In Pueblo Garzon, a small town in Uruguay with less than 200 residents, an international art festival took place. The 8th edition of the Campo Artfest, founded by American photographer Heidi Lender, drew around 6,000 visitors. The event featured over 20 artists from countries such as Brazil, Singapore, South Korea, and the United States, including Lukas Kuhne who created a sound sculpture made of resonance boxes and rubber mallets in a local chapel.
https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts/article/3293714/who-needs-art-basel-town-uruguays-tuscany-hosts-international-campo-artfest?module=top_story&pgtype=sectionThe Istanbul State Opera and Ballet Children's Ballet has created an interactive program featuring scenes from classic ballets such as "The Nutcracker" and "Sleeping Beauty", alongside excerpts performed by young ballerinas, including "Swan Lake". The production includes a mix of traditional ballet pieces like "Le Corsaire Pas de Deux" and "Giselle", as well as Turkish cultural influences in "Karagöz and Hacivat". The program is directed by Deniz Özaydın, with choreography by Çiğdem Erkaya Öztürk for the children's segments.
https://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/audio-described-performance-by-state-opera-and-ballet-204491Artist Humphrey's exhibition "porTraits" explores the concept of self-portraiture through paintings that blend humor, psychological inquiry, and painterly wit. The show features dynamic compositions that delve into philosophical questions about identity and self-definition, using a bold palette and varied painting languages to create visual metaphors. In one notable piece, Humphrey's wife Jennifer Coates creates a portrait of him using his own artwork, adding an intimate dimension to the exhibition by revealing the artist's diverse interests and introspection on being human in contemporary society.
https://www.juxtapoz.com/news/installation/david-humphrey-s-portraits/Marc Spiegler, the former global director of Art Basel, has launched an online course to help individuals understand the rapidly changing contemporary art industry. The ten-hour programme, in collaboration with Art Market Minds, aims to provide guidance on navigating the complex and often opaque dynamics of the art world. This initiative is part of a new programme by Spiegler and Art Market Minds that will offer support for developing business proposals related to the art industry.
https://www.theartnewspaper.com/2025/01/09/the-art-world-according-to-marc-spiegler-former-art-basel-boss-launches-online-courseA previously unknown watercolour painting attributed to British artist J.M.W. Turner, submitted by a member of the public through Christie's digital appraisal service, is set to go under the hammer in New York with an estimated value of $300,000 to $500,000. The painting, titled "The approach to Venice or Venice from the lagoon" (circa 1840), was reattributed to Turner by Christie's experts after being submitted for appraisal.
https://www.theartnewspaper.com/2025/01/09/watercolour-submitted-online-to-christies-found-to-be-by-turnerBrazilian authorities have recovered 21 works of art that were vandalized during the January 8, 2023 uprisings in Brasilia. The artworks, which include paintings, vases, and sculptures, were damaged by alleged followers of former President Jair Bolsonaro who attacked democracy. A historic table clock belonging to Portuguese King Joao VI was among the items restored, with a Swiss jeweler covering the cost of its restoration. Other pieces, including an Italian glazed ceramic amphora and paintings by Emiliano Di Cavalcanti, were repaired at a total cost of $330,000 using public funds. The restorers left marks on some works to serve as scars and prevent similar incidents from happening again.
https://en.mercopress.com/2025/01/09/brazil-works-of-art-broken-during-jan.-8-uprising-restored-for-2nd-anniversary-ceremony#commentsThe Damascus museum in Syria was severely impacted by the country's civil war, which began in 2011. The museum's collection, which spans over 10,000 years and includes items such as prehistoric blades, Greco-Roman sculptures, and Islamic art, was closed for six years to protect it from violence or looting. The museum reopened in 2018 after President Assad regained control of the area.
https://www.ndtv.com/world-news/syria-safe-from-looting-damascus-museum-reopens-a-month-after-bashar-al-assads-fall-7430623Hydeon's solo gallery exhibition at Ricco/Maresca in New York marks a notable event following Art Basel. The NYC-based painter, who also has ties to California, is known for his intricate and fantastical universes depicted in works such as "Adrift In the Corners of Time". As the world transitioned from 2024 to 2025, the concept of escapism gained prominence, and Hydeon's art resonated with this theme by merging fantasy and reality. His work often presents an ambiguous atmosphere that is particularly relevant and captivating in today's context.
https://www.juxtapoz.com/news/painting/hydeon-is-adrfit-in-the-corners-of-time-at-his-debut-nyc-exhibition/The National Gallery in London has extended its hours to allow visitors to view Vincent Van Gogh's artwork at night, a practice inspired by artists such as Francis Bacon, Lucian Freud and David Hockney who would often visit the gallery during these times for inspiration. The decision was made by Gabriele Finaldi, the director of the National Gallery, in an effort to provide visitors with a unique experience similar to that of the famous artists.
https://www.theartnewspaper.com/2025/01/09/national-gallery-van-gogh-blockbuster-to-open-all-night-as-final-day-approaches