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.
The Best Gifts From Museum Shops
A treasure trove of artful delights.
Antwaun Sargent On Shifting the Balance of Power Toward Artists
In this Q&A, Gagosian director and curator Antwaun Sargent reflects on how power and representation are evolving across the global art world, and why the real work of inclusion remains generational. From The New Black Vanguard to Barkley L. Hendricks: Portraits at the Frick, Sargent discusses his philosophy of “believing in artists,” the balance between hype and stewardship and why he hopes the art world will keep its word on diversity long after the rhetoric fades.
Art
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“Thirst” at The Wellcome Collection Dives Deep into the Politics of Water
There are beautiful moments throughout, but the exhibition at times feels like an uncomfortable augury of our water-scarce future.
Ten Years On, Art X Lagos Has Become the Heartbeat of Nigeria’s Creative Ecosystem
“One thing that I would like to have conveyed is the fact that this is not a typical art fair. This is a very unique experience that achieves so much for so many,” founder Tokini Peterside-Schwebig told Observer.
Abang-Guard Talk Labor, Legacy and “Makibaka” at the Queens Museum
Through paintings, performances and installations, the artist duo bridges personal heritage with broader struggles for equity and recognition.
Meet the Collector: Raphaël Isvy Wants to Rewrite the Rules of Buying and Selling Art
“When collectors reinject liquidity into the market, it benefits everyone,” he tells Observer. “Instead of shaming people for selling, galleries should teach them how to do it properly, how to reinvest in a way that sustains the ecosystem.”
Phillips CEO Martin Wilson: The Great Wealth Transfer Is Also a Great Taste Transfer
In this Q&A, Phillips CEO Martin Wilson explains how the “great wealth transfer” has become a “great taste transfer,” why younger collectors are redefining the art market’s power structures and how innovations like Priority Bidding are reshaping the auction experience for a digital-first generation.
Lifestyle
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The Most Refined Luxury Gifts for the Modern Gentleman
From cashmere and cologne to tech and travel, these are the season’s most polished presents for the man who appreciates craftsmanship over flash.
The Ultra-Boutique Hotels for an Exclusive Winter Escape Out West
Several mountain towns turn up the charm with uber-boutique hotels that offer the most exclusive getaways.
Tom Brady Wins Back-to-Back Titles as E1 Electric Boat Racing Debuts in the U.S.
Tom Brady’s team conquered Biscayne Bay in a spectacle of hydrofoils, champagne and unapologetic speed.
Jet Set: Long-Haul Essentials
From cashmere wraps to noise-canceling headphones, these travel upgrades make surviving 10 hours in the air feel a little less like punishment.
Carbone Riviera Lands in Las Vegas With Fittingly Theatrical Flair
Carbone Riviera turns dinner at Bellagio into a full-blown production—in the best way.
Culture
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Fall at Paul Taylor Dance Company: ADHD, Love and Jazz
For the first time in its 71-year history, the Company has two resident choreographers, both presenting world premieres.
Bartlett Sher On Theater as a Catalyst for Change
Known for his politically attuned revivals, the director once again uses the stage to question art’s power in moments of moral and social crisis.
Doubt, Faith and the Creative Odyssey Behind Sarah Kirkland Snider’s “Hildegard”
Produced in collaboration with Beth Morrison and directed by Elkhanah Pulitzer, the work bridges sacred tradition and modern experimentation.
Book Lover Approved: Holiday Gifts for the Bibliophile
This is the bibliophile’s gift guide that goes beyond the bookshelf.
When Algorithms Curate Culture, What Do We Lose?
Michele Y. Smith, CEO of Seattle’s Museum of Pop Culture (MOPOP), examines how A.I.-driven curation is reshaping what we watch, listen to and value, and what’s being lost in the process. Smith argues that while algorithms can organize content, they can’t preserve the accidents, contradictions and context that make pop culture meaningful.
Business
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Fei-Fei Li’s Spatial A.I. Startup World Labs Unveils Its First Product
Fei-Fei Li calls spatial intelligence “A.I.’s next frontier” as World Labs debuts Marble.
From Profit to Purpose: The Next Generation’s Values Are Rewriting the Rules of Success
Ted Swimmer, head of commercial banking at Citizens, examines how the next generation’s evolving definition of success is reshaping expectations for companies, banks and leaders alike. Drawing on his experience advising middle-market and large corporate clients, Swimmer explores why businesses must move beyond traditional growth metrics to embrace purpose, inclusivity and long-term value creation.
Megan Fox Kelly On Why the Future of Art Advising Is About Strategy, Not Access
In this Q&A, veteran art advisor Megan Fox Kelly discusses how inheritance and legacy management are redefining power in the art world, why today’s advisors must compete on strategy and data rather than access and how collaboration between financial, legal and art professionals is shaping the future of collecting and estate stewardship.
J. Paul Getty Trust CEO Katherine E. Fleming On the Museum’s Changing Role
In this Q&A, J. Paul Getty Trust president and CEO Katherine E. Fleming discusses how one of the world’s most influential cultural institutions is redefining what it means to serve the public good. From leading through the Palisades wildfires to expanding the Getty’s mission around accessibility, resilience and well-being, Fleming reflects on why the future of museums depends on both preserving art and nurturing the human and environmental contexts that sustain it.
Artsy CEO Jeffrey Yin: The Next Era of Collecting Will Be Personal, Transparent and Global
In this Q&A, Artsy CEO Jeffrey Yin explains how transparency and technology are reshaping the global art market, what rising first-time collector trends reveal about the next generation’s approach to art and why maintaining human connection amid digital expansion remains central to Artsy’s mission.
Art Market
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Maria Brito On Democratizing the Art World Without Diluting Its Excellence
In this Q&A, art advisor Maria Brito explains why the art world’s shifting power structures demand greater transparency, how technology has democratized visibility and why the future of collecting depends on intellectual integrity, education and inclusivity—not disruption for its own sake.
Andrew Wolff Wants to Build the Operating System for the Global Art Market
In this Q&A, Beowolff Capital CEO Andrew Wolff explains why he believes the future of the art market lies in transparency, data and A.I.-powered collaboration. He outlines how integrating Artsy and Artnet could create a seamless ecosystem for collectors and artists, how technology is shifting power from gatekeepers to communities and why human creativity remains the art world’s most valuable asset in an increasingly automated age.
At Salon Art + Design 2025, Innovation, Form and Function Meet Market Enthusiasm
The 14th edition of the hybrid fair unfolded with a rare sense of cohesion and restraint, with many exhibitors adopting a thoughtfully curatorial approach that seamlessly integrated art and design.
Why Zohran Mamdani’s Victory Is Good for the Art World (But Some Are Still Panicking)
If his vision threatens the art world, then the art world in question was never about the art. It was an investment strategy with wall labels.
Partnerships Are the Currency of Sustainability at Art Collaboration Kyoto
“It’s time for the art world to intercept funding from corporations, who can be today’s patrons,” explains ACK director Yukako Yamashita.
Art Reviews
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A Look Inside the New Studio Museum in Harlem Ahead of Its Reopening
After eight years of renovation and anticipation, the museum reopens this weekend with a two-day public celebration; ahead of the long-awaited debut, Observer got an exclusive preview.
Chiharu Shiota Weaves Historical Memory, Body and Belonging in “Two Home Countries”
“I don’t have to decide which country I belong to, I can be both,” the artist says. “I believe we can have multiple home countries; this is my experience.”
Rember Yahuarcani On Wielding Paint as a Tool of Cultural Preservation and Resistance
Drawing on ancestral memory, sacred plant knowledge, jungle sounds and mythology, his work preserves Indigenous wisdom while translating it through the lens of contemporary art for a world in need of its lessons.
The Art of Transmission: How Hiba Baddou Reimagines Moroccan Futurity
In the artist’s hands, what was once a tool of reception becomes an archetype: a poetic link between sky and earth, between the collective memory of home and the restless pull of elsewhere.
At the Chicago Architecture Biennial, Radical Times Demand Radical Change
Most of the projects here argue that housing, design and—by extension—public investment must actively honor and sustain people’s histories, identities and lived needs.
Luxury Travel
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America’s Most Haunted: 13 Spots Where the Dead Supposedly Refuse to Check Out
No souvenir-shop spookery. Just 13 serious sites with troubled histories, credible accounts and field-tested logistics for travelers who like to tackle spooky season head-on.
The Best Hotels in Savannah, Where History Meets Hospitality
From heritage inns to cocktail-forward boutiques, Savannah’s best hotels capture the city’s timeless allure while reimagining modern Southern hospitality.
The Most Romantic Beachfront Hotels in Mexico
From couples massages under the stars to private cliffside dinners at sunset.
The Best Resorts for a Wellness Weekend in Mexico
Whether you’re wanting to sweat it out in a traditional temazcal or experience a cenote-side meditation and cacao ceremony, we’ve got you covered on where to enjoy a wellness weekend away in Mexico.
Where to Experience the Best of Spooky Season in California
Even if creepy delights and bone-chilling frights aren’t your jam, you can still celebrate the season with fall-themed pop-ups, hayrides and corn mazes.
Nightlife & Dining
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Where to Find the Best Savory Cocktails in Los Angeles
Whether you’re craving a pizza-inspired margarita or a rich mushroom-infused martini, we’ve rounded up the best places to sip savory cocktails in Los Angeles.
Seed Library, New York’s First Mr. Lyan Bar, Takes Root in NoMad
At long last, Ryan Chetiyawardana brings his inventive cocktail ethos to New York City.
Memory, Matter and Minimalism: Inside Dia Art Foundation’s 2025 Fall Night
With heartfelt tributes to Melvin Edwards and Meg Webster, the evening celebrated two visionary practices that embody Dia’s artist-first ethos.
The Best Sushi Restaurants in Dallas
Whether you’re craving intricate rolls with dynamic flavor combos or fresh sashimi shipped straight from Japan, these are the best sushi spots in Dallas.
The Thanksgiving Cocktail Recipes for a Toast to Gratitude
From maple margaritas to pumpkin-spice creations, these cocktails blend fall flavor, festive flair and a touch of Thanksgiving cheer.
Style
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The Best Holiday Gifts for the Woman Who Already Has Everything
Gifts so good, even she hasn’t thought of them just yet.
The Best Personalized Gifts for the Holidays
Conventional wisdom tells us it’s the thought that counts, but some thoughts count more than others.
The Essentials With Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone: Hyperbaric Chambers, Lucky Diamond Watches and Mom Shoes
The world’s fastest woman shares the rituals, recovery tools and travel talismans that power her record-breaking speed—and why she won’t race without her diamond TAG Heuer.
Things We Loved This Month: Adventures in French Polynesia
The very best things that made a month of travel and work that much easier.
The Enduring Appeal of the Riding Boot, From Stable to Sidewalk
No longer just for horse girls, the riding boot has evolved into a timeless fashion staple that never loses its stride.
Theater
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Elizabeth Marvel On Navigating a Dystopian Future in Tim Blake Nelson’s ‘And Then We Were No More’
Marvel stars as a lawyer navigating a justice system stripped of mercy, nuance and human judgment.
Jeremy McCarter’s Audiodrama Puts Us Inside Hamlet’s Head
The experiment works best when we hear the titular character not foregrounded but embedded in the specificities of his place and time.
Review: ‘Masquerade’ Tries to Revive ‘Phantom of the Opera’ But Embalms It Instead
Diane Paulus is an old pro at taking theatrical IP and infusing wild, contemporary life into it. If only she’d done so here.
Review: Keanu Reeves and Alex Winter’s ‘Waiting for Godot’ Is Excellent
Fans of Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure registered delight throughout the Hudson Theatre. Bogus? Not a jot.
Gabriella Reyes and Duke Kim Bridge Disciplines in a Bold New ‘West Side Story’ in L.A.
The musical’s social commentary lands with renewed force amid contemporary headlines.
Opera
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With Precision and Playfulness, ‘La Fille du Regiment’ Considers Love, Loyalty and the Absurdities of War
Laurent Pelly’s spirited revival at the Met turns military mayhem into irresistible comedy.
Erin Morley and Lawrence Brownlee Bring ‘Golden Age’ Flair to the Met’s ‘La Fille du Régiment’ Revival
The pair’s long parallel histories highlight how shared artistic journeys can evolve into major collaborations onstage and in the recording studio.
Review: Opera Philadelphia’s Snappy Rare Rossini Without Stars and the Met’s Dour New ‘La Sonnambula’
While both companies tapped directors who chose unconventional approaches to this repertoire, they followed very different paths when casting their singers.
Is ‘The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay’ the Opera We Need or Just the One We Deserve?
Operas are shot through with tropes and highly stylized actions; comic books offer better source material than one might expect.
Anthony Roth Costanzo Brings Charles Ludlam’s 1983 Drag Fantasia to Little Island
Costanzo brings pathos and polish to ‘Galas,’ even as the production struggles to match the absurdity of its subject.
Dance
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Shen Wei On “STILL / MOVING” and Finding Harmony Across Disciplines
A new dual-venue exhibition traces nearly three decades of artistic evolution, from early experiments in gesture to meditative explorations of form and balance.
At 85 Years Old, American Ballet Theatre Has Never Looked Better
ABT’s latest season brings 15 ballets to the stage, including a world premiere, several company premieres and a well-curated sampling of its expansive repertory from the past 85 years.
Misty Copeland Takes a Bow at the American Ballet Theatre Gala
Any gala hosted by American Ballet Theatre is bound to be wonderful, but the company’s 85th anniversary fete was an especially splendid—and meaningful—affair.
Tiler Peck On Bringing ‘Turn It Out with Tiler Peck & Friends’ Back to City Center
Her curatorial approach transforms the stage into a meeting place for different genres and creative sensibilities to participate in rhythmic dialogue.
Barnett Cohen’s ‘anyyywayyy whatever’ Is a Bold Mosaic of Movement and Text
His show is a wakeup call to our apathetic culture as well as a profound reminder that we are not alone.
Tech
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Meta’s Yann LeCun to Launch Physical A.I. Startup After Declaring LLMs a ‘Dead End’
Turing Award winner Yann LeCun is reportedly leaving Meta to create a startup developing “world models,” a new path beyond large language models.
Tesla Cybertruck Setbacks Mount as Top Engineers Announce Departures
The exit of a veteran engineer adds to mounting pressure on Tesla’s struggling Cybertruck program.
Sam Altman Projects OpenAI Revenue to Hit $20B—Where the Money Comes From
Sam Altman projects massive revenue growth after a White House adviser warns that Washington won’t rescue A.I. firms.
Chan Zuckerberg Initiative Shifts Focus to A.I. and Science
The philanthropic arm of Mark Zuckerberg and Priscilla Chan is shifting from social reform to A.I. and biomedical research.
RWA Platforms Keep Launching—Then Hitting the Same Regulatory Wall
Corey Billington, co-Founder and CEO of Blubird, examines why real-world asset (RWA) platforms keep stalling at the same regulatory wall despite growing institutional interest and trillions in projected market value. Billington argues that the key to global RWA adoption lies in building modular compliance systems, tools that make regulatory complexity as seamless as payment processing. Until then, every new RWA platform will keep running into the same border it can’t cross.
Finance
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Warren Buffett Accelerates His Charitable Giving While ‘Going Quiet’
As Buffett prepares to hand over Berkshire’s reins, he’s fast-tracking his mission to give away nearly all of his $147 billion fortune.
What’s in Elon Musk’s $1 Trillion Tesla Pay Package?
Elon Musk’s $1 trillion Tesla pay plan passed with over 75 percent support, rewarding him for hitting massive market and performance goals.
Inside the Global Race to Build Gold Vaults for the Next Monetary Order
Mamadou Kwidjim Toure, founder and CEO of Ubuntu Tribe, examines the revolution reshaping global finance as central banks amass gold and build fortress vaults to reclaim control over their monetary destinies. Toure argues that this resurgence of asset-backed sovereignty signals not a return to the past but the foundation of a more inclusive, multipolar economic future.
The Only Certainty Is Uncertainty: Why a Culture of Innovation Will Be Critical in 2026
Barbara Salopek, CEO of Vinco Innovation AS, adjunct lecturer at BI Norwegian Business School and author of Future-Fit Innovation, examines how economic slowdown, regulatory tightening and rapid A.I. adoption are converging to make innovation culture the defining factor of 2026. Drawing on her experience advising organizations across Europe, Salopek argues that resilience now depends on the cultural ability to question, adapt and learn faster than the uncertainty ahead.
Walmart CEO Doug McMillon Applies Pandemic Lessons to Navigate Tariff Turmoil
As tariffs and costs fluctuate, Walmart fine-tunes production and pricing to keep shelves stocked and shoppers satisfied.
Media
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What’s Ahead for David Ellison’s Paramount Skydance, According to Its First Earnings Report
The newly merged company faces near-term pain but plans a bigger film slate and long-term streaming growth.
The Cost of Automating Authenticity: A.I.’s Limits in Social Media
Jon-Stephen Stansel, an award-winning social media strategist and author of The 10 Principles of Effective Social Media Marketing, examines the growing tension between automation and authenticity in social media marketing. Stansel argues that while A.I. can accelerate content production, it can’t replicate human creativity, taste or connection. He makes the case for a hybrid future, where A.I. serves as a co-pilot, not a replacement, for skilled social media professionals.
How a Potential Paramount-WBD Merger Could Redefine the Streaming Wars
As Paramount and WBD explore a merger, analysts weigh what it could mean for HBO Max, Paramount+ and the future of streaming.
Daniel Ek Hands Off Spotify as A.I. and Video Define Its Next Chapter
The streaming giant’s new co-CEOs will steer its growth through fresh content, partnerships and deeper A.I. integration.
How Padel Became the Reigning Leisure Sport in Luxury Hospitality
The social, low-pressure sport is serving a new standard for luxury hospitality, one court at a time.
Power Lists
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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.
100 Leaders Shaping the Future of Artificial Intelligence
They write the script that the rest of us follow.
The Top PR Firms in 2025
This year’s PR Power List celebrates the agencies bold enough to lead the charge and smart enough to reflect the world they’re shaping.
Latest
All Latest
Onassis ONX Celebrates Five Years of Bridging Art and Technology With a New Space
The new Tribeca location will serve as a hybrid residency, research lab and production studio, with expanded space for exhibitions and public programs that amplify the work developed within.
Redefining Immersive Media Art Beyond the Screen
“My hope is to use technology not as a distraction but as an invitation, bringing audiences back into direct relationship with their surroundings and with one another,” d’strict director L.J. Kim tells Observer.
Meet the Collector: Kim Manocherian Is Building Narratives Through Art
Named for the storyteller-heroine of ‘One Thousand and One Nights,’ her Scheherazade Collection is as eclectic and thematically expansive as its namesake.
Meet the Collectors: Nancy Olnick and Giorgio Spanu Share the Passion and Vision Behind Magazzino Italian Art
“It wasn’t just about acquiring, it was about learning. Otherwise, what’s the point?” Olnick tells Observer.
An Insider’s Guide to Fishtown: Philadelphia’s Proof That Reinvention Can Still Have Soul
Fishtown has transformed into Philly’s creative core, becoming the city’s hippest neighborhood.
Toyota’s Hybrid-First EV Strategy Pays Off Even as Tariffs Bite Into Profit
The automaker’s cautious approach to electrification is cushioning profits as tariffs and EV demand pose new challenges.
Tim Berners-Lee Warns A.I. Could Kill the Web Economy as No One Visits Sites Anymore
As A.I. chatbots replace human readers, Tim Berners-Lee warns the World Wide Web’s ad-driven business model could collapse without reform.
Art Basel Launches Zero 10, a New Platform for Digital Art in the Era of Next Gen Collecting
Placing new media art at the center of the fair underscores how digital culture is rewriting the rules of collecting and the marketplace around it.
Duolingo Brings Back ‘Unhinged’ Marketing After Growth Slows
Duolingo saw user growth slow after pausing its viral “unhinged” owl posts.
Nika Neelova On “UMBRA” and the Death of Linear Time
Her exhibition at NIKA Project Space in Paris turns impermanence into an act of creation and disappearance into a quiet form of resistance.
Yale Study Quantifies How Much Elon Musk’s Politics Have Cost Tesla
A Yale study quantifies the impact of Elon Musk’s political actions on Tesla’s EV business for the first time.
Rivian Spins Off a Robotics Startup to Foray Into Physical A.I.
Rivian’s Mind Robotics will apply A.I. to industrial automation and reshape how physical businesses operate.
Zofia Rydet’s Attempt to Photograph Every Home in Poland Is at The Photographers’ Gallery
‘Sociological Record’ captures the intimate realities of Polish domestic life during a period of rapid social and political change.
Collector Yu Kimoto Explains How Japan’s Next Gen Collectors Are Rethinking the Art World
His CLTV Collection captures how younger collectors move fluidly across categories, dissolving boundaries between art, design, fashion and lifestyle.
One Fine Show: “Five Friends” at Museum Ludwig in Köln
This new exhibition is somehow the first to examine John Cage, Merce Cunningham, Jasper Johns, Robert Rauschenberg and Cy Twombly in the context of each other.
An Insider’s Guide to West Palm Beach
West Palm Beach has become Florida’s most electric playground, where startup cash, yacht crews and ex-New Yorkers fuel a scene that’s anything but sleepy.
How Twelve Labs Teaches A.I. to ‘See’ and Transform Video Understanding: Interview
Backed by Nvidia and Intel, Twelve Labs builds A.I. that can search, summarize and analyze video content across sectors.
Artissima’s 32nd Edition Grounded Global Contemporary Art in Regional Identity
Although a distinctly Italian sensibility runs through the fair’s context, fair director Luigi Fassi pointed out that the majority of participating galleries were not Italian.