Immersive museums and experiential art centers are expanding even in the face of the Pandemic, the NYT reports. “Art is a risky enterprise, and in a period of distress, it’s exactly the wrong time to expect more investment,” says  William Goetzmann, a professor of finance and management studies at Yale University. “If you are a nonprofit, you can appeal to donors to safeguard cultural heritage. If you are a for-profit company, an investor expects a return that’s commensurate with the risk.” (more…)

Making it the first fair of the year to postpone its 2021 edition, Expo Chicago has once again rescheduled its already delayed fair. “As with everything, like going to a restaurant or an exhibition, if an exhibitor is expending the money for an art fair it has to be safe and it also has to be a viable option for success,” says director Tony Karman. “It was obvious that we had to postpone, recognizing, unfortunately, that things aren’t going the way they should for people to gather safely.” (more…)

The opening of François Pinault’s Bourse de Commerce Museum has been delayed as a result of the continued French museum closures. “All activities and establishments currently closed will remain closed until the end of the month,” says Prime Minister Jean Castex.  (more…)

A piece in the New York Times this week explores the renewed interest in multiples in the art world, and the artists still working in multiples today. “I wanted my best work to be the cheapest work,” says Danh Vo. (more…)

Following the sale of a $12 million Pollock from its holdings, Syracuse’s Everson Museum has purchased seven works by emerging and mid-career artists, including pieces by Shinique Smith and works by local artists.  “The Everson’s collection has been steadily evolving in recent years,” says director Elizabeth Dunbar, “and this new group of purchases—the first of many more to come—signals an institutional commitment to building a collection that not only reflects the rich diversity of our community, but embodies the potential for exploring new and multiple narratives within the trajectory of art past, present, and future.” (more…)

Richard Serra’s desert sculpture in Qatar has been vandalized with graffiti. “The vandals were apprehended by authorities and were referred to public prosecution for the necessary legal action to be taken against them,” says a statement by Qatar Museums. (more…)

Venetian mayor Luigi Brugnaro has extend the closure of the city’s 11 civic museums, causing an uproar among citizens and institutional representatives.“I’m doing what any good family man would do,” he says. “The opening of the museums depends on whether people can travel freely, on the pool of users. Our museums depend principally on the tourists. There is a business logic, an entrepreneurial culture in making things work. Should I be ashamed of administering a public asset like a business enterprise, of making it profitable?” (more…)

Artist Tishan Hu gets a profile in the NYT this week, reflecting on his work and its interests in technology and its psychological effects. “I would say, whether people connect to my work — I think I’m really just trying to ask the question, ‘What is really happening?’” he says. (more…)

A piece in the Art Newspaper responds to the images of the riots at the Capitol this week, with a group of artists weighing in. “If black folks had stormed the capital [sic],” says Glenn Ligon, “we’d be seeing them come out in body bags.” (more…)

Controversy is roiling at the San Francisco Art Institute over the planned sale of a Diego Rivera mural that has students and faculty outraged. “Our first choice would be to endow the mural in place, attracting patrons or a partner institution that would create a substantial fund that would enable us to preserve, protect and present the mural to the public,” says board chairwoman, Pam Rorke Levy. (more…)

Artist McArthur Binion‘s efforts to support young artists in Detroit through his foundation gets a spotlight in the Art Newspaper this week. “Detroit visual artists have been overlooked and underrated nationally,” he says. “We’re now seeing that start to change. That’s the narrative that we’re focused on supporting.” (more…)

The New York Times charts the art world’s plans for 2021, as a shaky schedule towards easing out of the coronavirus pandemic and challenges to art world logistics makes for a complex picture. “There is room for local fairs if they have a good focus — I’m not so worried about them,” says collector Alain Servais. “The big international fairs are most exposed this year. People will travel less, and these fairs count on international attendance for their success.” (more…)

Artist Yinka Shonibare is creating a Leeds memorial to David Oluwale a Nigerian who drowned in the 1960s after police harassment in that city. “It’s a fitting legacy to an ordinary man, who will no doubt leave an extraordinary legacy,” he said. “We have to honor him with this small event and hopefully, if people can learn about history, and the mistakes of history, they won’t repeat them.” (more…)

After previously being dismissed in 2018 over a lack of evidence, France’s highest court has ordered the retrial of the Wildenstein family over allegations of tax fraud. (more…)

As part of the recent National Defense Authorization Act passed in Congress, greater oversight will be applied to the Antiquities trade. “We believe this type of legislation is long overdue,” said John Byrne, a lawyer specializing in anti-money-laundering rules. “This is an area where clearly organized crime, terrorists, and oligarchs have used cultural artifacts to move illicit funds.” (more…)

Reclusive fashion designer Martin Margiela is staging a Paris exhibition of his artworks this year, The Guardian reports. “This exhibition celebrates the idea that Martin Margiela has always been an artist, whose work has played out since, within and outside the art world,” says a statement by exhibitors Lafayette Anticipations. “[He] has always made us look at things with fresh eyes. Going against the grain he cultivated an obsession for discreet people, abandoned objects and forgotten places and events, bestowing on them a new dignity.” (more…)

The SF Chronicle notes that Gagosian Gallery seems to have abandoned its outpost in San Francisco, noting that gallery signage has been removed and phones disconnected.  The company has done little to publicize any such change in strategy at the museum. (more…)

A piece in the New Yorker this week documents the U.S. Army’s holdings of Nazi art and sculpture, rarely seen outside of its storage facility in Virginia’s Fort Belvoir. “It’s Hitler as a Teutonic knight,” says Sarah Forgey, the Army’s chief art curator of one work. “It’s showing there’s a connection between the Third Reich and Germany’s feudal past.” (more…)

A painting of Jesus Christ has been authenticated by a work by El Greco.  “It has been more than two years of exciting work, studies and analysis,” says art professor and researcher Ximo Company. (more…)

Bendor Grosvenor has a piece in Art Newspaper this week, praising the efficiency and appeal of online auctions by the major auction houses. “For the first time, we can begin to imagine a purely online auction world, with no need for printed catalogues, in-person auction views, or expensive premises in central London,” he writes. (more…)

A piece in the Art Newspaper looks at how the new Brexit deal will affect the art market.  “This is a dismal deal for the UK art market,” says Bendor Grosvenor.  “It is now more difficult and expensive for UK companies to trade in art in Europe than at any time since the 1970s. In fact, thanks to the Northern Ireland Protocol, it is also more difficult for UK companies to trade in art within the UK.” (more…)

The UK’s Royal Collection Trust will lay off the curators tasked with managing the Queen’s art collection. “Following a restructure that was necessary due to the economic impact of the coronavirus pandemic, 130 roles at Royal Collection Trust are to go by the year, including that of the Surveyor,” says a RCT spokeswoman. (more…)

A piece in Art Newspaper documents US Museums continuing to add to their collections during the pandemic thanks to restricted acquisition funds. “It is imperative to reiterate that these acquisition funds cannot be used for other purposes,” says Thomas Campbell, the director of FAMSF. “We are doing everything in our power to retain as much of our full staffing as possible during these trying times, so I want to avoid any confusion on that front.”  (more…)

A piece in the New York Times details non-profits continued attempts to cover funds lost due to Covid with donations. “It’s a long way to make up for the gap, and I think we should all be realistic about the fact that this is nowhere near a substitute,” said Henry Timms, the president of Lincoln Center. (more…)