mysterious art installation turns up on nycs north brother island

A mysterious art installation featuring an outdoor living room has been discovered on the shores of North Brother Island, an abandoned site in New York City’s East River. The arrangement, which includes a vintage wood-paneled television and a leather armchair perched on a concrete block, was spotted by a local kayaker. The island, once home to a quarantine hospital and the site of the General Slocum maritime disaster, has been closed to the public since 1963.

plautilla bricci painter roman architect

The nonprofit organization Artemisia Gold has announced a major restoration project for Plautilla Bricci’s 17th-century altarpiece, 'Birth of the Virgin' (ca. 1660), located in Rome’s Church of Santa Maria in Campo Marzio. Bricci, a rare female polymath of the Baroque era, was Italy’s first professional female architect as well as a prolific painter and sculptor. The restoration team, led by Jane Adams, aims to clean the darkened canvas and conduct X-ray analysis to potentially uncover a hidden signature and more details regarding its commission by Abbess Anna Maria Mazzarino.

Sarah Alruwayti on Riyadh's Shift from Vision to Execution

sarah alruwayti on riyadhs shift from vision to execution interview

Sarah Alruwayti, director of the Tuwaiq Sculpture Symposium, discusses the evolution of Riyadh Art’s public art initiatives under Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030. The symposium has grown from a local project into a global open-call forum, commissioning over 120 international sculptors to create permanent works using local materials like Saudi granite and reclaimed metal. The latest edition, themed "Traces of What Will Be," focuses on urban transformation and the historical context of Riyadh’s changing landscape.

art basel qatar first fair sales

Art Basel has launched its inaugural edition in Doha, Qatar, debuting a specialized format that emphasizes solo artist presentations and a slower, more meditative pace compared to its flagship fairs. The event features a curated selection of international galleries including Pace, Lisson, and Almine Rech, with a layout designed to foster deeper engagement and introduce regional collectors to the fair circuit.

gulf art market

The Gulf region is rapidly transforming into a primary axis for the international art trade, marked by the upcoming debut of Art Basel Qatar and the rebranding of Abu Dhabi Art as a Frieze event. While state-led museum projects have long dominated headlines, a surge of commercial activity is now taking hold as blue-chip galleries like Pace and David Zwirner join local stalwarts. This expansion comes at a strategic time as traditional markets in the U.S., U.K., and China face contraction.

epstein gave 30000 to new york art school for scholarships got portraits in return

Newly released Department of Justice documents reveal that the New York Academy of Art (NYAA) actively courted Jeffrey Epstein for funding years after he was a known sex offender. In 2013, board chair Eileen Guggenheim invited Epstein to sponsor a scholarship program where he personally selected student recipients in exchange for commissioned portraits. One such commission resulted in a painting of the sons of billionaire Leon Black, further illustrating the interconnected web between Epstein and high-profile art world figures.

domingo zapata worlds largest mural saudi arabia

Spanish artist Domingo Zapata has been commissioned by Saudi Arabia to create the world's largest mural, a 540,000-square-foot work the size of nine football fields. The project, part of the $63 billion Diriyah cultural zone in Riyadh, will take five to six years to complete and involves a team of about 100 artists, engineers, and architects. Zapata describes it as a "Middle Eastern version of the Sistine Chapel."

carolyn bessette kennedy fashion auctioneer wardrobe sale

Signature items from Carolyn Bessette Kennedy's personal wardrobe are being sold at auction by the Fashion Auctioneer. The sale includes four key pieces gifted to her friend Rosemarie Terenzio, such as three cherished Prada coats and a Yohji Yamamoto dress, with estimates reaching up to $30,000. The auction is supplemented by dozens of vintage items from a private collector, some of which were used as wardrobe for the new FX television series 'Love Story,' which dramatizes the couple's relationship.

louvre ticket fraud

Two Louvre employees and several tour guides have been arrested in connection with a decade-long, large-scale ticket fraud scheme targeting Chinese tour groups. French prosecutors allege the operation involved counterfeit tickets and overbooking, costing the museum an estimated €10 million in lost revenue, with proceeds allegedly invested in real estate in France and Dubai.

sothebys abu dhabi collectors week results

Sotheby's held its inaugural Abu Dhabi Collectors' Week at the St. Regis Island Resort on Saadiyat Island, transforming the venue into a luxury showcase with handbags, diamonds, watches, a non-selling art display worth $500 million, and rare cars. The week culminated in open-air auctions under a full moon, netting $133 million—far exceeding the $17 million from Sotheby's first Middle East luxury sale in Saudi Arabia earlier this year. Highlights included a 1994 McLaren Formula 1 car sold for $25.3 million, a Jane Birkin Hermès handbag that fetched $2.9 million, and a 31.68-karat pink diamond called The Desert Rose that went for $8.8 million. A jewelry and timepieces sale achieved white-glove status, taking $25.4 million.

for asias art market 2025 has been about rapid fire change

Art Basel has concluded and the London sales have wrapped, marking a busy first half of 2025 for Asian art markets despite economic uncertainties and geopolitical challenges. New players and trends have emerged: international auction houses aligned their Hong Kong sales with Art Basel Hong Kong for the first time, South Asian art has had a banner year at auction and in institutions, and West Asia is rising with Sotheby's inaugural sale in Saudi Arabia and Art Basel's planned Qatar fair. Asian galleries are expanding into Western capitals, while Western galleries are picking up Asian talent, such as Korean artist Anna Park joining Lehmann Maupin and Rim Park partnering with Kraupa-Tuskany Zeidler. Japanese artist Yu Nishimura had his first U.S. solo show at David Zwirner, and the Labubu plush toy by Kasing Lung became a pop culture sensation.

what is the dubai collection art

The Dubai Collection, launched in 2021 under the patronage of Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, is billed as the emirate's first institutional collection of modern and contemporary art. However, it has no physical location, does not acquire artworks, and exists primarily as a digital platform where top Dubai collectors list their holdings. At Art Dubai 2025, the Collection presented its third exhibition, "Common Grounds," organized by Zayed University students, featuring works from 1949 to 2024. The initiative also includes research, education, and cultural preservation programs, along with events like Dubai Collection Nights.

War in Middle East Art Trade

war in middle east art trade

The escalating conflict between the U.S., Israel, and Iran has cast a shadow over the Middle Eastern art market following missile strikes on key infrastructure in Dubai. With major events like the 20th anniversary of Art Dubai scheduled for mid-April, international galleries and collectors are expressing significant concern over safety and regional stability. Logistics firms like DHL have already warned of shipping delays and rising insurance costs due to restricted airspace and the closure of the Strait of Hormuz.

Art Dubai Unveils Leaner ‘Special Edition’ Built Around Regional Core

Art Dubai has announced a streamlined "special edition" for its 2026 iteration, featuring a reduced roster of approximately 75 exhibitors. Scheduled for May 15–17 at Madinat Jumeirah, the fair is pivoting toward a regional core, with 60 percent of participants hailing from the Gulf and Southwest Asia. To address economic pressures and regional instability, the fair is implementing a novel risk-sharing financial model where booth costs are partially tied to sales performance.

alserkal art month dubai art week expansion art dubai 2026

Alserkal Avenue in Dubai is expanding its traditional Art Week into a five-week "Art Month" running from April 18 to May 18. This strategic extension includes 16 gallery exhibitions, over 100 public events, and a new commercially focused group show featuring 12 UAE-based galleries. The initiative aims to provide a more sustainable platform for the local art ecosystem, especially as the Art Dubai fair has been rescheduled to mid-May and adapted in response to regional instability.

qatar lures art basel

MCH Group, parent company of Art Basel, announced a new Doha edition of the Swiss art fair, set to launch in February 2026. Art Basel Qatar will start with 50 galleries and expand to around 200, partnering with Qatar Sports Investments and QC+, a commercial arm of Qatar Museums. The fair aims to bolster markets across the Middle East, North Africa, and South Asia.

art dubai digital

Art Dubai became the first major art fair to launch a dedicated digital art section in 2022, inspiring similar initiatives at Paris Photo and Art SG. Now in its fourth year, Art Dubai Digital is thriving in the Gulf region, where cities like Dubai and Abu Dhabi have heavily invested in emerging technologies, including the Dubai A.I. campus, the Museum of the Future, and teamLab Phenomena. The fair has attracted tech entrepreneurs and crypto investors, and Sotheby's recent decision to accept cryptocurrency in Saudi Arabia reflects growing infrastructure for digital art transactions. However, the question remains whether digital art can appeal to traditional collectors or will remain a separate market.

Ed Ruscha | Vintage Ed Ruscha exhibition poster - Mountain serie… (2010) | For Sale

This is a listing for a vintage Ed Ruscha exhibition poster from his "Mountain series" (2010), offered for sale by Baldwin Gallery (London/Dubai) on Artsy. The offset lithograph on paper measures 39.4 × 27.2 inches, is from an unknown edition, unsigned, and includes a certificate of authenticity. The price is £3,250, with shipping available from London.

The first Art Basel Qatar heralds a new model for art fairs in the region

Art Basel has launched its first fair in Qatar, adopting a novel format distinct from its other global events. The fair, featuring 87 galleries, requires each to present only one artist and is spread across multiple venues in Doha's Msheireb cultural district, with an open-plan, museum-like layout and special commissioned projects. Artist Wael Shawky serves as artistic director, emphasizing curatorial coherence over commercialism.

The UAE’s art market is on the up

The UAE's art market is experiencing a resurgence nearly two decades after the 2008 financial crash, driven by a booming economy and strategic investments. Key developments include an Abu Dhabi sovereign wealth fund, ADQ, acquiring a $1 billion stake in Sotheby's, and Art Basel announcing a new fair in Doha, Qatar, set to launch in February 2026. Meanwhile, Christie's is expanding its Dubai office, and Saudi Arabia hosted its inaugural Art Week Riyadh in April, featuring 32 commercial galleries. Despite these regional moves, Dubai remains the Gulf's commercial art hub, with Sotheby's chairman Edward Gibbs noting a 70% increase in regional bidders over five years and Christie's president Anthea Peers reporting that sales of modern Middle Eastern art trebled between 2020 and 2024.

Observer’s 2025 May Art Fair Calendar (Updated)

Observer has published its updated 2025 May Art Fair Calendar, highlighting a packed schedule of art fairs in New York and around the world. Key fairs include CONDUCTOR 2026 (April 29–May 3), a Brooklyn-based fair focused on artists of the global majority; the Aotearoa Art Fair 2026 (April 30–May 3) in New Zealand; the Clio Art Fair 2026 (May 7–10 and 14–17), known as an "anti-fair" for unrepresented artists; and PHOTOFAIRS Shanghai 2026 (May 7–10), a leading platform for contemporary photography in China. The article notes that May is one of the busiest months in the spring art calendar, with many fairs concentrated in New York City during "Frieze Week."

Regional strength helps insulate Art Dubai from tariff-related turbulence

Art Dubai, running until 20 April, opened as the first major art fair since US President Trump announced global tariffs that nearly triggered a financial crisis. Sales were solid, with most works priced in the low six figures or thousands, insulating the fair from market anxieties. A divide emerged between regional SWANA galleries—which presented the strongest booths—and international galleries from the US, Europe, and Latin America, which seemed uncertain about what to bring. Notable sales included works by Rana Begum, Mehdi Ghadyanloo, Ali Cherri, and Shaikha Al Mazrou, while galleries like Sfeir-Semler, Vigo Gallery, and Experimenter reported strong results.

UAE art guide: 12 museum and gallery exhibitions to see, including Gallery Isabelle's 20th anniversary show

The UAE art scene is currently hosting a diverse array of exhibitions across Abu Dhabi, Dubai, and Sharjah, despite regional disruptions. Key highlights include a major Picasso retrospective at Louvre Abu Dhabi, a 10th-century anniversary celebration at 421 Arts Campus titled 'Rays, Ripples, Residue,' and the inaugural photography exhibition at Sharjah Art Foundation’s new Al Manakh venue. These shows range from historical surveys of the human form to contemporary explorations of UAE’s urban development and climate change.

UAE art guide: 11 museum and gallery exhibitions to see, from Picasso to the Baghdad Modern Art Group

The article presents a guide to 11 current museum and gallery exhibitions across the UAE, following the conclusion of Art Dubai 2026. Highlights include "Picasso, The Figure" at Louvre Abu Dhabi, which examines Pablo Picasso's reinvention of the human body through works from the Musée National Picasso–Paris; "From the Perspective of Language" at The Third Line, featuring Sara Naim's paintings and video work; and "Move, pause, return" at Gallery Isabelle, marking its 20th anniversary with daily unveilings by artists including Hassan Sharif and Mohammed Kazem. Other notable shows include "Reflections: Modern and Contemporary Art from the Villain Collection" at Bassam Freiha Art Foundation.

Scaled back Art Dubai 2026 reveals wide impact of Iran war

Art Dubai 2026 has announced a significantly scaled-back edition for its 20th anniversary, now running from May 15 to 17 at Madinat Jumeirah with a VIP day on May 14. The fair will feature just 50 galleries—a 60% drop from pre-war expectations—and will be free for all visitors for the first time. Two-thirds of participants are Middle East-based, with all Indian galleries canceling due to safety concerns, shipping risks, and lack of insurance. A new “risk-sharing” model allows galleries to pay a percentage of sales capped at their booth fee, while half of withdrawn galleries’ fees are refunded and half credited toward 2027.

UAE art guide: 13 museum and gallery exhibitions to see, from Picasso to Chilean artist Jorge Tacla

The article presents a curated guide to 13 current museum and gallery exhibitions across the UAE, including shows at Louvre Abu Dhabi, Foundry in Dubai, Sharjah Art Foundation, and Alserkal Avenue. Featured artists range from Pablo Picasso to regional talents like Shamsa Al Omaira, Abdulla Elmaz, and Ahaad Alamoudi, with exhibitions spanning sculpture, photography, and installation art. The guide is published during Alserkal Art Month and ahead of Art Dubai.

CK Reed Illustrates Chicago's Neighbors Boutique Art Fair

Artist and illustrator CK Reed provides a visual and narrative account of the inaugural Neighbors Boutique Art Fair in Chicago. Founded by Mirka Serrato and curated by Jonny Tana, the fair transformed a historic residence on Astor Street in the Gold Coast into an intimate, domestic exhibition space. The event focused on a "non-conforming cultural proposal," deliberately platforming underrepresented communities and galleries within a setting that prioritized human connection over the typical commercial whirlwind of larger fairs.

Delhi gets its first ‘gallery district’ in Defence Colony

The Defence Colony neighborhood in Delhi has officially emerged as the city's first dedicated 'gallery district' following a collaborative effort by local art dealers. The initiative, spearheaded by Arjun Butani of Pristine Contemporary and Arjun Sawhney, saw eleven galleries coordinate their schedules to host 'Def Col Art Night' on March 17, 2026. The event featured major openings, including an S.H. Raza retrospective at Akar Prakar and a solo sculpture exhibition by Mayur Gupta at Latitude 28, drawing crowds through a synchronized gallery hop model.

5 Artists on Our Radar in January 2026

Artsy's January 2026 edition of 'Artists on Our Radar' highlights five emerging visual artists: Elladj Lincy Deloumeaux, Xiaochi Dong, and Bobbye Fermie (with two others implied). Deloumeaux, born in Guadeloupe and based in Paris, paints solitary figures exploring identity and displacement; his work is featured in a group show at Loft Art Gallery in Marrakech and he has a solo show upcoming at Musée de la Parure de Marrakech. Xiaochi Dong, a Shanghai-born artist trained in classical Chinese painting, creates intimate works evoking gardens and ecosystems, currently in a two-person exhibition at Albion Jeune in London. Bobbye Fermie, an Amsterdam-born London-based artist, produces dreamlike watercolors and collages, with works available at Wilder Gallery.

The Art World This Week, 19 September 2025

Ocula's weekly briefing reports strong sales at viennacontemporary with 15,000 visitors and six-figure results for Galerie Zimmermann Kratochwill. Sotheby's announced $248 million in pre-tax losses for 2024 but achieved $100 million from the Karpidas collection sale and consigned the Pritzker and Lauder collections for November. Haegue Yang was appointed chair of the executive board at Kunst-Werke Berlin. Yemen's National Museum in Sanaa was damaged by Israeli airstrikes. Gallerist Sebastian Gladstone opened a new Los Angeles space, while L.A. Louver closed its Venice Beach gallery after 50 years. Taymour Grahne Projects opened in Dubai. Samia Halaby won the MUNCH Award, Jennifer Packer and Marie Watt received Heinz Family Foundation awards, and the Henry Moore Foundation distributed £100,000 to UK sculptors.