October 2026 Art News

On view from November 4, 2026 through September 5, 2027, The Noguchi Museum presents No Ordinary Light: Akari at 75. Marking the seventy-fifth anniversary of Isamu Noguchi’s celebrated Akari light sculptures, the exhibition explores the artist’s revolutionary vision for light as sculpture and traces how Akari transformed from a reimagined Japanese paper lantern into one of the most enduring works of modern design.

Nine works from a private collection that the New York Times identified as belonging to Jeff Koons will be auctioned at Christie’s on November 17 as part of a sale titled “Heroes & Lovers: Property of a Distinguished Collector.” The group carries a combined estimate above $100 million wi

Even before the end of antiquity, the monuments of ancient Rome were cannibalized to build new structures. Columns were repurposed and marble decoration was stripped and recut or burnt for lime. As Rome’s population collapsed during the Medieval period and areas of the city were largely abandoned, many buildings fell due to neglect or came down violently in earthquakes, making their remains even easier to quarry.

In 1989, Paris’ Magiciens de la Terre foreshadowed much of what followed. By bypassing national pavilions and placing artists from around the world side by side, it anticipated the decentralized, global format of today’s biennials.

Santa Fe Art Auction’s Signature Annual Live Sale will be held this year on November 6 and 7. This significant live auction offers the finest of all the categories that Santa Fe Art Auction brings to market throughout the rest of the year. Each November sparks spirited in-room bidding and record hammer prices, complete with a print catalogue, hosted receptions, and artist talks and presentations throughout auction week.

The Netherlands will return 20 objects taken from Indonesia during the country’s 350-year colonial rule under an agreement signed this month by Dutch Minister of Education, Culture and Science Rianne Letschert and Indonesian Minister of Culture Fadli Zon. Among them is the 38-carat Banjarmasin diamond, which once belonged to the Sultan of Banjarmasin as a symbol of his sovereignty.

In conjunction with the nation’s 250th anniversary, the Bruce Museum presents American Stories from Sargent to O’Keeffe: A Partnership with The Newark Museum of Art, an exhibition of more than 40 masterworks that explores the voices and perspectives that have defined American art across generations.

Philip Slein Gallery presents Edward E. Boccia: An American Modernist, on view October 23, 2026, through December 19, 2026. Bringing together over 30 paintings spanning more than five decades, the exhibition includes never-before-exhibited works alongside the monumental multi-panel paintings for which Boccia is best known, many of which are represented in major museum collections. The exhibition coincides with the publication of Edward E.

Studio Shop Gallery presents Passing Moments, a two-person exhibition featuring new figurative paintings by London-based artist Melinda Matyas and California-based artist Carole Rafferty. Opening October 16, 2026, the exhibition brings together two distinct artistic perspectives united by an interest in the quiet complexities of everyday life and the subtle emotional narratives that unfold within it.