Art News. Vasari Codex

article policy schedule Oct 9, 2025 visibility 13 link 1 artist

unesco new chief gaza and ukraine us exit anti israel bias

UNESCO's executive board has nominated Khaled El-Enany Ezz as its sole candidate for the next director-general, following a decisive vote during the organization's meetings at United Nations High Week. El-Enany, a 54-year-old Egyptian professor of Egyptology and former minister of tourism and antiquities, previously oversaw the construction and renovation of more than 20 museums, including the Grand Egyptian Museum. He will be the first Arab to lead UNESCO, replacing outgoing director-general Audrey Azoulay.

newspaper ARTnews open_in_new Read original

trending_up market schedule Oct 2, 2025 visibility 12 link 1 artist

sothebys sells york avenue hq weill cornell breuer move

Sotheby's has sold its longtime New York headquarters at 1334 York Avenue to Weill Cornell Medicine, marking the final step in a major real estate transformation. The auction house will lease back floors 7–10 under a long-term lease while relocating its global headquarters to the Breuer Building at 945 Madison Avenue, which opens November 8 with a blockbuster exhibition. Sotheby's also acquired Gantry Point, a 240,000-square-foot complex in Long Island City, in 2023. CEO Charles Stewart stated the sale proceeds will reduce debt and invest in core business.

newspaper ARTnews open_in_new Read original

trending_up market schedule Sep 11, 2025 visibility 11 link 2 artists

christies sothebys auction houses luxury fashion art

Auction houses Christie's, Sotheby's, and Phillips are increasingly relying on luxury goods—such as handbags, jewelry, wine, and whiskey—to offset a sharp decline in fine art sales. Fine art sales at these houses fell 44% in the first half of 2025 compared to 2022, creating a roughly $3 billion gap. Luxury sales have surged to a 20.2% market share by value in 2025, with Christie's reporting a 30% rise in luxury sales to $468 million in the first half of 2025, and Sotheby's luxury sales topping $2 billion for three consecutive years. Notable sales include a record $10 million Hermès Birkin bag and a $72 million jewelry auction in Geneva.

newspaper ARTnews open_in_new Read original

person people schedule Sep 10, 2025 visibility 15 link 1 artist

claudia gould shaker museum director

Claudia Gould, who left the Jewish Museum in New York in 2023 after a twelve-year tenure, has been appointed director of the Shaker Museum in Chatham, New York. The museum, which holds one of the world's most significant collections of Shaker material culture, is building a new $30 million flagship space designed by Selldorf Architects, known for recent work on the Frick Collection. Gould expressed excitement about building a museum from the ground up, a challenge she described as different from restructuring an existing organization.

newspaper ARTnews open_in_new Read original

article news schedule Jul 31, 2025 visibility 15 link 4 artists, 1 gallery

uhaul gallery and art fair new york

James Sundquist and Jack Chase founded U-Haul Gallery in May 2024, a commercial art space operating out of rented U-Haul trucks to bypass New York's high real estate costs. The gallery mounts pop-up exhibitions in unconventional locations, such as public parks and sporting events, and recently staged a performance titled "Show of Stolen Goods" by artist Victoria Gill. This September, the duo will launch the U-Haul Art Fair, running concurrently with the Armory Show in West Chelsea, featuring 10 exhibitors each stationed in their own U-Haul truck.

newspaper ARTnews open_in_new Read original

trending_up market schedule Jul 28, 2025 visibility 23 link 4 artists, 9 galleries

taipei dangdai cancels 2026 edition art assembly

Taipei Dangdai, the art fair in Taiwan, has canceled its 2026 edition as organizers undertake a "strategic re-evaluation" of the fair's model, timing, scale, and format. The fair, which held its sixth edition in May 2025, is part of The Art Assembly, a conglomerate overseeing three regional Asian fairs including Art SG and Tokyo Gendai. The number of participating galleries dropped from over 90 in its 2019 inaugural edition to 54 in 2025, with no mega-galleries participating this year. The announcement follows a similar "strategic pause" by the Art Dealers Association of America (ADAA) for its flagship fair, The Art Show, and comes amid broader challenges for the fair's organizer, Angus Montgomery Arts, which also canceled recent editions of Photofairs in Hong Kong and New York.

newspaper ARTnews open_in_new Read original

article policy schedule Jul 7, 2025 visibility 13 link 2 artists

smithsonian white house national museum american history

The Smithsonian Institution is facing renewed scrutiny from the Trump administration, this time targeting the National Museum of American History's permanent exhibition "Entertainment Nation." Fox News reported that the White House has raised concerns about wall texts in the display, which opened in 2022 and explores the entertainment industry's impact on American pop culture. One text notes that Mickey Mouse's design has roots in blackface minstrelsy, while another describes pop star Selena Quintanilla-Pérez as sparking conversations about identity and Latinx influence. A 1923 circus poster is accompanied by a placard linking circuses to colonial impulses. White House lawyer Lindsey Halligan criticized the exhibition as framing American culture as "inherently violent, imperialist, or racist." The Smithsonian has stated it is reviewing content to ensure it meets its standards of unbiased scholarship.

newspaper ARTnews open_in_new Read original

article news schedule Jul 7, 2025 visibility 10 link 1 artist

canadian art schools nscad enrollment application growth

NSCAD University (Nova Scotia College of Art and Design) in Halifax has reported a dramatic surge in applications and acceptances from US-based students for fall 2025, driven by tightening US immigration policies under the Trump administration. Undergraduate applications from the US spiked 220%, acceptances rose 186%, and student responses increased 66%, with interest coming from 23 different states. NSCAD president Jana Macalik noted that student feedback cited concerns over trans rights, disability, same-sex marriage, and women's freedoms as motivating factors. Similar trends are being seen at other Canadian institutions like the University of Toronto, University of British Columbia, and Alberta University of the Arts.

newspaper ARTnews open_in_new Read original

article news schedule Jun 27, 2025 visibility 14 link 1 artist

vancouver art gallery lays off 30 unionized employees

The Vancouver Art Gallery (VAG) is laying off approximately 30 unionized staff members, representing about 20% of its 150 unionized employees represented by CUPE 15. The layoffs, described by a spokesperson as necessary for long-term sustainability, follow the departure of director Anthony Kiendl in March and the cancellation of a planned C$600 million building by Herzog & de Meuron last December. The gallery is now seeking a simpler, less expensive new home, inviting 14 Canadian architectural firms to apply. The city of Vancouver, a key funder, has also announced budget cuts and hiring freezes, compounding the gallery's financial challenges.

newspaper ARTnews open_in_new Read original

article policy schedule Jun 13, 2025 visibility 13 link 1 artist

neh staff layoffs trump administration

The Trump administration laid off approximately 100 employees from the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) on June 10, part of a broader reduction in force that has left fewer than 60 staff remaining at the agency. The cuts follow earlier funding freezes and a $65 million budget reduction by the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), with funds redirected to President Trump’s National Garden of American Heroes. The NEH’s union, the American Federation of Government Employees Local 3403, has condemned the restructuring as an existential threat to institutions that rely on NEH grants for research, preservation, and education.

newspaper ARTnews open_in_new Read original

article policy schedule Jun 10, 2025 visibility 11 link 2 artists

south korea president orders major arts investment

South Korea President Yoon Suk-yeol has announced a $3.7 billion fund to support film, TV, art, and cultural projects, along with plans to transform the historic presidential residence Cheong Wa Dae (Blue House) into a cultural complex modeled after France's Palace of Versailles. The initiative aims to boost the country's cultural sector ahead of major art events including Frieze Seoul, Kiaf fairs, and the Busan Biennale. President Yoon also directed that state-owned art collections, including 23,000 works from the late Samsung Group chair Lee Kun-hee, be made accessible through nationwide tours, and that government art purchases prioritize works by disabled and emerging artists.

newspaper Artnet News open_in_new Read original

person people schedule May 28, 2025 visibility 14 link 1 artist

tony karman expo chicago director steps down

Tony Karman, the longtime director of Expo Chicago, will step down from his role at the end of June, remaining as president in an advisory capacity while the fair searches for a new director. Karman founded Expo Chicago in 2011, succeeding Art Chicago, and has led the fair through 14 editions, including its most recent one last month with 170 exhibitors and over 35,000 visitors. The transition follows Frieze's acquisition of Expo Chicago and the Armory Show in July 2023, and comes amid broader ownership changes at Frieze itself, which was recently sold to a company founded by Ari Emanuel and is now fully owned by private equity firm Silver Lake.

newspaper ARTnews open_in_new Read original

gavel restitution schedule May 21, 2025 visibility 15 link 1 artist

metropolitan museum returns antiquities iraq robin symes

The Metropolitan Museum of Art has announced it will return three ancient sculptures to Iraq, collectively valued at $500,000. The objects include a Sumerian gypsum alabaster vessel (ca. 2600–2500 BCE) and two Babylonian terracotta sculptures (ca. 2000–1600 BCE) depicting a male and female head. The repatriation follows new information from an investigation into Robin Symes, a dealer accused of trafficking looted artifacts. The Manhattan District Attorney's Office reported that the Symes investigation has led to the seizure of 135 antiquities worth over $58 million, with two of the items seized by the Antiquities Trafficking Unit earlier this year.

newspaper ARTnews open_in_new Read original

trending_up market schedule May 21, 2025 visibility 15 link 2 artists

this qing dynasty painting could sell for nearly 19 million at auction

Sotheby's Hong Kong offered the Qing dynasty imperial painting *The Blue Goats* as a single-lot sale during its Asian Art Week. Commissioned by Emperor Qianlong in the late 1750s, the seven-by-six-foot hanging scroll was created by Italian Jesuit painter Giuseppe Castiglione (Lang Shining) and Chinese court artist Jin Tingbiao, blending Western and Eastern techniques. Despite a presale estimate of HK$60–150 million ($7.7–19.3 million), the work sold for HK$58.9 million ($7.6 million) after fees, below the low estimate. The painting depicts a pair of gorals in a rocky landscape and is inscribed with a poem by the emperor symbolizing his military conquests.

newspaper Artnet News open_in_new Read original

article policy schedule May 20, 2025 visibility 17 link 1 artist

eu sanctions russian museum crimea

The European Union has sanctioned the “Tauric Chersonese” State Museum-Preserve in Crimea, marking the first time the EU has targeted a Russian museum. The museum and its director, Elena Morozova, were included in the latest round of sanctions for allegedly undermining Ukrainian cultural heritage by promoting pro-Russian narratives and supporting Russia's invasion of Ukraine. The site, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, has been accused of transforming into a historical park under Russian control since Crimea's annexation in 2014.

newspaper ARTnews open_in_new Read original

article news schedule May 20, 2025 visibility 9 link 1 artist

ilucas museum layoffs 14 percent full time staff

The Lucas Museum of Narrative Art in Los Angeles has laid off 15 full-time employees (14% of its full-time staff) and seven part-time workers, primarily affecting its Learning & Engagement and Museum Services teams. The cuts also include Regan Pro, deputy director of public programs and social impact, and Bernardo Rondeau, curator of film programs. The museum, founded by George Lucas and Mellody Hobson, has faced multiple delays due to supply-chain issues, pushing its opening from 2023 to 2026, and recently underwent a leadership transition with director Sandra Jackson-Dumont stepping down.

newspaper ARTnews open_in_new Read original

museum exhibitions schedule May 14, 2026 visibility 11 link 11 artists

Human Touch Wins Big With the 2026 Loewe Craft Prize

Jongjin Park won the 2026 Loewe Foundation Craft Prize and €50,000 for his work "Strata of Illusion, 2025," which combines glassblowing and bookbinding techniques using porcelain-coated paper layers. The ceremony took place at the National Gallery Singapore, with a jury led by Loewe's new creative directors Jack McCollough and Lazaro Hernandez, alongside architects Minsuk Cho, Frida Escobedo, Wang Shu, and Patricia Urquiola. Special mentions went to Graziano Visintin for his necklace "Collier" and a collaborative piece by Baba Tree Master Weavers and Álvaro Catalán de Ocón. The exhibition of 30 finalists, selected from over 5,100 applicants across 133 countries, runs at the National Gallery Singapore through June 14.

newspaper Cultured open_in_new Read original

museum exhibitions schedule May 13, 2026 visibility 14 link 11 artists, 3 galleries

How Does an Art Fair Stand Apart? TEFAF NY Has an Answer.

TEFAF New York returns to the Park Avenue Armory from May 15-19, featuring 88 dealers and galleries from 14 countries across four continents. The fair distinguishes itself from competitors like Frieze, NADA, and Independent by offering an unusually broad range of works—from Modernist paintings and contemporary sculpture to ancient artifacts, fine jewelry, and design. Notable exhibitors include Gagosian showing Kathleen Ryan’s bejeweled fruit sculptures, Thaddaeus Ropac presenting newcomer Eva Helene Pade, and Belgian dealer David Lévy pairing Keith Haring with Willem de Kooning. Design is a particular highlight this year, with galleries such as Sarah Myerscough, Gomide&Co, and Modernity Stockholm showcasing everything from Shaker-inspired chairs to Brazilian modernist furniture and Scandinavian classics.

newspaper Cultured open_in_new Read original

article culture schedule May 5, 2026 visibility 23 link 13 artists

The Good, the Bad, and the Fugly From the 2026 Met Gala

Cultured magazine's 2026 Met Gala coverage features a roundtable of critics and writers offering candid, often humorous takes on celebrity looks from the red carpet. Emma Chamberlain's hand-painted Mugler gown is widely praised as the most on-theme, while Troye Sivan's Prada homage to Robert Mapplethorpe and Chase Infiniti's Thom Browne trompe-l'œil dress also earn acclaim. Gabrielle Richardson calls for more color, noting the theme is about art, and criticizes the monochromatic trend. Mackenzie Thomas pans Alysa Liu's look as "prom" and "quinceañera," while others celebrate Naomi Osaka's Robert Wun Couture and Connor Storrie's Saint Laurent ensemble. The article is structured as a series of short, punchy quotes from multiple contributors, each focusing on specific attendees' fashion choices.

newspaper Cultured open_in_new Read original

person people schedule May 2, 2026 visibility 19 link 5 artists

collector questionnaire yu chi lyra kuo technology art

Yu-Chi Lyra Kuo, an entrepreneur, investor, and Harvard-educated lawyer, is profiled for her pioneering work at the intersection of frontier technology and art. A former Princeton academic and one of the youngest board members of the Shed in New York, Kuo began collecting art as a child with a jade gourd from her grandfather's museum of Asian carvings. She was an early entrant into blockchain in 2011, co-founded OpenSea 2.0, and now advises frontier tech companies like Orchid Health. Kuo believes technologies such as AI and robotics can enhance human creativity, enabling individualized artworks, autonomous creations, and robot performances, rather than replacing human cultural meaning.

newspaper Cultured open_in_new Read original

person people schedule Apr 23, 2026 visibility 19 link 7 artists

art nicole eisenman paintings interview

Cultured magazine profiles artist Nicole Eisenman as part of its 2026 CULT100 honorees, featuring a short interview accompanied by photography by Lee Mary Manning. Eisenman discusses her daily life, creative influences, and art-world politics, mentioning her sofa, friends, and a hypothetical obituary headline. The piece highlights her role in the revival of figurative painting and her work in large-scale public sculpture.

newspaper Cultured open_in_new Read original

person people schedule Apr 23, 2026 visibility 18 link 2 artists, 2 galleries

art ebony l haynes david zwirner

Ebony L. Haynes, the influential curator behind 52 Walker—the downtown David Zwirner spinoff that helped transform Tribeca into New York's premier gallery district—has been promoted to global head of curatorial projects for the mega-gallery's entire network. In a candid Q&A, she discusses her insomnia, her early dream of being an A&R executive for a record label, and her commitment to ambitious, often impractical shows. She also names Koyo Kouoh's upcoming Venice Biennale as a highlight she's looking forward to.

newspaper Cultured open_in_new Read original

person people schedule Apr 23, 2026 visibility 19 link 5 artists

art alex da corte artist whitney museum

Alex Da Corte, known for his dreamlike installations such as the Big Bird piece on the Met's roof, is taking on a new role as curator. He is co-organizing the Whitney Museum's upcoming Roy Lichtenstein exhibition with Meg Onli, the largest Lichtenstein show in New York since 1993. In a Q&A for Cultured's 2026 CULT100 honorees, Da Corte discusses his influences, including poet Miyó Vestrini and filmmakers Len Lye and Todd Haynes, and reflects on his six-year preparation for the show.

newspaper Cultured open_in_new Read original

museum exhibitions schedule Apr 17, 2026 visibility 23 link 19 artists

parties 2026 bronx museum gala art

Over 500 guests gathered on a Tribeca rooftop for the 2026 Bronx Museum Gala, a fundraising event held in advance of the museum's South Wing renovation, slated to open in 2027. The evening honored artist Awol Erizku, designer Colm Dillane (KidSuper), and patron Lois Plehn, with newly-installed museum director Shamim M. Momin and co-chairs Danielle Falls and Annie B. Taylor wearing custom KidSuper suits. The gala featured a live auction led by Phillips auctioneer Sarah Krueger, including works by Ann Craven and Joyce McDonald, and an afterparty with DJ sets by Erizku and DJ Düe Champ.

newspaper Cultured open_in_new Read original

article culture schedule Apr 9, 2026 visibility 20 link 13 artists, 4 galleries

art peter hujar paul thek andrew durbin

In 2015, photographer Peter Hujar experienced a mainstream resurgence when his work appeared on the cover of Hanya Yanagihara's novel *A Little Life*, in a campaign for menswear designer Patrik Ervell, and at Christie's, where his 1973 photograph *Candy Darling on Her Deathbed* sold for $50,000. Now, two new publications—*Stay Away From Nothing* and *The Wonderful World That Almost Was*—focus on Hujar's complex relationship with sculptor Paul Thek, who died nine months after Hujar from AIDS complications. Author Andrew Durbin, who wrote *The Wonderful World That Almost Was* and curated the group show "How Beautiful This Living Thing Is" at New York's Ortuzar gallery, discusses their elusive bond, rivalry, and the queer social dynamics that shaped their lives and art.

newspaper Cultured open_in_new Read original

article events schedule Mar 23, 2026 visibility 18 link 8 artists

parties hamburger bahnhof anniversary gala

Hamburger Bahnhof in Berlin celebrated its 30th anniversary with a landmark benefit gala titled "A Night in Berlin," gathering over 500 cultural leaders from art, film, music, fashion, and philanthropy. The evening launched four new awards: the Studio Award to artists Abdulhamid Kircher, Monilola Olayemi Ilupeju, and Jonas Roßmeißl; the Lifetime Achievement Award to Mona Hatoum; the Global Arts Patronage Award to collector Kiran Nadar; and the Changemaker Award to the Delfina Foundation. The gala featured performances, spatial installations, and a red neon sculpture by Monica Bonvicini, with actor Cate Blanchett presenting and Alice Sara Ott performing.

newspaper Cultured open_in_new Read original

person people schedule Jan 8, 2026 visibility 26 link 6 artists

art max hollein met museum interview

Max Hollein, director and CEO of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, discusses the institution's upcoming major projects in an interview with a chair of the Met's Vanguard Council. These include the groundbreaking of the new Tang Wing for Modern and Contemporary Art, designed by Frida Escobedo, a major Raphael exhibition, and the Met Gala co-chaired by Beyoncé. Hollein reflects on the launch of the Vanguard Council, a next-generation patron group, and the museum's efforts to engage younger audiences.

newspaper Cultured open_in_new Read original

person people schedule Dec 2, 2025 visibility 21 link 6 artists, 1 gallery

art lorenzo amos young artist

Lorenzo Amos, a 23-year-old painter based in New York, held his debut solo exhibition at Gratin gallery last fall. The show featured paintings that blend Abstract Expressionist mark-making with the composed clarity of David Hockney portraits, all rooted in the intimate space of his living room-studio. Amos describes his approach as "Material Realism," where image and paint become inseparable, and his work as "painting about painting." He cites his friend Alex as a key influence, emphasizing the freedom found in imperfection.

newspaper Cultured open_in_new Read original

person people schedule Dec 2, 2025 visibility 18 link 3 artists

art ali eyal young artist

Ali Eyal, a 31-year-old artist based in Los Angeles, was featured in CULTURED's 2025 Young Artists list. His multidisciplinary practice addresses the violence he and his family experienced from the U.S. military during his upbringing in Baghdad in the 1990s and 2000s, as well as what he calls 'the after war.' His work uses grotesque, cartoonish figures to depict state violence, and he cites pieces like his video installation *Tonight's Programme* and a planned reconstruction of his father's burned car as central to his practice. Eyal was a standout in the latest Istanbul Biennial and the Hammer Museum's 2025 'Made in L.A.' exhibition.

newspaper Cultured open_in_new Read original

article culture schedule Dec 2, 2025 visibility 15 link 1 artist, 1 gallery

art cindy sherman holiday card transanta

Cindy Sherman is reviving her annual holiday party after a five-year hiatus, introducing a new line of kitschy Christmas cards featuring five works created with face-tuning A.I. algorithms that distort her face in a Picasso-esque style. The cards are part of the newly founded Cindy Sherman Legacy Project, curated by Lumi Tan, and all proceeds will benefit Transanta, a trans-led mutual aid project supporting unhoused or unsupported trans youth, founded by Chase Strangio, Indya Moore, and Kyle Lasky. The cards are available through Sherman's website, Hauser & Wirth's New York bookstore, and a launch party on Dec. 9 at Jean's in New York.

newspaper Cultured open_in_new Read original