Emmanuel Perrotin, the Parisian gallery owner who conquered the world

Emmanuel Perrotin, the founder of the global Perrotin gallery network, reflects on a career defined by disruption and the democratization of contemporary art. From his early days as an outsider without industry connections to managing 160 employees across four continents, Perrotin has utilized high-profile stunts—such as Maurizio Cattelan’s $120,000 taped banana—and celebrity collaborations with figures like Pharrell Williams to build a powerhouse brand. His current focus involves institutionalizing his internal operations through digital tools and employee tutorials to maintain the gallery's momentum.

Because the Ego Suddenly Dissolves

"Weil das Ego sich plötzlich auflöst"

The art world is facing significant structural and political shifts, highlighted by the merger of Artnet and Artsy which has resulted in mass layoffs, particularly within the Artnet News editorial team and its Berlin operations. Simultaneously, tensions are rising in German cultural policy as gallery owner Rupert Pfab raises concerns over government interference in the Stiftung Kunstfonds jury selection, reflecting a broader climate of unease that includes recent controversies at the Berlinale.

Settlement allows Institute of Museum and Library Services to continue operations

The American Library Association (ALA) and the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) have reached a settlement with the Trump administration to restore the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS). The agreement follows a year-long legal battle sparked by an executive order that placed the agency's entire staff on administrative leave and attempted to dismantle the federal body. The settlement ensures the IMLS can resume awarding grants, conducting research, and operating programs while reversing previous staff terminations and grant cancellations.

Melissa Chiu leaves Hirschhorn directorship for Guggenheim

Melissa Chiu has been appointed as the new director of the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum in New York, effective September 1. She departs the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden in Washington, D.C., where she has served as director since 2014. This leadership transition follows a decade of growth at the Hirshhorn under Chiu’s tenure and marks a significant shift for the Guggenheim’s administrative structure.

Giorno Poetry Systems Gives Grants to 12 Artists Including Jacolby Satterwhite, Puppies Puppies (Jade Guanaro Kuriki-Olivo), and the Late Agosto Machado

Giorno Poetry Systems, the nonprofit founded by artist John Giorno in 1965, has launched a new need-based grant program called the Treat a Stranger Grant. The inaugural round awards $4,545 each to 12 artists, including Jacolby Satterwhite, Puppies Puppies (Jade Guanaro Kuriki-Olivo), Samiya Bashir, Malcolm-X Betts, Pe Ferreira, Mercy Kelly, the late Agosto Machado (whose funds go to his estate), Gavilán Rayna Russom, Keioui Keijaun Thomas, Christopher Udemuezue, and two anonymous recipients. The program revives the spirit of Giorno's AIDS Treatment Project from the 1980s and '90s, which provided direct financial support to artists affected by the epidemic.

‘We are complicit’: Austrian artist Florentina Holzinger’s immersive Venice Biennale pavilion brings apocalypse to the city

Austrian artist Florentina Holzinger has created 'Seaworld Venice,' an immersive and confrontational installation for the Austrian Pavilion at the 2024 Venice Biennale. The work explores climate change, technology, and a dystopian flooded future, drawing comparisons to the 1995 film 'Waterworld'—though neither Holzinger nor curator Nora-Swantje Almes had seen it. Known for extreme performance art involving nudity, blood, live piercing, and heavy machinery, Holzinger's previous works have caused audience members to faint or require medical treatment. The pavilion marks a significant platform for her radical, hybrid practice that blends theatre, dance, opera, and performance art.

Lebanon’s Art Scene Is Living in ‘War Mode’

On April 8, 2025, a wave of Israeli airstrikes across Lebanon killed 357 people and injured over 1,200, a day now known as 'Black Wednesday.' Amid the violence, Lebanese artist Abed Al Kadiri, who grew up during Lebanon's civil war and Israeli occupation, has been working with displaced children in shelters, using art to help them process trauma. He collects their drawings and plans to combine them with sketches by other artists reflecting their own war experiences, creating concertina-style books to be exhibited and sold to raise funds for over 1.1 million displaced people.

Fake Warhol, Haring and Banksy works seized in Italy

Des faux Warhol, Haring et Banksy saisis en Italie

Italian authorities have seized 143 counterfeit artworks attributed to Andy Warhol, Keith Haring, and Banksy. The works were on display in the exhibition "Pop to Street Art: Influences" in Reggio Calabria, Italy, and were provided on loan by a Belgian company. The carabinieri, in a transnational investigation extending to Liège, Belgium, identified the operation as part of a larger forgery network known as "Operation Cariatide." Eleven works remain under expert examination.

Hampshire College, Alma Mater to Many in the Arts, Closing

Hampshire College, the experimental liberal arts institution in Massachusetts, has announced it will permanently close after nearly sixty years of operation. The college's board cited insurmountable financial pressures and a failure to meet regulatory requirements as the primary drivers behind the decision, noting that progress toward a stable financial foundation fell short of expectations.

Outsourcing Museum Reception: A Booming Model

Externaliser l’accueil dans les musées, un modèle en plein essor

French museums are increasingly outsourcing front-of-house services, including ticketing, reception, and crowd management, to specialized private firms. This trend, which gained momentum with the opening of the Musée du quai Branly in 2006, allows public institutions to focus internal resources on core missions like conservation and curation while utilizing flexible, external labor for high-traffic operations. The market for these cultural services in France is projected to reach approximately €50 million by 2025.

A young but already highly competitive profession

Un métier jeune mais déjà très concurrentiel

The museum visitor services sector in France is undergoing rapid professionalization as specialized outsourcing firms compete for lucrative contracts. Companies like Marianne International, Pénélope, and City One—originally rooted in corporate reception and event management—are now managing front-of-house operations for major institutions including the Palais de Tokyo, MuCEM, and the Musée d'Orsay. This shift reflects a broader trend of museums treating visitors as customers and seeking the high-volume staffing expertise found in the corporate world.

Frieze Taps Art Basel Veteran Frank Lasry as Chief Operating Officer

Frieze has appointed Frank Lasry as its new Chief Operating Officer, effective this June. Lasry joins the organization with an extensive pedigree in the art market, having previously served as COO at Perrotin and managing director at Art Basel, where he was instrumental in launching Art Basel Paris. His career also includes senior leadership roles at major auction houses Christie’s and Phillips, positioning him as a veteran executive with deep operational expertise across multiple sectors of the industry.

Sotheby’s Sued by Cushman & Wakefield Over $10.2 Million Commission

sothebys lawsuit cushman wakefield commission lawsuit 1234781268

Sotheby’s is facing a lawsuit from real estate firm Cushman & Wakefield over an unpaid $10.2 million commission related to the $510 million sale of its former New York headquarters at 1334 York Avenue. The brokerage claims that its work securing Weill Cornell Medicine as a tenant in 2023 paved the way for the medical school's eventual purchase of the building, triggering a contractual 2 percent fee that the auction house has allegedly refused to pay.

Walker Art Center Restaurant Cuts Front-of-House Staff as QR Codes Take Over

Cardamom, the in-house restaurant at the Walker Art Center in Minneapolis, is laying off sixteen front-of-house staff members as it transitions to a QR-code-based ordering system. The restaurant’s operator, DDP Restaurant Group, cited fluctuating museum traffic and rising operational costs as the primary drivers for the shift to a counter-service model. While kitchen staff and bartenders will remain, the move effectively replaces traditional table service with digital automation.

Sotheby’s Sued by Cushman and Wakefield Over Unpaid $10.2 Million Commission

Real estate brokerage Cushman and Wakefield has filed a lawsuit against Sotheby’s, alleging the auction house failed to pay a $10.2 million commission following the $510 million sale of its former York Avenue headquarters to Weill Cornell Medicine. The broker claims that under a 2023 agreement, they were entitled to a 2-percent fee if the medical school transitioned from a tenant to a buyer, a deal that was finalized in 2025. Sotheby’s has dismissed the lawsuit as "baseless," asserting they will be vindicated in court.

South Africa’s Southern Guild Opens First NYC Art & Design Gallery

Southern Guild, a gallery founded in 2008 by Trevyn and Julian McGowan in Cape Town, South Africa, is opening its first New York City location at 75 Leonard Street in Tribeca on April 24. The gallery, which works with collectible design and contemporary art, will inaugurate the space with two solo exhibitions featuring South African artists Mmangaliso Nzuza and Usha Seejarim. The move follows the transition of its former Los Angeles space and reflects the gallery's expansion from its roots in Cape Town's Silo District, where it operates within a production ecosystem of ceramic studios, bronze foundries, and fabrication workshops.

lina lapelytė fills hamburger bahnhof with 400,000 cubes, inviting visitors to build and sing

Lithuanian artist Lina Lapelytė has filled Berlin's Hamburger Bahnhof museum with 400,000 lightweight foam cubes, creating an interactive installation titled "The Singing Cube." Visitors are invited to stack, carry, and rebuild the cubes while participating in collective singing performances, transforming the museum into a participatory sound and sculpture environment. The installation evolves over time through the collaborative actions of participants, blending architecture, music, and social interaction.

Brancusi

The Neue Nationalgalerie in Berlin, in cooperation with the Centre Pompidou in Paris, has opened the first major exhibition of sculptor Constantin Brancusi in Germany in over 50 years. Featuring more than 150 works—including sculptures, photographs, drawings, films, and archival materials—the show presents key pieces such as "The Kiss," "Bird in Space," "Sleeping Muse," and "Endless Column," alongside a partial reconstruction of Brancusi's legendary studio, shown outside Paris for the first time since its bequest to the French state in 1957.

Tel Aviv Museum turns shelters into art spaces during war

During weeks of war in Israel, the Tel Aviv Museum of Art closed its galleries and moved a rare exhibition, "The Day Is Gone: 100 Years of the New Objectivity," into reinforced protected spaces. Director Tania Coen-Uzzielli then created guided tours inside the shelter, complete with live piano music and interpretation, allowing visitors to experience the artworks in a space designed for safety rather than display. The tour, titled "The Event Has Not Ended," plays on the automated safety notification that signals the end of a siren threat, suggesting that the event of war never truly ends.

Inside the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco’s 2026 Gala

The Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco (FAMSF) held its 2026 gala, a major fundraising event attended by prominent figures from the city's art, philanthropy, and social circles. The event featured notable attendees including artist Andy Goldsworthy, museum director Thomas Campbell, and major donors like Dede Wilsey and Mayor Daniel Lurie.

An Evening in Paris: The Birmingham Museum of Art’s 69th Annual Museum Ball

The Birmingham Museum of Art hosted its 69th annual Museum Ball, themed "An Evening in Paris," to celebrate the institution's enduring presence in the Alabama cultural landscape. The black-tie gala featured French-inspired decor, fine dining, and live entertainment, drawing a significant crowd of local patrons and civic leaders.

Pictures: Art in Bloom at Orlando Museum of Art

The Orlando Museum of Art has launched its annual "Art in Bloom" festival, a multi-day event where floral designers create living arrangements inspired by specific works in the museum’s permanent collection and current exhibitions. Organized by the Council of 101, the showcase features floral interpretations of pieces by artists such as James Rosenquist, Beatriz Milhazes, and Howard William Mehring, alongside fashion displays, pop-up shops, and silent auctions.

Why do we like watching women die, asks Marina Abramović in Copenhagen

Marina Abramović has unveiled her latest immersive exhibition, "Seven Deaths," at Cisternerne in Copenhagen, a subterranean former reservoir. The installation features seven films where Abramović reimagines the tragic ends of famous operatic heroines—such as Tosca and Madame Butterfly—originally made famous by Maria Callas. Accompanied by actor Willem Dafoe, Abramović uses these cinematic vignettes to explore themes of heartbreak, endurance, and the cultural fascination with the "tragic feminine."

Work by Group of Seven's to be featured at Contemporary Calgary's LOOK2026

Contemporary Calgary has announced the details for its upcoming LOOK2026 auction fundraiser, featuring a prestigious selection of works by Canadian masters and contemporary stars. The auction will include pieces by Group of Seven member L.L. FitzGerald, Maxwell Bates, and Chris Cran, alongside contemporary works by artists such as Kablusiak. The event was bolstered by a significant contribution from Calgary-based philanthropist and collector John Lacey, who reached out to CEO David Leinster to support the institution's mission.

Monet, Picasso & More: Houston's Newest Gallery Is Now Open And Is Completely FREE To Visit

Opera Gallery has officially opened its first Texas location in Houston’s River Oaks district, marking the 16th global space for the Singapore-founded network. The inaugural exhibition, running through April 19, 2026, features a high-caliber selection of Modern and Post-War masterworks by Claude Monet, Pablo Picasso, and Marc Chagall alongside contemporary pieces by Yayoi Kusama and Kehinde Wiley. The gallery is free to the public and intends to host several curated exhibitions annually.

Houston Has a New Art Gallery with Picassos—and It’s Free

Opera Gallery has officially opened its first Texas location in Houston’s River Oaks District, debuting with a high-caliber exhibition featuring original works by masters such as Pablo Picasso, Marc Chagall, and Yayoi Kusama. The space functions as a hybrid between a commercial gallery and a museum, offering the public free access to museum-quality pieces that are typically held in private collections or behind glass.

The best looks from the 2026 Met Gala

The 2026 Met Gala, themed 'Costume Art,' took place at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, honoring the Costume Institute's spring exhibition on the role of the dressed body in art history. Co-chaired by Nicole Kidman, Venus Williams, Anna Wintour, and Beyoncé, the event featured A-list celebrities, pop stars, and tech titans on the museum's grand staircase, with a dress code of 'Fashion Is Art' encouraging guests to treat the body as a canvas. Notable attendees included Sabrina Carpenter, Doechii, Rosé, Gigi Hadid, Katy Perry, and Charli XCX, with many wearing custom designs from houses like Marc Jacobs, Saint Laurent, Thom Browne, and Jean Paul Gaultier.

Museum diplomacy in action at ICOM UK 2026: museums in a changing world

ICOM UK hosted its 2026 annual conference in Oxford, bringing together delegates from over 20 countries to explore the theme of 'Museum Diplomacy.' Keynote speaker Dr. Sascha Priewe of the Aga Khan Museum and ICOM Canada framed the current geopolitical moment as a 'GZERO World,' where no country is willing or able to lead globally, and discussed how sanctions, export controls, and shifting alliances are straining international museum collaborations. Sessions featured case studies from the Science Museum Group and International Arts & Artists, emphasizing that trust and networks, not grand gestures, are essential for enduring partnerships.

Mass shooting at Mexico's Teotihuacan archaeological site leaves one dead, 13 injured

A mass shooting occurred at the Teotihuacan archaeological site in Mexico, leaving one Canadian tourist dead and 13 others from various nations injured. The gunman, identified as Julio César Jasso Ramírez, opened fire from atop the Pyramid of the Moon before killing himself at the scene.

Metal Detectorists Unearth Norway’s Largest-Known Viking Coin Hoard

Two hobbyist metal detectorists, Rune Sætre and Vegard Sørlie, discovered Norway's largest-known Viking Age coin hoard in a field in Østerdalen, east-central Norway. Starting with 19 silver coins on April 10, the find grew to over 3,250 coins dating from the 980s to the 1040s, surpassing the previous record of 1,800 coins found in the 1800s. The hoard includes coins minted under Æthelred the Unready, King Cnut, and Holy Roman Emperor Otto III, as well as early Norwegian coins from after Harald Hardråde's return from Byzantium. The coins have been transferred to the Museum of Cultural History in Oslo for expert analysis.