Art Basel’s Soft Opening Belies Strong, Swift Sales Across Tiers

Art Basel's 2025 edition opened with a soft atmosphere that belied strong and swift sales across all price tiers. Major galleries reported significant transactions: David Zwirner sold 68 works including a $9.5 million Ruth Asawa sculpture and a $6.8 million Gerhard Richter painting; Gladstone placed a $3.5 million Keith Haring piece; and Thaddaeus Ropac sold a €1.8 million Georg Baselitz and a $1.8 million James Rosenquist painting to a European institution. White Cube, Hauser & Wirth, and Tina Kim Gallery also reported robust sales, with works by artists such as Dana Schutz, Marlene Dumas, Yayoi Kusama, and Ha Chong-Hyun moving quickly. However, mid-tier galleries like Marianne Boesky Gallery noted more cautious, eye-driven buying rather than the frenzied chasing of past years.

Exhibitions Coming to North Texas Museums this Summer

Museums across the Dallas-Fort Worth area have announced their summer exhibitions, including a range of shows from Western art that influenced Hollywood to immersive installations and historical surveys. The Sid Richardson Museum in Fort Worth debuted "The Cinematic West: The Art That Made the Movies," which explores how artists like Frederic Remington and Charles Russell shaped early silent Western films through paintings, sculptures, and ephemera. The Dallas Museum of Art reopened its popular Yayoi Kusama infinity room, "All the Eternal Love I Have for the Pumpkins," while the Nasher Sculpture Center opened "Generations: 150 Years of Sculpture," featuring 50 works from its permanent collection. The Amon Carter Museum of American Art is opening "East of the Pacific: Making Histories of Asian American Art" alongside a Richard Avedon exhibition.

Frieze VIP day defined by dealers’ resilience

Frieze New York's VIP opening on Wednesday saw strong attendance despite economic uncertainty following President Donald Trump's April 2 tariff announcement, which caused stock market volatility. Gallerists reported early sales driven by institutional buyers, with works by Tuan Andrew Nguyen, Rashid Johnson, Lorna Simpson, Claire Tabouret, and WangShui finding homes at museums including the Moderna Museet, Dallas Museum of Art, and Heredium Museum. Notable sales included Jeff Koons's Hulk (Tubas) for over $3 million at Gagosian and a solo stand sellout for Claire Tabouret at Perrotin.

Frieze and NADA New York’s Early Sales Signal Buyer Confidence

Frieze New York opened its VIP preview on May 7, with early sales indicating cautious but steady buyer confidence amid economic uncertainty and the recent acquisition of the fair by Endeavor's former CEO Ari Emanuel. American buyers dominated, while Asian and European collectors were largely absent. Mega-galleries like Gagosian and Pace reported significant sales, including Jeff Koons's Hulk Elvis sculptures and works by Adam Pendleton and Lynda Benglis, though the atmosphere was more subdued and negotiation-friendly than in previous years.

tracing the transition from mannerism to baroque at tefaf maastricht

London-based gallery Trinity Fine Art has announced a curated presentation for TEFAF Maastricht 2026 focusing on the stylistic evolution from Mannerism to the Baroque. The showcase features three significant works: an ambitious 1580 biblical scene by Lavinia Fontana, a rare and well-documented 1610 depiction of St. Jerome by Orazio Gentileschi, and a mature 1620 composition of the Holy Family by Giulio Cesare Procaccini.

artists studios google street view part 2

Artnet News continues its exploration of famous artists' studios via Google Maps Street View, featuring nine historic homes and workspaces. Among them are Max Liebermann's lakeside Berlin villa, now a memorial museum; the modernist compound of Diego Rivera and Frida Kahlo in Mexico City, designed by Juan O'Gorman; Dora Gordine's eclectic Dorich House in South London; and Ben Nicholson's studio in the historic Porthmeor Studios building in Cornwall, which once housed Francis Bacon and other artists. Each entry includes the location, historical context, and an interesting fact about the site.

david byrne interview

David Byrne, the multi-talented artist best known as the frontman of Talking Heads, discusses his visual art practice in a new interview with Artnet News. He reveals plans for a solo exhibition at Pace Gallery in New York this fall, featuring his drawings and photographs. Byrne also talks about his immersive project 'Theater of the Mind,' which explores neuroscience and perception, traveling to Chicago's Goodman Theatre in 2026, and reflects on his early art school experiences at Rhode Island School of Design and Maryland Institute College of Art.

'I’m interested in breaking binaries, barriers and boundaries': Sarah Rosalena on her new LACMA commission

Artist Sarah Rosalena has completed a monumental 27-foot tapestry titled "Threading the Boundless: Omnidirectional Terrain" (2025), commissioned for the Los Angeles County Museum of Art’s (LACMA) new David Geffen Galleries. The work utilizes an industrial-scale jacquard-rapier loom to weave complex patterns that distort NASA satellite imagery of Earth and Mars. By blending her Wixárika maternal weaving traditions with computational craft, Rosalena transforms scientific data into a tactile, atmospheric landscape that challenges traditional methods of planetary mapping.

design amalia ulman home

Artist Amalia Ulman shares a personal inventory of 44 objects from her home, ranging from a pigeon-shaped oven mitt and a 1920s Austrian bronze cat figurine to a telephone-shaped lamp bought from a subway vendor and a graphite portrait of her late dog Holga. The list includes quirky functional items like a cane that turns into a stool, a wooden chair that transforms into a ladder, and sentimental keepsakes such as a red pompom from Holga's casket and a bag of gravel from the dog park. The objects reflect her daily life, travels, and memories, blending humor with melancholy.

art ralph deluca photography market

Art advisor Ralph DeLuca, in his column "Street Smarts" for Cultured, analyzes the struggling photography market. He notes that photography auction sales have plummeted from a peak of $230.5 million in 2014 to just $116.9 million in 2024, attributing the decline partly to smartphones making photography seem effortless. DeLuca, who owns over 20,000 photographs, argues this downturn presents a rare buying opportunity for collectors to build museum-quality collections at lower prices.

art fall new york gallery guide

Cultured's 'What's On' column presents a curated guide to fall art exhibitions in New York's Chinatown, Little Italy, and SoHo neighborhoods. Featured shows include Zoe Leonard's black-and-white photography of medieval armor at Maxwell Graham, Ohad Meromi's cigarette-themed sculptures and paintings at 56 Henry, Ambera Wellmann's hallucinatory paintings and charcoal mural at Company Gallery, and Sam McKinniss's portrait of Luigi Mangione at Deitch. The guide draws from the publication's Critics' Table coverage, offering neighborhood-by-neighborhood recommendations.

art untitled fair houston collectors

Cultured magazine profiles Houston collectors Leigh and Reggie Smith as the city's Untitled Art Fair opens. The couple, who have collected contemporary art for over 30 years, discuss their diverse collection spanning international and local artists, including works by Yinka Shonibare, Francis Picabia, and overlooked mid-century women artists. They highlight Houston's collaborative art ecosystem, public art funding, and the distinct character of its scattered venues.

A Major Martin Puryear Retrospective Reveals an Artist Who Has Never Stopped Evolving

The Cleveland Museum of Art has opened "Nexus," a major retrospective of Martin Puryear featuring over 50 works, the first comprehensive survey of the artist's career in some time. The exhibition includes rarely displayed early pieces from Puryear's personal collection alongside recent works, organized in consultation with the 84-year-old artist. Highlights include the titular 1979 piece "Nexus" made of Alaskan yellow cedar, and other works like "Night and Day" and "Alien Huddle" that showcase his mastery of wood and cold-molding techniques.

Ripple: Furniture Sculpture and Painting after 1982

David Kordansky Gallery is presenting "Ripple: Furniture Sculpture and Painting after 1982," an exhibition of historic works by Swiss artist John Armleder, on view from May 7 to June 13, 2026. The show focuses on Armleder's Furniture Sculpture series from the 1980s, which incorporates functional or decorative objects alongside paintings, exploring the intersection of art, design, and everyday life. Works like FS 156 (1987) and Untitled (FS) (1987) exemplify his interest in collectivity, chance, and the viewer's role in assigning meaning, influenced by experiences such as a prison stint for refusing conscription and his time on a rowing team, as well as the experimental compositions of Erik Satie and John Cage's writings on chance.

David Hockney | THE DOG SHOW (ca. 1990) | Available for Sale

An authorized David Hockney exhibition poster titled "THE DOG SHOW" (ca. 1990) has been made available for sale through MK Contemporary Ltd via the Artsy platform. The work is an offset lithograph measuring approximately 28 by 19 inches and features Hockney's signature aesthetic, including his distinct handwriting and playful use of shadows and light.

Meet 6 Visionary Women Shaping the Art World in 2025

This article profiles six visionary women shaping the art world in 2025, beginning with British designer Es Devlin, known for her immersive stagecraft and large-scale installations. It highlights her recent role as global artistic lead of the Women’s Pavilion at Expo 2025 in Osaka, where she created a participatory sound installation. The piece also features Tokini Peterside-Schwebig, founder of ART X Lagos, West Africa's leading international art fair, which celebrates its tenth anniversary in 2025. Peterside-Schwebig is a cultural entrepreneur and collector who has expanded the fair into initiatives like ART X Live!, the Access ART X Prize, and a school program for underprivileged children.

Can a Play Capture an Artist as Enigmatic as Henry Darger?

Can a Play Capture an Artist as Enigmatic as Henry Darger?

A new play, *Bughouse*, is attempting to portray the life of reclusive artist Henry Darger on stage at New York's Vineyard Theater. The one-man show, starring John Kelly, draws from Darger's own lengthy autobiography to depict his traumatic childhood, institutionalization, and decades of solitary life in Chicago, where he secretly created his vast, fantastical artwork and writings.

Claude Monet’s Market Triumph: 12 Record‑Smashing Paintings That Define an Era

Claude Monet's market dominance is analyzed through twelve record-breaking paintings sold at auction over the past decade, led by *Meules (Haystacks)* (1890), which achieved $110.7 million at Sotheby's New York in 2019—a record for any Impressionist work. The article highlights key sales including *Le Bassin aux Nymphéas* (1919) at $80.45 million, *Nymphéas* (1906) at $54 million, and *Le Pont du chemin de fer à Argenteuil* (1873–74) at $41.4 million, tracing how Monet's serene yet radical landscapes have consistently commanded top prices across Christie's and Sotheby's.

How Well Do the Met Gala’s Attendees Know Their Art History? We Critique Looks by Madonna, Hunter Schafer, and More

The article critiques nine outfits from the 2026 Met Gala, which was held under the theme 'Fashion Is Art' in conjunction with the Costume Institute's new exhibition 'Costume Art' at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. It analyzes how attendees like Hunter Schafer, Lauren Sánchez Bezos, and Kylie Jenner referenced specific artworks—such as Gustav Klimt's *Mäda Primavesi* and John Singer Sargent's *Madame X*—in their fashion choices, evaluating the success of these art-historical allusions.

Filippo Lippi painting—once the centrepiece of Florence's Palazzo Medici Chapel—to undergo two-year restoration

The Staatliche Museen zu Berlin has announced a two-year restoration of Filippo Lippi’s 1459 painting *The Adoration in the Forest*, funded by the Ernst von Siemens Kunststiftung and the Schoof’schen Stiftung. The tempera-on-panel work, a centerpiece of the Palazzo Medici chapel in Florence, is now in the Gemäldegalerie’s collection. Conservators discovered that a 19th-century varnish layer is degrading the paint, causing it to lift off the panel, particularly affecting the Virgin’s blue cloak, skin, and gold leaf areas. The treatment aims to remove the varnish while stabilizing the paint layer, and may also reveal Lippi’s use of oil paint alongside egg tempera.

Museum acquisitions round-up: a rediscovered work by Rosso Fiorentino, a circular painting by Salman Toor and 16th-century gold goblet

The Art Newspaper reports on three notable museum acquisitions: a rediscovered Renaissance painting by Rosso Fiorentino acquired by the Metropolitan Museum of Art, a 16th-century silver gilt goblet by Hans Rappolt I acquired by the Siegerland Museum, and a circular painting by Salman Toor donated to the National Gallery of Art. The Rosso Fiorentino work, 'Madonna and Child with Saint John the Evangelist' (1512/13), was thought lost for centuries and was identified after cleaning revealed a hidden figure. The goblet, made around 1581, is a rare example of Nuremberg goldsmithing and was supported by a €75,000 donation from the German Federal Cultural Foundation. The Toor painting, 'Wandering Beggars' (2022), is the first by the artist to enter the NGA's collection, donated by the Bronzini-Vender family.

See Some of the Most Outrageous, Stylish Looks at the 2026 Met Gala

The 2026 Met Gala raised $42 million for the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Costume Institute, surpassing last year's $31 million. The event, themed "Costume Art" with a dress code of "Fashion is Art," featured honorary chairs Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sánchez Bezos, whose involvement sparked protests. Co-chairs included Beyoncé, Nicole Kidman, Venus Williams, and Anna Wintour, with artists Anna Weyant, Tschabalala Self, and Amy Sherald on the host committee. The gala precedes the Costume Institute's spring exhibition, also titled "Costume Art," opening May 10.

5 Standout Shows to See at Small Galleries in May 2026

Artsy Editorial highlights five standout exhibitions at small and rising galleries for May 2026. Among them is British-born, Amsterdam-based painter K. T. Kobel's first major Swiss show, "Hand, Body, Object, Sin," at Kutlesa in Goldau, Switzerland, running through May 29. Kobel, who has exhibited from Los Angeles to Milan since 2022, presents cinematic, storyboard-like paintings that embrace fragmentation and loose ends.

How Latin American Artists Have Harnessed the Allure of Alchemy

A new exhibition titled “Constellations and Drifts: Art from Latin America in the FEMSA Collection” has opened at the Museum of Contemporary Art, Monterrey (Museo de Arte Contemporáneo de Monterrey) in Mexico, running through August 9, 2026. The show features 170 works by 115 Latin American artists from the FEMSA Collection, one of the most prestigious corporate collections of Latin American art, and is organized around five curatorial themes or “constellations,” including a section centered on alchemy. Highlights include works by Diego Rivera, José Clemente Orozco, Francis Alÿs, and a new commission by Argentine artist Ad Minoliti, alongside Surrealist pieces by Remedios Varo, Leonor Fini, Leonora Carrington, and Kati Horna.

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.'

Martin Parr: Global Warning review – the great photographer in all his gluttonous, giddy glory

A major retrospective exhibition of photographer Martin Parr's work, titled 'Global Warning,' has opened at the Jeu de Paume museum in Paris. The show, which Parr helped plan before his death in December 2023, is on track to become the museum's most visited exhibition, showcasing his signature saturated, ironic, and unflinching observations of global tourism and consumerism.

Melissa Chiu leaving Hirshhorn to take over New York’s Guggenheim Museum

Melissa Chiu has been appointed as the new director of the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum in New York, transitioning directly from her decade-long tenure at the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden. During her time at the Hirshhorn, Chiu was credited with doubling attendance, significantly increasing fundraising, and overseeing a major $68m garden renovation by Hiroshi Sugimoto. She will begin her new role on September 1, while Aaron Seeto steps in as interim director at the Hirshhorn.

whitney houston biennial

Curator and artist Christine “C.” Finley has launched the second edition of the Whitney Houston Biennial, an all-female contemporary art survey titled “Greatest Love of All.” Hosted at a chashama space in Manhattan, the exhibition features 125 women artists in a salon-style presentation. The show serves as a scrappy, inclusive alternative to the Whitney Museum’s official biennial, emphasizing female legacy by requiring each participant to submit a text honoring a woman who paved the way for them.

how shaker design crafts visions of heaven on earth

A new exhibition at Philadelphia's Institute of Contemporary Art, titled “The Shakers: A World in the Making,” brings historic Shaker objects into dialogue with contemporary art, including newly commissioned works. The show, a collaboration with the Vitra Design Museum, Milwaukee Art Museum, and Shaker Museum, coincides with the release of the film *The Testament of Ann Lee* and focuses on Shaker values such as craft, patience, and care rather than their more controversial principles like celibacy and gender segregation. Featured artists include Amie Cunat, who created a contemplative cardboard meetinghouse, and Christien Meindertsma, who uses Shaker basket-making techniques for willow burial vessels.

collectors steve tisch jean pigozzi jeffrey epstein files

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.