A new book series is born, bringing together the world of art and fairy tales

È nata una nuova collana di libri che tiene insieme il mondo dell’arte con quello delle fiabe

Rome-based publisher Bummy Edizioni has launched a new book series titled "Fiabe d’Arte" (Art Fairy Tales), which merges famous artworks with classic folklore. The debut title, "Gli stivali di Vincent" (Vincent's Boots), written by Beniamino Sidoti and illustrated by Ericavale Morello, reimagines the story of Puss in Boots within the world of Vincent van Gogh. In this narrative, the talking cat encourages the artist to express his inner emotions through painting, blending biographical elements with fantasy.

Felix Art Fair brings good vibes—and healthy sales

The Felix Art Fair returned to the Hollywood Roosevelt hotel in Los Angeles, maintaining its reputation for a relaxed, community-focused atmosphere. Gallerists utilized the hotel's cabana suites and upper floors to showcase a diverse range of works, with a notable emphasis on artists blending craft, design, and fine art. The fair's unique hotel-based model continues to attract both returning participants and twenty first-time exhibitors who appreciate the lower overhead costs compared to larger fairs like Frieze.

New book explores the complex history of Jewish country houses

A new book titled *Jewish Country Houses*, edited by Juliet Carey and Abigail Green, explores the history of approximately 1,000 country estates built or remodeled by wealthy Jewish families across Great Britain and Continental Europe from the French Revolution until World War II. These houses, such as Waddesdon Manor and Château de Champs-sur-Marne, served as symbols of social arrival and assimilation, blending eclectic architectural styles with art collections from European auction houses. The volume, published by Profile and Brandeis University Press in association with the National Trust, features contributions from an international team of historians and curators, with photographs by Hélène Binet, and includes case studies of a dozen houses now open to the public.

‘House of Galleries (Volume 11)’: Niquu Eyeta and Ghizlane Sahli in a Shared Field of Care, Memory, and Material Becoming.

Artists Niquu Eyeta and Ghizlane Sahli are featured in a dual presentation titled ‘House of Galleries (Volume 11),’ showcased by the gallery Sakhile&Me. The exhibition creates a dialogue between Eyeta’s organic compositions, which utilize plant pigments and clay, and Sahli’s intricate 'alveoli' structures made from silk and repurposed plastic. Both artists emphasize the concept of material as a living archive, focusing on themes of ecological consciousness, ritualistic repetition, and the reanimation of discarded matter.

felix la art fair 2026 exhibitor list 1234769909

Felix LA has announced the 57 exhibitors for its eighth edition, taking place February 26 to March 1, 2026, at the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel, with a VIP preview on February 25. The fair includes a mix of established galleries such as Corbett vs. Dempsey, Luis De Jesus Los Angeles, and Yossi Milo, alongside emerging spaces like ATLA, One Trick Pony, and Plato. Over 20 galleries are participating for the first time, including New York Life Gallery, Feia, and Som Gallery, with international participants from Kyoto, Toronto, Milan, Busan, and Buenos Aires.

Independent art fair adjusts as market slows

The Independent art fair in New York, running until 11 May, features 85 exhibitors—its largest edition yet—with 26 solo debuts. Amid a slowing art market, galleries are adjusting pricing strategies, with a notable increase in works priced between $10,000 and $20,000, which now account for about one-third of offerings. Several galleries reported strong sales during the VIP preview, including Long Story Short selling six works by Keita Morimoto and Ricco Maresca Gallery selling out its vintage board game collection for a six-figure sum. Co-founder Elizabeth Dee noted that VIP registrations were up 30% year-over-year, and dealers like Charles Moffett deliberately chose established artists to match collector comfort levels.

The Photography Show fair in New York sets new attendance record

The Photography Show, presented by the Association of International Photography Art Dealers (AIPAD), returned to New York’s Park Avenue Armory for its second consecutive year from 23-27 April, featuring 64 exhibitors. The fair set a new attendance record with nearly 15,000 visitors, driven by strong foot traffic and a buzz around the iconic venue. Executive director Lydia Melamed Johnson noted the optimism surrounding the fair, which also highlighted Indigenous women photographers such as Jessica Eaton, Cara Romero, and Shelley Niro.

Print Quarterly Volume XLIII - Number 1 - March 2026

The March 2026 issue of the academic journal *Print Quarterly* has been published, featuring a collection of scholarly articles and reviews focused on the history of prints and printmaking. The contents include new research on artists ranging from Hans Burgkmair and Paul Gauguin to Hiroshige and Aubrey Beardsley, along with obituaries for notable scholars and reviews of recent publications and exhibitions.

A Landmark Benjamin Franklin Collection Is Hitting the Auction Block

A landmark collection of Benjamin Franklin memorabilia assembled by sports and entertainment mogul Jay Snider is heading to Sotheby’s New York on June 24. The collection includes over 150 items—books, broadsides, letters, and manuscripts—tracing Franklin’s career from printer to scientist to diplomat. Highlights include a 1758 letter to Joseph Galloway (estimated $70,000–$100,000), a 1778 letter from George Washington introducing the Marquis de Lafayette (which sold for over $1 million in January), and a bound volume of Franklin’s electrical experiments ($75,000–$125,000). The full catalogue is valued at $3 million to $4.5 million, and 40 artifacts will be displayed at the Library Company of Philadelphia from May 5 to 7.

Art Market Minute: Art Basel Hong Kong 2026 Analysis

art market minute mar 30 2759118

Art Basel Hong Kong 2026 served as a critical barometer for a shifting global art market, characterized by a move away from impulsive buying toward a more deliberate and cautious collector base. Industry experts observed that the traditional first-day frenzy has been replaced by extended decision-making timelines, as buyers navigate a complex landscape of rising logistical costs and regional economic shifts.

Rare Atlas Owned by Queen Mary I Heads to Market—With $1.6 Million Price Tag

A rare 16th-century atlas, once owned by Queen Mary I of England, is being offered for $1.6 million at the New York Antiquarian Book Fair. The volume, which contains unique early maps of Britain, was acquired by dealer Barry Lawrence Ruderman Antique Maps Inc. for $227,000 just two years ago and is now presented as a major artifact of Tudor history.

borso deste bible on view in rome 2713488

The Borso d'Este Bible, often called the 'Mona Lisa of Illuminated Manuscripts,' has gone on rare public display at the Italian Senate in Rome as part of the Vatican's Holy Year celebrations. The two-volume manuscript, commissioned by Duke Borso d'Este in the mid-15th century and created by calligrapher Pietro Paolo Marone and illuminators Taddeo Crivelli and Franco dei Russi, is usually kept in a safe at a library in Modena. It was transported with elaborate security and is now showcased behind humidity-controlled glass with a digital touch-screen experience for visitors.

ancient greek author title oxford herculaneum scroll 1234741247

Researchers have identified the title and author of a charred scroll from Herculaneum, which was buried by the 79 CE eruption of Mount Vesuvius. Using X-ray imaging and AI analysis at the Diamond synchrotron facility in Oxfordshire, they determined the scroll is part of the multivolume work *On Vices* by the Epicurean philosopher Philodemus, dating to the 1st century CE. The scroll is one of three from the Villa of the Papyri housed at the Bodleian Libraries, Oxford University, and its contents had been unknown for 2,000 years. The discovery was awarded the $60,000 first title prize from the Vesuvius Challenge, an international competition that uses AI to decipher the unopenable scrolls.

In ‘Reverence,’ Three Decades of Paul Nicklen’s Remarkable Photographs Exalt Nature

Paul Nicklen, a renowned wildlife photographer and co-founder of the conservation organization SeaLegacy, is releasing a comprehensive book titled *Reverence* through publisher Hemeria. The volume collects 160 photographs spanning his three-decade career, including iconic images and previously unpublished works that capture the beauty and fragility of ecosystems from the Colorado River delta to the Arctic Bay.

Book Review: The Disoriented Garden... A Breath of Dream

A new book titled 'The Disoriented Garden... A Breath of Dream' has been published by the Jim Thompson Art Center to accompany Vietnamese artist Trương Công Tùng's 2024 solo exhibition. The volume, edited by Hùng Mạnh Dương, is a multilingual, multidisciplinary collection featuring poetry, myths, curatorial texts, and photographs that mirror the artist's exploration of nature, gardens, and spiritual cosmology through video, installation, and painting.

The Collective Takeover

A coalition of seven Zurich-based artist-run collectives, led by Peter Baracchi and his nomadic platform 6½, has taken over the former Museum Haus Konstruktiv building in Zurich's Selnau district. The project, titled "Oceans Flow Upwards," occupies 1,200 square meters across five floors and expands into over 2,000 square meters by activating the cellar, offices, storage, shop, café, and rooftop. Participating collectives include Hotel Tiger, Die Diele, Papillarya, MATERIAL, volumes, and zwischentext. Baracchi, who previously worked at Haus Konstruktiv as a technician and photographer, initiated the takeover after the museum relocated to Areal Löwenbräukunst, securing temporary cultural use from the City of Zurich in March. Rather than dividing the space into separate zones, the exhibition presents a single, integrated show where artists were invited by the collectives, not selected by open call.

Smithsonian’s National Museum of Asian Art repatriates ancient silk manuscript to China

The Smithsonian’s National Museum of Asian Art (NMAA) in Washington, DC, has repatriated fragments of the ancient Zidanku Silk Manuscripts to China. The artifacts, dating from the fourth to third century BCE, were looted from a tomb near Changsha, Hunan Province, and smuggled into the US in 1946. The NMAA deaccessioned Volumes II and III of the manuscripts, which were given to the Arthur M. Sackler Gallery by an anonymous donor in 1992. The transfer was formalized in a ceremony at the Chinese embassy following an agreement signed earlier this month, with the fragments handed over to the National Cultural Heritage Administration (NCHA) of China.

Authentic Michelangelo

Michel-Ange authentique

Jean-René Gaborit, former head of Sculptures at the Louvre, has published a major new book, "Les Sculptures de Michel-Ange. Le vrai, l'incertain et le faux," which rigorously examines the authenticity of works attributed to Michelangelo. The 500-page volume, based on fifty years of study, categorizes the master's sculptural corpus into works of certain authenticity, lost-and-found pieces that spark debate, sculptures executed by others after his designs, and works mistakenly attributed due to stylistic similarities.

Lauren Laz Appointed to the Works Department of the Beaux-Arts de Paris

Lauren Laz nommée au département des œuvres des Beaux-Arts de Paris

Lauren Laz, a 47-year-old art historian specializing in prints and director of the Musée Angladon in Avignon since 2015, has been appointed director of the collections department at the Beaux-Arts de Paris. She succeeds Kathy Alliou in overseeing the school's vast holdings of nearly 450,000 works and volumes, which carry the prestigious "Musée de France" designation.

Architecture Art Exhibitions

An exhibition titled 'The Eames Houses' opened at Triennale Milano during Milan Design Week 2026. It offers a comprehensive look at the residential architecture of Charles and Ray Eames, featuring scale models of eight house projects, archival materials, and two full-scale pavilion structures built using a modular system developed with Kettal. The show runs from April 20 to May 10 and is accompanied by a newly published volume on the Eames' residential work.

Carver Museum Exhibits

The George Washington Carver Museum in Austin has unveiled its 2026 programming, headlined by the exhibition "Who Draws the Maps?" featuring three decades of work by the late artist Steven Bernard Jones. The museum is also debuting "And Still I Speak," a window installation of century-old photographs from Clarksville, one of the first freedman's communities in the United States, alongside a new core exhibition titled "The African American Presence in 19th Century Texas."

In pictures: a season for newcomers at Art Basel Miami Beach’s Meridians

Yasmil Raymond returns for her second year as curator of Art Basel Miami Beach’s Meridians sector, focusing on showcasing a more diverse group of artists and providing opportunities for newcomers. She highlights several works, including Huang Yong Ping’s political sculpture referencing a US spy plane incident, Stephanie Syjuco’s critique of Western culture through a photography-studio installation, Ward Shelley’s post-truth library, Jesús Rafael Soto’s immersive Pénétrable, Luisa Rabbia’s feminist reimagining of a labor strike painting, and Anne Samat’s woven family portrait made from thrift-store objects.

Man Ray: When Objects Dream

The article presents an extensive list of artworks by the avant-garde artist Man Ray, spanning from 1914 to the mid-1940s. It includes paintings, sculptures, photographs, and readymades such as "Cadeau (Gift)" (1921), "The Rope Dancer Accompanies Herself with Her Shadows" (1916), and "L’énigme d’Isidore Ducasse" (1920). Many entries are marked "Returned to lender," indicating these works were part of a loan exhibition that has now concluded, with pieces being sent back to their respective owners.

Christie’s Quietly Deletes Digital Art Department

Christie’s has quietly dissolved its dedicated digital art department, laying off two staff members including vice president Nicole Sales Giles, as part of a strategic shift to fold digital art sales into its broader 20th and 21st Century Art category. The move follows a two-year contraction in the art market and a dramatic decline in NFT trading volume from $2.97 billion in 2021 to $197 million in 2024, mirroring similar downsizing at Sotheby’s and the shuttering of platforms like Async Art and KnownOrigin.

August Book Bag: from a ‘behind-the-scenes’ studio book to artists joining in with the American Revolution

The article reviews four new art books released in August. It covers 'In the Studio: Jack Whitten' by Yinka Elujoba (Hauser & Wirth Publishers), a compact overview of the US artist's work and his Black Monoliths series; 'Selected Writings, Volume 1, Towards a New African Art Discourse' by the late Okwui Enwezor (Duke University Press), collecting his essays on decolonizing the art world; 'The Painter’s Fire: A Forgotten History of the Artists Who Championed the American Revolution' by Zara Anishanslin (Harvard University Press), examining three artists—Robert Edge Pine, Prince Demah, and Patience Wright—who contributed to the American War of Independence; and 'Beyond Blue and White: The Hidden History of Delftware and the Women Behind the Iconic Ceramic' by Genevieve Wheeler Brown (Pegasus Books), highlighting women like Barbara Rotteveel in the history of Delftware.

Kemper Art Museum wins best monograph award

The Kemper Art Museum at Washington University in St. Louis has won the 2024 best monograph award from the Midwest Art History Society (MAHS) for its exhibition catalog "Adam Pendleton: To Divide By." The catalog, published by the museum and distributed by the University of Chicago Press, was honored during the society's Outstanding Catalog Awards ceremony in Denver on April 4. Edited by Kemper curator Meredith Malone, the volume features essays by Malone, Joshua Chambers-Letson, Hal Foster, and a conversation between Pendleton and critic Isabelle Graw, along with transcripts of two film portraits by the artist.

Basquiat Work Expected To Fetch Up To $525M At Sotheby’s Auction

A recently discovered early painting by Jean-Michel Basquiat, created in 1981 when he was 20, will be sold at Sotheby’s Contemporary Evening Auction in New York on May 13. The untitled work, unseen publicly for over 30 years, carries an estimate of $10 million to $15 million. Sotheby’s chairman Grégoire Billault highlighted the piece as a highlight of the Modern Evening Auction, with exhibitions opening May 2 through May 15. The auction also features top lots from Lucio Fontana, Robert Rauschenberg, and the collections of Sally and Victor Ganz and Barbara Gladstone.

Basquiat masterpiece expected to fetch $15m at Sotheby’s auction

A rare, untitled 1981 Jean-Michel Basquiat painting, unseen for over three decades, will headline Sotheby’s Contemporary Evening Auction in New York this May, with an estimate of $10–15 million. The work, created when Basquiat was 20, captures his transition from street art to international fame and has been held in the same private collection since 1989. The auction also features pieces from Barbara Gladstone’s collection, the Roy Lichtenstein Foundation, and works by Lucio Fontana, Robert Rauschenberg, and Pablo Picasso.

BOTERO RETURNS TO SEOUL WITH HIS LARGEST RETROSPECTIVE IN ASIA

Fernando Botero (1932–2023) returns to Seoul with his largest retrospective in Asia, opening this Friday at the Hangaram Art Museum, Seoul Arts Center. Curated by Lina Botero and organized with the Fernando Botero Foundation, the exhibition features over 112 works, several never before exhibited. The show, titled "Fernando Botero: The Triumph of Form," runs through August 30, 2026, and highlights the Colombian master's signature visual language of volume, sensuality, irony, and humanity.

McKee Student Art Show celebrates its 95th year

The Haggin Museum in Stockton is hosting its 95th annual Robert T. McKee Student Art Exhibition, featuring approximately 1,700 works—paintings, drawings, photographs, and sculptures—submitted by K-12 students from across the county. The exhibition opens on January 29, with an artist reception on February 7, and runs through March 15. Works by younger students (kindergarten through 4th grade) are displayed in the West Gallery, while those by older students (5th through 12th grade) are shown upstairs in the Tuleberg Gallery.