Art

A Spanish man found himself in handcuffs in Madrid, all because of a botched attempt to sell a fake Leonardo da Vinci painting, as reported by The Guardian. His downfall began two years ago when French customs agents near the Italian border in Modane caught wind of something fishy: an expired export license. The man was on his way to offload the counterfeit Leonardo for €1.3 million EUR (approx. $1.4 million USD) to a buyer in Milan. The expired license was legit, but its date raised red flags. French authorities seized the artwork, which depicted Gian Giacomo Trivulzio, an Italian military commander. The case was then passed to Spain’s Policía Nacional in 2022, leading to the man’s arrest on smuggling charges. Experts at the Museo Nacional del Prado in Madrid later confirmed the painting’...

Banksy has seemingly wrapped up his week-long, fan-dubbed 'London Zoo' series with two final surprises over the weekend. On Saturday, a wild cat stretched across an abandoned billboard in Cricklewood, and on Sunday, a police box in London’s financial district transformed into a tank of bloodthirsty piranhas. Finally, the elusive artist revealed the meaning behind these works as explained in a new report by Artnet.Each day last week, Banksy dropped a new black silhouette of an animal in various locations across London. A goat appeared in Richmond on Monday, two elephants in Chelsea on Tuesday, three monkeys on a Brick Lane overpass on Wednesday, a howling wolf on a satellite dish in Peckham on Thursday, and two hungry pelicans perched atop a fish bar in Walthamstow on Friday. View this post...

Christie’s is set to auction the photography collection of Trevor Traina, former U.S. ambassador to Austria, on October 3 in New York. The sale features works from postwar and contemporary masters like Diane Arbus, William Eggleston, Robert Frank, Nan Goldin, and Cindy Sherman, with estimates reaching up to $2.8 million. Eggleston’s Greenwood, Mississippi (Red Ceiling) 1973 alone could fetch up to $300,000 USD.Traina, a San Francisco native and tech entrepreneur, started his career as a brand manager at Seagram’s before shifting to the art world, where he advised San Francisco’s Fine Arts Museums and UC Berkeley’s Haas School of Business. Nominated as ambassador by Donald Trump, Traina's collection traces the evolution of photography from documentary roots to a recognized contemporary art ...

Diesel Art Gallery is currently hosting an exhibition by the Tom of Finland Foundation entitled 'FORTY YEARS OF PRIDE' On view through August 14 at the Tokyo outpost, this show is part of the 2024 Diesel x Tom of Finland Foundation Pride program, marking four decades of the Foundation’s influence on LGBTQ+ art.Tom of Finland, known for his bold depictions of muscular, free-spirited men, shattered social norms and empowered the LGBTQ+ community worldwide. His work also shaped the lives and art of icons like Freddie Mercury, Andy Warhol, and Jean-Paul Gaultier. The exhibition features not only Tom’s iconic works but also a virtual reality experience that immerses visitors in his world.This is the third year Diesel has collaborated with the Tom of Finland Foundation for Pride, expanding their...

Empty Gallery presents Apologies and Other Regrets, James T. Hong's latest solo show. Known for his intense films that blend experimental, documentary, and essay styles, Hong delves into heavy topics like class, race, and historical trauma, particularly in America and East Asia.On the 19th floor, Hong’s film Apologies (2012-ongoing) is shown in a three-channel format. It’s a deep dive into the modern political apology, blending broadcast footage of world leaders, from Willy Brandt to those addressing indigenous land seizures. The film is like a twisted compilation of “greatest hits,” where the smooth veneer of diplomacy cracks, revealing the tension between script and performance.Downstairs, Hong’s sculptures Stabbed In The Back contrast fantasy with brutality, featuring fake rocks pierced...

Colm Dillane founded KidSuper on the foundational concept of the integration of fashion and art, still to this day hand-painting the artwork imprinted on KidSuper's apparel. Dillane also draws heavily from the music scene to inform KidSuper's ethos, staying tapped in to the music scene and consistently soundtracking his runways with solid curated playlists or live music; Dillane's love of both music and art make his latest venture – a one-of-one oil painting made in collaboration with Dead & Company – a pristinely crafted passion project.Dillane's captivating painting is aptly dubbed "Touch of Color" – which is presumably a nod to the band's "Touch of Gray" – and envisions the legacy of The Dead through his distinct artistic lens. The piece also pictures motifs from other songs includi...

Banksy’s latest artwork, a stencil of a howling wolf painted on a satellite dish in Peckham, was stolen just hours after it was revealed in London as per a report by The Guardian. This piece is part of a new animal-themed series that has appeared across the city this week, stirring excitement and speculation.The elusive Bristol-based artist shared the series on Instagram, where fans quickly spotted the new works. The first piece, located near Kew Bridge, shows a goat precariously balanced on a ledge with rocks tumbling below, watched by a nearby CCTV camera. In Chelsea, Banksy added another work featuring silhouettes of two elephants with their trunks intertwined, painted on the blocked-out windows of a house. A third piece, near Brick Lane, depicts a trio of monkeys swinging across a brid...

Yayoi Kusama’s latest public sculpture has just landed outside London’s bustling Liverpool Street station in London. The piece, titled 'Infinite Accumulation,' is a swirling mass of metallic orbs on twisting wires—a new spin on her iconic polka dot theme."London is a city of constant movement and diverse cultures," Kusama said to Artnet, describing her inspiration. "The spheres represent individual personalities, while the curving lines suggest an underlying social fabric."The sculpture, which stands 33 feet tall and spans 40 feet wide, now marks the eastern entrance to the Elizabeth Line, a recently opened section of the Tube. This work is part of a series of public art installations commissioned to celebrate the new line, alongside pieces by Chantal Joffe and Douglas Gordon. Commissioned...

A ransomware attack has hit the central data systems across approximately 40 museums in France, according to the Associated Press (AP). The cyberattack, identified on Sunday, affected notable institutions including the Grand Palais, which is currently hosting fencing and taekwondo competitions, and the Château de Versailles, where equestrian sports and modern pentathlon events are taking place as part of the 2024 Paris Olympics. Both are part of the Réunion des Musées Nationaux (RMN) network, as confirmed by the Paris prosecutor's office in a statement on Tuesday.Ransomware is malicious software designed to make data inaccessible by encrypting files on a victim's system. After an attack, perpetrators typically demand a ransom in exchange for a decryption key. If the ransom is paid, the vic...

Sprüth Magers is presenting 'The Perversion of the Visual,' an essential exhibition showcasing Gretchen Bender’s work until August 10, 2024.Bender, a key figure from the 1980s New York art scene, ripped into the sanitized world of TV, predicting today’s screen-obsessed culture. This is her second show with Sprüth Magers and her first in LA since 1989, spotlighting her fight against the glossed-over horrors and violence in media. In 1984, Bender shifted her focus to the corporate media landscape, dissecting cultural lies and anxieties using cutting-edge tech. She moved from silkscreens to multi-screen video setups, creating works like "Unprotected," "Wild Dead," and the thirteen-monitor "Dumping Core."One highlight in the exhibition is "Dumping Core" which blends computer animations, corpor...

Allison Saar, represented by L.A. Louver in Los Angeles, has unveiled her latest work, Salon, as part of the Olympic Art Visions initiative for the 2024 Paris Olympics. Inspired by the original concept of the Olympics as a gathering for athletes to compete and share ideas of excellence and compassion, Saar aimed to create a sculpture that fosters community and interaction. Selected by an advisory board composed of representatives from the International Olympic Committee (IOC), City of Paris officials, and international art community members, Saar was chosen for her commitment to Olympic values and the vision of Paris 2024. "I wished to create a sculpture that was less a monument and more about creating a space where visitors could gather, make friends, and share ideas, music, poetry, and ...