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.

All we want for Christmas: The Art Newspaper 2025 gift guide

The Art Newspaper has published its 2025 Christmas gift guide, featuring a curated selection of art-related presents. Suggestions include art supplies from London's historic L. Cornelissen & Son, Japanese Irojiten color pencils, and cookbooks like "The Kitchen Studio: Culinary Creations by Artists" and the out-of-print "The Museum of Modern Art Artists' Cookbook." The guide also includes fantasy gift lists from Frieze and Art UK, with items such as Alexander Calder playing cards and a Tom of Finland cushion from House of Voltaire, alongside more unusual ideas like a sponsorship deal for a Victorian loo or a Lego Louvre heist set.

Nnena Kalu wins the 2025 Turner Prize

Scottish artist Nnena Kalu has won the 2025 Turner Prize, becoming the first learning-disabled person to receive the prestigious award. Her winning work includes suspended sculptures bound with rope and tape, along with swirling vortex drawings, currently on display at Cartwright Hall Art Gallery in Bradford as part of the UK City of Culture festival. Kalu, who is autistic and has limited verbal communication, was nominated for her contributions to the Conversations exhibition at the Walker Art Gallery in Liverpool and for her work Hanging Sculpture 1 to 10 at Manifesta 15 in Barcelona. The jury, chaired by Tate Britain director Alex Farquharson, praised the visual and aesthetic quality of her abstract art, noting its powerful presence and enigmatic expressiveness.

‘Wear layers and chic waterproof shoes’: Cherry Cheng on the art she collects, the London food she loves and how she survives Frieze week

Cherry Cheng, an art collector and founder of the high-end perfume house Jouissance, discusses her art-buying habits, favorite London spots, and Frieze week plans in an interview. She studied at Sotheby's Institute of Art and Goldsmiths, worked for Gurr Johns, and now collects works by artists such as Tancredi di Carcaci and Anastasia Pavlou, while supporting institutions like the Serpentine, Studio Voltaire, and the Institute of Contemporary Arts.

‘Wear layers and chic waterproof shoes’: Cherry Cheng on the art she collects, the London food she loves and how she survives Frieze week

Cherry Cheng, an art collector and founder of the high-end perfume house Jouissance, discusses her art collection, including her first purchase (Gray Sister by Tancredi di Carcaci) and her most recent acquisition (works by Anastasia Pavlou). She shares her impulsive buying habits, a regret over missing a work by Rafal Topolewski at Frieze London, and her favorite London spots for food and drink during Frieze week. Cheng also mentions her patronage of institutions like the Serpentine, Studio Voltaire, and the Institute of Contemporary Arts, and her upcoming participation in a Frieze collector's dinner hosted by Brunette Coleman.

Aki Sasamoto Serves It Hot From the Griddle

Artist Aki Sasamoto has opened a new solo exhibition at Studio Voltaire in London. The show features her signature blend of performance and sculptural objects, with the central motif emerging from a beach-house grill, grounding the work in personal narrative and physical process.

The New Victoria & Albert Museum Opens in April: Once Again in East London

Ad aprile inaugura il nuovo museo del Victoria&Albert. Ancora una volta nell’East London

The Victoria & Albert Museum has announced the official opening date for the V&A East Museum, a new five-story cultural landmark in London’s Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park. Designed by architects O’Donnell + Tuomey, the museum will debut on April 18, 2026, featuring two permanent galleries titled "Why We Make" that showcase over 500 objects ranging from Renaissance paintings to contemporary fashion by Vivienne Westwood. The entrance will be anchored by a monumental bronze sculpture by Thomas J Price, marking the start of a robust contemporary commission program.

Up Close: Aki Sasamoto’s “Grilled Diagrams” at Studio Voltaire

Artist Aki Sasamoto presented her performance-installation "Grilled Diagrams" at Studio Voltaire in London. The work featured Sasamoto wielding oversized cooking utensils, manipulating rocks and gems on a custom grill, and delivering a monologue, creating a tense and unpredictable atmosphere for the audience.

A New Antonello da Messina Discovered. It Will Go to Auction in June: Could Sicily Step Forward to Buy It This Time?

Scoperto un nuovo Antonello da Messina. Andrà in asta a giugno: stavolta potrebbe farsi avanti la Sicilia per l’acquisto?

A newly discovered small wooden panel painting, depicting the face of a young beardless saint, has been attributed to the Renaissance master Antonello da Messina. The work, a fragment of a lost composition, will be auctioned on June 16 by Parisian auction house Ader alongside a signed early work by Peter Paul Rubens. Both come from an anonymous collector who purchased them in France decades ago.

That Time Raphael Visited Tivoli, Transforming Antiquity into Art

Quella volta che Raffaello visitò Tivoli trasformando l’antichità in arte

In April 1516, Raphael Sanzio embarked on a historic excursion to Tivoli alongside a prestigious circle of Renaissance intellectuals, including Baldassarre Castiglione and Pietro Bembo. This journey served as a critical field study for Raphael, who had recently been appointed as Rome's prefect of antiquities. By examining the complex ruins of Hadrian's Villa and the Sanctuary of the Sibyl, the group engaged in a sophisticated blend of archaeological investigation and humanist leisure that defined the cultural climate under Pope Leo X.

A Massive Design Store is About to Open Inside an Entire 19th-Century Palace in Milan

A Milano sta per aprire un enorme negozio di design dentro un intero palazzo dell’Ottocento

The American luxury interior design giant RH (formerly Restoration Hardware) is set to open its first Italian flagship store in Milan's historic Palazzo del Principe di Piombino. Located on Corso Venezia, the massive 5,000-square-meter "Gallery" occupies a 19th-century neoclassical palace that has undergone an extensive restoration costing at least €10 million. The site will feature multiple floors of luxury furnishings, a 1,000-square-meter garden, and a subterranean restaurant called La Volta housed under a crystal dome.