BEST?
Auction Antics – Anonymous street artist Banksy executed a masterful prank at Sotheby’s London outpost when one of his works for sale began to self-destruct in the midst of bidding.
A New Banksy Is Born – To cap off Banksy’s week-long news bonanza, Sotheby’s announced that the half-shredded Girl with Balloon is now a wholly new work, renamed Love Is in the Bin. The house’s marketing machine breathlessly claimed to have sold the “first work in history ever created during a live auction.”
Costume Institute to Celebrate Camp – Fresh off the heels of its record-breaking Costume Institute show, “Heavenly Bodies,” the Met announced next year’s theme: Camp Fashion. Celebrity hosts include Lady Gaga and Harry Styles, and the exhibition will be informed largely by Susan Sontag’s essay on the subject.
Potter Pandemonium – The New-York Historical Society is transformed into a pantheon of ephemera from the wizarding world of Harry Potter.
Hundreds of Nazi-Looted Works Discovered – An investigation into 42 Dutch art institutions has revealed 170 artworks stolen or confiscated during the height of the Nazi era. The museums are beginning the long process of restitution, and have already succeeded in returning works with tainted provenance to their rightful owners.
Dressed to Impress – The annual rundown of dapper dressers from Vanity Fair included art-world heavyweights like Yayoi Kusama, David Hockney, and David Adjaye.
WORST?
Monument Missteps – Artist Olu Oguibe’s Monument for Strangers and Refugees, installed in the city of Kassel for documenta 14, will be moved out of a central town square, according to the German city’s mayor. Members of the right-wing AfD party successfully pressured the city to remove the work, despite the public outcry claiming its removal sanctions intolerance.
Meier After #MeToo – The celebrated architect Richard Meier will step back indefinitely from his namesake firm. Meier’s fall from grace began earlier this year in the wake of multiple allegations of sexual harassment.
More Lectures From Kanye – Rapper Kanye West made an impromptu guest appearance an art school in Detroit, delivering a rant on design innovation that ended with a call for everyone to leave Elon Musk alone.
A Rosy Ending for Koons’s Tulips – The artist and Paris officials have finally decided on a site for the controversial Bouquet of Tulips sculpture. The cartoonish tulip sculpture Koons created to honor terror victims was widely criticized for its tone-deaf message and its original proposed location, which would have impeded a public square.
Tax Reforms Could Hurt France’s Culture – Corporate philanthropies may be in peril as France debates changes for the country’s tax plans. Cultural institutions worry that even conservative changes to the laws could affect donations.