art basel miami beach 2025

Art Basel Miami Beach 2025 opened amid cautious optimism following the $2.2 billion New York auctions, with Google co-founder Sergey Brin and WhatsApp co-founder Jan Koum spotted in Miami. Dealers reported strong sales, including an $18.5 million Joan Mitchell painting at Gray purchased by dealer Lillian Heidenberg. The fair introduced a new digital art section, Zero 10, sponsored by OpenSea and curated by Eli Scheinman, aimed at attracting crypto-wealthy collectors and younger audiences. Meanwhile, Art Basel hired Elena Soboleva, formerly of David Zwirner, as global head of audience growth and intelligence to engage the next generation of collectors.

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.

Frieze and NADA New York’s Early Sales Signal Buyer Confidence

Frieze New York opened its VIP preview on May 7, with early sales indicating cautious but steady buyer confidence amid economic uncertainty and the recent acquisition of the fair by Endeavor's former CEO Ari Emanuel. American buyers dominated, while Asian and European collectors were largely absent. Mega-galleries like Gagosian and Pace reported significant sales, including Jeff Koons's Hulk Elvis sculptures and works by Adam Pendleton and Lynda Benglis, though the atmosphere was more subdued and negotiation-friendly than in previous years.

societe hauser wirth berlin

Hauser & Wirth and Société are collaborating on a large-scale group exhibition titled "States of Being" during Berlin Art Week 2025. The show, running from September 11 to November 1, will feature over 30 artists across two floors of Hauser & Wirth's Berlin space, including Alina Szapocznikow, Rashid Johnson, Lee Lozano, Louise Bourgeois, Lu Yang, Mika Rottenberg, Tina Braegger, Darren Bader, Phyllida Barlow, and Petra Cortright. The initiative stems from a friendship between Hauser & Wirth president Marc Payot and Société CEO Daniel Wichelhaus, and marks Hauser & Wirth's first project in Berlin, though the gallery has no plans to open a permanent outpost there.

life size labubu record asia art news

The article reports on a record-breaking auction sale of a 4-foot-4-inch Labubu doll, which sold for RMB 1.08 million ($150,300) at Yongle International Auction in Beijing, with premium reaching RMB 1.24 million ($174,000). The character was created by Hong Kong artist Kasing Lung, who also collaborated with Art Basel on a limited edition. Other key developments include the closure of the Art Basel Hong Kong satellite fair Supper Club after two editions, Frieze announcing a new year-round space called Frieze House Seoul in Yaksu, and Blum gallery taking on global representation of Japanese ceramic artist Kimiyo Mishima's estate. The article also covers upcoming exhibitions by Christine Ay Tjoe at White Cube New York, Seulgi Lee at Ikon Gallery Birmingham, Kenny Scharf at the Modern Art Museum Shanghai, and Trevor Yeung's adaptation of his Venice Biennale show at M+ Hong Kong.

The Art Market Year in Review

The art market experienced a turbulent 2025, beginning with a 12% decline in sales from 2024, following a 3% drop in 2023, as reported by the Art Basel and UBS Global Art Market Report. Major auction houses Christie’s, Sotheby’s, and Phillips saw average sales fall 6% in the first half of the year. However, the market rebounded by autumn, with strong sales at London and Paris art fairs and a 15% year-on-year increase in auction sales at the three main houses by December, according to Pi-eX. Key events included Sotheby’s failed sale of Alberto Giacometti’s *Grand tête mince* in May, followed by a record-breaking $236 million sale of Gustav Klimt’s *Portrait of Elisabeth Lederer* in November, and a $31.4 million record for François-Xavier Lalanne’s *Hippopotame Bar*.

Sydney Contemporary art fair sees fourth year of decline in sales

Sydney Contemporary, Australia's largest contemporary art fair, reported A$16m (US$10.5m) in sales for its 2025 edition, marking a fourth consecutive year of decline. The fair, held from 11 to 14 September at Carriageworks, featured 116 exhibitors and nearly 500 artists, making it the largest edition to date. Despite the drop from last year's A$17.5m and A$23m in 2022, founder Tim Etchells remains committed, citing record visitor numbers of 26,440 and a shift in buyer behavior where sales often close weeks after the fair. Notable sales included a A$1.5m painting by Emily Kam Kngwarray, still under consideration by a collector. A new photography section, Photo Sydney, debuted and will return next year.

The Journal of Antiquarians and Galleries No. 10 Has Just Been Published

Le Journal des Antiquaires et Galeries n°10 vient de paraître

The tenth issue of Le Journal des Antiquaires et Galeries has been released, focusing on the resilience of the art market amidst geopolitical and economic headwinds. The publication highlights major spring events including Art Paris, Art Brussels, and the Paris Gallery Weekend, while introducing the newly formed Federation of Art Market Actors (FAM’Art).