Auctions A Painting by Élisabeth-Louise Vigée Le Brun Sold for $7.2 Million at Sotheby’s, a New Record for a Female Artist From Before the Modern Era The artist's work led Sotheby's Master Paintings evening sale in New York, with a little pre-sale help from Victoria Beckham. By Kate Brown, Jan 31, 2019
Law & Politics A Banksy Mural Dedicated to Victims of the Paris Terrorist Attacks Was Stolen From the Bataclan Theater The image of a veiled figure appeared on the theater's exit door last June. By Kate Brown, Jan 28, 2019
Law & Politics Police Seize Cliché Mountain Paintings by ‘A. Hitler’ From a Berlin Auction House, Saying They’re Fakes Authorities say the watercolors may be forgeries. By Kate Brown, Jan 25, 2019
Politics ‘The Idea Is Not to Empty Museums’: Authors of France’s Blockbuster Restitution Report Say Their Work Has Been Misrepresented Felwine Sarr and Bénédicte Savoy say the media misunderstood their argument and oversimplified their ideas. By Kate Brown, Jan 24, 2019
Art Fairs Elite International Galleries Sign Up for Milan’s Art Fair for the First Time Despite Rising Nationalist Sentiment The 2019 edition of miart welcomes heavyweight galleries Hauser & Wirth, Marian Goodman Gallery, and Galerie Thaddaeus Ropac for the first time. By Kate Brown, Jan 23, 2019
On View The Bauhaus Did Ballet? See the Surreal Costumes From the German Design School’s Little-Known Performance Germany's riotous 100th birthday celebration for the Bauhaus begins with the restating of a 1922 ballet. By Kate Brown, Jan 22, 2019
Art World A Polish Billionaire Carved Out a Mountain in Switzerland to Build a New Museum Grażyna Kulczyk has opened her ambitious new institution in a small town of around 200 villagers. By Kate Brown, Jan 21, 2019
Art & Exhibitions ‘I Knew People Would Hate This Exhibition’: A Museum Show About Kanye West in Zurich Stirs the Pot Photographer He-Ji Shin says her latest show is about taking a stand against politically correct culture. By Kate Brown, Jan 18, 2019
Market Art Stage Singapore Is Canceled One Week Before Opening, Leaving Exhibitors Wondering Why In an email to exhibitors, the fair’s president blamed “given circumstances,” which have yet to be revealed to exhibitors or the fair’s director. By Kate Brown, Jan 16, 2019
People Meet Kris Lemsalu, the Eccentrically Costumed Artist Who Will ‘Give Birth to a World of Shamanic Force’ at the Venice Biennale Lemsalu will team up with friends, including the artist Sarah Lucas, to create her own world on a Venetian island. By Kate Brown, Jan 16, 2019
Law & Politics Skateboarding Thieves Stole a Giant $4 Million Coin From a Berlin Museum. Now a Trial Begins—But the Coin’s Still Missing The gang is accused of stealing the giant coin, smashing its bulletproof showcase and escaping using a skateboard and a wheelbarrow. By Kate Brown, Jan 10, 2019
People ‘I Feel Robbed’: Adrian Piper Speaks Out After the Haus Der Kunst Cancels Her Retrospective A show by German painter Markus Lüpertz replaces planned exhibitions by Piper and Joan Jonas. By Kate Brown, Jan 9, 2019
Politics It Turns Out That the Gurlitt Trove May Not Be the Kunstmuseum Bern’s Only Gift That Is Tainted by Nazi Loot The Swiss museum is investigating Modern masterpieces given by the art dealer George F. Keller whose business partner collaborated with the Nazis. By Kate Brown, Jan 7, 2019
Politics A Russian Filmmaker’s Plan to Recreate the Berlin Wall Was Scuttled in Germany. Now, It Will Make Its Debut in Paris The controversial installation will take over two historic theaters in Paris this month—and visitors will need visas to enter. By Kate Brown, Jan 4, 2019
Art & Exhibitions ‘Maybe the Human Thing Is Over’: Why Artist Julia Scher Has Revived Her Disturbingly Prescient ’90s Techno-Dystopia The artist's acclaimed 1998 installation imagined a dark technological future. Its recreation in Berlin now asks, has it arrived? By Kate Brown, Jan 3, 2019