Art News. Vasari Codex

museum exhibitions schedule Feb 12, 2026 visibility 15 link 1 artist, 1 gallery

roy lichtenstein gagosian 2026 gallery exhibition

Gagosian Gallery will open a new exhibition of Roy Lichtenstein's work titled "Painting with Scattered Brushstrokes" in March 2026. The show, drawing exclusively from the Lichtenstein family collection, will feature paintings, sculpture, and works on paper from the 1970s and '80s, focusing on his recurring brushstroke motif. It coincides with a major retrospective at the Whitney Museum and follows a period of intense market activity for the artist's work.

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article news schedule Feb 11, 2026 visibility 24 link 11 artists, 7 galleries

bonhams new hq opens lubaina himi wins pamm prize

Auction house Bonhams has opened a new 42,000-square-foot flagship headquarters in New York's Steinway Hall, launching a month of exhibitions and sales. The Philadelphia Museum of Art appointed Katherine Anne Paul as its new curator of Indian and Himalayan Art, while the Pérez Art Museum Miami (PAMM) awarded its Fund for Black Art Acquisition Prize to Turner Prize-winning artist Lubaina Himid, acquiring her painting "Horn Seller." Several galleries announced new artist representations, including Bortolami with Nathlie Provosty and Deborah Schamoni with Mariann Metsis, and auction house Freeman's appointed two senior executives.

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trending_up market schedule Feb 10, 2026 visibility 62 link 16 artists, 1 gallery

leon black ronald lauder epstein files

Newly released documents from the Jeffrey Epstein investigation reveal that billionaire art collectors and Museum of Modern Art trustees Leon Black and Ronald Lauder have co-owned several major artworks for decades. The files, made public by the U.S. Department of Justice, confirm long-standing rumors of their joint acquisitions, including a Max Beckmann self-portrait and two Ernst Ludwig Kirchner works, purchased for a total of $31.6 million and later appraised at $93.5 million.

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person people schedule Feb 10, 2026 visibility 35 link 30 artists, 4 galleries

wet paint jim toth art sound

Gabi Vidal-Irizarry, a guest writer for Artnet News's Wet Paint gossip column, recounts attending an "Artist Party" at the Museum of Modern Art featuring Arthur Jafa. The column then pivots to a profile of Jim Toth, the audio engineer behind the distinctive white pyramid speakers ubiquitous at New York art world events, tracing his career from the city's legendary 1980s nightlife scene to becoming the preferred sound provider for museums and elite patrons.

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article news schedule Feb 9, 2026 visibility 24 link 6 artists, 1 gallery

met museum lego monet set

The Metropolitan Museum of Art has partnered with Lego to release a $249.99 building set recreating Claude Monet's 1899 painting 'Bridge Over a Pond of Water Lilies.' The kit, containing 3,179 pieces, is the most expensive in Lego's Art series and launches March 4. The museum is also releasing a podcast hosted by curator Alison Hokanson to accompany the set.

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trending_up market schedule Feb 9, 2026 visibility 19 link 26 artists, 1 gallery

klimt record sothebys london

Gustav Klimt's final portrait, 'Dame mit Fächer (Lady With a Fan),' sold for £85.3 million ($108.4 million) at Sotheby's London, setting a new record for the most expensive work of art ever auctioned in Europe. The painting, which was still on Klimt's easel when he died in 1918, surpassed its pre-sale estimate of over £65 million after a ten-minute bidding war.

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article culture schedule Feb 9, 2026 visibility 19 link 5 artists, 3 galleries

judy chicago google

Artist Judy Chicago recounts her frustrating experiences with public art commissions, focusing on a recent failed collaboration with Google for its Chicago headquarters at the Thompson Center. After being encouraged by her dealer to apply, Chicago was awarded a commission in fall 2025 to create a large terrazzo floor and a 17-story glass elevator shaft using her "Through the Flower" imagery. However, the project fell through after months of effort, mirroring earlier disappointments with the Beverly Hills Sculpture Park, where a city councilor questioned the value of her work, which Chicago attributes to institutionalized sexism.

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trending_up market schedule Feb 5, 2026 visibility 26 link 13 artists, 5 galleries

mnuchin gallery to close

Mnuchin Gallery, a blue-chip art gallery on Manhattan's Upper East Side, will close at the end of February after 34 years, following the death of its founder Robert Mnuchin in December at age 91. The gallery, known for museum-quality exhibitions of Modern and postwar art, concluded its final show—a survey of Julian Schnabel's plate paintings—on Saturday. Partner Michael McGinnis said the decision to close was made to end on a high note, honoring Mnuchin's passion and vision.

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trending_up market schedule Feb 3, 2026 visibility 12 link 3 artists, 1 gallery

work of the week frederic remington

Frederic Remington's 1905 painting *Coming to the Call* sold for $13.3 million at Christie's in New York, setting a new auction record for the artist. The work was part of the two-part sale "Visions of the West: The William I. Koch Collection," which became the most successful Western art auction ever, realizing $84.1 million.

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article policy schedule Feb 2, 2026 visibility 33 link 24 artists, 94 galleries

art galleries close for general strike

A nationwide general strike, called for Friday, January 30, 2026, in protest of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) operations in Minneapolis, has prompted numerous art galleries and organizations to close their doors. Major commercial galleries like Gagosian, David Zwirner, Hauser & Wirth, and Pace Gallery, alongside institutions such as the Museum of Contemporary Art Los Angeles and the Drawing Center, are participating in the shutdown.

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article news schedule Feb 2, 2026 visibility 27 link 16 artists, 11 galleries

artnotnet facebook marketplace art la scene

Artnet News is searching for a permanent writer for its Wet Paint gossip column, with guest writers like Janelle Zara filling in temporarily. The column focuses on speculating about the identity of the anonymous Instagram account @artnotnet, which posts humorous, all-caps commentary on art world headlines, and notes the rise of art sales on platforms like Facebook Marketplace.

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trending_up market schedule Feb 2, 2026 visibility 26 link 4 artists, 1 gallery

jeffrey epstein leon black gagosian picasso sculpture

Newly released documents from the Department of Justice reveal that the late financier and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein was deeply involved in facilitating major art transactions between mega-collector Leon Black and Gagosian gallery. The files detail Epstein's personal communications with Black's lawyers regarding the acquisition of Pablo Picasso's 1931 sculpture *Buste de Femme (Marie-Thérèse)*, a work that was the subject of a legal dispute before Black acquired it for over $115 million. Epstein also assisted in a complex $48 million swap of a Rothko painting for a Picasso through Gagosian in 2012.

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article policy schedule Feb 2, 2026 visibility 23 link 22 artists, 2 galleries

biggest museums moments 2025

The past year saw major museum events dominated by high-stakes thefts and political interference. The Louvre in Paris suffered a shocking $102 million jewel heist in broad daylight, leading to arrests and an €80 million security overhaul. Other European museums, including the Drents Museum in the Netherlands, were also targeted, raising fears of an organized criminal network.

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article policy schedule Jan 30, 2026 visibility 37 link 16 artists, 60 galleries

art galleries join anti ice national strike

A significant number of New York art galleries, including major players like Pace Gallery, David Zwirner, and Marian Goodman, will close on January 30 to join a nationwide general strike protesting expanded Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) operations. The strike is a response to allegations of federal overreach, including the use of deadly force against protestors and the detention of Native Americans, which have fueled widespread outrage.

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article news schedule Jan 29, 2026 visibility 27 link 17 artists, 2 galleries

art sg jd museum sothebys singapore

The Asia-Pacific art scene saw significant activity across multiple sectors. Art SG reported increased attendance and sales, while the SAM Art SG Fund acquired works for the Singapore Art Museum. JD.com announced plans for a major new museum in Shenzhen, and several appointments and award winners were named across the region. Auction houses Bonhams Hong Kong and Sotheby's Singapore posted strong sales results, with the latter setting new artist records.

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trending_up market schedule Jan 28, 2026 visibility 19 link 5 artists, 4 galleries

the asia pivot jaiveer johal

Jaiveer Johal, an Indian art collector and logistics heir based in Chennai, discusses the current boom in the Indian art market in an interview for Artnet Pro's newsletter "The Asia Pivot." Johal, who founded the Avtar Foundation for the Arts in 2024 to promote Modern and contemporary South Asian art, notes that auction records for Indian Modern masters have reached new highs while contemporary galleries like Experimenter, Nature Morte, and Jhaveri Contemporary are expanding internationally. He observes that rising prices are pricing out many collectors, including himself, as institutions and wealthy buyers drive demand.

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article culture schedule Jan 27, 2026 visibility 26 link 24 artists, 6 galleries

art installations that could double as haunted houses

Artnet News lists 10 immersive installation artworks that are creepy enough to double as haunted houses for Halloween. Featured works include Alex Da Corte's "Die Hexe" (2015) at Luxembourg & Dayan, which transformed a townhouse into a ghostly dollhouse with a morgue; Mike Kelley's "Exploded Fortress of Solitude" (2011) at Hauser & Wirth, a sculptural interpretation of Superman's lair; Jonah Freeman and Justin Lowe's "Scenario in the Shade" at Red Bull Studios, a dystopian arts festival installation; Tobias Rehberger's "Bar Oppenheimer" (2013) at Hotel Americano, featuring disorienting dazzle camouflage patterns; and Puppies Puppies' "Gollum" at Queer Thoughts, where an actor in a Gollum mask performs live.

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candle obituary schedule Jan 26, 2026 visibility 17 link 7 artists, 2 galleries

seyni awa camara sculptor dead

Seyni Awa Camara, a Diola sculptor from Bignona, Senegal, known for her totemic clay sculptures of stacked human bodies, has died. Her work, steeped in spirituality and inspired by a ram's horn she called a 'genie,' gained international recognition after being discovered by anthropologist Michèle Odeyé-Finzi and introduced to Europe by gallerist André Magnin. Despite her global following—including fans like Pharrell Williams and Louise Bourgeois—Camara remained largely unknown in her home country, relying on foreign buyers to sustain her practice.

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trending_up market schedule Jan 23, 2026 visibility 20 link 5 artists, 4 galleries

nicolas partys new miniature paintings are a hit will they reset his struggling auction market

Nicolas Party's exhibition "Dead Fish" at Karma gallery in Chelsea, New York, features approximately 40 postcard-sized oil-on-copper works and a mural of three dead fish, a departure from his usual large-scale pastel paintings. Only 10 of the works were for sale, priced between $165,000 and $205,000, and all sold quickly. The show includes replicas of his earlier compositions, described as a "retrospective in miniature," with many pieces drawn from his archive and not available for purchase.

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trending_up market schedule Jan 23, 2026 visibility 33 link 39 artists, 13 galleries

fog design art fair san francisco sales 2026 jack whitten

The FOG Design+Art fair in San Francisco opened with a glitzy preview gala at Fort Mason Center, serving as a fundraiser for SFMOMA's education initiatives. VIP tickets started at $10,000 for the first hour, and by 7 p.m., the event filled to capacity as prices dropped to $250. Dealers reported a different energy this year, partly due to the recent Los Angeles wildfires affecting many participating galleries. Sales were strong, with New York dealer Ales Ortuzar selling multiple works by Suzanne Jackson in the first few hours. Local collector Sonya Yu, a recent ARTnews Top 200 listee, highlighted the resilience and sophistication of the Bay Area art community.

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person people schedule Jan 22, 2026 visibility 18 link 4 artists, 1 gallery

painter amy sherald signs with talent agency caa

Amy Sherald, the painter known for her tender portraits of Black American life, has signed with Creative Artists Agency (CAA), a major talent agency. Sherald, who has been represented globally by Hauser & Wirth since 2018, rose to fame after painting Michelle Obama's official portrait for the National Portrait Gallery. She was set to become the first Black contemporary artist to have a solo exhibition at the National Portrait Gallery in 2025, but canceled the show after a censorship controversy involving her painting 'Trans Forming Liberty.'

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museum exhibitions schedule Jan 21, 2026 visibility 32 link 20 artists, 4 galleries

winter show

The Winter Show returns to New York's Park Avenue Armory from January 23 to February 1, 2026, blending blue-chip modernism with decorative arts, design, jewelry, and antiques. The fair features a special presentation titled 'Study of a Young Collector,' curated by Patrick Monahan in collaboration with executive director Helen Allen, which imagines the private study of a next-generation collector using works from 11 international dealers exhibiting for the first time. Notable highlights include Jonathan Boos's presentation of Christo and Jeanne-Claude's early work 'Wrapped Toy Horse' (1963), priced at $450,000, and a rare copper and gilt mask by Harlem Renaissance artist Sargent Claude Johnson from 1933, priced at $245,000. Boccara Gallery also showcases modern and contemporary tapestries by artists like Man Ray and Alexander Calder.

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article news schedule Jan 21, 2026 visibility 29 link 24 artists, 7 galleries

paint drippings art industry news jan 19

This week's art industry roundup covers a flurry of developments across art fairs, auction houses, galleries, and museums. A new boutique fair called Enzo will launch alongside Frieze Los Angeles in an Echo Park warehouse with 10 New York galleries, while Felix Los Angeles returns to the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel with 50 exhibitors. Art Cologne's revived Palma Mallorca fair announces 88 exhibitors for its April debut. At auction, Christie's London will offer the Vanthournout collection of modernist and Surrealist works, including a Magritte painting estimated at $4.7 million, while Bonhams sells rare Oscar Wilde materials and three Bob Ross paintings. In gallery news, Roland Augustine steps down at Luhring Augustine, Lehmann Maupin opens a London space, and several galleries announce new artist representations. Museums see leadership changes at the Park Avenue Armory and Wrightwood 659, and the Rijksmuseum plans a new sculpture garden.

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trending_up market schedule Jan 20, 2026 visibility 13 link 8 artists, 1 gallery

hans baldung auction

A previously unknown Renaissance portrait attributed to Hans Baldung Grien, executed in silverpoint in 1517 and depicting Susanna Pfeffinger, is expected to sell for up to $3.5 million at a Paris auction on March 23. The drawing, which measures just four by six inches, has remained in the Pfeffinger family for 500 years and was only recently discovered by Old Master drawings expert Patrick de Bayser. It is being offered by French auction house Beaussant Lefèvre and Associés and Paris gallery Cabinet de Bayser at Hôtel Drouot.

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article policy schedule Jan 19, 2026 visibility 21 link 6 artists, 1 gallery

smithsonian funding white house review

The Smithsonian Institution faces a deadline to submit internal communications and exhibition materials to the White House as part of President Donald Trump's review aimed at eliminating so-called 'woke' ideology. Smithsonian Secretary Lonnie G. Bunch III has begun turning over documents from several galleries on a rolling basis, and the National Portrait Gallery has already complied by replacing Trump's portrait with a new photograph and removing mentions of his two impeachment trials from the wall text. The review, launched in August 2025, targets eight museums including the National Museum of African American History and Culture and the Hirshhorn Museum, following an April executive order titled 'Restoring Truth and Sanity to American History.'

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trending_up market schedule Jan 17, 2026 visibility 20 link 7 artists, 3 galleries

art shipping problems investigation

The article investigates the rising cost of art shipping, which has become a major issue for the art industry since the Covid-19 pandemic. Industry figures including Fritz Dietl of Dietl logistics, Belgian collector Alain Servais, art advisor Michaela Neumeister de Pury, New York collector Jonathan Travis, dealer Jack Shainman, and OCS Art Services owner Nicole Scuderi describe shipping as a 'necessary evil' and a 'major stumbling block' that affects galleries, collectors, fairs, auction houses, and museums. Costs surged during Covid due to inflation in labor, materials, and insurance, and have not come down, while complications from Brexit, U.S. trade policies, and New York State tax laws have added further layers of expense and confusion.

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trending_up market schedule Jan 14, 2026 visibility 32 link 11 artists, 5 galleries

peter hujar archive departs pace gallery joins ortuzar

The Peter Hujar Archive and Foundation has left Pace Gallery and will now be jointly represented by New York-based gallery Ortuzar and Fraenkel Gallery in San Francisco. The archive will continue working with Mai 36 Galerie in Zürich and Maureen Paley in London on select projects. Ortuzar founder Ales Ortuzar expressed deep personal excitement about representing Hujar, who will be the first photographer the gallery has represented since its founding in 2018. The gallery plans two concurrent exhibitions this spring: a recreation of Hujar's 1986 show at Gracie Mansion and a group show featuring artists from his circle.

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trending_up market schedule Jan 13, 2026 visibility 28 link 16 artists, 3 galleries

berlin mehdi chouakri gallery temporary pause

Berlin’s Galerie Mehdi Chouakri announced a temporary pause from exhibitions after nearly thirty years and around 250 shows. Owner Mehdi Chouakri cited personal reasons and the increasing demands of the traditional primary market model. The gallery will continue to represent its estates and living artists through collaborations, and may mount a new exhibition as soon as fall 2025. The pause follows a difficult year for galleries globally, with several high-profile closures and retrenchments.

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article news schedule Jan 12, 2026 visibility 34 link 22 artists, 5 galleries

paint drippings art industry news jan 9

This week's art industry roundup covers a postponement, financial losses, legal disputes, and leadership changes. New Jersey's Art Fair 14C has been postponed to May 2027, with organizers citing capacity issues unrelated to market conditions. Bonhams reported a 90% pre-tax loss jump to £213 million in 2024 due to impairment charges. A rediscovered Watteau drawing will be auctioned at Christie's Paris, and personal items of Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter are featured in Christie's 'American Collector' sales. In galleries, Amy Sillman left Gladstone for David Zwirner, Trevor Paglen joined Jessica Silverman, and Maya Hewitt joined Theta. The Louvre partially closed after a staff strike demanding director Laurence des Cars' resignation and reassessment of a renovation plan. Belgium's plan to dismantle Antwerp's M HKA museum has sparked resignations and backlash. New appointments include Will Cary as COO of the Barnes Foundation and Patton Hindle as director of arts at the Knight Foundation. MATHAF museum in Doha announced a campus expansion by architect Lina Ghotmeh. Legal disputes emerged between Gian Enzo Sperone and Angela Westwater over the shuttered Sperone Westwater gallery.

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museum exhibitions schedule Jan 9, 2026 visibility 27 link 24 artists, 11 galleries

here are 11 must see gallery shows this armory art week

Artnet News highlights 11 must-see gallery shows during Armory Art Week in New York City, running from September 5 to October 26, 2024. Featured exhibitions include Gina Beavers' 'Divine Consumer' at Marianne Boesky Gallery, where she presents semi-sculptural relief paintings inspired by internet blankets and towels; Jenny Holzer's 'Words' at Sprüth Magers, showcasing her text-based works from the 1980s to present, including a new AI-generated LED installation; 'Radical Artists of the 1960s/1970s: Between Geometry and Gesture' at David Nolan, featuring works by Barry Le Va, Bruce Nauman, and others; and Stephen Thorpe's 'Dream House' at Dimin, with oil paintings of interiors merging into dreamlike landscapes.

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