Treasure House Fair hopes to be the flagship summer event London desperately needs

Thomas Woodham-Smith and Harry Van der Hoorn are staging the third edition of the Treasure House Fair at London’s Royal Hospital Chelsea, running until 1 July. The fair, which launched hastily in 2023 after the collapse of Masterpiece London, features 72 exhibitors spanning ancient to contemporary art, design, jewellery, antiques, and even a meteorite. Woodham-Smith reports a mood of optimism despite global turmoil, with strong ticket sales and a 40% share of new exhibitors, including many from outside the UK.

In tough times for dealers, Art Basel debuts a section for new works

Art Basel is introducing a new section called Premiere at its upcoming fair, designed for galleries to present works created within the last five years by up to three artists, organized around a loose curatorial concept. The inaugural section features ten exhibitors, mostly smaller to mid-sized galleries showing mid-career artists, with prices ranging from €5,000 to $85,000. The section is priced at SFr22,000 for a 32 sq. m stand, cheaper than the main section but more expensive than the emerging-artist-focused Statements section, which can be financially risky for dealers.

New dealer-run fair aims to fill gap left by Design Miami

A group of 11 mostly French galleries, led by Charlotte Ketabi-Lebard of Parisian gallery Ketabi Bourdet, have launched Maze Design Basel, a new dealer-run design fair to fill the gap left by the cancellation of Design Miami Basel. The fair is held in the 19th-century Elisabethenkirche church next to Basel's Kunsthalle, with stands arranged throughout the nave, mezzanines, chancel, pulpit, and clerestory. The vernissage on June 16 was playful and relaxed, with sales reported by all exhibitors and about 1,000 guests attending the preview.

Los Angeles dealer Ariel Pittman launching new gallery in MacArthur Park

Ariel Pittman, a Los Angeles art historian and former director at Vielmetter and Various Small Fires, is opening a new gallery called Official Welcome in the MacArthur Park neighborhood on May 30. The gallery, located in the historic Granada Building, will launch with an inaugural exhibition titled "California Split" featuring works by June Edmonds, Jay Lynn Gomez, Henry Taylor, and others, with prices starting at $800. Pittman plans to diversify revenue by offering consulting services, project management, and space rentals, and aims to keep operations lean before eventually hiring staff and establishing equitable profit-sharing structures.

Collections of two leading dealers, Barbara Gladstone and Daniella Luxembourg, hit the auction blocks in New York

Sotheby's will auction collections from two prominent dealers, Barbara Gladstone and Daniella Luxembourg, in New York on May 15. Gladstone's estate consigned 12 lots, including an Andy Warhol painting (est. $1m-$1.5m) and a Richard Prince work (est. $4m-$6m), following a competition between Christie's and Sotheby's. Luxembourg's collection of 15 post-war works, valued at over $30m, features pieces by Lucio Fontana, Salvatore Scarpitta, and Michelangelo Pistoletto, with Fontana's 'Fine di Dio' (1963) expected to lead at $12m-$18m.

Why the inaugural Art Week Riyadh was a fair in everything but name

The inaugural Art Week Riyadh (AWR), organized by Saudi Arabia's Visual Arts Commission, took place from April 6-13 in the Jax district of Diriyah. Though officially billed as a non-commercial curated exhibition, the event functioned much like an art fair, with 32 galleries displaying available works, price lists visible on stands, and sales conducted throughout the week. The main exhibition, titled "At The Edge," was curated by Vittoria Matarrese with associate curators Basma Harasani and Victoria Gandit Lelandais, featuring galleries from Saudi Arabia and the wider region. Standout presentations included works by Ayesha Sultana, Mohamed Bourouissa, Mohammed Al Resayes, and Miramar Al Nayyar, alongside a moving image section and a satellite program of open studios and gallery shows.

Introducing the Intelligence Report: The Year Ahead 2026

The art auction market showed signs of recovery in 2025, with total sales increasing for the first time since 2021, driven by a strong late-season surge in New York. The U.K. market grew by 11.3%, aided by major sales like the $136 million dispersal of Pauline Karpidas's Surrealist collection, while the ultra-contemporary sector declined for a fourth year as investment flowed to established Impressionist and Modern works.

Nastaran Mir Sadegh | Untitled (2025) | For Sale

Nastaran Mir Sadegh's painting "Untitled" (2025) is listed for sale at US$2,500 through Sahar K. Boluki Gallery in Toronto. The work, an acrylic on canvas measuring 76 × 59 cm, is hand-signed by the artist and includes a certificate of authenticity. Mir Sadegh, an Iranian artist born in 1985 and based in Tehran, holds a bachelor's degree in Fine Art from Art University of Tehran. Her exhibition history includes shows in Toronto, Tehran, Dubai, and at institutions such as the Tehran Museum of Contemporary Art and Saba Cultural Institute. The listing appears on Artsy, with shipping available within Canada and internationally.

Historic Strike Disrupts Biennale as Thousands March in Venice

On May 8, 2026, artists and cultural workers staged the first strike in the 131-year history of the Venice Biennale, disrupting the pre-opening of the international exhibition. At least 27 of the 100 national pavilions were partially or fully shut down, and thousands marched through Venice to the Arsenale, which was barricaded by Italian riot police. The strike, organized by the Art Not Genocide Alliance (ANGA) and local activist groups, was a 24-hour action for Palestine and workers' rights, with some artists altering or draping their works in the main exhibition, "In Minor Keys."

Culture Workers Announce Venice Biennale Strike in Israeli Pavilion Protest

Cultural workers, unions, and grassroots groups are planning a 24-hour strike on Friday, May 8, at the Venice Biennale to protest Israel's participation amid the ongoing genocide in Gaza. Organized by the Art Not Genocide Alliance (ANGA), the action includes a rally on Viale Garibaldi and calls for a boycott of Israel's "genocide pavilion." Participating groups include Biennaleocene, Sale Docks, Mi Riconosci, Vogliamo Tutt’altro, and several Italian trade unions. The strike follows months of activism, including a letter signed by over 200 event participants, and comes after the Biennale jury resigned over award eligibility rules that initially excluded Israel and Russia.

Where did the great artist Joseph Beuys live? The comic story by Gianluca Costantini

Dove viveva il grande artista Joseph Beuys? Il racconto a fumetti di Gianluca Costantini

In the summer of 2022, the author visited Düsseldorf and discovered that Joseph Beuys's former home at Drakeplatz 4 in Oberkassel was for sale, but the city's cultural department declined to purchase it. Beuys lived and worked there from 1961 until his death in 1986, using the space as both a residence and studio. The article recounts the intimate details of family life there, including how Beuys painted the main room white for his wife Eva's photography, and how the family navigated the blend of private life and artistic practice. Two years later, the Brunhilde Moll Foundation acquired the house and opened it to the public, though it was closed for renovations when the author returned. The house now displays about sixty works from Beuys's creative period and will host artist residencies and events.

Highlights and Hidden Gems at Dumbo Open Studios

DUMBO Open Studios celebrated its 10th anniversary with over 175 artists across 21 buildings participating in the weekend event. The open studios, jointly managed by Team Dumbo and real estate developer Two Trees, featured a wide range of work, with a noted highlight being works on paper from artists like Bianca Fields, Amy Cutler, and Jason Karolak. Despite rainy weather, the event fostered impromptu conversations and community, with more than half of surveyed artists reporting sales and expectations of future exhibition opportunities.

Riyadh continues to bet big on public art: over 100 new works to be installed in the Saudi capital in the coming years

Riyadh continua a scommettere forte sull’arte pubblica: nei prossimi anni oltre 100 nuove opere installate nella capitale saudita

Saudi Arabia is significantly expanding its Riyadh Art public art initiative, with plans to install over 100 new monumental works across the capital city in the coming years. Following the recent Tuwaiq Sculpture 2026 event, which added 25 stone and metal sculptures to the permanent collection, the city has announced 12 new site-specific installations by high-profile international artists including Anselm Kiefer, El Anatsui, and Manal AlDowayan. The project aims to reach a total of 115 new commissions, building upon a collection that already features masters like Anish Kapoor, Jeff Koons, and Giuseppe Penone.

For the Queen's 100th, Ketterer Auctions a Warhol Painting

Zum 100. der Queen versteigert Ketterer Warhol-Gemälde

The Munich-based auction house Ketterer Kunst is offering a portrait of Queen Elizabeth II by Andy Warhol for sale at its auction on June 12. The work is a silkscreen print enhanced with diamond dust and carries a pre-sale estimate of €150,000 to €250,000. The auction coincides with what would have been the late Queen's 100th birthday year.

Monet painting auctioned in France for more than 10 million euros

Monet-Gemälde in Frankreich für mehr als 10 Millionen Euro versteigert

A recently rediscovered landscape painting by Claude Monet, titled "Vétheuil, effet du matin" (1901), sold for €10.2 million at a Sotheby’s auction in France. The sale exceeded its initial estimate of €6 million to €8 million and set a new record for a Monet work sold at auction within France. A second work, "Les îles de Port-Villez" (1883), also outperformed expectations, fetching €6.45 million during the same event.

Dream Win With a Catch

Traumgewinn mit Haken

A 58-year-old sales engineer from Paris has won a 1941 Pablo Picasso portrait titled "Tête de femme" through a charity raffle. The winner acquired the masterpiece, valued at approximately €1.45 million, by purchasing a single €100 ticket. Organized to benefit Alzheimer’s research, the international lottery sold 120,000 tickets across 152 countries, raising a total of €12 million.

Sun, Sea, and Security

"Sonne, Meer und Sicherheit"

The Art Cologne Palma Mallorca art fair has emerged as a strategic hub for wealthy German collectors, positioning the Mediterranean island as a safe and accessible alternative to more volatile global markets. While sales have been strongest in the lower price segments, the fair's revival highlights a trend toward 'lifestyle' art events that prioritize security and leisure. Simultaneously, the German art market faces a broader crisis of regionalization, where galleries are increasingly focusing on local buyers despite declining overall sales and a lack of transformative economic growth.

A New Roubiliac Enters the Louvre

Un nouveau Roubiliac entre au Louvre

The Musée du Louvre has acquired a bronze bust of the poet Alexander Pope by the 18th-century sculptor Louis François Roubiliac. The work was purchased via private treaty through Sotheby’s after failing to find a buyer during the Manny Davidson collection sale, despite an estimate of €60,000 to €80,000. This acquisition strengthens the museum’s modest but significant collection of non-French European sculpture and is expected to go on public display in the coming weeks.

A phenomenal urban art exhibition with graffiti legends arrives at La Villette: tickets are now on sale!

Une phénoménale expo d’art urbain avec des légendes du graffiti arrive à La Villette : la billetterie est ouverte !

A major exhibition of graffiti and street art, "Beyond the Streets," is opening at the Grande Halle de la Villette in Paris. The show features monumental sculptures, architectural interventions, archival photos, videos, and murals by legendary artists including Futura 2000, Fab Five Freddy, Shepard Fairey (Obey), Invader, André Saraiva, Fuzi, Felipe Pantone, Lady Pink, and Vhils. The exhibition, which has already drawn over 650,000 visitors worldwide, runs from late May to early September 2026, and ticket sales have just opened.

Comment un père et sa fille ont dupé le marché de l’art avec de faux Picasso et Banksy

A Polish father-daughter duo, Erwin Bankowski (50) and Karolina Bankowska (26), orchestrated a major art forgery scheme between 2020 and 2025, selling over 200 fake artworks attributed to Andy Warhol, Banksy, Pablo Picasso, Andrew Wyeth, and others through top auction houses and galleries in New York and across the United States. They pleaded guilty in federal court in Brooklyn to conspiracy to commit wire fraud and misrepresentation of Native American goods, facing up to 20 years in prison, with sentencing set for August 5. The fakes, produced by an unidentified Polish artist, were sold for at least $2 million, with the highest known sale being a fake Richard Mayhew landscape that fetched $160,000 at DuMouchelles in Detroit.

Un Rothko adjugé près de 86 M$

A painting by Mark Rothko was sold for nearly $86 million at auction. The sale, conducted by an undisclosed auction house, achieved a price within the upper range of expectations for the artist's mature abstract works, reflecting sustained demand for top-tier modern art.

A Record for Lalanne

Un record pour Lalanne

Sotheby's New York achieved a major result with the sale of a set of fifteen mirrors by Claude Lalanne (died 2019), commissioned between 1974 and 1985 for the music room of Yves Saint Laurent and Pierre Bergé's Paris apartment. Estimated at $10–15 million, the lot—from the collection of Jean and Terry de Gunzburg after the 2009 Saint Laurent-Bergé sale—fetched $33.5 million including fees, setting a record for the artist.

A Titanic life jacket sold for a record price

Un gilet de sauvetage du Titanic vendu à un prix record

A life jacket worn by a survivor of the Titanic's 1912 sinking was sold at auction for nearly €800,000, setting a new record price for an artifact from the doomed ocean liner. The sale was conducted by the British auction house Henry Aldridge & Son, which specializes in Titanic memorabilia.

A Monet Sold at Auction in France

Un Monet adjugé en France

Claude Monet’s painting 'Vétheuil, effet du matin' sold for nearly €10.2 million at an auction in Paris this Thursday. The sale highlights the continued demand for high-quality Impressionist works within the French capital's growing secondary market.

Auction Record in India

Record aux enchères en Inde

The Indian art market has reached a new milestone with the sale of Raja Ravi Varma’s painting, 'Yashoda and Krishna,' which fetched $17.9 million (including fees) at a domestic auction. The masterpiece was acquired by the prominent industrialist Cyrus Poonawalla, setting a new world record for an Indian painting sold at auction.

Protests in Mexico Against the Transfer of a Rare Collection to Spain

Protestations au Mexique contre le transfert en Espagne d’une rare collection

A coalition of nearly 400 art professionals in Mexico is protesting the planned transfer of the prestigious Gelman Collection to Spain. The collection, which includes iconic works by Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera, is slated to move to the Faro Santander museum in northern Spain under a five-year management agreement with Banco Santander. Critics describe the move as a "public disaster," citing the opaque 2023 sale of the collection to the Zambrano family and the potential violation of Natasha Gelman’s original will, which stipulated the works remain in Mexico.

New York Court Orders Restitution of a Modigliani to the Oscar Stettiner Estate

La justice new-yorkaise ordonne la restitution d’un Modigliani à la succession d’Oscar Stettiner

A New York court has ordered the restitution of Amedeo Modigliani’s 1918 painting 'Seated Man with a Cane' to the heirs of Oscar Stettiner, a Jewish art dealer. The work was seized during the Nazi occupation of Paris and sold at a forced auction in 1944 before eventually being purchased by the billionaire Nahmad family via an offshore company in 1996. Judge Joel M. Cohen ruled that the evidence of Stettiner’s prior ownership was "unusually strong" and dismissed the defense's claims that the painting was a different version or that the claim was filed too late.

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.

$33.5 million set of mirrors by Claude Lalanne sets a new record for a work of design

A set of bronze mirrors by French sculptor Claude Lalanne sold for $33.5 million with fees at Sotheby’s in New York, smashing multiple auction records. The Ensemble of Fifteen Mirrors from 1974 more than doubled its high estimate of $15 million after a 10-minute bidding war between five collectors.

Legendary Auctioneer Jussi Pylkkänen on How to Decode Auction Numbers

Legendary auctioneer Jussi Pylkkänen offers insights into interpreting auction data, such as price estimates and results, to navigate the current transitional art market. He advises buyers to think critically about value and scrutinize auction house-provided figures.