April 24, 2026
Your morning brew of art world media
Welcome to Art Spell, a daily, comprehensive roundup of art news and reviews for the visual arts community. Today’s Editor’s Pick is Comment | Artnet-Artsy merger: ‘a Bloomberg for art?’ by Georgina Adam for The Art Newspaper. Adam argues the Artnet–Artsy merger could form a powerful art data platform, but doubts remain about its profitability and long-term viability.
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Jennifer Krasinski, Grandma Moses
Airmail
From the Editors, Maurizio Cattelan’s Guide to Milan
The Art Newspaper
Jori Finkel, The Big Review | Lacma’s David Geffen Galleries ★★★★
Garry Shaw, Recently excavated ancient Maya hall may reflect early power-sharing among leaders
Hadani Ditmars, Vancouver Biennale names senior curator for 2027-29 edition
Gareth Harris, Sonic investigations non-profit to be artist-in-residence at London’s Gasworks
Anna Brady, Art Basel’s solution to PDF pre-sales? Ask galleries to reserve works until opening day
EDITOR’S PICK - Georgina Adam, Comment | Artnet-Artsy merger: ‘a Bloomberg for art?’: Initial cost-cutting measures have seen some excellent journalists laid off—will new owner Andrew Wolff manage to turn the business around?
Martin Bailey, The village where Van Gogh spent his final days celebrates its most distinguished visitor
Artforum
Bryan Barcena, “Bellinis at the world’s largest beach house”: Touring the new LACMA
Horace D. Ballard, Bronze Carnivores: How Confederate Monuments Disfigure the Present
Littal Melnik, “Out of the Shadows”: Lionel Wendt’s Photographs of Desire and Distance
From the Editors, Yves Saint Laurent–Owned Mirrors Shatter Record, Selling for $33.5 Million
From the Editors, Thiago de Paula Souza Appointed Curator of Eighth Athens Biennale
From the Editors, Nations Charged With Crimes Against Humanity Will Not Be Considered for Venice Biennale Awards
From the Editors, Turner Prize 2026 Shortlist Announced, Drawing Fire from Critics
Artnet
Min Chen, Harmony Korine Makes Sense of His Shape-Shifting Art: ‘It’s Really One Whole Work’
Min Chen, Thom Yorke and Stanley Donwood Plot a Mysterious Art Show in Venice
Vittoria Benzine, Here Are the Artists on the 2026 Turner Prize Shortlist
Richard Whiddington, Refik Anadol’s Dataland Museum Sets an Opening Date
Richard Whiddington, Christo and Jeanne-Claude’s Iconic California Installation Returns in a Museum Show
Vittoria Benzine, Philadelphia’s New Art Fair Is Betting Big on Community
Sonia Manalili and Ben Davis, Re-Air: The Young Painter Curators Are Rushing to Work With
ARTnews
Tessa Solomon, Taiwan Revokes National Art Prize from Sakuliu Pavavaljung After Sexual Assault Conviction
Brian Boucher, Collector Justin Sun Sues Trump’s Memecoin Company, World Liberty Financial
Tessa Solomon, World Press Photo of the Year Depicts a Family Torn Apart by ICE
Andrew Russeth, What Is the Venice Biennale? Everything You Need to Know
Andy Battaglia, Edvard Munch Paintings for a Chocolate Factory Go on View in Norway
Maximilíano Durón, Ai Weiwei to Reenact His Own Detention in 24-Hour Performance in Manchester
Leigh Anne Miller, Dartmouth Students Turn to Moldy Beef Jerky Installation in Renewed Bid to Remove Leon Black’s Name from Arts Center
Harrison Jacobs, Berlin Modern Museum Delayed Again as Moisture Damage Pushes Opening to 2030
Alex Greenberger, The Turner Prize Has Revealed Its 2026 Nominees—and Already Courted Controversy
Maximilíano Durón, Gladstone Gallery to Relocate in Seoul, Doubling Exhibition Space
Maximilíano Durón, Art Basel’s Swiss Fair Will Include a New Initiative Where Galleries Will Withhold Works from Their PDF Previews
ArtReview
Sam Jacob, Long Live the King?
Max Crosbie-Jones, What Can the New Dib Bangkok Do for Thai Art?
From the Editors, Thiago de Paula Souza to curate Athens Biennale
Frieze
From the Editors, The Best Shows to See Across the UK Right Now
From the Editors, Frieze Prize Winners at the 2026 Venice Biennale
Nohemí Pérez and Livia Russell, Work in Progress: Nohemí Pérez
The Guardian
Chloë Ashby, Handpicked review – delightful dancing dahlias and petals so pillowy you can feel them
Angela Giuffrida, Venice Biennale jury ‘will not award artists from countries facing war crimes charges’
Eddy Frankel, Shreg the green ogre, a grey obsessive and Vermeer’s boiled egg – the week in art
Hyperallergic
Valentina Di Liscia, Art Movements: Meet the Smithsonian American Art Museum’s New Director
Hrag Vartanian, Hyperallergic’s Guide to the 2026 Venice Biennale
Randa Jumean, Image of Family Torn by ICE Wins World Press Photo of the Year
Phillip Pyle, Ides Kihlen, Abstract Painter and Argentine Art Legend, Dies at 108
Rhea Nayyar, Venice Biennale Awards Jury Won’t Consider Russia and Israel
Rhea Nayyar, Azerbaijan Destroys Armenian Holy Mother of God Church in Artsakh
The New York Times
Scott Reyburn, This ‘Sustainable’ Island Is Venice’s Newest Art Oasis
Observer
Dan Duray, One Fine Show: “Lucas Samaras – Sitting, Standing, Walking, Looking” at the Art Institute of Chicago
Elisa Carollo, In an Age of Image Overload, AIPAD’s The Photography Show Reminds Us What a Photograph Can Do
Elisa Carollo, In Chelsea, 47 Canal and Max Levai Are Betting On Collaboration
Christa Terry, A Museum-Quality Pink Gold Patek Philippe Reference 1518 Will Hit the Block This June
T Magazine
Rose Corteau, The Artist Making Work About Sweat, Ghosts and the Rivers of Pittsburgh
Urgent Matter
Adam Schrader, With ‘freedom of speech under attack,’ nonprofit urges artists to take political action
Vogue
Hannah Jackson, Nobody Loved an Art Reference More Than Yves Saint Laurent
The Wall Street Journal
James R. Hagerty, Kurt Gitter, an Eye Surgeon Who Became Obsessed With Japanese Art, Dies at Age 89
Art Spell is a subscription-based daily roundup of art news and reviews to help you stay current with what’s being reported on in the visual arts community. The profits from Art Spell are donated to organizations supporting art journalists and writers.