🎨 The Art Pulse – Week 7/2025 

🚀 Top 5 Art Stories This Week 

🎨 1. Art World Power Plays: Louvre, Trump & Biennale Drama

➡️ The Louvre’s Mona Lisa is currently so crowded that people see it more through their phone screens than their own eyes. The museum is finally giving her some breathing room with a new space. Will it help? TBD. 🖼️

➡️ Trump just grabbed the steering wheel of the Kennedy Center, and the art world is bracing for impact. As the new chairman, he gets the final say on board decisions, meaning experimental, edgy projects could take a backseat to, well…whatever fits his vibe. Less boundary-pushing, more playing it safe? Looks like the U.S. arts scene just got a plot twist. 🎭🤔

➡️ And in Australia, a Lebanese-Australian artist got axed from the Venice Biennale because of an old artwork featuring Hezbollah’s leader. Some call it censorship, others call it national security. It’s a political minefield. Art or agenda? Either way, it’s messy. 🔥🚨

🎭 2. BAFTA, Berlinale & the Power of Film

➡️ The BAFTAs (British Academy of Film and Television Arts) are the UK's version of the Oscars. This year, they spotlighted films delving into intense political themes. Conclave explores secretive power struggles within the Vatican, while The Brutalist portrays an architect's tumultuous pursuit of the American dream, highlighting the personal costs of ambition. These topics resonate now due to global discussions about institutional transparency and the immigrant experience. 🎥

➡️ Over in Berlin, things got even more intense. A documentary about the Israel-Palestine conflict (A Letter to David) hit hard, and a Croatian film on the return of fascism gave history a not-so-subtle warning: "Hey, let’s not do this again." 🙏🏻

➡️ Some films entertain, others make you think. This week’s batch? Brain fuel. 🍿

🏛️ 3. Museums, Monuments & Memory Wars

➡️ The Fenix Museum of Migration isn’t just about old photos and maps—it’s packed with real stories from people who had to leave their homes and start over. The museum shows what they went through, what they left behind, and how they built something new. No sugarcoating 🍬🚫, just raw 🥩, human experiences 🤯

➡️ The Islamic Arts Biennale in Saudi Arabia is blending ancient artifacts with bold, modern interpretations of Islamic identity. One minute you’re looking at a 1,000-year-old manuscript, the next—boom—contemporary installation with neon lights.

➡️ And Faith Ringgold’s mural for a women’s prison, which showed women in careers they were never encouraged to pursue, is getting its own documentary. Fun fact: The mural got moved because the prison turned co-ed. The irony.

🔥 4. Artists vs. AI: The Battle Heats Up

➡️ When mega-auction houses start trading “data-driven derivatives” of real art, who’s the real creator? Sure, technology is cool, but artists are feeling the sting. Imagine you design a killer sneaker 👟, and then a big brand grabs your sketch, tweaks the logo, and sells it for millions—without cutting you a check. That’s AI art right now—taking from real artists, remixing it, and calling it “the future.”

➡️ The Getty Museum shocked the art world by purchasing an AI-generated piece, 🫢marking the first time a major institution has fully embraced machine-made creativity. The artwork, titled "Synthetic Visions," was created by the AI artist collective Obvious and acquired for a reported 💰 $75,000. 💰This buy isn’t just a flex—it’s a loud and clear signal that AI isn’t just knocking on the art world’s door anymore. It’s already inside, making itself at home.

🎤 5. Music, Mayhem & Memory

➡️ The Weeknd might be retiring his name, moving from pop star to full-on creative mogul. Next stop? Maybe movies. Maybe space. Who knows with this guy?

➡️ Black Sabbath, aka the godfathers of heavy metal, are throwing one last epic party. The invite list? Rock legends Guns N' Roses and Tool. Not a bad way to say goodbye. The farewell concert is slated for July 4, 2025, at London's Wembley Stadium. With band members like Ozzy Osbourne and Tony Iommi now in their mid-70s, this concert marks the culmination of over five decades of heavy metal dominance. 🤘🔥

➡️ Meanwhile, A$AP Rocky’s legal drama is over (for now). After months in court over an alleged firearm incident, he’s free. The incident in question involved an altercation in Los Angeles where A$AP Rocky was accused of brandishing a firearm during a dispute. After a high-profile trial, he was acquitted of all charges, allowing him to refocus on his music career. Time to drop some music—or at least take a victory lap. ✌🏻

🖌️ Michelangelo’s Sketchbook Goes Public – A rare collection of Michelangelo’s preparatory drawings is hitting the exhibition circuit, offering a peek into the mind of the Renaissance master. A rare set of 25 preparatory sketches is landing stateside at the Muscarelle Museum of Art. We’re talking never-before-seen glimpses into the master’s messy, brilliant process—first-version scribbles, alternative angles, and all the mistakes he famously hid.

Michelangelo’s messy sketches remind us:

Show your drafts. Sometimes the “ugly” is the gold. Share a behind-the-scenes shot or doodle this week. Let fans see your rough edges—that’s where true brilliance hides.

The White House just made history by adding "Día Feriado" (2011) by Cuban American artist Carmen Herrera to its permanent collection. This marks the first time a Latina artist’s work has been included in the presidential residence—about time! The minimalist masterpiece now sits in the East Wing, home to the First Lady’s office.

➡️ Why it matters: Herrera was ignored by the art world for decades and only gained recognition in her 80s—proof that the best art doesn’t always get its due immediately.

➡️ The bigger picture: The White House art collection is becoming more diverse, slowly but surely. With this move, Herrera’s bold geometric style now shares a home with portraits of U.S. presidents and first ladies.

Minimalism just got a major political upgrade. 🏛️🎨🔥

Miranda July asks the big question: What else might you do? In this 7-minute Art21 short film, she dives into the messy, beautiful balancing act of being a woman, a mom, and an artist—all in the name of unlocking creativity and seeing the world differently.

Her approach? Never stop questioning:
💭 “I work so hard to keep asking every day: but really, like, what REALLY is interesting?”
✨ “Remember, you are absolutely free. What do you want to do today?”

Source: @art21org

Yoko Ono has spent decades inspiring the world with art, peace, and imagination—and now it’s your turn. To celebrate her 92nd birthday on February 18, 2025, her son Sean Ono Lennon has launched a virtual Wish Tree, letting people around the globe post their dreams online.

And here’s the best part: Every wish contributes to real trees being planted in Yoko’s honor, thanks to One Tree Planted.

💭 Got a wish? Drop it here:
👉 Make a wish

Because as Yoko has always said, “A dream you dream alone is only a dream. A dream you dream together is reality.”

That’s it for now, thanks for reading! 🔥 Now go crush the day like a creative genius. See you again next week! And if you got a take - hit reply—we’re all ears. 📩👂

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