Vasari Art Codex

article news schedule Jun 16, 2025 visibility 4 link 12 artists, 3 galleries

leonard lauder and joel shapiro both pass away national gallerys rubens painting questioned lenin statue removed from city of osh morning links for june 16 2025 1234745198

Leonard Lauder, the billionaire cosmetics heir and art collector, died at 92, having donated 81 Cubist works worth over $1 billion to the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Artist Joel Shapiro, known for his Post-Minimalist sculptures, also passed away at 83. Other news includes a visitor breaking a Swarovski-covered chair at Palazzo Maffei in Verona, the removal of a Lenin statue in Osh, Kyrgyzstan, pay raises for London museum security guards, and a reopened debate over a Rubens painting at the National Gallery in London.

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article news schedule Jun 12, 2025 visibility 3 link 7 artists, 5 galleries

kennedy center audience boos trump french carpenters sentenced for selling fake 18th century chairs moca stays closed morning links for june 12 2025 1234745004

The Museum of Contemporary Art Los Angeles (MOCA) has extended the closure of its Geffen Contemporary space through the weekend as National Guard troops continue to confront anti-ICE protesters nearby. The museum cited safety concerns for staff and visitors, and also halted Pussy Riot member Nadya Tolokonnikova's durational performance 'POLICE STATE,' which had continued even after the initial shutdown on June 8. In other news, two Frenchmen—expert Bill Pallot and carpenter Bruno Desnous—were sentenced to suspended prison sentences and fines for selling fake 18th-century furniture, including chairs falsely attributed to Queen Marie Antoinette, duping the Château de Versailles and a Qatari prince. Meanwhile, President Donald Trump was booed by the audience at a Kennedy Center performance of Les Misérables, and Tamara de Lempicka's painting 'La Belle Rafaëla' (1927) is headed to auction at Sotheby's London with a high estimate of £9 million.

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article news schedule Jun 10, 2025 visibility 3 link 7 artists, 1 gallery

smithsonian stands up to trump moca closes its geffen branch amid protests is putins daughter dealing art morning links for june 10 2025 1234744759

The Smithsonian Institution publicly affirmed its independence from the Trump administration after President Donald Trump attempted to fire National Portrait Gallery director Kim Sajet, citing her perceived criticism of him. Sajet has continued reporting to work, and the Smithsonian's Board of Regents backed Secretary Lonnie G. Bunch's authority over personnel decisions, while also directing him to ensure exhibits remain nonpartisan. Separately, Los Angeles's Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA) closed its Geffen branch early on June 8 as National Guard troops clashed with anti-ICE protesters, though Russian artist Nadya Tolokonnikova continued her durational performance "Police State" inside the closed museum. The protests unfolded in front of Barbara Kruger's 1990 mural "Questions," which Kruger said was a prophetic commentary on the current political moment.

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article news schedule Jun 9, 2025 visibility 2 link 2 artists, 1 gallery

rivera kahlo estate mismanagement allegations 1234744688

Hilda Trujillo Soto, former director of the Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera museums in Mexico City, has publicly accused the trust overseeing these institutions of years of mismanagement. In a blog post published in early April, Soto alleged that trustees failed to address discrepancies in records, with Kahlo and Rivera works possibly missing and later appearing in private U.S. collections. She also claimed that materials from Kahlo’s personal diary and artworks catalogued in 1957, including *Frida in Flames* and *The Abortion*, have been misplaced or illegally sold. The trust, established by Rivera in 1955 and now administered by Mexico’s central bank Banxico, denied Soto’s claims, stating she never officially reported concerns during her tenure from 2009 to 2020.

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person people schedule Jun 9, 2025 visibility 3 link 2 artists, 1 gallery

hepworth wakefields director simon wallis to become royal academys new secretary and chief executive in september 1234744637

Simon Wallis, director of the Hepworth Wakefield, has been appointed as the new secretary and chief executive of London’s Royal Academy of Arts (RA), starting in September. He replaces Axel Rüger, who left in October to lead the Frick Collection in New York. Wallis brings extensive experience from previous roles at Chisenhale Gallery, the ICA, Tate Liverpool, and Kettle’s Yard. His appointment comes as the RA undergoes restructuring, having cut 15% of its workforce in April to ensure future sustainability.

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article culture schedule May 30, 2025 visibility 6 link 9 artists, 1 gallery

the phoenician scheme wes anderson renoir art collecting 1234743890

Wes Anderson's new film *The Phoenician Scheme* features a protagonist, Zsa-Zsa Korda (played by Benicio del Toro), who is a jet-setting high roller with a vast but neglected art collection housed in a 16th-century palazzo. The collection includes authentic masterpieces such as an 1889 Renoir portrait once owned by Greta Garbo, a 1942 Magritte, and a 17th-century van Schooten still life, alongside replicas like a Peter Paul Rubens. The film, now playing in New York and Los Angeles, uses these artworks as props and backdrops, reflecting the protagonist's indifference to his possessions amid his shady business schemes and fractured family relationships.

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museum exhibitions schedule May 30, 2025 visibility 3 link 10 artists, 1 gallery

met museum rockefeller wing renovation review 1234743781

The Metropolitan Museum of Art's Michael C. Rockefeller Wing, closed since 2021, reopens after a $70 million renovation. The redesign by architect Kulapat Yantrasast transforms the previously dark and cramped galleries into airy, energizing spaces, with a major rehang that reconfigures the Oceania galleries. Notable changes include the repositioning of a Kwoma ceremonial house ceiling in collaboration with descendants of the original painters, the relocation of Asmat funerary poles to a dedicated gallery, and the addition of newly acquired works by Ömie artist Ilma Savari. The renovation also features revised wall texts that better contextualize the objects.

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article news schedule May 29, 2025 visibility 3 link 1 artist, 1 gallery

centre pompidou brazil satellite 1234743858

The Centre Pompidou will open its first South American satellite in Foz do Iguaçu, Brazil, in November 2027, backed by Paraná state officials. Designed by Paraguayan architect Solano Benítez, the museum will feature exhibition galleries and research facilities, highlighting South American artists alongside works from the Pompidou’s permanent collection of around 150,000 objects. This expansion comes as the Paris flagship closes for five years starting September 2024 for a $280 million renovation.

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article local schedule May 28, 2025 visibility 4 link 7 artists, 1 gallery

camden art centre gets 99 year lease 1234743570

Camden Art Centre in London has secured a 99-year lease on its current home after raising £1.9 million. The lease was previously set to expire in 2027. The effort was led by director Martin Clark and board chair Guy Halamish, with contributions from artists including Kara Walker and Alvaro Barrington.

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museum exhibitions schedule May 23, 2025 link 4 artists, 1 gallery

frida kahlo museum mexico city casa roja 1234743461

A new museum dedicated to Frida Kahlo will open in Mexico City's Coyoacán district this September, housed in the Casa Roja, a private residence purchased by Kahlo's parents and passed down through the family. The property was gifted by the artist's grandniece Mara Romeo Kahlo, and the museum was designed by the New York–based Rockwell Group. Adán García Fajardo has been appointed director, and the project is funded by the newly established nonprofit Fundación Kahlo, chaired by public relations veteran Rick Miramontez. The museum will explore Kahlo's early life, inspirations, and cultural influences, and will feature rotating contemporary art exhibitions focused on Mexican, Latin American, and women artists.

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trending_up market schedule May 18, 2025 visibility 5 link 9 artists, 1 gallery

christies in new york sees records for female artists the met is gifted 6500 artworks paris cultural center short changed over migrant occupation morning links for may 15 2025 1234742326

Christie's 21st century evening sale in New York on May 14 achieved $96.4 million, with strong performances by women artists. Marlene Dumas's *Miss January* (1997) set a new auction record for a living woman artist at $13.6 million, while Simone Leigh's bronze sculpture *Sentinel* (2020) sold for $5.7 million, breaking her previous record. Other highlights included Jean-Michel Basquiat's *Baby Boom* (1982) at $23.4 million. Separately, a painting by Henry Scott Tuke long held by the National Trust was identified as a portrait of Lawrence of Arabia, and the Metropolitan Museum of Art received a major gift of over 6,500 photographs from collector Artur Walther and the Walther Family Foundation.

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museum exhibitions schedule May 16, 2025 visibility 2 link 17 artists, 1 gallery

rasquachismo exhibition mcnay art museum 1234742520

The McNay Art Museum in San Antonio mounted the exhibition "Rasquachismo: 35 Years of a Chicano Sensibility" to mark the 35th anniversary of scholar Tomás Ybarra-Frausto's foundational 1989 essay theorizing rasquachismo. The show, curated by Mia Lopez and on view from December through March, featured works by major Chicanx artists including Yolanda M. López, Carmen Lomas Garza, Santa Barraza, Celia Álvarez Muñoz, Carlos Almaraz, Frank Romero, Patssi Valdez, Luis Jiménez, and younger artists like Ruth Buentello, Juan de Dios Mora, and Jimmy James Canales. Ybarra-Frausto credited Mi Tierra Cafe y Panaderia in San Antonio's Historic Market Square as a key influence on his critical eye, describing the restaurant as a "hotbed of rasquachismo."

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trending_up market schedule May 15, 2025 visibility 4 link 7 artists, 1 gallery

met receives photography collection walter artur 1234742347

The Metropolitan Museum of Art has received a promised gift of more than 6,500 photographic works from German American collector Artur Walther and the Walther Family Foundation. The collection spans 19th-century vernacular photography to contemporary video, with strengths in African studio photography, German post-war photography, Chinese conceptual art, and early vernacular images. Artists represented include Malick Sidibé, Zanele Muholi, Ai Weiwei, Thomas Struth, and Bernd and Hilla Becher. A selection will debut when the Michael C. Rockefeller Wing reopens this month, with further displays planned for the Oscar L. Tang and H.M. Agnes Hsu-Tang Wing opening in 2030.

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trending_up market schedule May 15, 2025 visibility 2 link 6 artists, 1 gallery

marlene dumas miss january rubell family christies auction 1234742222

A Marlene Dumas painting, *Miss January* (1997), sold for $13.6 million at a Christie’s auction, making the South African artist the most expensive living female artist at auction. The work, consigned from the Rubell Family collection, had an estimate of $12–18 million and was backed by a third-party guarantee. It was won by an anonymous telephone bidder represented by Sara Friedlander, Christie’s deputy chairman for postwar and contemporary art.

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article news schedule May 13, 2025 visibility 3 link 3 artists, 4 galleries

heft gallery opens in new york city ai art 1234741940

Adam Heft Berninger has opened Heft, a new gallery on Manhattan's Lower East Side, dedicated to artists who work with systems-based practices such as generative code, machine learning, and scanners. Berninger, who previously worked with MoMA and the Public Art Fund and ran the curatorial platform Tender, emphasizes that the gallery is not an "AI art" gallery but a contemporary art space where technology serves as a tool for artistic methodology rather than a defining label. He argues that misconceptions about AI art can only be overcome through in-person viewing, and that the scarcity of galleries focused on this kind of work globally—countable on two hands—presents an opportunity.

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article policy schedule May 8, 2025 visibility 2 link 5 artists, 1 gallery

warhol frankenthaler foundation fund nea 1234741437

The Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts and the Helen Frankenthaler Foundation have announced an $800,000 fund to support 80 visual arts programs at small and mid-sized organizations across the United States. Each recipient, previously funded through the National Endowment for the Arts' Challenge America initiative, will receive $10,000 to advance projects stalled after the Trump administration suspended that federal program. The announcement comes amid broader cuts to federal arts funding, including the departure of all 10 NEA grant directors and the termination of grants for organizations like n+1, SculptureCenter, Queer Art, and A.I.R. Gallery, which received notices citing misalignment with the administration's priorities.

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museum exhibitions schedule May 3, 2026 visibility 6 link 64 artists, 6 galleries

Biennale di Venezia 2026. Le grandi mostre da non perdere in città

The article previews major exhibitions in Venice during the 2026 Biennale, highlighting a rich lineup of shows across the city's museums and foundations. Key highlights include a retrospective for Marina Abramović at the Gallerie dell'Accademia, a Peggy Guggenheim exhibition at her former home, and dual shows at Palazzo Grassi and Punta della Dogana featuring artists like Michael Armitage, Amar Kanwar, Lorna Simpson, and Paulo Nazareth. Other notable venues include Fondazione Prada, Ca' Pesaro, and the Museo Correr, with artists ranging from Joseph Kosuth to Jenny Saville.

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trending_up market schedule May 1, 2026 visibility 9 link 8 artists, 1 gallery

Botticelli under UK export ban purchased by Klesch Collection

A Botticelli painting, *The Virgin and Child Enthroned* (1470s), valued at £10.2 million, has been purchased by the Klesch Collection, a British private collection, after the UK government placed an export bar on the work in May 2025. The painting, which sold at Sotheby’s London in late 2024 for £9.7 million, will be loaned to the Ashmolean Museum in Oxford for three years, ensuring it remains in the UK.

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museum exhibitions schedule Apr 30, 2026 visibility 12 link 12 artists, 2 galleries

The curator awakens: Lucas Museum of Narrative Art reveals inaugural exhibition lineup

The Lucas Museum of Narrative Art, founded by George Lucas and Mellody Hobson, will open in Los Angeles on 22 September with 18 inaugural exhibitions featuring over 1,200 objects. Curated by Lucas himself, the shows span media like photography, architecture, and cinema, as well as genres such as manga, anime, comics, and children's stories. Six solo exhibitions will highlight American artists including Thomas Hart Benton, Frank Frazetta, and Norman Rockwell. The museum's collection now exceeds 40,000 works, including the Separate Cinema Archive and Lucas Archives of film memorabilia.

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article policy schedule Apr 28, 2026 visibility 15 link 2 artists, 1 gallery

America’s Finest Renaissance Tapestry Set for Major Restoration

The European Fine Art Foundation (TEFAF) has awarded its €25,000 Museum Restoration Fund to the Minneapolis Institute of Art (MIA) for the conservation of *The Meeting of Dante and Virgil*, a mid-16th century Italian Renaissance tapestry. This is the first time TEFAF has funded a tapestry restoration since the initiative began in 2012. The wool and silk tapestry, made between 1547 and 1549 by the Florentine workshop of Duke Cosimo I de’ Medici and designed by Francesco Salviati, depicts the opening scene of Dante’s *The Divine Comedy*. It is the only early Medici tapestry held by a public collection outside Italy, standing 17 feet tall and eight feet wide. Due to structural weaknesses and light sensitivity, it has been largely in storage for 70 years. Conservation work by the Midwest Art Conservation Center will include wet cleaning, stabilization, and partial reweaving, along with a new display system. The tapestry is scheduled to return to public view at MIA on July 11.

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article policy schedule Apr 27, 2026 visibility 16 link 3 artists, 1 gallery

Titian's ‘Bacchus and Ariadne’ to get a refresh with bank conservation grant

Bank of America’s annual art conservation program has awarded grants to 18 projects this year, including the restoration of Titian’s *Bacchus and Ariadne* (1520-23) at the National Gallery in London. The painting will be removed from display next month for conservation work that involves placing it on a new fabric support and repairing paint loss. Other funded projects include Rembrandt’s *The Night Watch* at the Rijksmuseum, bronze palms at the Arc de Triomphe in Paris, *Gaki Zōshi* at the Tokyo National Museum, Matisse’s *La Négresse* at the National Gallery of Art in Washington, DC, and works at the Museo de Arte de Lima and the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts.

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museum exhibitions schedule Apr 24, 2026 visibility 23 link 5 artists, 1 gallery

Colleen Barry Wants You to Believe in Pictures Again

Artist Colleen Barry presents her exhibition “Iconophilia” at Half Gallery in the East Village, featuring 14 recent paintings that explore motherhood, tenderness, and the complexity of image-making. The works include mythological references like the Capitoline Wolf and juxtapositions of ancient and modern imagery, such as a portrait of Grace Jones combined with the Roman god Janus. Barry, who grew up working class in New York and learned painting from her father, aims to counter contemporary distrust of images—especially among her children—by offering a reverent, iconophilic approach to visual culture.

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article news schedule Apr 21, 2026 visibility 19 link 5 artists, 2 galleries

US National Gallery of Art gifted more than 1,200 Mitch Epstein photographs

The National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., has received a gift of 1,261 photographs from artist Mitch Epstein and his wife, Susan Bell. The donation, the largest institutional collection of Epstein's work, spans his five-decade career and includes major series such as 'American Power,' 'Property Rights,' and 'New York Arbor.'

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trending_up market schedule Apr 20, 2026 visibility 12 link 8 artists, 2 galleries

Diane Keaton’s Iconic Wardrobe and Art Collection Head to Auction

Bonhams auction house, in collaboration with the Fine Art Group, is organizing a four-part, 550-lot sale of Diane Keaton's personal belongings. The sales, taking place online and in New York from late May to mid-June, will include her iconic wardrobe, Hollywood memorabilia, home furnishings, and a significant portion of her art collection, featuring works by artists like Robert Rauschenberg and Ed Ruscha, as well as her own mixed-media collages.

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museum exhibitions schedule Apr 20, 2026 visibility 12 link 16 artists, 1 gallery

V&A East Launches With a Fresh Lens on a 2.8 Million-Object Collection

The Victoria & Albert Museum has opened V&A East, a new $180 million outpost in east London designed by architects O'Donnell + Tuomey. Its mission is to engage young and local audiences by presenting over 500 objects from its 2.8 million-strong collection in thematic, non-chronological displays that connect historical artifacts to contemporary issues like identity, social justice, and environmental responsibility.

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museum exhibitions schedule Apr 20, 2026 visibility 10 link 14 artists, 6 galleries

British Art Show—exhibiting UK's 'most exciting' art in past five years—announces line up for tenth edition

The artist lineup and thematic framework for the tenth edition of the British Art Show have been revealed. Curated by Ekow Eshun and titled 'A Chorus of Strangers,' the exhibition will feature 30 artists, including Alex Margo Arden, Liz Johnson Artur, and Jesse Darling, and will tour five UK cities from October 2026 to June 2028, beginning in Coventry.

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trending_up market schedule Apr 18, 2026 visibility 9 link 2 artists, 1 gallery

sothebys debt delays 2766303

Sotheby’s is navigating a complex financial landscape marked by a major debt refinancing effort and the introduction of a controversial delayed-payment program. The auction house is seeking to raise $825 million through five-year bonds to address existing debt due in 2027, while simultaneously facing a $10.2 million lawsuit over real estate commissions. To manage liquidity, the firm has codified a scheme offering sellers a 7 percent interest rate if they agree to wait six months for their payout, a significant departure from the industry standard of 35 to 45 days.

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museum exhibitions schedule Apr 17, 2026 visibility 17 link 6 artists, 1 gallery

Pioneering Modernist Fahrelnissa Zeid Returns to the Spotlight in London

The Turkish-Jordanian modernist Fahrelnissa Zeid is the subject of a new solo exhibition titled "Immersion" at Dirimart London, curated by art historian Adila Laïdi-Hanieh. This marks the artist's first gallery solo show in the United Kingdom this century, featuring several works from her estate that have never been publicly exhibited. The selection spans various periods of her career, highlighting her transition from monumental geometric abstractions to her late-career expressionist portraits.

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article news schedule Apr 17, 2026 visibility 20 link 9 artists, 1 gallery

Restored Victorian greenhouse links Brooklyn's Green-Wood Cemetery to its living neighbours

Brooklyn’s historic Green-Wood Cemetery has unveiled the 'Green-House,' a $34m welcome and education center centered around a meticulously restored 1895 Victorian cast-iron greenhouse. Designed by Architecture Research Office (ARO), the facility includes classrooms, research archives, and dedicated gallery spaces. The project transforms a formerly dilapidated commercial florist shop into a modern gateway that connects the 478-acre National Historic Landmark to its surrounding urban neighborhood.

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rate_review review schedule Apr 17, 2026 visibility 54 link 8 artists, 1 gallery

The Big Review: Rothko in Florence ★★★★★

The Palazzo Strozzi in Florence has launched a major exhibition exploring the profound influence of the Italian Renaissance on Mark Rothko. Co-curated by the artist's son, Christopher Rothko, the show spans three historic locations: the Palazzo Strozzi, the Museo di San Marco, and the Biblioteca Medicea Laurenziana. By placing Rothko’s abstract canvases in direct dialogue with Fra Angelico’s frescoes and Michelangelo’s architecture, the exhibition highlights how the artist’s visits to Italy in the 1950s and 60s shaped his spatial thinking and spiritual intensity.

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