Is the art market slump over?

Ist die Flaute im Kunstmarkt vorbei?

The New York spring auctions saw explosive top prices, with Jackson Pollock's drip painting "Number 7A" (1948) selling for $181.2 million at Christie's, making it the fourth most expensive artwork ever auctioned. Christie's evening sales alone generated $1.1 billion, including $630.8 million from 16 works from the S.I. Newhouse collection. Sotheby's opened the season with a Mark Rothko from the estate of dealer Robert Mnuchin, achieving $85.8 million, while Phillips sold all 40 lots for $115 million, double the previous year. Younger artists like Joseph Yaeger also saw prices far exceed estimates.

Werke von Pollock und Brancusi für Rekordsummen versteigert

At Christie's spring auctions in New York, Jackson Pollock's painting "Number 7A" sold for approximately $181 million and Constantin Brancusi's sculpture "Danaïde" fetched around $108 million, both setting records. The works came from the estate of publisher S. I. Newhouse, who died in 2017. Christie's total sales for the evening exceeded $1 billion, while rival Sotheby's had sold several hundred million dollars' worth of art the previous week. Christie's enlisted actress Nicole Kidman to promote the Brancusi piece.

Some cry censorship, others cry antisemitism

"Die einen schreien Zensur, die anderen Antisemitismus"

A constitutional law scholar, Christoph Möllers, warns in an interview with Die Zeit about the dangerous escalation of cultural policy conflicts, sparked by Documenta 15, where accusations of censorship and antisemitism collide. In Poland, Adam Budak was removed as director of MOCAK in Krakow after just a few months, facing 79 allegations including mobbing and problematic leadership. Meanwhile, the New York spring auctions have launched, and Jason Farago's review of the Venice Biennale in the New York Times criticizes the shift from aesthetic innovation toward identity-driven art. Robin Pogrebin also reports on the merger of the Met and the Neue Galerie, described as a rare convergence of two museum models.

1,1 milliard de dollars

The Journal des Arts' issue No. 677, dated May 15, 2026, leads with the opening of the Venice Biennale amid a tense climate. Other top stories include the final adoption of a French law on the restitution of cultural property looted during colonization, the V&A East museum's strategy to attract younger audiences, a report on how Monet's legacy in Giverny does not benefit everyone locally, and an analysis of the structuring market for the Nabis artists.

Le coup d’envoi des ventes de New York

Le Journal des Arts' issue n°677 (May 15, 2026) leads with the opening of the Venice Biennale amid a tense climate. Other top stories include the final adoption of a French law on the restitution of cultural property looted during colonization, the V&A East museum's strategy to attract younger audiences, a report on how Monet's legacy in Giverny does not benefit everyone locally, and an analysis of the structuring market for works by the Nabis artists.

In 1955, Calder brings his famous 'Cirque' to life in front of Jean Painlevé's camera

En 1955, Calder active son célèbre « Cirque » face à la caméra de Jean Painlevé

A 1955 film by Jean Painlevé captures Alexander Calder performing his famous "Cirque" (Circus), a handmade miniature circus he created between 1926 and 1931 in Paris. The film shows Calder manipulating fragile wire-and-wood figures—weightlifters, trapeze artists, clowns, and dancers—while a gramophone plays. The work, now preserved at the Whitney Museum of New York, is on loan for a major Calder retrospective at the Fondation Louis Vuitton in Paris (April 15–August 16, 2026). Painlevé's film is also the subject of a concurrent exhibition at the Musée de Pont-Aven (February 7–May 31, 2026).

The fate of 'Guernica', a political icon born under bombs, traced in virtual reality at the Musée Picasso

Le destin de « Guernica », icône politique née sous les bombes, retracé en réalité virtuelle au musée Picasso

The Musée Picasso-Paris is launching a virtual reality experience that traces the epic journey of Pablo Picasso's "Guernica," one of the most iconic political paintings of the 20th century. Guided by the voices of writer Juan Larrea and photographer Dora Maar, visitors are transported to Picasso's Paris studio and the bombed ruins of Gernika, reliving the creation of the masterpiece commissioned for the Spanish Republic's pavilion at the 1937 International Exposition in Paris. The VR experience covers the painting's genesis, its global tour, and its eventual exile at MoMA in New York until 1981.

Rothko Sells for $85.8 Million, Almost Surpasses Auction Record

Sotheby’s New York sold Mark Rothko’s painting *Brown and Blacks in Reds* (1957) for $85.8 million on Thursday, making it the second-highest price ever achieved for the artist at auction. The work, part of Rothko’s postwar Color Field series, was offered from the private collection of the late art dealer Robert Mnuchin, whose estate also included works by Willem de Kooning. The Mnuchin sale totaled $166.3 million, with de Kooning’s *Untitled* (1970) fetching $8.8 million and *Untitled XLII* (1983) reaching $10.2 million. Bidding lasted about four minutes, with the winning bid placed via phone with Helena Newman, chairman of Sotheby’s Europe.

Raque Ford ”The only one willing to to the hard part” at Fridericianum, Kassel

The article reviews Raque Ford's exhibition "The only one willing to do the hard part" at Fridericianum in Kassel. Ford, born in 1986 in Columbia, Maryland, and based in New York, presents works that blend artistically formed shapes with bold color contrasts and slogan-like text. Using plastic and industrial materials, she creates an aesthetic that oscillates between abstraction and simple visual codes, with layered compositions that challenge conventional boundaries.

Sotheby’s Launches Museum Partnership Series, Starting with Exhibition by New York’s Hispanic Society Museum & Library

Sotheby's has launched a new exhibition initiative called 'In Residence' at its Breuer building on Madison Avenue, starting with a presentation of three paintings by Spanish master Joaquín Sorolla from the collection of the Hispanic Society Museum & Library. The inaugural show, titled 'In Residence: The Hispanic Society Sorollas,' opened Monday and runs through June 1, featuring works including 'Sea Idyll' (1909), 'Louis Comfort Tiffany' (1911), and 'Señora de Sorolla in a Spanish Mantilla' (1902). This marks the first partnership between Sotheby's and the Hispanic Society, and the first edition of a broader program inviting museums to stage focused exhibitions inside the Breuer building, which previously housed the Whitney Museum and the Met Breuer.

British artist says the Met ‘should take responsibility’ for dress copyright dispute

British artist Anouska Samms has publicly criticized the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York over a copyright dispute involving a dress displayed in the Met Gala opening exhibition. Samms claims the museum included a garment called the Nervina Hair Dress, which she says is a copy of her collaborative work Hair Dress, created with fashion designer Yoav Hadari during their residency at the Sarabande Foundation. The Met had expressed interest in acquiring the original dress for its Costume Art exhibition but shelved those plans in December. Samms says she was not credited or paid, while Hadari acknowledges her IP rights over the textile but asserts the design and construction are his own. The Met has declined to comment, directing the artists to resolve the matter themselves.

The Best Booths at 1-54 Contemporary African Art Fair, From Surrealist Fantasias to Afro-Brazilian Imaginings

The 1-54 Contemporary African Art Fair has returned to the Starrett-Lehigh Building in Chelsea, New York, featuring over 20 galleries from Africa and the diaspora, with a special focus on Brazil and Afro-Brazilian perspectives. The fair, running through Sunday, includes first-time participants from Lagos, São Paulo, Nassau, and New York, and highlights five standout booths: Sulette van der Merwe's surrealist paintings at Blond Contemporary, Modou Dieng Yacine's Senegalese wrestler-inspired works at 193 Gallery, Ekene Ijeoma's Black Forest Library community project, Rommulo Vieira Conceição's aluminum works at Aura, and the curated section "Brazil Beyond Brazil" featuring 10 artists selected by Igor Simões.

Frick Inks Three-Year Partnership with Louis Vuitton, with Support for Exhibitions and Free Fridays

The Frick Collection in New York has announced a three-year partnership with Louis Vuitton, under which the fashion house will sponsor three upcoming exhibitions, a curatorial research associate position, and a year of the museum's free First Fridays program. The partnership launches with Louis Vuitton's Cruise 2027 collection show, designed by Nicolas Ghesquière, held in the Frick's first-floor galleries on May 20. The sponsored exhibitions include “Siena: The Art of Bronze, 1450–1500” (fall 2025), “Painting with Fire: Susanne de Court and the Art of Enamel” (spring 2027), and a third exhibition on 19th-century paintings (late 2027). The Louis Vuitton Curatorial Research Associate will be Yifu Liu, currently a curatorial fellow at the Frick, who will research Asian porcelain and cross-cultural exchange between Europe and China.

‘Blood can either be a connective tissue or something used for division’: Jordan Eagles on his show a Pioneer Works

Jordan Eagles presents "Bases Loaded," a solo exhibition at Brooklyn's Pioneer Works that explores his lifelong fandom of the New York Mets through works made with donated blood and medical waste. The show features three bodies of work: large-scale reproductions of New York Post covers about the team, cast-resin sculptures of home plate filled with blood and family artifacts, and T-shirts given to blood donors at the Mets ballpark that Eagles cropped and splashed with blood from HIV-positive gay men, arranged by color into orange and grey factions.

Artists Spar Over Credit For A Dress Displayed In The Met’s ‘Costume Art’ Exhibition

London-based artist Anouska Samms has accused the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Costume Institute of exhibiting a dress that she claims is a counterfeit of her work in the ongoing "Costume Art" exhibition. The dress, titled Corpus Nervina 0.0, is credited solely to New York-based Israeli designer Yoav Hadari, but Samms alleges it closely resembles an earlier Nervina hair dress she co-developed with Hadari during their 2023 residency at the Lee Alexander McQueen Sarabande Foundation. Samms discovered the display via a social media post and has since spoken out, noting that a contract from their collaboration designated her as the sole owner of the intellectual property of the fabric. The Met has requested that the two parties resolve their dispute before the museum takes further action.

In Performance Series, Artists Tackle the Nature of Images, and Reality, in the Face of AI

At Giorno Poetry Systems (GPS) in New York, a three-day program titled “Exert: The Physics of Metaphysics” featured performances and readings by artists including Mark Leckey, Hari Kunzru, and Gideon Jacobs. The works explored how emerging technologies like AI, VR, and AR are reshaping perceptions of reality and simulation, with Kunzru reading from a novel-in-progress about a man navigating a world where simulation encroaches on everyday life, and Jacobs presenting a performance lecture blending theater, essay, and AI-generated video.

Interview with the great sculptor Charles Ray who shows in two different galleries in Los Angeles

Intervista al grande scultore Charles Ray che a Los Angeles si mostra in due diverse gallerie

Charles Ray, the renowned American sculptor, opened two simultaneous solo exhibitions in Los Angeles on April 18, one at Matthew Marks Gallery and the other at Jeffrey Deitch Gallery, located about a mile apart. The Matthew Marks show features three new works, including "Junk 2" (2026) and "The Animation of Pandora" (2026), while the Deitch exhibition presents three older iconic pieces such as "Firetruck" (1993), "Pepto-Bismol in a Marble Box" (1988), and "Table" (1990). Ray, who has lived in Los Angeles for four decades, is known for his meticulous, slow-working process and his exploration of the human body and everyday objects at altered scales.

It is the great Mark Rothko leading Sotheby's first auctions in New York

È il grande Mark Rothko a guidare le prime aste di Sotheby’s a New York

Sotheby's kicked off New York's art and auction week with two major sales on May 14, 2026, led by the highly anticipated Robert Mnuchin: Collector at Heart Evening Auction. The top lot was Mark Rothko's "Brown and Blacks in Reds" (1957), which sold for $85.8 million, the second-highest price ever for the artist at auction. The Mnuchin auction achieved a "white glove" sale, selling all 11 lots for a total of $166.3 million, followed by The Now & Contemporary Evening Auction which brought in $266.8 million. Combined, Sotheby's generated $433.1 million, a 133% increase over its May 2025 session. The sales reflect a strong return of high-value trophy lots to the secondary market, driven by the dispersal of prominent collectors' estates.

Art Lender Accuses Maddox Gallery of Inflating Value of Art Used as Collateral—’Bizarre and Irrational’ Claim, Says Gallery

Luxury Asset Capital (LAC) has filed a civil complaint in the US District Court for the Southern District of New York accusing Maddox Gallery of inflating the value of artworks used as collateral for loans. The dispute stems from a 2023 deal in which Maddox provided substitute collateral—works by Duncan McCormick and Albert Willem—in exchange for a George Condo painting previously held by LAC. LAC alleges that Maddox engaged in a "pump and dump" scheme, artificially bidding up auction prices for McCormick and Willem works to 10–15 times pre-sale estimates, then using those inflated values to justify trades. After the alleged bid-rigging stopped, auction prices fell, and LAC claims it is left with works worth only a fraction of what Maddox represented. Maddox Gallery co-founder Nick Sharp denies the claims as "bizarre and irrational," calling the lawsuit a baseless attempt to unwind a voluntary agreement.

Jackson Pollock painting sells for record $181m at Christie’s in New York

Jackson Pollock's painting *Number 7A, 1948* sold for a record $181.2 million at Christie’s in New York, becoming the fourth most expensive work ever sold at auction. The sale also saw record prices for works by Constantin Brâncuși, Mark Rothko, and Joan Miró, with Brâncuși's bronze head *Danaïde* fetching $107.6 million and Rothko's *No 15 (Two Greens and Red Stripe)* selling for $98.4 million.

You can spray that again! New York drenched in colour – in pictures

The Guardian published a photo essay featuring Harry Gruyaert's vibrant street photography of New York City, spanning over 50 years. The Belgian Magnum photographer captures the city's energy through bold color and candid moments—children playing in fire hydrants, yellow cabs, neon-lit diners, and diverse neighborhoods. The images are accompanied by text from French filmmaker Cédric Klapisch, who provides fictional vignettes that blur reality and imagination.

Sotheby’s Posts $433 Million Haul, as Trophy Lots Continue to Carry the Market

Sotheby's May 2025 evening auctions in New York generated $433.1 million, a 132.7% increase over the same sales last spring, despite offering fewer lots. The evening featured an 11-lot sale from the collection of the late banker-turned-dealer Robert Mnuchin, which alone brought in $166.3 million, led by Mark Rothko's "Brown and Blacks in Reds" (1957) selling for $85.8 million. The main contemporary art auction, including "The Now" sale, totaled $266.8 million, with over 80% of lots guaranteed. Four works went unsold and one was withdrawn, yielding a 91% sell-through rate.

Our 7 Favorite Artworks Under $10,000 from the 2026 New York Art Week Fairs

New York Art Week 2026 features over 350 art fair booths across Manhattan, with six major fairs forming the core of the event. The article highlights seven favorite artworks priced under $10,000, offering accessible entry points for collectors during the city's busiest art season.

Arghavan Khosravi Breaks Through Gendered Restrictions in Her Architectural Portraits

Arghavan Khosravi's solo exhibition "What Remains" opens today at Uffner & Liu in New York, presenting a new body of sculptural paintings that fuse Persian architecture with Christian altarpieces. The works explore women's fight for equality under censorship and religious dogma in Iran, featuring figures restricted by domestic objects, hinged shutters, and suspended cords, with fragments of limbs or faces visible. Key pieces include "Suspended" (2026), "Bearing" (2026), and "The Whisper" (2026), running through July 2.

Nasher Museum’s ‘Everything Now All At Once’ Celebrates Diversity, Resilience, and Joy

The Nasher Museum of Art at Duke University is presenting 'Everything Now All At Once,' an exhibition drawn entirely from its permanent collection that features works by over a dozen contemporary artists including Nick Cave, Ai Weiwei, Nina Chanel Abney, Wangechi Mutu, Jeffrey Gibson, Amy Sherald, and Barbara Chase-Riboud. The show focuses on painting and sculpture—deliberately analog mediums in an era of rapid technological change—and highlights pieces acquired over the past twenty years that center artists from historically marginalized backgrounds. Running since August 2025, the exhibition will rotate new works next month and continue through November 1 in Durham, North Carolina.

For Carly Glovinski, Art and Gardening Grow Side by Side

Maine artist Carly Glovinski has opened "Into the Garden," her third solo exhibition with New York's Morgan Lehman Gallery. The show explores gardening as a parallel practice to art-making, inspired by her residency at Surf Point in southern Maine, where she discovered the overgrown grounds of Wild Knoll, the former home of author May Sarton. Glovinski planted a community garden there, the Wild Knoll Foundation Garden, and the experience led her to return to painting after a two-decade hiatus, creating acrylic works that express the experience of gardening rather than traditional landscapes.

Tribeca Gallery Night brings together more than 80 spaces

On Friday, May 15, more than 80 galleries in New York's Tribeca neighborhood will stay open late for Tribeca Gallery Night, from 6pm to 8pm. Three new galleries are joining the event: Tappeto Volante Gallery (opening at 4 Cortlandt Alley with a show of painter Angelo Vasta), Gratin (opening at 15 White Street with a solo show for Spanish artist Mónica Mays), and Southern Guild (relocated from Los Angeles to 75 Leonard Street, featuring solo shows for Usha Seejarim and Mmangaliso Nzuza).

Artists turn to textiles as they excavate history at Nada New York

At the New Art Dealers Alliance (Nada) New York fair, running until 17 May, multiple artists are presenting works that heavily incorporate textiles to explore themes of culture, belonging, and history. Artists such as Keith Lafuente (with SoMad), Polina Osipova (with JO-HS), and Griselda Rosas (with Luis De Jesus Los Angeles) use fabric and sewing techniques to examine histories of inequality, migration, and labor. Rosas embroiders over painted paper using imagery from Mexican codices, Osipova prints family photos onto traditional Chuvash fabric, and Lafuente repurposes scraps from Oscar de la Renta to comment on global labor inequalities. Other participants like Ruth Owens (with Voltz Clarke Gallery) use textiles in lightbox works to tell personal stories of migration and abduction.

Artist Debuts and Inspired Duos Define the Can’t-Miss Booths at Independent

The article highlights standout booths at the Independent Art Fair, newly relocated to Pier 36 in Manhattan's Lower East Side. With 76 exhibitors, 26 of whom are presenting an artist's New York debut, the fair features notable presentations including Sprüth Magers' restaging of Gretchen Bender's 'TV Text & Image (PEOPLE WITH AIDS)', Omar Mismar's debut with abstract paintings on salvaged PVC banners referencing Lebanese protests, Carrie Schneider's large-format photographs from the Venice Biennale, and works by Kim Stolz and Raphael Egil at YveYANG. The fair runs through Sunday and aims for greater attendance and institutional influence.

L.A. vs. N.Y. vs. UK punks and so much more at a sprawling new Skirball exhibit

The Skirball Cultural Center in Los Angeles opens a new exhibition titled "Outsiders, Outcasts, Rebels + Weirdos: Punk Culture 1976-86," tracing the evolution of punk music and culture over a decade. Featuring nearly 400 original fliers, posters, photographs, clothing, and pins, the show highlights punk's spread from New York to the UK and then to the West Coast, with a special focus on Los Angeles' contributions and the often-overlooked role of Jewish musicians and icons. The exhibition opens as punk celebrates its 50th anniversary, with events like the Sex Pistols' upcoming tour.