Exhibitions and Artists
This year, we have witnessed museum shows dedicated to old masters.
Semiha Berksoy at Hamburger Bahnhof
Hamburger Bahnhof – Museum of Contemporary Art held the first major exhibition in Germany about Turkish painter and opera singer Semiha Berksoy (1910–2004).
The exhibition, prepared over 16 years, shows Berksoy’s strong connection to Berlin and focuses on how her passions came together. It highlights her unique and bold style of painting. The display also explores key themes in her work, such as her relationship with her painter mother, Fatma Saime, her connection to poet Nâzım Hikmet, her famous opera roles, and the important places and events that shaped her career.
Caspar David Friendrich ‘s 250th anniversary
To celebrate the 250th anniversary of Caspar David Friedrich’s birth in 2024, the Metropolitan Museum of Art is hosting Caspar David Friedrich: The Soul of Nature, the first major exhibition in the United States dedicated to the artist.
The exhibition is organized in collaboration with the Alte Nationalgalerie of the Staatliche Museen zu Berlin, the Staatliche Kunstsammlungen Dresden, and the Hamburger Kunsthalle. It includes loans from over 30 institutions across Europe and North America and features around 75 works by Friedrich, such as oil paintings, finished drawings, and sketches, alongside selected works by his contemporaries.
Jenny Holzer at Guggenheim NY
Jenny Holzer’s solo exhibition, Jenny Holzer: Light Line, is currently on display at the Guggenheim New York, where the artist reimagines her iconic 1989 artwork.
Almost 35 years ago, Holzer created a spiraling LED installation for the Guggenheim Museum, and now her landmark piece returns. The new installation once again spans the museum’s Frank Lloyd Wright-designed rotunda, ascending all six ramps to the building’s oculus, realizing the artist’s initial concept.
This time, Holzer has expanded her approach by turning the entire museum into an installation, placing works in surprising locations such as outdoor planters and even a restroom. Holzer tackles urgent social issues, including climate justice, women’s rights, corruption, and war.
Banksy Everywhere
Banksy, who has been active in street art since the 1990s, is regarded as one of the most legendary and unconventional figures in the art world due to his critical approach to issues such as anti-war, animal rights, and current global problems.
This year, his name gained significant attention as he left several new works, some of which were stolen and later recovered.
One of his wall paintings, Holywell Row Happy Helicopters, created in 2006, had remained hidden under black paint for years. Discovered in 2020, it took a year to restore the piece, and now it is being auctioned. The wall painting, displayed on a stand with eight pieces assembled, depicts three large Apache attack helicopters decorated with pink ribbons, a recurring motif in Banksy’s works, and bears his stenciled signature. The restored Banksy artwork, with an estimated price range of £500,000 to £700,000, will be offered for sale at Anderson & Garland’s Spring Country House & Fine Interiors Auction on March 20.
On the night of March 17, a new mural appeared in North London. Speculations about the artist’s identity circulated as people gathered in front of the building to view the artwork. On March 18, Banksy revealed that the mural was his by sharing before-and-after images on his Instagram account. The piece shows a green figure spraying green paint onto a wall with a pressure spray gun, standing in front of a building with a dried and pruned tree. The “green” color and the March 17 appearance sparked debates about whether the mural was created for Saint Patrick’s Day or to raise awareness about the climate crisis.
Banksy also confirmed a piece in the Richmond area of London. The mural depicts a goat perched on a protruding ledge, with rolling stones beneath it to highlight the danger of the position. A real security camera is pointed directly at the goat. Some speculated that the goat represented humanity, which is “on the brink of extinction.” Others interpreted the inclusion of the security camera as a statement about the lack of privacy, even in the most hidden places, with one follower writing, “The security camera certainly represents watching the collapse of our world.”
The day after the goat mural, Banksy revealed a new artwork showing two elephants with their trunks reaching out to each other, their heads poking out of windows. He posted a photo of the piece on Instagram, showing the silhouettes of the elephants.
A wolf mural on the roof of a building in Peckham, painted on the roof of a building on Rye Lane, was the last of four new works by Banksy to appear in London that week. The mural, featuring a wolf on a satellite dish, was stolen shortly after being shared by Banksy on Instagram.
Banksy’s animal-themed project began on August 6 with a goat mural in the Kew Green area of London. Since then, the English artist has created eight more works throughout London.
Nan Goldin at Neue Nationalgalerie
At the opening of her exhibition at the Neue Nationalgalerie in Berlin, artist and activist Nan Goldin condemned the treatment of Germany’s Palestinian diaspora and the violence in Gaza. The 71-year-old artist expressed her “moral outrage” over the ongoing atrocities in Gaza and Lebanon, calling attention to what she described as systematic crackdowns on protests. During her speech, she also requested a four-minute silence to honor Gaza.
Goldin, who comes from a Jewish background, drew a moving parallel between her family’s history and the current situation. She explained, “My grandparents fled the pogroms in Russia, and I grew up with an acute awareness of the Holocaust. What’s happening in Gaza today reflects the horrors my ancestors tried to escape.”
Furthermore, she asserted that criticism of Israeli policies should not be mistaken for antisemitism, stressing the need to address the forced displacement and destruction unfolding in Gaza. Goldin framed her exhibition as a platform to amplify the voices of resistance and raise awareness about human rights violations.
Auctions and Artworks
Taner Ceylan’s Cahide sold for 9 mln at Gala Modern
Istanbul Modern celebrated its 20th anniversary with a gala event. The evening was marked by an auction where 11 artists’ works collectively reached a value of 23.3 million Turkish lira.
Painter Taner Ceylan’s piece, titled Cahide, quickly reached a price of 9 million lira during the auction.
Priciest Surrealist Ever Sold
René Magritte’s renowned painting L’empire des lumières fetched a record $121.16 million at auction, becoming the most expensive Surrealist artwork ever sold.
Esteemed as one of the finest works in the L’empire des lumières series, the piece previously belonged to the late Mica Ertegün’s private collection.
With this historic sale, Magritte’s L’empire des lumières has secured its place in art history. Magritte’s surreal vision continues to captivate, as demonstrated by the record-breaking sale, which also reflects a growing interest in Surrealist art.
Women Artists and Auctions
In May 2024, auction houses set remarkable records for women artists. Leonora Carrington’s artwork sold for an impressive $28.5 million, while Lucy Bull, Ana Mendieta, and Emmi Whitehorse achieved notable sales increases.
Lucy Bull’s 16:10 (2020) sold for a staggering $1.81 million, exceeding its low estimate by more than three and a half times. Ana Mendieta’s Untitled (Sandwoman Series / Serie Mujer de Arena) (1983) commanded $567,000, surpassing its low estimate by over one and a half times. Meanwhile, Emmi Whitehorse’s Canyon Lake I (2001) fetched an extraordinary $177,800, soaring past its low estimate by more than 14 times.
These sales, and many more from women artist, exceeded expectations, setting new auction records for these artists.
The Most Expensive Banana
Maurizio Cattelan’s viral artwork Comedian (2019), featuring a banana duct-taped to a wall, has officially become the world’s most expensive banana. The piece was auctioned this year at Sotheby’s New York, fetching a hammer price of $5.2 million and a final total of $6.24 million with the buyer’s premium.
Shortly after the sale, Sotheby’s revealed the buyer as Justin Sun, the Chinese billionaire and founder of the cryptocurrency platform TRON.
Grégoire Billault, Sotheby’s chairman for contemporary art, highlighted the global resonance of Comedian in the digital age, likening its cultural impact to Marcel Duchamp’s Fountain (1917).
When asked prior to the sale if the $1.5 million estimate underestimated the artwork’s worldwide fame, Billault argued that the conceptual brilliance of Comedian transcends conventional valuation metrics.
Institutions and Museums
Istanbul Biennale
The 18th Istanbul Biennial, organized by the Istanbul Foundation for Culture and Arts (IKSV), has been postponed. IKSV announced that the biennial, which has been at the center of various debates for months, has been rescheduled to 2025.
İKSV later has announced that the 18th Istanbul Biennial will be curated by Christine Tohmé. This upcoming edition will span three years, with events and initiatives scheduled from 2025 to 2027, each phase building upon the last to foster a deep exploration of art and culture.
The biennial is set to unfold in three distinct phases. Its first leg will run from September 20 to November 23, 2025, with exhibitions and public programs across Istanbul. In 2026, the focus will shift toward establishing a permanent educational platform in collaboration with local art communities and institutions, with quarterly public events. Finally, the biennial will culminate between September 18 and November 14, 2027, offering a comprehensive program including exhibitions, publications, performances, and discursive sessions.
Christine Tohmé. Photo: Tanya Traboulsi, 2024.
Celebrating Impressionism at Museums
The Orsay Museum in Paris is celebrating 150 years of Impressionism by showcasing the iconic works that launched the movement. With their daring and spontaneous brushstrokes, the Impressionists portrayed the spirit of modern life, ranging from Degas’s ballet dancers to Camille Pissarro’s idyllic landscapes and Auguste Renoir’s lively scenes.
“The Impressionists aimed to depict the world as it unfolded amidst significant change,” said Sylvie Patry, the exhibition’s co-curator.
Venice Biennale
This year, the Venice Biennale revealed that Koyo Kouoh has been chosen to helm the world’s largest recurring art exhibition. She will be the second African-born curator to take on this role, following Okwui Enwezor.
Kouoh is currently the executive director and chief curator of the Zeitz Museum of Contemporary African Art in Cape Town, South Africa. Under her leadership, this prominent African institution has hosted notable exhibitions, including the 2022 showcase, When We See Us: A Century of Black Figuration in Painting.
AI Art Marks Its Sign
This year has marked a pivotal moment in AI’s evolution. Copyright lawsuits from artists are advancing in the courts, prominent institutions are showcasing or commissioning AI-generated works, and emerging artists are using AI to critique and reflect on modern society. Meanwhile, increasingly sophisticated AI tools are being introduced to the market.
For instance, an AI robot created a painting of renowned World War II codebreaker Alan Turing, which sold at auction for $1,084,800 (£836,667). Turing, a mathematician and pioneer of computer science, is widely regarded as the father of artificial intelligence. The auction house described the sale as a groundbreaking moment, stating it opens a new frontier in the global art market and sets a new benchmark for artwork created by a humanoid robot.
Fashion World and Contemporary Art
London Fashion Week
London Fashion Week kicked off with a powerful message on sustainability, combining second-hand fashion with high-impact runway shows to redefine the future of style. The event embraced eco-conscious trends, placing the spotlight on pre-loved fashion and ethical collaborations that are reshaping the industry.
A standout moment came from fast-fashion giant H&M, which teamed up with pop star Charli XCX for an exclusive party. The unexpected collaboration became one of the week’s highlights, overshadowing some traditional designer showcases and signaling a shift toward more accessible yet innovative fashion experiences.
eBay took center stage with its “Endless Runway,” a groundbreaking live event where attendees could purchase second-hand designer pieces directly from the show. Oxfam also made waves with its return to the runway, presenting “Style for Change” in partnership with second-hand platform Vinted., further emphasizing the shift toward sustainable fashion.
Met Gala 2024
This year’s Met Gala, held on the first Monday of May as a fundraiser for the Costume Institute at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City, embraced the theme “Sleeping Beauties: Reawakening Fashion.” The star-studded event drew A-list celebrities and highlighted the intersection of fashion, art, and innovation. The gala’s dress code, “The Garden of Time,” took inspiration from J.G. Ballard’s 1962 short story, setting the stage for red carpet looks adorned with intricate representations of flora and fauna.
Complementing the gala was a parallel exhibition showcasing garments from famous brands through cutting-edge mediums like video animation, light projection, AI, and CGI. The immersive display, rich in sensory experiences, was organized into three thematic sections inspired by the natural world: land, sea, and sky.
As celebrities are walking on the iconic red carpet there was a different scene played out on Manhattan’s Upper East Side on the evening of May 6. Hundreds of pro-Palestine protesters gathered to voice opposition to Israel’s actions in Gaza, using the high-profile event as a platform to amplify their message.
June Johnson, a New York-based activist with the organization WTP, explained the timing of the protest. “It’s abhorrent to celebrate celebrity consumerism while a genocide is taking place,” she stated,
