Art News. Vasari Codex

article news schedule Apr 29, 2026 visibility 29 link 6 artists

Duo Who Sold Fake Warhol, Banksy Plead Guilty in $2M Fraud

A father and daughter from New Jersey, Erwin Bankowski and Karoline Bankowska, pleaded guilty in federal court on April 28 to running a counterfeit art scheme that sold fake works attributed to Andy Warhol, Banksy, Pablo Picasso, Richard Mayhew, and others. Between 2020 and 2025, they placed over 200 counterfeit pieces, many made by an artist in Poland, into galleries and auction houses across the U.S., defrauding buyers of at least $2 million. They fabricated provenance, forged gallery stamps and certificates of authenticity, and misrepresented Native American heritage works, violating the Indian Arts and Crafts Act. They face up to 20 years in prison, restitution of at least $1.9 million, and deportation after serving their sentences.

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museum exhibitions schedule Apr 29, 2026 visibility 27 link 9 artists

‘Still lots to talk about’: UK galleries team up to shine light on female artists

A new exhibition titled 'Making Her Mark' opens at Penlee House in Penzance, Cornwall, featuring works by prominent British female artists such as Tracey Emin, Barbara Hepworth, Laura Knight, Elizabeth Forbes, and Gillian Ayres. The show is a collaboration between Penlee House, Worcester City Art Gallery and Museum, and Kirkcaldy Galleries in Fife, Scotland, with each contributing more than 20 works. It is the first exhibition launched under Art Fund's £5 million 'Going Places' programme, which unites 20 museums across the UK over five years to share and celebrate their collections.

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trending_up market schedule Apr 28, 2026 visibility 21 link 4 artists

Online Auctions Continue to Draw in First-Time Art Buyers as Sales Grow

Online-only sales of fine art at Christie’s, Sotheby’s, Phillips, Bonhams, and Artnet Auctions reached $423.9 million in 2025, an 8 percent increase from 2024. The number of lots sold remained steady at 29,623, but the average price per work rose 8.6 percent to $14,309. Sales were 270 percent higher than in 2019, before the pandemic accelerated the shift to digital auctions. Christie’s reported that 63 percent of new buyers in 2025 made their first purchase online.

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trending_up market schedule Apr 28, 2026 visibility 21 link 5 artists

Wildenstein dispute over Monet work highlights art market opacity

A long-running dispute involving the Wildenstein art dynasty has resurfaced over a 2004 transaction for Claude Monet's *Adolphe Monet Reading in a Garden* (1867). The painting was acquired by Guy Wildenstein through a €4.5m deal that included works by Pierre Bonnard and Alfred Sisley, among them Monet's *Marine, Amsterdam* (1874). That work was later resold via Christie's, but a 2020 sale attempt revealed that the original canvas had been lost during a transfer process, significantly reducing its value. Court-appointed specialists concluded in 2024 that the alteration predated the transaction and that the gallery likely knew of the damage. The sellers have filed a claim alleging "vitiated consent" under French law, with a court date set for 7 May in Rouen. The disputed Monet now reportedly belongs to billionaire Larry Ellison.

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article local schedule Apr 28, 2026 visibility 15 link 3 artists

Nymphs, mermaids and rosy cherubs: mansion filled with hidden wall paintings makes Victorian Society’s endangered buildings list

A derelict mansion called Parndon Hall, located within the grounds of Princess Alexandra Hospital in Harlow, Essex, has been named to the Victorian Society’s annual list of the top ten at-risk buildings in England and Wales. The house, built in 1867, contains a hidden trove of wall paintings by the almost-forgotten Victorian artist Elizabeth Arkwright, who covered walls, ceilings, and doors with nymphs, mermaids, and cherubs—many still concealed under Edwardian whitewash. The building has been used for storage and has sat unoccupied since flood repairs in 2024.

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museum exhibitions schedule Apr 28, 2026 visibility 27 link 15 artists

‘The doorbell went at 5am. Six masked men were outside’: Belarus Free Theatre bring totalitarian terror to the Venice Biennale

Belarus Free Theatre (BFT), an exiled troupe based in London, is presenting its first major visual art project, titled 'Official. Unofficial. Belarus.', at the Venice Biennale. The installation, masterminded by the founders' daughter Daniella Kaliada, features contributions from former political prisoners, painters, sculptors, composers, and world-renowned chef Rasmus Munk, who created a dish evoking detention under an authoritarian regime. The work includes a giant ball of banned books, surveillance cameras attached to an iron crucifix, and a custom scent of a freshly dug grave, all reflecting the terror of life under Belarusian dictator Alexander Lukashenko.

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museum exhibitions schedule Apr 27, 2026 visibility 16 link 5 artists

Inside the Inaugural Edition of Art Cologne Palma Mallorca

The inaugural edition of Art Cologne Palma Mallorca took place from April 9–12, 2026, attracting 88 galleries from 20 countries and over 10,000 visitors to the Mediterranean island. The fair, held at the Palau de Congressos Convention Centre, reported strong sales and sold-out weekend days, with Artistic Director Daniel Hug praising the high level of engagement and positive response from both exhibitors and attendees. A second edition has already been scheduled for April 1–4, 2027.

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museum exhibitions schedule Apr 27, 2026 visibility 14 link 2 artists

Newsmakers: Nalini Malani Lets the Walls Speak with a New Installation in Venice

Nalini Malani's latest installation, *Of Woman Born*, opens at the Magazzini del Sale in Venice during the Venice Biennale. Commissioned by the Kiran Nadar Museum of Art, the work projects hand-drawn animations onto the crumbling brick walls of a 15th-century salt warehouse, creating a cave-like environment where images flicker like ancient cave paintings. The installation draws on tens of thousands of drawings and incorporates mythology, literature, and sound, with a central focus on the myth of Orestes to explore themes of violence, displacement, and gender politics. Malani has also extended her recurring 'Skipping Girl' figure across Venice via posters and public signage to guide viewers to the exhibition.

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museum exhibitions schedule Apr 27, 2026 visibility 21 link 9 artists

Towering homage to Bamiyan Buddhas rises over Manhattan’s High Line

A new public sculpture by Vietnamese American artist Tuan Andrew Nguyen has been installed on the High Line Plinth at Hudson Yards in Manhattan. Titled "The Light That Shines Through the Universe" (2026), the 27-foot-tall sandstone monument pays homage to the Buddhas of Bamiyan, the 6th-century colossi destroyed by the Taliban in 2001. The work features carved sandstone forms with two monumental steel hands cast from melted-down artillery shells sourced from Afghanistan, making gestures of fearlessness and compassion. It will remain on view through autumn 2027 and is accompanied by monthly lectures and meditation sessions.

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trending_up market schedule Apr 27, 2026 visibility 20 link 8 artists

The Art Trade Is Taking Calculated Risks With A.I.

The article examines how the art trade is cautiously experimenting with artificial intelligence, noting that while AI tools are being developed to attract newer collectors, the industry remains heavily reliant on trust and personal relationships that technology cannot replicate. It also reports on Fair Warning's new 'No Warning' sealed-bidding auction format, reflecting a rise in private auctions, and highlights a Sotheby's New York sale of the Jean and Terry de Gunzburg collection that set a U.S. record for design auctions at $96 million, led by a set of 15 mirrors by Claude Lalanne for Yves Saint Laurent that sold for $33.5 million.

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trending_up market schedule Apr 26, 2026 visibility 33 link 5 artists

Who Were the Best-Selling Old Masters at Auction in 2025?

The article reports on the best-selling Old Master paintings at auction in 2025, highlighting Canaletto's *Venice, the Return of the Bucintoro on Ascension Day*, which sold for $43.8 million at Christie's—three times the next-highest Old Master price. Other notable sales include a $7.55 million triptych of Jesus performing miracles by an unknown 15th-century artist, noted for its exceptional condition and quality.

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article news schedule Apr 24, 2026 visibility 29 link 13 artists

Venice Biennale’s Prize Ban on Israel and Russia Falls Short for Critics

The jury of the 2026 Venice Biennale has ruled that Israel and Russia will be ineligible for the Golden and Silver Lion prizes, citing International Criminal Court charges of crimes against humanity against their leaders. The decision follows years of activism and political pressure, with the European Union withdrawing €2 million in funding from the event in protest of Russia's participation. While groups like Art Not Genocide Alliance praised the move as an unprecedented step, critics argue it falls short of a full ban on participation. Israel's artist representative, Belu-Simion Fainaru, condemned the policy as discriminatory, and an open letter signed by 70 artists and curators called for excluding all regimes committing war crimes, including the United States.

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museum exhibitions schedule Apr 23, 2026 visibility 18 link 5 artists

Christo and Jeanne-Claude’s Iconic California Installation Returns in a Museum Show

The Museum of Sonoma County is commemorating the 50th anniversary of Christo and Jeanne-Claude's iconic 1976 installation "Running Fence" with an exhibition featuring blueprints, original construction materials, and documentary photographs. The temporary work, which stretched nearly 25 miles across Sonoma and Marin counties in California, required four years of negotiations with ranchers, 18 public hearings, and the first-ever Environmental Impact Report for a public artwork, ultimately costing $2.25 million funded by the artists through preparatory drawing sales.

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article local schedule Apr 22, 2026 visibility 18 link 11 artists

Pittsburgh Shows Off New Public Art Projects in Advance of NFL Draft

Pittsburgh has unveiled over 35 new public art installations across its downtown area in preparation for the influx of visitors for the NFL Draft. The projects, funded by the Pittsburgh Downtown Partnership, include light installations, murals, and window displays by local artists, designed to revitalize empty storefronts and underused blocks.

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article news schedule Apr 22, 2026 visibility 20 link 6 artists

What You Need to Know About the Venice Biennale’s Russian Pavilion Controversy

The Russian pavilion is set to return to the Venice Biennale for the first time since the 2022 invasion of Ukraine, presenting an exhibition titled 'The tree is rooted in the sky.' This has sparked significant controversy, with artists, curators, and politicians from Ukraine and several European nations calling for the pavilion's exclusion, citing the ongoing war and sanctions. The Biennale organizers have refused to remove Russia, stating they lack the authority to exclude a state recognized by Italy and emphasizing the event's role as a neutral space for cultural dialogue.

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article policy schedule Apr 22, 2026 visibility 19 link 4 artists

Antony Gormley sculpture quietly removed and sold off by UK council

Kent County Council, led by the Reform party, has removed and sold Antony Gormley's early public sculpture 'Two Stones' (1979-81) from outside the Kent History and Library Centre in Maidstone. The council sold the work back to the artist himself in a private sale to raise funds, citing severe financial pressures and a need to avoid increasing costs for residents. The council's most recent accounts valued the work at £859,000, but the final sale price remains confidential.

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article news schedule Apr 22, 2026 visibility 19 link 6 artists

Caravaggio and Rubens works destroyed by fire in Second World War are brought back to (digital) life

The Gemäldegalerie in Berlin has completed the digitization of its high-resolution glass-negative archive, which documents hundreds of Old Master paintings destroyed in a fire at the end of the Second World War. The collection includes lost works by Caravaggio, Peter Paul Rubens, Anthony van Dyck, and Paolo Veronese, which were stored in a flak tower for protection and burned in May 1945.

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article policy schedule Apr 20, 2026 visibility 33 link 5 artists

Alma Allen’s US Pavilion Heads to Venice Amid Questions Over Selection Process

The selection of Alma Allen to represent the United States at the 2026 Venice Biennale has ignited controversy over the process. The U.S. State Department abandoned its traditional selection model, which involved a panel of experts convened by the National Endowment for the Arts, and instead handed control to a new nonprofit, the American Arts Conservancy, led by individuals with little museum experience. This shift has drawn criticism from prominent figures in the art world, with some artists declining to participate due to concerns over the political context and unfamiliar leadership.

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trending_up market schedule Apr 17, 2026 visibility 34 link 14 artists

Collector Jennifer Gilbert Is Selling Modernist Masterpieces to Fund Her New Arts Space

Jennifer Gilbert, the Detroit-based entrepreneur and philanthropist, is auctioning a selection of Modernist masterpieces from her private collection to fund Lumana, a new nonprofit arts organization. The sales, scheduled for May and June at Sotheby’s New York, include high-profile works by Joan Mitchell and Kenneth Noland, with an overall fundraising goal exceeding $10 million.

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article policy schedule Apr 16, 2026 visibility 21 link 11 artists

Prominent German Art Foundation Accuses Top Culture Official of ‘Attempted Intimidation’

Jurors from the Kunstfonds Foundation, a major German contemporary art funding body, have accused Minister of State for Culture Wolfram Weimer of attempted intimidation and political interference. The conflict erupted after Weimer requested the names of the independent jury members, a move the foundation views as a threat to artistic freedom. This follows a separate controversy where Weimer reportedly consulted domestic intelligence to exclude bookstores with left-wing leanings from a national award.

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museum exhibitions schedule Apr 13, 2026 visibility 21 link 11 artists

New Bienal de Yucatán to spotlight Mexican region’s growing art scene

The city of Mérida is set to host the inaugural Bienal de Yucatán from November 2026 to February 2027, marking a significant milestone for the region's burgeoning contemporary art scene. Spearheaded by patron and curator Catherine Petitgas with artist Abraham Cruzvillegas serving as artistic director, the biennial aims to provide a formal platform for the city's dense ecosystem of over 40 galleries, international artist studios, and the Universidad de las Artes de Yucatán (UNAY). The announcement follows the successful debut of the Week of Art Yucatán (WAY), a multi-venue festival that showcased the city's unique blend of repurposed industrial spaces and traditional haciendas.

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museum exhibitions schedule Apr 13, 2026 visibility 24 link 34 artists

New York’s Newest Triennial Lines Up 39 Artists for Star-Studded First Edition Along the Erie Canal

The Medina Triennial has announced the artist lineup for its inaugural edition, set to open on June 6 in the Western New York village of Medina. Curated by co-artistic directors Kari Conte and Karin Laansoo, the exhibition features 39 international and local artists, including Venice Biennale winner Lina Lapelytė, Taysir Batniji, and Tania Candiani. The event is centered around the Erie Canal and explores the theme "All That Sustains Us," focusing on ecology, sustainability, and community exchange.

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museum exhibitions schedule Apr 10, 2026 visibility 19 link 4 artists

beeple elon musk robot dog san francisco viral stunt

Digital artist Beeple, also known as Mike Winkelmann, has deployed a robotic dog featuring the likeness of Elon Musk to the streets of San Francisco. The viral stunt, orchestrated by the Palo Alto-based Node Foundation, serves as a teaser for the artist's upcoming mid-career survey, "INFINITE_LOOP," which opens on April 18. The robot, part of the "Regular Animals" series, interacts with the public by "pooping" printed images generated from its surroundings through an algorithm based on Musk’s visage.

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person people schedule Apr 8, 2026 visibility 16 link 1 artist

uslaf organizational future josh t franco director

The U.S. Latinx Art Forum (USLAF) has appointed artist, archivist, and curator Josh T. Franco as its new executive director, succeeding founding director Adriana Zavala. Under Franco’s leadership and alongside newly promoted deputy director Mary Thomas, the organization is shifting its mission toward fostering "convivial spaces" and organic networking. This new phase includes hosting intimate dinners across major cities to connect artists with supporters and planning a major touring exhibition featuring the 75 recipients of the Latinx Artist Fellowship.

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museum exhibitions schedule Apr 8, 2026 visibility 17 link 5 artists

‘It’s essential for understanding what is going on in Ukraine’: new exhibition explores wartime limb loss

Prominent Ukrainian artist Nikita Kadan is launching a new exhibition titled 'A New Integrity' at Pavilion 13 in Kyiv. The installation features prostheses suspended in mid-air, accompanied by a soundscape of recorded testimonies from veterans who have experienced limb loss during the ongoing Russian invasion. The project, commissioned by the non-profit RIBBON International, uses these mechanical replacements to symbolize the broader losses of territory, people, and future perspectives that Ukraine has endured.

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article culture schedule Apr 7, 2026 visibility 26 link 5 artists

Unlike Josh Kline, I Choose New York

Artist Josh Kline’s recent essay on the devastating impact of New York City’s real estate market on the arts has sparked a heated debate regarding the city's future as a creative hub. While Kline argues that the 'polycrisis' of high rents and student debt is stifling artists born after 1975, this response critiques his generational focus, suggesting that the struggle for affordability is a structural issue affecting artists of all ages, particularly those from marginalized backgrounds who have faced these barriers for decades.

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gavel restitution schedule Apr 7, 2026 visibility 17 link 9 artists, 1 gallery

$25 Million Modigliani Goes to Jewish Heir in Landmark Restitution Case

A New York Supreme Court judge has ruled that the estate of Jewish art dealer Oscar Stettiner is the rightful owner of Amedeo Modigliani’s 1918 painting "Seated Man With a Cane." The decision concludes an 11-year legal battle led by Stettiner’s grandson, Philippe Maestracci, against billionaire art dealer David Nahmad. The court found that the painting was unlawfully seized by the Nazis after Stettiner fled Paris in 1939 and that subsequent sales, including the 1996 purchase by Nahmad at Christie’s, did not extinguish the original owner's rights.

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trending_up market schedule Apr 6, 2026 visibility 29 link 9 artists

Yves Saint Laurent’s Lalanne Mirrors Set for $15 Million Sale

Sotheby’s has announced the sale of a monumental set of 15 gilt-bronze mirrors by Claude Lalanne, originally commissioned by fashion icon Yves Saint Laurent for his Paris apartment. The mirrors are the centerpiece of a 123-lot auction from the collection of Jean and Terry de Gunzburg, scheduled for April 22 at the Sotheby’s Breuer building. Estimated to fetch between $10 million and $15 million, the mirrors represent a significant appreciation in value since the de Gunzburgs acquired them for approximately $2.4 million at the historic 2009 Saint Laurent estate sale.

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museum exhibitions schedule Apr 4, 2026 visibility 20 link 8 artists

From The Drama to Malcolm in the Middle: your complete entertainment guide to the week ahead

The article is a weekly entertainment guide covering cinema, gigs, art, stage, streaming, games, albums, and other cultural events. In the art section, it highlights two major exhibitions in London and its surroundings: a solo show of new paintings by British artist Cecily Brown at the Serpentine Gallery, created in response to Kensington Gardens, and a display of Henry Moore's iconic Shelter Drawings at his studio in Perry Green, focusing on his depictions of Londoners during the Blitz.

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trending_up market schedule Apr 3, 2026 visibility 19 link 1 artist

Rare Zaha Hadid Pavilion Comes to Auction

A rare, clamshell-shaped VOLU Dining Pavilion designed by architect Zaha Hadid and Patrick Schumacher is heading to auction at Hermitage Fine Art in Monaco. The prefabricated outdoor structure, originally created for the 2015 Design Miami fair, is expected to fetch between €900,000 and €1.1 million. This marks only the second time a completed edition of this pavilion has been offered at auction.

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