Vasari Art Codex

trending_up market schedule Jan 17, 2026 visibility 8 link 4 artists, 3 galleries

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.

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article news schedule Jan 12, 2026 visibility 4 link 2 artists, 2 galleries

hauser and wirth russia sanctions trial 2736373

Hauser & Wirth and art shipping company Artay Rauchwerger Solomons face trial over charges of evading U.K. sanctions by allegedly making artist George Condo's 2021 work on paper, *Escape from Humanity*, available to a person connected with Russia in 2022. The U.K. Crown Prosecution Service brought the charge in November, and a judge has scheduled a 10-day trial for January 2028, with a hearing on May 5, 2026, for arraignment. Hauser & Wirth has stated it will plead not guilty, while the shipping firm, which went into voluntary liquidation in April 2024, did not respond to requests for comment.

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trending_up market schedule May 1, 2025 visibility 2 link 12 artists, 3 galleries

art shipping in turmoil as tariffs trigger delays 2636325

President Trump's tariff policies are causing significant disruption in the art shipping industry, despite artworks themselves remaining largely exempt from import taxes under U.S. law. While Section 1702(b) of the IEEPA protects artworks, books, and films from presidential trade restrictions, antiques and design objects are subject to a 10 percent universal tariff, creating confusion for customs officers. Meanwhile, changes to de minimis rules—lowering the threshold for formal customs processing from $2,500 to $800—have forced DHL to temporarily suspend certain shipments and caused multi-day delays. Smaller art dealers relying on global logistics firms are particularly affected, as bespoke fine-art shippers like Crozier, UOVO, and Cadogan Tate are often too expensive for lower-value works under $10,000.

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trending_up market schedule Nov 17, 2025 visibility 4 link 2 artists

art market minute nov 17 2714089

The U.K. Crown Prosecution Service has charged Hauser & Wirth and an art shipping firm with violating criminal sanctions by making George Condo's 2021 work on paper, *Escape from Humanity*, available to a person connected to Russia in 2022. Separately, Frida Kahlo's 1940 painting *El sueño (La cama)*, estimated at $40–60 million, will be auctioned at Sotheby's on November 20, potentially yielding a 78,400 percent return for its consignor. Qatar is also planning the first duty-free art storage unit in the Gulf.

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museum exhibitions schedule May 8, 2025 visibility 6 link 10 artists, 9 galleries

Esther fair brings global galleries to Manhattan’s Estonian House

The Esther art fair, founded by Estonian dealers Olga Temnikova and Margot Samel, is holding its second edition at the Beaux-Arts Estonian House in Manhattan through May 10. The boutique fair features 25 galleries from the US, Europe, and Asia, including James Fuentes, Sargent’s Daughters, Pangée Gallery, Kogo Gallery, Ivan Gallery, Sophie Tappeiner, and Bank. New additions include on-site fashion designers Julia Heuer and Laivi creating custom t-shirts. Participation fees have risen from $1,500 to $2,500, allowing the founders to hire staff, but the fair remains vulnerable to global shifts such as US trade policies and immigration crackdowns that affect art shipping and artist travel.

newspaper The Art Newspaper open_in_new Read original