Art News. Vasari Codex

article news schedule Oct 10, 2025 visibility 15 link 9 artists, 3 galleries

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Frieze has announced plans to launch a new art fair in Abu Dhabi in partnership with the Department of Culture and Tourism, converting the existing Abu Dhabi Art into a Frieze-branded franchise by 2026. This follows a previously reported but unrealized deal between Abu Dhabi and Art Basel, which instead chose to launch a fair in Qatar. Meanwhile, a new London art space called Ibraaz, funded by Swiss Tunisian banker Kamel Lazaar and focused on global majority arts, will open October 15. Gagosian also announced Jeff Koons's return to the gallery with a solo show titled "Porcelain Series." Additionally, the Robert Rauschenberg Foundation is selling the artist's Florida compound due to hurricane damage, and Pepperdine University closed an exhibition early after artists withdrew works over alleged political censorship.

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article news schedule Oct 21, 2025 visibility 16 link 9 artists, 2 galleries

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Greece's culture minister Lina Mendoni has publicly criticized the British Museum for hosting a lavish £2,000-a-ticket Pink Ball near the Elgin Marbles, attended by celebrities including Mick Jagger, Naomi Campbell, and Janet Jackson. Mendoni accused the museum of showing 'provocative indifference' by using the ancient Greek sculptures as mere 'decorative elements' for entertainment, echoing similar criticism from a fashion show held in the same gallery last year. Separately, disgraced Miami art dealer Les Roberts, previously charged with selling forged Andy Warhols, has opened a shop called Labubu Headquarters in Coconut Grove selling collectible monster figurines, despite bond conditions restricting him from working in the art industry. The article also reports that Richard Diebenkorn's estate has joined Gagosian, the J. Paul Getty Trust and the World Economic Forum will host a cultural table during Art Basel Paris, and Interpol has added stolen Louvre jewelry to its database.

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article culture schedule Jul 9, 2025 visibility 7 link 4 artists, 1 gallery

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An ancient bronze artifact at China's Luoyang Museum has gone viral for its striking resemblance to Labubu, a wildly popular collectible toy created by Hong Kong artist Kasing Lung in 2015. The artifact, an Eastern Zhou Dynasty ceremonial danglu used as horse armor, dates to the Spring and Autumn period (770–476 B.C.E.) and is on display until August. Meanwhile, some internet users have drawn comparisons between Labubu and the Mesopotamian demon Pazuzu, sparking baseless conspiracy theories and TikTok warnings from overly devout Christians.

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trending_up market schedule Jul 25, 2025 visibility 8 link 6 artists, 1 gallery

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The article examines the meteoric rise and current cooling of the market for Labubu, the Nordic fanged monster character created by artist Kasing Lung. After a decade of slow development, Labubu exploded in popularity through Chinese toy blind-box manufacturer Pop Mart, leading to record auction sales in 2025. Yongle Auction in Beijing organized the world's first themed Labubu sale, where a mint-green sculpture sold for RMB 1.242 million and a painting, 'Pure' (2021), fetched RMB 1.61 million, setting successive records. The frenzy attracted a diverse range of buyers, from streetwear collectors to traditional ceramics enthusiasts, many of whom share their purchases on social media platforms like Douyin.

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museum exhibitions schedule Jan 16, 2026 visibility 10 link 1 artist

Heartware Store transforms into a love hotel for a NSFW art exhibition by Taiwanese artist IKUIKU

Heartware Store & Gallery in Singapore has been transformed into a love hotel for a NSFW art exhibition by Taiwanese artist Ikuiku, titled 'Ikuiku Love Hotel.' Running from January 24 to March 15, 2026, the solo show pairs cute, seemingly innocent illustrations with sexual humor, featuring risograph prints, a new zine debut, and themed merchandise such as hotel keychains, towels, memo pads, and a condom blind box. The opening weekend includes an invite-only preview, live portrait drawing, and an artist talk.

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museum exhibitions schedule Jul 31, 2025 visibility 10 link 2 artists

Mega Space Molly: Hello, Moon Exhibition

POP Mart's iconic Mega Space Molly character is the star of a new exhibition titled 'Hello, Moon' at ION Art Gallery in Singapore, running from July 30 to August 24, 2025. The show features exclusive merchandise including a 1000% Hello, Moon figurine with a glowing moon orb, a ball-jointed Molly action figure in a furry spacesuit, lifestyle items like lamps and rugs, and a Singapore-exclusive Vanda Miss Joaquim-themed doll. Blind boxes, archival pieces, and a special anniversary collection dropping on August 1 are also highlights. The exhibition will travel to multiple Asian locations including Korea, Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam, Indonesia, and the Philippines through October 2025.

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