ART

 — In the ongoing debate of the impact of money and art, Ben Davis emphasized three “hard truths,” from the contradictions of art as an investment, to the mounting inequality behind the art bubble, to existence in the art world of "terrible people."

— Rachel Corbett examined the overlooked lawsuit between Larry Gagosian’s gallery and former client Charles Cowles, his was once his co-defendant in the Mark Tansey painting case.

— The Metropolitan Museum is exhibiting a chronology of the work of Matisse, and Alanna Martinez broke down six things that can be learned about painting from the French artist.

— The Lower East Side is getting an art fair, and Julia Halperin explored how the NYC version of the French fair Cutlog will inhabit a neighborhood school during the 2013 Frieze.

— When computer activist Aaron Swartz took his own life last week, the world lost a talented Internet creator and activist, and Ben Davis highlighted his contribution to ethically-minded online art. 

DESIGN & ARCHITECTURE

— Kelly Chan spoke with Kevin Bone, the curator of an exhibition on ecologically conscious architectural projects at The Cooper Union, on green architecture, and what can be learned from Le Corbusier.

— This week, Balthazar Korab, the Budapest-born modernist architect, died, and may be most remembered for his contributions to photography as for his captivating design.

— To protest the Brasília city government’s $4.5-million, 50-year contract for a new urban master plan with Singapore’s Jurong Consultants, architects wore masks of the faces of Oscar Niemeyer and Lúcio Costa.

— The new structure you’ll be dancing by at this summer’s MoMA PS1 Warm Ups was unveiled, with CODA architecture firm picked for their proposal consisting of leaning walls of recycled skateboards.

— The repulsive packaging of cigarettes in Australia is up for the Design Museum in London’s Design of the Year award.

FASHION & STYLE

— Warm weather is distantly on its way, and ARTINFO featured some highlights of spring 2013 in fashion.

— In more forward-looking fashion coverage, ARTINFO showcased the top looks of pre-fall 2013.

— Louis Vuitton rolled out Kim Jones’s fall 2013 presentation, and Nicholas Remsen admired its outdoorsy breadth and versatility.

— Nicholas Kirkwood is a major force in the women’s footwear scene, and is now breaking into the men’s, with new collections debuted in London last week.

— Some stars rocked the Gold Globes red carpet, some were more like train wrecks, and ARTINFO broke down the good and the bad of the evening’s styles.

PERFORMING ARTS

— This week John Cale took over the Brooklyn Academy of Music with a series of performances, including a tribute to fellow Velvet Underground member Nico. Craig Hubert talked to the music icon.

— ARTINFO gave a run down of the most “Sundance-y” films screening at the Sundance Film Festival, which kicked off this week.

— Nagisa Oshima passed away this week, and Graham Fuller looked at the career of the legendary and controversial Japanese filmmaker.

— The trailer for Harmony Korine’s “Spring Breakers” was released, complete with beer bongs and smoking and cursing former Disney starlets.

— Larry Blumenfeld covered the annual National Endowment for the Arts ceremony and concert that honored masters of jazz.

VIDEO

— As part of our new video series "Gallery Night", ARTINFO checked out the opening of two print shows at The International Print Center of New York, "New Prints 2013/Winter,” & “Pop Up! The Magical World of Moveable Books.”

— Matthew Drutt, Executive Director of the Blouin Cultural Advisory Group, takes us on a tour of several exhibitions, including Giorgio Griffa at Casey Kaplan Gallery, David Shrigley at Anton Kern Gallery and Luc Tuymans at David Zwirner gallery.

— For Shanghai-based sculptor, Wang Xieda, the evolution of  Chinese calligraphy actuates inspiration for his three-dimensional models. "Subject Verb Object" at James Cohan Gallery New York is Wang’s first solo exhibit in the United States.

— Several Sandy-soaked galleries along 27th Street in Chelsea reopened their doors with a celebration just after the new year. Natasha Ghoneim reports for ARTINFO.

— The Ullens Center for Contemporary Art organized a comprehensive survey of young Chinese artists born after 1975. The seminal exhibition, entitled "ON │ OFF: China's Young Artists in Concept and Practice" opened January 13th

— Hotel Ukraina was built in 1957 as part of Stalin's Seven Sisters--seven skyscrapers meant to rival those of New York. ARTINFO's Vanessa Yurkevich tells us how this iconic hotel's new owner is showcasing art and preserving the building's Soviet past.