1. The First Female Artist to Exhibit at UK’s Blenheim Palace

US artist Jenny Holzer has been selected to stage an exhibition of new works at the UK’s historic Blenheim Palace. She is only the fourth artist—and first female artist—to be chosen to fill the 18th-century Palace with contemporary art, following in the footsteps of Ai Weiwei, Lawrence Weiner, and Michelangelo Pistoletto. Scheduled to run from September 28 – December 31, 2017, the exhibition is titled “Jenny Holzer at Blenheim Palace,” and composed of site-specific works.

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2. Selfies Will be Judged by Tracey Emin and Juergen Teller

The #SaatchiSelfie competition, which was launched this past January ahead of the opening of the exhibition “From Selfie to Self-Expression,” has announced its star-studded list of judges: Tracey Emin, Idris Khan, Juergen Teller, Juno Calypso, and Saatchi Gallery CEO Nigel Hurst. Over 8,000 selfies have been submitted for #SaatchiSelfie so far.

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3. The Art World Stares Down the First Daughter

It had been six weeks since the 2016 presidential election, after which a coalition of New York art world figures—prominent players including artists, curators, editors, critics, and dealers—started holding meetings to discuss the results. What began as a frantic listserv transmitting furious, horrified correspondence in the immediate hours following the election of Donald Trump became an assembly, and then a movement: the Halt Action Group. Their first task, conceived as a discrete act, was to start an Instagram account called Dear Ivanka.

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4. Asian Interest and Pre-Sale Guarantees Help London’s Impressionist and Modern Art Sales Increase

Most reports on the drop in art auction sales last year noted an improvement in the last quarter. That momentum was sustained emphatically last week at London’s Impressionist and Modern art sales when Sotheby’s, Christie’s and Bonhams all reached the higher end of their pre-sale estimates to amass a total of £392 million. That’s an impressive 59 per cent increase over last February’s £246.3 million.

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5. The Louvre Hosts Its First Fashion Show during Paris Fashion Week

The Louvre hosted its first runway show last night with Nicolas Ghesquière’s AW17 collection for Louis Vuitton debuting in the world-famous museum. As one of the highlights of Paris Fashion Week, which draws journalists, celebrities, and fashion professionals from all over the world, it is not only a win for the Bernard Arnault-owned fashion house but also puts the museum center stage as the world’s press reports on the much-awaited show.

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6. TEFAF Art Market Report Highlights 7% Global Downturn In 2016

TEFAF, The European Fine Art Foundation which is connected to the world’s most exclusive art fair, has released their annual report. This is always the most important barometer of the health of the global art market. The 2017 edition spearheaded by Professor Rachel A. J. Pownall confirms suspicions of a downturn in the international art market. It also identifies positive indicators for certain sub-sectors of the market. Globally, sales of art were down 7% to £51.8 billion/$63.8 billion in 2015, compared to £55.9/$68.2 billion in 2014. A number of art transactions also decreased to 38.1 million, a 2% contraction.

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7. Painter Sir Howard Hodgkin Dies Aged 84

Sir Howard Hodgkin, one of Britain’s greatest contemporary artists, known for his explosively coloured paintings of what he once described as “emotional situations”, has died aged 84. The artist, a central figure in contemporary art for more than 50 years, died peacefully in hospital in London, only a few weeks after returning to the UK from India.

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8. Bernard Arnault to Open New Centre for Applied Arts in Paris

French luxury goods billionaire Bernard Arnault has announced the creation of a major new cultural institution in Paris. The new center will be located in the former Musée des Arts et Traditions Populaires in the 16th arrondissement of Paris and will be called the “LA MAISON LVMH / Arts – Talents – Patrimoine.” The building will be designed by world renowned architect Frank Gehry who will revisit the architecture of the building’s original designer, Jean Dubuisson.

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9. London Sales Suggest Strong Rebound for Art Market

If the past two weeks of auctions in London are anything to go by, the art market is looking up after more than a year in decline. The combined total for evening sales of , Surrealist, Modern, post-war, and contemporary art at Christie’s, Sotheby’s, Phillips, and Bonhams came in at £573.2 million, up 61.3% from the £351.4 million achieved in 2016.

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