Picasso Painting That Cost S. I. Newhouse a MoMA Board Position Heads to Christie’s for $55 M.

Christie’s New York will auction 16 masterpieces from the collection of late Condé Nast magnate S. I. Newhouse on May 18, with an estimated total of $450 million. The highlight is Pablo Picasso’s Cubist painting *Homme à la guitare* (1913), estimated at $35–55 million, which Newhouse acquired in 2000 for $10 million after MoMA sold it from its collection. Newhouse, then a MoMA board member, violated museum policy by buying the work and subsequently resigned from the board.

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Gagosian's Le Bourget gallery in Paris will present "Walter De Maria: The Singular Experience," opening October 19 and running through April 18. The exhibition includes the artist's final sculpture, *Truck Trilogy* (2011–2017), featuring three vintage Chevrolet Advance Design 3100 pickups polished and fitted with stainless-steel rods, previously shown at Dia Beacon. Curated by Donna De Salvo, the show also features works like *13, 14, 15 Meter Rows* (1985), drawings, films, and archival materials highlighting De Maria's mathematical and musical interests, including his involvement with the Primitives and the Druds.

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Kerry James Marshall, a leading American painter, has debuted a new series of paintings as part of his survey exhibition at the Royal Academy of Arts in London. The works, featured in a section titled “Africa Revisited,” examine the involvement of Africans in the transatlantic slave trade, a topic Marshall says is often ignored because it complicates simplistic narratives of good versus evil. One painting, *Abduction of Olaudah and His Sister* (2023), depicts the kidnapping of 18th-century writer Olaudah Equiano, while three others—*Outbound*, *Haul*, and *Cove* (all 2025)—show Black figures actively participating in the slave trade. Marshall’s earlier Middle Passage works from the 1990s are also on view.

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Top 200 Collector Steven A. Cohen has been revealed as the consignor of Maurizio Cattelan's golden toilet sculpture, *America* (2016), which will be auctioned at Sotheby's on November 18. The work, made of 18-karat gold and weighing over 100 kilograms, was purchased from Marian Goodman Gallery in 2017. It will be displayed in a bathroom at Sotheby's Breuer Building before the sale, with a starting bid expected around $10 million based on the price of its weight in gold. The piece has a notable history: one version was exhibited at the Guggenheim Museum, offered to the Trump White House as a loan alternative to a van Gogh painting, and another was stolen from Blenheim Palace in 2019, making Cohen's the only extant version.

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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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Galleries Sprüth Magers and Skarstedt have announced joint representation of artist George Condo, ending his six-year partnership with Hauser & Wirth. Condo has a long history with both galleries: he first showed with Monika Sprüth in 1984 and was represented by Skarstedt from 2004 to 2019. The announcement comes after a two-venue exhibition earlier this year that involved both Sprüth Magers and Hauser & Wirth. Condo's market remains strong, with recent auction sales exceeding $6 million and a current retrospective at the Musée d’Art Moderne de Paris.

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Dom Pérignon has partnered with artist Takashi Murakami to design limited-edition labels and packaging for its Vintage 2015 and Rosé Vintage 2010 releases. Murakami’s signature smiling floral motifs appear on black backgrounds, and the collaboration is framed as an exploration of time, transformation, and the intersection of historical craftsmanship with contemporary art. Murakami worked with Dom Pérignon’s Chef de Cave Vincent Chaperon, and the project is part of a broader series titled “Creation is an eternal journey,” which also involves actors, musicians, and chefs.

Paying tribute to storied printmaker Kenneth Tyler at the IFPDA Print Fair

The International Fine Prints and Drawings Association (IFPDA) Print Fair at the Park Avenue Armory is honoring the legacy of master printer Kenneth E. Tyler. A central highlight of the event is the presentation by the National Gallery of Australia (NGA) of a new three-volume catalogue raisonné documenting Tyler Graphics from 1986 to 2001. The 94-year-old Tyler, a foundational figure in American printmaking, collaborated with titans of Modern art including Robert Rauschenberg, Helen Frankenthaler, and Roy Lichtenstein across his storied career at Gemini GEL and Tyler Graphics.

8 controversies that rocked the art world in 2025 2728947

Artnet News rounds up eight major controversies that shook the art world in 2025, including a brazen theft of crown jewels from the Louvre Museum in Paris, which exposed severe security gaps and led to a staff strike. Another key scandal involves a lawsuit filed by heirs of the Stern family against the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Basil and Elise Goulandris Foundation, alleging that a Van Gogh painting was looted by the Nazis and later concealed through a series of transactions in New York.

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Jordan Wolfson's latest virtual reality artwork, *Little Room* (2025), debuted at the Fondation Beyeler in Basel during Art Basel. The piece requires participants to undergo a full-body scan using 96 cameras, creating a detailed 3D model that is uploaded into a VR environment. Once inside, pairs of participants find they have swapped bodies, experiencing a disorienting and intimate encounter where they watch their own body being controlled by another person. The work involves a lengthy, ritualistic queue and a twelve-minute VR session that explores themes of identity, voyeurism, and technological mediation.

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ARTnews has published a guide to Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals on artists' tools and studio supplies, tracking discounts from US retailers on items ranging from tech gear like Samsung's The Frame TV and Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses to software subscriptions like Topaz Studio. The article advises readers to move fast as products may sell out, and explains the selection process involves research on art supply usage, customer reviews, expert advice, and the authors' own expertise as artists and teachers.

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A group of 50 artists and cultural figures has sent a letter to Judy Chicago and Pussy Riot founding member Nadya Tolokonnikova, accusing them of “artwashing” for their collaborative exhibition “What If Women Ruled the World?” scheduled to open September 25 at the Tel Aviv Museum of Art. The letter calls for the exhibition’s cancellation, arguing that it is hypocritical to present a feminist show at an Israeli institution while Israel’s military actions in Gaza have killed over 28,000 women and girls since October 2023, according to UN Women. Tolokonnikova has stated she is not involved in decisions about the work’s current venue, while museum director Tania Coen-Uzzielli rejected the idea that canceling exhibitions is a meaningful response to the conflict.

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Entertainment mogul and top art collector David Geffen was sued on Tuesday by his estranged husband, model Donovan Michaels, for alleged breach of contract. The lawsuit, filed in Los Angeles Superior Court, claims Geffen promised Michaels lifelong financial support but cut him off after initiating divorce proceedings. The 33-page complaint describes their relationship as exploitative, comparing it to the plot of "Trading Places." Separately, Geffen is also entangled in a legal dispute with crypto billionaire Justin Sun over an Alberto Giacometti sculpture allegedly stolen and traded as part of a fraud scheme.

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Former New York governor Andrew Cuomo relaunched his New York mayoral campaign as a third-party candidate on July 14, after losing the Democratic primary to Zohran Mamdani by 12 points on June 24. A recent ARTnews data analysis reveals that prominent art world figures have donated to both campaigns, with Cuomo receiving contributions from Christie's executives, Phillips and Sotheby's staff, Gagosian directors, art dealers, and museum leaders, while Mamdani drew support from foundation directors, museum curators, gallery directors, and numerous artists. The pro-Cuomo super PAC Fix the City received $5 million from billionaire Michael Bloomberg and $250,000 from Top 200 collector Daniel Loeb, while the pro-Mamdani super PAC raised about $1.4 million.

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A new arts institution called Canyon is set to open on Manhattan's Lower East Side in 2026, occupying a 40,000-square-foot former commercial space at the foot of the Williamsburg Bridge. Founded by philanthropist and art collector Robert Rosenkranz and Joe Thompson, the founding director of MASS MoCA, Canyon will focus on video art, sound art, and performance art. The venue will include 18,000 square feet of exhibition space, a 60-foot-tall performance area, and a 300-seat performance hall. Early programming plans include a retrospective of Japanese artist Ryoji Ikeda and an expanded iteration of the video game-themed group exhibition "Worldbuilding," curated by Hans Ulrich Obrist. The architecture firm New Affiliates is redesigning the space, and Sam Ozer has been appointed curator-at-large. Admission will be $30, with free access for school groups and library cardholders.

A renewed focus on rigour and connection at Expo Chicago

The 2026 edition of Expo Chicago marks a strategic shift under the leadership of new director Kate Sierzputowski, featuring a leaner roster of 130 galleries at Navy Pier. The fair has introduced a more spacious layout and a new curatorial role, filled by Essence Harden, to deepen institutional ties and scholarly rigor. Notable participants include local mainstays like Monique Meloche Gallery and Gray, alongside international exhibitors from South Korea, South Africa, and Nigeria, as well as high-profile New York newcomers like Karma.

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Jeffrey Deitch's gallery has apologized for hosting a performance by rapper Lexa Gates that was deemed an unauthorized derivative of performance artist Miles Greenberg's work. Gates's 10-hour piece, 'The Wheel,' involved walking inside a spinning wheel at the gallery to promote her new album, closely echoing Greenberg's 24-hour 2020 work 'Oysterknife,' which was previously screened at the same location. The gallery stated it had rented the space to Gates's record company and was unaware of the event's content.

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Rebecca Salsbury James, an artist who mastered reverse painting on glass and colcha embroidery, is gaining renewed attention. Born in 1891 in London to parents involved in the Buffalo Bill Wild West Show, she later moved to Taos, New Mexico, where she lived until her death in 1968. She was married to photographer Paul Strand, a close friend of Georgia O'Keeffe, and exhibited at Alfred Stieglitz's gallery. Recent milestones include her inclusion in the 2025 Site Santa Fe International, a new acquisition by the Georgia O'Keeffe Museum, and a record auction price for her work at Christie's in 2016.

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Wafaa Bilal has been named the recipient of the 2025 ARTnews Award for Established Artist, recognizing his survey exhibition “Wafaa Bilal: Indulge Me” at the Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago (February 1–October 19, 2025). The show is the first major retrospective for the Iraqi American artist, featuring works that put his body at risk, including the iconic performance *Domestic Tension* (2007), in which remote participants fired a paintball gun at him over the internet, and *Virtual Jihadi* (2008), a modified video game that blurs the lines between aggressor and victim. Curated by Bana Kattan, the exhibition restages elements of Bilal’s original performance and presents his ongoing critique of U.S. involvement in the Middle East, particularly the Iraq War and the use of drone warfare.

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Zohran Mamdani won the New York City mayoral election, prompting a wave of reactions from the art world. Artists, curators, and critics expressed hope and joy, with figures like Siddartha Mitter calling it a "beacon of civic renewal," while others like Jerry Saltz offered cautious support. Artists such as Aria Dean, Martine Syms, and Salman Toor were involved in his campaign, and El Museo del Barrio was the only institution to officially endorse him. However, some voices, like the market-oriented account Jerry Gogosian, criticized his socialist policies as potentially harmful to the art market.

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Racquel Chevremont, a model, curator, and reality TV star, has filed a 31-page lawsuit against her former romantic partner, artist Mickalene Thomas, in the Supreme Court of the State of New York. The suit expands on earlier harassment allegations from August, detailing claims of an abusive work environment and financial exploitation. Chevremont alleges that Thomas denied her promised compensation from sales of artworks featuring Chevremont, including a painting that sold for $1.83 million, and that Thomas paid herself significant sums while Chevremont received nothing from their joint company, MT Special Projects (also known as Deux Femmes Noires). Thomas has denied the allegations through a spokesperson, calling them false and a desperate attempt to profit from her reputation.

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René Magritte's surrealist masterpiece *La Magie Noire*, unseen on the market for nearly a century, will be auctioned at Sotheby's Paris later this month with an estimate over $8 million. The painting was originally purchased by the family of WWII resistance heroine Suzanne Spaak, who supported Magritte during a financially difficult period. Separately, three major museums designed by star architect David Adjaye—the Princeton University Art Museum, the Museum of West African Art in Benin City, and the Studio Museum in Harlem—are set to open this fall, but institutions are downplaying Adjaye's involvement following sexual misconduct allegations he denied in 2023. Other news includes Pace Gallery closing its Hong Kong space, Colnaghi opening in Riyadh, and the death of ARTnews owner Milton Esterow.

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Artist Mickalene Thomas has been accused in a legal filing of fostering an abusive work environment and mismanaging funds involving her former romantic partner Racquel Chevremont. Chevremont, a model, curator, and reality TV star, filed a summons in the Supreme Court of the State of New York on August 8, alleging she was not properly compensated for work done for Thomas, that Thomas diverted significant funds and business opportunities, and that she subjected Chevremont to quid pro quo harassment and a hostile work environment. The summons states their romantic relationship ended in 2020 but their professional ties remained strained, and Chevremont is seeking $10 million in damages.

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German artist Katharina Grosse, known for her immersive spray-painted installations, will create a monumental painting titled "CHOIR" across the entire Messeplatz in Basel during Art Basel. The project, curated by Natalia Graboska, involves spray-painting the 53,800-square-foot pedestrian precinct in shades of magenta, marking the first time a painter has been commissioned to take over the entire square. In an interview with ARTnews, Grosse discusses her evolution from early experiments with spray guns in Marseille to key works like "Untitled" (1998) at Kunsthalle Bern and "The Bedroom" (2004), and her upcoming 2026 show at the Munch Museum in Oslo.

Titian's ‘Bacchus and Ariadne’ to get a refresh with bank conservation grant

Bank of America’s annual art conservation program has awarded grants to 18 projects this year, including the restoration of Titian’s *Bacchus and Ariadne* (1520-23) at the National Gallery in London. The painting will be removed from display next month for conservation work that involves placing it on a new fabric support and repairing paint loss. Other funded projects include Rembrandt’s *The Night Watch* at the Rijksmuseum, bronze palms at the Arc de Triomphe in Paris, *Gaki Zōshi* at the Tokyo National Museum, Matisse’s *La Négresse* at the National Gallery of Art in Washington, DC, and works at the Museo de Arte de Lima and the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts.

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The activist collective Halt Action Group (HAG) organized a second 'Dear Ivanka' protest in New York City as Ivanka Trump prepared to move to Washington, D.C. Protesters marched from Grand Army Plaza to Trump’s Park Avenue residence, carrying symbolic moving boxes labeled with social and political concerns such as women's rights, affordable healthcare, and freedom of the press. The event featured prominent art world figures and utilized visual metaphors, including a disavowed Richard Prince artwork, to urge Trump to act as a moderate influence on her father’s administration.

Tino Sehgal at Museo de Arte de Zapopan

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Renowned performance artist Tino Sehgal has launched a major self-titled exhibition at the Museo de Arte de Zapopan (MAZ) in Guadalajara, Mexico. The show’s centerpiece is 'Andador 20 de Noviembre,' a site-specific adaptation of his acclaimed 2012 work 'These Associations.' Staged on a historic pedestrian thoroughfare, the performance involves a 'hive mind' of participants who transition from slow-motion movements to jogging and engaging the public with intimate personal vignettes, creating an immersive experience that blurs the line between audience and performer.

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Ernst van de Wetering, the leading authority of the Rembrandt Research Project, has reattributed 70 paintings to the Dutch master in the project’s final volume. This significant shift includes reinstating 44 works that were previously stripped of their authenticity by the project's earlier democratic voting process, which van de Wetering now describes as flawed and overly restrictive. The new findings bring the total count of surviving Rembrandt paintings to 340.

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Ai Weiwei has accused Lego of refusing to supply a bulk order of bricks for a politically charged artwork destined for the National Gallery of Victoria. The artist announced the refusal via Instagram, claiming Lego cited an inability to approve the use of its products for political works. Ai linked the decision to Lego's business interests in China, noting the announcement of a Legoland in Shanghai during President Xi Jinping's UK state visit. Lego denied political motivation, stating it sold its Legoland division years ago and that it declines bulk orders when political context is involved. Supporters have launched a Facebook page to donate bricks, and Ai has accepted the offers.

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An inmate in a Virginia prison has had the July/August issue of the Humanist magazine rejected by prison censors because it contains a reproduction of Peter Paul Rubens's painting of Adam and Eve, in which Eve's breasts are visible despite fig leaves covering the couple's genitals. Attorney Jeffrey E. Fogel filed a federal lawsuit on August 31 on behalf of the American Humanist Association, arguing that the rejection violates the First and Fourteenth Amendments and has caused financial harm to the publisher. The article in question, titled "Everything You Know about Sex is Wrong," aims to challenge binary gender concepts.