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Contemporary Art

A sculpture of a giant lobster disguised as a column, made by pop artist Philip Colbert, stands in Pompeii

First a Volcanic Eruption, Now a Crustacean Invasion? See the Giant Lobsters Taking Over the Ancient City of Pompeii

A pop art installation featuring more than 30 sculptures from artist Philip Colbert is the first contemporary sculpture exhibition to land in Pompeii in three decades

Nick Cave in his studio with objects featured in the "Mammoth" exhibition

How Artist Nick Cave Memorializes His Ancestors Through ‘Mammoth’ Work

An exhibition at the Smithsonian American Art Museum spotlights how everyday objects can serve as the foundation for artistic expression

The museum has already curated a collection of hundreds of artworks.

See the New Frank Gehry Building Rising From the Shore of the Persian Gulf in Abu Dhabi to House a Global Art Collection

Officials just announced a December opening for the Guggenheim Abu Dhabi, the long-awaited fourth installment in the Guggenheim Foundation’s lineup of art museums

La Lampe philosophique (The Philosopher’s Lamp), René Magritte, 1936

Wacky, Mysterious Paintings by This Surrealist Still Influence Contemporary Artists. An Exhibition in London Will Explore the Legacy of René Magritte

The Belgian Surrealist was famous for his playful subversion, like when he created a painting of a pipe and then defiantly declared it wasn’t a pipe, after all

Henry Geldzahler and Christopher Scott on display ahead of a Christie's auction in 2019

Who Were the Couples That Posed for David Hockney’s Famed Double Portraits?

One of his subjects was a cousin I never knew. I wanted to learn more about the large-scale portraits that helped define the English artist’s legacy

Comedian by Maurizio Cattelan

Someone Stole a Banana Duct-Taped to the Wall of a French Museum. One of Its Duplicates Fetched More Than $6 Million at Auction

This isn’t the first time the fruit at the center of the infamous “Comedian” art piece has been stolen or eaten

A rendering of the new Centre Pompidou Hanwha museum, called a “box of light,” in Seoul

Korean and French Culture Are Set to Rendezvous at a New Museum in Seoul for Modern and Contemporary Art

The Centre Pompidou Hanwha, the newest member of a growing global network of art museums, will debut with an exhibition on European cubism and Korean art

Interior: Zebra with Two Chairs and Funky Fur, Mickalene Thomas, 2012

These Colorful Contemporary Artworks Join the Hirshhorn Museum’s Collection as the D.C. Landmark Continues to Celebrate Its 50th Anniversary

The museum is also preparing to reopen its redesigned sculpture garden, featuring new works from eight artists, this fall

A Symphony of Disappearing Sounds for the Great Salt Lake, Olafur Eliasson, 2026

A Glowing Sphere Towering Over Utah Sent an Urgent Artistic Message: The Great Salt Lake Is Drying Up

Olafur Eliasson’s latest installation married visuals with a soundscape to draw the public’s attention to the plight of the important ecosystem

The frieze takes inspiration from the Bayeux Tapestry, an 11th-century artwork depicting of the Norman conquest of England.

David Hockney Used an iPad to Create This Sprawling 295-Foot-Long Frieze Inspired by the 11th-Century Bayeux Tapestry

The artwork, which depicts the changing seasons in Normandy, is the centerpiece of “A Year in Normandie and Some Other Thoughts About Painting,” a new exhibition in London

The mural was unveiled in a suburb of San Salvador last month.

This Massive Mural Made From 100,000 Bottle Caps Is One Artist’s Reinterpretation of ‘The Mona Lisa’

Óscar Olivares, who is known for working with recycled materials, completed the 43-foot-tall artwork in Zacamil, El Salvador, in February

“The Scharf Collection: Goya—Monet—Cézanne—Bonnard—Grosse” is on view at the Alte Nationalgalerie in Berlin.

See Masterpieces by Monet, Matisse, Degas and Picasso in the First-Ever Exhibition of This German Family’s Private Art Collection

The Scharf Collection features French artworks from the 19th and 20th centuries, as well as contemporary pieces from around the world

Yoko Ono with Half-a-Room, 1967

A Sweeping Yoko Ono Retrospective Aims to Make Music in Museumgoers’ Minds

The exhibition spotlights more than 200 works by the 92-year-old artist, from provocative early works to more recent creations

The bidding will start at a number determined by the price of gold on November 18.

This Fully Functioning Toilet Made From Solid Gold Could Sell for More Than $10 Million at Auction

Made by Italian artist Maurizio Cattelan, the 18-karat gold toilet weighs 220 pounds. Another version of the artwork was famously stolen in a 2019 burglary

On October 21, the New York City Council and the Basquiat Estate oversaw the co-naming of a portion of Great Jones Street in honor of Jean-Michel Basquiat.

You Can Now Take a Stroll Down Jean-Michel Basquiat Way in New York City

A stretch of lower Manhattan has been named in honor of the iconic artist, who rented a studio there from Andy Warhol between 1983 and 1988

One of David Hockney's drawings from The Arrival of Spring in Woldgate, created on an iPad

David Hockney’s iPad Drawings of Winter’s Transformation Into Spring Blow Past Estimates at Auction

Seventeen works from the artist’s 2011 series went for more than $8 million at a Sotheby’s sale on October 17

London's National Gallery recieved several groundbreaking donations to build a new wing and expand its collection.

London’s National Gallery Will Officially Begin Collecting Artworks Created After 1900

The decision ends a longstanding agreement between the National Gallery and the Tate concerning what kinds of art each museum will target

Digital artist FEWOCiOUS auctions five new unique NFT works of art at Christie's in 2021, during the auction house's most successful year for digital art.

Christie’s Helped Drive the Art World’s NFT Craze. Now, the Auction House Is Shutting Down Its Digital Art Division

Once a booming sector, the nonfungible token art market has been contracting for years

Banksy's Piranhas will move into storage ahead of its 2026 debut at the London Museum's new location.

Banksy Transformed This Police Box Into a Piranha Tank. Soon, the Artwork Will Go on Permanent Display in London

The piece was part of the anonymous artist’s animal series that appeared around the city last summer. In 2026, it will make its debut at the London Museum

Comedian, Maurizio Cattelan, 2019

These Bananas Duct-Taped to the Wall Are Worth Millions. Hungry Museumgoers Keep Eating Them

A visitor recently ate the banana from Maurizio Cattelan’s “Comedian,” which was on view at the Center Pompidou-Metz. The artwork, which sold for $6.2 million last year, has met this fate before

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