jeff koons porcelain series gagosian 2732756

Jeff Koons has returned to Gagosian in New York with his "Porcelain Series," on view through February 28, 2026, marking his first exhibition with the gallery after four years with Pace. The show features hyper-polished porcelain sculptures and paintings that reference historical European porcelain workshops such as Sèvres, Meissen, and KPM Berlin, as well as 16th-century prints. Koons discusses the high-low dialogue of porcelain, its ties to readymade objects and Duchamp, and his use of advanced scanning and fabrication techniques to transform humble figurines into luxury art.

swiss artist publisher childrens books rachel harrison 1234771027

Rachel Harrison's recent exhibition "The Friedmann Equations" at Greene Naftali in New York was a highlight of 2025, featuring her signature brainy, oblique, and funny sculptures and drawings. The show included works alluding to Marcel Duchamp and his alter-ego Rrose Sélavy, as well as drawings riffing on Hans Holbein's portraits of Henry VIII and his court. During a visit to the gallery, Harrison's dealer Carol Greene handed the author a copy of Harrison's new children's book, "Hold Still, Henry!", which reproduces those Holbein-inspired drawings in a board-book format for young readers. The book is published by Rookie Books, a small press founded in 2022 by artist Camillo Paravicini of Basel, Switzerland, who has previously worked with artists like Monster Chetwynd, Martin Parr, and Nathalie Du Pasquier.

the asia pivot recap 2025 2726775

Artnet News's 'The Asia Pivot' reflects on its 2025 coverage, highlighting the expansion of Asia's art scene beyond traditional East Asian markets into emerging regions such as the Gulf, South Asia, and Central Asia. Key developments include the debut of the Bukhara Biennial in Uzbekistan, the opening of the Almaty Museum of Arts in Kazakhstan, and the flourishing art scene in Thailand with new private museums like Dib Bangkok. The report also covers major markets like China, Japan, and South Korea, noting the impact of geopolitical dynamics and market shifts.

A Smaller Art Brussels Represents a Shift in the Fair Ecosystem Toward a ‘Quality-First’ Approach

Art Brussels, now in its 42nd edition (April 23–26), has downsized from 164 to 138 participating galleries, a 15% reduction that allows the fair to fit entirely within one hall of Brussels Expo. Director Nele Verhaeren openly acknowledged the shift, framing it as a deliberate move toward a 'quality-first' approach that prioritizes visitor experience over sheer scale. The fair introduces a new section called Horizons, curated by Devrim Bayar of the upcoming Kanal-Pompidou museum, featuring seven large-scale works in the freed-up space. Dealers like Xavier Hufkens and Nadja Vilenne support the strategy, noting that galleries must now carefully choose which fairs to attend amid rising costs and geopolitical tensions.

thaddeus mosley sculptor dead 1234775273

Thaddeus Mosley, the acclaimed American sculptor known for his monumental wood abstractions, has died at the age of 99 in Pittsburgh. Throughout a career spanning seven decades, Mosley transformed salvaged walnut, sycamore, and cherry wood into curvaceous, gravity-defying forms that balanced immense weight with a sense of lightness. Though he was a long-standing pillar of the Pittsburgh creative community, he achieved widespread national recognition and major museum representation only in his 90s.

matisse prints stolen library exhibition sao paulo brazil 1234765659

On December 7, two armed thieves stole eight prints by Henri Matisse and at least five engravings by Brazilian modernist painter Cândido Portinari from the Mário de Andrade Library in São Paulo. The works were part of the exhibition “From Book to Museum,” organized in collaboration with the São Paulo Museum of Modern Art, which was scheduled to close that day. Police have arrested one suspect, and some artworks were reportedly abandoned nearby.

ultra contemporary old masters 2744796

A significant trend is emerging in the New York art scene this winter, as a wave of gallery and museum exhibitions highlights contemporary artists engaging deeply with European Old Masters. While some critics dismiss art historical references as "reference-baiting" to boost market value, artists like Émile Brunet and Eleanor Johnson are demonstrating a profound technical and intellectual commitment to these lineages. Their work moves beyond mere pastiche, utilizing traditional materials, Northern Renaissance aesthetics, and Baroque glazing techniques to address modern themes of labor, humanism, and information overload.

art shipping problems investigation 2737673

The article investigates the rising cost of art shipping, which has become a major issue for the art industry since the Covid-19 pandemic. Industry figures including Fritz Dietl of Dietl logistics, Belgian collector Alain Servais, art advisor Michaela Neumeister de Pury, New York collector Jonathan Travis, dealer Jack Shainman, and OCS Art Services owner Nicole Scuderi describe shipping as a 'necessary evil' and a 'major stumbling block' that affects galleries, collectors, fairs, auction houses, and museums. Costs surged during Covid due to inflation in labor, materials, and insurance, and have not come down, while complications from Brexit, U.S. trade policies, and New York State tax laws have added further layers of expense and confusion.

art world insiders 2026 market predictions new years 1234768290

Art world insiders share their predictions for 2026, anticipating a market rebound after a turbulent 2025 marked by gallery closures and tariff announcements. Key developments include the launch of new art fairs by Art Basel and Frieze in Qatar and Abu Dhabi, the return of the Whitney Biennial and Venice Biennale, and a surge in estate-driven sales as the Great Wealth Transfer accelerates. Experts note a revival of interest in Old Masters and classic taste, with collectors returning to bidding and galleries seeing renewed activity.

long forgotten rubens found in paris mansion 2686932

A long-lost painting by Peter Paul Rubens, a dramatic crucifixion scene dated to around 1614–15, was discovered among the possessions of a deceased Parisian homeowner during a routine appraisal. Auctioneer Jean-Pierre Osenat identified the work and consulted Rubens expert Nils Büttner, who confirmed its authenticity through x-ray imaging and pigment analysis. The painting sold at auction on November 30 for €2.3 million ($2.7 million), exceeding its presale estimate of €1–2 million.

Alexander Calder, Brilliant Sculptor of Air and Color Celebrated at the Fondation Vuitton

Alexander Calder, génial sculpteur de l’air et de la couleur célébré à la fondation Vuitton

The Fondation Louis Vuitton is hosting a major celebration of Alexander Calder, the American sculptor who revolutionized 20th-century art by introducing movement and play into the medium. The article traces Calder's formative years in Paris starting in 1926, where the young engineer-turned-artist gained avant-garde fame with his 'Cirque Calder'—a miniature circus of wire and fabric figurines. This period marked his transition from traditional painting to his signature 'drawings in space,' featuring wire sculptures of figures like Josephine Baker that projected dancing shadows and captured the kinetic energy of the era.

At the Guggenheim Bilbao, the Infinite Poetry of Ruth Asawa’s Aerial Sculptures

Au Guggenheim Bilbao, l’infinie poésie des sculptures aériennes de Ruth Asawa

The Guggenheim Museum Bilbao is hosting the first major European retrospective of American artist Ruth Asawa, showcasing her signature hand-woven wire sculptures. These delicate, organic forms, which challenge gravity and play with transparency, are presented in dialogue with the museum's monumental architecture. The exhibition traces her journey from a childhood spent in Japanese-American internment camps during WWII to her formative years at the legendary Black Mountain College under the mentorship of Josef Albers.

jeff koons first new york show 2025 gagosian 1234756367

Jeff Koons will present his first solo show at Gagosian in seven years, titled “Porcelain Series,” opening November 13 at the gallery’s 541 West 24th Street location. The exhibition features new and recent sculptures and paintings that explore beauty and mythology, including mirror-polished stainless steel figurines modeled on 18th- to early-20th-century porcelain and oil paintings incorporating historical engravings. Koons, who left Gagosian in 2021 for Pace and returned in 2025, debuted new work at Frieze New York in May.

jeff koons first new york show 2025 gagosian 1234756367

Jeff Koons will present his first solo show at Gagosian since 2018, titled “Porcelain Series,” opening November 13 at 541 West 24th Street in New York. The exhibition features new and recent sculptures and paintings that explore beauty and mythology, including mirror-polished stainless steel figurines modeled on 18th- to early-20th-century porcelain works, alongside oil paintings incorporating engravings by historical artists. This marks Koons’s first major New York exhibition in seven years, following a brief and reportedly turbulent tenure at Pace Gallery, which he joined in 2021 after leaving Gagosian and David Zwirner.

Michael Armitage in Venice, monumental and disturbing. What the exhibition at Palazzo Grassi looks like

Michael Armitage is the subject of a major solo retrospective at Palazzo Grassi in Venice, marking his largest exhibition in Europe to date. Organized by the Pinault Collection, the show features monumental paintings that blend African identity, local Kenyan chronicles, and mythological narratives. Armitage’s work is noted for its physical scale and its ability to transform the chaos of human affairs into a syncretic epic, utilizing traditional materials like Lubugo bark cloth to ground his contemporary subjects.

‘The challenge will be to sustain it’: was the autumn art market boom more than just a blip?

The autumn art market saw a significant upturn, with strong sales at Frieze London, Art Basel Paris, and New York auctions, including a $236.4 million Klimt and a $2.2 billion auction week in New York—up 77% year-on-year. Emerging London galleries like Ginny on Frederick, Rose Easton, and A. Squire have reinvigorated Frieze London, while Paris benefits from luxury-house funding, with the Fondation Cartier and Fondation Louis Vuitton hosting major shows. However, concerns persist about sustainability, as geopolitical volatility and post-Brexit challenges continue to affect the market.

Discover 10 Highlights from Art Basel Paris 2025

Art Basel Paris 2025, now in its fourth edition, took place from October 22–26 at the restored 1900 Paris Exposition venue, a Beaux-Arts landmark with Art Nouveau iron and glasswork. The fair hosted 206 international galleries and introduced a new 'Avant-Première' V.V.I.P. day on October 21, where each gallery could allocate six guest passes. Blue-chip sales were swift, led by Hauser & Wirth selling Gerhard Richter's *Abstraktes Bild* (1987) for $23 million to a European collector. Other notable sales included Bruce Nauman's neon sculpture *Masturbating Man* for over $4.7 million and Amedeo Modigliani's *Jeune fille aux macarons* (1918) for $10 million at Pace Gallery. The fair also featured curatorial sectors Emergence (16 solo presentations by emerging artists) and Premise (ten historical projects with works predating 1900).

Ces 5 créatrices « inoubliables » à découvrir absolument à Gand

The Museum of Fine Arts (MSK) in Ghent is hosting the exhibition "Inoubliables" (Unforgettables), on view until May 31, which highlights the work of women artists from the 17th and 18th centuries in the former Netherlands region. The show features about 40 female creators active between 1600 and 1750, including painters like Michaelina Wautier, Judith Leyster, and Rachel Ruysch, working in genres from portraiture and still life to engraving, lacemaking, and paper cutting. The exhibition aims to restore these women to their rightful place in art history.

The 9 Exhibitions to See in April 2026

The global art calendar for April 2026 features a diverse array of exhibitions ranging from indigenous-led material studies in Los Angeles to a historical deep-dive in Prague. Key highlights include 'Several Eternities in a Day' at the Hammer Museum, which explores 'living materials' through Brown and Indigenous perspectives, and a major 40-year retrospective of Veronica Ryan’s tactile sculptures at London’s Whitechapel Gallery. Additionally, Prague’s National Gallery revisits the controversial 1969 São Paulo Biennial through the work of Jiří Kolář, examining the intersection of art and political censorship.

brazil library heist matisse 2725608

Brazilian authorities arrested one suspect after an armed robbery at São Paulo's Mário de Andrade Library on Sunday, where two thieves stole eight Henri Matisse engravings and works by Brazilian painter Candido Portinari. The artworks were displayed in a glass vitrine as part of the exhibition “From the Book to the Museum,” which was set to close November 30. The thieves held up a security guard and a couple, stuffed the items into a canvas bag, and discarded some works near a rubbish heap during their escape, partially captured by facial recognition cameras. The second suspect remains at large, and the library has not disclosed which specific works were taken.

pace japan director tokyo interview 1234757210

Kyoko Hattori, vice president of Pace Japan, expressed her ambition for Tokyo to become the center of art in Asia in a recent interview with the Japan Times. This comes one month after the third edition of Tokyo Gendai art fair closed with solid but unspectacular sales. Pace, now the only mega-gallery with a location in Tokyo, opened a space in the $4 billion Azabudai Hills development, a move seen locally as evidence that Tokyo has arrived as an international art hub. The article notes cautiously optimistic data: Japan saw 2 percent growth in art sales last year while the wider market contracted by 12 percent, and its primary competitors China and Korea saw drops of 31 and 15 percent respectively.

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.

Art Critic, Jerry Saltz Speaks at Palm Beach Modern Auction to VIP Audience

Pulitzer Prize-winning art critic Jerry Saltz delivered a private talk at Palm Beach Modern Auctions in Florida. The event, held amidst works by artists like Andy Warhol and Willem de Kooning, brought together museum professionals, gallery owners, dealers, and major collectors in a space typically associated with commerce.

Beyoncé, Nicole Kidman and Venus Williams will co-chair 2026 Met Gala

The Metropolitan Museum of Art's Costume Institute has announced the co-chairs for the 2026 Met Gala, scheduled for May 4, 2026. Pop superstar Beyoncé, actor Nicole Kidman, tennis legend Venus Williams, and Vogue editor-in-chief Anna Wintour will serve as co-chairs of the annual benefit. The host committee includes fashion designer Anthony Vaccarello, actor Zoë Kravitz, and a roster of celebrities and artists such as Sabrina Carpenter, Doja Cat, and artist Anna Weyant. The gala will support the Costume Institute's exhibition "Costume Art" (May 10, 2026–January 10, 2027), which will inaugurate the new Condé M. Nast Galleries. The exhibition pairs 200 artworks from the Met's collection with 200 garments, exploring the relationship between the dressed body and Western art. Lauren Sánchez Bezos and Jeff Bezos are sponsoring the event.

The extraordinary boom in modern Indian art

Despite a general art market downturn, modern Indian art auctions have seen extraordinary demand. Over the past two weeks, sales at Christie’s in New York, Saffron Art in New Delhi, Pundole’s in Mumbai, and Sotheby’s in London all sold out. Sotheby’s London sale raised £19 million, more than five times its estimate, led by record-breaking works from Francis Newton Souza, including *Houses in Hampstead* (1962) sold for £5.6 million and *Emperor* (1957) sold for £5.2 million. The article traces Souza’s rebellious career, from his expulsion from school in Mumbai for pornographic graffiti, to his founding role in the Progressive Artists’ Group, his struggles in England and the US, and his eventual death in 2002 with little recognition.

Exhibition | Carlos Garaicoa, 'Rituals and Liberty' at Goodman Gallery, New York, United States

Goodman Gallery presents Carlos Garaicoa's first solo exhibition at its New York viewing room, titled 'Rituals and Liberty.' The show features eight works, including five reliefs that blend painting and photography, and sculptural models incorporating 19th-century French engravings. The exhibition precedes Garaicoa's solo show at Museo La Tertulia in Cali, Colombia, in May. Garaicoa, a Cuban-born artist based in Madrid, explores urbanism and how architecture reflects and shapes society, continuing his long-standing interest in decoding urban infrastructures.

At Mexico City’s Material and Salón Acme fairs, artists find hope in nature

Mexico City Art Week's satellite fairs, Salón Acme and Feria Material, drew large crowds during VIP previews on February 5, with Material reporting its biggest opening-day attendance ever after moving to the expansive Maravilla Studios venue. The fairs feature over 70 exhibitors, with a strong contingent of Mexico City galleries and around half of participating galleries from Latin America. Notable presentations include Rajni Perera's works on paper and sculptures addressing environmental exploitation and colonial control, Gala Berger's hybrid works on amate paper referencing the Svalbard Global Seed Vault, and Miguel Harte's enamel and resin pieces depicting nature overwhelmed by synthetic materials.

art market report 2025 growth high end sales 1234777143

The global art market returned to growth in 2025, reaching $59.6 billion in sales according to the latest Art Basel and UBS Art Market Report. This 4 percent increase ended a two-year decline, driven primarily by a 9 percent surge in public auction sales and a significant revival in high-value transactions for works priced over $10 million. While the United States maintained its dominant 44 percent market share, the recovery was uneven, with the Impressionist and Old Masters sectors seeing major gains while Postwar and Contemporary art continued to cool.

Artist Shana Moulton to speak at Humanities Decanted

Artist Shana Moulton is set to discuss her multidisciplinary practice at the "Humanities Decanted" event on April 21. The talk will focus on her long-running 'Whispering Pines' series and her recent site-specific installation at MoMA’s Kravis Studio, which features her iconic alter ego, Cynthia. Developed in collaboration with composer Nick Hallett, the project utilizes performance and video to explore a multi-chapter narrative centered on themes of wellness and consumerism.

Martin Schongauer in 2 Minutes

Martin Schongauer en 2 minutes

Martin Schongauer (c. 1445–1491), the Alsatian painter, draftsman, and engraver, is celebrated as the greatest German copperplate engraver before Albrecht Dürer and one of the first artists to achieve pan-European fame in his lifetime. The article outlines his life and career, from his early training in his father's goldsmith workshop in Colmar to his studies at the University of Leipzig and travels through Flanders, where he absorbed the influence of Rogier van der Weyden and Dirk Bouts. It highlights his 116 copper engravings, signed with the monogram 'M+S', which elevated engraving to a high art and circulated from Spain to Bohemia, inspiring Dürer and the young Michelangelo. Key works discussed include the painting 'La Vierge au buisson de roses' (1473) and the engraving 'La Tentation de saint Antoine' (c. 1470–1475).