Art News. Vasari Codex

rate_review review schedule Apr 16, 2026 visibility 75 link 16 artists

What We Miss When We Talk About Giacometti

This article explores a critical reevaluation of Alberto Giacometti’s career, specifically focusing on the decade between 1935 and 1945. While Giacometti is globally recognized for his spindly, post-war 'Existentialist' figures, art historian Joanna Fiduccia’s new book, *Figures of Crisis*, argues that his mid-career departure from Surrealism to study human likeness was not a mere transition but a profound response to the political crises and nationalism of interwar France.

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trending_up market schedule Apr 15, 2026 visibility 50 link 12 artists

Billionaire Collector Ken Griffin’s Basquiat Buying Spree Continues

Billionaire collector Ken Griffin has significantly expanded his holdings of Jean-Michel Basquiat, notably acquiring the 1983 masterpiece 'In Italian' from the collection of Peter Brant. The acquisition came to light through press materials for an upcoming exhibition at the Pérez Art Museum Miami (PAMM) titled "Basquiat: Figures, Signs, Symbols," which will showcase nearly a dozen works from Griffin’s private collection. The show, curated by PAMM director Franklin Sirmans and Griffin’s curator Megan Kincaid, includes other high-profile acquisitions such as the 1982 'Untitled (Skull)' previously purchased from Yusaku Maezawa.

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article news schedule Apr 15, 2026 visibility 22 link 3 artists

Erewhon, Grocery Store Known for $20-Plus Smoothies, to Set Up Shop in LACMA’s New Building

The Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) has announced a partnership with the high-end grocery chain Erewhon to open a café within its new Peter Zumthor-designed building, the David Geffen Galleries. Scheduled to open to the public on May 4, the outpost will be located in the W.M. Keck Plaza and will offer the brand's signature organic snacks and viral $20-plus smoothies. The collaboration is currently framed as a seasonal residency lasting through the summer.

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museum exhibitions schedule Apr 15, 2026 visibility 23 link 9 artists

Historic Tiffany Window, Once Hidden in Texas Church, Reemerges at Crystal Bridges

Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art has unveiled a monumental Tiffany Studios window, "Mountain Landscape (Root Memorial Window)," which was previously housed in a San Antonio church. The 1917 stained-glass masterpiece, designed by Agnes Northrup, had been roped off for a decade due to insurance liabilities before the church sought a public institution to ensure its preservation and display. Following a meticulous conservation process, the nine-foot-tall window is now a centerpiece of the museum’s Visions of America Galleries.

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trending_up market schedule Apr 15, 2026 visibility 20 link 3 artists

Artnet and Artsy Come Together Under Shared Leadership

Artnet and Artsy, two of the most influential digital platforms in the art world, have merged under a single leadership structure following a series of acquisitions by Beowolff Capital. Jeffrey Yin has been appointed CEO of the unified company, while Beowolff founder Andrew Wolff will serve as chairman. Despite the shared management, both entities will maintain their distinct branding, with Artnet focusing on market data and journalism while Artsy continues its emphasis on art discovery and e-commerce.

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article culture schedule Apr 15, 2026 visibility 26 link 17 artists

Painting Has Entered Its Performance Era

The rise of short-form video platforms like Instagram and TikTok has transformed painting from a static medium into a performative spectacle. To compete with algorithmic preferences for transformation and speed, artists are adopting specific visual grammars such as the "art reveal"—where a canvas is dramatically flipped toward the camera—and "speed painting," which turns the creation process into a high-stakes live event. These trends emphasize the labor and human presence behind the work, often utilizing emotional storytelling and direct engagement to build dedicated fanbases outside traditional gallery structures.

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museum exhibitions schedule Apr 14, 2026 visibility 26 link 15 artists

V&A East collection review – a dazzling wealth of inspiration to fire up the geniuses of the future

The Victoria and Albert Museum has unveiled the first look at its new V&A East outpost in London’s Olympic Park, showcasing a collection that emphasizes diversity, global exchange, and the integration of art into daily life. The inaugural displays feature a wide-ranging mix of objects, from Althea McNish’s vibrant Caribbean-inspired textiles and Vivienne Westwood’s punk designs to a talismanic shirt inscribed with the Qur’an and a Japanese screen documenting colonial encounters. While the museum's public-facing branding focuses on community engagement, the actual curation offers a sophisticated, open-ended exploration of how different cultures influence and define one another.

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museum exhibitions schedule Apr 14, 2026 visibility 39 link 8 artists

V&A East architecture review – from ceramics to codpieces, this is a honey-coloured treasure trove of human ingenuity

V&A East has officially unveiled its new museum building in London’s Olympic Park, a striking architectural addition to the city's burgeoning 'East Bank' cultural district. Designed by O’Donnell + Tuomey, the structure features a faceted, honey-colored concrete exterior inspired by the intricate folds of a sleeve in a Vermeer painting and the structural tailoring of Cristóbal Balenciaga. The interior houses a diverse collection of human ingenuity, ranging from Leigh Bowery’s sequined codpieces to historical ceramics, all organized within a framework that emphasizes the process of making.

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trending_up market schedule Apr 14, 2026 visibility 16 link 3 artists

Sotheby’s Sued by Cushman and Wakefield Over Unpaid $10.2 Million Commission

Real estate brokerage Cushman and Wakefield has filed a lawsuit against Sotheby’s, alleging the auction house failed to pay a $10.2 million commission following the $510 million sale of its former York Avenue headquarters to Weill Cornell Medicine. The broker claims that under a 2023 agreement, they were entitled to a 2-percent fee if the medical school transitioned from a tenant to a buyer, a deal that was finalized in 2025. Sotheby’s has dismissed the lawsuit as "baseless," asserting they will be vindicated in court.

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trending_up market schedule Apr 14, 2026 visibility 25 link 11 artists

New Orleans Galleries’ Spring Sale Blooms With Modern and Contemporary Works

New Orleans Auction Galleries has announced its upcoming Fine Art and Design sale, featuring 279 lots that span over a century of modern and contemporary art. The auction highlights a diverse range of works, including pieces by Mexican modernist José Clemente Orozco, Abstract Expressionist Grace Hartigan, and Southern Regionalist John McCrady. The selection focuses on themes of identity, social consciousness, and the intersection of text and visual media.

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person people schedule Apr 14, 2026 visibility 31 link 49 artists

2026 Guggenheim Fellowships Go to Sonya Clark, John Miller, and American Artist

The John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation has announced its 101st class of fellows, awarding 223 scholars and artists across 55 disciplines for 2026. Selected from a pool of nearly 5,000 applicants, the new cohort includes prominent visual artists such as Sonya Clark, John Miller, American Artist, and Kota Ezawa. The fellowships provide significant financial grants to individuals who have demonstrated exceptional capacity for productive scholarship or exceptional creative ability in the arts.

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article culture schedule Apr 14, 2026 visibility 19 link 10 artists

joshua johnson

Joshua Johnson, born into slavery in Maryland around 1763, emerged in the late 18th century as the first documented Black professional artist in the United States. After gaining his freedom in 1782, Johnson established himself in Baltimore as a self-taught portraitist, advertising his services in local newspapers and catering to the city's prominent families. His body of work, consisting of approximately 83 attributed paintings, is characterized by a distinct flatness and three-quarter profile compositions typical of early American folk art.

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article policy schedule Apr 13, 2026 visibility 28 link 5 artists

IMLS Spared in Legal Battle—But Threat of Budget Cuts Looms

The U.S. Department of Justice has reached a settlement with the American Library Association and the AFSCME union, effectively halting President Donald Trump’s executive attempt to dismantle the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS). Following a series of legal defeats where courts ruled that only Congress has the authority to eliminate federal agencies, the administration withdrew its appeal and reinstated previously terminated grants. However, the threat remains as the proposed 2027 federal budget once again seeks to zero out funding for the IMLS, the NEA, and the NEH.

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article news schedule Apr 13, 2026 visibility 33 link 7 artists

This French Castle Is Crowdfunding Its Own Restoration

The Château de Chambord, a UNESCO World Heritage site and the second-most visited castle in France, has launched a €30 million ($35 million) crowdfunding campaign to fund urgent structural restorations. Decades of flooding and drought in the Loire Valley have severely compromised the foundations of the François I Wing, leading to warped walls and a 2023 incident where 20 visitors fell through a collapsing floor. Director General Pierre Dubreuil has initiated a three-phase plan to shore up the masonry, modernize accessibility, and create new educational facilities.

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article news schedule Apr 13, 2026 visibility 26 link 4 artists

Lost-Lost Film by French Cinema Pioneer Turns Up in Michigan

A long-lost film by French cinema pioneer Georges Méliès has been discovered in a garage in Grand Rapids, Michigan, after sitting in a trunk for two decades. The 45-second silent short, titled 'Gugusse and the Automaton' (1897), was identified by specialists at the Library of Congress after the owner, Bill McFarland, donated a collection of nitrate reels that had belonged to his showman great-grandfather.

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museum exhibitions schedule Apr 13, 2026 visibility 49 link 26 artists

A Data Analysis of the 2026 Venice Biennale Signals a Shift to the Present

The 2026 Venice Biennale, titled "In Minor Keys," marks a significant pivot from the historical revisionism of recent editions toward a focus on contemporary, mid-career artists. Posthumously realized based on the vision of the late Koyo Kouoh, the exhibition features 111 participants, including a notable inclusion of artist-led organizations from Africa. Data analysis reveals a balanced demographic split between the Global North and South, moving away from the retrospective focus of predecessors like Adriano Pedrosa and Cecilia Alemani to prioritize living artists and subtler, emotional themes.

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museum exhibitions schedule Apr 13, 2026 visibility 65 link 18 artists

‘An open letter to the nation’: National Gallery of Art reckons with America at 250

The National Gallery of Art in Washington D.C. has launched "Dear America: Artists Explore the American Experience," a major exhibition marking the United States' 250th anniversary. Featuring over 100 works on paper by 95 artists, the show eschews traditional patriotic tropes in favor of a nuanced, self-critical look at the nation's history. Organized around the themes of land, community, and freedom, the exhibition juxtaposes iconic imagery from artists like Roy Lichtenstein and Thomas Moran with provocative contemporary perspectives from Zanele Muholi and Carrie Mae Weems.

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article policy schedule Apr 13, 2026 visibility 28 link 40 artists

trump executive orders arts

President Donald Trump’s return to office has triggered a sweeping overhaul of the American cultural landscape through executive orders and the newly formed Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). Key actions include the dissolution of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) offices at the Smithsonian, the cancellation of thousands of National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) grants, and the removal of high-profile Biden appointees from the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum board. These measures are accompanied by new tariffs and immigration policies that threaten the international art trade and cross-border collaborations.

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museum exhibitions schedule Apr 13, 2026 visibility 15 link 2 artists

data dive venice biennale artists

Adriano Pedrosa, the first Latin American and openly queer curator of the Venice Biennale, has unveiled a record-breaking artist list for the 60th edition titled "Foreigners Everywhere." Featuring 331 artists, the main exhibition is the largest in the event's history and introduces a "nucleo storico" designed to provide belated recognition to overlooked figures from the Global South and marginalized communities. Pedrosa’s selection process intentionally challenges the Western-centric traditions of the art world by focusing on themes of displacement and the "stranger."

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article news schedule Apr 13, 2026 visibility 21 link 5 artists

Stealing the show: Mona Lisa heist inspires Andrew Lloyd Webber musical

Renowned composer Andrew Lloyd Webber has announced he is developing a new musical based on the 1911 theft of Leonardo da Vinci’s Mona Lisa. The production will dramatize the true story of Vincenzo Peruggia, a Louvre employee who stole the masterpiece and kept it hidden for over two years before attempting to sell it to an antiques dealer in Florence. Lloyd Webber, the creative force behind global hits like Cats and Phantom of the Opera, is currently in the writing phase of the project.

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trending_up market schedule Apr 13, 2026 visibility 17 link 3 artists

What We Know—and Don’t Know—About Private Art Auctions

Artnet recently hosted a virtual deep dive into the burgeoning phenomenon of private art auctions, a trend highlighted in their 2026 Intelligence Report. Unlike traditional public sales, these events are highly curated, invitation-only affairs that prioritize discretion and control over the typical spectacle of the auction block. The discussion explored the mechanics of these sales, which often bypass public records and leave the broader market in the dark regarding final prices and buyer identities.

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article culture schedule Apr 13, 2026 visibility 23 link 18 artists

‘A cauldron of people with their tops off!’ Goldie, Estelle, Courtney Pine, Flo and more pick great moments in Black British music

Prominent figures in Black British music, including Goldie, Estelle, and Dennis Bovell, reflect on iconic photographs and visual artifacts that define the history of their genre. The article highlights specific works such as Eddie Otchere’s portrait of drum and bass pioneers Kemistry and Storm, Janette Beckman’s photography of Slick Rick, and Adrian Boot’s documentation of the Race Today offices in Brixton.

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article news schedule Apr 10, 2026 visibility 26 link 15 artists

How a Hopi Potter Named Nampeyo Became a 19th-Century Art Star

The Hopi-Tewa artist Nampeyo (1859–1942) is being celebrated as a foundational figure in modern ceramics for her role in the Sikyátki Revival. By studying ancestral pottery shards from archaeological excavations, Nampeyo revitalized centuries-old techniques and motifs, transforming Pueblo pottery into a globally recognized art form. Her career spanned from selling works at regional trading posts to becoming a celebrated figure who demonstrated her craft at the Grand Canyon and exhibited at major fairs in Chicago.

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museum exhibitions schedule Apr 10, 2026 visibility 25 link 9 artists

Marcel Duchamp at MoMA, Dorothea Tanning book, Leonora Carrington at the Freud Museum, London—podcast

The Museum of Modern Art in New York is launching the first major U.S. survey of Marcel Duchamp’s entire career in over fifty years, a landmark exhibition that will later travel to Philadelphia. Accompanying this resurgence of interest in avant-garde pioneers are two significant projects focused on women of the Surrealist movement: the publication of Alyce Mahon’s comprehensive new book on Dorothea Tanning and a specialized exhibition at London’s Freud Museum featuring Leonora Carrington’s 1940 painting 'Down Below'.

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article news schedule Apr 10, 2026 visibility 34 link 3 artists

The L.A. Museums Getting a Glow-Up Before the Olympic Games

The Getty Center and the George C. Page Museum at the La Brea Tar Pits have announced major renovation projects and temporary closures in preparation for the 2028 Summer Olympic Games in Los Angeles. The Getty Center will undergo its first significant overhaul since opening 30 years ago, focusing on structural updates, gallery revitalizations, and infrastructure improvements like the tram system. Meanwhile, the Page Museum will embark on a $240 million campus-wide transformation designed by Weiss/Manfredi, which includes a new research center, immersive theater, and modernized exhibition spaces.

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museum exhibitions schedule Apr 10, 2026 visibility 63 link 5 artists

Who was Hilma? Af Klint exhibition to highlight exclusion of women from abstract art

The Swedish artist Hilma af Klint is receiving her first major solo exhibition in France, organized by the Grand Palais and the Pompidou Centre. The show focuses on her "Paintings for the Temple," a series of groundbreaking abstract works created years before male peers like Wassily Kandinsky and Piet Mondrian claimed to have invented the movement. Af Klint, a mystic who believed she was guided by higher spirits, famously ordered her work to be hidden for 20 years after her death, convinced the world was not yet ready for her vision.

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article news schedule Apr 10, 2026 visibility 48 link 3 artists

Spanish culture ministry denies loan of Picasso's Guernica to Bilbao

Spain’s Ministry of Culture has officially rejected a request from the Basque government to loan Pablo Picasso’s 'Guernica' to the Guggenheim Bilbao for an exhibition in 2026. The proposed loan was intended to commemorate the 90th anniversary of both the first Basque government and the 1937 bombing of Gernika. However, Culture Minister Ernest Urtasun cited a conservation report from the Reina Sofía museum warning that the fragile state of the canvas, which suffers from micro-cracks and paint loss, makes any transport a significant risk to its preservation.

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trending_up market schedule Apr 9, 2026 visibility 24 link 2 artists

Italian Winemaker Ornellaia Reveals Marina Abramović’s Designs for Its 2023 Vintages

Marina Abramović has collaborated with the Italian winemaker Ornellaia to design labels for its 2023 vintage as part of the annual Vendemmia d’Artista project. The designs range from self-portrait drawings and photographs featuring grapes to a conceptual 9-liter bottle that instructs the drinker to listen to Nino Rota’s theme from La Dolce Vita while consuming the wine. A selection of these limited-edition bottles will be auctioned at Bonhams in June to raise funds for the Guggenheim Museum.

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person people schedule Apr 9, 2026 visibility 22 link 9 artists

oluremi c onabanjo photography curator met museum

The Metropolitan Museum of Art has appointed Oluremi C. Onabanjo as a curator in its Department of Photographs, a role she will assume this summer. Onabanjo, who joins from the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA), will primarily oversee the Walther Collection—a massive gift of over 6,500 photographs spanning diverse global regions—and will lead a major exhibition of the collection in 2028.

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museum exhibitions schedule Apr 9, 2026 visibility 25 link 3 artists, 1 gallery

You Can Become an Artwork at This New York Museum—Thanks to Piero Manzoni

Magazzino Italian Art in Cold Spring, New York, is reactivating Piero Manzoni’s seminal conceptual work, "Magical Base" (1961). On April 10 and 11, visitors can stand on the artist's wooden pedestal to be documented as living sculptures, receiving a photograph and record of their participation. The activation is part of the larger exhibition "Piero Manzoni: Total Space," which also features the artist's "Achromes" and immersive, unrealized environments like the "Phosphorescent Room" and "Hairy Room."

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