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The Morning Signal

July 04, 2026

THE LEAD

Thaddaeus Ropac Presents Georg Baselitz Exhibition 'Hero' in Venice

via Thaddaeus Ropac

On June 29, 2026, Thaddaeus Ropac announced an exhibition of works by Georg Baselitz titled "Hero" in Venice. The show takes its name from Baselitz's 1965 masterpiece and features paintings from his six-decade career. In a statement, the artist described the exhibition as a summation of his life's work, noting his long-standing pursuit of monochrome and his eventual adoption of radiant gold as a neutral ground. Baselitz also acknowledged a "subtle citation" of Willem de Kooning in his latest brushwork and color harmony.

Baselitz's 'Hero' show in Venice, Katz's small-scale studies at Ropac, and Holzinger's touring performance all land on the same Saturday—proof that Ropac is front-loading its summer calendar to catch the July traffic.

Exhibition

The Number

€487.9M

across 5 auctions this week

Signal of the Day

Artcurial's five-auction Monte-Carlo run starting today tests whether the Riviera can sustain a multi-day sale format beyond the July weekend crowd.

The Week in Brief

The Pattern

Thaddaeus Ropac dominated with four exhibitions and a new Arles foundation, while the 35-exhibition count across 76 stories confirms a market still heavy on shows and light on transactions. Paris claimed 26 of those stories—nearly double New York's 10—underscoring Europe's grip on summer art programming.

Looking Ahead

Artcurial's Monte-Carlo auctions start today at Hôtel Hermitage; Tuesday brings Nathaniel Mary Quinn's Rolling Stones album cover at Almine Rech, an unusual crossover between contemporary art and rock merch.

— The Cultural Signal AI Editor

Today's dispatch Paris (10) · London (8) · Venice (4) · Vienna (4) · New York (3)

Market Snapshot

13 stories today | 9 exhibitions opening

This week · 76 stories · 5 auctions (€487.9M aggregate) · 35 exhibitions opening · most-active city: Paris

Just Opened

Jul 4

Rijksmuseum Partners with Disney for Toy Story 5 Summer Programme Starting July 4 — Rijksmuseum

By Region

Americas

Galerie Max Hetzler Announces Edmund de Waal Solo Exhibition at The Huntington, Los Angeles via Galerie Max Hetzler

Europe

Thaddaeus Ropac Represents Florentina Holzinger's 'Seaworld Venice' Tour to Berlin, Vienna, Brooklyn via Thaddaeus Ropac

Asia-Pacific

quiet today

Middle East & Africa

quiet today

Featured

KAWS to Discuss de Kooning Drawing at Art Institute of Chicago, Galerie Max Hetzler Announces

On July 3, 2026, Galerie Max Hetzler announced that KAWS will join artist Chris Ware and curator Mel Becker Solomon for a conversation on August 15, 2026, at The Art Institute of Chicago, tied to the…

Why it matters
KAWS pairing with de Kooning at the Art Institute puts a market-famous living artist in direct conversation with a canonical Abstract Expressionist—expect the event to draw crossover collectors from street art and blue-chip camps.

via Galerie Max Hetzler · Exhibition

Alex Katz Small-Scale Studies and 2025 Lilies Series on View at Thaddaeus Ropac

On June 29, 2026, Thaddaeus Ropac announced an exhibition of works by Alex Katz, highlighting intimate small-scale paintings created outdoors from the 1990s onward. The show pairs these preparatory…

Why it matters
Katz's shift from monumental to intimate scales at Ropac tests whether his secondary-market prices—which ballooned on big canvases—can sustain the same momentum on smaller, more studio-oriented works.

via Thaddaeus Ropac · Exhibition

This Week Ahead

Today

Artcurial Returns to Monte-Carlo for Five Auctions at Hôtel Hermitage July 4-8, 2026 via Artcurial

Tomorrow

Château La Coste Announces 'Rashid, Sheree and Friends' Group Exhibition via Gagosian

Tue Jul 7

Nathaniel Mary Quinn's Stones Trinity on Rolling Stones Album Foreign Tongues via Almine Rech

Wed Jul 8

Lisson Gallery Announces Anish Kapoor Talk with Darian Leader at Southbank Centre via Lisson Gallery

Fri Jul 10

Tate Modern Stages Yvonne Rainer Trio A Performances in Turbine Hall via Tate

Sat Jul 11

Florentina Holzinger to Stage One-Night Performance at Bregenz Lakeside as Biennale Satellite via Thaddaeus Ropac

Full calendar →

Next Week

Sun Jul 12

Lisson Gallery and Absent Gallery Exchange Spaces for Summer Exhibitions in Guangzhou and Shanghai via Lisson Gallery

Sun Jul 12

Galleria Continua Presents Moataz Nasr Group Exhibition in Venice and Murano via Galleria Continua

Wed Jul 15

Tate Modern to Stage UK’s First Major Ana Mendieta Exhibition in Over a Decade via Tate

Fri Jul 17

Daniel Buren Solo Exhibition Opens July 17 at Musée des Impressionismes Giverny via Galleria Continua

Fri Jul 17

Hauser & Wirth Artist Glenn Ligon Partners with Artistic Noise for Youth Self-Portrait Project via Hauser & Wirth

Fri Jul 17

Zhanna Kadyrova Group Exhibition 'Pietre di pane' Opens July 17 at Galleria Civica di Trento via Galleria Continua

Trending Institutions ▲ Musée d'Orsay (23) · ▲ Kunsthaus Zürich (21) · ▲ Hauser & Wirth (13) · ▼ Thaddaeus Ropac (13) · ▲ Galerie Max Hetzler (7) · → Tate (6) · ▲ Christie's (5)

Artist Spotlight

Rashid Johnson · 4 mentions this week

Rashid Johnson is a multidisciplinary artist known for his conceptual work that explores themes of identity, history, and the African American experience through diverse media including sculpture, painting, and installation.

Read profile →

The Wire

1.

Thaddaeus Ropac Represents Florentina Holzinger's 'Seaworld Venice' Tour to Berlin, Vienna, Brooklyn — Thaddaeus Ropac

2.

Galerie Max Hetzler Announces Edmund de Waal Solo Exhibition at The Huntington, Los Angeles — Galerie Max Hetzler

3.

Lisson Gallery: MOCA Cleveland to Present Tishan Hsu Survey 'Permeable Surface' — Lisson Gallery

4.

Galerie Max Hetzler: Ida Ekblad Painting Acquired by Henie Onstad, UK Solo Show Set — Galerie Max Hetzler

5.

Musée d'Orsay Extends 'Splendeurs et misères' Exhibition Through July 5, 2026 — Musée d'Orsay

6.

Musée d'Orsay and Musée de l'Orangerie Launch Carte Blanche Unlimited Admission Card — Musée d'Orsay

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