The week in art news: Pigcasso ‘artist of our time’ dies, papal approval for Venice Biennale, Kate’s Little Photoshop of Horrors and more…

Pigcasso, the porcine artist of our times, dies. The seven-year-old pig was famed for her virtuosity and for pushing the boundaries of abstract animal art. She holds the record for the single most expensive artwork made by an animal, which sold for $27,000. In total, sales of her works made around $1M. Pigcasso was born on a farm in 2016, aged just four weeks she moved to an animal sanctuary and vineyard in Cape Town, South Africa. She is survived by her owner, Joanne Lefson.

Maurizio Cattelan to represent the Vatican at the 2024 Venice Biennale. The Italian artist, who in 2001 produced a provocative life-size sculpture of Pope John Paul II being hit by a meteorite, will organise an outdoor installation at the Giudecca Women’s Prison, with contributions from eight artists including prison inmates. Pope Francis has also announced that he will attend the exhibition on a one-day trip to the city on 28th April – we’re praying for no more meteorites.

Roberta Smith retires to spend more time with art. Smith, the New York Times’ chief art critic, announced in an emotional Instagram post that she would be stepping down from her role. Smith contributed 4500 reviews over 38 years, and though she’s retiring from her position, she’s not out for the count. She said that now, “I will have more time to pursue my number one interest, which is going to galleries and museums.”

A large, triangular, metal monolith has appeared on the rolling hills of Hay-on-Wye, Wales. The steel prism was discovered last weekend by a local jogger. Similar structures have perplexed the world since 2020, when they appeared in the Utah desert, followed by Pine Mountain, California and Albuquerque, New Mexico. The big question: aliens, or mediocre land artists?

Kate’s Little Photoshop of Horrors: The obviously-photoshopped picture of Kate Middleton and her children, released by Kensington Palace to celebrate Mothers’ Day and to settle rumours surrounding her public absence, has led to a rare retraction by press agencies and poured fuel on conspiracy fires. Kate claimed in a Twitter post that it’s down to her own amateur photo editing skills. The Plaster line: pull the other one.

Tate Britain has revealed Keith Piper’s film response to the gallery restaurant’s “unequivocally offensive” mural by Rex Whistler, The Expedition in Pursuit of Rare Meats (1927). The mural came under criticism in 2020 for its images of Black children being kidnapped and caricatures of Chinese people. Piper’s film, Viva Voce, imagines a professor challenging Whistler on the work. Piper said the film draws on his own experience working as an art teacher.

Yto Barrada and Cian Dayrit are the latest to pull their works from the Barbican’s exhibition ‘Unravel: The Power and Politics of Textiles in Art’. Last week, works owned by collectors Lorenzo Legarda Leviste and Fahad Mayet were removed at their request. They did so in protest of the Barbican’s controversial last-minute cancellation of writer Pankaj Mishra’s talk on Gaza.

Police are investigating pro-Palestinian protestors who were filmed defacing a painting of Lord Balfour. The painting by Philip Alexius de László, held at Trinity College, Cambridge, was sprayed with red paint before being slashed. Lord Balfour was foreign secretary in 1917, when the British government committed itself to establishing a “national home for the Jewish people” in Palestine.

Frida Kahlo might have been a card-carrying communist, but that hasn’t stopped her likeness and art from being trademarked. Now, Amazon sellers are being sued by the Panama-based Frida Kahlo Corporation for trademark infringement. But are they just catching strays in a wider battle between the corp and Kahlo’s relatives for control of the brand? In 2018, a battle between the corporation and Kahlo’s distant relatives over the rights to her image resulted in a Kahlo-branded Barbie doll being banned from sale in Mexico.

Will Banksy’s name finally be revealed? Two collectors have sued Banksy’s company Pest Control over its “refusal” to authenticate a Monkey Queen print. If the suit goes to court the anonymous artist may be forced to reveal his identity. In recent years, mounting evidence has pointed to Banksy being either Robbie Banks or Robin Gunningham. If the real artist were outed it would put an end to years of speculation and rumours, as well as easy clickbait articles…

Spring sales turn sour: Phillips, Sotheby’s and Christie’s all saw subdued sales in London last week. Phillips 20th-century and contemporary sale saw £10.9M before fees, below the £11.7M low estimate and down on last year’s £20.3M. Sotheby’s modern and contemporary sale came in at £82.2M before fees, within their estimate but 40% lower than last year’s £136.9M sale. Meanwhile Christie’s 20th/21st century auction managed £113.8M, just above their low estimate of £112.3M. When combined with their £49.5M Surrealism sale, they were up 18.5% compared to last year, but still down 24.2% from their 2022 sales.

If you’re looking for a solid investment, why not book a viewing of Karl Lagerfeld’s 7th arrondissement avant-garde appartement? The 260 sq m, third-floor residence on Paris’ Quai Voltaire looks directly over the Seine towards the Louvre. It was the favourite home of the infamous fashion designer from 2006 until his death in 2019. Lagerfeld brought the 17th-century building into the new millennium with stainless steel surfaces, frosted glass, concrete floors and – according to one Vogue writer – Pokémon stickers on the fridge door.