From the Art-Inspired Looks at the Met Gala to a $3 Million Sculpture of Avocado Toast: The Best and Worst of the Art World This Week

Catch up on this week's news, fast.

Dan Levy at the Met Gala. Photo by Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images for The Met Museum/Vogue

BEST?

The Met Meets American Fashion – The long-awaited Met Gala took place in September this year, and we’ve got all the celeb-art lookalikes from the red carpet.

Art History Prof Makes Mega Discovery – An art history professor visiting a church in Westchester spotted a canvas that is now being hailed as a rare Italian Baroque painting.

Philadelphia Museum Carries Out Czech Restitution – The Philadelphia Museum is returning a looted ancient “pageant shield” to the Czech Republic.

A Triumph at the Arc de Triomphe – The Parisian landmark has been swathed in fabric, fulfilling the posthumous dream of artists Christo and Jeanne-Claude.

Judd Foundation Jumps Ship – In a major market merry-go-round move, the Donald Judd foundation has left David Zwirner for Gagosian Gallery.

Porcelains Shatter Estimates – A Sotheby’s auction of restituted Meissen porcelain far exceeded expectations, raking in $15 million.

Germany Gives Aid – As part of a $35 million aid package, cultural institutions will now get help in recovering from the summer’s historic floods.

White Male for Sale at Christie’s – Artist Dread Scott is selling video art as an NFT depicting a white man on a slave auction block.

Stonehenge Gets a Makeover – For the first time in decades, Stonehenge will undergo a major restoration of toppled and cracked stones.

WORST?

Outcry Squashes Indigenous Women Statue – Artist Pedro Reyes has stepped away from a project to replace a Christopher Columbus statue with one of Indigenous Women after activists said a woman should have the job.

You Can Buy a $3 Million Avocado Sculpture – An artist is selling a gilded sculpture of avocado toast, a symbol of the millennial lifestyle, for $2.9 million.

Beeple Gets the Immersive Art Treatment – Beeple’s $69 million NFT artwork is set to star in an immersive experience—with a whopping $150 entrance fee.

History Sold to the Highest Bidder – An Osage cave containing prehistoric art was sold for $2.2 million at auction, in a “heartbreaking” act.

Things Are Getting Odd With the Bored Ape Yacht Club – Ben Davis looks at the Bored Ape Yacht Club phenomenon, which is producing weirder and weirder spin-offs.


Follow Artnet News on Facebook:


Want to stay ahead of the art world? Subscribe to our newsletter to get the breaking news, eye-opening interviews, and incisive critical takes that drive the conversation forward.