Unseen George Condo Works Arrive at Auction From Anna Condo’s Collection

Anna Condo, the former wife of American painter George Condo, is bringing 27 previously unseen works from her private collection to auction at Christie’s. The collection, which includes paintings, drawings, and sculptures acquired during their 28-year marriage, will be featured in the Post-War and Contemporary Art day sale on May 21. These works have never been exhibited or sold publicly, offering a rare glimpse into the artist's private creative output between 1988 and 2017.

Which City Will Be the Next Asian Art Hub? That’s the Wrong Question

The traditional quest to identify a single dominant Asian art hub is being challenged by the organic growth of decentralized scenes in cities like Bangkok and Hanoi. While Hong Kong and Seoul remain established centers, private initiatives and artist-led projects in Thailand and Vietnam are building resilient, hybrid ecosystems that prioritize long-term structural depth over immediate auction results. From the opening of Dib Bangkok to experimental exhibitions in Hanoi, these cities are transitioning from peripheral status to significant cultural players through a mix of private museums, biennials, and non-profit platforms.

Artemisia Gentileschi Masterpiece Goes to Auction—Without Its Face

The Dorotheum auction house in Vienna is set to auction a rare, autograph replica of Artemisia Gentileschi’s 'St. Mary Magdalen' (c. 1620) that is missing its central focus: the saint's face. Discovered in a private German cellar in 2011 and likely mutilated during the looting of postwar Berlin, the fragment has been authenticated by experts Roberto Contini and Riccardo Lattuada. Despite the missing section, infrared analysis confirms Gentileschi’s hand, and the work is estimated to fetch between $120,000 and $170,000.

Rare Portraits Reveal How Elizabeth I Turned Image Into Power

Philip Mould & Company in London is hosting a new exhibition titled "Elizabeth I: Queen and Court," featuring four rare portraits of the Tudor monarch alongside depictions of her closest advisors and political rivals. The show traces Elizabeth's visual evolution from a pious young princess to a formidable, iconographic ruler, highlighting how she utilized fashion and symbolism to solidify her authority and manage public perception during a period of immense political and religious transition.

Awards, Prussian Porcelain, Techno, Cabaret! Inside Berlin’s First-Ever Art Gala

Berlin's Hamburger Bahnhof museum held its first-ever gala to celebrate its 30th anniversary. The event featured a curated program of performances, including a participatory installation by artist duo Elmgreen and Dragset titled "Performing Yourself" and a mirrored neon work by Monica Bonvicini. High-profile guests like Cate Blanchett, Matt Dillon, Wim Wenders, and Nina Hoss attended the evening, which blended traditional gala elements with Berlin-specific cultural touchstones like techno, cabaret, and performances by artists such as Ellen Allien and Alice Sara Ott.

Never-Before-Seen Paintings Reveal Anthony Van Dyck’s Formative Italian Period

A major new exhibition at Genoa's Palazzo Ducale, "Van Dyck: The European. The Journey of a Genius from Antwerp to Genoa and London," presents a comprehensive survey of Anthony van Dyck's formative years in Italy. Featuring around 60 works, including loans from the Louvre, Prado, and National Gallery, the show reveals how his six-year Italian sojourn was a period of intense experimentation and emancipation from his master Rubens, leading to his signature theatrical portrait style.

Glassblower and porcelain heir Paul Arnhold on the art he loves to collect

The article profiles Paul Arnhold, a New York-based glassblower and fourth-generation heir to a major Meissen porcelain collection. He discusses how his hands-on practice as a maker directly informs his eclectic approach to collecting, which spans from ancient Etruscan artifacts to contemporary paintings by artists like Salman Toor. He emphasizes collecting based on personal joy and tactile presence rather than provenance alone.

Gagosian to Debut New Gallery With Duchamp’s “Readymades”

Gagosian has announced that the inaugural exhibition at its new ground-level space at 980 Madison Avenue will feature the iconic "readymades" of Marcel Duchamp. Opening April 25, the show will showcase a series of 14 authorized replicas created in 1964 by Duchamp and dealer Arturo Schwarz, including famous works like "Fountain" and "Bicycle Wheel." The exhibition is timed to run concurrently with a major Duchamp retrospective at the Museum of Modern Art, the artist's first in the United States in over half a century.

Remembering Agosto Machado, Keeper of Queer Histories

Agosto Machado, a seminal performer, archivist, and fixture of New York’s downtown queer arts scene, has passed away. Known as a "keeper of secrets" and a vital connector within the avant-garde community, Machado was a muse to filmmaker Jack Smith and a lifelong friend to Warhol superstar Mario Montez. His life spanned the height of the East Village performance era, where he transitioned from a quiet observer to an essential participant in the preservation of underground history.

Art and Springtime in Upstate NY

This regional update highlights a diverse array of developments, ranging from the seasonal art circuit in Upstate New York to significant human rights actions. Lebanese artist Ali Cherri, a former Venice Biennale Silver Lion winner, has filed a formal war crimes complaint against Israel following a strike in Beirut that killed his parents. Simultaneously, a new report reveals systemic staffing crises within POC-led arts organizations in the Northeast, where over a third of institutions operate without a single full-time employee.

V&A East architecture review – from ceramics to codpieces, this is a honey-coloured treasure trove of human ingenuity

V&A East has officially unveiled its new museum building in London’s Olympic Park, a striking architectural addition to the city's burgeoning 'East Bank' cultural district. Designed by O’Donnell + Tuomey, the structure features a faceted, honey-colored concrete exterior inspired by the intricate folds of a sleeve in a Vermeer painting and the structural tailoring of Cristóbal Balenciaga. The interior houses a diverse collection of human ingenuity, ranging from Leigh Bowery’s sequined codpieces to historical ceramics, all organized within a framework that emphasizes the process of making.

Dean Sameshima review – did the neighbours really not know? The extreme LA sex clubs hidden in plain sight

A new exhibition at Soft Opening in London presents Dean Sameshima's "Wonderland" series, photographs taken in the mid-1990s that document the exteriors of queer sex clubs and bathhouses in Los Angeles's Silver Lake neighborhood. The images, shot in a stark, formal style during daylight, capture the unremarkable facades of these clandestine spaces, with only descriptive titles hinting at the activities within.

From The Magic Faraway Tree to 5 Seconds of Summer: your complete entertainment guide to the week ahead

The Guardian has published a comprehensive weekly entertainment guide covering cinema, gigs, art exhibitions, stage performances, and home entertainment options. The guide highlights new film releases like the adaptation of Enid Blyton's 'The Magic Faraway Tree' and the documentary 'Orwell: 2+2 = 5', major concerts from 5 Seconds of Summer, and art exhibitions featuring Estonian modernist Konrad Mägi and Scottish painter Joan Eardley.

What to See in Sydney This Spring 2026

Sydney's art scene is energized by the opening of the 25th Biennale of Sydney, titled 'Rememory' and curated by Hoor Al Qasimi, which explores histories carried in the body rather than physical monuments. Concurrently, four notable exhibitions across the city engage with similar themes of legacy and history. Kirtika Kain's 'Unkept' at the Chau Chak Wing Museum creates a fictional archive from anti-caste traditions to address Dalit lineage and colonial collection politics, while Ron Mueck's 'Encounter' at the Art Gallery of New South Wales uses hyperreal sculpture to confront contemporary brutality and vulnerability.

Transformative Director Madeleine Grynsztejn to Leave MCA Chicago

Madeleine Grynsztejn, the director of the Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago since 2008, will step down at the end of 2026. Her departure marks the end of an 18-year tenure during which she significantly expanded the museum's budget and collection, secured major donations, and launched high-profile exhibitions and artist-focused programs.

More Than Breakfast

Mehr als Frühstück

The article explores the enduring presence and symbolism of the egg as a motif throughout art history. It highlights works by artists from Hieronymus Bosch and Pieter Bruegel the Elder to Salvador Dalí and Constantin Brâncuși, showing how the egg has been used in painting, sculpture, and photography to represent themes of origin, life, and perfect form.

The Centre Pompidou will inaugurate its South Korean branch in a former Seoul aquarium in early June

Le Centre Pompidou inaugurera début juin son antenne sud-coréenne dans un ancien aquarium de Séoul

The Centre Pompidou has announced the official opening date for its new South Korean satellite, the Centre Pompidou Hanwha, scheduled for June 4, 2026. Located in a former aquarium within Seoul’s financial district, the 11,000-square-meter space was redesigned by architect Jean-Michel Wilmotte and will launch with a major cubism exhibition featuring 90 works by masters such as Picasso and Braque. The inauguration was recently marked by a site visit from French President Emmanuel Macron and key cultural officials.

At the Grand Palais, the Art Paris Fair Focuses on Language, with a BNP Paribas Private Bank Prize at Stake

Au Grand Palais, la foire Art Paris s’intéresse à la question du langage, avec un Prix BNP Paribas Banque Privée à la clé

The 28th edition of the Art Paris fair is set to return to the Grand Palais in 2026, featuring a mix of 60% French and 40% international galleries. This year’s edition emphasizes emerging talent through its 'Promesses' sector and introduces a strong curatorial focus with two thematic paths: 'Reparation,' curated by Alexia Fabre, and 'Babel,' curated by Loïc Le Gall. The latter explores the intersection of language, signs, and translation through the work of 20 artists from the French scene.

Leah Ki Yi Zheng’s Personal I Ching

Artist Leah Ke Yi Zheng's exhibition "Change, I Ching (64 Paintings)" at the Renaissance Society in Chicago presents a series of oil and acrylic paintings on silk, each depicting one of the 64 hexagrams from the ancient Chinese divination text, the I Ching. The artist physically altered the gallery's architecture to control light and create a specific viewing rhythm, synthesizing materials and techniques from Chinese ink painting traditions with Western geometric abstraction and oil painting.

Andrew Lloyd Webber Is Writing a Musical About the Heist that Made ‘Mona Lisa’ Famous

Renowned composer Andrew Lloyd Webber has announced he is developing a new musical centered on the 1911 theft of Leonardo da Vinci’s Mona Lisa. The production will dramatize the true story of Vincenzo Peruggia, a Louvre employee who stole the masterpiece and hid it for two years before it was recovered in Italy. Lloyd Webber revealed the project following the Broadway opening of Cats: The Jellicle Ball, noting that he is beginning the writing process immediately.

Christine Ruiz-Picasso, Founder of Museo Picasso Málaga and Artist’s Daughter-in-Law, Dies at 97

Christine Ruiz-Picasso, the daughter-in-law of Pablo Picasso and a pivotal figure in preserving his artistic legacy, has passed away at the age of 97 in Provence, France. Married to Picasso’s eldest son, Paul, she became a primary advocate for the artist's work following her husband's death in 1975. Her most significant achievement was the 2003 founding of the Museo Picasso Málaga, realized through her donation of over 200 artworks and her persistent collaboration with the Andalusian government.

Andy Warhol’s Former Studio Building Now Home to New Uniqlo Union Square Store

The former New York City studio building of Andy Warhol, known as The Factory, will now house a Uniqlo store. The Japanese fast-fashion brand is opening its seventh New York location on the ground floor of 860 Broadway, the same building where Warhol worked from 1974 to 1984. The brand is leveraging the site's artistic history by selling exclusive merchandise featuring Warhol's imagery to promote the opening.

Giant Golden Toilet Sculpture Appears Near Lincoln Memorial in D.C.: ‘A Throne Fit for a King’

An anonymous artist collective known as the Secret Handshake has installed a 10-foot-tall golden toilet sculpture titled 'A Throne Fit for a King' near the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C. The work is a satirical monument to former President Donald Trump's controversial renovation of the White House's Lincoln Bathroom, which he outfitted with gold fixtures during a government shutdown.

Czech Culture Minister Dismisses Director of Prague’s National Gallery, Generating Scrutiny

Czech Culture Minister Oto Klempíř has dismissed Alicja Knast from her position as director of Prague's National Gallery. The move has generated significant scrutiny, with critics questioning the lack of a formal explanation and the abrupt manner of her removal, which was announced without a joint press conference.

An Intimate Portrait of Basquiat’s Early Life Returns to Brooklyn

The exhibition “Our Friend, Jean” returns to Brooklyn this May at The Bishop Gallery, coinciding with Frieze Week. The show features twenty artworks alongside personal ephemera and photographs from Jean-Michel Basquiat’s formative years between 1979 and 1980, primarily sourced from the collection of his former roommate Alexis Adler. This iteration includes previously unseen items from Adler’s trove, such as hand-painted garments and postcards, and will be activated by panels featuring Basquiat’s early collaborators.

Were the Popes Art History’s Ultimate Collectors?

A new exhibition, "Bernini i Barberini," at Rome's Palazzo Barberini explores the profound artistic partnership between Pope Urban VIII and the young sculptor Gian Lorenzo Bernini. This relationship, beginning in 1623, led to decades of Baroque masterpieces that transformed Rome's architecture and urban design, showcasing the papacy's use of art as a tool of power and propaganda.

Paige Powell Didn’t Just Document Warhol’s Inner Circle. She Shaped It, Too

Paige Powell, a close confidante of Andy Warhol and former associate publisher of Interview magazine, is presenting a new exhibition of her photographs titled "Private Andy: Religious Services" at Jeffrey Deitch in Los Angeles. The show features intimate, often accidental images from 1986-87 that document Warhol's final days, including his volunteer work at a church and his funeral, revealing his spiritual side and the overlap of life and death.

Marina Abramović Is the Unlikely Star of the New Balloon Museum

Marina Abramović Is the Unlikely Star of the New Balloon Museum

Performance artist Marina Abramović has created a large-scale inflatable installation for the new permanent New York outpost of the Balloon Museum. Titled *Snowy/Windy/Spring On The Planet Z*, the immersive work transforms the Tin Building into an imagined extraterrestrial meadow filled with balloon sculptures, light, and air currents, opening in July 2026.

How Wayne McGregor’s epic ballets draw on help from his artistic friends

Choreographer Wayne McGregor’s upcoming production at the Royal Opera House, 'Alchemies', highlights his career-long commitment to cross-disciplinary collaboration with visual artists and designers. The program features a world premiere with costumes by fashion designer Saul Nash, alongside revivals of 'Yugen' and 'Untitled, 2023'. These works incorporate significant contributions from the art world, including set designs by ceramicist Edmund de Waal and previous collaborations with figures like Tacita Dean and Olafur Eliasson.

Stealing the show: Mona Lisa heist inspires Andrew Lloyd Webber musical

Renowned composer Andrew Lloyd Webber has announced he is developing a new musical based on the 1911 theft of Leonardo da Vinci’s Mona Lisa. The production will dramatize the true story of Vincenzo Peruggia, a Louvre employee who stole the masterpiece and kept it hidden for over two years before attempting to sell it to an antiques dealer in Florence. Lloyd Webber, the creative force behind global hits like Cats and Phantom of the Opera, is currently in the writing phase of the project.