museum workers tate strike met union 2720847

Workers at two major museums, the Tate in the U.K. and the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, are taking labor action to demand higher wages and job security. Over 150 Tate staff from the PCS Tate United union went on strike across four locations, with picketing at Tate Britain, Tate Modern, and Tate Liverpool, disrupting the opening of the exhibition "Turner and Constable: Rivals and Originals." Meanwhile, nearly 1,000 employees at the Met have petitioned the National Labor Relations Board for a union election, which would be one of the largest museum unions in the U.S.

blenheim palace restoration graffiti 2726485

Conservators at Blenheim Palace in the U.K. have discovered a mysterious dossier of names and phrases scratched into the ceilings of the Great Hall and Saloon by past workers, dating back to the 19th century. The graffiti was found during a £12 million ($15.9 million) restoration project led by OPUS Conservation, funded by the National Lottery Heritage Fund and the Blenheim Foundation, which is also repairing paintings by Baroque artists James Thornhill and Louis Laguerre. The palace is now asking the public for help identifying the individuals behind the markings, which include names like "W Smith 1888" and "T Harwood Plasterer 1843."

nybg holiday train show whitney museum 2714502

The New York Botanical Garden's 34th annual "Holiday Train Show" features miniature replicas of New York landmarks crafted from natural materials by the botanical artists of Applied Imagination. This year's edition adds two new models: the recently renovated Delacorte Theater in Central Park and the Whitney Museum of American Art's Meatpacking District flagship, designed by Renzo Piano. The Whitney replica, built over three months by artist Ava Roberts and fabrication director Kaitlin Schmidt, uses a new two-way mirrored acrylic glass technique for the windows and incorporates materials like purple smoke bush branches, horse chestnut bark, and fallen Zelkova bark. The company, founded by Paul Busse in 1991 and now run by his daughter Laura Busse Dolan, creates whimsical versions of landmarks using leaves, sticks, fungi, and other dried plant materials.

the met returns historic buddhist painting to korea 2715943

The Metropolitan Museum of Art has returned a late-18th century Buddhist painting, *The Tenth King of Hell* (1798), to the Sinheungsa Temple in Sokcho, Gangwon Province, South Korea. The work is believed to have been taken by U.S. troops during the Korean War. The repatriation was celebrated at a ceremony in Seoul attended by Met Director and CEO Max Hollein, Korean government officials, and religious leaders. The painting is part of a larger series of ten scrolls depicting the Ten Kings of the Underworld; three remain abroad, while six others previously at LACMA have already been returned.

100 massive elephant sculptures beverly hills 2669384

The Great Elephant Migration, a public art project featuring 100 life-size elephant sculptures, has concluded its cross-country journey in Beverly Hills, California. The sculptures, crafted by Indigenous artisans of the Coexistence Collective in India from the invasive lantana camara weed, represent real elephants from the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve and the Sheldrick Wildlife Trust. The herd traveled 5,000 miles via electric trucks, making stops in Newport, New York, Miami, Houston, Jackson Hole, and Montana, before arriving at Beverly Gardens Park. The artworks are for sale, with prices ranging from $8,000 to $22,000, and sales have exceeded $3 million, with proceeds supporting 22 conservation NGOs.

amnh pedro pascal hayden planetarium show 2652279

New York's American Museum of Natural History is launching a new film at the Hayden Planetarium titled "Encounters in the Milky Way," narrated by actor Pedro Pascal. Opening June 9, the 30-minute show uses data from the European Space Agency's Gaia observatory and contributions from over 20 academic institutions to map the sun's journey through the Milky Way over billions of years. The project involved astronomers, artists, and science visualization experts, with a score by composer Robert Miller and direction by museum trustee Shawn Levy.

conclave hidden ritual 2641551

On May 8, 2025, white smoke rose from the Sistine Chapel signaling the election of Robert Prevost as Pope Leo XIV, the first American pontiff. Born in Chicago in 1955, Prevost has strong ties to Peru and was appointed Prefect for the Dicastery for Bishops by Pope Francis in 2023. The article explores the secretive process of the papal conclave, noting that 133 cardinals voted under Michelangelo's famed ceilings, and draws parallels to the 2024 film *Conclave* which some cardinals reportedly used for insight.

dar kuen wu taiwan digital art 2628044

The article examines the rise of Taiwanese contemporary art on the international stage, focusing on its growing prominence in digital and technological art. It traces the evolution of digital art in Taiwan through three phases: video art in the 1990s with pioneers like Wang Jun-Jieh and Yuan Goang-Ming, digital media experimentation in the 2000s driven by the tech sector, and a recent phase of internationalization and interdisciplinary integration fueled by the semiconductor industry and government support. Key factors include Taiwan's hardware industry, cultural liberalization after the lifting of martial law in 1987, and sustained policy support from institutions like the National Culture and Arts Foundation (NCAF), the Taiwan Contemporary Culture Lab (C-LAB), and the Taiwan Creative Content Agency (TAICCA).

A ‘bird of Mexico City’ strikes a revolutionary pose: Pieter Henket’s best photograph

Photographer Pieter Henket describes the creation of his portrait "La Mujer" (The Woman), part of his series "Birds of Mexico City." The image features Ixchel Paz, a young Mexican woman wearing a lucha libre wrestling mask, captured in a dignified pose on the first day of the project. Henket explains how the series evolved from an earlier project, "Birds of New York," which celebrated young people in New York during the first Trump administration. After the pandemic, he traveled to Mexico City with his husband Roger Inniss, collaborated with stylist Chino Castilla and his team, and encouraged subjects to express their identities through costume and culture.

At MAXXI L'Aquila, exhibition dedicated to Ai Weiwei recounts catastrophes and memory

From April 29 to September 6, 2026, MAXXI L'Aquila presents "AI WEIWEI: Aftershock," an exhibition curated by Tim Marlow featuring approximately seventy works by Chinese artist, architect, and activist Ai Weiwei. The show spans his entire career, focusing on themes of earthquakes, wars, political repression, and memory. The centerpiece is the installation "Straight" (2009–2012), made from 150 tons of steel rods recovered from schools that collapsed in the 2008 Sichuan earthquake, displayed across three rooms. The exhibition is held at Palazzo Ardinghelli, a Baroque building that houses MAXXI L'Aquila and was itself restored after the 2009 L'Aquila earthquake, creating a dialogue between the works and the building's history of recovery.

The Devil Wears Prada 2 to Lenny Henry: your complete entertainment guide to the week ahead

The Guardian's weekly entertainment guide highlights two major art exhibitions opening in May 2025: 'Aleksandra Kasuba' at Tate St Ives (2 May to 4 October) and 'Zurbarán' at the National Gallery, London (2 May to 23 August). The Kasuba show is the first UK presentation of the Lithuanian American artist's proto-immersive 'spatial environments,' featuring early paintings, mosaics, and installations focused on utopian social harmony. The Zurbarán exhibition presents a blockbuster survey of the 17th-century Spanish Baroque master, known for his intense religious subjects and dramatic chiaroscuro.

Andy Warhol | Original Exhibition Poster (2021) | For Sale

An original Andy Warhol exhibition poster from 2021 is being offered for sale by Baldwin gallery, with locations in London, Miami, and Dubai. The offset lithograph on paper measures 19.7 × 27.6 inches, is in mint condition, unsigned, and includes a Certificate of Authenticity. Priced at £650, the work ships from London with domestic shipping at £45 and international at £55, and is covered by the Artsy Guarantee.

Peter Halley - Jablonka Gallery, Koln vintage poster (Hand Signed by Peter Halley) , 1988

A rare 1988 vintage silkscreen exhibition poster by Peter Halley, published for his show at Jablonka Galerie in Cologne, has surfaced on the secondary market. The work is notably hand-signed and dedicated by the artist to fellow artist Bill Radawec, distinguishing it from standard mass-produced exhibition ephemera. Halley, a central figure of the 1980s Neo-Geo movement, is recognized for his 'cell' and 'conduit' paintings that critique social and technological structures.

Inside LACMA's lavish opening gala for the David Geffen Galleries with George Lucas, Ed Ruscha and Jeff Koons

The Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) held a lavish opening gala for its new David Geffen Galleries, a $724 million concrete building designed by architect Peter Zumthor. The event drew a constellation of artists including Jeff Koons, Ed Ruscha, Mark Bradford, Refik Anadol, Todd Gray, Do Ho Suh, and Lauren Halsey, as well as Hollywood figures like Will Ferrell and Sharon Stone. LACMA director Michael Govan hosted the evening, which featured conversations about the building's design, the interplay of light and art, and the significance of the new space for the museum's future.

Inside LACMA’s Visionary New Galleries Floating Above Los Angeles

The Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) has unveiled the David Geffen Galleries, a $724 million concrete-and-glass structure designed by Pritzker Prize-winning architect Peter Zumthor. Spanning Wilshire Boulevard, the 110,000-square-foot horizontal gallery space floats 30 feet above ground and features a non-chronological layout intended to encourage wandering. The interior is characterized by pigment-infused concrete walls, floor-to-ceiling windows with specialized metal curtains by Reiko Sudō, and a lack of traditional white-cube galleries.

LACMA New David Geffen Galleries Open 4/19... Installation of Do Ho Suh's 'Gyeongbokgung Jagyeongjeon'

LA카운티미술관(LACMA) 뉴 데이빗게펜 갤러리 4/19 오픈...서도호 작 '경복중 자경전' 설치

The Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) has announced the official opening of the David Geffen Galleries on April 19, 2026. Designed by Pritzker Prize-winning architect Peter Zumthor, the 900-foot-long horizontal structure spans Wilshire Boulevard and features a single elevated exhibition level for the museum’s permanent collection. The inaugural installation, curated by a collaborative team of 45 specialists, rejects traditional chronological or geographical hierarchies in favor of a thematic approach centered around global oceanic frameworks.

Liu Wei’s "You Like Pork?" leads Poly Hong Kong modern and contemporary art sale at US$3.5m

Poly Auction Hong Kong concluded its modern and contemporary art sale on April 6, achieving a total of HK$76.4 million (US$9.8 million) with a 67% sell-through rate. The auction was headlined by Liu Wei’s 1995 masterpiece "You Like Pork?", which sold for HK$27.6 million (US$3.5 million) to a phone bidder. Other top performers included Zao Wou-Ki’s "15.07.67" from his Hurricane period and Wu Dayu’s "Rhymes of Beijing Opera," both of which surpassed the HK$10 million threshold.

7 Discoveries from Los Angeles Satellite Art Fairs

The 2026 edition of Frieze Los Angeles was accompanied by a vibrant circuit of satellite fairs, including the eighth edition of Felix Art Fair at the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel, the second iteration of Post-Fair in Santa Monica, and the debut of ENZO, a boutique fair in Echo Park. These alternative venues provided a platform for approximately 100 international galleries to showcase emerging and established talent in unconventional settings ranging from hotel cabanas to Art Deco post offices and industrial warehouses.

Florian Krewer

German artist Florian Krewer, known for dreamlike paintings that blend memory and fantasy, has opened a solo exhibition titled 'Cruel The Night Café' at a former London pub, the Blue Lion on Gray's Inn Road. The show features new works and works on paper inspired by New York's evening hours. The pub was recently purchased by The Perimeter, a neighboring foundation, and will be redeveloped into an adjoining exhibition space. The article also includes a studio visit interview where Krewer discusses his South Bronx workspace, his solo practice, and his unusual Primer brush tool.

The best art books of 2025, as picked by The Art Newspaper’s editors

The Art Newspaper’s editors have selected their top art books of 2025, featuring a diverse range of titles. Highlights include "Kerry James Marshall: The Histories," a catalogue from the Royal Academy of Arts exhibition surveying the American artist’s large-scale history paintings centered on Black figures; "Minimal, edited by Jessica Morgan," which reassesses overlooked Minimalist artists; and "Lee Miller," the Tate Britain exhibition catalogue exploring the photographer’s multifaceted career. Other notable picks include monographs on Celia Paul, Shahzia Sikander, and Edward Gorey, as well as a comprehensive overview of Middle Eastern art from 1900 to now.

5 Artists on Our Radar in December 2025

Artsy's December 2025 edition of "Artists on Our Radar" highlights five emerging visual artists who have gained attention through new gallery representation, exhibitions, auctions, or art fairs. Featured artists include British painter Imogen Allen, known for gauzy, nature-inspired works with a Gerhard Richter-like blur effect; Brazilian painter Elian Almeida, who reimagines marginalized figures in Brazilian visual culture through vibrant, narrative paintings; and nomadic American artist ektor garcia, who works with unconventional materials like wire, clay, and leather. The article details their recent exhibitions, gallery affiliations, and career milestones.

20th and 21st Century auctions in New York total $965 million

Christie’s New York concluded its 20th and 21st Century Art sales week on November 21, 2025, generating a total of $964.5 million, the auction house’s highest in three years. The sales included the Collection of Robert F. and Patricia G. Ross Weis, which alone brought in $218 million, led by Mark Rothko’s *No. 31 (Yellow Stripe)* at $62.1 million. Other top lots included works by Claude Monet, Pablo Picasso, and David Hockney, each exceeding $40 million. Fifteen artist records were broken, including for Beauford Delaney, Leonor Fini, Firelei Báez, and Olga de Amaral. Bidding was active across all platforms, with the highest online bid ever placed at a live Christie’s auction.

Frieze London 2025

Frieze London 2025 has opened with a wide-ranging program spanning contemporary art, photography, antiquities, and performance. Key highlights include the inaugural Echo Soho fair celebrating women-run galleries, the London edition of Dallas Invitational set to open at the former US embassy in 2026, and strong sales at Frieze Masters including a Triceratops skull. Christie's and Sotheby's auctions during the week showed a mixed market: Peter Doig's 'Ski Jacket' sold for £106.9m, but overall estimates and price corrections indicated caution. The fair also features Sophia Al-Maria performing stand-up as winner of the Frieze London Artist Award, a new pricing structure for greater gallery diversity, and a pop-up by The Art Newspaper and L'OFFICIEL.

Fairfield University Art Museum Receives CT Humanities Grant for U.S. 250th Anniversary Exhibition

Fairfield University Art Museum has received a $15,000 grant from CT Humanities to support a 2026 exhibition titled *For Which It Stands…*, commemorating the 250th anniversary of the United States. The show will run from January 23 to July 25, 2026, featuring 75 works by diverse artists from the early 20th century to the present, all centered on depictions of the American flag. Highlights include Childe Hassam’s *Italian Day, May 1918* (lent by the Art Bridges Foundation), a new textile sculpture by Maria de Los Angeles, and works by Jasper Johns, Faith Ringgold, Robert Rauschenberg, Shepard Fairey, and Julie Mehretu. Loans come from private collections, artists, galleries, and institutions such as the Yale University Art Gallery, the Gordon Parks Foundation, and the Orlando Museum of Art.

Agnes Gund, collector and philanthropist who helped transform MoMA, has died, aged 87

Agnes Gund, the influential American arts philanthropist and collector, has died at age 87. Gund was a transformative figure at the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York, serving on its board from 1976, as president from 1991 to 2002, and later as president emerita. She helped raise funds for MoMA's $858m expansion, donated around 100 works to the museum, and pushed for acquisitions of women and artists of color. Beyond MoMA, she founded Studio in a School in 1977 to bring art education to New York City public schools and co-chaired a Sotheby's auction to support Miss Porter's School. Her death was first reported by The New York Times; she is survived by four children.

Kerry James Marshall offers a fresh lesson in art history at his London retrospective

Kerry James Marshall's retrospective 'The Histories' opens at the Royal Academy of Arts in London, featuring over 80 works spanning his career. The exhibition, co-curated by Mark Godfrey and Adrian Locke, includes early pieces like 'A Portrait of the Artist as a Shadow of His Former Self' (1980) and recent paintings exploring African history and the transatlantic slave trade. After London, the show travels to Kunsthaus Zürich and the Musée d'Art Moderne in Paris, timed to Marshall's 70th birthday.

After 50 years, LA Louver is closing its gallery in Venice, California

LA Louver, the longest-running gallery in Los Angeles, is closing its Venice, California space after 50 years in business. Founder Peter Goulds, who turns 77 next month, is transitioning the gallery into a private dealing model with pop-up exhibitions from its Jefferson Boulevard warehouse in West Adams. The Venice space will be listed for sale but remain open by appointment to sell inventory. The gallery is also donating its extensive archive to the Huntington Library in San Marino, which includes papers of writers like Octavia Butler and Christopher Isherwood.

Global Icons, Local Spotlight: Contemporary Art from the Collections of Jordan D. Schnitzer

The Portland Art Museum (PAM) will open "Global Icons, Local Spotlight: Contemporary Art from the Collections of Jordan D. Schnitzer" in September 2025, featuring over 75 works from the collections of Oregon collector Jordan D. Schnitzer and his Family Foundation. The exhibition includes pieces by major 20th-century artists like Jasper Johns, Helen Frankenthaler, and Robert Rauschenberg, as well as contemporary figures such as Nick Cave, Mickalene Thomas, and Jeffrey Gibson, many shown publicly for the first time. Highlights include Christopher Myers' installation "Let the Mermaids Flirt with Me," debuting at PAM after its 2022 Art Basel Miami premiere.

17 NYC art exhibitions we’re most excited about in fall 2025

The article highlights 17 New York City art exhibitions opening in fall 2025, with six previewed in detail. Major events include the long-awaited reopening of the Studio Museum in Harlem on November 15 with a new seven-floor building and shows featuring Tom Lloyd and works from its collection; the New Museum's reopening after renovation with the inaugural exhibition "New Humans: Memories of the Future"; and the Whitney Museum's "Sixties Surreal" exhibition surveying American art from 1958 to 1972. Other notable shows include a Robert Rauschenberg centennial exhibition at the Guggenheim Museum, Ai Weiwei's public installation "Camouflage" on Roosevelt Island, and a fashion-focused exhibition at the Hispanic Society Museum & Library.

London Art Exhibitions Not To Miss Opening Autumn 2025

London's major museums and galleries are preparing a packed autumn 2025 season with blockbuster exhibitions. Highlights include 'Radical Harmony: Helene Kröller-Müller’s Neo-Impressionists' at the National Gallery, 'Theatre Picasso' at Tate Modern, a Kerry James Marshall retrospective at the Royal Academy of Arts, Peter Doig at the Serpentine, Gilbert & George at the Hayward, and 'Encounters: Giacometti x Mona Hatoum' at the Barbican. The Barbican show pairs historic works by Alberto Giacometti with new and existing pieces by Mona Hatoum, including several UK debuts and site-specific large-scale sculptures.