Art News. Vasari Codex

article news schedule Aug 3, 2025 visibility 18 link 5 artists, 2 galleries

blum staffers speak closure ex art basel boss slams art financialization

Tim Blum, founder of Blum Gallery, announced the closure of his gallery in early July, citing systemic problems and burnout. However, former employees and artists have since spoken out, claiming they were blindsided by the decision and criticizing the lack of notice, severance, and transparency. Some sources allege that poor business decisions, including a buyout of partner Jeff Poe and costly renovations in a shaky economy, contributed to the closure, while others dispute Blum's claims of strong sales at Art Basel. Separately, a bipartisan Senate bill seeks to extend a 2016 law aiding Holocaust victims in reclaiming Nazi-looted art, but major museums are pushing back, arguing the law unfairly hinders their ability to defend claims.

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person people schedule Jul 2, 2025 visibility 18 link 5 artists, 2 galleries

chen fei bad taste interview

Chinese artist Chen Fei discusses his first institutional solo exhibition in Europe, “Grand Lobby,” at the Consortium Museum in Dijon, France. The show features large-scale still-life paintings that blend Flemish floral traditions with contemporary Chinese symbols like VOSS water bottles and IKEA price tags, using gold leaf and red lacquer to critique class aspiration and visual culture. Chen’s studio, located outside Beijing, is where he creates detail-rich canvases inspired by film storyboarding, aiming for a cinematic, narrative-driven reading experience.

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museum exhibitions schedule Jun 20, 2025 visibility 20 link 21 artists, 1 gallery

lucia painted her own myth

The article profiles Lucia Wilcox, a nearly forgotten Surrealist painter born in 1899 who lived an extraordinary life—raised in Beirut, partying with Surrealists in Paris, fleeing to New York in 1938, and becoming a doyenne among expatriate artists in the Hamptons. She painted joyful, mythical women and was shown by major dealers Sidney Janis and Leo Castelli, but after her death in 1974 she faded into obscurity. Now, a tightly curated exhibition titled "Lucia Wilcox: LUCIA" at Berry Campbell in New York (through June 28) reintroduces her work, focusing on over 20 paintings from the 1940s, including the vibrant "Untitled (Jungle)" (1944).

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article news schedule Jun 13, 2025 visibility 22 link 14 artists, 2 galleries

pariss musee dart moderne to receive 180 artworks from french gallerist

French gallerist Kamel Mennour has announced a donation of 180 artworks to the Musée d’Art Moderne (MAM) in Paris. The gift, drawn from his namesake gallery and personal collection, includes works by over 45 artists such as Alicja Kwade, Anish Kapoor, Daniel Buren, and Lee Ufan. The donation will join MAM’s permanent collections after validation by Paris Musées and the French government, with an exhibition planned for 2027 in the museum’s ARC rooms.

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article news schedule May 28, 2025 visibility 18 link 13 artists, 4 galleries

a pay to play art show in marfa sparks controversy and more juicy art world gossip

The Marfa Invitational, a small art fair in West Texas, has sparked controversy after pivoting to a new format called the "Marfa Invitational Open." The fair issued an open call to Texas-based artists, charging a $75 application fee and later requiring an additional $150 "installation fee" not disclosed in the original terms. Over 500 artists applied, but many dropped out after the hidden fee was revealed, leading to a boycott campaign. Approximately 160 artists ultimately exhibited at the Saint George Hotel last weekend. The fair had previously faced scandal in 2023 when its tax-exempt status was revoked due to cofounder Michael Phelan's failure to file required paperwork.

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trending_up market schedule May 24, 2025 visibility 22 link 8 artists, 1 gallery

qatar lures art basel

MCH Group, parent company of Art Basel, announced a new Doha edition of the Swiss art fair, set to launch in February 2026. Art Basel Qatar will start with 50 galleries and expand to around 200, partnering with Qatar Sports Investments and QC+, a commercial arm of Qatar Museums. The fair aims to bolster markets across the Middle East, North Africa, and South Asia.

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person people schedule May 19, 2025 visibility 19 link 5 artists, 1 gallery

brooklin soumahoro new talent 2025

Brooklin A. Soumahoro, a self-taught painter based in Los Angeles, is featured in ARTnews' 2025 "New Talent" issue. Born in Paris and working in a Glassell Park studio, he creates oil paintings that blend methodical color theory with intuitive emotion, drawing inspiration from West African textile designs, synesthesia, and the Fauvist palette of Henri Matisse. His recent solo exhibition "The Open Window" at François Ghebaly gallery in Los Angeles presented works inspired by the south of France, directly engaging with Matisse's iconic paintings.

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trending_up market schedule May 19, 2025 visibility 23 link 18 artists, 1 gallery

sothebys contemporary art auction report

Sotheby's held a three-part marathon of contemporary art auctions in New York on Thursday evening, totaling $186.1 million with fees across 68 lots. The evening included white-glove sales for the collections of legendary dealer Barbara Gladstone and veteran dealer Daniella Luxembourg, with the Gladstone offering exceeding its presale estimate. Top lots included Richard Prince's "Man Crazy Nurse" (2002–03), which sold for $3.96 million, and Lucio Fontana's "Concetto spaziale, La fine di Dio" (1963), which achieved $14.5 million. The main contemporary evening sale took in $127 million, while the overall result fell short of last May's equivalent sale of $234.6 million.

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museum exhibitions schedule May 19, 2025 visibility 18 link 5 artists, 1 gallery

thalita hamaoui botanical dramas

Brazilian artist Thalita Hamaoui presents her New York debut exhibition "Nascer da Terra" at Marianne Boesky Gallery, featuring large-scale, jewel-toned landscapes inspired by her grandmother's stories of Romania. Hamaoui, who was raised in São Paulo and had never visited Romania, translates her grandmother's vivid tales into fantastical, tropical-infused scenes filled with explosive plant life and dreamlike terrains. The exhibition runs through June 14 and includes paintings and drawings created during lockdown, reflecting her instinctual compositional process and influences from Brazilian Tropicália and artist Alberto da Veiga Guignard.

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trending_up market schedule May 9, 2025 visibility 17 link 7 artists, 1 gallery

kiang malingue gallery new york expansion

Kiang Malingue, a prominent Hong Kong gallery, is opening a new commercial space in New York's Chinatown this week. The inaugural exhibition features Japanese artist Hiroka Yamashita, marking her New York solo debut. Founders Edouard Malingue and Lorraine Kiang cite a strategy to tap into a growing community of young Asian American collectors and rising market interest in Asian and Asian diaspora artists.

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museum exhibitions schedule Apr 24, 2026 visibility 22 link 25 artists, 3 galleries

Whitney Biennial 2026

The 2026 Whitney Biennial, curated by Marcela Guerrero and Drew Sawyer, has received generally lukewarm responses from critics, a notable shift from the more intense takedowns and boycotts that characterized recent editions of the exhibition. Left-oriented critics have criticized the curatorial framework as indeterminate and evasive, particularly in light of the Whitney Museum's controversial board decisions, including the recent closure of the museum's Independent Study Program.

newspaper Mousse Magazine open_in_new Read original

museum exhibitions schedule Mar 26, 2026 visibility 20 link 3 artists, 1 gallery

Kaari Upson “Dollhouse – A Retrospective” at Kunsthalle Mannheim

The Kunsthalle Mannheim is presenting "Dollhouse – A Retrospective," a major posthumous exhibition dedicated to the work of American artist Kaari Upson. The show brings together her sculptures, installations, videos, and drawings, which explore memory, identity, and social reality through the lens of her personal biography.

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rate_review review schedule Mar 20, 2026 source 4 sources visibility 31 link 11 artists

The Whitney Biennial Is for the Faint-Hearted

A critical review of the 2026 Whitney Biennial argues that the exhibition is timid and fails to directly confront the urgent political crises of the moment, including domestic authoritarianism, state violence, and immigration policies. The reviewer finds the show somber, fearful, and overly focused on mood and introspection, suggesting it represents a retreat from meaningful political engagement.

newspaper Hyperallergic Also: Arte al Día open_in_new Read original

museum exhibitions schedule Apr 14, 2026 visibility 23 link 4 artists, 2 galleries

LR Vandy’s Rope Sculptures Disentangle Histories of Colonialism and Transportation

London-based artist LR Vandy has opened her first solo museum exhibition, "Rise," at the Yorkshire Sculpture Park. The show features a series of sculptures crafted from nautical materials like Manila rope, ship's helms, and hull-shaped wooden forms, many of which were created in her studio at the Chatham Historic Dockyard. The works explore the complex intersections of maritime history, trade, and the labor systems that powered the Age of Discovery.

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article news schedule May 9, 2026 visibility 22 link 68 artists, 24 galleries

City Life Org - New York Art World Celebrates Angela Davis, Amy Sherald, Clara Wu Tsai, Crystal McCrary, Raymond McGuire at Awards Dinner in NYC

The Gordon Parks Foundation held its annual Awards Dinner and Auction at Cipriani 42nd Street in New York City, raising nearly $2 million to support its mission of social justice through the arts. The gala honored a distinguished group of changemakers, including activist Angela Davis, painter Amy Sherald, philanthropist Clara Wu Tsai, producer Crystal McCrary, and businessman Raymond McGuire. Hosted by Kaseem Dean (Swizz Beatz) and Executive Director Peter W. Kunhardt, Jr., the event celebrated the enduring legacy of Gordon Parks and his commitment to documenting and advancing civil rights.

newspaper Manual open_in_new Read original

article news schedule May 9, 2026 visibility 20 link 33 artists, 15 galleries

Usher, Spike Lee, and Tyler Mitchell Helped Raise $3.7 Million for the Studio Museum in Harlem at a Party for the Ages

The Studio Museum in Harlem hosted a star-studded gala at the Glasshouse in Manhattan, raising $3.7 million to support its upcoming reopening. The event marked a significant milestone for the institution, which has been undergoing extensive renovations for seven years and is scheduled to open its new doors on West 125th Street on November 15. Director and Chief Curator Thelma Golden described the evening as a 'threshold' moment, celebrating the museum's legacy of shaping cultural history since its founding in 1968.

newspaper Manual open_in_new Read original

candle obituary schedule May 11, 2026 visibility 34 link 8 artists, 3 galleries

Bruno Bischofberger stirbt im Alter von 86 Jahren

Bruno Bischofberger, the influential Swiss gallerist and art collector, has died at age 86. His gallery announced the news. Bischofberger was a key figure in the international art trade, known for introducing American post-war art to Europe. He formed a close partnership with Andy Warhol, who granted him a lifelong first-refusal right on his works. In 1984, Bischofberger initiated the collaboration between Warhol and Jean-Michel Basquiat, and also facilitated joint works with Francesco Clemente. He opened his first gallery in Zurich in 1963, showing artists like Roy Lichtenstein, Robert Rauschenberg, Claes Oldenburg, and Gerhard Richter, and later expanded to Männedorf and St. Moritz.

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museum exhibitions schedule May 13, 2026 visibility 18 link 4 artists, 1 gallery

Ralph Lemon: The Physical Traces of Racism

Ralph Lemon's exhibition at Paula Cooper Gallery presents 13 black-and-white photographs and three short videos focusing on sites in the Mississippi Delta connected to the 1955 lynching of Emmett Till. Rather than dramatizing the incident, Lemon records physical traces of the locations—such as Bryant's Grocery and Meat Market, the barn where Till was killed, the Tallahatchie River, and a funeral home—capturing dilapidated buildings and landscapes that suggest history slipping away. The show includes the titular video "From Out of Space" (2018–21), which offers closeups and drone footage of these sites, creating a meditative, detective-like examination of memory and erasure.

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rate_review review schedule Apr 16, 2026 visibility 19 link 4 artists, 1 gallery

Gardar Eide Einarsson Leaves You in the Dark

Gardar Eide Einarsson’s latest exhibition at Maureen Paley’s East London space presents a haunting exploration of dissociation and coded information. The show features two distinct series: 'Closed Caption,' a collection of monochrome black gouache paintings featuring isolated subtitles from films, and 'Incendiary Test Area,' a set of hyperrealistic woodblock prints created in collaboration with master Shoichi Kitamura. These prints depict the interiors of mock 'Japanese' houses built by the US Army for fire-bombing tests during World War II.

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candle obituary schedule Apr 7, 2026 visibility 34 link 5 artists, 4 galleries

Thomas Zipp, artist with a sideways sense of history, 1966–2026

German artist Thomas Zipp, known for his dark, punk-infused explorations of history and science, has died at age 60. Throughout a career spanning painting, sculpture, and immersive scenographic installations, Zipp blended a Dadaist sensibility with a deep interest in politics, neuroscience, and the nuclear age. His work often challenged viewers with complex, opaque environments, such as his notable 2013 Venice Biennale installation that transformed a palazzo into a psychological sanatorium.

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museum exhibitions schedule Apr 17, 2026 source 3 sources visibility 32 link 9 artists, 1 gallery

Marcel Duchamp & Sturtevant | Dialogues are mostly fried snowballs

Thaddaeus Ropac Milan is hosting a landmark exhibition titled "Dialogues are mostly fried snowballs," marking the first-ever joint presentation of Marcel Duchamp and Sturtevant. The show stages a cerebral confrontation between Duchamp’s original readymades, such as "Porte-bouteilles" and "Trébuchet," and Sturtevant’s radical repetitions of his work. By showcasing these pieces alongside archival materials and films, the exhibition traces how Sturtevant used Duchamp’s style as a medium to investigate the canonization and "understructure" of conceptual art.

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museum exhibitions schedule Apr 16, 2026 source 3 sources visibility 33 link 16 artists, 2 galleries

Peggy Guggenheim in London: The Making of a Collector

The Peggy Guggenheim Collection in Venice has announced a major exhibition for 2026 titled "Peggy Guggenheim in London: The Making of a Collector." The show focuses on the pivotal period between 1938 and 1939 when Guggenheim operated her first gallery, Guggenheim Jeune, on Cork Street. It will feature approximately 100 works by avant-garde masters such as Vasily Kandinsky, Jean Cocteau, and Yves Tanguy, alongside archival materials documenting her early career as a gallerist and patron.

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trending_up market schedule Mar 25, 2026 visibility 42 link 20 artists, 1 gallery

sothebys spring modern contemporary evening sale london result

Sotheby’s London achieved a rare "white-glove" result during its spring modern and contemporary evening sale, with every lot finding a buyer. The auction totaled £131 million ($175 million), representing a 110 percent increase over the previous year's equivalent sale. High-profile successes included a record-breaking £5.2 million sale for Leon Kossoff’s "Children’s Swimming Pool" and strong performances for works by Andy Warhol and Josef Albers, largely driven by prestigious consignments like the Lewis Collection.

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trending_up market schedule Apr 1, 2026 source 3 sources visibility 24 link 1 artist, 1 gallery

Sinners, Maurizio Cattelan Is Taking Confession

Maurizio Cattelan has launched a participatory artwork and sales campaign titled 'The Confessional,' where people can call a hotline to submit their sins for his consideration. Selected participants will be invited to a livestreamed event on April 23 where Cattelan, acting as a priest, will absolve them. The project is tied to the re-release of his controversial 1999 sculpture 'La Nona Ora,' a miniature wax figure of Pope John Paul II struck by a meteorite.

newspaper Artnet News Also: The Art Newspaper, The Guardian open_in_new Read original

museum exhibitions schedule May 26, 2026 visibility 3 link 10 artists, 4 galleries

Newcastle Art Gallery’s stunning new exhibitions open up a multiverse

Newcastle Art Gallery has opened three new exhibitions following its February reopening with the blockbuster show 'Iconic Loved Unexpected'. The new presentations include Tiyan Baker's solo show 'Mouth Mnemonica', 'The Mordant Family Gift' featuring 25 works donated by philanthropists Simon and Catriona Mordant, and Brian Robinson's 'Multiverse'. The exhibitions collectively showcase a diverse range of national and international artistry, with works by artists such as Gemma Smith, Tim Silver, Alasdair Macintyre, and Rafael Lozano-Hemmer. Baker's solo exhibition focuses on preserving the Bidayǔh language through multimedia works including autostereograms and video installations.

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museum exhibitions schedule May 25, 2026 visibility 5 link 3 artists, 2 galleries

Fairfield University Art Museum To Present James Welling: Cento

Fairfield University Art Museum will present "James Welling: Cento," a major exhibition of over 60 photographs by the renowned contemporary photographer, from September 25 to December 12, 2026. The show focuses on the classical world, featuring images of ancient Greek and Roman architecture and statuary, printed on plastic sheets and hand-altered with oil paint and pigment. It includes works from the Cento series (2019-2021) and the Personae series (2021-2022), alongside historic plaster casts from the museum's collection.

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museum exhibitions schedule May 24, 2026 visibility 9 link 52 artists, 4 galleries

Five Whirlwind Days in Venice, at (and Beyond) the Biennale

The article recounts a whirlwind three-day visit to the 61st Venice Biennale, focusing on the main exhibition at the Giardini della Biennale curated by the late Koyo Kouoh, titled "In Minor Keys." The author highlights textile works by artists such as Thania Petersen, Billie Zangewa, and Annalee Davis, as well as Beverly Buchanan's "Spirit Jars" and Maria Magdalena Campos-Pons's portrait of Kouoh and Toni Morrison. The trip also includes visits to collateral events, a performance at Jordan Roth's palazzo, and a side trip to Gabriele D'Annunzio's estate on Lake Garda.

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museum exhibitions schedule May 22, 2026 visibility 8 link 3 artists, 1 gallery

Exhibition | Kenjiro Okazaki, 'Never could be any other way — anagnorisis' at Pace Gallery, London, United Kingdom

Pace Gallery in London is presenting an exhibition by Japanese artist Kenjiro Okazaki titled 'Never could be any other way — anagnorisis'. The show features Okazaki's latest works, which explore themes of recognition and revelation through his distinctive blend of painting, drawing, and conceptual practice.

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museum exhibitions schedule May 22, 2026 visibility 11 link 3 artists, 1 gallery

Roni Horn Returns to London with Seizure of Hope at Hauser & Wirth

Roni Horn returns to London for her first solo exhibition in a decade, titled *Seizure of Hope*, at Hauser & Wirth. The show features over 45 works on paper centered on the repeated phrase "I am paralyzed with hope," drawn from a performance by comedian Maria Bamford, alongside a cast-glass sculpture *Untitled ("What happens to the hole when the cheese is gone?")* (2022). The drawings explore language, repetition, and the instability of meaning, with words shifting between clarity and abstraction through wax crayon layering. A limited-edition artist book of the same title will be released by Hauser & Wirth Publishers.

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museum exhibitions schedule May 21, 2026 visibility 16 link 6 artists, 1 gallery

Amy Sherald Comes Home: “American Sublime” Opens at the High Museum

The High Museum of Art in Atlanta opens "Amy Sherald: American Sublime" on May 15, a mid-career retrospective featuring over 35 paintings from 2007 to 2024. The exhibition was originally scheduled to conclude at the National Portrait Gallery in Washington, D.C., but Sherald canceled that stop after a Trump administration executive order directed Smithsonian institutions to remove so-called "un-American content." The High Museum secured the final slot after the Baltimore Museum of Art, following months of coordination with SFMOMA, Sherald's studio, and Hauser & Wirth. The show includes Sherald's portrait of Breonna Taylor and her iconic Michelle Obama portrait, organized into five thematic sections.

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