Art Basel’s Parent Company Plans New ‘Ideas Festival’—and More Art Industry News

MCH Group, the parent company of Art Basel, is launching a new global ideas festival called the Futurific Institute in Basel in 2028, backed by billionaires James and Kathryn Murdoch. Art Dubai has postponed its 20th edition due to regional conflict, while several galleries are opening, closing, or changing locations, including Brooke Benington in London and Timothy Taylor in New York. Additionally, Mexico is demanding eBay remove listings for pre-Columbian artifacts, and institutions like the Royal Academy of Arts and MCA Chicago are announcing key leadership changes.

Tracey Emin’s Retrospective Bears Witness to an Era

Tracey Emin's major retrospective, 'Tracey Emin / Edvard Munch: The Loneliness of the Soul,' has opened at the Royal Academy of Arts in London. The exhibition pairs Emin's deeply personal works, including her iconic 'My Bed,' with paintings by Norwegian expressionist Edvard Munch, exploring shared themes of love, loss, and existential anguish.

Foreign Office Reprimands Goethe-Institut for Exhibition

Auswärtiges Amt rügt Goethe-Institut für Ausstellung

The German Foreign Office has formally reprimanded the Goethe-Institut for its involvement in an exhibition in Vilnius, Lithuania, featuring Palestinian-American artist Basma al-Sharif. The ministry stated that events organized by German cultural intermediaries must leave no doubt about the government's firm rejection of antisemitism and hatred of Israel, and demanded greater care in planning and conceptualizing such events with partners. The exhibition, "Bells and Cannons - Contemporary Art in Times of Militarization," was a collaboration between the Goethe-Institut Vilnius, the Contemporary Art Centre Vilnius, and the Berlin Academy of Arts.

Michaelina Wautier Finally Known by Her Name

The Royal Academy of Arts in London has launched a monographic exhibition dedicated to Michaelina Wautier, a 17th-century Brussels-based painter whose work was misattributed to male contemporaries for centuries. Despite her mastery across diverse genres—including portraiture, floral still lifes, and large-scale history paintings typically reserved for men—her identity was obscured by patriarchal societal norms and a lack of biographical documentation. The show highlights her technical brilliance, notably in works like "The Triumph of Bacchus," which was long credited to male artists due to the era's restrictions on women studying nude models.

Elizabeth Blackadder exhibition to showcase 'meaningful' 50 year collaboration with Scottish studio

Edinburgh’s Dovecot Studios is launching a major exhibition titled "Elizabeth Blackadder: Her Life in Colour" to celebrate the late artist’s 50-year collaboration with the tapestry studio. The show features over 30 tapestries and hand-tufted rugs, headlined by the debut of a newly created rug based on Blackadder’s 1975 painting, "The Red Bouquet." The exhibition also incorporates works from the Royal Scottish Academy’s collection to provide a comprehensive look at her legacy.

‘The extremely happy part of the crowd’: Hungarian arts figures hope for change after 16 years of Orbán rule

The 16-year tenure of Viktor Orbán has come to an end following a landslide victory for Péter Magyar’s Tisza Party in the 2026 Hungarian parliamentary election. The shift in power has sparked widespread celebration among Hungary’s progressive art community, which has long felt stifled by Orbán’s nationalist and socially conservative agenda. Figures from major Budapest galleries and the contemporary art scene report a profound sense of relief, signaling a potential departure from the "illiberal democracy" that dominated the country for nearly two decades.

Helen Legg appointed artistic director of Royal Academy

Helen Legg has been named the new artistic director of the Royal Academy of Arts in London, starting in June. She joins from Tate Liverpool, where she served as director since 2018, and brings prior leadership experience from Spike Island in Bristol and curatorial work at Ikon Gallery in Birmingham.

Free Newmarket museum exhibition to celebrate equine art

The National Horseracing Museum in Newmarket is set to host a new free exhibition titled "We Give You The Horse," running from April 29 to May 21. The showcase features paintings and sculptures by prominent members of the Society of Equestrian Artists, including a special loan of an original work by the renowned Sir Alfred Munnings from the Munnings Art Museum.

A ‘Cabinet of Wonders’ on Show at the American Academy of Arts and Letters

The American Academy of Arts and Letters has unveiled a unique exhibition curated by its own members, designed to function as a contemporary "Cabinet of Wonders." The show features a diverse array of works that interact with the institution’s idiosyncratic permanent collections, blending historical artifacts with modern artistic responses. By mining the Academy's own archives and storage, the participating artists have created a dialogue between the prestigious organization's past and its present creative output.

Finnish artist Helene Schjerfbeck wows New York, Europe is next

Finnish painter Helene Schjerfbeck's major retrospective at the Royal Academy of Arts in London has generated significant acclaim, following a successful exhibition at the Ateneum Art Museum in Helsinki. The show, which features over 100 works spanning her seven-decade career, is now traveling to European venues, including the Petit Palais in Paris.

From Bottle Caps and Seals Has Come Colorful, Cascading Art

Renowned Ghanaian artist El Anatsui is currently experiencing a significant professional moment with concurrent exhibitions at White Cube in Hong Kong and Seoul, timed to coincide with Art Basel Hong Kong. The artist, known for his monumental sculptures crafted from discarded liquor-bottle caps and copper wire, recently saw his 2023 work "G6" sell for $995,000 at Sotheby’s London to benefit the Royal Academy of Arts. Now living back in Ghana after decades teaching in Nigeria, Anatsui continues to explore the fluidity of his medium, which mimics the organic processes of growth and decay.

meryl streep makes seven figure donation to national womens history museum musee dorsay receives collection of impressionist and post impressionist fan paintings morning links for march 19 2026 1234778006

The Musée d’Orsay has acquired a significant collection of 17 Impressionist and post-Impressionist fan paintings donated by Hong Kong-based collector Ms. Kan, featuring works by Pissarro, Gauguin, and Degas. In other major news, Helen Legg has been appointed the next director of London’s Royal Academy of Arts, and the New Museum premiered a new film by Camille Henrot. Additionally, the Jim Irsay Collection achieved a "white glove" result at Christie’s, totaling $94.5 million and setting 28 world records for pop-culture memorabilia.

tate liverpool director helen legg royal academy of arts 1234777854

Helen Legg has been appointed as the new artistic director of the Royal Academy of Arts in London, transitioning from her current role as director of Tate Liverpool. Starting in June, Legg will oversee the institution’s exhibitions, collections, and public programming, succeeding a period of leadership that saw her manage a major $46 million renovation project at Tate's northern outpost.

berlin academy of art slams art prize cuts us president called steward not owner of white house over ballroom plans morning links for march 18 2026 1234777711

Berlin’s Academy of Arts has issued a sharp critique of proposed budget cuts to the Berlin Art Prize, which would see the award's prize money halved. The Academy argues that reducing the current €45,000 total funding—already considered modest—devalues the historic award and threatens its future as a symbol of artistic freedom and democratic expression.

Michaelina Wautier Market Appraisal

michaelina wautier market appraisal 2742009

The 17th-century Flemish Baroque painter Michaelina Wautier is experiencing a significant rediscovery following centuries of obscurity and misattribution. Long overshadowed by her male contemporaries and her brother Charles, Wautier's diverse oeuvre—ranging from still lifes to monumental allegorical scenes—is being re-evaluated through major exhibitions at the Kunsthistorisches Museum in Vienna and the Royal Academy of Arts in London. This scholarly revival is correcting the historical record, as works previously attributed to artists like Artemisia Gentileschi are being rightfully returned to her catalog.

Rose Wylie: ‘It’s very, very fragile where a painting ends. All the time it sits on a precarious edge’

British artist Rose Wylie is currently the subject of a major career survey at the Royal Academy of Arts in London, titled "The Picture Comes First." At 91 years old, Wylie is the first woman painter to occupy the institution's main galleries, showcasing over 90 works that span her idiosyncratic career. The exhibition highlights her signature style of large-scale, exuberant figurative paintings that draw from a vast range of influences, including cinema, celebrity culture, and art history.

Rose Wylie: The 91-year-old art world rebel in her prime

British painter Rose Wylie is preparing for a landmark solo exhibition at the Royal Academy of Arts in London, making her the first female British painter to receive a solo show in the institution's main galleries. At 91 years old, Wylie continues to work late into the night in her Kent studio, producing large-scale, vibrant canvases that draw inspiration from everyday objects, newspapers, and sports icons. Her work is celebrated for its 'punk' energy and a youthful spontaneity that belies her age.

sothebys royal academy of art sale 1234773262

Sotheby's will auction ten works donated by Royal Academicians during its London spring sales to raise funds for the financially struggling Royal Academy of Arts. The sale, with a cumulative high estimate of £2.6 million, includes major works by El Anatsui, Sean Scully, William Kentridge, Tony Cragg, Georg Baselitz, Anish Kapoor, Mimmo Paladino, and Jeff Koons.

Ai Weiwei faced vote about his Royal Academy of Arts, London membership after Gaza tweet

Chinese artist and activist Ai Weiwei faced a vote by the Royal Academy of Arts in London on whether to revoke his membership as an international Royal Academician. This followed a controversial tweet he posted in late 2023 about the Israel-Hamas conflict, which he later deleted and which led his gallery, Lisson Gallery, to postpone a show of his work. The RA's General Assembly ultimately voted to retain his membership.