BEST

Old Masters, New Records – Sotheby’s
Old Master sales in New York were a big hit,
bringing in $76 million and setting new records.

Honoring a Legend – Hours after former LA
Lakers star Kobe Bryant died in a helicopter crash, artists around
the country began paying tribute with vibrant murals.

The Witching Hour – This week’s episode of
the Art Angle podcast explores the art world’s
recent turn toward the supernatural.

Remembering Survivors – An exhibition of
portraits of Holocaust survivors went on view
in Essen, Germany, to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the
liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau.

Signing at the Super Bowl – The artist
Christine Sun Kim will sign the National Anthem alongside pop star
Demi Lovato at the Super Bowl on Sunday.

In the Frame With Tyler Mitchell – The
young photographer spoke to Artnet News about how his career has
transformed since he shot Beyoncé for the cover
of Vogue.

Super Mario Soars at Sotheby’s – The
auction of late designer Mario Buatta’s prized collection hit a fever pitch at Sotheby’s, more than
doubling its high estimate.

WORST

Devastating Fire Threatens
Archives – A five-alarm fire at New York’s Museum of
the Chinese in America threatened thousands of the museum’s artifacts and
documents.

Institutions Shutter to Stop the Spread of the
Coronavirus – As the deadly disease continues to
sweep through China, Beijing officials shut down the Great
Wall and the Forbidden City, while, in Hong
Kong, museums and public spaces were closed.

Art Basel Gets Battered – Exhibitors are
urging organizers to cancel the upcoming edition of Art Basel in
Hong Kong. Meanwhile, local dealers in Hong Kong are demanding that
organizers do exactly the
opposite.

Yale Nixes Survey Art History Class – Yale
will cancel a beloved art history survey after
getting complaints that it was too “Eurocentric.”

Getty’s Gaugin Is a Gaffe – The California
museum discovered that what it thought was an “exceedingly rare”
sculpture by Paul Gaugin, was in fact, a fake.

Instagram Policies Anger Artists – Another
battle has erupted between artists and
Instagram, after the social media platform began censoring what
it calls “fake news.”

The post From Murals Honoring the Late Kobe Bryant, to the
Threat of the Coronavirus: The Best and Worst of the Art World This
Week appeared first on artnet News.