The Guardian looks back at the final degree shows for a number of prominent British artists, including David Shrigley, Gillian Wearing and Tracey Emin, including humorous anecdotes and reflections from the artists on their future careers. “I remember saying, if I have one exhibition when I leave I will be happy,” Wearing says. “That’s all I expected.” (more…)
Galeria Franco Noero, via Art Observed
The doors are open on Frieze New York, marking the early days of the summer art season with a major art event up the East River on Randall’s Island. Returning for its fourth year, the fair has come into its own as a dedicated staple in the New York Art Calendar, and its presentation this year seems to echo it, with a stripped back tent design that seemed to stretch out much longer than in previous years, but distilled the experience down to only three rows of booths, with the occasional inlet allowing for an enjoyable wander through the space. The VIP opening launched Wednesday morning for a quiet preview where a number of major collectors and celebrities strolled the aisles, among them Neil Patrick Harris, Mike Meyers, Uma Thurman, Leonardo DiCaprio and Richard Gere and François Pinault. (more…)
Richard Tuttle, Aspect XII (2015), via Pace
As the New York art world returns home following the Biennale previews last week, the first days of the Frieze Art Fair are set to get underway. Opening its doors to VIPs this Wednesday, May 13th, the fair brings a number of events, openings and exhibitions along with it, marking the last major fair week in the U.S. for several months, and penultimate major fair week internationally before the slow summer months. (more…)
Bloomberg takes a look at the difficulties behind financing large-scale art projects, including the issues often facing galleries when it comes to selling the completed pieces, focusing the study on artist Alice Aycock’s public installation on Park Ave. “It’s a long-term financial investment,” says Aycock’s gallerist, Thomas Schulte. “One work by Aycock cost $350,000 alone in production costs, and took over a year to make, and in that particular case we needed another year to sell it.” (more…)
Beverly Hills-based United Talent Agency has announced that it is launching a new wing focused on fine art, which will be headed by lawyer Josh Roth. While the agency has no plans to broker sales, it will focus on many tasks traditionally handled by galleries, such as managing financial negotiations, overseeing commissions, and other tasks. “We believe there is room for a serious, professional representation structure in the art world, one that helps artists gain greater control of their careers and opens the doors to new and better opportunities,” Roth said in a statement. (more…)
The 2015 Edition of Frieze New York will include a “Projects” section with works by Korakrit Arunanondchai, Pia Camil, Samara Golden, Aki Sasamoto and Allyson Vieira, the fair has announced. The section is curated by Cecelia Alemani, and will include a series of massage chairs by Arunanondchai, and an intricate underground installation by Golden. (more…)
Art Basel Miami Beach has announced its selections for the 2014 edition of its special section, Kabinett. Focusing on special curated shows and group exhibitions, Kabinett this year will feature a solo exhibition of work by Mickalene Thomas by Kavi Gupta, and an installation by James Turrell at Mexico’s GalerÃa OMR, among others. The fair will open on December 1st. (more…)
A recent investigation has shown a number of cities across the U.S. failing to enforce a law requiring property developers to allocate a small percentage of cost for any construction project to fund public art, and many organizations are clamoring to enforce the laws. “It’s really a question of making people aware that this law is on the books,” says Tom Chestnut of the Buffalo Arts Commission, who has pushed to enforce a related law in the Western New York city. (more…)
The New York Times profiles a series of outdoor installations and sculpture projects outside New York City, including Fujiko Nakaya: Veil a new installation by the Japanese artist in which she has surrounded the iconic “Glass House” in New Canaan, CT with a wall of dense mist. “The house has a kind of timelessness,” says director Henry Urbach, “and of course it’s all about transparency. We are confronting that with something that is ephemeral, constantly changing and often very opaque and mysterious.” (more…)
Frieze Art Fair, via Art Observed
Following Thursday’s preview event and Friday’s initial day of public entry, Frieze Art Fair is up and running, opening the doors on a revamped fair that has already drawn considerable praise for its strong, diverse selection of galleries and artists, mounting a combination of impressive works alongside more challenging, unique installations that offer a fitting cross-section of the contemporary field.
William Kentridge at Goodman Gallery, via Art Observed (more…)
Hammer Projects: Andra Ursuta (Installation View), all images courtesy Hammer Museum
On view currently at the Hammer Museum in Los Angeles is an exhibition of the latest body of work from Andra Ursuta, inspired by the artist’s fear and obsession with death. The show is Ursuta’s first solo exhibition in a United States museum, and will remain on view through May 25th.
Olympia Scarry and Neville Wakefield, the artist and curator currently presenting the well-received Elevation 1049 show in Gstaad, Switzerland are featured in the Wall Street Journal, showcasing a few of their favorite objects and pieces of art, including an enormous hunk of gum Scarry made several years ago for a piece, and a concrete-filled whoopee cushion made by Dan Colen. “It’s actually filled with concrete, so it’s a joke that never lands.” Wakefield says. (more…)
The Art Dubai fair has announced its commissioned projects for 2013, including works by Mary Evans, Mohammed Kazem and Fatima Al-Qadiri. The works range in scope and size, from a festival wide radio project to a video gallery installed within a narrow stairwell, and reflect the blend of Arabic and global artworks on view at the fair. (more…)
