Latest
Fourth Lahore Biennale, to take place during 80th anniversary of Partition, will explore cross-border connectivity
The Pakistan-based festival has announced the curator of its next edition, opening in January 2027
Artemisia Gentileschi, Michelangelo and Rembrandt bring new energy and records to New York's Old Masters sales
The week's sales also saw a near-record for a Canaletto painting and a seven-figure result for a 15th-century Hebrew illuminated manuscript
Mexico City’s Zona Maco fair continues to draw upbeat crowds and eager buyers
Latin America’s foremost art fair, now in its 24th year, remains a magnet for collectors, curators and museum groups from across the Western Hemisphere and beyond
Afghanistan’s heritage comes to the fore in acclaimed Doha show
The exhibition showcases 2,000 years of Afghan art and craft
Renowned Mexican art collection to be managed by Spanish bank
Banco Santander will take charge of 160 iconic works, including 18 by Frida Kahlo, from the Gelman Collection of 20th-century Mexican art
The Week in Art
A podcast bringing you the latest news from the art world, every week
Art Basel Qatar, Dürer portrait debate, Paula Modersohn-Becker and Edvard Munch—podcast
Ben Luke talks to art market editor Kabir Jhala about the inaugural fair in Doha, explores the debate surrounding a painting of Dürer’s father, and we hear about the synergies between two 20th-century painters
Art market
Stephen Friedman Gallery goes into administration after 30 years
Both London and New York spaces are now shut
India Art Fair strengthens its role as launchpad for South Asian talent
The New Delhi stalwart, which has raised the profile of many artists, increasingly reflects the growing interest in Indigenous art
Thaddaeus Ropac expands to New York, with Emilio Steinberger at the helm
The Austrian gallery has hired a permanent senior director for its new project space in Manhattan
Saudi painter Safeya Binzagr outshines Picasso at Sotheby’s second sale in Diriyah
Having refined its strategy for the nascent market, the sale landed a $2.1m record for Binzagr but found less success for major Western names
American poet Stanley Moss's passion for Old Masters comes to the fore at Sotheby's
The acclaimed poet, who died in 2024, was “a unique figure" who combined collecting and selling art with writing and publishing literature
Museums & Heritage
Saudi Arabia looks to its Modern art history as the art world eyes up the Gulf
With the inaugural Art Basel opening in Qatar, and with Frieze in Abu Dhabi later this year, the Kingdom is looking to the past with its exhibitions and auctions
'Still young and going strong': Berlin's pioneering contemporary art space Hamburger Bahnhof turns 30
Born out of the merger of East and West Germany's collections, the institution, which propelled the careers of Anne Imhof and Tomás Saraceno among many others, is celebrating its birthday with a year-long programme of events and a star-studded gala
What the US’s removal of Nicolás Maduro means for Venezuela’s heritage
Longstanding preservation challenges are likely to be exacerbated by the current political instability
Acquisitions round-up: a 17ft sculpture by Anselm Kiefer, a $1.7m dinosaur skull, and a 17th-century genre painting
Our pick of the latest gifts and purchases to enter institutional collections worldwide
Guatemala’s Museo de Arte Colonial shut down by authorities
The court-ordered raid has resulted in the relocation of nearly 300 works of art, part of the nation’s premier colonial collection
Exhibitions
Five artists announced for India's Venice Biennale pavilion
Organised by curator Amin Jaffer, the selected artists all use organic materials traditional to India in their work
Vancouver Art Gallery show celebrates Emily Carr's affinity with nature
The Canadian painter is the subject of a major exhibition of her landscapes, inspired by British Columbia
Anish Kapoor to show some of his most ambitious projects—realised or not—in Venice
The exhibition of architectural models and sculptures at the artist's Cannaregio foundation will explore the less commercial side of his practice
Show unpacks legacy of polymath architect who restored Paris's Notre-Dame (the first time)
Eugène Viollet-le-Duc's epic 19th-century redesigns of the cathedral are a highlight of the exhibition at Bard Graduate Center in New York
Denmark exhibition invites visitors to come face to face with Basquiat’s ‘head’ works
Show at the Louisiana Museum of Modern Art presents early drawings of human heads that remained largely unseen during the artist’s lifetime
Art Basel Qatar
A focused look at the inaugural Art Basel Qatar (3-7 February) and the Gulf state's growing art scene
A Gerhard Richter pavilion and a new creative visa—Qatar’s Sheikha al-Mayassa reveals future plans
The pavilion—ten years in the making—is part of the upcoming Rubaiya Qatar quadrennial in November
Art Basel Qatar VIP day: fair’s debut encourages patience
The inaugural edition's unusual structure and focus on regional talent has garnered praise—but its reliance on state support raises existential questions
In pictures: Wael Shawky’s pick of Art Basel Qatar
The artistic director of the inaugural edition of the Doha-based fair talks us through his highlights
From a bakery pop-up to an I.M. Pei survey: the exhibitions to see in Doha during Art Basel Qatar
Several major shows are taking place in the city during the inaugural edition of the fair
Zona Maco
As Zona Maco (4-8 February) returns for its 22nd edition, we explore the fair and Mexico City Art Week
Mexico City's Zona Maco fair finds a ‘balance between continuity and renewal’
Ambitious programmes during the city’s Art Week span fairs, galleries, museums and pop-up spaces
Mexico City’s fairs give many artist-run spaces pride of place
Art fairs including Salón Acme, Clavo and Material offer various forms of support to alternative art spaces and artist-run projects spread across the country
Mexico City exhibition explores dynamic exchange between Americas and Southeast Asia
An exhibition marking 50 years of relations with Singapore is organised around the Philippines-Mexico galleon trade system
Pioneering sculptor Geles Cabrera’s Mexico City retrospective marks centennial
The exhibition at the Museo del Palacio de Bellas Artes traces the 99-year-old Mexican artist’s unique and dynamic approach to the human figure and highlights her work as a cultural organiser
Exhibitions to see during Mexico City Art Week
From audio-tape portraits to the mother-daughter relationship, we share some must-see shows
Lawh Wa Qalam: M.F. Husain Museum
One of India’s most revered artists, M.F. Husain, spent the last years of his life in Qatar. We take a look at his life and art, and go behind the scenes of the new museum that has been dedicated to him in Doha
New Doha museum celebrates M.F. Husain’s global legacy
Launched by Qatar Foundation, Lawh Wa Qalam: M. F. Husain Museum is dedicated to the restlessly energetic Indian artist, who spent his final years in Qatar working on an ambitious new body of work
How an artist's sketch was turned into a museum
The new Lawh Wa Qalam: M.F Husain museum in Doha is based on a sketch by the artist himself. We spoke to the architect Martand Khosla about how he translated the drawing into a functioning building
M.F. Husain in Qatar: bridging Asia and the Arab world
Lawh Wa Qalam: M.F. Husain Museum casts fresh light on Husain’s final years, tracing how his late work moved beyond borders
Six key works by M.F. Husain to see at Lawh Wa Qalam
Amita Shenoy, curatorial consultant to the brand-new Doha institution dedicated to work of M.F. Husain, picks out some highlights
Education, arts and heritage meet in Doha’s new museum
Lawh Wa Qalam: M.F. Husain Museum is a modern cultural learning space where visitors can explore the artist’s work but also engage with a new model for educational arts practice in Qatar
Books
How Martin Parr’s defining photobook made a splash 40 years ago
‘The Last Resort’, which will be republished later this year, is the subject of a new show at the late photographer’s foundation
‘The good, the bad and the ugly’: a short history of how artists depict the female body
The author Amy Dempsey talks about her new book exploring the tension between overexposure and invisibility
February Book Bag: from Tracey Emin’s conversations about painting to a catalogue of Lucian Freud’s drawings
Our round-up of the latest art publications
In loco parentis: new study tells the story of Florence’s ‘thrown-away’ children
Europe’s first foundling hospital, the Ospedale degli Innocenti, is examined afresh in a new book
‘I had all kinds of altercations’: the photographer who captures humanity at close quarters
A book celebrating the intimate street photography of Mark Cohen
The Year Ahead
Our pick of the shows to see in the world's great art cities in 2026
The exhibitions to visit in London, New York, Tokyo, Paris and Madrid
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.
Van Gogh and café culture: 'The absinthes and brandies would follow each other in quick succession'
A touring exhibition on Parisian cafés is opening in Denmark and then goes to America
Diary
David Beckham dutifully does the art rounds in Doha
Meanwhile film star Angelina Jolie also put in an appearance at Art Basel Qatar
Get your skates on: artist puts ice rink in Venice palazzo
Olaf Nicolai's "Eisfeld II" has taken up residence in an 18th-century banqueting hall
Want to win a €1m Picasso? Buy a €100 raffle ticket in painting prize draw
The draw is due to take place at Christie's Paris next April
Sweet Jesus—Trump auctions off a Christ painting made in ten minutes
Work was created live by Vanessa Horabuena at Mar-a-Lago New Year’s eve bash
Spirited art—Sharon Stone looks to the afterlife for her latest paintings
For her new Rogues Gallery series, the film star says she channelled spirits from across the centuries
Opinion
Museum wall texts are an art in their own right—but will they survive the digital age?
With shortened attention spans and constant technological distractions, some museums are getting rid of labels altogether
Comment | Tate Britain’s Turner and Constable show got me thinking about Marxist art history
On a recent trip to London, Bendor Grosvenor enjoyed the buzz of the Old Masters auctions but bemoaned Tate’s exhibition labels
In the age of AI, can art expertise be digitised?
Artificial intelligence attempts to offer objectivity in the inherently subjective field of authentication
Comment | We are living in an age of bad painting—the medium must be challenged to stay interesting
Painting may not be dead, but it may have become too comfortable
Let’s celebrate the new arrivals in the public domain, for auld lang syne
Copyright changes bring New Year cheer for fans of Léger, de Staël and Hepworth
Obituaries
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
Beatriz González, indefatigable force in Colombian art, has died, aged 93
One of the most important Latin American artists of the 20th century, she influenced the direction of post-war painting and helped shape Colombia’s museums as a curator, educator and mentor
Kathleen Goncharov, influential curator who helped many artists ‘realise their dreams’, has died aged 73
Alongside her work at organisations such as New York’s Just Above Midtown gallery and the Boca Raton Museum of Art in Florida, Goncharov was also an artist
Remembering Erik Bulatov, the Soviet artist who reframed propaganda
The pioneering painter was known for his luminous skies and loaded slogans on power, space and freedom
A brush with... podcast
A podcast that asks artists the questions you've always wanted to
A brush with… Luc Tuymans—podcast
Luc Tuymans talks to Ben Luke about his influences—from writers to musicians, film-makers and, of course, other artists—and the cultural experiences that have shaped his life and work




























































