diane arbus haunting new retrospective 2653004

The largest-ever exhibition of Diane Arbus's work, titled "Constellation," opens today at the Park Avenue Armory in New York City. Featuring over 450 prints—many previously unpublished—the immersive show debuted at LUMA Arles in 2023 and arrives in the U.S. with its original labyrinthine format. Curated by Matthieu Humery, the exhibition presents Arbus's iconic photographs of marginalized figures, celebrities, and everyday people without chronological or narrative order, emphasizing her equalizing gaze. The prints come from the collection of Maja Hoffmann, who acquired the complete set of printer's proofs from Neil Selkirk, the only person authorized by the Diane Arbus Estate to print from her negatives.

‘This is the place of dreams’: Patrizia Sandretto Re Rebaudengo’s Venetian island venue opens to public

Patrizia Sandretto Re Rebaudengo opened San Giacomo, a Venetian lagoon island she and her husband bought in 2018, to the public on May 7 during the Venice Biennale. The former military site now houses exhibition spaces in converted munitions storehouses, featuring a solo show by Matt Copson curated by Hans Ulrich Obrist, selections from the Sandretto collection with works by Michael Armitage, Sarah Lucas, Victor Man, and Lynette Yiadom-Boakye, and outdoor installations by Pamela Rosenkranz, Claire Fontaine, Hugh Hayden, and Goshka Macuga. The island also includes a chapel-like structure by Hayden and a rocket sculpture by Macuga.

art basel paris avant premiere vip sales report 1234758287

Art Basel Paris launched a new ultra-exclusive invitation-only preview called Avant Première, held one day before the official VIP preview. The four-hour event on Tuesday afternoon saw strong sales, with Thaddaeus Ropac selling works including a 1953 Alberto Burri for €4.2 million and two George Baselitz pieces, while Hauser & Wirth sold Gerhard Richter's 1987 *Abstraktes Bild* for $23 million, the highest reported sale. The fair limited each gallery to six invites with plus-ones, resulting in an estimated 3,000 attendees compared to 6,000 for the regular First Choice preview, creating a more manageable and urgent atmosphere.

here are the winners of the first art basel awards 2644602

Art Basel has announced the winners of its first-ever Art Basel Awards, a new global honors program recognizing excellence across the contemporary art world. The 36 medalists include artists such as David Hammons, Lubaina Himid, Joan Jonas, and Adrian Piper, as well as patrons, curators, museums, and other art-world figures. The awards were unveiled at a press event in New York, with CEO Noah Horowitz and director Vincenzo de Bellis outlining the structure: medalists will later select 12 gold medalists, with up to six artists receiving $50,000 each and a commission for the 2026 Art Basel fair. The jury includes prominent museum directors and curators from around the world.

It’s the Most Controversial Venice Biennale in Years. Can the Art Stand Up to the Noise?

The 2026 Venice Biennale is embroiled in controversy, with the US Pavilion at the center of a political storm. The Trump administration's State Department overhauled the selection process, bypassing the usual NEA panel and commissioning a nonprofit, the American Arts Conservancy, to organize the pavilion. Artist Alma Allen, who accepted the invitation despite threats from galleries and curators, presents a show that critics find politically muted. The Biennale's jury resigned days before the opening, and annual prizes were canceled, adding to the turmoil.

Ascendant Art Basel Paris rewards top dealers, while smaller galleries compete for attention

Art Basel Paris has rewarded top dealers with significant sales during its new VVIP preview slot, Avant-Première, held on October 21. Hauser & Wirth led with over $30 million in sales, including Gerhard Richter's "Abstrakte Bild" (1987) for $23 million, while David Zwirner sold a Ruth Asawa sculpture for $7.5 million. Goodman Gallery sold two works by William Kentridge to museums, and White Cube placed Julie Mehretu's "Charioteer" (2007) for $11 million. However, some dealers like Philomene Magers found the opening too crowded, and adviser Aileen Agopian noted the market remains far from the frenzy of previous years, with no single sale surpassing the $40 million Mark Rothko painting brought by Pace two years ago.

heading to basel swiss collector suzanne syz has a priceless list of fair dos and donts

Swiss collector Suzanne Syz, a longtime attendee of Art Basel since its early days as a "mammoth indoor flea market," shares her insights and advice for navigating the fair. In an interview with Cultured, Syz discusses her collection, which includes works by Barbara Kruger, Julian Schnabel, Olivier Mosset, and Peter Fischli, and offers tips such as skipping long lines, focusing on the Statements section for emerging artists, and trusting gut instincts over spreadsheets. She also highlights the distinct Swiss art scene, praising institutions like Kunsthalle Zürich and MAMCO, and schools like HEAD and ECAL.

It’s LACMA’s World, and Hollywood Wants to Play in It

The Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) celebrated the opening of its new David Geffen Galleries with a star-studded gala that raised nearly $11.5 million. The event brought together architect Peter Zumthor, museum director Michael Govan, and a high-profile mix of Hollywood celebrities, artists, and major donors. The $720 million building, Zumthor's first major project in the United States, marks the culmination of a decades-long development process and is set to open to the public next week.

Technology, art and sculptures of fog: LUMA Arles kicks off the 2025/26 season

LUMA Arles has launched its 2025/26 season with three exhibitions, including 'Sensing the Future: Experiments in Art and Technology (E.A.T.)', which explores the 1960s collaboration between artists and engineers from Bell Labs, featuring works by Andy Warhol, Jean Dupuy, and Forrest Myers. The season also includes 'Maria Lassnig: Living with art stops one wilting!', examining the Austrian artist's 'Body Awareness' concept and her connection to curator Hans Ulrich Obrist. The exhibitions are bookended by fog and cloud-themed works, including a fog sculpture by Fujiko Nakaya.

serpentine summer party pavilion cate blanchett

The Serpentine Summer Party took place in London's Kensington Gardens, drawing a glamorous crowd to celebrate Bangladeshi architect Marina Tabassum's 25th Anniversary Serpentine Pavilion, titled "A Capsule in Time." Co-hosted by actor Cate Blanchett, the event featured musical performances by Caroline Polachek and GALLiVANTER, along with exhibitions by Giuseppe Penone and Sir Peter Cook. Notable attendees included Serpentine Board Chairman Michael Bloomberg, Artistic Director Hans Ulrich Obrist, CEO Bettina Korek, and a host of celebrities and cultural figures.

The Major Exhibitions at LUMA Arles in France: Zaha Hadid, Gerhard Richter and Patti Smith

Le grandi mostre al LUMA di Arles in Francia: Zaha Hadid, Gerhard Richter e Patti Smith

LUMA Arles in France will launch a new exhibition cycle on May 1, 2026, followed by a second series starting July 4. The program, presented by CEO Mustapha Bouhayati and artistic director Vassilis Oikonomopoulos, includes a major show of Gerhard Richter's "Overpainted Photographs" in the Frank Gehry-designed tower, a Zaha Hadid retrospective titled "I Think There Should Be No End to Experimentation" marking the tenth anniversary of her death, and a centennial celebration of the influential art magazine Cahiers d'Art. The exhibitions aim to bridge visual arts with music, performance, and live events, bringing together voices from diverse geographies and disciplines.

art joel quayson dior photography award

Joel Quayson, a student at the Royal Academy of Art in The Hague, has won the 2025 Dior Photography and Visual Arts Award for Young Talents at the Rencontres d’Arles photo festival. His short film "How Do You Feel?" explores the tension between his expressive queer identity and the expectations of his family and culture, showing him dressing and undressing while a narrator repeatedly asks the title question. The jury, including Dior Makeup creative director Peter Philips, Luma Arles founder Maja Hoffmann, and photographer Yuriko Takagi, praised the work for its raw vulnerability and emotional depth.

A Gerhard Richter pavilion and a new creative visa—Qatar’s Sheikha al-Mayassa reveals future plans

Sheikha al-Mayassa, chair of Qatar Museums and a leading collector, revealed significant cultural initiatives during a talk at the inaugural Art Basel Qatar fair. She announced a new "creative visa" to attract artists, with Egyptian artist Wael Shawky as the first recipient, and confirmed a Gerhard Richter pavilion will open in November as part of the Rubaiya Qatar quadrennial. She also highlighted upcoming institutions like the Art Mill museum and the Lusail Museum.

Post-Fair delivers by keeping it simple

Post-Fair concluded its second edition in Los Angeles, featuring a curated selection of 31 galleries including PPOW, White Columns, and Tomio Koyama Gallery. Held in a former post office, the event maintained an open floor plan and a relaxed atmosphere that attracted high-profile attendees like artist Paul McCarthy and collectors Beth Rudin DeWoody and Maja Hoffmann. Sales were reported across various price points, with Ehrlich Steinberg selling half of its presentation of Joel Otterson’s sculptures.

parties art swiss institute 2025 gala

The Swiss Institute held its 2025 Benefit Gala at the Rainbow Room in Rockefeller Center, honoring artists Theaster Gates and Andro Wekua, patron Yan Du, Printed Matter (under Executive Director Lesley A. Martin), and the late curator Koyo Kouoh. The evening featured an a cappella performance by Tonewall, a paddle raise, a seated dinner, and an art auction led by Simon de Pury, with works by Chloe Wise and Michèle Sandoz. Attendees included collectors Maja Hoffmann, Eva Dichand, and Carola Jain; artists Chloe Wise, Tschabalala Self, and Sarah Morris; and other cultural figures.

At Rirkrit Tiravanija’s “Say Yes To Everything”, Eating Is Part Of The Experience

Renowned contemporary artist Rirkrit Tiravanija has launched his largest solo exhibition in Singapore at STPI – Creative Workshop & Gallery. Titled "Say Yes To Everything," the retrospective spans over a decade of the artist's practice, featuring prints, editioned works, and interactive installations that emphasize communal experiences. The show includes signature elements of Tiravanija’s relational aesthetics, such as communal meals, origami sessions, and works that utilize UV light to reveal extinct animals, highlighting themes of migration, ecology, and social interaction.