Vasari Art Codex

article news schedule Feb 3, 2026 visibility 1 link 2 artists

jeffrey epstein frick collection 2742398

Newly released documents from the Jeffrey Epstein case reveal the financier's intense personal interest in the Frick Collection, the museum located across from his Manhattan mansion. Epstein drafted letters opposing the museum's proposed expansion, criticizing plans as "brutish" and a "travesty," and claimed to have insider knowledge about the institution and its founder, Henry Clay Frick. He was joined in his opposition by other powerful neighbors, including billionaire Howard Lutnick.

newspaper Artnet News open_in_new Read original

person people schedule Feb 3, 2026 visibility 2 link 1 artist, 1 gallery

french culture minister jack lang caroline epstein files 1234771959

Former French culture minister Jack Lang and his daughter, film producer Caroline Lang, have been named in newly released U.S. Department of Justice documents as having had ties with the late financier and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. The correspondence reveals Caroline Lang co-founded a company, Prytanee LLC, with Epstein in 2016, and that Jack Lang requested personal favors like the use of Epstein's car or plane.

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article news schedule Feb 3, 2026 visibility 2 link 3 artists, 2 galleries

jeff koons jeffrey epstein statement studio visit 1234771956

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.

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article policy schedule Feb 3, 2026 visibility 1 link 1 artist, 1 gallery

british museum ai backlash 2742244

The British Museum faced significant criticism from archaeologists and the public after posting images containing A.I.-generated content on its Instagram and Facebook accounts. The posts, which featured a young woman contemplating exhibits, were tagged to an A.I. model and a marketing agency. Following a wave of negative comments, the museum removed the posts approximately six hours later and reportedly unfollowed critics on social media.

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article policy schedule Feb 3, 2026 visibility 2 link 20 artists, 4 galleries

hirshhorn museum loan program 2742425

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.

newspaper Artnet News open_in_new Read original

article policy schedule Feb 3, 2026 visibility 2 link 1 artist, 1 gallery

british museum ai generated images controversy 1234771926

The British Museum faced criticism from archaeologists and online commentators after posting AI-generated images on its Instagram and Facebook accounts. The posts, which featured a young AI-generated woman in various cultural outfits gazing at museum objects, were removed within hours after a wave of negative feedback. The museum stated it does not post AI-created images and removed the content due to its sensitivity.

newspaper ARTnews open_in_new Read original

museum exhibitions schedule Feb 3, 2026 visibility 3 link 3 artists, 2 galleries

Artist whose recent award ‘saved my career’ has first major solo museum show at SAM

Samantha Yun Wall has opened her first major solo museum exhibition, "What We Leave Behind," at the Seattle Art Museum. The show features her large-scale, black-and-white drawings that explore identity, family, and Korean folklore through surreal, portal-like imagery.

newspaper The Seattle Times open_in_new Read original

museum exhibitions schedule Feb 3, 2026 visibility 2 link 35 artists, 8 galleries

15 Art Shows to See in Los Angeles This Spring

Los Angeles art institutions are presenting a diverse slate of spring exhibitions. Highlights include a major retrospective of conceptual artist Michael Asher at the Museum of Contemporary Art, a sprawling group show on Chicanx photography at the Riverside Art Museum and the Cheech, and an exploration of the Black Arts Movement through photography at the Getty. Other notable shows feature Arshile Gorky's road trip-inspired works at Hauser & Wirth, an audiovisual film exhibition at the Variety Arts Theater, and a presentation of Steven Arnold's queer baroque aesthetics at Del Vaz Projects.

newspaper Hyperallergic open_in_new Read original

museum exhibitions schedule Feb 3, 2026 visibility 2 link 1 artist, 3 galleries

Denver Art Museum announces major exhibition of Australian Indigenous Art

The Denver Art Museum has announced a major touring exhibition of Australian Indigenous Art, set to open in April 2026. The show is a collaborative effort organized by the National Gallery of Victoria and the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., and will also travel to the Portland Art Museum and the Peabody Essex Museum.

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article local schedule Feb 3, 2026 link 1 artist

Milton celebrates Black History Month with Afro-Caribbean art exhibition

The FirstOntario Arts Centre Milton has opened 'Out of Many Cultures, One People: An Afro-Caribbean Collective,' an exhibition curated by Francesca Durham in partnership with the Canadian Caribbean Association of Halton. The show, featuring works that explore heritage, memory, migration, and resilience, will be on view in the Holcim Gallery throughout February 2026.

newspaper MiltonToday.ca open_in_new Read original

article news schedule Feb 3, 2026 visibility 3 link 10 artists, 4 galleries

rapper lexa gates accused of mimicking miles greenberg performance at deitch gallery 2740950

Jeffrey Deitch's gallery has apologized for hosting a performance by rapper Lexa Gates that was deemed an unauthorized derivative of performance artist Miles Greenberg's work. Gates's 10-hour piece, 'The Wheel,' involved walking inside a spinning wheel at the gallery to promote her new album, closely echoing Greenberg's 24-hour 2020 work 'Oysterknife,' which was previously screened at the same location. The gallery stated it had rented the space to Gates's record company and was unaware of the event's content.

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trending_up market schedule Feb 2, 2026 visibility 1 link 3 artists, 2 galleries

rare greek funerary sculpture tefaf david aaron 1234771808

A rare ancient Greek funerary sculpture, the Stele of Medeia (375-350 BCE), is being offered for sale at the TEFAF art fair by the London gallery David Aaron. The piece, priced at £450,000, depicts an unmarried young woman and retains significant original pigment. It has already attracted significant interest from a major US museum.

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trending_up market schedule Feb 2, 2026 visibility 2 link 5 artists, 2 galleries

jeffrey epstein leon black gagosian picasso sculpture 1234771752

Newly released documents from the Department of Justice reveal that the late financier and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein was deeply involved in facilitating major art transactions between mega-collector Leon Black and Gagosian gallery. The files detail Epstein's personal communications with Black's lawyers regarding the acquisition of Pablo Picasso's 1931 sculpture *Buste de Femme (Marie-Thérèse)*, a work that was the subject of a legal dispute before Black acquired it for over $115 million. Epstein also assisted in a complex $48 million swap of a Rothko painting for a Picasso through Gagosian in 2012.

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trending_up market schedule Feb 2, 2026 visibility 1 link 1 artist, 6 galleries

the asia pivot singapore doha delhi 2741393

Singapore's Art SG fair featured a new pavilion called South Asian Insights, backed by India's TVS Motor Company, showcasing contemporary art from South Asia. The pavilion, which included eight galleries and featured a tapestry by Raqib Shaw sold to a Japanese collector, was crowded and highlighted the rising market for South Asian art.

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article event schedule Feb 2, 2026 visibility 2 link 13 artists, 11 galleries

art basel qatar preview galleries 1234771706

Art Basel has launched its first edition in Doha, Qatar, with a deliberately small and tightly controlled format. The fair features only 87 galleries, all required to mount solo presentations, with strict limits on booth size, power sources, and rehanging of works. This creates a slower, calmer atmosphere distinct from its larger, more chaotic sister fairs in Miami and Paris.

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article policy schedule Feb 2, 2026 visibility 2 link 2 artists

government shutdown does not include smithsonian 2742079

A partial U.S. government shutdown occurred after the Senate passed a funding package but temporarily blocked additional funding for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Unlike the previous shutdown, this one does not affect major cultural institutions; the Smithsonian Institution, the National Gallery of Art, the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA), and the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) remain open because their funding was approved on time.

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article news schedule Feb 2, 2026 visibility 3 link 25 artists, 13 galleries

paint drippings art industry news feb 2 spanish dealers 2742104

A series of significant developments occurred across the global art industry this week. Expo Chicago announced a scaled-back edition under new director Kate Sierzputowski, while the Outsider Art Fair revealed its exhibitor list. A long-lost Renaissance portrait by Sofonisba Anguissola resurfaced at the Winter Show. Christie's will sell the collection of the late MoMA trustee Barbara Jakobson, featuring works by Jeff Koons and others. Bonhams made a key hire, and Sotheby's priced a major art-backed securitization. In gallery news, Alissa Friedman returned to Salon 94, Mary Cork joined Lehmann Maupin London, and several artists gained new representation, while New York's Francis Irv gallery announced its closure.

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museum exhibitions schedule Feb 2, 2026 visibility 1 link 5 artists, 1 gallery

University of Richmond Museums kicks off a new season with immersive exhibitions and films

The University of Richmond Museums has launched a new season with three exhibitions at the Harnett Museum of Art. The centerpiece is 'Politics of Place,' a rotating film program curated by professor Jeremy Drummond, featuring works by nine contemporary filmmakers and two collectives exploring identity and power through geography. Other shows include a newly commissioned installation by sculptor Abigail DeVille examining Black mental health care, and 'Black Work: Absence/Absorption,' a group exhibition investigating the material and conceptual nature of the color black.

newspaper UR Now open_in_new Read original

museum exhibitions schedule Feb 2, 2026 link 6 artists

Barrick Museum of Art Launches Three Major Exhibitions

The Marjorie Barrick Museum of Art has launched its 2026 spring season with three major exhibitions and a new program of free field trips for students. The exhibitions, which run from February 20 to June 13, include the traveling group show 'Actions for the Earth: Art, Care & Ecology,' a solo exhibition by Guatemalan American artist Jackie Amézquita titled 'El camino se traza al andar,' and a solo exhibition by Amy Elkins called 'Mourning Songs of Salt and Silt.' An installation by Ash Ferlito and Patrick Costello, 'Moth Ball,' is also on view. The museum is hosting a free opening reception and a series of public lectures and events for Black History Month.

newspaper University of Nevada, Las Vegas | UNLV open_in_new Read original

museum exhibitions schedule Feb 2, 2026 visibility 1 link 2 artists, 2 galleries

Photomontage of Israel bombing Gaza will go on show at Art Basel Qatar

Pakistani artist Rashid Rana's photomontage 'Black Square (2025)' will be presented at the inaugural Art Basel Qatar fair. The work, composed of hundreds of stills from a Gaza CCTV camera, depicts a night of Israeli bombardment and is priced at $30,000, with all proceeds directed to Gaza relief funds. It is being shown by Mumbai gallery Chemould Prescott Road.

newspaper The Art Newspaper open_in_new Read original

gavel restitution schedule Feb 2, 2026 visibility 1 link 3 artists, 2 galleries

Dürer ‘copy’ at London’s National Gallery is the real thing, expert claims

A German scholar, Christof Metzger, has published a new catalogue raisonné claiming that a portrait of Albrecht Dürer's father held by London's National Gallery is an authentic work by the master, painted in 1497. This directly challenges the gallery's long-standing position that the painting is a later copy made after a lost original.

newspaper The Art Newspaper open_in_new Read original

museum exhibitions schedule Feb 2, 2026 visibility 1

Scent: Connections, Confrontations, Memory openings at Vanderbilt Museum of Art February 14, 2026

The Vanderbilt University Museum of Art (VUMA) will open a new exhibition titled 'Scent: Connection, Confrontation, Memory' on February 14, 2026. The show explores how artists from diverse cultures represent the sense of smell through interactive installations, sculpture, painting, photography, and a newly commissioned performance by Ainu artist Kanako Uzawa.

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museum exhibitions schedule Feb 2, 2026 visibility 2 link 4 artists, 2 galleries

The Polygon Gallery maps out its 2026 programming

The Polygon Gallery in Vancouver has announced its 2026 exhibition schedule, featuring a diverse lineup of solo and group shows. The year's programming is anchored by photography but includes sculpture, installation, and beadwork, with a strong focus on local and Indigenous artists. Highlights include a major solo show by Tania Willard, a career retrospective for photographer Greg Girard, a two-person exhibition with Jeneen Frei Njootli and Catherine Blackburn, and the return of the Lind Biennial.

newspaper The Georgia Straight open_in_new Read original

article local schedule Feb 2, 2026 visibility 1 link 1 artist

Local Artists Asked to Share Montgomery’s Story for Black History Month

The Montgomery County Probate Court is organizing a Black History Month art exhibition titled 'Through the Artist’s Eye: Montgomery’s Black History.' The call is open to local artists to submit original works that celebrate the area's Black history, with selected pieces to be displayed at the Juliette Hampton Morgan Memorial Library from February 13 to 28, 2026.

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museum exhibitions schedule Feb 2, 2026 visibility 1 link 2 artists, 2 galleries

Portland Art Museum opens gallery focused on Black artists, named for local trailblazer

The Portland Art Museum has opened a new permanent gallery dedicated to Black artists, named for local artist, dancer, and educator Thelma Johnson Streat. The gallery, which opened on the first day of Black History Month, features a variety of works by Black Oregon artists, including multimedia installations, paintings, drawings, and a large photographic grid.

newspaper OregonLive.com open_in_new Read original

museum exhibitions schedule Feb 2, 2026 visibility 3 link 37 artists, 23 galleries

New York Galleries: Openings and Closings (02/02-02/08)

A flurry of gallery activity is scheduled for the week of February 2-8, 2026, in New York City. Numerous exhibitions are opening, including "Interstice: Whirled Music" at Kiang Malingue, "Everything She Touches" by Alix Vernet at Eric Firestone Gallery, and "Anima" by Felipe Baeza at Print Center New York. Concurrently, many shows are in their final days, such as "A Retrospective by Ruth Asawa" at the Museum of Modern Art, "FDR Drive Musel, 1984" by Keith Haring at Martos Gallery, and "West Coast Women of Abstract Expressionism" at Berry Campbell.

newspaper La Voce di New York open_in_new Read original

article local schedule Feb 2, 2026 visibility 1 link 3 artists, 4 galleries

National Art Exhibition in Punta Gorda headlines 25 shows at SWFL art centers

Southwest Florida's art scene is bustling with 25 visual art exhibitions across more than a dozen art centers in February. The headline event is the 15th Biennial National Art Exhibition at the Visual Arts Center in Punta Gorda, a prestigious juried competition for two-dimensional art. Other notable shows include Art Center Sarasota's centennial-celebrating Annual Juried Members Show, the 'Colors in Motion' exhibition at Venice Art Center, and a dual exhibition featuring artists Susan Fraley and Rosalie Mack.

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trending_up market schedule Feb 2, 2026 visibility 2 link 8 artists, 2 galleries

MENA Artists Are Having a Market Moment That’s Built to Last

Auction sales for artists from the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region rose 9.4% to $33.2 million in 2025, driven by increased activity from international auction houses and the emergence of new hubs like Riyadh. The Sotheby's 'Origins' sale in Saudi Arabia achieved $17.3 million, setting artist records, while works from Lebanon, Egypt, and Iraq saw particularly strong gains, indicating a market rebalancing.

newspaper observer.com open_in_new Read original

trending_up market schedule Feb 2, 2026 visibility 1 link 1 artist

art market minute feb 2 2742062

Saudi Arabia is scaling back some of its ambitious 'gigaprojects' under the Vision 2030 plan due to falling oil prices and budget constraints, raising questions about the future of its major cultural investments. This shift occurs as the art world's attention turns to the Gulf region for the inaugural Art Basel Qatar, highlighting the tension between grand cultural ambitions and economic realities in a key emerging art market.

newspaper Artnet News open_in_new Read original

person people schedule Feb 1, 2026 visibility 2 link 13 artists, 2 galleries

collectors steve tisch jean pigozzi jeffrey epstein files 1234771700

Newly released documents from the Department of Justice, part of the Jeffrey Epstein case, contain email exchanges from 2013 that reference prominent art collectors Steve Tisch and Jean Pigozzi. The emails show Epstein facilitating introductions between Tisch and multiple women, with discussions about their backgrounds and travel arrangements. Tisch has stated the association was brief and expressed regret.

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