The Top 10 ARTnews Stories of 2025

Although fiber arts have become increasingly important in recent years, Wendy Vogel american art 2023—This spring it finally took over the New York art world. as art new“Fiber art is starting to appear not only in institutions but also in blue-chip commercial galleries here, allowing it to penetrate the upper echelons of the market and join the mainstream,” Alex Greenberger of s wrote in May. The reason lies in a rare combination of commercial and critical interests.

In 2025, art has increasingly become a political football. This is most evident in a group show at the Museum of Modern Art in Fort Worth, Texas, which features several of Sally Mann’s photographs. The artist has stirred controversy since the 1980s for her photographs of her rural life in Lexington, Virginia, which included nude depictions of her minor children. But what’s old is new again, especially in Texas, where Republican politicians have ignited a firestorm to characterize the images as “child porn.” The works were removed from view and then returned to Mann, who continued to warn of government censorship.

Lumin Wakoa, a rising painter who made art as a way to better understand how to see the world around her, died in July at the age of 43. Her husband, Hendrik Gerrits, wrote on Instagram that she had been battling brain cancer. “She could summon wild animals through sheer force of will—adventures with Lumin meant swimming with wild dolphins, playing with manatees, and impaling giant lobsters,” he wrote. “Above all, she was the most loving, joyful, and patient mother. She taught me daily meditation techniques to delight our girls.”

Since museum attendance plummeted during the pandemic, institutions have had to get creative with how they generate revenue. One major avenue: licensing. While the Met has pursued a broad licensing strategy for years, MoMA significantly expanded its efforts in October when it partnered with Mattel. Looking forward to Barbie starry night– inspired dresses, as well as statues of Claude Monet and Salvador Dali and other toys. At least one can rest easy knowing that Dalí would probably approve, as Dalí never found a way to monetize art he didn’t like.

An old story: A child went to an art museum and started touching paintings. In this case, the child left “small scratches” on Mark Roscoe’s hand. Grey, Maroon Orange, Size 8 (1960) at the Boijmans Van Beuningen Museum, Rotterdam. The painting is worth an estimated $57 million, and museum conservators are working to restore it. However, there was suspicion that the child would not be able to pay for the repairs with pocket money.

In June, a NSFW photo of Lorde went viral on social media, sparking debate about why the singer chose to bare all for the release of a special edition of her new album, virgin. However, as art newsAlex Greenberger explains that the photo was taken by artist Talia Chetrit, who often photographs herself and others in various states of undress to comment on how erotic desire and power influence our perceptions. I also saw this year american art Chetrit has been called “the artist on every fashion brand’s mood board.”

The case, filed in August, is one of the most high-profile in a year filled with litigation in the art world. The granddaughter of actor Steve McQueen is suing a South Carolina attorney over a $68 million Jackson Pollock painting. According to plaintiff Molly McQueen, Steve transferred the painting to “Rudolph and Pamela Borchert in exchange for a motorcycle and property in Latigo Canyon. However, one of the Borcherts crashed the motorcycle and the ownership of the property never changed.” The lawsuit has not yet been resolved, so stay tuned in 2026.

It is not common for artists to be arrested for creating art. But that’s what happened in May, when Isaac Wright, the former paratrooper known as “The Drifter,” was charged with trespassing on the eve of the opening of a new exhibition at Robert Mann Gallery. Mann was an urban explorer known for scaling skyscrapers to take stunning photos, and it was his ascent of the Empire State Building that led to a police chase. After his release, Wright told art news About his arrest, and his efforts to branch out into multimedia arts and filmmaking. For Wright, his photographs are not just about daring physical feats. “What other artists can say that if they faced 50 years in prison they would continue to create,” he said. “Obviously, I have more to say than just that I like being in high places.”

With the advent of the 21st century, the editors art news Think now is the right time to take stock of the state of contemporary art. After months of debate, the team narrowed the selection to 100 works that were timely, groundbreaking or spectacular. For anyone looking at the No. 1 pick – Arthur Jafa Love is the message, the message is death (2016) – this is not surprising.