Marilyn Minter has been named the 28th recipient of the International Artist Award by the Anderson Ranch Arts Center. The artist, celebrated for her feminist works that merge painting and photography, will be honored during the center's annual Ranch Week in July. The selection highlights Minter's meticulous technical process and her long-standing commitment to art education as a faculty member at the School of Visual Arts.
London's Victoria and Albert Museum (V&A) has acquired a reconstructed version of YouTube's 2006 interface, including its first-ever uploaded video, 'Me at the zoo.' The interactive display, built using archived code and Adobe Flash, is now on view in the museum's 'Design 1900-Now' gallery, representing a significant effort to preserve the look and feel of early internet culture.
Thomas Gainsborough's 1750 painting 'Mr. and Mrs. Andrews' is the centerpiece of the Frick's exhibition 'Gainsborough: The Fashion of Portraiture' in New York. The portrait of the newlywed Suffolk gentry is celebrated as Gainsborough's earliest masterpiece, notable for its eccentric composition that gives equal prominence to the couple and their vast estate, hinting at the transactional nature of their marriage.
Sotheby's has increased its buyer's premiums globally, with the new fee structure taking effect on February 13. The changes mean buyers of lower-value lots will pay higher rates, with the premium for works sold in New York for up to $2 million rising from 27% to 28%. This move follows similar adjustments by rivals Christie's and Phillips, as auction houses seek to bolster revenue during a prolonged art market downturn. Sotheby's also recently raised $900 million through art-backed loans via securitization.
A Swiss artificial intelligence firm, Art Recognition, has claimed with high certainty that two versions of the painting 'Saint Francis of Assisi Receiving the Stigmata' (ca. 1428-32), held by the Royal Museums of Turin and the Philadelphia Museum of Art, are not by the hand of Northern Renaissance master Jan van Eyck. The company's CEO, Carina Popovici, stated the A.I. model determined the works were not authentic with 91% and 86% certainty, respectively, though the museums involved have not officially commented.
The Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) has issued new grant application guidelines that explicitly reference President Donald Trump's executive orders and his vision for U.S. culture. The guidelines encourage applicants to align with orders like "Making Federal Architecture Beautiful Again," which mandates classical style for government buildings, and "Restoring Truth and Sanity to American History," which seeks to control exhibition content. The cover letter also points applicants to orders on combating antisemitism and anti-Christian bias, which appears to warn against pro-Palestinian applications.
Spanish artist Domingo Zapata has been commissioned by Saudi Arabia to create the world's largest mural, a 540,000-square-foot work the size of nine football fields. The project, part of the $63 billion Diriyah cultural zone in Riyadh, will take five to six years to complete and involves a team of about 100 artists, engineers, and architects. Zapata describes it as a "Middle Eastern version of the Sistine Chapel."
Signature items from Carolyn Bessette Kennedy's personal wardrobe are being sold at auction by the Fashion Auctioneer. The sale includes four key pieces gifted to her friend Rosemarie Terenzio, such as three cherished Prada coats and a Yohji Yamamoto dress, with estimates reaching up to $30,000. The auction is supplemented by dozens of vintage items from a private collector, some of which were used as wardrobe for the new FX television series 'Love Story,' which dramatizes the couple's relationship.
The Museum of Modern Art in New York is presenting the exhibition "Wifredo Lam: When I Don't Sleep, I Dream," featuring the iconic Cuban Surrealist painter. The show includes his seminal work *The Jungle*, acquired by MoMA in 1946, and explores his complex artistic identity.
Anonymous floral artist Mr. Flower Fantastic has created this year's Orchid Show at the New York Botanical Garden, titled "Mr. Flower Fantastic's Concrete Jungle." The exhibition transforms the Enid A. Haupt Conservatory with approximately 7,000 orchids arranged in installations that pay homage to New York City's urban landscape, including a subway station, a pizzeria, a newsstand, a dumpster, and a brownstone.
Artist Christina Zimpel has released a new limited-edition print titled CLAP (2025) through a collaboration between Artspace and Lincoln Center Editions. The work, an edition of 36 with unique hand-embellishments in gouache, features a female figure clapping against a vibrant pink field, exploring themes of gesture, sound, and individuality.
Artist Trevor Paglen has publicly noted a striking visual and conceptual overlap between his recent gallery exhibitions titled "Cardinals"—which explore UFO photography and lore—and the imagery in the trailer for Steven Spielberg's upcoming film *Disclosure Day*. Paglen suggests the film's use of cardinals as harbingers of alien life likely originated from his work, specifically a 2023 video installation profiling a former Air Force officer who claimed "Cardinals" was an internal code name for UFOs.
The College of Visual Arts and Design Galleries at the University of North Texas abruptly canceled the solo exhibition "Ni de Aquí, Ni de Allá (Not From Here, Not From There)" by artist Victor "Marka27" Quiñonez after it had been fully installed. The show, which includes works from his "I.C.E. Scream" series critically rebranding Immigration and Customs Enforcement as "Inhumane and Cruelty Enforcement," was removed without explanation, and gallery staff ceased communication with the artist.
eugenio viola museo de arte moderno de bogota
The Museo de Arte Moderno de Bogotá (MAMBO) terminated the contract of its artistic director, Eugenio Viola, earlier this month. Viola claims his dismissal came after he raised concerns with the board in September 2025 about deteriorating working conditions at the museum, concerns he says were shared by other staff. The museum stated the decision resulted from a comprehensive review and that it has begun searching for a new artistic director.
An artist known as Sunday Nobody has created a new work consisting of a bag of Flamin' Hot Cheetos encased in resin and suspended inside a 3,000-pound concrete sarcophagus, which he has buried outside Seattle with instructions for it to be opened in 10,000 years. The 28-year-old motion graphics designer, who maintains anonymity, funds his complex, labor-intensive projects through his day job and documents their creation in viral social media videos.
The Italian Ministry of Culture has acquired a rare double-sided Renaissance painting by Antonello da Messina, 'Ecce Homo; Saint Jerome in Penitence,' for $14.9 million in a private sale with Sotheby's New York. The work was withdrawn from a planned public auction, and its final institutional home is now the subject of a heated debate among major Italian museums and the artist's hometown.
The Museo Reina Sofía in Madrid is seeking an investigation after security officers removed three visitors displaying Stars of David and an Israeli flag from the museum. Video of the incident, published by a conservative Spanish outlet, went viral, showing officers stating other visitors were "bothered" by the symbols. The museum has stated it is investigating the actions of its security team.
Christie's London will offer Wassily Kandinsky's painting *Le Rond Rouge* (1939) with a high estimate of £15.5 million ($21.3 million) in its 20th/21st Century evening sale on March 5. The work, a key piece from the artist's Paris period, has been in prominent collections and was last sold at Sotheby's New York in 2018 for $20.6 million. The sale will also feature a fresh-to-auction Henry Moore bronze sculpture, *King and Queen* (1952-53), estimated at up to £15 million.
Chinese authorities have concluded a major investigation into the Nanjing Museum, revealing decades of alleged mismanagement and corruption that led to nationally significant artworks being funneled into the private market.
Three major artworks from the collection of the late philanthropist and collector Agnes Gund will be offered at Christie's marquee May sales in New York. The lots include Mark Rothko's 'No. 15 (Two Greens and Red Stripe)' (estimated around $80 million), Cy Twombly's 1961 'Untitled' (estimated $40-60 million), and Joseph Cornell's 'Untitled (Medici Princess)' (estimated $3-5 million), all being sold on the secondary market for the first time.
Former President Donald Trump has requested a new official portrait to replace the one painted by artist Ronald Sherr, which was completed in 2022 and ready for acceptance by the National Portrait Gallery. The White House stated Trump wants a portrait that reflects the full scope of his time in office, including both his 45th and potential 47th terms, as he is currently running for president again.
Two Louvre employees and several tour guides have been arrested in connection with a decade-long, large-scale ticket fraud scheme targeting Chinese tour groups. French prosecutors allege the operation involved counterfeit tickets and overbooking, costing the museum an estimated €10 million in lost revenue, with proceeds allegedly invested in real estate in France and Dubai.
Peter Campus, a pioneering video artist, has a new exhibition at The Phillips Collection in Washington, D.C. The show features his early work, including the intense 1978 video 'Head of a Man with Death on His Mind,' alongside his recent 'philips quartet' (2023–24), a series of four landscape videos from his home on Long Island. The exhibition highlights his career-long themes of self-reflection, time, and mortality.
The article highlights six iconic horse-themed artworks from across history and cultures to mark the Year of the Fire Horse in the East Asian zodiac. It features George Stubbs's "Whistlejacket," Han Gan's "Night-Shining White," and Frederic Remington's "The Broncho Buster," among others, detailing their artistic significance and historical contexts.
A water leak occurred in the Denon Wing of the Louvre Museum in Paris, damaging an early 19th-century painting. The leak, labeled an emergency, forced the closure of several rooms and caused two micro-tears and paint layer lifting on Charles Meynier's 1820 work 'Triumph of French Painting: Apotheosis of Poussin, Le Sueur and Le Brun'.
The article explores how Emily Brontë's novel *Wuthering Heights* has inspired visual artists across different eras. It details specific works by English artist Edna Clarke Hall, who created hundreds of sketches and watercolors reflecting her personal connection to the story's themes of isolation and turmoil, and by Polish-French modernist Balthus, who produced a series of ink illustrations focusing on the childhood trauma of the protagonists.
The article examines the history and critical reception of Henri Rousseau's 1897 painting *The Sleeping Gypsy*. It details the painting's creation, its initial exhibition at the Société des Artistes Indépendants, and its subsequent journey through the art market—from being lost and rediscovered at a coal dealer's to being sold by dealer Daniel-Henry Kahnweiler and collected by John Quinn, before ultimately entering the collection of The Museum of Modern Art in New York.
The Barnes Foundation in Philadelphia has opened a major exhibition, 'Henri Rousseau: A Painter's Secrets,' featuring around sixty works, including the institution's own iconic Rousseau paintings. The survey, co-curated by Nancy Ireson and Christopher Green, aims to present a cohesive look at the self-taught artist's career.
Artist Ryan McGinness has published a new art book titled 'Trip Advisor: Notes From over 25 Years of Psychedelic Voyages.' The book combines images of his paintings, studio photos, and personal diaries chronicling his experiences with psilocybin mushrooms since 1999, alongside essays reflecting on their significance.
Bonhams has opened its new U.S. headquarters at 111 West 57th Street in New York, moving from its longtime Madison Avenue location into a 42,000-square-foot space within the restored Steinway Hall. The design features an 80-foot glass atrium, a grand staircase, and restored historic elements, aiming to create a transparent, cultural-center-like atmosphere rather than a traditional salesroom.