AO Art Observed™

Zhang Xiaogang “Big Family” via Artprice

Sotheby’s gears up this year for its February 27th contemporary auction with flag-ship pieces such as Warhol’s 1986 `Three Self- Portraits’ and Bacon’s 1969 painting`Study of Nude With Figure in a Mirror’ as well as a more trendy selection of Chinese contemporary art.

Sotheby’s
Sotheby’s to Offer Three Self Portraits by Andy Warhol [Arts Gallery]
Bacon Nude, Warhol Self-Portraits Star in U.K. Sales [Bloomberg]
London’s Grand Finale [The New York Sun]
Sotheby’s Offers $19 Million of Chinese Contemporary Art [Bloomberg]

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“Dog Test” by Robert Longo via Forbes

Longo Quoted on “Dog Test” Drawing Sold Recently in London [Forbes]
Forged Monet discovered last week in German Museum [Herald Tribune]
Chinese art market takes France’s third place standing [Art Newspaper]
Update: Cai Guo-Qiang at the Guggenheim Museum [NYTimes]
Update: More Cai Guo-Qiang at the Guggenheim [Wall Street Journal]
Update, Video: Guo-Qiang’s Gun-Powder Works [NYTimes via C-Monster]
Orginally £300, Banksy piece up for £150,000 [Guardian]
Two W. 25th St. gallery buildings sold for $48.75 million [The Real Deal]

Scaffolding was built under the boat via The Guggenheim Museum

The Cai Guo-Qiang retrospective, “I Want to Believe,” opens February 22 at the Guggenheim Museum in New York. The exhibit represents the first solo show by a Chinese-born artist at the Museum.

Scaling New Heights at the Guggenheim [The New York Sun]
Cai Guo-Qiang, I Want to Believe [Guggenheim Museum]
Cai Guo-Qiang [Art Observed]

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Cai Guo-Qiang: 1st Chinese born artist with Guggenheim retrospective [New York Times]
New five-year contract for Lowry at MOMA (Not the MET) [The New York Times]
Ordway Prize, America’s Turner, announced; Driskell Prize also announced [ArtInfo]
Co-Head of I-Banking at Morgan Stanley named to Tate Board [Bloomberg]
Economist: German Expressionism is back [Economist via C-Monster]
Waning art sales spells cancellation for fledgling Duesseldorf art fair [Bloomberg]
Madrid’s famed “art triangle” adds a new cultural center to it’s roster [The Canadian Press]

LA Museum of Modern Art via Bloomberg

Renzo Piano too popular with Museums? Too many projects? [Bloomberg]
Collectors steal the headlines at Jasper Johns opening at the Met [NY Mag]
Knight Foundation gives $5 million to Miami Museum of Contemporary Art, $15 million other Miami institutions [NY Times]
Hong Kong International Art & Antiques Show adds Contemporary Art for first time in decade [ArtDaily]
China over takes France as 3rd largest Art Market Worldwide [ArtNewspaper]
Martin Lawerence Gallery sues Brooklyn Man, Chrisitie’s over supposedly stolen Warhol [NYDailyNews]

Koh via Queerty

Many have expressed outrage over Chinese-born artist Terence Koh’s recent exhibit at the Baltic Centre for Contemporary Art in Gateshead. The most offensive piece seems to be an 18″ sculpture of Jesus with an erection. The exhibit is entitled “Gone, Yet Still”.

Gallery Shocks with Explicit Plaster Christ [Times Online]
Immodest Jesus Statue Riles Christians [United Press International]

China’s Contemporary Art Museum via Art Newspaper

China’s first contemporary art museum backed by Belgian, Guy Ullens - [Art Newspaper]
Best Upcoming Art Shows of 2008 - [Times Online UK]
Mamontova Gallery in Russin debuts - [Bloomberg]
Jeff Wall Show opens simultaneously in White Cube London, Guggenheim in Berlin - [Financial Times]
UBS to display corporate Stash in Tokyo in ‘08 - [Bloomberg]
Picasso Stolen from Sao Paulo Art Museum - [ArtDaily]