Vasari Art Codex

gavel restitution schedule Feb 9, 2026 visibility 3 link 3 artists

political bribery investigation south korea lee ufan 1234772835

A South Korean court acquitted former chief prosecutor Kim Sang-min of violating anti-graft laws by allegedly purchasing a painting attributed to artist Lee Ufan and gifting it to Kim Keon-hee, the wife of former President Yoon Suk-yeol, in exchange for political favors. The court found the prosecution's evidence insufficient to prove the painting was purchased or delivered as a bribe, citing a lack of documentation and the questionable credibility of a key witness.

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museum exhibitions schedule Feb 9, 2026 visibility 3 link 1 artist

Dangling sculpture—‘evacuated’ from Russian-Ukrainian frontline—will be focus of Ukraine's pavilion at Venice Biennale

Ukraine's pavilion at the 2024 Venice Biennale will feature artist Zhanna Kadyrova's concrete sculpture *Origami Deer*, which was evacuated from Pokrovsk in the Donetsk region as Russian forces advanced in 2024. The pavilion, titled *Security Guarantees*, references the 1994 Budapest Memorandum and will include archival materials and a video installation documenting the sculpture's journey across Europe. The work will be suspended from a crane on a truck along the Venice lagoon, symbolizing forced displacement and the fragility of international promises.

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article culture schedule Feb 9, 2026 visibility 4 link 4 artists, 1 gallery

judy chicago google 2741752

Artist Judy Chicago recounts her frustrating experiences with public art commissions, focusing on a recent failed collaboration with Google for its Chicago headquarters at the Thompson Center. After being encouraged by her dealer to apply, Chicago was awarded a commission in fall 2025 to create a large terrazzo floor and a 17-story glass elevator shaft using her "Through the Flower" imagery. However, the project fell through after months of effort, mirroring earlier disappointments with the Beverly Hills Sculpture Park, where a city councilor questioned the value of her work, which Chicago attributes to institutionalized sexism.

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trending_up market schedule Feb 3, 2026 visibility 5 link 15 artists

Saudi painter Safeya Binzagr outshines Picasso at Sotheby’s second sale in Diriyah

Sotheby's second auction in Saudi Arabia, 'Origins II,' concluded with strong results, achieving a hammer total of $15.4 million and an 89% sell-through rate. The sale demonstrated robust demand for regional artists, particularly Arab Modernists, while some high-profile Western works were withdrawn or failed to sell. The standout lot was a 1968 painting by the late Saudi pioneer Safeya Binzagr, titled 'Coffee Shop in Madina Road,' which sold for $1.1 million, significantly outperforming a Picasso work in the same sale.

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article news schedule Feb 2, 2026 visibility 2 link 4 artists

kanal centre pompidou to open in november trump hotel plans nixed after serbias culture minister indicted morning links for january 29 2026 1234771297

The Kanal–Centre Pompidou in Brussels, a major new modern and contemporary art center housed in a converted 1930s Citroën garage, will open on November 28 with a launch program of 10 exhibitions. Its centerpiece, "A truly immense journey," will feature over 350 works from the Centre Pompidou's collection, exploring themes of migration and exchange.

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article policy schedule Jan 29, 2026 visibility 4 link 1 artist

trump hotel belgrade plan collapses indictments 1234771355

Plans to convert Belgrade's historic Generalštab complex, a former Yugoslav military headquarters and landmark of postwar Modernism, into a Trump International Hotel have collapsed. The developer, Affinity Global Development, withdrew from the deal after Serbia's culture minister and three senior heritage officials were indicted on charges of abuse of office and falsifying documents related to the project.

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rate_review review schedule Jan 27, 2026 visibility 5 link 2 artists

the gallerist sundance review natalie portman jenna ortega 1234771098

The Gallerist, a new satire directed by Cathy Yan, premiered at the Sundance Film Festival. The film follows struggling gallerist Polina Polinski (Natalie Portman), who is betting everything on a one-artist debut at Art Basel Miami Beach. After an obnoxious art influencer, Dalton Hardberry (Zach Galifianakis), dies accidentally by impalement on a sculpture titled The Emasculator, Polina and her assistant Kiki (Jenna Ortega) conspire to pass off his corpse as part of the artwork, duping wealthy clients. The ensemble cast also includes Catherine Zeta-Jones as a legendary dealer reminiscent of Marian Goodman, Da'Vine Joy Randolph as the earnest artist Stella Burgess, and Sterling K. Brown as Polina's ex-husband.

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article news schedule Jan 26, 2026 visibility 2 link 1 artist, 1 gallery

jaume plensa sculpture university of notre dame museum 1234771036

A 36-foot-tall stainless steel sculpture by Jaume Plensa, titled *Endless*, collapsed outside the Raclin Murphy Museum of Art at the University of Notre Dame on December 10, 2024. The work was found broken into two pieces after standing for nearly three years; no injuries occurred and only minor damage to the surrounding concrete was reported. Museum director Joseph Becherer stated the cause remains unknown, with no evidence of external force, and the remaining portion was dismantled as a precaution. The sculpture, installed in 2023 as a permanent outdoor commission, was donated by alumnus Charles Hayes and reflects Plensa's signature motif of letters exploring language and shared humanity.

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article news schedule Jan 26, 2026 visibility 3 link 1 artist, 1 gallery

louvre closes again union negotiations 1234770949

The Louvre closed on Monday due to a strike by employees demanding improved working conditions and pay equity, marking the fourth closure since mid-December. Roughly 300 workers voted to extend the strike, which began December 15, after fruitless negotiations with the Ministry of Culture and Louvre management. The dispute has been intensified by an October 19 burglary that exposed systemic security failures, and workers have also protested the museum's long-term redevelopment plans, including a proposed standalone gallery for the Mona Lisa, calling them unrealistic given staffing shortages and maintenance issues.

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article news schedule Jan 26, 2026 visibility 3 link 1 artist, 1 gallery

studio museum harlem close sprinkler emergency 1234770961

The Studio Museum in Harlem was forced to evacuate visitors and close for the weekend after a sprinkler emergency caused water to leak from a ceiling near the gift shop. The incident occurred on Friday, January 24, 2025, during preparations for a winter storm that brought heavy snow and freezing temperatures to Manhattan. A museum spokesperson confirmed that no artworks or galleries were affected, and the museum planned to reopen on Wednesday, January 28. The museum had recently reopened in November 2024 in a new building designed by David Adjaye's firm.

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article culture schedule Jan 23, 2026 visibility 2 link 5 artists

alejandro jodorowsky taschen art sin fin monograph 2739606

Taschen has released a monumental two-volume monograph titled "Art Sin Fin" (2026) dedicated to the 96-year-old Chilean filmmaker and polymath Alejandro Jodorowsky. The book, priced at $1,500 and packaged in a Plexiglass box, spans over 2,000 pages and includes film stills, collages, drawings, photographs, comic strips, and performance images curated by Jodorowsky himself in collaboration with Donatien Grau, head of contemporary programs at the Louvre Museum. It covers his entire career, from his surrealist films "El Topo" (1970) and "The Holy Mountain" (1973) to his failed "Dune" adaptation, his comic series like "The Incal" and "The Metabarons," his psychomagic therapy practice, and recent collaborations with his wife Pascale Montandon.

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article news schedule Jan 23, 2026 visibility 1 link 4 artists, 3 galleries

Art Gallery of Ontario curator resigned after failed acquisition of Nan Goldin work

A senior curator at the Art Gallery of Ontario (AGO) resigned after the museum's modern and contemporary curatorial working committee voted 11-to-9 against acquiring Nan Goldin's moving-image work "Stendhal Syndrome" (2024), citing allegations of antisemitism over remarks Goldin made in a 2024 speech at Berlin's Neue Nationalgalerie. The AGO had planned to jointly purchase the work with the Vancouver Art Gallery and the Walker Art Center, but pulled out in mid 2025; the other two institutions proceeded with the acquisition. Two volunteer members of the collections committee also resigned over the decision, according to a leaked memo obtained by The Globe and Mail.

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article local schedule Jan 21, 2026 visibility 3 link 2 artists, 1 gallery

frank lloyd wright walser house foreclosure 2730213

Frank Lloyd Wright's Walser House, a rare Prairie-style home in Chicago's Austin neighborhood, is returning to market after being acquired by Fannie Mae through foreclosure. The house has been vacant and neglected since 2019, when its long-time owner died, and requires an estimated $2 million in restoration work. A foreclosure sale in December 2025 failed when preservation advocates were priced out by a minimum bid of $240,000, well above the property's appraised value of $65,000. Fannie Mae now holds the title and is preparing the property for listing, offering a potential path to new ownership.

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trending_up market schedule Jan 21, 2026 visibility 3 link 1 artist, 1 gallery

the art marketplace private sales 2738131

A new digital platform called the Art Marketplace, founded in mid-2025 by Elliot Safra and a group of partners, aims to streamline private art sales by addressing common frustrations in the secondary market. Unlike traditional auction houses or gallery sales, the platform lists artworks without images, revealing only key details like artist name, description, price, and last update. Requests for images or condition reports are vetted to ensure qualified interest, prioritizing confidentiality and avoiding public exposure that could harm a work's market value. Sellers can list works in minutes, bypassing intermediaries like advisors or dealers, while buyers gain access to previously obscure off-market inventory.

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article news schedule Jan 20, 2026 visibility 2

philadelphia art museum executive rebrand resigns 1234770289

Paul Dien, the chief marketing officer behind the Philadelphia Museum of Art's controversial rebranding, has resigned effective February 1. Dien, who joined the museum in 2023, oversaw the institution's name change to "Philadelphia Art Museum" and a new visual identity that drew widespread public mockery on social media. The rebranding was intended to boost attendance, but faced backlash from locals and critics. Dien's departure follows the ouster of former director and CEO Sasha Suda in November, who has since filed a wrongful dismissal lawsuit against the museum.

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article news schedule Jan 20, 2026 visibility 2 link 3 artists, 1 gallery

louvre heist surveillance footage 2738591

Newly released surveillance footage shows masked thieves breaking into the Louvre's Apollo gallery in October 2025, using disc cutters to slice open display cases and steal France's crown jewels. The heist occurred under staff observation, with no security guards present, and police have since identified five suspects via DNA evidence, arresting four, though the jewels remain missing. The footage was broadcast on French TV on January 18, 2026, as the museum faces its third staff strike in over a month.

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article news schedule Jan 20, 2026 visibility 3 link 1 artist

louvre robbery footage french television 1234770196

French broadcaster France Télévisions aired previously unseen footage of the October 2025 robbery at the Louvre Museum, in which thieves stole crown jewels worth approximately €88 million ($102 million). The four-minute video, shown on the investigative program Complément d'enquête, captures the thieves smashing display cases with their fists and an angle grinder while security guards remain largely motionless nearby. One guard briefly confronts the thieves with a rope stanchion before backing down, and another makes a phone call. The footage corroborates findings from a security audit that deemed the museum's system "outdated and inadequate," with a severe lack of functioning cameras. Louvre director Laurence des Cars had previously stated that the sole camera covering the gallery was facing the wrong direction, and it took guards eight minutes to access the correct feed during the break-in.

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article local schedule Jan 15, 2026 visibility 1

spain valladolid medieval church apse collapse 1234769931

A section of the apse of the 12th-century Romanesque-Mudejar Church of Our Lady of the Castle (also known as the Church of Our Lady of the Assumption) in Muriel de Zapardiel, Valladolid, Spain, collapsed on Monday morning. The protected Bien de Interés Cultural was immediately closed to the public, with no injuries reported. Heritage experts attribute the collapse to long-standing structural issues such as humidity, cracks, and brickwork erosion, compounded by years of insufficient maintenance. The Archbishopric of Valladolid, which owns the church, stated that inspections last summer had not indicated imminent risk, while regional culture minister Gonzalo Santonja visited the site and called for further analysis.

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article news schedule Jan 15, 2026 visibility 2 link 2 artists, 1 gallery

louvre installs bars on heist window 2733943

The Louvre Museum has installed security bars on the French window of the Apollo Gallery, the entry point used by thieves in a $102 million jewel heist on October 19. The museum announced the measure on X, showing workers installing the bars before dawn. Additional security upgrades include a mobile police base, distancing devices on the Quai François Mitterrand, and plans for 100 new perimeter cameras by 2026. These steps are part of a $92 million security master plan. Ticket prices for non-E.U. visitors will rise 45% to $37 starting January 14, 2026, to help fund the improvements. The museum also revealed that a 2018 audit sponsored by Van Cleef and Arpels had flagged the balcony's vulnerability, but then-director Jean-Luc Martinez did not act. Louvre president Laurence des Cars offered to resign after the security failures came to light but was asked to stay.

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trending_up market schedule Jan 10, 2026 visibility 4 link 8 artists, 4 galleries

new wealth 2026 2736004

The article examines the art market's struggle to attract new wealthy buyers despite a surge in global wealth. Marc Spiegler, former global director of Art Basel, argues that galleries have failed to recruit the newly wealthy, noting that inflation-adjusted art sales have declined over the past 15 years. He suggests the industry needs to reposition art as 'magical' and transformative to appeal to potential patrons.

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article news schedule Jan 9, 2026 visibility 1 link 4 artists, 1 gallery

can you insure a national treasure bayeux tapestry loan sparks 1 1 billion debate 2735912

France's historic loan of the Bayeux Tapestry to the British Museum has sparked controversy over the proposed £800 million ($1.1 billion) insurance cover, which critics argue is unsuitable for such a fragile, 950-year-old textile. Art historians and conservators have raised concerns that the U.K.'s Government Indemnity Scheme does not cover damage from preexisting conditions or inherent vice, and that no sum can adequately insure an irreplaceable heritage object. A French petition calling on President Emmanuel Macron to cancel the loan has garnered over 75,000 signatures, but the U.K. government has proceeded with plans, including a practice "dry run" using a facsimile and a custom crate designed to minimize vibrations.

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article news schedule Jan 8, 2026 visibility 3 link 3 artists, 2 galleries

sperone westwater legal dispute closure 1234769268

Sperone Westwater, a 50-year-old New York gallery, closed at the end of 2025 amid a legal dispute between its two co-principals, Gian Enzo Sperone and Angela Westwater. Newly filed court documents reveal governance failures, financial disputes, and allegations of unpaid artists. The petition, filed in New York Supreme Court, seeks judicial dissolution of the corporation and appointment of a receiver, citing irreconcilable divisions and a breakdown in communication between the partners. Financial records show gallery revenue fell from $20 million in 2021 to $3.6 million in 2025, with losses in five of the past seven years.

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article news schedule Jan 6, 2026 visibility 2 link 6 artists

louvre strike 2 2734814

Louvre staff went on strike again on Monday over understaffing, working conditions, and the museum's $820 million renovation plan, echoing calls for director Laurence des Cars to step down. The walkout forced the museum to close to the public, reopening only a few major attractions like the Mona Lisa, Venus de Milo, and Winged Victory of Samothrace. The strike, originally launched in December, was suspended briefly but resumed after all 350 staff voted unanimously in favor. Unions demand a re-evaluation of the renovation project, dubbed "Nouvelle Renaissance," arguing the high cost is unrealistic and that priorities should shift to urgent technical maintenance.

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trending_up market schedule Jan 5, 2026 visibility 3 link 5 artists, 1 gallery

top lots david hockney 2693373

David Hockney's double portrait *Christopher Isherwood and Don Bachardy* (1968) sold for $44.34 million at Christie's New York on November 17, 2025, just shy of its $50 million high estimate. The sale ranks among the highest prices ever for the artist at auction. The article also reviews Hockney's top five auction results, including *The Splash* (1966), which fetched $29.92 million at Sotheby's London in 2020, and *Nichols Canyon* (1980), which sold for $41.07 million at Phillips New York in 2020. All five of Hockney's most expensive works have sold within the past seven years, reflecting sustained demand for his early and mid-career masterpieces.

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candle obituary schedule Jan 2, 2026 visibility 3 link 1 artist

cecilia gimenez beast jesus restoration dead 1234768356

Cecilia Giménez Zueco, the amateur Spanish painter who became a global sensation after her botched 2012 restoration of a 1930 fresco of Christ, has died at age 94. The mural, Ecce Homo by Elías García Martínez, was housed in a church in Borja, Spain; Giménez’s unsanctioned touch turned Christ’s face into a monkey-like image, spawning the nickname "Beast Jesus" and a wave of online memes.

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article news schedule Dec 27, 2025 visibility 3 link 1 artist, 1 gallery

Closure of Side gallery quayside space in Newcastle sparks social media backlash

Side gallery, a historic venue in Newcastle that has showcased documentary photography and film since 1977, will not reopen at its Quayside location after closing in 2023 due to lost revenue funding from the Arts Council of England (ACE). Managing director Laura Laffler of Amber Film & Photography, which runs the gallery, announced the decision after exhausting all avenues for continued funding, including a failed £1.3 million National Lottery Heritage Fund bid and the collapse of ACE's Grantium platform. The closure has sparked backlash on social media, with some donors to the 2023 #SaveSide crowdfund—which raised £67,278—feeling misled about the funds' purpose.

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article policy schedule Dec 22, 2025 visibility 1 link 1 artist

smithsonian content review white house threatens funding 1234767747

The Trump administration has threatened to withhold funding from the Smithsonian Institution, accusing it of failing to comply with a content review demanded by the White House. In an email obtained by the Washington Post, budget director Russell Vought and Domestic Policy Council director Vince Haley alleged that the Smithsonian had not turned over all requested documents and exhibition materials, citing a prior executive order in which President Trump claimed the institution promoted “corrosive ideology” by portraying the U.S. as inherently racist. Smithsonian secretary Lonnie G. Bunch III defended the network’s independence, stating it remains committed to sharing information but that a government shutdown had slowed efforts. The administration set a January 13 deadline for full compliance, specifically targeting programming for America’s 250th anniversary.

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article news schedule Dec 22, 2025 visibility 3 link 13 artists, 2 galleries

jeffrey epstein art world connections 2732681

The article details the ongoing release of documents related to disgraced sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, revealing his extensive ties to prominent art world figures. Key connections include former MoMA chairman Leon Black, who paid Epstein tens of millions for tax advice and engaged in art transactions involving a Giacometti sculpture and a Cézanne watercolor; retail mogul and art collector Leslie Wexner; and artist Andres Serrano. It also highlights the story of artist Maria Farmer, who was assaulted by Epstein and Maxwell and faced threats against her art career when she tried to report them in the 1990s.

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trending_up market schedule Dec 19, 2025 visibility 2 link 17 artists, 3 galleries

top auction moments of 2025 2712941

Artnet News rounds up the standout auction moments of 2025, highlighting both triumphs and disappointments. M.F. Husain's *Untitled (Gram Yatra)* (1954) smashed expectations at Christie's, selling for $13.8 million—more than double the artist's previous record and the first South Asian Modern work to exceed $10 million. In contrast, Piet Mondrian's *Composition with Large Red Plane, Bluish Gray, Yellow, Black and Blue* (1922) fell short of its $50 million estimate at Christie's, missing the artist's auction record, while Alberto Giacometti's *Grande tête mince* (1955) failed to sell at Sotheby's despite a $70 million asking price, underscoring market volatility.

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article news schedule Dec 18, 2025 visibility 2 link 5 artists, 2 galleries

laurence des cars louvre hearing 2731807

Laurence des Cars, president of the Louvre, is under pressure to resign after a tense Senate hearing on Wednesday, October 2025, following the theft of $102 million worth of imperial jewels. Lawmakers questioned her failure to act on security warnings from audits commissioned in 2017 and 2018 by her predecessor, Jean-Luc Martinez. Des Cars claimed she was unaware of those audits until after the theft. In response, she has accelerated a $92 million security plan, including 100 additional cameras, a new security coordination hire, and a 20% budget increase for staff training. She also announced a new internal audit on information sharing within the museum's bureaucracy, which she described as disorganized.

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