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Kenny Schachter's column reports on the fallout at Michael Werner Gallery following the departure of star artist Peter Doig. Co-owner Gordon VeneKlasen is accused of expensing luxury items—including private jets, Hamptons helicopter rides, and even a solo helicopter trip for his Labrador Retriever—while the gallery faced financial strain. The partnership is dissolving, with VeneKlasen moving to Los Angeles to open his own gallery and listing his West Village home for $20 million. Meanwhile, Schachter also notes Pace Gallery's financial troubles, with founder Arne Glimcher stepping in to stabilize operations.

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Michael Armitage's solo exhibition "Crucible" at David Zwirner's new Annabelle Selldorf-designed gallery in New York features paintings centered on migration, including the work *Path* (2024), inspired by a 2015 Vice News story about an Eritrean teenager's harrowing journey to Europe. The show also includes *Raft (ii)* (2024), a blurry homage to Théodore Géricault's *Raft of the Medusa*, and new sculptures that resemble wood carvings. The gallery itself, a single-story 18,000-square-foot space, opened after a larger planned venue fell through due to financial headwinds during Covid.

hauser wirth uptown sale jens hoffmann project wet paint

Hauser & Wirth has sold its Upper East Side townhouse at 32 East 69th Street for $10.5 million to a developer, ending a decades-long presence in the neighborhood. The property, purchased in the 1990s as a family residence, was renovated by architect Annabelle Selldorf and later used as gallery space from 2009, hosting exhibitions by artists like Pope.L, Anna Maria Maiolino, Luchita Hurtado, and Arshile Gorky. Gallery co-founder Iwan Wirth cited a shift in the family's center of gravity to Chelsea and the business's expansion downtown with new locations on West 18th Street and Wooster Street in SoHo.

georgian russian artist zurab tsereteli has died

Georgian-Russian artist Zurab Tsereteli has died at age 91. He served as the chief artist of the USSR’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and headed Russia’s Academy of Arts, and was a known supporter of Vladimir Putin. His monumental sculptures, favored by Russian elites, were controversial in his native Georgia.

Time Magazine’s 100 Most Influential List Includes Artist Cao Fei and Photojournalist Lynsey Addario

Time magazine has named artist Cao Fei and photojournalist Lynsey Addario to its 2026 list of the 100 most influential people in the world. Cao Fei is recognized for her multidisciplinary work exploring digital technology and modernity, while Addario is honored for her decades of courageous reporting from global conflict zones, including her Pulitzer Prize-winning coverage of the war in Ukraine. The list also acknowledges prominent art patrons Susan and Michael Dell.

Louvre Reveals Architects for $1 Billion Expansion

The Louvre has announced an international team of architects—New York's Selldorf Architects and Studios Architecture Paris—to lead its "Nouvelle Renaissance" expansion, a project estimated to cost over €1 billion ($1.2 billion). The plan, first announced by French President Emmanuel Macron in early 2025, includes a new entrance to accommodate three million additional visitors annually and a dedicated 33,000-square-foot exhibition space for Leonardo da Vinci's *Mona Lisa*. The museum's new director, Christophe Leribault, is moving forward with the project despite significant budget uncertainty, with cost estimates ranging from €270 million to €1.1 billion.

John Chamberlain’s Former Studio Hosts a Star-Studded New Interview Series

The John Chamberlain Estate is launching "ON THE COUCH," a biweekly filmed interview series hosted by estate director Alexandra Fairweather, timed to what would have been the sculptor's 100th birthday. Season one features eight cultural figures including artist Daniel Arsham, architect Annabelle Selldorf, fashion designer Alexander Wang, interior designer Sasha Bikoff, entrepreneur Jon Gray, and painter David Salle. Episodes will be filmed at Chamberlain's former studio on Shelter Island, now a private museum, with guests seated on his iconic foam couches. The series launches May 19 across major streaming platforms.

michael werner second new york gallery sanya kantarovsky

Michael Werner Gallery is expanding rather than contracting, opening a second New York space on the Upper East Side at 1018 Madison Avenue, just around the corner from its original location at 4 East 77th Street. The new venue was secured after the building housing the original gallery went up for sale, prompting partner Gordon VeneKlasen to search for alternatives. The inaugural exhibition features Sanya Kantarovsky, who is also joining the gallery's roster, with a two-part show titled "Scarecrow" opening May 7. The expansion was designed by architect Annabelle Selldorf, who previously worked with the gallery in 1989.

7 museum openings of 2025

The global art landscape is set for a significant transformation in 2025 with the opening of several high-profile museum projects. These range from the long-awaited reopening of New York’s Frick Collection and the Studio Museum in Harlem to ambitious international debuts like the PoMo museum in Norway and the Fenix Museum of Migration Stories in Rotterdam. These projects feature designs by world-renowned architects including Annabelle Selldorf, India Mahdavi, and MAD Architects, often repurposing historic structures with bold contemporary additions.

Tokyo Architect Kengo Kuma Beats Out Renzo Piano and Selldorf to Design National Gallery’s £350 M. New Wing

The National Gallery in London has appointed Tokyo-based architect Kengo Kuma to design a new £350 million wing as part of its ambitious £750 million "Project Domani" expansion. Kuma, known for the V&A Dundee, beat out high-profile Pritzker Prize winners Renzo Piano and Norman Foster for the commission. The project involves the demolition of St. Vincent House to create 15,000 square feet of new exhibition space dedicated to 20th and 21st-century art, along with new pedestrian zones and a roof garden.

National Gallery picks Tokyo Olympic stadium architect to design new wing

The National Gallery in London has selected Japanese architect Kengo Kuma to design a major new wing as part of its ambitious £750m "Project Domani." Kuma, known for the Tokyo Olympic stadium and V&A Dundee, beat out high-profile competitors including Norman Foster and Renzo Piano. The expansion will occupy a site near Trafalgar Square currently housing a hotel and office complex, and is supported by record-breaking £150m donations from both the Julia Rausing Trust and the Crankstart foundation.

london national gallery revamp

The National Gallery in London has unveiled its £85 million ($113 million) renovation of the Sainsbury Wing, marking the culmination of the museum's bicentenary celebrations. Led by architect Annabelle Selldorf, the project transformed the postmodernist building into the museum's primary accessible entrance, featuring a more spacious atrium, clear glass walls to invite natural light, and a significant rehang of the permanent collection. The redesign aimed to resolve long-standing issues with visitor flow and accessibility while preserving the building's iconic grand staircase.

national gallery sainsburg wing reopening gabriele finaldi

London's National Gallery has reopened its Sainsbury Wing after a three-year, $113 million renovation, timed to the museum's 200th anniversary. Director Gabriele Finaldi, who was knighted this year, oversaw the project, which was designed by architect Annabelle Selldorf and faced criticism from original architect Denise Scott Brown. The revamped wing features a light-filled foyer, 17 galleries with no prescribed route, and a rehang titled “The Wonder of Art.” The museum also acquired a mysterious painting by an unknown artist, The Virgin and Child with Saints Louis and Margaret and Two Angels (1500–10), for $20 million through Sotheby's.

What the Met Gains from the Neue Galerie

Was das Met mit der Neuen Galerie gewinnt

The Neue Galerie, a private museum for German and Austrian art founded by billionaire collector Ronald S. Lauder, will be integrated into the Metropolitan Museum of Art (the Met) as an auxiliary branch under the new name "The Met Ronald S. Lauder Neue Galerie." The transition, announced by founding director Renée Price, is set to be completed by 2028, with the Met assuming full operational control after a planned renovation of the historic townhouse on Fifth Avenue. The merger follows years of Lauder's stewardship and ensures the long-term future of the collection, which includes masterpieces by Gustav Klimt, Egon Schiele, Wassily Kandinsky, and Max Beckmann.

barbara gladstones 12 million chelsea townhouse is for sale

The Chelsea townhouse of legendary art dealer Barbara Gladstone has been listed for sale at just under $12 million. The Greek Revival row house on West 22nd Street, which Gladstone purchased for $6.3 million in 2011, was extensively renovated by architect Annabelle Selldorf, who also designed Gladstone's two Chelsea galleries. The five-bedroom, five-bathroom property features a curving skylit staircase and floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking a garden. The listing is held by Compass agent Scott Hustis.

Hauser & Wirth Heads to Palo Alto as Mega-Galleries Target Silicon Valley

Hauser & Wirth has announced plans to open a new gallery in Palo Alto, California, in spring 2026. The location, a historic former post office at 201–225 Hamilton Avenue, will offer 2,600 square feet of exhibition space, a bookshop, and a program of talks and events. Designed by architect Luis Laplace, it will be the gallery's sixth U.S. outpost and its third in California, joining existing spaces in downtown Los Angeles and West Hollywood. The expansion comes as the broader art market faces contraction, but mega-galleries continue targeting wealthy collector hubs like Silicon Valley.

From hard borders to soft power: how did the art world fare in 2025?

The article surveys the art world's turbulent 2025, beginning with devastating Los Angeles wildfires that destroyed artworks and the political shockwaves of Donald Trump's re-election. Trump's administration targeted the National Portrait Gallery, whose director Kim Sajet resigned after threats of firing, while immigration crackdowns, tariffs on art imports, and attacks on diversity initiatives chilled the art community. The year also saw Venice residents protest Jeff Bezos's lavish wedding, Trump's gilded Oval Office renovations, and a major Veronese exhibition at the Prado that drew parallels between historical extravagance and decline.

The Wallace Collection appoints Selldorf Architects to lead masterplan to transform its historic London home

The Wallace Collection in London has appointed Selldorf Architects, led by Annabelle Selldorf, to lead a masterplan for Hertford House, its historic home. Selldorf, who recently oversaw renovations at the Frick Collection and the National Gallery's Sainsbury Wing, will collaborate with UK practices Purcell and Lawson Ward Studio. The project aims to improve access, sustainability, and visitor experience at the museum, which opened to the public in 1900 and houses over 5,500 works including masterpieces by Velázquez, Hals, and Rubens.

National Gallery London's 200th anniversary

The National Gallery in London is celebrating its 200th anniversary, marking two centuries since its founding in 1824. The milestone is being commemorated with a series of special exhibitions, events, and public programs throughout the year, highlighting the museum's collection of over 2,300 paintings and its role as a cornerstone of British cultural heritage.

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The Municipal Arts Society of New York (MASNYC) held its 2025 Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis Medal dinner on October 6, honoring architects Elizabeth Diller and Annabelle Selldorf. The event took place at the Pool and Grill in the Seagram Building, a landmarked space that both architects have worked on—Diller's firm DS+R transformed the basement Brasserie, and Selldorf renovated the Four Seasons Restaurant. The crowd included architecture and design luminaries such as Dan Doctoroff, Amanda Burden, curators Roselee Goldberg and Paola Antonelli, and architects Charles Renfro and Vishaan Chakrabarti.

art world figures time 100 list

Time magazine released its annual Time 100 list on September 20, 2025, naming the most influential people of the year across six categories. Four art world figures made the list: visual artists Yoshitomo Nara and Mickalene Thomas (categorized as an "innovator"), architect Annabelle Selldorf, and novelist/filmmaker/performance artist Miranda July. The list also includes corporate CEOs, Trump administration members, fashion designers, and athletes, with each entry accompanied by a write-up from a fellow celebrity.

The Louvre changes: the project chosen to steer the museum into its new Renaissance

Il Louvre cambia: scelto il progetto che traghetterà il museo nel suo nuovo Rinascimento

The Louvre has announced the winners of its "Nouvelle Renaissance" competition, selecting a team led by STUDIOS Architecture Paris, with Selldorf Architects for museography and BASE Landscape Architecture for landscaping. The jury, chaired by Marc Guillaume and composed of 21 experts, chose this proposal from five finalists for its respectful and contemporary approach, which elegantly connects the city, the palace, and the museum while improving visitor flow and security. The project addresses urgent needs including new underground entrances, a dedicated space for Leonardo da Vinci's Mona Lisa, enhanced circulation, and green spaces, following a period of difficulty for the museum including a high-profile theft in October.

Le Louvre choisit son entrée côté colonnade

Le Louvre has selected a joint proposal by Studios Architecture Paris and Selldorf Architects for its new entrance via the Perrault colonnade, part of the 'Louvre Nouvelle Renaissance' plan. The project, announced by Emmanuel Macron on January 28, 2025, aims to create a new eastern access to relieve overcrowding at the Pyramid, with two underground entrances, vegetated moats, new services, and a dedicated space for the Mona Lisa. The selection was announced by Culture Minister Catherine Pégard on May 18, despite controversies over funding, heritage constraints, a theft in the Galerie d'Apollon on October 19, 2025, and the departure of museum president Laurence des Cars.

Introducing Julia Day, the Frick’s new chief conservator

The Frick Collection in New York has appointed Julia Day as its new chief conservator, a role she assumed upon the retirement of Joseph Godla, who had held the position since 2005. Day, a Frick veteran who left in 2022 to become a senior conservator at the Guggenheim Abu Dhabi, returned this spring to lead the museum's expanded conservation efforts. Her appointment coincides with the reopening of the Frick's renovated 1914 mansion, which now features a new 1,200-square-foot conservation studio—the Sherman Fairchild Center for Art Conservation—designed by Samuel Anderson Architects, along with a radiography room and exhibition preparation spaces.

Stories brought to life: the National Portrait Gallery's latest virtual reality venture is a triumph of immersive storytelling

The National Portrait Gallery has partnered with Frameless Creative, a London-based immersive experience studio, to launch 'Stories—Brought to Life,' a virtual reality exhibition that brings portraits of historical and contemporary figures to life through dynamic 150-second animated sequences. The experience, projected onto a mosaic of screens, features figures including Queen Elizabeth I, Audrey Hepburn, Nelson Mandela, David Bowie, and Ncuti Gatwa, drawing on the museum's collection. It debuted at a temporary site in MediaCity, Manchester, and is designed to travel to other locations.

The Big Review | The reopening and rehang of the Sainsbury Wing, National Gallery, London ★★★★★

The National Gallery in London has reopened its Sainsbury Wing after a renovation led by architect Annabelle Selldorf, designed to create a more welcoming entrance. The wing, originally designed by Robert Venturi and Denise Scott Brown in 1991, now features a transformed ground floor with double-height spaces, improved lighting, and a new piazza linking to Trafalgar Square. The reopening coincides with the gallery's bicentenary and a major collection rehang titled "C C Land: the Wonder of Art," sponsored by a Hong Kong property developer. Old favorites like the chapel-like space for Piero della Francesca's works are restored, and new commissions, including Richard Long's "Mud Sun," greet visitors.

Comment | Muted grey, bloody red, or dark blue—here’s why the colour of museum walls matters more than you might think

The article explores the often-overlooked significance of color in museum spaces, prompted by a conversation with architect Annabelle Selldorf about her $220 million renovation of New York's Frick Collection. Selldorf describes the new auditorium's muted grey as creating a calm, meditative environment, contrasting sharply with Tate Modern's Starr Cinema, which architect Jacques Herzog painted shocking red to symbolize the space as the museum's "brain." The piece traces historical approaches to gallery wall colors, from Charles Eastlake's advocacy at the National Gallery in London—informed by Goethe's color theory—to the enduring orthodoxy of reds and greens, and a notable departure with deep Prussian blue for a Gainsborough exhibition at Tate Britain. It also recounts Henri Matisse's 1946 project in Paris, where he covered his room's grimy beige walls with cut-paper forms, creating the screens "Océanie, Le Ciel" and "Océanie, La Mer."

London's National Gallery announces £750m fundraising drive towards new wing and expanded collection

London's National Gallery has announced a £750m fundraising drive, called Project Domani, to expand its collection into the 20th and 21st centuries and build a new wing on the site of St Vincent House, north of the Sainsbury Wing. Around half the target has already been pledged, including two record £150m donations from the Crankstart foundation and the Julia Rausing Trust. A shortlist of six architectural firms—including Foster + Partners, Kengo Kuma and Associates, and Selldorf Architects—has been released to design the extension, with a final choice expected by April and the wing opening in the early 2030s.

Refurb and rehang at London's National Gallery, Tate Modern turns 25 and Inge Mahn's ‘Balancing Towers’—podcast

This episode of The Art Newspaper's 'The Week in Art' podcast, hosted by Ben Luke, covers three major stories. First, the National Gallery in London reopens its Sainsbury Wing after a two-year closure, featuring a major architectural overhaul by Annabelle Selldorf and a complete rehang of the collection; Luke tours the space with director Gabriele Finaldi. Second, Tate Modern celebrates its 25th anniversary, with Luke discussing its impact and future with Louisa Buck and Dale Berning Sawa. Third, the Work of the Week segment highlights Inge Mahn's sculpture 'Balancing Towers' (1989), featured in the exhibition 'Are we still up to it?' – Art & Democracy at Herrenchiemsee Palace, discussed with co-curator Oliver Kase.

Masterworks from Jacob Rothschild collection go to London's National Gallery and V&A under acceptance in lieu scheme

Two masterworks from the collection of the late Jacob Rothschild—Guercino's *King David* (1651) and John Deare's *Edward and Eleanor* (1790)—have been allocated to London's National Gallery and the Victoria and Albert Museum (V&A) respectively under the UK's acceptance in lieu (AIL) scheme. The Guercino painting settles £5.6 million in inheritance tax, and will be reunited with two related Guercino works already at the National Gallery. The marble relief by Deare enters the V&A's collection.