Plus, the European Commission initiates proceedings to strip funding from the Venice Biennale over Russia's participation.
Art Fairs
- Frank Lasry will join Frieze as chief operating officer starting in June. He has previously held leadership roles at Art Basel, Perrotin, and Christie’s.
- 1-54 Contemporary African Art Fair will return to New York for its 12th edition from May 13–17 at the Starrett-Lehigh Building, featuring over 20 exhibitors and a curated focus on Afro-Brazilian art.
Galleries
- Two London galleries are doubling down on real estate in the U.K. capital. Edel Assanti is opening a second 450-square-foot space in the city’s St. James’s area, at 11 Bury Street, opening in June with a show of paintings on quilts by American artist Lonnie Holley. The gallery’s 4,000-square-foot space in Fitzrovia, which it has occupied since 2022, will remain its main outpost. Meanwhile Emalin, founded in 2016, will relocate its headquarters to Clerkenwell, taking over a 5,000-square-foot Helmet Row pre-war factory recently vacated by Modern Art; the gallery will also keep its original space at the historic Clerk’s House in Shoreditch.
- New York’s 47 Canal will relocate to Chelsea, sharing a newly renovated space with Max Levai at 529 West 20th Street, where both galleries will run separate programs under one roof starting in fall 2026.
- After more than 20 years, Robilant+Voena is splitting into two independent galleries—Robilant and Voena—led by founders Edmondo di Robilant and Marco Voena, with their children Michele di Robilant, Edoardo Voena, and Virginia Voena stepping into senior leadership roles.
- Gladstone now represents the estate of Pope.L, London’s Pilar Corrias now reps Alexis Ralaivao in collaboration with Olney Gleason (New York), Karimah Ashadu has joined Berlin’s Trautwein Herleth, London’s Emalin has announced representation of Tolia Astakhishvili, and Galerie Poggi (Paris) has added Manuel Mathieu to its roster.
Museums and Institutions
- The Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundation has tapped Melissa Chiu to be the director of the Guggenheim Museum in New York. Chiu, a veteran institutional leader, has helmed the Smithsonian Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden in Washington, D.C. since 2014. (Artnet News)
- The National Gallery in London has tapped the Tokyo-based firm Kengo Kuma and Associates to design its major new “Project Domani” extension, a £350 million ($470 million) initiative slated to open in the early 2030s.
- The National Gallery also announced that it has hit its staff cost-cutting target through a voluntary redundancy scheme and hiring freeze, generating about £2 million ($2.7 million) in savings as it works to address an £8.2 million ($11 million) projected deficit for 2026/27. (Arts Professional)
- The Getty Center in Los Angeles will close for roughly a year, beginning in March 2027, as the campus undergoes what officials said is the most significant modernization in its almost 30-year history.
- Oluremi C. Onabanjo is now curator of the Metropolitan Museum’s department of photographs.
- Julia Kaganskiy has joined New York’s technology-focused arts non-profit Eyebeam as executive director.
Legal
- The European Commission has initiated formal proceedings to withdraw up to €2 million in funding from the Venice Biennale unless it reverses its decision to allow Russia’s participation, giving biennial organizers 30 days to respond. According to a statement, the loss of funding is at risk for the period up to 2028. (Der Standard)
- Greece has passed a new law specifically targeting art forgery, introducing stricter penalties, a registry of expert appraisers, and a dedicated art department within the culture ministry. The legislation also includes measures to protect cultural property and allows for the destruction of confirmed fakes. (The Art Newspaper)
RIP
- Christine Ruiz-Picasso, the driving force behind the Museo Picasso Málaga and widow of Pablo Picasso’s son Paul Ruiz-Picasso, has died at 97 in France. Alongside her son Bernard, she played a key role in establishing the museum, helping bring the artist’s legacy back to his birthplace.
- Los Angeles-based painter Celeste Dupuy-Spencer, known for her works that explored race and politics in America, has died aged 46. (ARTnews)
- German artist Thomas Zipp, known for his punk-inspired reflections on history, has died at 60. (ArtReview)
- The Norwegian sculptor and painter Siri Aurdal has died aged 88.
13 April 2026
