Christie’s Auction Rakes in $1.1 Billion as Pollock Sells For Triple Record Price

Christie’s generated $1.1 billion in back-to-back evening sales on May 18, driven by record-breaking prices for major artworks. The top lot was Jackson Pollock’s 1948 drip painting *Number 7A*, which sold for $181.2 million with fees, tripling the artist’s previous auction record. Other highlights included Constantin Brancusi’s *Danaïde* (ca. 1913) at $107.6 million, Mark Rothko’s *No. 15 (Two Greens and Red Stripe)* (1964) at $98.4 million, and Alice Neel’s *Mother and Child (Nancy and Olivia)* (1967) at $5.7 million. The sales featured works from the collections of S. I. Newhouse and Agnes Gund.

98,000 People Rush to Defense of Arts Trustee Misan Harriman in Wake of Antisemitism Accusations

More than 98,000 people have filed complaints with the UK Independent Press Standards Organisation (IPSO) in defense of British-Nigerian arts trustee Misan Harriman, following accusations of antisemitism leveled against him by right-wing outlets including the Daily Mail and the Telegraph. The complaints mark the highest number ever submitted to IPSO over a single issue. Separately, an open letter signed by activist Greta Thunberg and artists Tracey Emin and Peter Doig condemns what they call a "dishonest smear campaign" targeting Harriman, who is an Oscar-nominated photographer, chair of the Southbank Centre, and a nominee for Amnesty UK’s People’s Human Rights Champion.

David Hockney, whose paintings chronicled modern life, has died at 88.

David Hockney, the British artist known for his vibrant paintings of swimming pools, landscapes, and portraits, has died at 88. He passed away peacefully at home, according to his representatives, after a career spanning more than six decades.

Jackson Pollock breaks auction record with $181 million painting.

Jackson Pollock's painting *Number 7A* (1948) sold for $181.2 million at Christie’s in New York, shattering the previous auction record for the Abstract Expressionist artist by nearly three times. The evening sales also set new auction records for Mark Rothko and Constantin Brâncuși, and realized over $1 billion in a single evening, only the second time in auction history that threshold has been crossed.

Cutting and Pasting a World: The Paper Craft of Henry Darger

The Intuit Art Museum in Chicago is presenting "Cutting and Pasting a World: The Paper Craft of Henry Darger," an exhibition opening June 17, 2026, that explores how the self-taught artist Henry Darger (1892-1973) was influenced by traditional American paper crafts like paper dolls and scrapbooking. Curated by art historian Dr. Mary Trent, the show reframes Darger's large-scale mixed-media narratives as double-sided pages from bound books, tracing their roots in early 20th-century domestic practices. The exhibition is part of the nationwide "Handwork: Celebrating American Craft 2026" initiative marking the 250th anniversary of American craft, and will run through January 31, 2027.

New Figge exhibit a response to current ‘The Golden Age’ exhibit

The Figge Art Museum in Davenport opens a new exhibition, "A Golden Age for Whom?", on June 6 in the Mary Waterman Gildehaus Community Gallery. The show places contemporary artworks alongside historic masterpieces from the museum's concurrent exhibition "The Golden Age: Featuring Northern European Works from the National Gallery of Art," featuring pieces by Beth Lipman, Oliver Okolo, Yasumasa Morimura, and Fabiola Jean-Louis. The exhibition runs through September 20 and includes companion programs such as artist talks and a Music & Makers series.

A Leonora Carrington Biopic Traces the Surrealist Icon’s Life and Work

A new biopic titled *Leonora in the Morning Light* traces the life and work of Surrealist artist and writer Leonora Carrington (1917-2011). Directed by Thor Klein and Lena Vurma and produced by Modern Films, the film opens in 1930s Paris, where Carrington moved among avant-garde figures like Salvador Dalí, André Breton, and her partner Max Ernst. It follows her flight to Spain during World War II and eventual resettlement in Mexico, the country most associated with her art. The screenplay is based on Elena Poniatowska's biographical novel, and the film highlights Carrington's fantastical works created while confined to a psychiatric hospital in Spain—pieces that were lost for 80 years. The film is set for release on May 29 in the U.K. and Ireland.

Artisti italiani all’estero. Le mostre e gli eventi in trasferta a fine primavera 2026

This article from Artribune surveys a series of exhibitions and events featuring Italian artists abroad in late spring 2026. It highlights several shows: Rosa Barba's solo exhibition "Thick Harmonies" at Museum Haus Konstruktiv in Zurich, awarded the Zurich Art Prize 2026; Michelangelo Consani's "My Favorite Spring" at Gallery Side 2 in Tokyo; Luca Ceccherini's debut French solo show "Grammelot" at Galerie Dina Vierny in Paris; the major retrospective "No Place Like Home" of Italian photography since the 1980s at Schauwerk Sindelfingen in Germany; and the group show "Pittura italiana oggi. Una nuova scena" at the Polo Culturale ItaliaNoRio in Rio de Janeiro, organized by Artnoble Triennale Milano, the Consulate General of Italy, and the Italian Cultural Institute of Rio de Janeiro.

La ricerca del collettivo T.NUA tra arte contemporanea e architettura sociale. Una mostra a Milano

The T.NUA collective, founded by artist Tao Kulczycki with Ornaghi & Prestinari and curator Lindsay Aveilhé, opens its second exhibition, “A T.NUA Exhibition 02,” in Milan on June 9, 2026. The show presents outcomes of programs developed in 2025 and 2026 between Italy and Nepal, including a capsule collection by designer Mauro Simionato (Vitelli) created through the Craftsmanship Program, and one of two traveling architectural sculptures from the “The Travelling Chautaris” project, developed with the Siddhartha Arts Foundation, Adobe and Bamboo Research Institute, and Nepalese artist Sneha Shrestha. The collective operates an independent, self-funded space in Milan that houses a collaboration program, a craftsmanship program, a magazine, and exhibitions.

A Napoli torna il Gallery Weekend tra Chiaia e centro storico: tante mostre e una nuova associazione di galleristi

The third edition of the Napoli Gallery Weekend is scheduled for May 22–24, 2026, spanning the Chiaia district and the historic center of Naples. This year’s key development is the formation of an association of organizing galleries—Acappella, Alfonso Artiaco, Andrea Ingenito Contemporary Art, Galleria Fonti, Gallerie Riunite, Galleria Tiziana Di Caro, Studio Trisorio, and Umberto Di Marino—aiming to coordinate openings, exhibitions, and special visits while strengthening the city’s contemporary art scene. Highlights include shows by Valentina Artone, Adam Pendleton and Antoni Tàpies, David Bowes, Edoardo Aruta, Martin Kippenberger at Galerie Gisela Capitain’s Naples space, Salvatore Emblema and Luisa Lambri, and a geopolitical group exhibition titled "Global Folklore."

Interview with the frontier gallerist who opened his space in Vasto, Abruzzo

Intervista al gallerista di frontiera che ha aperto il suo spazio a Vasto in Abruzzo

Sangallo Fine Art, a modern art gallery located in Vasto, Abruzzo, Italy, is profiled in an interview with its founder Giorgio di Michele Marisi. The gallery, born from a chance encounter and a passion for 20th-century art, has carved out a distinctive space in the periphery of the art world. It is currently presenting the exhibition "Permanenza della materia espansa" (2026), curated by Lorenzo Madaro, which exemplifies its commitment to critical rediscovery and experimental display. Despite being geographically distant from traditional art hubs, the gallery has built a loyal clientele of knowledgeable collectors and international buyers, relying on direct relationships and participation in art fairs.

Looking for art, culture? See the latest Central Illinois exhibits

The Pantagraph has published a roundup of current art exhibitions and cultural events taking place across Central Illinois. The article highlights a variety of shows at local galleries, community art centers, and museums, featuring works by regional artists and covering diverse mediums such as painting, sculpture, and photography. Specific venues and exhibit dates are listed to help readers plan visits.

Art Exhibits: What's on display in the Fort Wayne area

The article lists current and upcoming art exhibitions in the Fort Wayne, Indiana area, including shows at The Orchard Gallery of Fine Art, Langhinrichs Art Gallery, Fort Wayne Museum of Art, Artlink, Foellinger-Freimann Botanical Conservatory, Visual Arts Gallery at Purdue University Fort Wayne, Rolland Art Center at University of Saint Francis, Garrett Museum of Art, and ArtSpace/Lima. Featured artists include Kim Lanoue, Luiza Helena de Araujo Caetano, Kristy Jo Beber, Chuck Sperry, Jeff Schofield, Katherine Kratzer, Julie Wall, Greg Lookerse, and members of the Fort Wayne Artists Guild.

Looking for art, culture? See the latest Central Illinois exhibits

A roundup article highlights current and upcoming art and cultural exhibitions across Central Illinois, featuring venues such as the McLean County Museum of History, Krannert Art Museum, Prairie Aviation Museum, Peoria Riverfront Museum, Eaton Studio Gallery, Illinois Art Station, Illinois State Museum, McLean County Arts Center, Main Gallery 404, Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum, Dickson Mounds Museum, and David Davis Mansion State Historic Site. Specific shows mentioned include "Material Memory" fiber arts show at Brandt Gallery, "Goya's Ghosts" at Armstrong Gallery, "Arts Alive!" auction at Dolan Gallery, "Lincoln: Sight, Sound & Touch" at the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum, "Ken Kashian Botanical Photography Exhibit" at IAA Credit Union, and "Kelly Pile Pyrography Pop-up Sale" at Main Gallery 404.

Barbie: She's had 250 jobs and now her own exhibition

The Design Museum in London is bringing its Barbie exhibition to Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum in Glasgow, marking the first exhibition in Scotland devoted to the iconic doll. Curated by Danielle Thom, the show explores Barbie's evolution since her 1959 debut at the New York Toy Fair, featuring original dolls, dream houses, and career-themed items that highlight her more than 250 jobs over 67 years, as well as recent inclusive designs such as dolls with hearing aids, prosthetic limbs, and wheelchairs.

It’s a William Sommer summer at WOLFS Gallery in Beachwood

WOLFS Gallery in Beachwood, Ohio, is presenting "William Sommer: Visionary Modernist," a retrospective exhibition of Cleveland School artist William Sommer, on view through August 15. The show features more than 100 works from 1890 to 1945, drawn largely from the collection of retired Cleveland Museum of Art and Metropolitan Museum of Art curator Martin Lerner. Gallery owner Michael Wolf, a longtime advocate for the Cleveland School, organized the exhibition after nearly a decade of discussion and two years of planning. Sommer, a professional lithographer who painted landscapes and portraits of Northeast Ohio, never achieved national recognition despite praise from peers like poet Hart Crane and painter Charles Burchfield.

Eye on Art: Brush Gallery joins other venues celebrating Lowell’s 200th

Lowell, Massachusetts celebrates its 200th anniversary with a citywide bicentennial, and the Brush Gallery and Studios has opened a photography exhibition titled "LowellScapes" running through July 26. The show features works by eight photographers—Adrien Bisson, Jeff Caplan, Tammy Dohner, Kevin Harkins, Paul Richardson, Coleman Rogers, Peg Shanahan, and Tory Wesnofske—focusing on the city's architecture, landmarks, and scenery, both historic and contemporary. A reception and photography demonstration are scheduled for June 20. The article also highlights a gallery talk at the Concord Museum on June 12 for the exhibition "Revolutionary Legacies" and notes the Museum of Fine Arts Boston's ongoing show "Faces in the Crowd: Street Photography" in the Herb Ritts Gallery.

AT THE ART GALLERIES

The article highlights several art exhibitions and events in Key West, Florida. The Studios of Key West presents "Mango Madness," a summer members' exhibit featuring over 100 works by local artists, on display until July 30. Gallery on Greene showcases Florida-born painter Michael Harrell, known for watercolors and oils reminiscent of American realists like Andrew Wyeth and Winslow Homer. Shade Ceramics and Shutter Photography features Anne's mini rainbow fences as a response to the removal of rainbow crosswalks, with donations supporting LGBTQ+ organizations, alongside Mark Klammer's pottery and Sarah Carleton's photography. Harrison Gallery exhibits sculptor Helen Harrison's work using indigenous materials, while Jag Gallery announces its seventh annual "Poolside" juried exhibit, calling for original artwork themed around swimming pools, with a reception on August 5.

Review: The bard of bricks: A Martin Wong exhibition finally comes to Chicago

The Chicago Tribune reviews "Martin Wong: Chinatown USA," the first-ever exhibition dedicated to the late painter Martin Wong in Chicago, on view at Wrightwood 659. The show features Wong's impasto paintings of tenements in the Lower East Side and San Francisco's Chinatown, along with memorabilia and a collection of graffiti art he assembled in the 1980s. It opens with early ceramics and a video portrait by Charlie Ahearn, setting the tone for Wong's oeuvre.

Séamus Kealy On Returning to Ireland, Artist-Centered Institutions and What the RHA Could Become

Séamus Kealy has been appointed as the new director of the Royal Hibernian Academy of Arts (RHA) in Dublin, returning to Ireland after more than a decade abroad. Kealy previously served as executive director of Oakville Galleries in Ontario and directed the Salzburger Kunstverein in Austria. In an interview, he discusses the challenges facing Irish artists, including a lack of studio space and housing strain, while praising Ireland's Basic Income Scheme for Artists as an inspiring model. He also notes institutional shifts such as Annie Fletcher's leadership at IMMA and the Crawford Gallery's redevelopment.

Wrightwood introduces ‘Chinatown,’ ‘Dispossessions’ exhibitions exploring queer life

Wrightwood 659 in Chicago's Lincoln Park has opened two new exhibitions: 'Chinatown USA,' a survey of queer Asian-American artist Martin Wong's autobiographical works curated by Yasufumi Nakamori and Ashley Janke, and 'Dispossessions in the Americas: The Extraction of Bodies, Land, and Heritage from La Conquista to the Present,' co-curated by Jonathan Katz and Eduardo Carrera, featuring over 40 works by 36 Latin American artists exploring themes of indigeneity, gender, sexuality, and queerness. The exhibitions highlight Wong's depictions of San Francisco's Chinatown and his partner Miguel Piñero, as well as contemporary works like Lulu Molinares' 'Camisa de Fuerza Para Yo (Contra),' which addresses anti-trans violence.

Tate Modern exhibition pays tribute to Le Parc, shortly after death

Tate Modern in London will open a major retrospective titled "Julio Le Parc: Light. Colour. Action." on June 11, less than two weeks after the Argentine artist's death at age 97. The exhibition, the first British museum retrospective for Le Parc, brings together 75 works including one created specifically for the show, and features a poem he wrote about the end of his life. Curator Val Ravaglia noted that Le Parc had hoped to attend the opening and was trying to book a Eurostar ticket before his death in Paris.

“Contemporary Texas Sculpture”: Talking with Editor Diana L. Roberts

Diana L. Roberts, an independent arts writer, curator, and administrator based in San Antonio, Texas, served as editor and production coordinator for "Contemporary Texas Sculpture: Artists of the Texas Sculpture Group," a 244-page book published in 2025 celebrating the organization's 15th anniversary. The volume features over 100 artist members of the Texas Sculpture Group (TSG), including biographical information, artist statements, and more than 600 photographs, along with an "In Memoriam" section for ten deceased artists. The project took approximately five years from conception to completion, navigating challenges such as the COVID-19 pandemic, extensive consensus-building among members, and managing a large volume of material.

Wadsworth’s MATRIX exhibit has layers of life and lived-in appreciation for place where it hangs

Mariel Capanna's new exhibition at the Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art's MATRIX gallery space features canvases filled with abstract shapes that evoke a thriving town or bustling metropolis. The works, specially created for the exhibit, are painted quickly in oils enhanced with wax and marble dust, and are inspired by pieces from the museum's permanent American Art collection, including works by Florine Stettheimer, Bob Thompson, and John Trumbull. Capanna also watched films that responded to those artworks while painting, and the canvases are sized to match the gallery's entranceway, which is framed by a fabricated panel titled "Sinopia for an Egress."

Five visual arts exhibits to catch this summer

Canadian museums and public galleries are presenting a diverse summer 2026 lineup, featuring five notable exhibitions. These include '10th Province: Modernizing the 1950s and 1960s' at The Rooms in St. John’s, which explores Newfoundland’s post-Confederation transformation; 'The Torlonia Collection: Masterpieces of Roman Sculpture' at the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts, showcasing 57 ancient Roman marble statues; 'Qillaniq' at the National Gallery of Canada in Ottawa, a multidisciplinary show by contemporary circumpolar artists; 'Dyani White Hawk: Love Language' at Remai Modern in Saskatoon, a major retrospective of the Minneapolis artist’s beadwork and sculptures; and 'Takao Tanabe: Inside Passage' at the Audain Art Museum in Whistler, marking the artist’s centenary with paintings of the Northwest Coast landscape.

Rome's ancient past meets contemporary art at FOROF

FOROF, a cultural venue in Rome founded in 2022 by Giovanna Caruso Fendi, has opened within Palazzo del Gallo di Roccagiovine overlooking Trajan's Forum. The space is built around a specific archaeological site, preserving the largest surviving marble floor area of the Basilica Ulpia, and is legally constituted as a Società Benefit (benefit corporation) that reinvests revenues into its artistic program. The venue aims to foster contemporary art in dialogue with ancient history, with its underground rooms showcasing original colored marbles and column bases discovered during excavations funded by the Fondazione Alda Fendi Esperimenti.

The art of resurrecting forgotten artists

The article examines the phenomenon of artistic fame and obscurity, tracing how once-celebrated artists like William Dyce, Carlo Maratti, Anton Rafael Mengs, and Pompeo Batoni fell into neglect after their deaths, only to be rediscovered centuries later through targeted exhibitions. It recounts specific examples, such as Dyce's painting bought cheaply for a Butlin's chapel and later sold for a high sum, and the recent major exhibition of Mengs at the Prado in Madrid, which revived interest in his work.

8 Mind-Bending Digital and Art Exhibitions To Visit

LUXUO highlights eight immersive exhibitions that integrate digital technologies, AI, and sensory engagement to redefine contemporary art experiences. Featured venues include DATALAND in Los Angeles, the world's first museum dedicated to AI-generated art, opening in June 2026 with its inaugural show "Machine Dreams: Rainforest"; the Museum of the Future in Dubai, which uses narrative simulations to explore speculative futures; and Moco Museum Amsterdam's "Digital & Immersive Art" by Studio Irma, focusing on interactive light-based installations. Other exhibitions blend projection mapping, 3D environments, and data-driven installations to transform how audiences perceive and interact with art.

New Exhibition Explores Immersive Art Created by Women Artists in the 1960s and 1970s

Leeum Museum of Art in Seoul has opened "Inside Other Spaces: Environments by Women Artists 1956–1976," an exhibition that reconstructs immersive environments created by women artists from Europe, Asia, and the Americas. Originally organized with Munich’s Haus der Kunst, the Seoul presentation expands the project with additional works by Korean and Asian artists, including Jung Kangja’s "Muche-Jeon (Incorporeal Exhibition)." The show features reconstructed works by pioneers such as Lygia Clark, Marta Minujín, Nanda Vigo, and Tsuruko Yamazaki, whose 1956 piece "Red" is the earliest environment included. Visitors are invited to physically enter installations made of mirrors, translucent materials, sound, and light, experiencing art that dissolves boundaries between artwork, architecture, and viewer participation.

Mayberry Fine Art sees new location as blank canvas, celebrating with auction, exhibition

Mayberry Fine Art, a family-owned gallery in Winnipeg, is relocating after 23 years at 212 McDermot Ave. to a larger warehouse-style space at 661 Wall St. next month. The move is driven by the gallery's growth and the need for improved exhibition space, as the current building was originally an office and posed logistical challenges like parking and lost loading zones. To mark the transition, the gallery is hosting its Spring Fine Art Auction, running online until May 28, featuring 89 paintings and sculptures expected to fetch between $1.1 million and $1.5 million, with works by notable Canadian artists such as Alfred Casson, Arthur Lismer, and Norval Morrisseau.