The Art World This Week, 12 September 2025
Save to My OculaThe National Gallery announces its next chapter with a new wing and modern art, Sotheby’s and Independent 20th Century to partner next year, the launch of bicoastal merger Hoffman Donahue, and more. Here’s Ocula’s briefing on the art world news you might have missed this week.
Art Fairs and Market
Art Fairs Underway in Asia-Pacific
This weekend, both Tokyo Gendai and Sydney Contemporary bring international gallerists, artists and collectors to their respective regions. Tokyo Gendai, located at PACIFICO Yokohama, launches in September for the first time, coinciding with the opening of the Aichi Triennale. In Australia, Sydney Contemporary features its largest edition yet with over 100 galleries and the launch of Photo Sydney.
Art X Lagos Reveals Tenth Anniversary Plans
The Nigerian art fair has announced its programme and exhibitors for its tenth edition this November. Entitled Imagining Otherwise, No Matter The Tide, the fair will include galleries from across West Africa, as well as Afriart Gallery from Kampala and Tiwani Contemporary from London. This year, the fair will also introduce a Spotlight Galleries section of solo presentations from emerging galleries.
Christie’s Closes Digital Department
The auction house is reportedly closing its digital art department, just four years after making headlines with the record breaking NFT auction of Beeple’s Everydays: The First 5000 Days. Digital art website Now Media first reported that Christie’s had parted ways with VP of Digital Art, Nicole Sales Giles. According to the auction house, digital art sales will be incorporated into its 20th and 21st Century Art category.
Sotheby’s to Host Independent 20th Century in 2026
Upon the art fair’s closure last weekend, Independent 20th Century announced a move to the Breuer Building for its next edition in late September 2026. The Brutalist landmark, which in recent years has temporarily housed collections for major New York museums, will open as Sotheby’s headquarters from 8 November.
Biennales and Institutions
Director of Hayward Gallery in London to Step Down
The Southbank Centre’s Hayward Gallery, a major contemporary art space in London, has announced that Director Ralph Rugoff will step down next spring—although did not provide a reason. An international search for the next director will commence this autumn.
National Gallery to Change for ‘a New Tomorrow’
London’s National Gallery has announced its ‘largest transformation’ with a new wing and collecting approach, funded by £375m in donations and counting. An international competition will determine the architectural firm to design a state-of-the-art wing for its growing collection. Previously dedicated to acquiring medieval to nineteenth century work, the museum will collaborate with Tate to expand into modern art.
Galleries
Hoffman and Donahue Join Forces for Bi-Coastal Gallery
Gallerists Hannah Hoffman and Bridget Donahue, respectively based in Los Angeles and New York, have announced a merger. Hoffman Donahue will operate across their current galleries, as well as an additional space in Beverly Hills to open later this month. Both galleries’ artists and staff will continue with Hoffman Donahue, now representing 43 artists in total.
Modern Art Makes Moves in London
The London and Paris-based gallery Modern Art has announced that it will close its two London spaces early next year, in favour of a new 4,700-square-foot gallery in the popular St James’s district. The new space will open on 14 November with Joseph Yaeger’s first solo exhibition with the gallery.
Walter Storms Galerie Expands to Berlin
Munich mainstay Walter Storms Galerie’s second location opened in Berlin on Thursday, coinciding with Berlin Art Week. The move aims to ‘offer [their] artists a new, broader, and more international audience.’ The Berlin space launched with an exhibition on German post-war painter Günter Fruhtrunk, on view through the end of October.
Gallery Representations
Navajo Artist Matthew Kirk Joins Sundaram Tagore
Sundaram Tagore Gallery now represents mixed-media artist Matthew Kirk, whose first solo exhibition with the gallery will take place at their New York space in spring 2026. Born in Arizona, Kirk is a self-taught artist based in New York. His practice takes inspiration from his Navajo heritage, especially traditional textiles.
British-Iraqi Artist Emii Alrai Joins Carl Freedman
Carl Freedman Gallery this week announced the representation of sculpture and installation artist Emii Alrai. The Margate-based gallery will show a major new body of work by the artist in her first solo exhibition with Carl Freedman next autumn. —[O]
Main image: Breuer Building. Photography by Colin Miller for Sotheby's.
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