Artist Ali Cherri Files War Crimes Complaint Over Parents' Deaths, Indian Painting Sets Auction Record

On April 2, 2026, French-Lebanese artist Ali Cherri, in collaboration with the International Federation for Human Rights, submitted a formal complaint to France's War Crimes Unit regarding the deaths of his parents. Mahmoud Naim Cherri and Nadira Hayek were killed on November 26, 2024, when their Beirut apartment was bombed by Israeli military forces hours before a ceasefire, resulting in seven total fatalities. The complaint alleges that targeting civilian residences may violate French criminal law and international humanitarian law. Cherri stated on social media that pursuing legal action was a significant and challenging decision made with his sisters a year prior. Separately, the Indian art market achieved a milestone when a painting by Raja Ravi Varma titled 'Yashoda and Krishna' from the 1890s sold for $17.9 million, establishing a new auction record for South Asian artworks. Pharmaceutical billionaire Cyrus Poonawalla acquired the piece, exceeding its high estimate of $12.9 million and surpassing the previous record held by an MF Husain painting that sold for $13.7 million at Christie's New York. Poonawalla described the artwork as a national treasure and intends to make it accessible for public viewing periodically. Additional art world developments include an open letter from 70 Venice Biennale participants advocating for the exclusion of the United States, Russia, and Israel from the event; the completion of a São Paulo Museum of Art extension designed by Lina Bo Bardi; a White House appeal regarding a halted ballroom construction project; the ongoing La Biennale de Québec exhibition exploring ice as theme and medium; and reflections from departing Guardian art critic Adrian Searle on his three-decade career.