What am I bid for a blown-up van? The bizarre art auction aiming to build an eco power station in Reform-held Clacton

Artists Hilary Powell and Dan Edelstyn are auctioning off their work from the past 15 years this Saturday to raise at least £250,000 for a community-led renewable power station in Clacton, the constituency of Reform UK leader Nigel Farage. The auction, which will be conducted by former YBA Gavin Turk, includes a gold Ford Transit van wreckage containing fake banknotes that the pair blew up in 2019 as part of their film *Bank Job*, now reconstituted as a mobile sculpture. An online auction runs until 31 May, but currently only £750 has been raised.

Inside TEFAF New York’s Annual Wealth Pageant

The 12th annual TEFAF New York fair took place at the Park Avenue Armory from May 15 to 19, attracting wealthy collectors with a mix of blue-chip art, design objects, and jewelry. Highlights included Kathleen Ryan's bejeweled 'Bad Fruit' sculptures at Gagosian, Cai Guo-Qiang's gunpowder paintings at White Cube (which sold 11 of 12 works), Sheila Hicks's textiles at Demisch Danant, and a new David Hockney painting at Annely Juda Fine Art. The fair featured 88 galleries from 14 countries, with VIP previews drawing art advisors and high-net-worth clients.

TEFAF New York Opened to Crowded Aisles, Bullish Collectors, and Strong Booths

TEFAF New York opened at the Park Avenue Armory with unexpectedly strong crowds and a buoyant mood, defying the typical afternoon lull. Dealers reported heavy foot traffic and sustained conversations, with gallerist Sean Kelly calling it the best edition in years. The fair, running through May 19, features a mix of antiquities, design, modern, and contemporary art, with standout booths including Alison Jacques’s pairing of Dorothea Tanning, Robert Mapplethorpe, and Gordon Parks, and Sean Kelly Gallery’s display of works by Shahzia Sikander and Sam Moyer. The newly launched Pace Di Donna Schrader Galleries made its TEFAF debut with works by Eugène Delacroix, Willem de Kooning, and Alexander Calder.

The Can’t-Miss Moments at TEFAF New York 2026

TEFAF New York 2026 opened to packed crowds at the Park Avenue Armory, showcasing a mix of historic and contemporary works. Highlights include Gagosian’s solo booth of Kathleen Ryan’s bejeweled “Bad Fruit” sculptures, Thaddaeus Ropac’s presentation of monumental canvases by Danish painter Eva Helene Pade, and Axel Vervoordt Gallery’s spotlight on overlooked Italian painter Ida Barbarigo. The fair also features collectible design and perennial favorites like Alexander Calder mobiles and Alighiero Boetti tapestries.

Sketches of Spain at arms: Sim, the anarchist illustrator who drew the civil war from the frontline

The Guardian reports on José Luis Rey Vila, known as Sim, an anarchist illustrator who documented the Spanish Civil War from the frontlines in Catalonia. His bold, colorful sketches captured street battles, militias, nurses, and milicianas, and were widely reproduced in booklets and exhibitions, raising international awareness before Picasso's Guernica. After the war, Sim fell into obscurity and died in near-anonymity in 1983. Now, on the 90th anniversary of the conflict, Barcelona's Museu Nacional d'Art de Catalunya (MNAC) is exhibiting 40 recently acquired Sim illustrations, highlighting his role as a key visual chronicler of the conflict.

LACMA’s New Building Invites You to Chart Your Own Path

The Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) is set to open its long-awaited and highly debated new building, the David Geffen Galleries. Designed by Swiss architect Peter Zumthor, the $720 million concrete structure spans Wilshire Boulevard and replaces several older buildings with a single, elevated exhibition level. The opening marks the culmination of a decade-long project spearheaded by Director Michael Govan, featuring a non-linear layout that integrates the museum's encyclopedic collection into thematic displays rather than traditional chronological or regional divisions.

Erewhon, Grocery Store Known for $20-Plus Smoothies, to Set Up Shop in LACMA’s New Building

The Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) has announced a partnership with the high-end grocery chain Erewhon to open a café within its new Peter Zumthor-designed building, the David Geffen Galleries. Scheduled to open to the public on May 4, the outpost will be located in the W.M. Keck Plaza and will offer the brand's signature organic snacks and viral $20-plus smoothies. The collaboration is currently framed as a seasonal residency lasting through the summer.

An expert's guide to Alexander Calder: six must-read books on the US sculptor

An exhibition of nearly 300 works by Alexander Calder opens at the Fondation Louis Vuitton in Paris, exploring the development of his mobiles and wider practice. Guest curators Dieter Buchhart and Anna Karina Hofbauer have compiled a list of six essential books to deepen understanding of the artist's life and work.

Exhibition explores how the US shaped Joan Miró—and he it

A major exhibition titled "Miró and the United States" opens at the Phillips Collection in Washington, DC, exploring the profound artistic dialogue between Catalan artist Joan Miró and the United States. The show features Miró's paintings, sculptures, and works on paper alongside pieces by American contemporaries like Jackson Pollock, Lee Krasner, and Alexander Calder, tracing how his visits and exposure to the New York art scene influenced his work and, in turn, inspired a generation of post-war American artists.

Lost Joan Miró Drawings Reemerge at Auction

Three previously unknown drawings by Joan Miró have been discovered among the possessions of his friend, the artist and designer Edmond Vernassa. The works include a 1972 promotional drawing for Mallorca and two large-scale designs for interior balcony railings, created for the influential art dealers Aimé and Marguerite Maeght. The drawings are now set for auction in Antibes with estimates reaching up to €400,000 each, following a public showcase during Paris Drawing Week.

sothebys de gunzburg collection rothko lalanne sale 2026

Sotheby’s has announced the sale of the Jean and Terry de Gunzburg collection, a two-part auction series scheduled for April and May 2024 with a total estimate of $67 million to $99 million. The offering begins with a dedicated design sale featuring a historic ensemble of 15 Claude Lalanne mirrors commissioned for Yves Saint Laurent, followed by a selection of blue-chip modern and contemporary artworks.

rijksmuseum sculpture garden

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.

rijksmuseum new sculpture garden 70m donation don quixote foundation

Amsterdam’s Rijksmuseum will open a new sculpture garden in fall 2026, funded by a nearly $70 million donation from the Don Quixote Foundation, which is financed by Dutch billionaire Rolly van Rappard. The garden will be located in Carel Willinkplantsoen park, across the Boerenwetering canal from the museum, and will incorporate three adjacent Amsterdam School-style pavilions renovated by Foster + Partners. Belgian landscape architect Piet Blanckaert will design the gardens, and the museum plans to display works by Alberto Giacometti, Louise Bourgeois, Alexander Calder, Jean Arp, Roni Horn, and Henry Moore, along with temporary exhibitions in the pavilions.

detroit institute of arts dia 1976 ad spot remake

The Detroit Institute of Arts (DIA) has released a 50th-anniversary remake of its iconic 1976 television commercial, "You Gotta Have Art." The original spot, created by advertising agency W.B. Doner & Co., featured museum staff, volunteers, and local performers singing and dancing among masterpieces. The new version, directed by DIA's Director of Visual Media Adam Kosberg, recreates the original shot-for-shot, incorporating updated choreography, a Motown-influenced arrangement by Detroit musicians Marion Hayden and Alvin Waddles, and appearances by local artists including Carole Harris and Allie McGhee, who reprised their roles from the 1976 film. Over 200 museum employees and performers from Wayne State University participated in the production.

christies 20th century art november new york by the numbers

Christie’s fall auction season in New York opened with a robust evening sale of 20th-century art on Monday night at Rockefeller Center, achieving a total of $690 million after fees. The sale featured an 18-lot offering from the private collection of Robert and Patricia Weis, followed by the main 20th-century auction. The top lot was Mark Rothko’s *No. 31 (Yellow Stripe)* (1958), which sold for $62 million, while Claude Monet’s *Nymphéas* (1907) brought $45.5 million. The sale had a 95 percent sell-through rate, with 55 of 80 lots guaranteed, and strong in-person bidding provided a boost of market confidence after months of art fair cancellations and gallery closures.

trustees bolt palm springs art museum director hire

Trustee Patsy Marino resigned from the Palm Springs Art Museum board just one week after Christine Vendredi was appointed director on September 29, 2024. In a resignation letter reported by the Los Angeles Times, Marino alleged that the hiring committee failed to interview any outside candidates, despite two "exceptional" candidates being considered, and cited "inappropriate interference" by the executive committee, individual trustees, and museum staff. Two other board members also left the 22-member body, though the museum claims their departures were unrelated. Vendredi, previously chief curator and interim CEO, has a background in luxury brand management at Louis Vuitton and holds multiple advanced degrees but no prior museum directorship experience.

sothebys karpidas collection sale lots magritte surrealism

Sotheby's has announced the headline lots for the upcoming sale of British socialite and arts patron Pauline Karpidas's collection, set to take place September 17–19 in London. The 250-item auction, described as the 'greatest collection of Surrealism to emerge in recent history,' is led by René Magritte's oil painting *La Statue volante* (1940-41), estimated at £9–12 million ($12–16 million). Other highlights include ten more Magritte works, four Andy Warhol pieces from his 'Art from Art' series, and works by Pablo Picasso, Salvador Dalí, and Leonora Carrington, along with furniture and design objects.

art basel 2025 blue chip galleries sales trend

ARTnews analyzed publicly reported sales from five blue-chip galleries—Hauser & Wirth, Pace, Thaddaeus Ropac, White Cube, and David Zwirner—at Art Basel 2025, finding a combined total over 35% lower than in 2024, around 8% below 2023, and just over 20% down from 2022. The high-water mark was $204 million in 2024, boosted by eight-figure works from Hauser & Wirth. Meanwhile, the number of artists sold by these galleries rose steadily from 109 in 2022 to 157 in 2025, indicating a shift toward broader, less concentrated inventory. Dealers reported mixed sentiments, though seven-figure deals still occurred, and some noted that market uncertainty has led to more scattershot presentations with wider price ranges.

historic paris art schools risk development

The Académie de la Grande Chaumière, a historic Paris art school founded in 1904 that taught artists like Balthus, Joan Miró, and Louise Bourgeois, faces eviction by July 31 after its owner Alexandre Garèse declined to renew its lease. Garèse plans to redevelop the Montparnasse site into a mixed-use complex with commercial and cultural spaces, hiring architect Franklin Azzi for the project. Over 21,000 people have signed a petition to save the school, and local heritage groups SOS Paris and Monts 14 have rallied against the closure.

calder gardens philadelphia opening date

Calder Gardens, a new museum in Philadelphia dedicated to Alexander Calder, has announced it will open on September 21, 2025. The institution, located on Benjamin Franklin Parkway, features a building designed by Herzog & de Meuron and a sculpture garden by Piet Oudolf, with rotating works curated by the Calder Foundation. It will be administered in partnership with the Barnes Foundation, and memberships offering unlimited admission to both institutions start at $98 annually.

lupe fiasco ghotiing mit public art

Lupe Fiasco, the Grammy-winning rapper and MIT visiting scholar, has created "GHOTIING MIT," an audio tour featuring seven tracks improvised and recorded on-site at public artworks around the MIT List Visual Arts Center campus in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Using an iPad, microphone, and solar panels, Fiasco responds to sculptures by Alexander Calder, Antony Gormley, Jacques Lipchitz, and Jaume Plensa, among others, blending rap with field recordings to capture the immediacy of each piece. He terms this spontaneous creative process "ghotiing" (pronounced "fishing"), likening it to the Impressionist practice of painting en plein air.

rare basquiat sothebys contemporary auctions in new york

Sotheby's will auction a rediscovered early Jean-Michel Basquiat painting from 1981, unseen for 36 years, with a $10–15 million estimate at its Contemporary Evening Auction in New York this May. The sale also features major works from three tightly held private collections: the estate of Barbara Gladstone, the Roy Lichtenstein Foundation, and Daniella Luxembourg's 'Im Spazio' group, alongside top lots by Lucio Fontana, Robert Rauschenberg, Frank Stella, and Ed Ruscha. The Modern Evening Auction includes a Pablo Picasso musketeer portrait and a Georgia O'Keeffe painting, with combined estimates for both sales reaching up to $525.2 million.

art institute chicago school pro palestine labor activism

Kelly Xi, an artist and lecturer at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago (SAIC), was placed under investigation and administrative leave after using a school photocopier to produce materials for a pro-Palestine student exhibition and sharing an email list for a faculty union petition. The exhibition advocated for divestment from Israel and criticized the school's handling of a protest encampment that led to dozens of arrests in May 2024. The actions were organized by Students for the Liberation of Palestine (SLP), targeting trustee A. Steven Crown, whose family owns a stake in defense contractor General Dynamics and donated to pro-Israel groups.

20 superb exhibitions to visit during the Ascension weekend in Paris

20 superbes expos à visiter pendant le week-end de l’Ascension à Paris

Beaux Arts Magazine has curated a list of 20 must-see exhibitions in Paris for the Ascension long weekend (May 14–17, 2026). Highlights include Hilma af Klint's first major French retrospective at the Grand Palais, a Lee Miller survey at the Musée d'Art moderne de Paris, an Alexander Calder show at the Fondation Louis Vuitton, a Matisse exhibition focusing on his late works at the Grand Palais, and a Giovanni Segantini display at the Musée Marmottan Monet. The article also offers recommendations for family-friendly outings, free exhibitions, and evening openings.

A Sculptor’s Life, in Constant Motion

A major retrospective of Alexander Calder’s work has opened in Paris, offering a comprehensive look at the sculptor’s career-long obsession with movement and balance. The exhibition invites visitors to engage directly with his iconic mobiles and wire sculptures, emphasizing the physical and temporal experience of art that shifts with the surrounding air and light.

25th Biennale of Sydney Review: From the Margins

The 25th Biennale of Sydney, titled "Rememory" and curated by Hoor Al Qasimi, features 143 works by 83 artists and collectives from 37 countries across five venues. The exhibition explores marginalized, fragmented, and repressed histories, drawing on Toni Morrison's concept of 'rememory' as a space between remembering and forgetting. Key works include Tuan Andrew Nguyen's film on Vietnam War trauma, Basel Abbas and Ruanne Abou-Rahme's immersive installation on Palestinian displacement, Khalid Albaih's photographs of Sudan, and Massinissa Selmani's drawings on Algerian socialist building projects.

The Best Exhibitions to See in Paris Right Now

Les meilleures expos du moment à voir à Paris

Beaux Arts Magazine has published a guide to the best current exhibitions in Paris for spring 2026, highlighting major shows such as "Martin Parr. Global Warning" at the Jeu de Paume, "Matisse. 1941–1954" at the Grand Palais, "Michel-Ange Rodin" at the Musée du Louvre, "Renoir et l'amour" at the Musée d'Orsay, "Calder. Rêver en équilibre" at the Fondation Louis Vuitton, and "Splendeurs du baroque" at the Musée Jacquemart-André. The article also features retrospectives of Hilma af Klint at the Grand Palais, Károly Ferenczy at the Petit Palais, Henry Taylor at the Musée Picasso, a Lee Miller exhibition at the Musée d'Art moderne de Paris, a Giovanni Segantini show at the Musée Marmottan Monet, and a Nan Goldin multimedia presentation at the Grand Palais.

What you (perhaps) didn't know about Alexander Calder

Ce que vous ne saviez (peut-être) pas sur Alexander Calder

The Fondation Louis Vuitton in Paris has launched the exhibition "Calder. Rêver en équilibre," prompting a retrospective look at the life and technical mastery of Alexander Calder. The article explores the artist's journey from his arrival in Paris in 1926 to his interactions with avant-garde masters like Duchamp and Miró, highlighting how he defied traditional artistic labels through his innovative use of movement and simple materials.

the mayor gallery celebrating 100 years

The Mayor Gallery in London is celebrating its centenary with a three-part exhibition series revisiting its history. The second part, 'Celebrating 100 years – Part 2: European Art,' is on view through February 20, 2026, showcasing post-war European artists from movements like ZERO, Arte Povera, and Concrete art, including works by Armando, Lucio Fontana, François Morellet, and Man Ray.

At TEFAF New York, the Masterpiece Market Had Plenty to Celebrate

TEFAF New York returned to the Park Avenue Armory with record attendance on its Collector Preview day, May 14, featuring 90 exhibitors showcasing modern and contemporary masterpieces, antiques, decorative arts, and jewelry. Dealers reported strong sales across price tiers, including an Andy Warhol Mao sold by ML Fine Art within the first hour, a Lucio Fontana *Concetto Spaziale* for $2.3 million at Mennour, and works by Giorgio Morandi, Giosetta Fioroni, and Meret Oppenheim sold by Galleria d’Arte Maggiore g.a.m. A new secondary-market partnership, Pace Di Donna Schrader Galleries, debuted with a booth anchored by a 1956 Rothko, signaling renewed confidence in the market.