Artist Jeff Koons has issued a statement clarifying his limited interactions with the late financier and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Koons confirmed he and his wife attended a dinner at Epstein's home at the invitation of an MIT professor, but denied that Epstein ever visited his studio, contradicting earlier reports based on newly released court documents.
The Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden has launched the "50 for 50" loan program, a landmark initiative to disperse over 200 artworks from its collection to museums in all 50 U.S. states and Puerto Rico. Major works by artists like Jackson Pollock, Georgia O'Keeffe, and Willem de Kooning will be loaned for up to five years, with a focus on reaching underserved and rural communities.
Evan Beard, a former Navy intelligence officer and Oxford economics graduate, is launching a new secondary market gallery called Beard & Co. on New York's Upper East Side after leaving Masterworks, the $1 billion art-tech startup where he ran its secondary market gallery Level & Co. Beard's career path includes stints at Deloitte and Bank of America, where he managed art financing operations and worked with major U.S. collectors. His new gallery will employ a half-dozen staff and function as a discreet private bank for collectors, offering services such as art loans, auction guarantees, consignments, and estate planning.
Christie's London will auction a major collection of modern and contemporary art from Belgian collectors Roger and Josette Vanthournout during its March marquee sales week. The collection, estimated at £40 million ($53.8 million), spans six decades of collecting and includes works by René Magritte, Henry Moore, Pablo Picasso, Yayoi Kusama, Lucio Fontana, Agnes Martin, and Max Ernst. It will be offered across three sales: a March 5 evening sale, a March 6 daytime sale, and an online sale from February 25 to March 12. Highlights include Magritte's 'La plaine de l'air' (1940) and Moore's 'Goslar Warrior' (1973–74), each estimated at £3.5–5.5 million.
The Aldrich Contemporary Art Museum in Ridgefield, Connecticut, has announced a new recurring exhibition series called the Aldrich Decennial, which will take place every ten years. The inaugural edition, titled “I am what is around me,” runs from June 7, 2026, to January 10, 2027, and features 40 artists living and working in Connecticut who have not previously exhibited in the state. Organized by chief curator Amy Smith-Stewart and curatorial and publications manager Caitlin Monachino, the survey spans the museum’s entire campus and includes high-profile names such as Dominic Chambers, Tammy Nguyen, Em Rooney, Aki Sasamoto, and Julia Wachtel, with artists ranging in age from Lucy Sallick (born 1937) to Remy Sosa (born 1995).
Kenny Schachter offers his predictions for the art world in 2026, set against a backdrop of political chaos and rapid AI development. He forecasts only a marginal uptick in global art sales, which he estimates will exceed $57.5 billion, and warns that luxury goods—bags, watches, fossils—are increasingly encroaching on art fairs, auctions, and exhibitions. Schachter criticizes Sotheby's for blurring the lines between auction house, museum, and gallery, citing its traveling "Icon" show as a spectacle of price tags rather than art scholarship.
Christie’s announced a projected sales total of $2.1 billion for the first half of 2025, matching its H1-2024 figure. While art categories like Impressionist, modern, and Old Masters saw modest growth—Old Masters sales rose 15% to $55 million—luxury categories (handbags, watches, cars, jewelry) surged nearly 30% to $468 million, now accounting for 22% of the total. Notable sales included René Magritte’s *La reconnaissance infinite* (1933) for £10.3 million and Piet Mondrian’s *Composition with Large Red Plane, Bluish Grey, Yellow, Black, and Blue* (1922) for $46.7 million. Guaranteed lots remained low at 1.5%, and the sell-through rate held steady at 88%.
The article details the ongoing release of documents related to disgraced sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, revealing his extensive ties to prominent art world figures. Key connections include former MoMA chairman Leon Black, who paid Epstein tens of millions for tax advice and engaged in art transactions involving a Giacometti sculpture and a Cézanne watercolor; retail mogul and art collector Leslie Wexner; and artist Andres Serrano. It also highlights the story of artist Maria Farmer, who was assaulted by Epstein and Maxwell and faced threats against her art career when she tried to report them in the 1990s.
Artnet News rounds up the standout auction moments of 2025, highlighting both triumphs and disappointments. M.F. Husain's *Untitled (Gram Yatra)* (1954) smashed expectations at Christie's, selling for $13.8 million—more than double the artist's previous record and the first South Asian Modern work to exceed $10 million. In contrast, Piet Mondrian's *Composition with Large Red Plane, Bluish Gray, Yellow, Black and Blue* (1922) fell short of its $50 million estimate at Christie's, missing the artist's auction record, while Alberto Giacometti's *Grande tête mince* (1955) failed to sell at Sotheby's despite a $70 million asking price, underscoring market volatility.
A wave of museum openings has swept the Gulf region in recent weeks, including the Zayed National Museum and the Natural History Museum in Abu Dhabi, as well as new institutions in Qatar and Saudi Arabia. These projects are part of an ambitious cultural building drive fueled by oil wealth, with Western partners such as the Louvre, the British Museum, and consultancies like Cultural Innovations providing expertise in planning, governance, and exhibition design. The Zayed National Museum, designed by Foster + Partners, features objects on loan from the British Museum, while the Natural History Museum displays a T-rex skeleton bought at Christie's.
The Philadelphia Art Museum is organizing a 2026 exhibition titled “Rising Up: Rocky and the Making of Monuments,” centered on the famous Rocky Balboa statue that sits atop the museum's steps. Curated by Paul Farber, co-founder of Monument Lab, the show will feature over 150 works by more than 50 artists, spanning 2,000 years of artifacts, and explore the role of monuments in fine art, sports, and popular culture. The exhibition coincides with the 50th anniversary of the original Rocky film and includes works by Keith Haring, Rashid Johnson, Kara Walker, and Andy Warhol, among others.
Alma Allen, a sculptor known for sleek, abstract works, has been selected to represent the United States at the 2026 Venice Biennale, marking the country's 250th anniversary. The selection process, run by the US State Department and funded by the newly formed American Arts Conservancy—which the article notes is stocked with Trump allies—has drawn criticism for favoring politically neutral art. Allen's sculptures, often made of marble and wood with digital technology, are described as aesthetically inoffensive and reminiscent of Constantin Brâncuși, with no apparent commentary on current US issues.
Es Devlin, the renowned set designer behind iconic pop culture moments for Beyoncé, Kanye West, Lady Gaga, and Miley Cyrus, is shifting focus from large-scale commercial spectacles to more personal artistic projects. A new monograph and retrospective at the Cooper Hewitt, titled "An Atlas of Es Devlin," catalogues her three-decade career, while her latest installation "Surfacing," commissioned by BMW and unveiled at Art Basel 2024, marks a turn toward fine art. Devlin, now 50, describes this phase as a liberating new chapter where she feels "nothing to lose."
The Wildenstein Plattner Institute (WPI) and the Romare Bearden Foundation have launched the first installment of a digital catalogue raisonné for the artist Romare Bearden, covering his work from 1964 to 1969. The project, which began in earnest in 2017, has so far documented 3,000 artworks, including 210 in this initial chapter, and has uncovered previously unknown works such as a portrait of artist Edmonia Lewis. The research builds on three decades of archival work by the foundation, which digitized Bearden's ephemera to aid in tracking down works he often gave away informally.
ARTnews has published a guide to Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals on artists' tools and studio supplies, tracking discounts from US retailers on items ranging from tech gear like Samsung's The Frame TV and Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses to software subscriptions like Topaz Studio. The article advises readers to move fast as products may sell out, and explains the selection process involves research on art supply usage, customer reviews, expert advice, and the authors' own expertise as artists and teachers.
Art Basel Miami Beach has undergone a last-minute lineup change, with gallery Ross + Kramer being replaced by Ross + Co. following an unexplained split between principals Todd Kramer and Ryan Ross. Ryan Ross, who has been in the art business for decades and runs Arcature Fine Art in Palm Beach, will now show under the new name at the fair, which opens to VIPs next week. The change was reported by ARTnews, which noted that the fair's 2025 participant list still links to Ross + Kramer's website, and Ross + Co.'s page features outdated branding.
The Princeton University Art Museum (PUAM) reopened after nearly six years, replacing its 1969 building with a 146,000-square-foot complex designed by Adjaye Associates. The new structure features nine interlocking modernist pavilions, a 40-foot mosaic by Nick Cave, and flexible spaces like a central hall convertible into a lecture hall. The museum's collection of 117,000 objects is installed with ahistorical juxtapositions, pairing works such as Andy Warhol's Blue Marilyn (1962) with a 14th-century Virgin and Child, and Titus Kaphar's To Be Sold (2018) with a George Washington portrait. The reopening follows controversy: David Adjaye stepped back from the project in 2023 after allegations of sexual misconduct, which he denied.
The San Francisco Museum of Modern Art (SFMOMA) has announced a major reinstallation of its Fisher Collection galleries, titled “Reimagined: The Fisher Collection at 10,” opening April 18, 2026. The overhaul will feature 250 artworks by 35 modern and contemporary artists across 60,000 square feet of gallery space, organized by thematic and monographic floors. The project is led by curator Ted Mann and chief education officer Gamynne Guillotte. The Fisher Collection, a 100-year loan from the Fisher Art Foundation, includes blue-chip works by Alexander Calder, Gerhard Richter, Andy Warhol, and others, assembled by Gap Inc. founders Donald and Doris Fisher.
Christie’s evening sale of 21st-century art on Wednesday achieved $123.6 million in total sales, including 19 lots from the collection of the late Stefan Edlis and his widow Gael Neeson. The top lot was Christopher Wool’s *Untitled (RIOT)* (1990), which sold for $19.8 million. The sale had a 97 percent sell-through rate, with 36 of 45 lots guaranteed, and the hammer total of $99.7 million exceeded the presale low estimate of $87.5 million. A notable moment was a seven-minute bidding war for a Diego Giacometti coffee table owned by Edlis and Neeson, which sold for $3.65 million against a $1.5–2.5 million estimate.
Sotheby's held a marathon evening sale in New York on Tuesday night, achieving $706 million in total sales—the highest single-evening total in the auction house's history. The standout was the collection of Leonard A. Lauder, which alone brought $527.5 million, led by Gustav Klimt's *Portrait of Elisabeth Lederer* (1914-16) that sold for $236.4 million after a 20-minute bidding war. A second sale of contemporary and ultra-contemporary works added $178.5 million, with Jean-Michel Basquiat's *Crowns (Peso Neto)* (1981) topping that session at $48.3 million. Notably, no lots were withdrawn across both sales, and Asian collectors drove bidding on many high-value lots. Maurizio Cattelan's gold toilet *America* (2016) sold for $12.1 million, drawing only one bid.
Christie's 21st-century evening sale in New York on Wednesday night achieved $123.6 million, just below its $126 million high estimate and 16% above last year's sale. The sale featured 19 lots from the collection of the late Stefan Edlis and his widow Gael Neeson, which brought in $49.2 million against a $30 million estimate. The top lot was Christopher Wool's "Untitled (RIOT)" (1990), selling for $19.8 million. New auction records were set for Firelei Báez ($1.1 million) and Olga de Amaral ($3.1 million). Only one of 45 lots failed to sell—a Cecily Brown painting estimated at $4–6 million. The sale was characterized by careful use of third-party guarantees and lowered reserves, with art advisor Aileen Agopian noting bidding was "deep and robust" despite a flat atmosphere.
Christie's and Sotheby's November marquee auctions in New York generated a combined $1.4 billion, with Sotheby's achieving a record $706 million from a double-header sale. The highlight was Gustav Klimt's "Portrait of Elisabeth Lederer" (1914–16), sold for $236.4 million from the collection of late cosmetics heir Leonard Lauder, becoming the most expensive modern artwork ever sold at auction. Christie's Monday sale brought in $690 million, falling short of its $731.5 million high estimate but still marking a 42% increase over its equivalent sale last November.
Former Sotheby's rainmaker Brooke Lampley, now a director at Gagosian, discusses the art market's loss of control over pricing, citing a failed $70 million Alberto Giacometti bust at auction as a symptom of deeper market confidence issues. The article traces the evolution of art pricing from opaque, dealer-driven norms to a data-rich system enabled by Artnet's Price Database in 1989, which fueled a price spiral and attracted speculators. Now, in 2025, the market faces a correction with auction sales down 27.3 percent to $10.2 billion, and buyers are pausing as traditional pricing signals become scrambled.
Jeff Koons's latest exhibition at Gagosian Gallery in New York features his new series of large-scale porcelain and stainless-steel sculptures, including the centerpiece *Aphrodite* (2016–21), an eight-and-a-half-foot-tall nude. The show marks Koons's first solo presentation in New York in seven years and follows a turbulent period in his career, including record auction sales, a move to Pace Gallery and back to Gagosian, and two lawsuits. Critic Christopher Garcia Valle panned the works as unstimulating and banal, arguing they fail to awe viewers despite their technical ambition and massive scale.
Sotheby's achieved a record-breaking $706 million auction night at its new global headquarters in the Breuer Building, New York, the highest total in the auction house's 281-year history. The sale was propelled by the collection of late art patron Leonard A. Lauder, whose 24 pieces sold for $527.5 million, led by Gustav Klimt's *Portrait of Elisabeth Lederer* (1914–16) which fetched $236.4 million, becoming the second-priciest artwork ever sold at auction. A subsequent contemporary and ultra-contemporary art sale added $178.5 million.
Shanghai's West Bund Art & Design fair and Art021 opened last week with unexpectedly strong sales, despite economic headwinds and regional competition. Many galleries reported brisk first-day sales, with Thaddaeus Ropac placing five works including a Martha Jungwirth painting for €500,000, and Hauser & Worth selling two works for over $1 million. However, major blue-chip galleries like Gagosian and Pace opted out entirely, while others like Almine Rech, White Cube, and David Zwirner scaled back their participation. The fairs took place against a backdrop of China's ongoing property slump and the overlapping Art Collaboration Kyoto, which siphoned attention from international collectors.
Sotheby's CEO Charles Stewart told CNBC that the art market has entered a new phase this fall, with supply finally catching up with demand after months of strong bidder activity. New York's marquee auction houses are preparing for sales expected to total more than $1.4 billion, a roughly 50% jump from last year, driven by major consignments including the estate of Leonard Lauder (55 works valued at over $400 million, led by Gustav Klimt's Portrait of Elisabeth Lederer) and collections from Jay and Cindy Pritzker. Christie's highlights include a Monet Nymphéas, a David Hockney portrait, and a Mark Rothko, each estimated at $40–60 million.
Christie's, Sotheby's, and Phillips are holding their marquee fall 2025 sales in New York next week, with an unusually high volume of inventory. Christie's alone will offer 80 works on Monday night, and across the week 27 lots carry estimates above $10 million—a stark contrast to the tepid May sales. The season is top-heavy, with the $2 million–$5 million range considered the trickiest. Notable consignments include the estate of Leonard Lauder and the collection of Stefan Edlis and Gael Neeson, while many discretionary sellers remain absent. Day sales feature works with significant price drops, such as a Steve Parrino painting last sold for nearly $1 million now estimated at $300,000–$500,000, and an Avery Singer work that sold for $3 million in 2022 now estimated at $600,000–$800,000. Several pandemic-era speculative purchases are also returning to market at steep discounts.