The week in art news: woman found under Picasso painting, Pete Doherty opens Berlin show, artists condemn Christie’s upcoming AI auction, and more

Portrait of woman found under Picasso painting. The portrait was found by conservators hidden underneath’ Portrait of Mateu Fernández de Soto (1901) for over a century. Infrared and X-Ray analysis revealed a hidden painting underneath one of the Spanish artist’s most famed works from his Blue Period, as reported by Artnews. A specialist from The Courtauld stated, “In revealing this previously hidden figure we can shed light on a pivotal moment in Picasso’s career.”

Husband of prominent New York gallerist Brent Sikkema charged with murder-for-hire plot. Sikkema was stabbed to death a year ago in a home he owned in Brazil. Daniel Sikkema, the gallerist’s estranged husband, has been charged by U.S. prosecutors for a murder-for-hire plot resulting in the death of his husband in Brazil. US. Attorney Danielle R. Sassoon said: “As alleged, Daniel Sikkema and his co-conspirator planned and carried out a cold-blooded plot to murder Sikkema’s husband, a United States citizen, in Brazil. This Office will doggedly pursue justice against those who murder United States citizens, whether at home or abroad.”

What Became of the Likely Lad? He’s an artist! Indie rock legend Pete Doherty opens new Berlin show. You probably know Doherty as the frontman for the Libertines and Babyshambles. Or perhaps his liaisons with Kate Moss or Amy Winehouse or his well-documented struggles with addiction that became tabloid fodder in the early noughties. He’s also known for making paintings, mostly using his own blood. Now, he’s opened a new show ‘Felt Better Alive,’ at Janine Bean gallery in Berlin, a survey of 24 works on canvas and paper dating back to 2006. It showcases a new direction for Doherty; collaged, typographic and stencilled. As he told Jo Lawson-Tancred in an Artnet interview, “It’s mine, it’s me, it’s from the gut and the soul. A lot of these canvases are postcards to myself, snapshots of very specific times and places.”

Artists condemn Christie’s upcoming all-AI auction. Thousands have signed a letter calling for the event, due to take place on 20th February, be cancelled. ‘Augmented Intelligence’ is the first to feature entirely AI-made works (the auction house was also the first to sell an AI artwork in 2018). According to the Guardian, signatories claim the AI models used for the artworks being sold were trained on existing copyrighted artworks, equating it to a “mass theft” which exploits artists.

Artist and critic Walter Robinson dies aged 74. The New York-based author, postmodern painter, curator and art writer was part of the 1980s The Pictures Generation, known for neo-pop still lifes of fast food and pharmaceutical products. Robinson began writing about art in the 1970s, when he co-founded with Edit DeAk the art zine Art-Rite. He later became news editor of Art in America magazine and was founding editor of Artnet magazine. Robinson died from cancer on 9th February.

LOEWE Foundation announces shortlist for 2025 Craft Prize. The 30 finalists will be exhibited at Thyssen-Bornemisza National Museum, Madrid from 30th May – 29th June. The prize is known for celebrating the fusion of ancient craft techniques with contemporary approaches. This year’s finalists cover 18 countries and regions, with works spanning mediums including ceramics, woodwork, textiles, furniture, paper, glass, metal, jewellery and lacquer, and were chosen by a panel of experts from over 4,600 submissions. The jury features leading names in art and design including LOEWE Creative Director, Jonathan Anderson, ceramicist Magdalene Odundo, architect and Pritzker Prize winner, Wang Shu, and essayist and Director Emeritus of the Design Museum Deyan Sudjic.

The Brooklyn Museum to cut jobs amid a $10 million financial deficit. A tenth of employees at the Museum are at risk of job loss, including both union and non union members. Eyebrows have been raised after an array of lavish events were staged by the museum in celebration of its 200th anniversary.

Some *personal news*: Arts magazine Plaster launches new store at Soho HQ. We’ve got exciting artist objects and editions for sale, as well as new Plaster merch. Join us tomorrow evening (Wednesday) for a party to celebrate, 6-8 pm.