Kobel's
Art Weekly

Kobel's Art Weekly 8 2026

While Art Basel Qatar seems to be demanding a media break from most outlets, the fair itself is having a lasting impact. In a long essay for Republik.ch (free registration required) that is well worth reading, Jörg Heiser places Art Basel Qatar in a global political context: "It is a classic case of co-branding: the Art Basel brand has now been bought for the Qatar brand. Just like the ‘model’ of FIFA and Qatar. Taking a position on how to deal with art events in authoritarian states is triggering an increasingly ritualized division in the art world into Team A and Team B. Team A denounces the well-documented circumstances, from the exploitation of migrant construction workers from Asia to the support of Islamist militias. Team B then accuses Team A of Eurocentric thinking, defending the positive developments and general social dynamics of an educated, young generation (in Saudi Arabia, for example, 63 percent of the population is under 30). And anyway, Western countries are no longer truly democratic, but authoritarian and degenerate themselves, from Trump's USA to Meloni's Italy. Team A responds: That's whataboutism. Team B, in turn, also finds a counterargument, for example, about cases of censorship in the West. This could go on forever. What is clear is that some have decided to avoid the Gulf states and what they stand for, while others have decided to participate—and profit. For the Monopol podcast, I talk in detail with Sara Plekat from detektor.fm about the fair.

Elisa Carollo in the Observer finds the India Fair, which takes place at the same time as the fair in Doha, more authentic: "In contrast, visiting India Art Fair is, first and foremost, an exercise in humility—acknowledging how much you don't yet know, offering a broad enough view of a vibrant scene and being willing to learn. From there, one is carried into an ecosystem that is both remarkably dynamic and genuinely welcoming, eager to share just how much is happening on the ground. One quickly learns that, despite its internal complexities, India’s art scene is now so self-reliant that, at least from a market perspective, it no longer needs validation from abroad.“

Geertjan de Vugt visited the German Art Gallery ”somewhere in Benelux" that deals in Nazi art for the Süddeutsche Zeitung (paywall): "GAG now has customers everywhere. [Christian] Fuhrmeister [from the ZI in Munich] suspects that many of them are collectors of Nazi memorabilia who are trying to live out their ‘own private fantasy’. Marius, on the other hand, claims that they are wealthy collectors who view the works as investments. He checks his customers online: ‘If I see that someone has extreme right-wing leanings, I refuse the offer.’ Would he refuse to sell to people like Alice Weidel, Tino Chrupalla, J. D. Vance, or Gregory Bovino? ‘Do I have the right in Europe to refuse people as customers because of their religion or political beliefs?’"

Paddy Johnson offers advice on whether artists should sell to collectors whose political views they reject at Hyperallergic (free registration): "You're not structurally dependent on one specific buyer the way a museum is dependent on its donor base or a gallery is dependent on its collector base. [...] And if you need the sale, or this gallery is your only representation, the power dynamics get complicated fast. Refusing a sale might mean damaging your relationship with the dealer, which could mean fewer opportunities going forward." The question is indeed difficult to answer, and unfortunately, the text does not help at all.

The interview conducted by Susanne Schreiber for Weltkunst Insider (10 weeks free) with Christie's CEO Bonnie Brennan is particularly notable for its telling non-answers: "[Question:] Last year, the art world underwent major structural changes due to foreign money in established companies. What are the most important ones? [Answer:] The biggest change is being brought about by digitalization. We now receive 81 percent of all bids electronically. The highest online bid ever placed at a Christie's live auction was for Marc Rothko's painting ‘No 31’ last year. Another bidder finally secured it for $62.2 million. [Question:] When I thought about structure, I was thinking more about money from Qatar for Art Basel, money from Abu Dhabi's sovereign wealth fund at Sotheby's, or an investment company buying into Emmanuel Perrotin's gallery empire. [Answer:] The Gulf region is experiencing sustained growth. We have been in Dubai for 20 years and are helping to develop the dynamic neighboring countries, as we did in Hong Kong 40 years ago." You might as well try to nail pudding to the wall. Whether this process needs to be documented is another question.

Emily Kaplan, who works as an “investigative journalist” particularly in the health sector, claimed in a viral Instagram video that the Epstein files could also help solve the legendary theft from Boston's Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in 1990. In fact, she simply confused two works of art. Brian Boucher clarifies in Artnews: “Indeed, the museum has released a statement pouring cold water on suspicions from Kaplan or anyone else that the Gardner works appear in the Epstein files.” That's what happens when suddenly everyone is an expert on everything and finds platforms for their opinions. The video has now been viewed almost a million times.

Nicola Kuhn's report in the Tagesspiegel on the agreement reached after a long dispute between Berlin's Kolbe Museum and the heirs of the dancer fountain located there contains a side note that the Jüdische Allgemeine rightly considers worthy of its own article (with agency material): "Minister of State for Culture Wolfram Weimer (independent) wants to establish a restitution law for looted cultural property in Germany by the end of the legislative period. He has taken the initiative to do so, Weimer said in an interview with Deutschlandfunk's Interview of the Week. There are ‘still a great many unresolved cases,’ he explained. Nevertheless, the Federal Government Commissioner for Culture and the Media emphasized that ‘it is not a question of numbers, it is a question of morality.’" The entire interview is available to listen to on Deutschlandfunk.

The Louvre apparently did not notice that for years it had been recording many more visitors than the number of tickets sold. According to a report by the news agency APA, millions are involved: "Investigators have arrested nine people and seized over 1.4 million euros on suspicion of large-scale ticket fraud at the famous museum. [...] According to investigators, the fraud is said to have gone on for ten years. The Louvre estimates the damage to be over ten million euros. According to the public prosecutor's office, the suspects are said to have invested part of the sum in real estate in both France and Dubai. Investigations into possible ticket fraud also took place at the Palace of Versailles."

The Thaddaeus Ropac Gallery is opening another branch in New York, reports Lara Schauer at Kunstmarkt.com.