The Day a Selfie Shattered a Prince
Ferdinandode’ Medici, Niccolò Cassana, and the Tragedy of Looking Without Seeing It wasn’t the first time. And it won’t be
Read MoreContemporary Art Criticism, Interviews, Essays and Visual Politics
Art scandal stories show how the art world really works. In this category I track art scandal cases across contemporary art. You’ll find timelines, key documents, and clear sources. I focus on power, money, and reputation. I also track who gets protected, and who pays.
Expect posts on censorship, plagiarism, fraud, and conflicts of interest. You’ll also see cases about abuse, harassment, and toxic leadership. I examine PR spin and crisis management. I look at how museums, galleries, fairs, and collectors shape outcomes. I follow legal moves when they matter. I also read the online afterlife of each art scandal. Social platforms can surface facts fast. They can also amplify noise.
I treat scandal as evidence, not entertainment. I connect single events to larger patterns. Those patterns include gatekeeping, branding, funding, and governance. Use this archive to spot recurring tactics. Track how language shifts in press releases. Notice how institutions delay, deny, or deflect. If you want informed critique, start here. Read the newest posts first. Then explore the key cases through internal links and related tags. Watch what changes after the headlines fade.
Ferdinandode’ Medici, Niccolò Cassana, and the Tragedy of Looking Without Seeing It wasn’t the first time. And it won’t be
Read MoreSometimes You Just Can’t Make This Stuff Up As someone who spends his life studying, writing, and thinking about contemporary
Read MoreA Provocative Artist at the Center of Controversy Deborah de Robertis has never been one to shy away from controversy.
Read MoreThe Astonishing Rediscovery of Klimt’s “Portrait of a Lady” A Story of Loss, Mystery, and the Enduring Power of Art
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Chris Ofili, The Holy Virgin Mary, installation view in Sensation: Young British Artists from the Saatchi Collection, Brooklyn Museum, New York, 1999. Photo: Brooklyn Museum Yet the scandal surrounding elephant dung and pornographic cut-outs often prevented viewers from confronting the painting’s more difficult questions about
Read MoreA small plastic crucifix, a glowing liquid, and one of the most explosive questions in contemporary art Immersion (Piss Christ)
Read MoreA Philosophical Exploration of Art, Transformation, and the Value of Spectacle The Auction Moment that Shocked the Art World It
Read MoreA Tale of Beauty, Theft, and Mystery There are paintings that draw attention because of their beauty, and then there
Read MoreA Tale of Wealth, Art, and the World’s Most Expensive Banana Ladies, gentlemen, and all lovers of potassium-rich contemporary art,
Read MorePierre Brassau: The Chimpanzee Who Exposed the Art World’s Need to Believe The first time I read the story of
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