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4 days ago | 
theartnewspaper.com | Gareth Harris |Melissa Gronlund
A young Armenian painter named Vosdanig Manuk Adoian emigrated to the US in 1920, fleeing from the Armenian genocide. After four years living with relatives in Massachusetts, he moved to New York and changed his name to Arshile Gorky in honour of the celebrated Russian poet Maxim Gorky. This new analysis examines Gorky’s artistic evolution against the backdrop of New York as a Modernist mecca, straddling Surrealism and Abstract Expressionism.
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5 days ago | 
theartnewspaper.com | Melissa Gronlund
An event marking the anniversary of the founding of Israel held at the British Museum (BM) in London on 16 May has sparked anger among some members of staff—sources close to the institution have told The Art Newspaper—and external condemnation. The private event was organised by the Israeli embassy in London. Speakers included the Israeli ambassador Tzipi Hotovely and the UK minister for defence procurement and industry, Angela Eagle.
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2 weeks ago | 
theartnewspaper.com | Melissa Gronlund
Art Basel has announced that it will open a new art fair in Qatar – ending months of speculation of potential collaborations about the Swiss fair behemoth and different sites in the Middle East. “Since joining Art Basel in this role about two and a half years ago, we have set it as a goal to have a major lean-in—in some way, shape, or form—in the Middle East,“ says Noah Horowitz, the chief executive of Art Basel.
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1 month ago | 
theartnewspaper.com | Melissa Gronlund
A battle has erupted to save the archaeological site of Tell Al Sayyagh, part of the ancient city of Kufa in Iraq. The fierce discussion hinges on a growing issue in the country: the so-called “investment law”. Critics allege that members of Iraq’s State Board of Antiquities and Heritage (SBAH) have used the law to allow development on hundreds of important ruins over the past ten years—sites now lost forever, chewed up by bulldozers and buried under concrete.
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1 month ago | 
theartnewspaper.com | Melissa Gronlund
After years of being inaccessible, Abu Dhabi’s Department of Culture and Tourism will be making its vast holdings of art and artefacts public in the coming year. The collections began under Sheikh Zayed, the founding father of the UAE, and pre-date the country’s confederation, with the first acquisitions being made in 1968. The works now number in the thousands and while some have been periodically loaned to exhibitions, the totality of what DCT holds has remained unknown.
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1 month ago | 
theartnewspaper.com | Melissa Gronlund
Art Dubai (until 20 April) arrived this week like the canary in the coal mine: the first major art fair to open since US president Trump announced his plan for worldwide tariffs and nearly caused a global financial meltdown. But it’s questionable how much Art Dubai will reveal: sales were solid, and more broadly the fair and Dubai in general are outliers to the art market and the larger economy. For starters, works at Art Dubai are typically less expensive than the Art Basel or Frieze fairs.
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1 month ago | 
artnewspaper.fr | Melissa Gronlund
Du 18 au 20 avril 2025, Art Dubai revient avec 30 nouveaux exposants, tout en conservant son cadre emblématique. Les VIP retrouveront le salon feutré surplombant le lagon du Madinat Jumeirah, les déjeuners libanais seront toujours servis en généreuses portions, et les galeristes prêteront une oreille attentive aux nouveaux accents et aux langues venues en force cette année. Mais si Art Dubai s’ouvre sur un décor familier, le paysage global des foires d’art, lui, est en pleine mutation.
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1 month ago | 
theartnewspaper.com | Melissa Gronlund
teamLab Phenomena Abu Dhabi, a museum devoted to the interactive art of the Japanese collective teamLab, opens on 18 April in Abu Dhabi’s Saadiyat Cultural District. The undulating 17,000 sq. m space is an important project for teamLab, which also has permanent museums across Asia and one in Jeddah. The exhibitions feature a changing roster of teamLab’s multi-sensory works, which evolve based on environmental conditions and the visitors’ presence in the room.
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1 month ago | 
theartnewspaper.com | Melissa Gronlund
teamLab Phenomena Abu Dhabi, a museum devoted to the interactive art of the Japanese collective teamLab, opens on 18 April in Abu Dhabi’s Saadiyat Cultural District. The undulating 17,000 sq. m space is an important project for teamLab, which also has permanent museums across Asia and one in Jeddah. The exhibitions feature a changing roster of teamLab’s multi-sensory works, which evolve based on environmental conditions and the visitors’ presence in the room.
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1 month ago | 
theartnewspaper.com | Melissa Gronlund
Imran Qureshi’s solo exhibition at Concrete on Alserkal Avenue, curated by Nada Raza, reflects the artist’s exploration with scale, history and popular culture. Responding to the architectural challenges of the space, Qureshi juxtaposes large-scale works with intricate miniature paintings, videos and personal photographs. A key feature is his latest experiment with the charpai, a traditional form of low, woven bed found across South Asia.
