Art galleries are experiencing a significant surge in sales, with some reporting a threefold increase compared to last year. The growth is attributed to younger corporate buyers and initiatives such as art fairs and public education programs. For example, Muhammad Bahajjaj credits these efforts for the boom, suggesting that targeted support has helped strengthen the art landscape.
https://channelnewsasia.com/watch/local-art-galleries-see-up-three-times-growth-sales-compared-last-year-5196806Men's Fashion Week returns to Paris with anticipation as the city doubles down after industry instability. Dior Homme marks the debut of Northern Irish designer Jonathan Anderson, who replaces Maria Grazia Chiuri and becomes the first designer to oversee both men's and women's lines at the house. Saint Laurent also returns, with Anthony Vaccarello presenting his new collection, while Hermes, Kenzo, and Issey Miyake will feature alongside other notable labels like AMI, Comme des Garcons, and Rick Owens. The season reflects the industry's instability, with Milan scaling back its programme and London pulling out entirely, but Paris is packed with 70 labels showcasing their collections through 30 presentations and 40 runway shows between June 24 and 29.
https://www.malaymail.com/news/life/2025/06/23/paris-fashion-week-doubles-down-on-menswear-as-anderson-vaccarello-pharrell-headline-and-saint-laurent-returns/181372This year's Art Basel fair in Basel, Switzerland, presents a poignant portrait of a troubled planet, with works exploring the pursuit of happiness and the fragility of democracies. Dutch artist Joep van Lieshout's monumental installation "The Voyage -- A March To Utopia" features 80 large sculptures forming a procession towards a happy place, while Spanish artist Jaume Plensa presents "Forgotten Dreams", an aluminium door work engraved with the Universal Declaration of Human Rights articles. Danish artist Danh Vo's US flag made from logs and steel stars references the fragility of US democracy, as seen in his previous work "In God We Trust". The fair also features works by Felix Gonzalez-Torres, including a performance piece that celebrates life despite its reactionary context, and Japanese artist Izumi Kato's stone structures with enigmatic faces.
https://www.victoriaadvocate.com/news/nation/utopia-and-fragile-democracy-at-art-basel-fair/article_96f0a43a-8cbc-5505-8802-fe2bacfcdfb2.htmlArt Basel, the world's largest art fair, is taking place in Basel, Switzerland, with a more somber mood due to global crises. The event features over 4,000 artists, including a Picasso painting valued at $30 million by US gallery Pace. Sales have declined for two consecutive years, with a 12% drop last year and a 39% decline at the top end of the market. Galleries are showing less expensive works to adapt to the slump, with only one artwork selling for over $10 million in the first two days of the fair. The mood is subdued, with fewer American clients than usual, and a shift towards more European curators.
https://www.brecorder.com/news/40368774/art-basel-shows-more-mid-priced-art-to-a-sombre-marketSouth Korean collective Balming Tiger is returning to Hong Kong, where they had a memorable experience during their first performance at the 2023 Clockenflap Music and Arts Festival. The group's members fondly recall being pelted with "shoes and slippers" by an enthusiastic crowd, highlighting the high energy of the Hong Kong audience.
https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3315188/south-korean-alternative-k-pop-collective-balming-tiger-hong-kong-and-having-fun?module=top_story&pgtype=sectionThe film's musical sequence has become an ambassador of joy, with composer Basso admitting it would make him dance and smile uncontrollably if he saw it in real life. The five-minute sequence combines various styles, including jazz, swing, salsa, cha-cha, the Charleston, bossa nova, polka, quickstep, and samba, making it impossible to resist a massive grin.
https://www.thedailybeast.com/obsessed/the-life-of-chuck-best-part-of-new-stephen-king-movie-is-a-dance-scene/The Benin Bronzes, stolen by British forces in 1897 under Sir Henry Rawson, have been returned to Nigeria as part of a larger repatriation effort. Oba Ewuare II hailed the return as a "divine intervention," while Marieke Van Bommel, director of the Wereld Museum, emphasized the Dutch government's commitment to returning artifacts that don't belong to their country. The largest single repatriation of 119 artifacts marks a significant step forward for Nigeria's National Commission for Museums and Monuments, led by Olugbile Holloway, which is working tirelessly to recover more looted items from colonial times.
https://africanews.com/2025/06/22/netherlands-returns-119-artifacts-looted-from-nigeria/BTS members RM and V have been using their platform to promote cultural exchange and social causes. As the new global ambassador for Samsung's Art TV, RM showcased his artistic side at Art Basel in Switzerland. Meanwhile, V attended a piano recital in Seoul alongside filmmaker Park Chan-wook. The group has leveraged its massive popularity to raise awareness on mental health and anti-Asian crime, as well as support social justice movements like Black Lives Matter, with donations of $1 million in 2019.
https://www.manilatimes.net/2025/06/21/entertainment-lifestyle/last-member-of-k-pop-mega-band-bts-to-finish-military-service/2137295Indonesia's Ministry of Culture has encouraged regional governments to establish at least one museum each, with the goal of promoting cultural education and awareness. Director General Restu Gunawan emphasized the importance of museums as educational tourist destinations, particularly for students during school holidays. The government has allocated a special fund to support the construction of museums, which can also convey information about Indonesian culture's economic value. Head of Tangerang City Culture and Tourism Office Boyke Urif Hermawan highlighted the city's rich cultural heritage, citing historical sites such as the Boen Tek Bio Temple and Kalipasir Mosque.
https://en.antaranews.com/news/360965/ministry-calls-for-collaboration-in-establishing-museums