The small Persian Gulf emirate, Qatar, has become this year in the world’s biggest modern and contemporary art buyer, The Art a Newspaper says. The country is behind most of the major art deals over the past six years and has the support of major French agent Philippe Segalot whose partnership Giraud, Pissarro, Segalot (GPS) is based in Paris and New York.

The collection of Romanesque Art reopens to the public at the National Museum of Contemporary Arts of Catalonia (MNAC) after having undergone a major restoration. With the sponsorship of the Mapfre Foundation, the Museum has improved lighting and the color treatment of all the murals.

The 54th edition of the Venice Biennale is not without controversy. The main focus of criticism is on the Italian pavilion entitled "Art is not cosa nostra." The space, designed on occasion of the 150th anniversary of the unification of the country, includes the Museum of the Mafia and a selection of works by Vittorio Sgarbi, defender of Silvio Berlusconi.

The Museo de Arte Contemporáneo de Málaga presents "Retratos y vegetación", the first exhibition in Spain of Luc Tuymans, which showcases 16 oil paintings of different formats. Watery brushstrokes ("Soldier", 1999), blurred lines ("The Rumour", 2001) and muted colors ("Singing Flowers", 2008) are the main characteristics of the work of this European artist.