Observer’s 2025 Art Power Index: The Art Market’s Most Influential People Their acquisitions, affinities and approbations move the needle on valuation and redefine how art is made, shown and sold. By The Editors, Christa Terry, Dan Duray, Elisa Carollo, Farah Abdessamad, and Merin Curotto
When Smooth Stops Selling: The Decline of ‘Non-Frictional Art’ What once appeared to be the perfect alignment of aesthetics and market logic—smooth, neutral, digestible, collector-friendly—is now struggling to move. By Elisa Carollo
Philipp Plein’s Runway Spectacle Starred Robots and Rappers The stage was set with six inches of faux snow and a UFO looming over the room, which ultimately lowered to release a catsuit-clad Irina Shayk. By Zachary Weiss
Christie’s and Sotheby’s Close 2025 With a Market Rebound Fueled by Luxury and New Buyers By Elisa Carollo
A Tribute to Luigi Bonotto, the Visionary Fluxus Patron Who Merged Art, Life and Industry By Elisa Carollo
A.I. Is Overhyped Yet Underappreciated, Says DeepMind CEO Demis Hassabis By Alexandra Tremayne-Pengelly
Museum of Tomorrow’s Fábio Scarano On Rethinking Science Through Art and Redefining Institutional Purpose By Dan Duray