Why ghostly drama The Woman in Black is still petrifying, 35 years on

Better Man takes a surreal look at the stormy career of popstar Robbie Williams

The second instalment of Netflix's smash-hit satire is back

From Sally Rooney's latest to a Booker winner – the best fiction of the year

The tough childhood and KGB career of Vladimir Putin

November 8 – December 20, 2024

November 8, 2024 – January 18, 2025

From ER's Noah Wyle in a new medical drama to the return of Apple TV's Severance

November 16, 2024 – February 16, 2025

October 4, 2024 – January 19, 2025

November 29, 2024 – February 8, 2025

From Snow White and Superman to 28 Years Later

November 7, 2024 – January 20, 2025

The actress's son details her bravery and resilience during World War Two

Why the reality TV franchise about rich women has such a passionate fanbase

November 28, 2024 – January 25, 2025

October 2, 2024 – January 6, 2025

November 23, 2024 – January 11, 2025

In terms of art forgeries, 2024 belonged to the Russian avant-garde market, the increasingly questioned umbrella term for modernist art from post-Soviet and Eastern European countries. This recess of the art market is riddled with fakes; several dealers told ARTnews that as many as 95 percent of the paintings currently in circulation aren’t legitimate.

One art lender said he was invited to Israel by one collector-dealer who showed him a warehouse stacked to the rafters with Russian modernist paintings with dubious attributions. (The collector-dealer allegedly was trying to pass them off as genuine to use as collateral.) This year saw a slew of investigations into Russian art forgeries that illuminated the extent of the issue, including “The Zaks Affair: Anatomy of a Fake Collection”, from the BBC, and ARTnews‘ own investigations.

The rest of the art world also suffers from fakes, just not to the same degree. The tech sector, meanwhile, is tackling the problem with (occasionally controversial) tactics, including facial recognition software and patented algorithms. Some of these firms argue that replacing subjectivity with objectivity in art authentication is the answer. In other words, they think human judgement will soon be obsolete in this game.

Below are eight of this year’s most interesting stories of art world forgeries.

The AI Art Magazine, a new, 176-page biannual publication dedicated entirely to art made by artificial intelligence (AI), has launched. It’s publisher, Mike Brauner, said in a statement that it will “serve as a vital chronicle of this transformative moment in art history.”

Its website says it “celebrates the fusion of human creativity and intelligent machines. Freezing the moment of art in a tangible printed form while AI is evolving rapidly.”

Hamburg-based creative studio, polardots.studio, and Christoph Grünberger – who wrote the book The Age of Data: Embracing Algorithms in Art & Design – were instrumental in getting the project off the ground.

“[The magazine] showcases remarkable works and accompanying essays that set the benchmark for today’s AI-generated art, from surprising visual experiments to conceptually refined pieces that push the boundaries of this rapidly evolving field,” the project said in a statement. “The magazine reveals what happens when humans and machines get creative together. We’re throwing the doors wide open believe it’s going to be a big party – come in and let’s dance.”

It costs 22 euros and is independently funded to ensure “editorial independence and creative freedom,” Brauner added. “While our first issue is advertisement-free, we’ve established meaningful partnerships with partners who supported us and received customised editions for their clients.”

The cover of the first issue features an artwork by Japanese AI artist Emi Kusano, who discusses her practice in an interview. There’s also a “curated gallery” of 50 works chosen from an international open call by jury including Mexican graphic designer Adriana Mora and a jury member created by AI called Xiaomi.

Several of the selected artworks are accompanied by essays written by the jury members. For example, American graphic designer David Carson’s contribution is titled “If someone gives a command to a machine, is that person then an artist?” The essay focuses on US artist Kevin Esherick’s work, Somewhere in Michigan, and “demonstrates the depth of critical engagement we aim to foster,” Brauner said.