Buyers will compete to own more than 1,600 lots that are estimated to raise at least $1.1 billion. That includes a $1 million banana. The expected total is down more than a third from last November, with 16 percent fewer works headed to the auction block. - The New York Times
"Sinatra celebrated his return to bachelorhood by turning Farralone into the official headquarters of the Rat Pack’s poker games. During these alcohol-fueled gatherings, huge fortunes changed hands in the blink of an eye.” Then there’s the guest house, where Marilyn Monroe may have hung out with JFK. - El País
That is to say, “rather than treating art as mere decoration, History Colorado incorporates it as an essential storytelling tool, particularly when addressing challenging subjects.” - Colorado Public Radio
Artists got a PowerPoint’s worth of info, and then developed their music/dance/theatre/projection combos on their own. The Met “anticipates that many exhibition-goers will encounter performances unexpectedly as they make their way through the show.” - The New York Times
It is nearly double the size of its original location, at 11 East 26th Street in New York, which opened in 2012 and closed in 2020 and pivoted to virtual programming during the pandemic. - The New York Times
Such a high-value donation of art is uncommon in the UK; the last headline-making gift received by the British Museum was a bequest from a late trustee worth £123 million, or $156 million. - ARTnews
You can see how certain architectures for looking were created in the 19th century to produce what gets called “attention”—museums changing their hanging practices. The modern white-cube gallery, with a single line of works on the wall, is all about producing focused attention, a kind of one-to-one relationship between work and viewer. - The Nation
"Sotheby's will pay $6.25 million and adopt reforms to settle New York Attorney General Letitia James' lawsuit accusing the famed auction house of fraudulently helping clients avoid sales taxes on tens of millions of dollars of art purchases." - Reuters
"Restoration chief Philippe Jost says €140 million (around $148 million) still remains from the funds as the cathedral prepares to reopen next month. The surplus, sourced from both billionaire benefactors and countless small donors, will be used to support vital future preservation work on the 861-year-old Gothic monument." - France 24
The site welcomed a record-breaking four million tourists this summer alone, and up to 30,000 per day during the peak summer season. Records were broken this year when 36,000 visitors descended on Pompeii during one of the site’s Free Sundays. - Artnet
"The 1,700 pieces dating from the third to the 20th century have been given permanently by the Sir Percival David Foundation. They had been on loan since 2009. It means the British Museum now holds one of the most important collections of Chinese ceramics ... outside the Chinese-speaking world." - The Guardian
"With just 23 days to go until the Dec. 7 reopening, the (office) of President Emmanuel Macron and the Archdiocese of Paris detailed the final inspection and ceremonial events leading up to the big day." The historic cathedral was ravaged by a catastrophic fire on April 15, 2019. - ABC News
Mr. Leeman was most struck by the cheeky mischief — like the A.I.-generated snubs of the artist’s show that rotated on a wall display, declaring it, among other insults, a “masterstroke of blandness.” - The New York Times
