Shepard Fairey’s warrant in Detroit resulted in the artist’s arrest at the Los Angeles International Airport this past Monday, where he was held overnight on charges of vandalism.  The artist has since been released, and has not made a statement on the event. (more…)

The New York Times travels to the Havana Biennial this week, and notes the arrest of artist Tania Bruguera during the event, following the artist’s live reading of Hannah Arendt’s The Origins of Totalitarianism, an event that cast something of a pall over the first Biennial legally accessible to American visitors. (more…)

An arrest warrant for Artist Shepard Fairey has been issued in the city of Detroit, alleging that the artist has caused over $9,000 in damages from various tags and murals he left in the city.  Fairey’s public recognition “does not take away the fact that he is also a vandal,” says Police Sgt. Rebecca McKay. (more…)

The New York Post details the intrigue and deception surrounding dealer Yves Bouvier’s arrest this past month in Monaco.  Bouvier recently sold an Amedeo Modigliani, Nude on a Blue Cushion, for hedge fund billionaire Steven A. Cohen to Dmitry Rybolovlev, allegedly charging the Russian $118 million when Cohen had only received $93.5 million from the sale, sparking an investigation that ultimately led to his arrest.   (more…)

Artist Tania Bruguera has been detained in Cuba, following the performance of an art piece designed to test the U.S.’s resolve to renew diplomatic ties with a country known for censoring free speech.  Bruguera was arrested as she walked towards Havana’s Revolution Square, and is currently being held by the government. (more…)

Pu Zhiqiang, the lawyer representing Ai Weiwei in his case to reclaim his visa from the Chinese has been arrested and detained by the government, after attending a meeting commemorating the Tiananmen Square protests of 1989.  “The current suppression of rights lawyers is worse than in the 2011 ‘Jasmine’ period” says friend and colleague Teng Biao. (more…)

Jose Carlos Bergantinos Diaz, the suspected accomplice in the fraudulent art sales made through Knoedler Gallery, has been apprehended in Southern Spain, the Wall Street Journal reports.  Bergantino is expected to appear before a judge this week, who will decide on a potential extradition to the U.S. (more…)

Manhattan dealer Helly Nahmad has plead guilty to operating an illegal gambling ring, the Daily News reports.  Arrested earlier this year in a massive sting operation that nabbed 33 suspects, Nahmad’s plea deal is anticipated to include a fine of around $6.4 million, as well as a potential 12 to 18 months behind bars.  “It started as a hobby,” he said in court. “Unfortunately, it became a business. But it was never my main business.” (more…)

Youssef Abdelke, a notable Syrian painter who has repeatedly spoken out against the Assad regime in his home country, has been released from a two month-long imprisonment by government authorities.  The 62 year old artist and former Syrian Communist Party Member had previously posted on his Facebook page that he “is healthy and in anticipation of leaving the palace of justice, free as [he] has always been.” (more…)

Brian Ramnarine, currently out on bail on the charges of forging a work by Jasper Johns, was arraigned on Friday for allegedly attempting a similar fraud with works by Robert Indiana and Saint Clair Cemin.  “He knows it’s illegal and he keeps on doing it,” Prosecutor  Zachary Feingold said. “He knows what he did was wrong. He knew he couldn’t do it and he did it anyway.” (more…)

Artist Kenny Scharf spent 20 hours behind bars last weekend, after being arrested for drawing a graffiti snake on the wall of a private property in Brooklyn.  The artist took to his Facebook to recount his arrest by two officers who were already fans of the artist’s work.  “The cops who arrested me were fans and wanted to talk about ‘Exit Through the Gift Shop’ and even liked the tag,” Scharf said. “At the first holding cell in Williamsburg (there were only 5 people in the cell) the police were googling me and asking about things like the Tunnel nightclub.” (more…)

One by one, the indicted suspects in a case involving money laundering and illegal gambling, among them art dealer Helly Nahmad, plead not guilty in court on Friday.  Underlining the size and complexity of the case, over 30 were indicted as part of two separate but connected gambling and money laundering rings.  Mr. Nahmad is charged with helping to bankroll the operation.  “We do not believe that Mr. Nahmad has knowingly violated the law.” Said Nahmad’s lawyer, Benjamin Brafman. “We anticipate that he will be fully exonerated.” (more…)

New York Police raided the gallery of New York art dealer Helly Nahmad, son of billionaire art dealer David Nahmad, at 975 Madison Avenue, in connection with a major government crackdown on illicit online gambling and money laundering.  The raid is connected an alleged gambling ring, which reportedly hosted high-stakes poker events for major celebrities and athletes, itself, reportedly, an offshoot of a broader money-laundering operation.  Prosecutors are expected to comment on the investigation today. (more…)

Rembrandt’s “Portrait of the Father” has been recovered in Serbia, seven years after its theft from a museum in Novi Sad.  The painting, which is currently valued at $4 million, was stolen in a masked robbery alongside works by Peter Paul Rubens, marking the second time the painting has been stolen in the space of ten years.  The theft underlines Serbia’s problems with art theft, which has struggled to provide adequate security for some of its masterworks. (more…)

#AIWW: The Arrest of Ai Weiwei, a new play detailing the arrest and detainment of Chinese artist Ai Weiwei in April of 2011, will open this year in London.  Based on conversations between the artist and author Barnaby Martin following Ai’s release in June of 2011, the show will depict the series of events leading up to and during his detainment.  “Weiwei is a natural raconteur and although he was still deeply traumatised by his experience inside, he went back through the experiences of his detention and recounted, in his inimitable English, the most incredible and bizarre story I have ever heard,” says Martin. (more…)

Romanian authorities have arrested three men suspected of the theft of seven paintings by Pablo Picasso, Henri Matisse, Paul Gaugin, and others from a Rotterdam museum.  The paintings were stolen last October in an overnight break-in. While the works have yet to be recovered, police believe that they are hidden in an undisclosed location in Romania.   (more…)