A to Z Of The 2019 Art World Happenings

The art world has been busy in 2019. There has barely been a day where there hasn’t been big news, from Rihanna spotted at Art Basel to robot artists and all that controversy about bananas. So, just as the year draws to a close, we thought we’d refresh you on just exactly what went down in 2019.
 
A is for AUCTIONS 

(And how they got the cool factor) From Sotheby’s jumping onto the Star Wars bandwagon to Justin and Hailey Bieber teaming up with Inner City Arts, auctions have become even more trendy than they were already, with more and more celebrities endorsing them. 
 
B is for BANANAS

Bananas caused a stir thanks to Maurizio Cattelan’s overpriced fruit at Art Basel Miami Beach ($120k), and even more so when David Datuna dared to eat it. But they also raised eyebrows in April, when a video of Natalia LL eating a banana was removed from Warsaw’s National Museum, leading to a 1,000 person demonstration. And that only leaves us with one question, which fruit will be raising eyebrows in 2020?
 
C is for CAMP

How could we forget the stunning Met Gala of May 2019 where the theme was CAMP?! Chaired by Lady Gaga, Alessandro Michele, Harry Styles and Serena Williams and the darlings of the fashion world wowed in their OTT outfits!
 
D is for DESIGN

This year saw an abundance of art x fashion collabs. From the installation of Daniel Arsham at Dior shows to Louis Vuitton commissioning handbag designs from the likes of Alex Israel and Tschbalala Self, the fashion and art worlds reminded us that their love affair shows no time of ending any time soon….
 
E is for ENVIRONMENT

2019 was the year when the world started to think seriously about the environment, and the art world quickly followed suit with artists like Olafur Eliasson spearheading the artistic mission to highlight the climate emergency.
 
F is for FEMALES

That’s right, the girls really took over this year, with many institutions going crazy for female-led exhibitions. 
 
G is for GUCCI

Gucci has been all over our weekly news round-ups this year. From hosting parties at Art Basel Miami to launching art books and collaborating with artists, there was seldom a day when Gucci wasn’t on our radar. 
 
H is for HOW DID WE ONLY JUST LEARN ABOUT THEM?

2019 was a year where we discovered dozens (perhaps even hundreds) of women ruling the global art scenes. Covering everywhere including Australia, Greece, Portugal, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and more, we introduced you to some very impressive ladies you should know.   
 
I is for I CAN’T BELIEVE WE MISSED IT

We like to think that nothing get’s past us here at The Art Gorgeous, but somehow Rihanna, Kanye and a whole host of other A-listers managed to pop up at art fairs without us noticing…
 
J is for JUSTIN BIEBER

That’s right, 2019 was the year when Justin Bieber made his mark on the art world. From hosting a charity auction with his wife Hailey, to rumours of owning a KAWS, the Biebs certainly made his presence known in the art arena.
 
K is for KAWS

(Of course) KAWS has shown no sign of slowing down just yet. The art world star has been everywhere from partying with Pharrell to camping by Mount Fuji, we don’t think he had much time to sit down this year…
 
L is for LENA DUNHAM

That’s right, Lena Dunham made a firm stamp on the art world this year by exhibiting in London and the US. She’s also been posting more of her art on Instagram and recorded a podcast with Talk Art. 
 
M is for MOSCHINO

We’ve always had a soft spot for Moschino, and this year it turned into a full-on crush when Moschino presented the Milan runway with a collection completely inspired by Pablo Piccaso. We’re still dreaming about getting our hands on some (all) of the pieces!
 
N is for NEW ART CRUSHS

It’s no secret that we all secretly want to hook-up with an art boy, and 2019 provided us with plenty of guy-candy to drool over. And don’t you worry, we let you in on some of our favourite art hunks…
 
O is for OH MY GOD MOMENTS

What would the art world be without a bit of drama, eh? From the electrician who stole Picasso’s works to the theft of a golden toilet, 2019 has been full of juicy gossip!
 
P is for PODCASTS

While the art world is known for being visual, 2019 was the year where everything turned audio. Podcasts became a big thing from new shows being introduced by The Great Women Artists as well as Frieze’s Bow Down show. 
 
Q is for QUEENS

All hail the queens of art history who finally stepped out of their lovers’ shadows in 2019. Lee Krasner had a solo show at the Barbican, moving away from Jackson Pollock, while Dora Maar showed she was more than Picasso’s lover with a show at Tate Modern. 
 
R is for ROBOTS

2019 was the year that we were introduced to Ai-Da, the world’s first artist robot, and guess what? She’s a woman! Travelling across the globe for appearances at top art fairs, we can’t wait to see what Ai-Da does next!
 
S is for SCENTS

Ever wanted to smell like an artwork? Well now you can, thanks to a new fragrance collection launched this year at the Louvre. The museum collaborated on 8 perfumes with Officine Universelle Buly to create aromas inspired by the likes of the Venus de Milo.
 
T is for TV

Because 2019 was the year streaming channels took inspiration from the art world. Amazon began working on a new film chronicling five women artists, while Helen Mirren is announced to be starring in a film about Goya. 
 
U is for URS FISCHER

Because he dedicated his work to Leo DiCaprio (living out every art girl’s dream…). Fischer’s newest waxwork piece is a giant candle that includes the famed actor with his parents. Unfortunately, the work was set alight, so Leo may well have been vanquished by now…(heartbreak emoji)
 
V is for VIRTUAL REALITY

More and more artists are incorporating VR and AR into their work, and so too are institutions. 2019 was the year that saw Mona Lisa go digital at the Louvre, so we are excited to see what 2020 will bring!
 
W is for WEDDINGS

We all love a good wedding, and the art world is no different! 2019 was the year the art boys tied the knot, with Ellie Goulding sealing the deal with Jasper Jopling and J-Law saying “I do” to Cooke Maroney. There was also a third celebration between art-world power couple Dasha Zhukova and Stavros Niarchos.
 
X is for X-ACTLY WHAT WE NEEDED

The light-hearted news updates that keep us going during hard days at work. From the return of Gossip Girl to an Ice Cream Museum opening in New York, there were always news stories to help us smile. 
 
Y is for YOUTUBE

Alex Israel uploaded his second season of As It Lays on youtube with the likes of Kris Jenner and Paris Hilton among his interviewees. Institutions have also been uploading videos as well as super-girl curators like Lolita Cros. 
 
Z is for JAY-Z

Together with superstar wife Beyonce, Jay-Z helped the Louvre up visitor numbers this year. The duo also helped bring artist Tim O’Brien into the spotlight when they posed with his painting of Meghan Markle. 
 
Text Lizzy Vartanian