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Thousands of documents released by the U.S. Department of Justice reveal that convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein was the hidden architect behind billionaire Leon Black's multi-billion dollar art investment and financial strategy from 2012 to 2017. Epstein managed Black's vast collection, valued at $2.7 billion in 2016, setting up LLCs, negotiating loans and commissions with major auction houses and galleries, and deploying the art for tax and estate planning.

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Artnet News highlights nine must-see European museum exhibitions opening in 2025, spanning from Amsterdam to Zurich. Featured shows include Noah Davis's first U.K. museum survey at the Barbican in London, a dual Anselm Kiefer exhibition at the Van Gogh Museum and Stedelijk Museum in Amsterdam, Tracey Emin's first major Italian retrospective at Palazzo Strozzi in Florence, and a dedicated Artemisia Gentileschi show at Musée Jacquemart-André in Paris. Other notable exhibitions cover Marlene Dumas, Yayoi Kusama, and Yoshitomo Nara, among others.

5 Under-Recognized Artists Getting Their Due in New York This Season

The article highlights five under-recognized artists whose exhibitions are on view in New York this season, focusing on Domenico Gnoli at Lévy Gorvy Dayan and Raquel Rabinovich at Hutchinson Modern and Contemporary. Gnoli, an Italian painter who died in 1970, is known for his pallid, claustrophobic depictions of everyday subjects, while Rabinovich, who died at 102 in January 2026, created somber minimalist paintings exploring silence and withholding. The piece notes that New York galleries often use the pre-fair period to showcase less prominent artists of great promise.

Megamurals, Guerrilla Girls and something rotten in the Oval Office – the week in art

The Guardian's weekly art roundup highlights several exhibitions, including Wilhelm Sasnal's politically charged paintings at Sadie Coles HQ in London, a Joan Eardley retrospective in Edinburgh, and a Guerrilla Girls show in East Sussex. It also reports on Art UK's digitization of over 6,700 UK murals, the theft of Impressionist paintings from an Italian museum, and the discovery of a stolen ancient gold helmet.

Nan Goldin: Why The Ballad of Sexual Dependency is So Important

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Gagosian London is hosting an exhibition of all 126 photographs from Nan Goldin’s seminal work, "The Ballad of Sexual Dependency," to mark the 40th anniversary of the photobook's publication. The exhibition traces the evolution of the project from its origins as a DIY slideshow performance in New York nightclubs to its status as a cornerstone of contemporary photography, featuring intimate portraits of Goldin’s inner circle across New York, Berlin, and beyond.

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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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A 51-page document released as part of the Jeffrey Epstein files appears to catalog the extensive private art collection of billionaire collector and former MoMA board chair Leon Black. The document, which lists works by masters from Michelangelo to Picasso under corporate entities linked to Black, reveals valuations and details of a collection largely kept from public view, including works held as promised gifts to major museums like MoMA and the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

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The New York Gallery History Project, a partnership between Independent and Contemporary Art Library, has launched the digital archives of Jay Gorney Modern Art, a seminal New York gallery that operated from 1985 to 1998. The archive includes documentation of landmark exhibitions such as Lari Pittman's first New York solo show, Nan Goldin's first prints of "The Ballad of Sexual Dependency" (1985), and shows by Catherine Opie, Barbara Bloom, and others. The project also collects material from other closed galleries like Foxy Production, Off Vendome, and Paradise Garage to preserve art history that might otherwise be lost.

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Newly released emails from convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein reveal that he discussed a plan by billionaire art collector Leon Black to purchase a Picasso painting from Gagosian gallery for $100 million. In a 2015 email to Melanie Spinella, a representative for Black, Epstein questioned the lack of a written contract for the overseas transfer, calling it 'fishy.' The emails also show Epstein advising Black on broader art purchasing strategies, including assigning agreements to family members, and offering opinions on Artspace, the online art marketplace acquired by Black's publishing house Phaidon.

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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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Photographer Sally Mann has spoken out about government censorship after her photographs were seized from the Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth in Texas earlier this year. The controversy stemmed from her 1990s images of her children, which included nude depictions that some critics characterized as "child porn," leading to their removal from an exhibition following an open letter from the conservative Christian advocacy group Danbury Institute. Though the photos were returned and charges dropped, Mann expressed deep concern about the future of American museums, warning of a "new era of culture wars" and describing the situation as "Orwellian." She noted that social media has given censors more tools, and that the Trump administration is actively rolling out policies targeting museum programs, including a review of the Smithsonian.

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A senior curator and two collections committee volunteers have resigned from the Art Gallery of Ontario (AGO) after the institution voted against acquiring a new slideshow work by artist Nan Goldin. The purchase was rejected by an 11-9 vote, with some committee members finding Goldin's November 2024 speech denouncing Israel's attacks on Gaza as genocide to be "offensive" and "antisemitic." Goldin had spoken at the Berlin opening of her traveling retrospective, expressing moral outrage and arguing that calling anti-Zionism antisemitic is a false equivalency. The AGO's modern and contemporary curator, John Zeppetelli, stepped down allegedly because of the incident, while the Vancouver Art Gallery and Walker Art Center proceeded with their part of the acquisition.

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Tracey Emin, the renowned British artist and former YBA, is the subject of a major new exhibition titled "Sex and Solitude" at the Fondazione Palazzo Strozzi in Florence, Italy—the first comprehensive show of her work in the country. Curated by the museum's director general Arturo Galansino, the exhibition features some 60 works spanning 30 years, including paintings, drawings, film, photography, embroidery, sculptures, and neon installations. Emin created a new neon piece for the facade, and many works are being shown in Italy for the first time. In a video interview, she emphasized the show is not a retrospective but a living, present-focused exploration of her themes of sexuality, love, trauma, and solitude.

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James Franco has created a series of nude paintings of his friend and fellow actor Seth Rogen, based on a 2011 book of fan art by Christopher Schulz. The works, rendered in acrylic over graphite illustrations, include sexually provocative phrases and are slated for exhibition at OHWOW gallery in Los Angeles, despite earlier confusion about a show at Pace Gallery. The paintings have drawn criticism online for alleged homophobia and plagiarism, adding to Franco's recent legal troubles.

Expo Chicago’s local focus pays off as Midwestern collectors, institutions buoy sales

The latest edition of Expo Chicago has reinforced its reputation as a curator-centric fair, with more than half of its booths dedicated to curated or thematic sections. Under the leadership of new director Kate Sierzputowski, the fair integrated institutional voices directly into the floor plan through sections like 'Embodiment,' curated by Louise Bernard of the Obama Presidential Center. This strategic focus on curation and local institutional ties resulted in strong early sales, including works by María Magdalena Campos-Pons, Torkwase Dyson, and Ambreen Butt, with several pieces acquired by American institutions.

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The 2026 Winter Olympics are set to begin in Milan, Italy, with an opening ceremony featuring Mariah Carey at San Siro Stadium. While most events take place across northern Italy, the article provides a guide to Milan's top museums and galleries for art-loving visitors during the three-week games. Highlights include exhibitions at Fondazione Prada (with works by Mona Hatoum and Hito Steyerl), Pirelli HangarBicocca (Nan Goldin's "This Will Not End Well" and Benni Bosetto's "Rebecca"), Pinacoteca di Brera (Italian masterpieces plus Giorgio Armani garments), and Museo del Novecento (sports-themed posters by Armando Testa). Several commercial galleries also feature solo shows by artists such as Emily Sunblad, Claudia Losi, and Jonathan Lyndon Chase.

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ARTnews has announced the nominees for the 2025 ARTnews Awards, which honor excellence in art at US institutions and galleries. The awards, now in their second year, feature six categories: Emerging Artist, Established Artist, Lifetime Achievement, Best Thematic Museum Exhibition, Best Gallery Group Show, and a newly introduced Best Historical Artist category. The jury includes five top US curators and two ARTnews editors, with winners to be celebrated in November.

Inside Sunpride Foundation’s Mission to Champion LGBTQ+ Art Across Asia

Patrick Sun founded the Sunpride Foundation in 2014 to support LGBTQ+ communities through art, combining his passion for contemporary queer Asian art with philanthropy. The foundation's flagship "Spectrosynthesis" exhibition series has been staged at major institutions across Asia, including the Museum of Contemporary Art, Taipei, and the Bangkok Art and Culture Centre. The latest iteration, "Spectrosynthesis Seoul," opened at Seoul's Art Sonje Center and runs through June 28, 2026. Sun, a Hong Kong-born real estate developer and longtime art collector, built the foundation's collection with a focus on works suitable for museum exhibitions about queer identity.

Art Basel Curbs Pre-Fair Sales—and More Art Industry News

Art Basel has launched a "Basel Exclusive" initiative to curb pre-fair PDF sales, encouraging galleries to withhold works from previews to drive in-person discovery at its flagship Swiss event (June 16–21). Around 170 of 232 exhibitors have opted in. Meanwhile, Volta returns to Basel with a new "5,000 Edit" section for works under CHF 5,000 to attract younger collectors, and the alternative fair Esther will hold its third edition in New York during Frieze Week. In other news, Sotheby's set a U.S. record for design auctions with the Jean and Terry de Gunzburg collection totaling $96 million, and billionaire collector Mitchell P. Rales pledged $116 million to the National Gallery of Art to fund loans to smaller museums. The Smithsonian American Art Museum named Lynda Roscoe Hartigan as its new director, and Gladstone Gallery plans a new Seoul space for 2026.

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San Francisco Art Week is underway, anchored by the 12th edition of FOG Design and Art (January 21–25) on a historic former Army base. The event arrives amid flux for Northern California's art scene, with several prominent galleries closing and two major art schools—the San Francisco Art Institute and the California College of the Arts—recently shuttering. However, new free-admission fairs Atrium and Skylight Above (both January 22–25) signal fresh energy. The article highlights must-see museum shows across the city, including "Lee ShinJa: Drawing with Thread" at BAMPFA, "Rose B. Simpson: Lexicon" at the de Young Museum, "Rising Tides" at the Floating Art Museum, and "Earthseed Dome: Lily Kwong" at the Institute of Contemporary Art, San Francisco.

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Playboy founder Hugh Hefner died at age 91, and this article highlights seven visual artworks inspired by Hefner and his magazine empire. Featured artists include Andy Warhol, who designed a 1986 Playboy anniversary cover; Marisol Escobar, who created a 1966 sculpture of Hefner with two pipes; Sigmar Polke, whose 1966 painting 'Bunnies' uses benday dots to depict a Playboy Bunny; and Richard Hamilton, whose 1961 work 'Pin-up' references Playboy's centerfold. The list also includes Burt Glinn's photograph of Hefner at the Playboy Mansion, Simon Claridge's 2016 series of Playboy covers, and Richard Phillips's 2013 painting 'Playboy Marfa.'

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Pacita Abad, a Filipino artist who fled political persecution in 1970 and went on to create over 5,000 works, is finally receiving her first career retrospective. Organized by the Walker Art Center in Minneapolis, the exhibition is now on view at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art (SFMOMA), featuring roughly 40 pieces that showcase her vibrant trapunto paintings—quilted canvases embellished with materials like buttons, beads, and shells. The show will travel to MoMA PS1 in New York and the Art Gallery of Ontario in Toronto next year.

The Interview: Steven Soderbergh

Steven Soderbergh discusses his new film *The Christophers* (2025), which follows a cantankerous artist and his young assistant tasked with forging his unfinished works, exploring themes of authorship, originality, and the ethics of art-making. In an interview with ArtReview, Soderbergh also addresses his recent use of AI in a documentary about John Lennon, defending the technology as a creative tool akin to his own filmmaking process, and reflects on his career spanning genres from indie dramas to studio blockbusters.

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Joel-Peter Witkin, the controversial photographer known for his macabre and surreal imagery, is the subject of a new exhibition titled “Joel-Peter Witkin: The World Is Not Enough” at A Gallery for Fine Photography in New Orleans. The show features a wide cross-section of his work, from early pieces like the cadaver-based still life *The Kiss* (1982) to recent works such as *The Soul Has No Gender* (2016), a portrait of a transsexual woman posed as Mary Magdalene. Witkin, a mainstay on artnet’s Top 300 list, personally prints each photograph and continues to explore themes of death, beauty, and the marginalized in society.

German artist Georg Baselitz dies aged 88

German artist Georg Baselitz has died at age 88, as confirmed by the Thaddaeus Ropac gallery. Known for his expressive paintings and sculptures, Baselitz rose to prominence in the 1960s after a scandal over sexually symbolic works led to a high-profile court case. He pioneered painting canvases upside down from 1969 onward, a technique he used to grapple with German history and collective guilt. His work spanned six decades and included notable sculptures, such as a wooden figure at the 1980 Venice Biennale that appeared to perform a Nazi salute, which he later clarified was inspired by an African artifact. Baselitz achieved international acclaim in the 1980s and became one of Germany's highest-priced living artists, alongside Gerhard Richter.

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P.P.O.W. gallery has taken on representation of artist Owen Fu, while Nicola Vassell Gallery now represents Na Kim, known for her book covers and paintings. Jessie Washburne-Harris has been named Global Director at White Cube, overseeing the gallery's U.S. growth. Chris Sharp Gallery added Mark A. Rodriguez to its roster, and Berry Campbell took on the estate of Louisa Chase. Mexico City dealers Misa Yamaoka and Yuna Cabon launched an artist residency program at Third Born gallery. The article also reports that combined evening sales at Christie's, Phillips, and Sotheby's in Hong Kong totaled $136 million, a significant drop from $208.6 million last fall, and highlights the rising market interest in 17th-century artist Michaelina Wautier.

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The article surveys several New York gallery exhibitions during the transition from spring to summer 2025, focusing on how the human body is depicted in contemporary art. Key shows include David Zwirner's "Circa 1995: New Figuration in New York," featuring works by John Currin, Lisa Yuskavage, Marlene Dumas, Luc Tuymans, Laura Owens, and Peter Doig; Skarstedt's "Andy Warhol: Oxidation Paintings," presenting Warhol's urine-reactive abstract works; and Rachel Harrison's "The Friedmann Equations" at Greene Naftali, which explores spectatorship and the somatic through photographs, drawings, and sculptures.

A $35 M. Warhol, a $45 M. Basquiat, and More: Who’s Selling The Top Works in the May Sales?

The article reports on the upcoming May marquee sales at Christie’s and Sotheby’s, detailing high-value consignments from major collections. Christie’s will offer works from the estates of S. I. Newhouse (including a Brâncuși sculpture and a Jackson Pollock painting, each estimated at $100 million), former MoMA board president Agnes Gund (a Rothko estimated at $80 million), and the late dealer Marian Goodman (a Gerhard Richter estimated at $50 million). Sotheby’s counters with a Rothko from the collection of the late Robert Mnuchin (estimated at $100 million) and works from David and Shoshanna Wingate, including a Giacometti sculpture. The article also reveals previously unnamed consignors for top lots, such as collector John Sayegh-Belchatowski for a $45 million Basquiat and the Moore family for an Elizabeth Peyton painting.

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Artist Tod Lippy is launching a mobile protest piece titled "All Of the Gang" during Frieze Los Angeles, featuring an LED truck that displays emails and documents linking prominent art world figures to Jeffrey Epstein. The project highlights correspondence and associations involving major industry names like Larry Gagosian, Leon Black, and David A. Ross, aiming to confront the public with the industry's perceived complicity and lack of accountability.

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Artist Jeff Koons has issued a statement clarifying his limited interactions with the late financier and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Koons confirmed he and his wife attended a dinner at Epstein's home at the invitation of an MIT professor, but denied that Epstein ever visited his studio, contradicting earlier reports based on newly released court documents.