Modern Art

Modern and contemporary art, with artist stories, exhibitions, discoveries, and market news.

Italian Artist’s Stark Vision of Escape Gains Attention with “Ecosustainable Castle” Series

Painting from Nicola Vacca’s Ecosustainable Castle series, showing a castle and bright low sun against dark mountains.

At first glance, the castle looks the same—unchanging, simple, gray. But the longer you linger, the more unsettling it becomes. Around it, entire worlds shift: seasons decay, skies warp, landscapes dissolve into something unrecognizable. And yet the structure stands, untouched, as if refusing to acknowledge the chaos closing in. For Nicola Vacca, this is not just a visual motif—it’s a line drawn against a world he no longer trusts. His paintings aren’t merely meant to be seen; they are a blueprint for escape, a quiet but defiant declaration that somewhere beyond the noise of modern life, a different way of existing might still be built.

Expressionism as Lived Experience: Questioning Universality with Sasha Ryabchik

Painting by Sasha Ryabchik with sweeping white strokes and bright accents on dark blue, reading “You make me feel like…”

Ryabchik’s work presumes that viewers will recognize emotions signaled through gesture—emotions they know, have felt or expect to feel. Yet emotion isn’t pre-linguistic or universal; it’s culturally coded, variable, historically situated. Here the assumption of universality encounters its limit. When Ryabchik presents spontaneous hieroglyphic signs as parallels to incomprehensible psychic processes, the correspondence is conceptually neat but ultimately simplifying. It substitutes metaphorical equivalence for substantive engagement with how meaning is actually constructed and received.

Bruton + CO announces new ZERO and Beyond exhibition

Detail of Paolo Scheggi’s Intersuperficie Curva Bianca, showing circular openings and diagonally layered white surfaces.

Bruton + Co is proud to present its upcoming exhibition, ZERO and Beyond, at its Mayfair showroom. The exhibition will bring together works by some of the most influential and innovative international artists of the 20th and 21st Centuries, united by their radical exploration of the lightest colour, white, through masterful use of shade, texture, emotion and surface. The show opens on the 9th October 2025 and will be on view until the end of the year. 

Bruton + Co’s opening exhibition line-up to include major works of Abstract Expressionism alongside significant Asian artists

Joan Mitchell’s Untitled (1958), with broad yellow, black, red and purple brushstrokes over a pale ground.

On the corner of Bruton Street in Mayfair, a new kind of art space is quietly preparing to shake up London’s cultural and investment landscape. Bruton + Co, the brainchild of art entrepreneur Olyvia Kwok, will open its doors this June with a striking retrospective of post-war abstract art—bringing together masterpieces by the likes of Joan Mitchell, Robert Motherwell, Sam Francis, and Kazuo Shiraga. More than just an exhibition, this is a statement on the shifting power of art as an alternative asset, where emotion meets investment strategy. With global markets in flux, and blue-chip art increasingly seen as a financial safe haven, this opening marks more than a cultural moment—it’s a sign of where discerning collectors may be looking next.

Banksy’s British Cool Mickey Snake Triumphs at Bonhams, Selling for £330,600

Banksy’s Mickey Snake, showing a mouse-shaped bulge in a brown and cream patterned snake.

Banksy’s Mickey Snake, a rare sculpture from the artist’s infamous Dismaland exhibition, stunned the art world this week by more than doubling its estimate at Bonhams. With its unsettling blend of pop culture and dark satire, the piece drew intense interest—and an even higher final bid. Here’s how this unexpected result is reshaping conversations around contemporary British art.

Ordinary Miracle at Pushkin House: A Queer Carnival of Winter Dreams

A guest wearing white angel wings adjusts another guest’s headpiece at Ordinary Miracle.

In December 2023, fetchish_net reimagined the heart of London’s Pushkin House into a site of fantastical disruption, queer celebration, and dreamlike transformation. Titled “Winter Special: Ordinary Miracle”, the art performance fused the sensibilities of underground rave culture with the ornate spirit of masquerade—resulting in an unforgettable experience that blurred the boundaries between performance, visual art, and participatory costume.

Bridget Riley Stuns Art World as Myrrh Soars to $2.36M at Bonhams

Detail of alternating yellow, pink, green and blue vertical bands in Bridget Riley’s Myrrh.

A legendary pioneer of Op Art, Bridget Riley just made headlines again—this time with a dazzling canvas from her Egypt series that ignited a bidding war at Bonhams. At 93, Riley isn’t just relevant—she’s setting records. Discover why Myrrh, a work painted four decades ago, became the crown jewel of the evening and what it says about the enduring power of colour, perception, and artistic legacy.

African Artist Sekoto Shatters Expectations at Auction, Selling for Over Half a Million USD—Four Times the Estimate

Detail of Gerard Sekoto’s The Artist’s Brother: a seated man in a white shirt holding a newspaper.

The late South African artist Gerard Sekoto has once again proven his lasting impact on the art world, with his masterpiece The Artist’s Brother selling for an astonishing £406,000 ($528,000) at Bonhams’ Modern & Contemporary African Art sale—more than four times its original estimate of £100,000-150,000 ($130,000-195,000).

Vian Borchert: Visionary Expressions in Turquoise Abstractions

Vian Borchert in front of two turquoise abstract paintings.

With expressive brushstrokes and a palette that mirrors the serenity of ocean waves, Vian Borchert’s art transcends boundaries, inviting viewers into a world of emotion and reflection. From the halls of the Louvre to the Venice Biennale, her signature abstract expressionist style continues to captivate audiences worldwide. But beyond the striking blues and evocative compositions lies a deeper narrative—one of resilience, inspiration, and a relentless pursuit of artistic excellence. Discover how Borchert’s journey has shaped her global impact and why her latest exhibitions are making waves in the contemporary art scene.

Greek Modernist Tsarouchis’ Eros Masterpiece Sets New World Record at Paris Auction

Detail of Yannis Tsarouchis’s Eros painting, showing a dark-haired male figure with a bare torso and pale wings.

A stunning masterpiece by Greek modernist Yannis Tsarouchis has shattered records at a high-profile Paris auction, fetching an astonishing €571,900. This bold and evocative painting “Youth posing as Eros next to an English chair” exemplifies Tsarouchis’s signature exploration of cultural and sexual identity, drawing global attention to his lasting influence. With art collectors vying for works from Greece’s most celebrated eras, this sale marks a new chapter in the appreciation of Greek modernism. Discover how Tsarouchis’s legacy continues to captivate the world.