Art News. Vasari Codex

article culture schedule Jul 30, 2025 visibility 9

architecture stephen alesch garden design

Stephen Alesch, co-founder of the design firm Roman and Williams, shares hand-drawn plans and sketches of his Hamptons orchard, called “the fruit loop,” in CULTURED magazine’s latest Hamptons issue. The orchard, located at the Montauk home he shares with his wife and business partner Robin Standefer, features rings of fruit trees inspired by classical labyrinth gardens and historic botanical drawings, including a 21st-century interpretation of an apple diagram.

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museum exhibitions schedule Apr 2, 2026 visibility 20 link 1 artist

Summer Marathons in Painting and Drawing at the New York Studio School

The New York Studio School is promoting its upcoming Summer Marathon programs, intensive two-week courses in drawing and painting available both online and in-person. The program involves daily, full-day studio work and critiques led by faculty and visiting artists, designed to push artists of all levels to transform their practice by confronting fundamental problems with new intensity.

newspaper Hyperallergic open_in_new Read original

article culture schedule May 5, 2026 source 2 sources visibility 20 link 3 artists, 1 gallery

AKKA Venice Project: Beyond the Exhibition

Lidija Khachatourian, founder of AKKA Project, discusses her gallery's evolution from Dubai to Venice, where it remains the only gallery dedicated to African and diasporic artists. In an interview with ART AFRICA, she explains her shift from a market-driven model toward a research-led, custodial approach that prioritizes long-term relationships and slowness over high-volume programming. The gallery, established in Venice in 2019, operates with a deliberate resistance to market pressures, focusing on care, continuity, and direct material support for its artists.

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article news schedule May 15, 2026 visibility 11

Egypt Unveils a Hidden Tomb of 3,500-Year-Old Coffins at Luxor’s Abu el-Naga

An Egyptian archaeological mission excavating at the Abu El-Naga necropolis near Luxor has uncovered a cache of ten well-preserved painted wooden coffins hidden in the courtyard shaft of the tomb of Baki. The coffins span multiple periods, including the 18th Dynasty, the Ramesside period, and the Late Period, with inscriptions naming individuals such as Merit, a chantress of the god Amun, and Padi-Amun, a priest in the Temple of Amun. The team also discovered the tomb of a purification priest named A-Shafi-Nakhtu, decorated with funerary scenes, and a burial site containing over 30 mummified cats from the Ptolemaic Period. The discoveries were announced by Egypt's Supreme Council of Antiquities, with the excavation season beginning in November 2025.

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trending_up market schedule May 12, 2026 visibility 16

Art Collectors Bet on Known Quantities Amid Market Reset

The Impressionist and Modern art category became the most lucrative market segment in 2025, generating $4.7 billion in sales—a 29.5% increase from 2024—as collectors favored established names amid a cautious market. The $10-million-plus bracket surged 68.6% to $1.5 billion, while the number of lots sold hit a decade high of 122,213. Postwar and contemporary art ranked second with $4.1 billion, but its average price per lot dropped to a decade low of $23,027. Old Masters saw a 41.2% rise to $708.6 million, partly driven by the Thomas A. Saunders III collection at Sotheby’s, though that sale fell short of estimates. Ultra-contemporary art continued its four-year decline, falling 26.5% to $229.9 million, with average prices tumbling 72.4% from their 2021 peak.

newspaper Artnet News open_in_new Read original

trending_up market schedule Apr 1, 2026 visibility 12

Historic Watch Recovered From Titanic’s Wealthiest Passenger Heads to Auction

A Patek Philippe pocket watch recovered from the body of John Jacob Astor IV, the wealthiest passenger aboard the RMS Titanic, is heading to auction. The watch, sold by Tiffany & Co. in 1904, will be the leading lot in a Freeman's Auction sale in Chicago on April 22, carrying an estimate of $300,000 to $500,000. A gold pencil found with it will also be sold.

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article policy schedule Mar 11, 2026 visibility 13

venice biennale russian pavilion eu threatens funding

The European Union has threatened to withdraw funding from the Venice Biennale if the organization proceeds with hosting a Russian national pavilion for the 2026 edition. EU commissioners Henna Virkkunen and Glenn Micallef issued a joint statement arguing that providing a platform for Russia is incompatible with the EU's response to the ongoing invasion of Ukraine. While the Biennale Foundation maintains a policy of neutrality, stating it rejects the censorship of any country recognized by Italy, the EU warned that continued participation could result in the suspension or termination of active grants.

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article policy schedule Mar 2, 2026 visibility 7

supreme court declines reconsider copyright case ai art

The US Supreme Court has declined to hear a case brought by computer scientist Stephen Thaler, who sought federal copyright protection for artwork created by his AI system, DABUS. This decision upholds lower court rulings that maintain human authorship as a "bedrock requirement" for copyright, effectively ending Thaler's multi-year legal battle to have his AI recognized as an independent creator of the work "A Recent Entrance to Paradise."

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person people schedule Feb 3, 2026 visibility 16

french culture minister jack lang caroline epstein files

Former French culture minister Jack Lang and his daughter, film producer Caroline Lang, have been named in newly released U.S. Department of Justice documents as having had ties with the late financier and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. The correspondence reveals Caroline Lang co-founded a company, Prytanee LLC, with Epstein in 2016, and that Jack Lang requested personal favors like the use of Epstein's car or plane.

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gavel restitution schedule Jan 28, 2026 visibility 14

smithsonians national museum of asian art returns three looted sculptures to india

The Smithsonian's National Museum of Asian Art announced it will return three looted bronze sculptures to India: "Shiva Nataraja" (ca. 990), "Somaskanda" (12th century), and "Saint Sundarar with Paravai." Provenance research linked the works to art dealers known for trafficking looted antiquities. The museum partnered with the Photo Archives of the French Institute of Pondicherry in 2023, finding the bronzes had been photographed in Tamil Nadu temples between 1956 and 1959 and removed in violation of Indian laws. This follows the museum's December return of three Khmer-period sculptures to Cambodia, also determined to be looted.

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museum exhibitions schedule Jan 28, 2026 visibility 9

grolier club

The Grolier Club, a private members-only society for bibliophiles on New York's Upper East Side, has opened a free public exhibition titled "Paper Jane: 250 Years of Austen," tracing Jane Austen's legacy through rare books, letters, and archival material. Organized over three years by three club members—Mary Crawford, Janine Barchas, and Sandra Clark—the show draws entirely from their personal collections, charting Austen's rise from relative anonymity to literary canonization.

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article news schedule Jan 22, 2026 visibility 10

worlds oldest known rock art in indonesia 67800 years old

Researchers have discovered a hand stencil in a cave on the Indonesian island of Sulawesi that dates to 67,800 years ago, making it the oldest known rock art in the world. The faded 14 × 10 cm patch of pigment, found on the southeastern peninsula of Sulawesi, was dated using Uranium-series analysis of mineral crusts that formed on top of the painting. The discovery was made by a team from Griffith University in Australia, Indonesian archaeological organizations, and the National Research and Innovation Agency, who have been documenting cave art sites in the region since 2019.

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article news schedule Jan 19, 2026 visibility 9

art basel qatar uncertainty

Art Basel Qatar is set to proceed as scheduled in early February despite heightened Gulf tensions following U.S. and U.K. troop reductions near Doha. Dealers and visitors remain cautious, with some delaying travel plans, while Iran's temporary airspace closures have disrupted flights. Organizers say they are continually evaluating the security environment and remain committed to delivering a successful inaugural edition.

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article policy schedule Jan 9, 2026 visibility 14

trump administration withdraws cultural organizations

The Trump administration has withdrawn the United States from 66 international organizations, conventions, and treaties, including 31 UN-affiliated bodies, as announced in a presidential memorandum. Among the cultural organizations dropped are the International Centre for the Study of the Preservation and Restoration of Cultural Property (ICCROM), the International Federation of Arts Councils and Culture Agencies (IFACCA), the Freedom Online Coalition, and the UN Alliance of Civilizations. The withdrawal follows a review ordered by President Trump in February 2025, with Secretary of State Marco Rubio asserting that many of these groups are "dominated by progressive ideology."

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article news schedule Dec 31, 2025 visibility 12

archeologists uncover frescoes villa di poppea

Archeologists have uncovered frescoes in the Hall of the Mask and the Peacock at the Villa di Poppaea in Oplontis, near Naples, as part of an ongoing excavation and renovation project led by the Archaeological Park of Pompeii. The newly revealed Second Style frescoes feature vibrant peacocks and masks, including a complete peahen and a stage mask from Atellan Comedy, and have clarified the hall's true dimensions and decorative richness. The team also identified the locations of garden trees using a casting technique and discovered four new rooms, bringing the villa's total to 103 rooms.

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trending_up market schedule Nov 25, 2025 visibility 12

rare royal blue sapphire necklace sells christies hong kong

A rare sapphire necklace known as the “Royal Blue” sold for HKD 125,450,000 ($16,131,051) at Christie’s Hong Kong on Tuesday, during the auction house’s Hong Kong Luxury Week Autumn 2025. The necklace, featuring 104.61 carats of Kashmir Royal Blue sapphires, was the highlight of the “Magnificent Jewels” sale and fell within its pre-sale estimate of HKD 100–150 million.

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trending_up market schedule Nov 12, 2025 visibility 5

vanderbilt sapphire phillips geneva jewels

Phillips’s “Geneva Jewels Auction” on Monday achieved CHF 13.7 million ($17 million) in total sales, with 96 of 113 lots sold (85% sell-through rate). Twelve lots from the Vanderbilt family sold out, contributing CHF 3.42 million ($4.25 million)—four times their low estimate. The top lot was “The Vanderbilt Sapphire,” a 42-karat sugarloaf Kashmir sapphire and diamond brooch by Tiffany & Co., which sold for CHF 2.88 million ($3.57 million), exceeding its $1–1.5 million estimate. Other highlights included a Cartier Magnificent diamond brooch ($560,582), a Bulgari “Serpenti” belt ($368,383), and multiple Cartier “Panthère” jewels. The auction drew over 1,600 visitors and bids from 44 countries.

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trending_up market schedule Nov 11, 2025 visibility 9

rare mellon blue diamond 2025 sale christies

A rare blue diamond pendant known as the Mellon Blue, owned by art collector Rachel Lambert “Bunny” Mellon, sold for $25.5 million at Christie’s Magnificent Jewels auction in Geneva on Tuesday. The 9.51-carat fancy vivid blue, internally flawless pear-shaped diamond had a pre-sale estimate of $20–30 million. This price is 22 percent less than the $32.6 million it achieved at Sotheby’s in 2014 as part of Mellon’s collection sale, and nearly 60 percent less when adjusted for inflation. The buyer was not disclosed.

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article policy schedule Oct 14, 2025 visibility 6

ireland basic income artists program permanent

Ireland is set to make its basic income for artists program permanent starting in 2026, following a successful pilot launched in 2022. The program provides selected artists with approximately $375 per week (about $1,500 monthly), with 2,000 spots available and applications opening in September 2026. The pilot, which involved 2,000 randomly selected recipients from over 9,000 applicants, cost €72 million but generated nearly €80 million in economic benefits, according to an external report by Alma Economics. Recipients saw arts-related income increase by over €500 per month, while reliance on other social programs declined.

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gavel restitution schedule Oct 13, 2025 visibility 7

widow sues new york auction house stamp collection

Shelley Entner, a Florida widow, is suing Robert A. Siegel Auction Galleries in New York for the return of her late husband Stanley Marks' stamp collection, valued at up to $2 million. Entner claims some stamps are missing from the collection, which Marks began in 1937 and continued until his death in 2016. The auction house sold the international portion in 2016 for $750,000, but Entner says a recent inspection revealed missing US stamps. The auction house denies the allegations, stating Entner changed her mind about auctioning the collection and refuses to reimburse $56,000 in insurance costs, while offering to return the stamps.

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article policy schedule Sep 8, 2025 visibility 13

woodmere art museum drops lawsuit against trump administration

Woodmere Art Museum in Philadelphia dropped its lawsuit against the Trump administration after the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) reinstated a $750,000 grant that had been unlawfully terminated. The museum had been preparing to go to court on September 12 when it received a Letter of Reinstatement on September 4, stating the termination review process was complete. The grant, awarded in 2024 through the IMLS’s “Save America’s Treasures” program, was intended to revamp the museum’s catalog system and digitize works for an exhibition honoring the 250th anniversary of the country’s founding. Woodmere had already received about $195,000 of the grant and entered into several contracts before the termination.

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person people schedule Jul 3, 2025 visibility 14

inside french artist jehan legacs sci fi surrealist scenes

Artist Jehan Legac, originally from Paris and based in Bangkok, discusses his practice of oil painting and photorealistic surrealism in an interview. His work, which explores femininity, sensuality, and sci-fi or fantasy narratives, has been exhibited at Nave8 Gallery in Ibiza, Saba Gallery in Miami, and Chaiyos Gallery in Bangkok. Legac describes his creative process as a slow, intuitive dialogue with the medium, emphasizing patience and emotional depth over intellectual understanding.

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article culture schedule May 19, 2025 visibility 7

the bestiary of cartier a wild history in jewels

Cartier's new High Jewelry collection, Nature Sauvage, explores animal vitality through bold abstraction and inventive form, moving away from literal depictions of fur or feathers. The collection includes pieces like the Koaga necklace, which distills a zebra into graphic onyx and diamond stripes. The article traces the history of Cartier's animal jewelry, beginning with the iconic Panthère motif introduced in 1949 by creative director Jeanne Toussaint, and highlights other historic pieces such as the Flamingo brooch (1940) and the Celestun Necklace. It notes that Cartier's big cats became status symbols for glamorous women from Hollywood and society, who would request bespoke designs from the Rue de la Paix boutique.

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article news schedule May 6, 2025 visibility 12

house of helle and phrixus pompeii family death

A new study published in the Pompeii Excavations online journal reveals the final moments of a family during the 79 CE eruption of Mount Vesuvius. At the House of Helle and Phrixus in Pompeii, archaeologists found that the family attempted to barricade a bedroom door with a bed to survive the eruption, but perished. The remains of at least four individuals, including a child, were identified, along with a bronze amulet worn by the child and bronze kitchenware in the pantry.

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museum exhibitions schedule May 23, 2026 visibility 5 link 3 artists

Jaime Vallardo Chavez Announces International Exhibitions

Jaime Vallardo Chavez, known as 'El Artista de las Monedas Mundiales,' has announced a series of international exhibitions across Peru, France, Italy, and Colombia, alongside the launch of his traveling museum initiative 'Cruzada y museo itinerante del Continente Americano el Bicentenario de America.' The exhibitions include venues such as Museo Amano in Lima, the Bienal de Biarco in Colombia, the Salon d'Automne in Paris, the MAXXI National Museum in Rome, the Naval Museum of the Caribbean in Cartagena, and the Carrousel du Louvre. The traveling museum project, developed during the pandemic, commemorates bicentennial anniversaries of independence across the Americas and has gathered over 600 participating artists.

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museum exhibitions schedule May 20, 2026 visibility 5 link 8 artists

Everyone's chasing their cat: the exhibition exploring the many facets of the feline at Fluctuart — our photos

A new free exhibition titled "Everyone's Searching for Their Cat" ("Chacun cherche son chat") has opened at Fluctuart, a floating urban art center in Paris, running from May 7 to August 23, 2026. The show features works by about ten street artists—including Madame, Kraken, Ardif, and Wenna—who explore the multifaceted nature of cats through installations, paintings, and interactive pieces. Highlights include Ardif's anamorphic cat installation, Kesadi's narrative works, and Veks Van Hillik's Schrödinger's cat-inspired piece.

newspaper Sortir à Paris open_in_new Read original

museum exhibitions schedule May 19, 2026 visibility 4 link 2 artists

Proof of life — Curator’s Choice celebrates Nelson Mandela Bay’s creative pulse

The Curator’s Choice exhibition at Art on Target in Nelson Mandela Bay showcases 10 selected artists, ranging from emerging talents to established practitioners, including an octogenarian and recent graduates. The show, now in its third year, is an offshoot of the annual Same Size-Same Price-No Signature exhibition and was curated by Art on Target director Bretten-Anne Moolman. Artists were chosen by a diverse panel of over 20 local professionals, educators, and art lovers, and were given eight months to prepare new works for the exhibition, which opened on 13 May.

newspaper Daily Maverick open_in_new Read original

museum exhibitions schedule May 17, 2026 visibility 11 link 3 artists

11 artists explore nature and art in next Tahawus Gallery exhibit

The Tahawus Gallery will host an upcoming exhibition featuring 11 artists whose works explore the intersection of nature and art. The show brings together a diverse group of creators to examine themes of landscape, ecology, and the natural world through various media.

newspaper Sun Community News open_in_new Read original

museum exhibitions schedule May 17, 2026 visibility 6 link 1 artist

Spain, sculpted in sand at Tottori museum’s landmark 20th exhibition

The Tottori Sand Museum in Japan has opened its 20th anniversary exhibition, themed around Spain. The show features monumental sand sculptures recreating iconic Spanish landmarks, including several of Antoni Gaudí's structures, most notably the Sagrada Familia basilica. The exhibition began last month and will run through January 3, continuing the museum's tradition of annual themed displays that began outdoors in 2006 and moved to a dedicated indoor building in 2012.

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article local schedule May 12, 2026 visibility 13 link 2 artists

AlUla Arts Showcases More than 20 Artists at 61st Venice Biennale

A contemporary art fair called "This is Normal" has been held in Kyiv, Ukraine, during wartime, organized by the Art Kyiv fair. The event features over 20 Ukrainian artists and galleries at the Lavra Gallery, deliberately avoiding any direct reference to the war in its booths or artworks. Organizers and participants describe the fair as a space for cultural continuity and psychological respite, where art helps people make sense of a reality shaped by missile strikes and loss.

newspaper Asharq Al-Awsat English open_in_new Read original