Christie's $1.1B Night, Dubai Digital Art Museum, Venice Biennale 2027 Theme
On May 18, 2026, Christie's set a new auction record in New York, generating $1.1 billion. Among the highlights, Jackson Pollock's Number 7A (1948) achieved $181.2 million, marking a personal best for the artist. Constantin Brancusi's Danaïde (1913) sold for $107.6 million, making it the second-highest priced sculpture ever auctioned. The S.I. Newhouse collection added $630.8 million through 16 lots. In Dubai, Sheikha Latifa bint Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum announced the Museum of Digital Art (MODA), created by Adrian Smith + Gordon Gill Architecture. The Venice Architecture Biennale appointed Wang Shu and Lu Wenyu as curators for the 2027 event. Additionally, six finalists are vying to design a Billie Holiday monument in Queens, while Charlotte Tilbury's demands have hindered merger discussions between Estée Lauder and Puig.
Key facts
- Christie's generated $1.1 billion in a single evening on May 18, 2026, in New York.
- Jackson Pollock's Number 7A (1948) sold for $181.2 million, a new auction record.
- Constantin Brancusi's Danaïde (1913) sold for $107.6 million, second-most expensive sculpture at auction.
- The S.I. Newhouse collection contributed $630.8 million from 16 lots.
- Dubai's Museum of Digital Art (MODA) is a five-story institution in DIFC Zabeel District, launched by Sheikha Latifa bint Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum.
- Venice Architecture Biennale 2027 will be curated by Wang Shu and Lu Wenyu under the theme 'Do Architecture'.
- Six finalists are competing for a Billie Holiday monument in Queens, New York, as part of She Built NYC.
- Charlotte Tilbury's negotiations have paused merger talks between Estée Lauder Companies and Puig.
Entities
Artists
- Jackson Pollock
- Constantin Brancusi
- Mark Rothko
- Alice Neel
- Wang Shu
- Lu Wenyu
- La Vaughn Belle
- Nikesha Breeze
- Nekisha Durrett
- Tanda Francis
- Thomas J. Price
- Tavares Strachan
- Billie Holiday
- Charlotte Tilbury
- Alix Lacloche
- KAWS
Institutions
- Christie's
- Museum of Digital Art (MODA)
- DIFC
- Dubai Culture
- Adrian Smith + Gordon Gill Architecture
- Venice Architecture Biennale
- Amateur Architecture Studio
- Ningbo History Museum
- Xiangshan Campus of the China Academy of Art
- She Built NYC
- Department of Cultural Affairs (New York City)
- Jamaica Performing Arts Center
- Percent for Art
- Estée Lauder Companies
- Puig
- Expansión
- MAC
- Clinique
- La Mer
- Jo Malone London
- Tom Ford
- The Ordinary
- Byredo
- Rabanne
- Dries Van Noten
- Jean Paul Gaultier
- Penhaligon's
- Charlotte Tilbury (brand)
- Tuba Club
- Lève Office Bar
- Uber Boat
- Sacher Hotel
- Sacher-Torte
Locations
- New York
- United States
- Dubai
- United Arab Emirates
- DIFC Zabeel District
- Venice
- Italy
- Giardini
- Arsenale
- Queens
- New York City
- Marseille
- France
- Turin
- South of France
- Spain
- Portugal
- Croatia
- Vienna
- Austria