proffitt intentionally allows the hair to show wear from handling, treating the erosion as part of the artwork's meaning.

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article news schedule Jan 16, 2026 visibility 2 link 2 artists

qatar museums gabrielle goliath venice biennale pavilion 1234770055

Gabrielle Goliath's planned South African pavilion at the Venice Biennale was abruptly canceled by South African culture minister Gayton McKenzie. McKenzie claimed the cancellation was not due to the pavilion's focus on Israel's war in Gaza, but because a foreign nation attempted to purchase the work after the show. The Daily Maverick reported that the foreign entity was actually Qatar Museums, which had expressed interest in acquiring a video recording of Goliath's performance piece 'Elegy,' which addressed violence against women and queer people in South Africa and a genocide in Namibia. McKenzie's statement contradicted earlier reports that he had privately called the pavilion 'polarizing.'

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museum exhibitions schedule Jan 16, 2026

Artist recreates snapshots of 1950s resort with colorful quilts, paintings at WAM

The Wichita Art Museum (WAM) is presenting a new exhibition by an artist who recreates snapshots of a 1950s resort using colorful quilts and paintings. The works draw on vintage photographs to evoke the leisure and social life of mid-century American resort culture, rendered in textile and paint.

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museum exhibitions schedule Jan 16, 2026 visibility 1 link 1 artist

Art Exhibition coming to Torbay Hospital featuring nationally acclaimed artist

A new exhibition featuring the work of British marquetry artist Lucy Turner is opening at Torbay Hospital in England. Part of the 2026 HeArTs exhibition series, the show runs from January 18 to April 18 in the HeArTs Gallery on level 4. Turner, who has spent over 20 years perfecting her craft, creates vibrant, playful furniture and interior pieces using colored Formica laminate. She studied 3D design at the University of Plymouth and draws inspiration from her smallholding in Somerset. The exhibition includes specially created circular designs installed along the gallery corridor. Artist in residence Helen Snell praised the work as joyful and uplifting, noting its pop art and mid-century influences.

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museum exhibitions schedule Jan 15, 2026 visibility 4 link 7 artists, 1 gallery

National Museum of Asian Art Explores the Power of Water in New Exhibition Featuring Hiroshi Senju and Bingyi

The Smithsonian’s National Museum of Asian Art will present “Into the Waters with Senju and Bingyi: Two Contemporary Paintings,” a new exhibition opening April 2 and running through Aug. 23. It features two recent paintings by Hiroshi Senju (born 1958) and Bingyi (born 1975), each offering hypnotic visualizations of water. Senju’s pair of folding screens reimagines waterfalls using traditional Japanese techniques and contemporary methods, while Bingyi’s hanging scrolls, created with cloth and paper wrapped around an uprooted tree, incorporate natural elements like sea breeze and humidity. The exhibition marks the first showing of these works, which were acquired to expand the museum’s contemporary collections.

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museum exhibitions schedule Jan 15, 2026 visibility 1 link 4 artists

Exhibition explores art, Arkansas legacy of artist Harold Keller

A new exhibition titled "Harold Keller: Portals" opens at the Alexander Gallery in Fayetteville, Arkansas, showcasing the work of the mid-20th-century artist and educator Harold Keller. Curated by Matthew Bailey, the show features paintings, drawings, and ceramics that blend whimsy, spirituality, and magical realism, drawing from Keller's Jewish upbringing, influences like Paul Klee and Saul Steinberg, and his time teaching in Arkansas and New York. Many works come from the University of Arkansas–Fort Smith collection, and some have never been publicly displayed before.

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article culture schedule Jan 14, 2026 visibility 3 link 1 artist, 1 gallery

mernet larsen cover painting art in america 1234769883

Mernet Larsen, whose painting *Getting Measured* (1999) appears on the cover of the Winter 2025 issue of *Art in America*, discusses the work's origin and evolution in an interview from her home in Tampa, Florida. She explains how the painting marked a turning point from abstraction to a representational style inspired by 12th-century Japanese narrative painting and the parallel perspective technique used by architects, while also incorporating elements from her own abstract works and a self-portrait titled *Indecisive Woman*.

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trending_up market schedule Jan 14, 2026 visibility 1 link 1 artist

more bob ross paintings auction bonhams 1234769858

Three paintings by Bob Ross, the beloved host of PBS's *The Joy of Painting*, will be auctioned at Bonhams on January 27 as part of a 30-work consignment benefiting American Public Television (APT). The works—*Valley View* (1990), *Change of Seasons* (1990), and *Babbling Brook* (1993)—carry combined estimates up to $155,000. Previous Ross sales through Bonhams have been strong, including a November auction that brought $662,000 for three works and a separate sale exceeding $1 million organized by comedian John Oliver.

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article news schedule Jan 14, 2026 visibility 4 link 8 artists, 1 gallery

canceled south africa pavilion artist and curator appeal to president roland augustine steps down morning links for january 14 2025 1234769849

South Africa's government abruptly canceled its pavilion at the 2025 Venice Biennale, pulling the plug on artist Gabrielle Goliath's video installation "Elegy" just days before the deadline. The work, a ritual of mourning featuring seven women singers sustaining a single B note, was dedicated to victims of femicide and expanded to include references to Namibia and Gaza. Sports, Art, and Culture minister Gayton McKenzie deemed the Gaza section "divisive," prompting Goliath and curator Ingrid Masondo to appeal directly to President Cyril Ramaphosa and the foreign ministry. Meanwhile, the Smithsonian Institution submitted photographs of wall labels and exhibition texts to the Trump Administration in response to a "content review" ultimatum, with Secretary Lonnie G. Bunch III confirming compliance while asserting curatorial authority. Roland Augustine, cofounder of Luhring Augustine, announced he is stepping down to focus on philanthropy, marking a transition for the New York gallery.

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article culture schedule Jan 14, 2026 visibility 3 link 2 artists

artist renee good last words new york ice office 1234769759

Performance artist Maria De Victoria spent Tuesday chanting the last words of Renee Nicole Good—a poet and mother killed by an ICE agent in Minneapolis—outside the ICE field office in New York City's Jacob K. Javits Federal Building. Dressed in a coat bearing Good's phrase "I'm not mad at you, dude," De Victoria performed the endurance piece from sunrise to sunset as an act of dissent against federal immigration crackdowns. The work concluded with a silent vigil, and De Victoria, an immigrant from Peru represented by Desnivel Gallery, has a history of politically charged endurance performances.

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