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The article reports on two major stories. First, the trial has begun in the legal battle between billionaire art collector Ronald Perelman and his insurance companies over five paintings by Cy Twombly, Ed Ruscha, and Andy Warhol, worth a combined $410 million. Perelman claims the works lost their 'oomph' after a 2018 fire at his East Hampton estate, while insurers dispute the damage and his claims about not trying to sell them. Second, President Donald Trump is accused of making a crude sketch of a naked woman for Jeffrey Epstein, as reported by the Wall Street Journal; Trump denied the drawing and sued the paper for libel. The article also covers Jennifer Saunders becoming the first woman director of the New York State Museum, layoffs at the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco, a dinosaur skeleton sale at Sotheby's, and a lawsuit over a Sam Gilliam painting.

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Drax Fine Art, LLC has filed a lawsuit against David Kordansky Gallery, the Sam Gilliam Foundation, and the late artist's widow Annie Gawlak, alleging they conspired to disavow and defame an authentic Sam Gilliam drape painting from 1972. Drax claims the work was acquired from Carl Solway Gallery in Cincinnati, installed in an architectural firm's lobby, and later purchased by Drax. The plaintiff seeks $6 million in damages, accusing the defendants of blocking an auction sale by claiming restoration efforts constituted irreparable damage. The defendants call the claims "absolutely frivolous," asserting the unsigned, undated piece does not conform to Gilliam's practice and may be a studio remnant.

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The Institute of Contemporary Art (ICA) Miami has opened "Mildred Thompson: Frequencies," the first comprehensive retrospective of the late artist Mildred Thompson (1936–2003). Spanning five decades, the exhibition brings together 49 works—including wood assemblages, monochromatic prints, and oversized triptychs—sourced from the artist's estate and Galerie Lelong & Co. It traces Thompson's career as she moved between the United States and Germany, highlighting her stylistic evolution and her deep engagement with abstraction, science, and spirituality. The show follows earlier focused presentations like "Against the Grain" (2018) at the New Orleans Museum of Art and the 2017 "Magnetic Fields" exhibition at the National Museum of Women in the Arts.

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The article details the career of artist Grace Hartigan, who by 1954 had overcome self-doubt and gained critical and commercial success with her bold, figurative-abstraction paintings. It recounts her solo exhibitions at Tibor de Nagy, acquisitions by MoMA and the Whitney, and her defiance of critic Clement Greenberg. The piece then focuses on a new exhibition at the North Carolina Museum of Art, "Grace Hartigan: The Gift of Attention," curated by Jared Ledesma, which explores how her relationships with avant-garde poets like Frank O'Hara and Barbara Guest shaped her work and provided a sense of belonging in the downtown New York scene.

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Gordon Robichaux, a gallery located on the ninth floor of a high-rise in New York's Union Square, has opened two exhibitions dedicated to the late artist and curator Jenni Crain, who died suddenly from Covid-19 in 2021 at age 30. The shows feature an unrealized floor sculpture by Crain, completed by her foundation and collaborators, and an untitled exhibition including works by artists who influenced her, such as Tee Corinne, March Avery, and Kate Millett. The gallery is also dedicating its booth at Frieze New York to Crain, highlighting her role as a friend, curator, and salesperson during the gallery's early years.

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The US State Department has finally posted a grant for artists to submit proposals for the 2026 Venice Biennale pavilion, after an unusual delay that sparked speculation the Trump administration might skip the event. The posting includes new "MAGA-fied criteria" that remove previous language about diversity and equity, instead requiring compliance with Federal anti-discrimination laws and prohibiting programs promoting Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. Meanwhile, the National Endowment for the Arts canceled grants and the Trump administration proposed eliminating the agency entirely. Other news includes a trove of Buddha relics heading to auction at Sotheby's Hong Kong, Michael Werner opening a second New York gallery, and the Art Institute of Chicago's president taking leave amid an investigation.

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An inquest has ruled that the death of London-based artist Sarah Cunningham, 31, was accidental. She went missing in the early hours of November 2 in Camden, and her body was later found on the tracks at Chalk Farm Underground Station. On April 9, London’s Poplar Coroner’s Court determined that Cunningham jumped down onto the northbound train track and walked into the tunnel, where a train hit her 18 minutes later, but the coroner found she did not intend to take her own life. Cunningham was a rising artist represented by Lisson Gallery.

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US artists Spencer Finch and Lindsay Adams have been commissioned to create new installations for the Obama Presidential Center in Chicago, which is set to open in early 2026. Finch will produce a 70-foot-long tiled mural for the Forum building's lobby, inspired by Barack Obama's memoir *Dreams from My Father*, while Adams will adapt a 2024 painting into fabric panels for the center's public café. The commissions are led by museum director Louise Bernard and curator Virginia Shore, who are building a collection of approximately 20 public artworks for the campus, including pieces by Julie Mehretu, Richard Hunt, and Maya Lin.

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Georgian-Russian artist Zurab Tsereteli has died at age 91. He served as the chief artist of the USSR’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and headed Russia’s Academy of Arts, and was a known supporter of Vladimir Putin. His monumental sculptures, favored by Russian elites, were controversial in his native Georgia.

Venice Biennale 2026: all the national pavilions, artists and curators so far

The 61st edition of the Venice Biennale, the world's oldest and most prestigious art biennial, will open on 9 May 2026 and run through 22 November. The main exhibition follows the curatorial plan of the late Koyo Kouoh, while national pavilions have been announcing their participating artists and organizers. The article provides a comprehensive list of confirmed pavilions so far, including artists such as Genti Korini (Albania), Matías Duville (Argentina), Khaled Sabsabi (Australia), Florentina Holzinger (Austria), Faig Ahmed (Azerbaijan), and many others, with details on venues and organizers.

A Brush With... Hurvin Anderson—podcast

British painter Hurvin Anderson discusses his artistic journey and the cultural influences that shape his work in a new interview. Born in Birmingham to Jamaican parents, Anderson creates atmospheric paintings that explore the textures of memory and the diasporic experience, often blending imagery of Britain and the Caribbean to reflect the feeling of being in one place while thinking of another.

Miami Beach’s Bass Museum picks architect for new pavilion

The Bass Museum of Art in Miami Beach has appointed the Los Angeles-based architecture firm Johnston Marklee to design a new 22,000-square-foot pavilion. The expansion, funded in part by a $20.1 million municipal bond, will occupy a site currently used for parking and will feature an elevated gallery designed to withstand South Florida’s environmental challenges, alongside an outdoor patio and performance stage.

As Cuban crisis deepens, diaspora artists have a message of compassion

Artists Antonia Wright and Ruben Millares are showcasing a salvaged, bullet-ridden Cuban migrant vessel at Miami’s Piero Atchugarry Gallery. The exhibition, titled 'Exile', serves as a visceral focal point for the escalating humanitarian crisis in Cuba, where citizens face systemic collapse, starvation, and political imprisonment. Through the concept of 'embodiment' rather than mere empathy, the artists confront the harrowing 93-mile journey across the Straits of Florida undertaken by those desperate to escape the island's dictatorship.

SP-Arte underscores Latin America’s resilient rise amid global market recalibration

The 22nd edition of SP-Arte has opened at São Paulo’s Oscar Niemeyer-designed pavilion, featuring over 180 galleries and design studios. While global art markets face a period of recalibration, the Latin American sector—and Brazil in particular—is reporting significant growth, including a 21% year-on-year increase in sales for Brazilian dealers according to the latest Art Basel and UBS report.

Expo Chicago’s local focus pays off as Midwestern collectors, institutions buoy sales

The latest edition of Expo Chicago has reinforced its reputation as a curator-centric fair, with more than half of its booths dedicated to curated or thematic sections. Under the leadership of new director Kate Sierzputowski, the fair integrated institutional voices directly into the floor plan through sections like 'Embodiment,' curated by Louise Bernard of the Obama Presidential Center. This strategic focus on curation and local institutional ties resulted in strong early sales, including works by María Magdalena Campos-Pons, Torkwase Dyson, and Ambreen Butt, with several pieces acquired by American institutions.

A renewed focus on rigour and connection at Expo Chicago

The 2026 edition of Expo Chicago marks a strategic shift under the leadership of new director Kate Sierzputowski, featuring a leaner roster of 130 galleries at Navy Pier. The fair has introduced a more spacious layout and a new curatorial role, filled by Essence Harden, to deepen institutional ties and scholarly rigor. Notable participants include local mainstays like Monique Meloche Gallery and Gray, alongside international exhibitors from South Korea, South Africa, and Nigeria, as well as high-profile New York newcomers like Karma.

Inside Sunpride Foundation’s Mission to Champion LGBTQ+ Art Across Asia

Patrick Sun founded the Sunpride Foundation in 2014 to support LGBTQ+ communities through art, combining his passion for contemporary queer Asian art with philanthropy. The foundation's flagship "Spectrosynthesis" exhibition series has been staged at major institutions across Asia, including the Museum of Contemporary Art, Taipei, and the Bangkok Art and Culture Centre. The latest iteration, "Spectrosynthesis Seoul," opened at Seoul's Art Sonje Center and runs through June 28, 2026. Sun, a Hong Kong-born real estate developer and longtime art collector, built the foundation's collection with a focus on works suitable for museum exhibitions about queer identity.

The Defining Themes of Today’s Biennial Art

The article analyzes the defining themes and styles of the past four years in the international biennial circuit, based on a survey of 130 biennials. It identifies a core group of artists who appeared most frequently, including Ali Eyal, Apichatpong Weerasethakul, Carolina Caycedo, Kapwani Kiwanga, and Tuan Andrew Nguyen, among others. Many of these artists are also featured in the upcoming 61st Venice Biennale curated by the late Koyo Kouoh. The piece categorizes their work under two broad themes: "Post-Colonial Post-Conceptualism," which involves poetic engagement with colonial history and artifacts, and "Families and Networks," where artists explore personal and political family histories.

U.S. Crowdfunds Its Venice Biennale Pavilion

The United States is crowdfunding its pavilion at the 61st Venice Biennale, which opens in ten days, due to the absence of major sponsors like the Ford Foundation and the Mellon Foundation. The pavilion, featuring sculptures by Alma Allen, is being organized by the American Arts Conservancy (AAC), which is soliciting donations through a campaign that has been live since at least November. The U.S. government contributes $375,000, but the installation costs significantly exceed that amount. Donors include Nevada-based Republican donors Jim and Aimee Battista, talent manager Tom Ierna, and actor Alex Pita. The AAC has not disclosed the campaign's fundraising goal, amount raised, or end date.

Seoul Gets an Intriguing New Art Fair—Plus, a Rundown of the Latest in Asia’s Art World

The Asian art landscape is undergoing significant shifts, headlined by the launch of Hive Art Fair in Seoul, which introduces a fee-free booth model focused on B2B corporate collaborations. Major institutional moves include the appointment of Melissa Chiu as the new director of the Guggenheim Museum and the opening of the Black Gold Museum in Riyadh. Meanwhile, the Hong Kong Museum of History has reopened with a controversial thematic revamp that emphasizes Chinese heritage over colonial history.

The Philosopher Who Predicted Our Post-Literate Art Moment

Art critic Martha Schwendener has released a new book titled 'The Society of the Screen: Vilém Flusser’s Radical Prescience,' exploring the prophetic theories of the late philosopher Vilém Flusser. Flusser, a Prague-born thinker who lived in Brazil and Europe, argued in the 1980s that society was transitioning from a text-based culture to one dominated by 'technical images,' a shift he believed would fundamentally alter human consciousness and the function of the 'apparatus' in daily life.

Paige Powell Didn’t Just Document Warhol’s Inner Circle. She Shaped It, Too

Paige Powell, a close confidante of Andy Warhol and former associate publisher of Interview magazine, is presenting a new exhibition of her photographs titled "Private Andy: Religious Services" at Jeffrey Deitch in Los Angeles. The show features intimate, often accidental images from 1986-87 that document Warhol's final days, including his volunteer work at a church and his funeral, revealing his spiritual side and the overlap of life and death.

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British artist Thomas J Price has unveiled his largest sculpture to date, an 18-foot bronze titled 'A Place Beyond', outside the forthcoming V&A East in London. The monumental work depicts a fictional woman in everyday attire, continuing Price’s practice of using unidealized figures to critique the traditions of classical sculpture and challenge viewer biases. The installation serves as a public precursor to the museum's official opening on April 18, 2025.

Frida Kahlo: Making of an Icon

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The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, has launched a major exhibition titled "Frida Kahlo: Making of an Icon," which explores the artist's transformation from a relatively unknown figure during her lifetime into a global cultural phenomenon. Curated by Mari Carmen Ramírez, the show features over 200 objects related to "Frida mania" alongside works by 80 contemporary artists who have been influenced by her legacy. The exhibition traces her life from her childhood in Mexico City and her tumultuous relationship with Diego Rivera to her emergence as a symbol for various social movements.

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At 92 years old, Puerto Rican artist Carmen De Monteflores has emerged as a breakout star of the 2026 Whitney Biennial. Her inclusion in the prestigious exhibition was facilitated by her daughter, renowned performance artist Andrea Fraser, who urged curators to view her mother's vibrant, shaped canvases that had been sitting in storage for decades. De Monteflores, who studied at the Art Students League and the École de Beaux-Arts, abandoned her painting career in 1969 due to the lack of opportunities for women, eventually becoming a psychologist and novelist.

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Praise Shadows Art Gallery, a respected contemporary art gallery, is relocating from Brookline to a 2,000-square-foot downtown Boston storefront in the Leather District. The move was facilitated by Boston Mayor Michelle Wu and the city's Space for Creative Enterprise Downtown initiative, which helped founder Yng-Ru Chen secure a 10-year lease. The gallery opens on March 13 with a group show titled "Summoning" and has a slate of solo shows planned for Boston-based artists in 2026.

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Ai Weiwei has recreated Claude Monet's monumental triptych "Water Lilies" (1914–26) using 650,000 Lego bricks in 22 colors, spanning nearly 50 feet. The work, titled "Water Lilies #1" (2022), is now on display at the Design Museum in London ahead of a major survey exhibition opening April 7. Ai added a personal touch by inserting a "dark portal" referencing the underground dugout he shared with his father during his family's exile to Xinjiang in the 1960s. The show also includes "Untitled (Lego Incident)", a work made from Lego bricks sent by fans after Ai's Instagram post about Lego temporarily restricting his bulk orders for political artworks.

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Lower Manhattan is getting a new nonprofit art space called Times (styled in lowercase), founded by Summer Guthery and Francesca Sonara. Located on the fourth floor of 151 Lafayette Street above the Museum of Chinese in America, the 3,000-square-foot venue will operate for only three years. Its inaugural exhibition, featuring Danish artist Nina Beier, opens February 21 with a display of melting Cornetto ice cream cones. The space will officially open February 12 with a performance by Latvian choreographer Jana Jacuka. Guthery, previously founding artistic director of Canal Projects, and Sonara, former director of communications at Minnesota Street Project, met as graduate students at Bard College's Center for Curatorial Studies.

8 artists poised to break out in 2026 2722681

Artnet News asked four curators and four art advisors from around the world to each select one artist they believe is poised to break out in 2026. The article profiles the first two of eight artists: Indonesian artist Bagus Pandega, known for kinetic plant-based installations, who has had solo shows at Kunsthalle Basel and Swiss Institute New York; and Max Hooper Schneider, a Los Angeles-based artist creating aquarium-like works blending organic and artificial materials, recently exhibited at 125 Newbury gallery in New York.

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Gloria Klein, a late New York-based painter known for anxious acrylic arrangements and methodical mathematical systems, is the subject of a new solo exhibition titled "Crisis Management" opening January 9, 2026, at Anat Ebgi New York. The show presents many of her later paintings for the first time, and coincides with the announcement that Anat Ebgi now represents her estate. Klein, born in Brooklyn in 1936, was a queer artist who participated in the feminist publication HERESIES, created portraits of critics Arlene Raven and Lucy Lippard, curated the 1977 exhibition "10 Downtown: 10 Years" at PS1, and was a member of the Criss Cross art cooperative. Despite a recent sale of her work for $30,000 at Frieze Los Angeles in 2023, she remains relatively unknown.