From Artist Pak’s Freakish New Auction Record to Chaos at the Havana Biennial: The Best and Worst of the Art World This Week

Get caught up on the week's art news, fast.

Pak's Mass Banner. Courtesy Nifty Gateway.

BEST?

Simon Leigh’s Next Act – Superstar artist Simone Leigh revealed her plans for the U.S. pavilion at next year’s Venice Biennale.

Miami Madness – The Art Angle podcast looks back on a week of art fairs in Miami through the eyes of Annie Armstrong, Artnet’s Wet Paint columnist.      

A New Record (of Some Kind) – NFT superstar Pak became, by one measure, the most expensive living artist of all time when some 28,000 buyers bought 266,445 units of a single digital artwork, raising $91.8 million.

New Art, New Problems – Katya Kazakina investigates the new problems of showing and preserving digital art that can be changed by an artist at any time.

So Long, Sacklers – Following scandals and protests, the Sackler family has agreed to have its name removed from the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s galleries.

Medical Miracle – Nigerian medical illustrator Chidiebere Ibe has gone viral for his images depicting the human body using Black figures.

The Artists’ Artists – A bevy of creators answer the questions: which artists are overrated, and which are underrated?

The Power of the Rose – Huntington rose garden curator Tom Carruth on why roses are like no other flower.

A Powerful Voice – Melissa Smith profiles Jamilah Sabur, the Jamaica-born artist whose work is a highlight of the Prospect New Orleans triennial.

The Power of Mentors – Cat Manson talks about the importance of mentorship in leveling the playing field in the arts.

A New Blue – Pantone has named its Color of the Year, and it’s… something else.

 

WORST?

A Perplexing Power List – Ben Davis looks at ArtReview’s recent Power 100 ranking of the most influential people in art—and scratches his head in confusion.

Confusion in Cuba – The Havana Biennal’s opening has been overshadowed by the protests around it, with a dozen artists listed in the show actually pulling out.

Collector Gets Punished – Former hedge-funder Michael Steinhardt got an unprecedented lifetime ban on acquiring antiquities.

Rosa Caught – Artist Christian Rosa, accused of selling fake Raymond Pettibon works, was arrested by authorities in Portugal.

Omnicron and Art – How will the new variant affect the art world? Tim Schneider hazards a guess.


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