WATER MILL, NY .-The Parrish Art Museum introduces Shirin Neshat: Born of Fire, the internationally renowned Iranian-born artist’s first solo museum exhibition in the New York area in 20 years and first ever on the East End of Long Island. Opening April 20, 2025, the exhibition provides a non-linear survey of Neshat’s artistic development through four significant bodies of work: Women of Allah (1993–97), The Book of Kings (2012), Land of Dreams (2019), and The Fury (2022–23). Presented together, these bodies of work trace the evolution of Neshat’s practice, exploring themes of female empowerment, political resistance, and displacement through photography, video, and film, and highlight her distinctive use of poetic imagery, calligraphy, and deep personal storytelling. The presentation also features a small gallery dedicated to Neshat’s private collection of work by fellow artists from the Middle East and friends, such ... More
Jin Nong, Landscape in Style of the Tang and Song Masters. Album of eight leaves, ink and colour on gold paper. Each leaf measures 19.5 × 13.8 cm. (7 3/4 × 5 1/2 in.) Estimate: HK$2,000,000-3,000,000.
HONG KONG.- Christie’s will begin its first Hong Kong Asian Art Week in 2025 with two carefully curated sales: Fine Chinese Classical Paintings and Calligraphy on 31 April, and Fine Chinese Modern and Contemporary Ink Paintings on 1 May. As the auction house of reference for prestigious collections worldwide, Christie’s Hong Kong will showcase fresh-to-market and rare artworks covering a wide range of subject matters and timeline from numerous exceptional private collections in the two Chinese Paintings auctions. These esteemed collections include selections from the Poon Family Collection, the collection of Singapore Bai Hong Lou Master Tan Keng Cheow, as well as properties formerly from the C. C. Wang Family Collection and the collection of Harold Wong; alongside two important Japanese collections of rare Chinese Classical paintings. Offering an extraordinary selection of over 300 remarkable and timeless ... More
Rare 1992 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles giant-size (14½in) Slam Dunkin’ Don hand-painted hardcopy prototype for Playmates action figure of Donatello. Sold above high estimate for $12,390
YORK, PA.- Hake’s March 25-26 auction of extraordinary rarities from across today’s most popular collecting categories rocketed to a lofty $2.2 million, with many new world records set along the way. Prior to the sale, Hake’s president, Alex Winter, had predicted the Star Wars original comic art would reach “a new level in the marketplace.” It did exactly that. The greatest prize in the comic book art category was Howard Chaykin’s (b. 1950-) original pen-and-ink page (Page 16) from Star Wars #1, the first of six issues in a series published by Marvel in July 1977 as a print adaptation of the film Star Wars: A New Hope. The page’s seven panels represented two pivotal scenes from the film, with Darth Vader appearing in four of them; and an immediately-recognizable vehicle, the Jawas’ Sand-Crawler, in another. Significantly, the comic book’s text closely paralleled the movie’s dialogue. Undeniably one of the most important examples of Star Wars art f ... More
Helene Schjerfbeck (Finnish, 1862‒1946). Self-Portrait, 1912. Oil on canvas, 17 1/8 × 16 1/2 in. (43.5 × 42 cm). Finnish National Gallery Collection, Ateneum Art Museum, Helsinki (A-2016-51). Photo: Finnish National Gallery / Yehia Eweis.
NEW YORK, NY.- Beloved in Nordic countries for her highly original style, Finnish painter Helene Schjerfbeck (1862–1946) is relatively unknown to the rest of the world. The Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Seeing Silence: The Paintings of Helene Schjerfbeck will be the first major exhibition in the United States dedicated to the artist’s work. Featuring nearly 60 works on canvas—including generous loans from the Finnish National Gallery / Ateneum Art Museum, other Finnish museums, and private collections in Finland and Sweden—the exhibition will be on view December 5, 2025, through April 5, 2026. Born in Helsinki, Schjerfbeck witnessed civil war and two World Wars as well as the burgeoning of Finland’s national identity following independence from Russian rule in 1917. Despite many personal hardships, Schjerfbeck never wavered in her determination to pursue her ... More
Juan Pantoja de la Cruz, Portrait of Prince Philip Emmanuel of Savoy, c. 1604. Oil on canvas, 111.5 x 89.5 cm. Acquired in 1994.
BILBAO.- The show, featuring 30 paintings and two sculptures, opened its doors after a highly successful stint at the Museum of Fine Arts of Seville, where it drew an impressive 115,808 visitors between December 2, 2024, and March 16th of this year. Curated by José Luis Merino Gorospe, the Bilbao Museum's own expert in Ancient Art, the exhibition offers a journey through four hundred years of Spanish artistic excellence. While the collection itself is a testament to the Bilbao Museum's strong holdings in Spanish art, this particular selection shines a light on portraiture and religious art – two significant genres of the period. However, visitors will also find compelling examples of still life and landscape paintings. The impressive lineup of artists includes iconic names like El Greco, whose "The Annunciation" is a key piece, alongside works by José de Ribera, Francisco de Zurbarán, with his notable "Saint Isabel of Hungary and Saint ... More
A piece of papyrus with Greek writing found by the excavation volunteers. Photography: Emil Aladjem, Israel Antiquities Authority.
JERUSALEM.- A huge 2200-year-old pyramidal structure with a way station beneath it – from the days of the Ptolemaic and Seleucid rulers— is now being unearthed in theJudean Desert, north of Nahal Zohar, by a joint Israel Antiquities Authority/Ministry of Heritage excavation, with volunteers from all over the country. Site findings so far include papyrus documents written in Greek, bronze coins of the Ptolemies and of Antiochus IV, weapons, wooden tools and fabrics. According to Matan Toledano, Dr. Eitan Klein and Amir Ganor, excavation directors on behalf of the Israel Antiquities Authority, “What we have here is one of the richest and most intriguing archaeological excavations ever found in the Judean Desert. This pyramidal structure we discovered is huge, and made of hand-hewn stones, each one weighing hundreds of kilograms. Already in the first excavation week, the volunteers found written historical documents, ... More
Kate Crawford. Photo: Niccolo Quaresima.
MILAN.- Fondazione Prada announces that Kate Crawford joined its Steering Committee, which operates in close contact with the President and Director Miuccia Prada, and the Fondazione’s team. Its main task is to identify the most stimulating research areas to develop multidisciplinary projects that resonate with contemporary cultural debates. Kate Crawford is an internationally leading scholar of AI and its impacts. She is a Professor at the University of Southern California in LA, a Senior Principal Researcher at MSR New York, and the inaugural visiting chair of AI and Justice at the École Normale Supérieure in Paris. She founded multiple research centers around the world, and leads the interdisciplinary lab called Knowing Machines. Her award-winning book, Atlas of AI, has been translated into twelve languages, won three international prizes, and was named a best book of the year by The Financial Times and New Scientist. She has advised policymakers in the White House, the European Parliament, ... More
LONDON.- Tate Britain presents the largest UK survey exhibition to date of Ed Atkins (b. Oxford, 1982). One of the most influential British artists working today, Atkins is best known for his computer-generated videos and animations. Repurposing contemporary technologies in unexpected ways, his work traces the dwindling gap between the digital world and human feeling. He borrows techniques from cinema, video games, literature, music and theatre to examine the relationship between reality, realism and fiction. This exhibition features moving image works from the last 15 years alongside writing, paintings, embroideries and drawings. In these works, the artist uses his own experiences, feelings and body as models to mediate between technology and themes of intimacy, love and loss. Together, they pit a weightless digital life against the physical world of heft, craft and touch. Repetition and difference act as a structural device throughout the show. Atkins splits artworks ... More
Lia D Castro, Frutos estranhos, 2017. Clay and rope, 23 X 16 X 10 c.
SAO PAULO.- Martins&Montero presents Passantes [Passersby], a new exhibition by artist Lia D Castro. The show features brand-new works and offers a critical re-examination of art history, challenging traditional notions of representation, inclusion, and identity. In her latest series, Castro departs from a symbolic gesture: purchasing still-life paintings and landscapes from antique shops, which she then transforms by adding painted male feet. These feet belong to men raised by women—mothers, aunts, grandmothers—in a matriarchal context. Castro also employs a visual twist by turning the paintings upside down, creating an optical counterpoint that invites viewers to see the works from a fresh perspective. This inversion suggests a reinterpretation of both the museum and art history, challenging what she calls the “colonial retina,” a term for the Eurocentric view that has long shaped the creation and reception of images. By incorporating these elements into traditional still-lif ... More
HONG KONG.- Following the announcement of the single-owner sale, “Ravishing Blue: Imperial Porcelains from an Important Private Collection”, Christie’s is proud to present “Important Chinese Ceramics and Works of Art”, a meticulously curated selection of nearly 150 rare Chinese ceramics and works of art. Ranging from ceramics and Imperial porcelains to Buddhist sculptures and classic Chinese huanghuali furniture, all with distinguished provenance, this live auction will take place on 2 May 2025, during Hong Kong Asian Art Week. Leading the sale is a fine and very rare pair of Yongzheng famille rose 'prunus and lingzhi' tea bowls from an important Asian private collection. These exquisite bowls, imbued with auspicious symbolism, display vibrant enamels and meticulous craftsmanship, epitomising the Yongzheng Emperor’s pursuit of aesthetic perfection. The pairing of the ... More
Pascale Marthine Tayou, Upside Down, 2025. Shirt, hangers and colored thread, 72 1/2 x 17 3/4 in.
SAO PAULO.- BRAZILISM is the first solo show by renowned Cameroonian artist Pascale Marthine Tayou in São Paulo - and his second exhibition with A Gentil Carioca, in collaboration with Galleria Continua. With new works, the show delves into the artist's multifaceted practice, creating a vibrant dialog between cultures and contexts. It also marks the artist's return to the city since his participation in the 25th São Paulo Biennial in 2002. Born in 1966 in Nkongsamba, Cameroon, Tayou lives and works between Ghent, Belgium, and Yaoundé, Cameroon. Renowned for his innovative and dynamic approach, his work builds bridges between civilizations and explores the ambiguous intersections between man and nature. His practice, marked by fluidity between different media, reflects on mobility, cultural exchanges and the complexities of identity. This exhibition continues her research into her African roots and the dynamics of the globalized world. With a career marked by participation in major international ev ... More
Diademed Stele from Alcántara (Cáceres). Photo: Museo de Cáceres.
MADRID.- A new exhibition has opened at the National Archaeological Museum (MAN) in Madrid, offering a fascinating glimpse into the history of the Extremadura region of Spain. Titled "Extremadura, a history engraved in stone," the exhibition presents a selection of significant archaeological finds, using stone artifacts to trace the area's story from the Chalcolithic period all the way to Late Antiquity. Following the successful launch of its "Archaeological News Room" with the "Faces of Turuñuelo" exhibition, the MAN continues to highlight recent discoveries with this new showcase. "Extremadura, a history engraved in stone," which opened on February 17th, 2025, is a collaborative effort involving the Institute of Cultural Heritage of Spain (IPCE) and the Regional Government of Extremadura. The exhibition features five key pieces, each telling a part of Extremadura's long and varied past. One of the highlights is a recently discovered verraco, a type of stone sculpture depicting an animal, fou ... More
MILAN.- Milan's Galleria d'Arte Moderna (GAM) is set to host the first major museum exhibition in the city dedicated to the work of internationally acclaimed Swiss artist Ugo Rondinone. Titled "ugo rondinone. terrone," the exhibition, curated by Caroline Corbetta, opens to the public tomorrow, Wednesday, April 2nd, and will run until July 6th, 2025. The show is a significant event for Milan's art scene, offering a unique opportunity to engage with Rondinone's thought-provoking creations. While Rondinone was born in Switzerland and has been based in New York for many years, this exhibition delves into his Italian heritage, specifically his family's origins in Matera. A central theme of the exhibition is Rondinone's dialogue with Giuseppe Pellizza da Volpedo's iconic painting "Il Quarto Stato" (The Fourth Estate), a powerful symbol of social struggle housed ... More
Quote Art is the most frenzied orgy man is capable of. Jean Dubuffet
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Martin Laforêt's "STUDIES" at Carpenters Workshop Gallery elevates everyday materials PARIS.- Carpenters Workshop Gallery Paris presents STUDIES, a new collection of work by French designer Martin Laforêt, whose search for self-expression is inspired by his interest in shapes and material combinations. Drawn to the domains of sculpture, industry and architecture, Laforêt seeks to elevate rudimentary building materials into fine artworks. The experimental STUDIES series comprises works made of lacquered wood that reflect Laforêt’s latest explorations of shape, scale and colour. Pieces like STUDY 2 RED evoke the architecture of urban spaces that can be both desolate and expansive. This expansive table embodies Laforêt’s interest in conferring new life and sensibility into ubiquitous imagery, materials and forms. Combining sculpture and painting, the new collection sees the artist embrace the spontaneity, pleasure and freedom of making. Complementing ... More
RM Sotheby's announces an exceptional collection of Mercedes-Benz icons LONDON.- RM Sotheby’s announced the addition of The Mirage Collection to its Shift Online: Europe and Middle East online-only sale set to take place from 23-28 April. Hailing from the United Arab Emirates, the collection boasts an incredible variety of exceptional Mercedes Benzes. Dwayne Fernandes, Car Specialist, Middle East, says; “We’re thrilled to offer this exceptional single-owner collection within our online sale in April. With such a remarkable breadth of Mercedes-Benzes, there really is something for everyone, with many of the cars being seldom offered to market.” Headlining the collection comes a 2007 Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren 722 Edition. Just 150 of these magnificent SLR McLarens were built to commemorate Stirling Moss’s iconic Mille Miglia 300 SLR ‘722’, with this example having been delivered new to Abu Dhabi. This striking ... More
And...action! Dwight Cleveland's legendary collection of rare movie posters realizes $1.45 million at Heritage DALLAS, TX.- On March 27-28, Heritage offered the cream of a world-renowned Chicago-based movie poster collection in a single-owner auction that proved that collector Dwight Cleveland’s acumen, enthusiasm and strategy of collecting cinema’s greatest movie posters — from Golden-Age Hollywood classics such as King Kong to the esoterica of international interpretations of familiar favorites like Cabaret and Barbarella, to one-of-a-kind lobby cards dating back to the early 1900s — has landed him at the top of the collector and philanthropic hierarchy. Cleveland’s storied collection, built over 50 years, landed $1,448,180 million over 540 lots with 1,561 bidders vying for a collection distinguished by a key factor: Cleveland collects his materials based on the seduction and impact of their imagery, artistry and history rather than the more usual practice of building a collection ... More
Broadside announcing martial law during 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre among headliners in Heritage's sale DALLAS, TX.- The racially fueled 1921 massacre in Tulsa remains the worst in American history. In a matter of hours, the once-prosperous Greenwood district, known locally as “Black Wall Street,” was reduced to ashes, leaving 300 or more dead, forcing between 6,000 and 10,000 residents to relocate and doing immeasurable damage to homes, businesses and property. Oklahoma officials declared martial law as part of the effort to restore order. More than a century later, a Broadside Announcing Martial Law During the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre will serve as a solemn reminder of the events when it is sold in Heritage’s April 25-26 Americana & Political Signature® Auction. The horrific events are believed to have been in response to an alleged — more than likely accidental — interaction between a Black man and a white woman in an elevator. Sensationalized ... More
Idris Khan's first solo show at Mennour explores motion and meaning PARIS.- Mennour is presenting its first solo exhibition of the Britishartist Idris Khan. In 1633, condemned by the Roman Inquisition for the heresy of heliocentrism, Galileo reluctantly allowed that the Earth, not the Sun, was the motionless body at the center of the universe. According to one account, as he was remanded to house arrest, he looked at the sky, stamped his foot on the Earth, and muttered E pur si muove: and yet it moves. A captivating quality of Idris Khan’s compositions is the way they simultaneously convey and capture the fugitive motion of thought and process, the way they sit still but shimmer with jittery possibility. They are stationary objects, intricate accumulations of the very elements from which meaning is constructed, and yet even at rest they refuse to be grasped. They are palpably impalpable, saturated with information and yet radically vacant. ... More
Julie Mehretu and BMW launch African Film and Media Arts Collective NEW YORK, NY.- “I wondered how I could make the Art Car a symbol and vocal archive for the immense artistic creativity of the African continent,” says Julie Mehretu, describing her ambition for designing the 20th BMW Art Car of the iconic collection. The American abstract painter, born in Ethiopia in 1970, first presented her artistically designed BMW M Hybrid V8 to the public at the Centre Pompidou in Paris in May 2024. After its race deployment in Le Mans a month later, this year marks the next chapter of the project in cooperation with the BMW Group: the African Film and Media Arts Collective (AFMAC). For the first time in the 50-year history of the BMW Art Car Collection, the artistic collaboration goes beyond the car as merely an object. The idea for the pan-African artist network was developed by Julie Mehretu together with her longtime friend, Mehret ... More
Turning Hollywood's past into a brighter future: A unique auction for a cause LOS ANGELES, CA.- In celebration of its 40th anniversary, the SAG-AFTRA Foundation is partnering with Heritage Auctions, the world’s largest collectibles auctioneer, to host a special two-day, free appraisal event on May 3-4, 2025, at the SAG-AFTRA Building in Los Angeles. SAG-AFTRA members, entertainment industry professionals and organizations, studios and networks are invited to discover the market value of their rare memorabilia and collectible items through a free, no-obligation appraisal by Heritage Auctions. For the event, Heritage will provide a team of world-renowned expert appraisers to evaluate items across more than 50 collectible categories. Those who wish to consign their items will have the opportunity to include them in The Actors Auction, a signature auction presented by Heritage Auctions later this year, which will reach collectors worldwide. ... More
Drawing dazzles in the heart of the city at Drawing Now Paris PARIS.- It was unanimously declared that this year, there was a significant step up in the quality of the fair through its attendance and the art on offer. A wealth of acquisitions and fruitful professional encounters took place in the general sector and the curated Insight and Process areas. While the overall number of visitors remained stable at around 18,000, the number of national and international collectors and representatives of major French and foreign institutions increased significantly. Despite the prevailing climate, Drawing Now Paris contributed to build up public and private collections. The 71 Parisian, regional and international galleries took particular care in their displays, often with works never shown before or even created especially for the fair. This innovative selection was sure to motivate collectors, art lovers, and curators alike. This 18th edition ... More
Philip Larratt-Smith Introduces Louise Bourgeois in Hong Kong
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Flashback
On a day like today, botanist and illustrator Maria Sibylla Merian was born
April 02, 1647. Maria Sibylla Merian (2 April 1647 - 13 January 1717) was a German-born naturalist and scientific illustrator, a descendant of the Frankfurt branch of the Swiss Merian family. Merian was one of the first naturalists to observe insects directly. In this image: Maria Sibylla Merian (German, 1647 - 1717), Dwarf Caiman and False Coral Snake from The Insects of Suriname, 1719. Hand-colored etching. 87.5 x 53 cm EX.2008.2.14. Universiteitsbibliotheek, Groningen, Netherlands, 699Z. Photo: Dirk Fennema, Haren (Netherlands).
