BEST?
Adrien Cheng to Build Seaside Art Mecca – The mega-collector is planning a $1.4 billion seaside art district in Shenzhen that’s the size of 50 football fields.
Sotheby’s Takes Singapore – The auction house will host its first sale in Singapore in 15 years in an effort to diversify clientele.
Vampire-Killing Kit Slays Estimate – A 19th-century vampire-hunting kit sold for a whopping $20,000, demolishing its estimate of $2,400.
The Fan Artist David Crosby Dissed – Artnet News spoke to the artist whose tribute portrait of singer David Crosby went viral online.
Art-Filled Beach Reads – We rounded up 16 new books featuring artists, heists, paintings, and more for your summer getaway.
Fourth Plinth Commission Announced – This fall, artist Samson Kambalu’s sculptures memorializing an African Baptist pastor will arrive in London.
A Buzzy Sale to Celebrate Space – A sale of astronaut Buzz Aldrin’s personal belongings will hit the block later this month, including the broken circuit breaker that could’ve derailed Apollo 11.
Italy Blocks Gentileschi Sale – Authorities prevented the sale of a $2 million Artemisia Gentileschi painting in Austria claiming the owners lied in order to export it.
Archaeologists Find “Lord of the Rings” Castle – Researchers working in Iraq found an ancient fortress they liken to a building out of the Tolkien series.
WORST?
Claes Oldenburg Has Died – The pop artist, who turned everyday objects into super-sized sculptural totems, died at the age of 93.
Documenta Head is Out – The director general of the quinquennial resigned amid an ongoing political scandal that has dogged this year’s event.
E.U. Museum Workers Feel the Heat – As record temperatures surge in Europe, workers are demanding new policies to keep them safe.
San Francisco’s Art Institute to Shutter – The 151-year-old school is closing after years of financial distress, but the fate of a famed mural hangs in the balance.
Sotheby’s Diamond Debacle – The auction house allowed a stranger to pick up $4 million worth of diamonds, and now a judge says Sotheby’s might be liable.
Koons Lawsuit Can Move Ahead – A sculptor is suing Jeff Koons for improperly using one of his works in the artist’s infamously explicit “Made in Heaven” series.
Officials Seize Picasso Sketch in Ibiza – An airline passenger tried to pass off a $460,000 work as a print, but was thwarted by police.