Christie's
100% Sold and 80% of Lots Smashed High Estimates 'The Cellar of the Hon. Henry Tang' Achieved HK$50.2 Million / US$6.4 Million
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Weekly · Art Intelligence
A sample smArt brIef. Delivered every Friday morning.
Sample Issue · Week of October 16, 2026
smArt brIef — week of October 16, 2026
Your Friday-morning 5-minute art-world catch-up. This edition draws signals from 6 of the 10 fixed sources.
01
Market & Auctions
Artforum
Christie’s London Sales Total $289 Million
The London auction house Christie’s brought in $289.4 million over two evening sales on Wednesday, October 14—the 20/21st Century Evening Sale and the “Monsoon,” sale of the collection of Peter Simon.
Artnet
Sotheby’s Notches $61M at London Contemporary Sale, Buoyed by $12.9M de Kooning
The subdued auction nonetheless held surprising moments, including the stunning $2.5 million sale of a David Hockney iPad drawing.
Artforum
2027 Karachi Biennale Canceled Due To Regional Conflict
The Karachi Biennale Trust (KBT) has announced the cancellation of its fifth annual Karachi Biennale. The KBT cited regional conflict and logistical challenges as the reasons behind their decision.
Artforum
Unseen for Centuries, Newly Discovered Canaletto Drawing Heads to Auction
A pen-and-brown-ink drawing by eighteenth-century Italian master Canaletto that remained out of public view for hundreds of years is set to hit the auction block on October 21, Artnet News reports.
Christie's
Dame Barbara Hepworth's defining masterwork Sculpture with Colour (Eos) to lead Modern British and Irish Art Evening Sale
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02
Museums & Institutions
ARTnews
National Museum of Korea Director Scrutinized After Loaning Misattributed Work from His Private Collection to the Musuem
Director You Hong-june faces scrutiny after loaning the institution a misattributed work from his private collection.
ARTnews
Tate Scoops Up Works by Michaela Yearwood-Dan, Luis Fernando Zapata at Frieze London
Neither artist was previously represented in the museum network's collection.
Artnet
Louvre Museum Director Pleads for More Public Funding
Plus, an unmissable show at Dia Beacon, John McEnroe lists $35 million Malibu home, and other art world matters.
Hyperallergic
Danh Vo and Sandra Mujinga Selected for Met Museum Commissions
Genesis Facade and Great Hall artists announced, a new leader for the Armenian Museum of America, Bernie Sanders weighs in on the AI art debate, and more.
Hyperallergic
Rembrandt’s Ancient Obsessions Are Made Anew in Upcoming Met Exhibition
Co-organized with the Louvre, "Rembrandt and the Ancients" opens at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in November 2027 and will travel to Paris in 2028.
03
Criticism & Reviews
ARTnews
French Collector François Pinault Plans Permanent Hang in Venice Museum
The 90-year-old collector is planning a first permanent exhibition of 106 artworks by 54 artists at the Palazzo Grassi in Venice, opening in March 2027.
Hyperallergic
Asia NOW 2026 Brings Contemporary Asian Art to Paris
Celebrating the artistic voices of Asia and its diaspora, the fair brings new and returning international galleries together in Paris this October.
04
Openings & Fairs
Artnet
Art Basel’s Karim Crippa Dishes on Paris
The Paris fair's new director says time is the ultimate luxury and shares his must-see shows around the city.
Apollo
Frieze Frieze week highlights: lights in the dark and Cindy Sherman’s new look
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