Richard Armstrong Speaks in the Goldman Sachs Series: The Guggenheim’s Richard Armstrong sits with Valentino Carlotti, formerly of Goldman Sachs and soon to start at Sotheby’s, to talk about the museum and art’s role in our culture. An example: “I don’t think going to a museum is about learning anything.” …

Colin Gleadell Recaps the Middle Eastern and Islamic Art Sales in London: Staring with Howard Hodgkin’s sale which was filled with Indian and Middle Eastern art—”But it was his modern British and Indian paintings that stole the thunder”—Gleadell says the action was all in unexpected areas. For example, Ramzi Dalloul bid actively at Christie’s, “In the last six years he has bought some 4,000 contemporary Arab works of art for which he plans to open a museum in Beirut in 2020.” …

Meanwhile, Back at Home, Basel Dalloul Is Vetting His Father’s Collection: The Art Newspaper reports on the Dallouls doing due diligence before putting their art on display: “Lebanon’s Dalloul Art Foundation has placed nearly 30 works it has purchased, worth upward of $1.25m, in “quarantine” while it tries to establish their authenticity, says its managing director, Basel Dalloul.” …

Alex Katz Speaks … a Little: The New York Times tantalizes us with a tiny look at Alex Katz’s own art. Wouldn’t you like see more? …

There Was a Little Drama at TEFAF on Friday: NYPD cops and prosecutors swooped down on a TEFAF booth to seize a work that Iran claims was illegally exported despite it having been in a Canadian museum for decades.

Speaking of TEFAF, Our Comprehensive Sales Report Has Been Updated