From the art world: Your this week's inspiration drop

Quick, but full of soul ✨

August 21, 2025

Hey there! Great to see you again 🙂 

I’ll start with a short intro this time. Each week I try to share stories that feel alive, that remind us why art and creativity matter. Sometimes they spark wonder, sometimes they stir questions — and sometimes, like this week, they shine a light on the fragile world we all share.

This time, environmental stories are at the heart of this letter.
Anish Kapoor shook the world with his protest art against Shell, while 200 photographers came together to support wildlife with a month-long limited edition print fundraiser.

Against the backdrop of political news, gestures like these feel rare and beautiful. This is the kind of world I want to live in.

I hope it resonates with you, too.
Thank you for being here — reading and reflecting along with me.

xx, Helen

TOP 3 ART STORIES THIS WEEK

ART STORY #1: Greenpeace + Anish Kapoor = Giant Protest Art

This week, Greenpeace teamed up with artist Anish Kapoor to send a message straight to Shell.

Seven activists climbed one of Shell’s gas platforms in the North Sea, about 45 miles off the coast of England. They hung up a giant 12 x 8 meter canvas and sprayed it with 1,000 liters of red liquid made from seawater, beetroot powder, and food dye.

The work is called BUTCHERED. The red stains look like blood, meant to show the lives already lost to climate disasters — heatwaves, floods, wildfires.

Kapoor explained it:

The protest comes as the UK faces its fourth heatwave of the summer, with farms drying out and wildfires spreading. Similar problems are hitting other countries too.

Shell called the action “illegal trespassing” and “extremely dangerous.” Under UK law, climbing onto a gas rig can bring serious penalties. But Greenpeace has taken responsibility, meaning Kapoor himself is unlikely to face charges.

Watch the action here via Greenpeace:

Stefan Christmann - ‘The Sentinel’. All images © the photographers, courtesy of Prints for Wildlife, shared with permission.

ART STORY #2: Back 200 Photographers Fighting to Save Wildlife 🐘

From today, August 21 to September 21, more than 200 photographers are opening up their archives to raise money for Conservation International. This year it's called ‘Edition Hope’, and it’s one of the largest print sale fundraisers ever. ✨

“In 2025, the crisis isn’t a virus - it’s a withdrawal of critical funding for wildlife and conservation,” said Pie Aerts, one of the co-founders of Prints for Wildlife.

“Prints for Wildlife is more than a fundraiser - it’s a platform for connection, consciousness and hope in a time of crisis.”

  • This comes at a critical time because many conservation programs are facing funding cuts right as climate change is accelerating (heatwaves, droughts, wildfires).

  • By buying a print for 125 USD, you directly support wildlife conservation. All proceeds go directly to Conservation International, protecting wildlife habitats, preserving biodiversity, and helping local communities that rely on these ecosystems.

  • Since 2020, the project has already raised over $2.1 million for these efforts.

  • They are only open for 1 month and prints are limited to editions of 50 per photo.

“We’ve witnessed how art can spark action,” said Marion Payr, co-founder of Prints for Wildlife.

“We know many people feel powerless in the face of these changes. But there is power in photography. There is power in community. And above all there is still hope.”

So in short: the money keeps rangers in the field, habitats safe, and endangered species alive — while also supporting the people who live alongside them. ❤️

Rahul Sachdev - ‘Blazing Through’

p.s. the prints are breathtaking: polar bears curled in snow, giraffes walking through dust, tigers leaping in water. Each one is a reminder of what we risk losing.

If you want a beautiful shot on your wall and to help keep these animals alive in the wild, browse the collection here: www.printsforwildlife.org or visit their Instagram❤️

So, fellow artists and art lovers - will you stand with them? 🐆

ART STORY #3: Michelangelo’s Last Judgment to Be Restored

The Vatican has announced a rare restoration of Michelangelo’s Last Judgment in the Sistine Chapel. Beginning in January 2026, the fresco will undergo a three-month intervention to preserve it from the wear of millions of annual visitors. The goal: finish by March 2026, just in time for Easter.

Painted between 1536 and 1541, the monumental work shows more than 300 figures swirling around Christ at the center. It has witnessed centuries of papal conclaves and remains one of the most visited artworks in the world.

This is the first large-scale restoration since 1980–1994, when a 14-year project revealed Michelangelo’s original, vivid colors. Since then, only annual maintenance has been carried out.

According to Paolo Violini, the Vatican’s new head of restoration, the project is “necessary” to protect the fresco from the impact of heavy tourism. So: don’t plan on visiting the painting during those three months. 🙂 

🔥Hot Take 🔥

Is it Time to Rethink the 50/50 Split With Art Galleries?

This week, Hyperallergic asked: Why do galleries still take 50% of every sale, no matter if they’re a mega-brand with museum connections or a small space with little more than white walls?

The 50/50 split was born in the Leo Castelli era, when dealers covered production, shipping, and built entire markets for their artists. But today many artists pay their own costs, hustle their own press, and bring in their own collectors, while the gallery still pockets half.

“Why is 50/50 still treated as a gold standard, even when the labor behind it is so uneven? Why do we accept this math without questioning the gallery’s actual contribution?”

Great overview and explanation, a much recommended read! 👓

Literary Corner 📚

“Utterly Lazy and Inattentive” by Martin Parr

I love peeking into artists’ lives - their work, and the human moments behind it. So I’m excited to share this:

Martin Parr’s (AKA the British photographer who makes the ordinary look unforgettable✨) first autobiography drops on September 4.

Co-written with Wendy Jones, it traces his life from a frozen lake in childhood to the saturated flash of New Brighton, and on to recent shots of BLM protests, Tesla showrooms, and Bristol Iftars.

(The title is lifted from a school report in French class. Proof that sometimes being “lazy and inattentive” is just another way of saying: looking harder at the world.)

This Week’s Movie 🍿 🎥

Sentimental Value (the sixth feature film by Joachim Trier, winner of the Grand Prix at the last Cannes Film Festival) tells the story of a father who returns to his family not with comfort, but with a film project about their late mother. His daughter refuses to play the role, and the wound between them only deepens.

It’s a quiet, beautiful film about how art can shape grief without healing it, how families carry unspoken pain, and how love and hurt often sit side by side.

As one film critic beautifully said: “a face scrutinized by the camera, where a tear appears in the corner of an eye but never falls.” 💧

👉 Watch the trailer here.

Add This to Your Vocabulary:

Snackable – content designed to be consumed in tiny bites, perfect for our shrinking attention spans. Think TikToks, Reels, or any quick hit you don’t have to sit with for long.

(This new word just got added to the Cambridge Dictionary!)

That’s it for this time. Thanks for reading, wishing you all the best, and see you again next week! 😎

🙃