Vasari Art Codex

article news schedule Apr 27, 2026 visibility 15 link 9 artists, 2 galleries

South Carolina Artist Aldwyth Dies, The Box Closes in LA, and More: Morning Links for April 27, 2026

A New York federal jury has awarded the Morgan Art Foundation $102.2 million in damages after finding that art publisher Michael McKenzie isolated artist Robert Indiana near the end of his life and created unauthorized versions of his iconic "LOVE" works. Separately, South Carolina collage artist Aldwyth (Mary Aldwyth Dickman) has died at age 90, known for intricate assemblages made in a treehouse studio. In Los Angeles, influential gallery The Box, founded by Mara McCarthy with her father Paul McCarthy, announced it will close after 19 years. Other news includes the dismantling of the Armand Vaillancourt fountain in San Francisco, preservationist concerns over Trump's Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool project, and a new JR installation in Venice inspired by Veronese's "The Wedding at Cana."

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trending_up market schedule Apr 27, 2026 visibility 11 link 5 artists, 3 galleries

$102 Million Verdict Over Robert Indiana Artwork May End Years-Long Legal Battle

A Manhattan federal jury awarded $102 million in damages to the Morgan Art Foundation in its lawsuit against art publisher Michael McKenzie, finding him guilty of making and selling unauthorized Robert Indiana artworks. The verdict, delivered on April 23, follows a complex legal battle that began just before Indiana's death in 2018, involving accusations of exploitation, fraud, and copyright infringement. McKenzie and caretaker Jamie Thomas were also accused of taking advantage of the elderly artist. The case has cast doubt on the authenticity of some late Indiana works and affected his market, with his auction record remaining at just over $4 million since 2011.

newspaper Artnet News open_in_new Read original

gavel restitution schedule Apr 27, 2026 visibility 6 link 3 artists, 1 gallery

Art Publisher Owes $102.2 Million in Damages for Late Robert Indiana Works

A Manhattan jury has ordered art publisher Michael McKenzie to pay $102.2 million in damages for creating unauthorized or adulterated versions of works by the late Pop artist Robert Indiana. The lawsuit, brought by Indiana’s former business partner the Morgan Art Foundation, alleged that McKenzie produced Indiana-related junk products that infringed trademark and copyright, including reproductions of Indiana’s iconic “LOVE” design and the artworks *The Ninth American Dream* (2001) and *USA FUN* (1965). The jury found McKenzie liable for exploiting Indiana in the final years of his life, after the artist granted power of attorney to his caretaker, Jamie Thomas.

newspaper Artforum open_in_new Read original

candle obituary schedule Apr 29, 2026 visibility 7 link 14 artists, 4 galleries

Remembering Raghu Rai, Jack Thornell, and Jarvis Rockwell

Hyperallergic's weekly 'In Memoriam' column honors eight recently deceased figures from the art world, including Indian photojournalist Raghu Rai (1942–2026), Argentine abstract painter Ides Kihlen (1917–2026), Israeli painter and activist Yair Garbuz (1945–2026), British photographer Mark Gerson (1921–2026), Japanese art collector Kurt Gitter (1937–2026), Danish antiquities dealer Ittai Gradel (1965–2026), indigo textile artist Leigh Magar (1968–2026), and Kenyan muralist Patrick Mukabi (1967–2026). Each entry summarizes their life, career highlights, and contributions to visual art and photography.

newspaper Hyperallergic open_in_new Read original

gavel restitution schedule Apr 28, 2026 visibility 5 link 3 artists, 2 galleries

Affaire Indiana : un éditeur d’art condamné à 102 millions de dollars

A federal jury in Manhattan has ordered Michael McKenzie and his company American Image Art to pay $102 million (€95 million) to the Morgan Art Foundation for unauthorized exploitation of works by artist Robert Indiana (1928-2018), including his iconic LOVE image. The case, filed in May 2018 just before Indiana's death, alleged that McKenzie—a former agent of the artist—produced and sold unauthorized editions, sculptures, and merchandise under Indiana's name, violating exclusive reproduction and commercialization rights granted to the foundation in the 1990s. The jury found McKenzie guilty of trademark infringement, copyright violation, and contractual interference, with $6.2 million specifically tied to 44 LOVE works. The defense, weakened by sanctions for hiding evidence and refusing to cooperate, plans to appeal.

newspaper Le Journal des Arts open_in_new Read original

person people schedule Apr 30, 2026 visibility 3 link 3 artists, 1 gallery

148 News Roundup: Career Moves, Infrastructure, Controversies, Public Domain

Curator and writer Reuben Keehan has been appointed artistic director of the forthcoming Kontempo – Center for Contemporary Art in Manila, a new institution developed by the Ayala Foundation. Keehan will relocate from Australia, ending his 15-year tenure as curator of contemporary art at Brisbane’s Queensland Art Gallery | Gallery of Modern Art. In other career moves, Manuel Rabaté has become CEO and director of New Delhi’s Kiran Nadar Museum of Art, bringing over 25 years of museum leadership including his previous role as inaugural director of Louvre Abu Dhabi. Additionally, the Kochi Biennale Foundation has named board member and Mumbai-based artist Jitish Kallat as president of the Kochi-Muziris Biennale, succeeding Bose Krishnamachari who resigned in January.

newspaper ArtAsiaPacific open_in_new Read original

article news schedule Apr 28, 2026 source 2 sources visibility 10 link 14 artists, 4 galleries

Tate Britain will Exhibit ‘90s Art and Fashion, and Other News.

Tate Britain will stage "The 90s: Art and Fashion" in autumn 2026, guest curated by Edward Enninful, featuring nearly 70 artists, designers, and photographers including Steve McQueen, Damien Hirst, Alexander McQueen, and Vivienne Westwood. The exhibition explores how the decade reshaped British cultural identity through art, fashion, and social commentary, highlighting DIY anti-fashion aesthetics and themes of identity, race, class, and representation. Separately, Gagosian opened a new ground-floor flagship at 980 Madison Avenue in New York, replacing its longtime sixth-floor space after 37 years. A rare 17th-century Mughal astrolabe is heading to Sotheby's London with a £1.5–2.5 million estimate. Fondazione Sozzani launched an award for emerging creative talent. A Manhattan federal jury ordered art publisher Michael McKenzie to pay $102.2 million in damages to the Morgan Art Foundation for producing unauthorized works by Robert Indiana.

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article news schedule Apr 27, 2026 visibility 10 link 3 artists, 2 galleries

A Long-Running Case Centering on Alleged Robert Indiana Forgeries Is Resolved with a $102 M. Settlement

A New York jury has awarded $102.2 million in damages to the Morgan Art Foundation in a long-running copyright and forgery case against art publisher Michael McKenzie. The jury found that McKenzie created unauthorized and altered versions of works by Pop artist Robert Indiana, including multiple iterations of Indiana's iconic LOVE prints and sculptures, as well as works such as *The Ninth American Dream* (2001), *USA FUN* (1965), and a sculpture titled *BRAT*. The lawsuit, which began in 2018 shortly before Indiana's death at age 89, alleged that McKenzie and others sought to isolate the artist and profit from selling forged works. McKenzie's lawyer indicated he may appeal.

newspaper ARTnews open_in_new Read original

article news schedule Apr 29, 2026 visibility 7 link 6 artists, 1 gallery

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.

newspaper Artnet News open_in_new Read original

candle obituary schedule Apr 30, 2026 visibility 4 link 4 artists, 1 gallery

Raghu Rai’s masterful images of Indian life – in pictures

Raghu Rai, the celebrated Indian photographer who was recruited to Magnum Photos by Henri Cartier-Bresson in 1977, has died at the age of 83. Over five decades, he produced defining images of Indian life, ranging from intimate portraits of Mother Teresa to stark documentation of the Bhopal disaster. His work captured both the grand and the everyday, from crowds at Mumbai's Churchgate railway station to slums in Dharavi, and he published more than 18 books, receiving multiple awards for his unflinching human gaze.

newspaper The Guardian open_in_new Read original

candle obituary schedule Apr 27, 2026 visibility 8 link 3 artists, 1 gallery

Raghu Rai, pioneering Indian photographer, 1942–2026

Raghu Rai, the pioneering Indian photographer and photojournalist, has died at age 84. Over his career, he produced more than 30 books covering subjects such as Tibetan exile, Mother Teresa, Indira Gandhi, and Sikhs in India. His most famous work documented the 1984 Bhopal chemical disaster, first for India Today and later for Greenpeace, resulting in the book *Exposure: A Corporate Crime* and exhibitions that toured Europe, the US, and Bangladesh. Rai began his career at The Statesman in 1966, joined India Today in 1982, and became a member of Magnum Photos in 1977 under the patronage of Henri Cartier-Bresson. He was awarded the Padma Shri in 1972 for his coverage of the 1971 India-Pakistan War and the plight of Bangladeshi refugees.

newspaper ArtReview open_in_new Read original

museum exhibitions schedule May 1, 2026 source 2 sources visibility 3 link 3 artists, 1 gallery

At Yale: the commercial empire within the British empire

The Yale Center for British Art presents 'Painters, Ports, and Profits,' an exhibition of 115 items spanning a century of art and history, focusing on the East India Company's commercial empire. The show includes paintings, prints, drawings, books, and artifacts such as a 37-foot watercolor scroll of Lucknow (1826) and works by Indian artist Gangaram Chintaman Navgire Tambat, who emerges as the artistic star with 20 pieces. It also features prints of the company's opium factory and 'The Opium Fleet Descending The Ganges' by Walter Stanhope Sherwill, highlighting the company's role in the Opium Wars with China.

newspaper The Boston Globe open_in_new Read original

museum exhibitions schedule Apr 29, 2026 visibility 3 link 2 artists, 1 gallery

Francis Alÿs at MAMU: A Global Portrait of Childhood Through Play

The Banco de la República has opened a new exhibition at the Museo de Arte Miguel Urrutia (MAMU) in Bogotá titled "Francis Alÿs, juegxs de niñxs 1999–2025." Featuring 27 video works from the Belgian-born, Mexico-based artist's long-running series documenting children's games worldwide, the show opened on April 23 at El Parqueadero and the second floor of MAMU. Curated by Cuauhtémoc Medina and Virginia Roy, the exhibition includes footage from Afghanistan, India, Mexico, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Colombia, where a new work filmed in the Amazon with the Arara community is featured.

newspaper The City Paper Bogotá open_in_new Read original

museum exhibitions schedule Apr 27, 2026 visibility 4 link 1 artist

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.

newspaper ARTnews open_in_new Read original

gavel restitution schedule Apr 24, 2026 visibility 7 link 1 artist

$100 Million Award Made in Suit Over Unlicensed Robert Indiana Art

A New York jury has awarded $100 million in damages to the company that managed artist Robert Indiana's copyrights, ruling that an art publisher produced and sold unlicensed works derived from Indiana's iconic images. The publisher had created derivative pieces based on Indiana's designs without authorization, infringing on the exclusive rights held by the artist's longtime partner.

newspaper New York Times Art open_in_new Read original

museum exhibitions schedule Apr 29, 2026 visibility 3 link 1 artist, 1 gallery

How LACMA Is Centering Curation Around Cross-Cultural Exchange

The Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) opened its new David Geffen Galleries on April 19, featuring a groundbreaking installation organized around four bodies of water—the Pacific, Atlantic, and Indian Oceans, and the Mediterranean Sea—rather than by country of origin or chronological sequence. Designed by architect Peter Zumthor, the 900-foot-long single-level space holds 2,500 to 3,000 objects, with 45 curators collaborating to arrange works from vastly different cultures and centuries together, allowing visitors to meander without prescribed pathways.

newspaper Art & Object open_in_new Read original

museum exhibitions schedule Apr 30, 2026 visibility 3 link 2 artists

National Museum of Asian Art Presents Paintings From India’s Himalayan Kingdoms in New Exhibition

The Smithsonian’s National Museum of Asian Art in Washington, DC, has announced a new exhibition titled “Of the Hills: Pahari Paintings from India’s Himalayan Kingdoms,” running from April 18 to July 26, 2026. The show features 48 paintings and colored drawings, including canonical masterpieces and never-before-seen works, drawn largely from the museum’s 2017–2018 acquisitions of the Ralph Benkaim and Catherine Glynn Benkaim collection. The exhibition explores three key periods from 1620 to 1830, highlighting the collaborative creativity of artists in the small Hindu kingdoms of the Himalayan region.

newspaper Deccan Chronicle open_in_new Read original

gavel restitution schedule Apr 30, 2026 visibility 2 link 1 artist

NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani Calls on King Charles to Return Treasured Diamond to India

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani publicly called on King Charles III to return the Koh-i-Noor Diamond to India during the British monarch's visit to New York City on Wednesday. Speaking at a press conference before a 9/11 commemoration ceremony, Mamdani said he would encourage the King to return the diamond, which was given to Queen Victoria in 1850 after Britain's colonial governor-general arranged its exchange from a deposed Indian leader. The two leaders later met at the ceremony, but Buckingham Palace declined to comment on the discussion.

newspaper ARTnews open_in_new Read original

museum exhibitions schedule Apr 25, 2026 visibility 8 link 1 artist, 2 galleries

Japanese artist Mari Ito debuts in India with bold, thought-provoking exhibition

Japanese contemporary artist Mari Ito has opened her first solo exhibition in India, titled 'Origin of Desire,' at Bikaner House in New Delhi. The show features recent paintings and a large-scale installation created between 2024 and the present, exploring themes of identity, resistance, and the human body. Ito's practice is rooted in Nihonga, a classical Japanese painting technique using mineral pigments and sumi ink on washi paper or silk, which she blends with contemporary subject matter. A highlight is the installation 'Flowers Blooming in Defiance of the Bombs,' previously shown in Spain and reimagined for the Indian context. The exhibition is supported by Galerie Geek Art, which aims to connect Asian contemporary artists with Indian audiences.

newspaper The Impressive Times open_in_new Read original

museum exhibitions schedule Apr 27, 2026 visibility 4 link 1 artist, 2 galleries

He Who Permeates Exhibition at Tao Art Gallery Explores Myth, Identity and Visual Culture

The exhibition 'He Who Permeates' is currently on view at Tao Art Gallery in Mumbai, curated by Mihir Thakkar. It features contemporary artists Jayesh Sachdev and NFN Kalyan, exploring how imagery and symbols are reinterpreted across cultural contexts in a hyper-visual age. The show runs daily from 11 am to 6:30 pm until May 28, 2026, and marks NFN Kalyan's first presentation in India.

newspaper caleidoscope.in open_in_new Read original

museum exhibitions schedule Apr 28, 2026 visibility 4 link 1 artist, 1 gallery

Silent Stories Solo Exhibition by Shanaka Kulathunga to Debut in India at Bikaner House

Gallery Silver Scapes will present 'Silent Stories', a solo exhibition by Sri Lankan artist Shanaka Kulathunga, at the CCA Building, Bikaner House in New Delhi from May 21 to 28, 2026. This marks the artist's first solo presentation in India, featuring acrylic and oil paintings that explore memory, everyday life, and rural Sri Lankan landscapes through figuration and narrative depth. Curated by Archana Khare-Ghose, the exhibition includes a publication launch and aims to foster cross-cultural dialogue between India and Sri Lanka.

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museum exhibitions schedule Apr 27, 2026 visibility 3 link 1 artist, 3 galleries

Suman Dey’s new solo in Kolkata gives form to the abstract notions around us

Artist Suman Dey presents his second solo exhibition, titled *Chance, Remains of Another Time*, at Emami Art in Kolkata. The show features large-scale works on wood and other materials that explore abstract notions of memory, time, and nature through fragmented forms, textures, and narrative. Key pieces include a series of frames capturing everyday surface textures and a work titled *Journey* that uses boat shapes to depict transformation. The exhibition runs until May 9.

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museum exhibitions schedule Apr 30, 2026 source 2 sources visibility 3

Pahari art show opens in Washington

A major exhibition of Indian art titled “Of the Hills: Pahari Paintings from India’s Himalayan Kingdoms” has opened at the Arthur M. Sackler Gallery of the National Museum of Asian Art in Washington, D.C. Running from April 18 to July 26, 2026, the show features 48 rare paintings created for Hindu kings in the Pahari region of north India between the 1620s and 1830s. Curators highlight the diversity of styles—from lyrical and naturalistic to boldly colored and abstracted—and emphasize the collaborative nature of the artist communities that produced these works. The exhibition includes pieces acquired from art historian Catherine Glynn Benkaim and Ralph Benkaim, some never publicly exhibited before, alongside loans from the Cleveland Museum of Art.

newspaper lokmattimes.com open_in_new Read original

museum exhibitions schedule May 1, 2026 visibility 2 link 1 artist, 1 gallery

“The Meanderings” art exhibition opens in Jammu

Chief Secretary Atal Dulloo inaugurated a three-day painting exhibition titled “The Meanderings” by Pradeep Wahule, an Indian Forest Service officer and Conservator of Forests, at Kala Kendra Jammu. The event, organized under the Department of Culture, featured around 40 artworks displayed at the Master Sansar Chand Gallery, with Brij Mohan Sharma as Special Guest and remarks from officials including Sarvesh Rai, Harvinder Kour, and Dr. Javaid Rahi. Curator Rashmi Rao noted this is the sixth state where she has managed the show.

newspaper Brighter Kashmir open_in_new Read original

museum exhibitions schedule Apr 30, 2026 visibility 3 link 1 artist

L.A.'s $1 Billion Lucas Museum Has Revealed Inaugural Exhibitions For This Year's Opening — Curated By George Lucas Himself

The Lucas Museum of Narrative Art in Los Angeles has announced its 18 inaugural exhibitions ahead of its September 22, 2026 opening. The $1 billion, 100,000-square-foot museum in Exposition Park will feature 32 galleries curated personally by George Lucas, including a dedicated Cinema space showcasing the Lucas Archives with original concept art, costumes, and props from Star Wars and Indiana Jones. Unlike traditional museums, the exhibitions are organized by emotion and storytelling themes such as Adventure, Childhood, Fantasy, and Romance, rather than by time period or artist.

newspaper Secret Los Angeles open_in_new Read original

article culture schedule Apr 30, 2026 visibility 3 link 1 artist

Remains of time: Discarded Material Finds New Life As Artwork

Two Indian artists, Manveer Singh (aka Plasticvalla) and Smriti Dixit, are creating artworks from discarded materials to address environmental degradation. Singh transforms multi-layered plastic waste into sculptures inspired by local landscapes and folk traditions, such as a snow leopard for Spiti Valley and a landfill-inspired piece for Delhi. Dixit finds her practice meditative, while other young artists like Anuja Dasgupta and Mrugen Rathod recently exhibited at the 'Sustaina' exhibition using recycled materials like agricultural waste and discarded hotel textiles. Additionally, Tara Lal's Aranyani Pavilion, made from invasive Lantana Camara wood, was displayed at Sunder Nursery to promote forest restoration.

newspaper Open Magazine open_in_new Read original

museum exhibitions schedule Apr 30, 2026 visibility 2 link 2 artists

Thapar Gallery’s tribute to Abdul Aziz Raiba

Thapar Gallery in New Delhi is hosting an exhibition titled "Master Artist A. A. Raiba: A Unilateral Eclectic," a tribute to the late Indian modernist Abdul Aziz Raiba. The show, on view until 21 June 2026, explores Raiba's six-decade career across murals, paintings on jute, reverse glass paintings, serigraphs, calligraphy, and sketches, highlighting his synthesis of Indo-Islamic traditions, European academic naturalism, the Bengal School, and European modernity. Historian Shivaji K Panikkar provides curatorial insight, noting Raiba's independence from group affiliations and his use of grids and strong linear outlines.

newspaper Architect and Interiors India open_in_new Read original

museum exhibitions schedule Apr 29, 2026 visibility 4 link 2 artists

An art exhibit showcasing AA Raiba’s versatility across mediums

Thapar Gallery is presenting an exhibition titled "Master Artist A. A. Raiba: A Unilateral Eclectic," showcasing the work of Indian modernist Abdul Aziz Raiba from the 1950s and 1960s. The show highlights Raiba's versatility across mediums including murals, paintings on jute, reverse glass paintings, serigraphs, calligraphy, and sketches, and features landscape drawings from his Kashmir sojourn between 1957 and 1959. The exhibition runs until June 21.

newspaper The Times of India open_in_new Read original

article local schedule Apr 30, 2026 visibility 2 link 1 gallery

Historic Downtown Pocatello to hold Art Walk on Friday

Historic Downtown Pocatello will host its May First Friday Art Walk on Friday, May 1, from 5 to 8 p.m., featuring local and regional art, music, food, and fashion. Participating venues include the Pocatello Art Center with its Shared Perspectives Exhibition, White Owl Books & Imports, Knotty Twist inside Elwen Cottage hosting Indiana Morris of Firefly Designs, Walrus & Carpenter Books with an open mic, Enchantments offering aura photos and tarot readings, Salty's True Tattoo, Mitera Made, Purpose Tea, The Martlet Brewery with live music by Cat Daddy, The Hygge Place hosting author Daniel Miller, Old Town Alley Outdoor Gallery, Bluebird Country Boutique, Cottonwood Junction, The Not So Starving Artist gallery owned by Jim Bacigalupi, Main Street Mercantile & Antiques featuring Annie Oakley Design Co., Wysteriasage & The Vintage Menagerie, and Brick 243 Gastropub.

newspaper Idaho State Journal open_in_new Read original

article local schedule Apr 26, 2026 visibility 9 link 1 gallery

New gallery highlighting artists from South Asian diaspora opens in Leamington

Runjeet Singh Gallery, a new commercial gallery focusing on artists from the South Asian diaspora, has opened in Leamington at 37 Chandos Street. The gallery launched with an opening exhibition from April 24 to 26, featuring work by 11 emerging and established contemporary artists. Founder Runjeet Singh, who has 26 years of experience in antiques and contemporary art collecting, aims to provide a platform for UK-based South Asian diasporic artists and those whose practices are informed by South Asian narratives and traditions.

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