BEST?

Beyond the Biennale – Outside Venice’s Giardini and Arsenale, there are more than 20 major exhibitions of artists taking over the Floating City.

Christie’s Forges New Shipping Routes – The auction house is teaming up with shipping company Crozier to open sea freight routes and ease supply chain snags.

Painting of Half-Eaten Pie Worth Millions – A painting languishing at a school in Australia turned out to be a Dutch masterpiece worth millions. 

A Small Jackson Pollock Could Fetch Big Bucks – One of the smallest canvases by the Abstract Expressionist is poised to become one of his most expensive.

The Business of Basquiat – If you don’t have an extra few million to buy a painting, we’ve laid out all of the collaborations featuring the late artist’s work.

Simone Leigh Goes on Tour – The artist’s acclaimed takeover of the U.S. Pavilion in Venice will tour museums across the United States beginning in 2023.

Viva the Venice Biennale – The so-called “art world Olympics” opened this week, and we have a primer on Cecilia Alemani’s main exhibition, “The Milk of Dreams.”

A New Art Festival Sets Its Sights on Arkansas – Curators are organizing a major art and music festival in Bentonville that they hope could be the next Coachella.

Insider Insights for Navigating Venice – From packing must-haves to hidden eateries, plus what to do outside the Biennale, we crowdsourced lists for all your questions.

Beloved Ukrainian Artist Makes a Cameo – After a museum in Ukraine dedicated to the late artist Maria Prymachenko was destroyed, her colorful work popped up in Venice.

Supreme Court Sends Restitution Case Back – A Supreme Court case involving a Pissarro painting looted by Nazis has been referred to state, instead of federal, court.

WORST?

Hermann Nitsch Has Died – The provocative Viennese Actionist, who used bodily fluids to make works that probed themes of religion, war, and philosophy, died at age 83.

Francis Bacon’s Friend Snubs Tate – The former handyman and friend to Francis Bacon was going to donate his trove of work to Tate, but has opted to give it to France instead.

M+ Removes Three Paintings – The Hong Kong museum removed three politically-themed paintings as Beijing continues to crackdown on its freedoms.

Tiki Decor Purveyor Mounts Fire Sale – The largest seller of tiki-themed objects is going out of business and hundreds of items are hitting the auction block.