Art fairs are abuzz with transactions. This year, TEFAF Maastricht highlighted female artists, although a $48 million Kandinsky remains unsold.
Auction blocks witnessed a flurry of high-value sales. A Basquiat fetched $67 million, a Diebenkorn sold for $46 million, and a head-turning Picasso reached $139.4 million at Sotheby’s.
In a notable move, Brooklyn Museum is parting with over 200 historical furnishings and several period rooms, previously a part of its decorative arts collection.
Galleries are on the move as well, with several key partnerships and representations solidifying. David Kordansky Gallery teams up with Monique Meloche to represent Maia Cruz Palileo while other galleries like Goodman open new spaces.
The London art scene sees changes with Mayor Gallery moving to a new address and planning an intriguing exhibition. Meanwhile, the closure of Helena Anrather gallery in New York ends its contribution to the field of sculpture and conceptual photography.
As for museums, Gibraltar anticipates the debut of Fortress House, a new museum focusing on contemporary art from the 1970s to the present, housing works by notables like Louise Bourgeois and Lucian Freud.
Leadership shifts are also in the limelight. The Smithsonian American Women’s History Museum welcomes Elizabeth C. Babcock as its inaugural director, aiming to recover from a prior leadership stumble.
The Smithsonian American Art Museum introduces Dalila Scruggs as curator for African American Art, an important new role that signals a commitment to broader representation.
Controversies and resignations shape institutional narratives as well — from Saarland Museum’s leadership change to the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts’ CEO stepping down in the wake of protests.
Lastly, the legal world intersects with the art sphere, notably in France where suspects face trial over fraudulent African artifacts, and in the Netherlands, where climate activists involved in a protest at a renowned Vermeer painting received a non-custodial sentence.
Such incidents link the art world with broader societal issues, highlighting the relationship between artistic expression, activism, and cultural heritage.
