Latest

Ghanaian artist Ibrahim Mahama considering legal action after alleged police assault

The artist alleges that he was attacked by members of a special operations team known as ‘Black Maria’ while in a vehicle in Tamale, northern Ghana

Gameli Hameloabout 6 hours ago

French government blocks sale of newly discovered drawing by German Renaissance master Hans Baldung

The portrait has been deemed “a work of major historical and artistic interest“ for France’s national heritage

Hong Kong’s West Kowloon Cultural District signs partnerships with 12 international institutions

The agreements will see an artist-in-residence pilot programme established with the Misk Art Institute in Riyadh and collaborations with Museums Victoria in Australia

Gareth Harrisabout 1 hour ago

The Met’s blockbuster Raphael exhibition looks beyond the artist’s idealised Madonnas

The show at the New York institution presents a much wider “social and historical context” of motherhood and childhood mortality

J.S. Marcus1 day ago

Gullah artist Sam Doyle’s narrative portraits shine at Outsider Art Fair in New York

His works, painted on found wood and discarded tin, illuminate culture on the remote Saint Helena Island

Art Basel Hong Kong 2026

Hong Kong’s contemporary art scene is blossoming in difficult times

With four new art spaces opening, cultural workers see a bright future for the city

Lisa Movius and Hokhang Cheungabout 15 hours ago

New Hong Kong fairs offer fresh opportunities for a changing market

The events spotlight mid-career artists, try new fee structures and show works that fit inside a suitcase

Brady Ngabout 15 hours ago

Exhibitions to see during Art Basel Hong Kong

From woven photographs by the late Dinh Q. Lê to a survey of 21st century Chinese art

The Art Newspaperabout 15 hours ago

Museums in Shenzhen and Guangzhou are building bridges between Hong Kong and mainland China

Cultural exchanges in both directions have been created via new infrastructure, rail routes and flights, but also organically, through artist and institutional collaborations

Ilaria Maria Salaabout 15 hours ago

Hong Kong gains new foundation for global majority

Brian Yue’s Cheng-Lan Foundation focuses on forgotten communities and making art more accessible

Hokhang Cheungabout 14 hours ago

Art market

Art Dubai 2026 to be postponed and adapted in response to regional conflict

The fair’s 20th edition will be rescheduled to mid-May and have a “more focused and flexible format”, as Iranian strikes in the UAE show no signs of abating

Global art sales grew 4% in 2025 but remain below pre-pandemic levels, Art Basel and UBS report finds

Political volatility and mounting operational costs weigh heavily on the trade, which ticked up to an estimated $59.6bn in 2025 after two years of decline

Major collection of Indian paintings and calligraphy to be offered at Christie's

Following the success of the Aga Khan sale in October, works from the collection of Seattle-based Mary and Cheney Cowles will be sold in London in April

The rise and fall of ‘buy-one, give-one’ art sales

A once-popular mechanism that allowed collectors to secure an in-demand work if they gifted a second to an institution, market shifts have made "bogos" less viable

The rise of the destination art fair

As collectors tire of mega-fairs and splurge on experiential travel, a new wave of boutique events seeks to draw buyers and sellers to places like Aspen, Joshua Tree, St Moritz and Mallorca

Museums & Heritage

Zurich's Museum Rietberg transfers 11 Benin Bronzes to Nigerian government

Nine of the objects will stay in Switzerland despite the change of ownership

London National Gallery’s visitor numbers remain below pre-Covid levels, despite renovation boost

Meanwhile, London’s Natural History Museum overtakes British Museum as most-visited attraction in the UK

New Chilean president reverses predecessor’s policies, cutting culture budget

The 3% cut to all ministries' budgets, which has raised concerns within the National Union of Artists, is part of José Antonio Kast’s plan to bring down public spending

Mexico’s culture ministry urges eBay to halt sales of pre-Hispanic artefacts

The Florida-based seller claims the listed objects were purchased legally, adding: “I suggest you research the laws”

Art Fund launches new fellowship scheme for global majority curators

The scheme will aim to address imbalances in the cultural sector, explore transcultural perspectives and engage with communities

Gareth Harris1 day ago

Exhibitions

‘Every minute was a minute to create’: Paris show presents Henri Matisse’s dazzling finale

The exhibition at the Grand Palais includes more than 300 works from the last 13 years of the artist’s life

Ben Luke1 day ago

London exhibition celebrates Konrad Mägi, Estonia’s mystic Modern master

The painter was influenced by Pointillism and Cubism, but had a distinctive style that transcended both movements

Keeping up with the Kleins: exhibition brings together Yves’s talented artist family

Show examines the rich legacy of Yves Klein’s father Fred Klein, his mother Marie Raymond and his widow Rotraut Klein-Moquay

Aimee Dawson1 day ago

Police investigating DJ’s comments at Sydney Biennale opening following antisemitism allegations

New South Wales Jewish Board of Deputies (JBD) had filed a letter of complaint about a speech by Zubeyda Muzeyyen

The Week in Art

A podcast bringing you the latest news from the art world, every week

New Museum extension opens, NextGen collectors, a Wardian Case in Oxford – podcast

In this week's episode of The Week in Art, Ben Luke discusses the newly-enlarged New Museum, talks to Georgina Adam about her new book on the latest generation of art collectors, and hears from the curator of a new exhibition on botany at the Ashmolean Museum in Oxford

Hosted by Ben Luke. Produced by David. Clack and Alexander Morrison

Hong Kong International Cultural Summit

The event returns to WestK from 22-23 March

Reimagining communities: inside the Hong Kong International Cultural Summit

As cultural leaders from across the world meet in Hong Kong, we speak to three of the key figures at the city's West Kowloon Cultural District (WestK) to find out how they are rethinking their audiences

In partnership with WestK

Opinion

Comment | All hail the rise of the art internship

Against a backdrop of a contracting job market for graduates, initiatives such as the Sotheby’s Institute’s fellowship programme are supporting the next generation of art industry experts

Melanie Gerlisabout 6 hours ago

Comment | Climate change is forcing tough choices—how much heritage can we save before it is too late?

As increasingly extreme weather threatens cultural sites, archaeologists are turning to technology to try and record them before they are lost forever

Comment | Art is more than its original context

The place where we observe a work of art—and the feelings we have—play a crucial role in our experience

Comment | Time for a rethink: women artists were never meant to merely be canon fodder

Exhibitions pairing Munch with Paula Modersohn-Becker and Maria Lassnig provide opportunities to subvert the established order

How do we stem the decline in students studying art history in the UK?

We need to reframe the subject as one worth knowing about, rather than focusing on its use

Obituaries

Obituary | Umberto Allemandi, visionary publisher who founded 'Il Giornale dell’Arte', has died aged 88

The editor built an international network of publications—including 'The Art Newspaper'—that transformed cultural journalism

Pedro Friedeberg, key figure in Mexican art renowned for hand-shaped chair, has died at age 90

Beyond his famous chair design, Friedeberg created a singular world of ornament, architecture, and irony

Liliana Angulo Cortés, director of Bogotá’s Museo Nacional de Colombia, has died, aged 51

Angulo’s work was devoted to decolonising the museum, anti-racism and reparation with a special focus on diversifying narratives to include more Black and Indigenous voices

Renowned gallerist Marian Goodman has died, aged 97

The dealer was known for her support of conceptually challenging artistic practices, and credited with bringing key European figures like Gerhard Richter and Marcel Broodthaers to the US

Remembering Gathie Falk, Canadian artist whose singular practice sparked comparisons to Surrealism and Pop art

Shaped by the austerity of her Mennonite upbringing and the bustling Vancouver art scene of the 1960s and 70s, she developed a playful, poignant and exacting visual language

Books

Clash of the Renaissance titans: an intriguing double biography of Titian and Michelangelo

The book about the two Old Masters, who probably only met twice, considers what they had in common and how they differed

New book digs into the little-known gallery that brought Modern art to America

The publication's author on how it has taken decades of research to tell the story of the New York gallery, which exhibited artists such Picasso and Mondrian

An expert's guide to John Constable: five must-read books on the British painter

The best publications to learn all about Constable, from a journey through the landscapes that inspired him to a children's activity book—selected by the curator Emma Roodhouse

A short guide to the hidden meanings in great paintings

An A to C extract from the glossary of Painted Mysteries, which deciphers common motifs and symbols in famous works

A brush with... podcast

A podcast that asks artists the questions you've always wanted to

A brush with… Danh Vo—podcast

Danh Vo talks to Ben Luke about her influences—from writers to musicians, film-makers and, of course, other artists—and the cultural experiences that have shaped her life and work

Hosted by Ben Luke. Produced by David Clack and Aimee Dawson
Sponsored by Bloomberg Connects

The Year Ahead

Fair behemoths bet on Gulf plus new, bigger venues for Independent—a quick look at art fairs in 2026

Art Basel and Frieze are expanding in the Middle East while Art Cologne is reinstating its Mallorca edition

Venice, Sydney, Gwangju: the most interesting biennials to visit in 2026

Plus, full listings of the biennials, triennials and festivals taking place throughout the year

Art market 2026 predictions: underwhelming rebound and another Frieze fair

Our columnist gazes into her crystal ball to spot the major trends—from London regaining its lustre to AI fatigue—that are set to dominate the trade over the coming 12 months

Adventures with Van Gogh

Adventures with Van Gogh is a weekly blog by Martin Bailey, our long-standing correspondent and expert on the artist. Published every Friday, his stories range from newsy items about this most intriguing artist to scholarly pieces based on his own meticulous investigations and discoveries.

Epstein files reveal Leon Black as a key collector of Van Gogh works

The New York collector Black is revealed to have bought five of the artist’s pieces

Damien Hirst offers his hot take on art dealers

Speaking on a podcast, the artist likened art galleries to estate agents

Innocent mistake? Italy's prime minister appears as a cherub in Rome church

A double of Georgia Meloni was spotted in the chapel of the Basilica of St Lawrence in Lucina

Can you feel the love tonight? Elton John's cosy family portrait captured by Catherine Opie

Picture featuring his sons, husband David and their dogs goes on show at the National Portrait Gallery in London

‘Haters will say this urn is mid’: US National Gallery of Art curator is Insta hit with Gen Z

Deputy head of sculpture's slang-heavy posts appeal to a new generation of art lovers

See you, Searle: Guardian chief art critic bows out after 30 years

Adrian Searle has described writing for the paper as “an exhilarating ride”

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