Global contemporary art events and news observed from New York City. Suggestion? Email us.

W Magazine Tours Home of Victoria Siddall and Françcois Chantala

Wednesday, May 13th, 2015

W Magazine takes a look inside the home of Frieze director Victoria Siddall and her partner, gallerist François Chantala this week, just in time for the opening of the organization’s New York edition.  “Our work and social lives are totally continuous and intertwined,”Siddall says.  “But when we’re in the same city, it means that at least we get to see each other in the evenings. The art lot always knows how to put on a great party.” (more…)

James Turrell Holding $5,000 per Ticket Fundraiser for Roden Crater

Friday, February 20th, 2015

James Turrell is reportedly holding a fundraiser event at his remote Roden Crater land art project in Arizona, a private opportunity to tour the crater before it is complete that will cost $5,000 to $6,500 per ticket.   (more…)

Maurizio Cattelan Tours the LA Art World, Reviews Jim Carrey’s Painting

Saturday, December 13th, 2014

Artist Maurizio Cattelan is in New York Magazine this week, taking a tour of the Los Angeles art world, including studio visits with Frances Stark, reviews of the Pierre Huyghe LACMA show, and an afternoon spent with actor, comedian and long-time painter Jim Carrey.  “His energy is boundless, and he’s clearly having fun testing the boundaries of painting and sculpture,” Cattelan says. (more…)

The Telegraph Tours Lucian Freud’s Kensington Home

Monday, November 3rd, 2014

The Telegraph takes a special look inside the home of late painter Lucian Freud’s home in Kensington, where the artist spent the last twenty years of life.  “He was a good cook, very fond of game, but he never ate carbs,” says former assistant David Dawson. He knew he needed to be light on his feet.” (more…)

Frank Auerbach Tours the Victoria and Albert Museum’s John Constable Show

Monday, September 22nd, 2014

The Guardian joins Frank Auerbach for a tour of the V&A’s John Constable show this week, as the artist reviews Constable’s longstanding influence on his work.  “With the passage of time,” he says, “Constable has meant more and more and more to me. It is not so much about the more well-known qualities – the clouds and the freshness and the light. It is more that I can’t think of another painter who has invested quite so much in every single image.” (more…)

AO-On-Site – Istanbul: A look at the growing gallery scene in Turkey’s Largest City

Sunday, February 23rd, 2014


YaÅŸam ÅžaÅŸmazer, via Osman Can Yerebakan for Art Observed

The winter conditions in the Turkish metropolis of Istanbul often border on excessive damp and gloom, but the coastal city’s burgeoning art scene maintains the city’s status as a location for adventurous art-lovers year-round, particularly given the strength of several shows currently on view across the city.  Mostly located around the Taksim area of the city, art spaces in Istanbul have been popping up at a remarkable pace, marking the city as a destination for the global art cognoscenti, while introducing young Turkish artists to the wider market. (more…)

Works from Frick Collection to Leave US for First Time

Monday, February 17th, 2014

A selection of masterpieces from the Frick Collection are set to tour outside of the United States for the first time ever, showing in The Hague’s Mauritshuis Royal Picture Gallery.  The works will include some of The Frick’s most notable pieces, including John Constable’s spectacular The White Horse, and Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres‘ portrait of the Comtesse d’Haussonville. (more…)

“Museum Hack” Tours Look to Fight “Museum Fatigue”

Sunday, September 1st, 2013

The Wall Street Journal reports on Museum Hack, an effort by founder Mark Rosen to breathe new life into the guided museum tour.  For $39, guests are treated to a two-hour tour through the Metropolitan Museum of Art, focusing on more unconventional works and infrequently discussed histories of some of the museum’s more interesting pieces.  “You typically don’t go to a fancy restaurant, study the menu for three seconds, order everything, gorge yourself and roll out the door,” Mr. Rosen said to his Sunday-morning charges. “Yet almost everybody comes here, tries to see everything in four hours or less, Instagrams the hell out of the place and leaves, remembering nothing.”  (more…)

Film Tour of Manet’s Exhibition at Royal Academy of Art To Screen April 11th

Saturday, April 6th, 2013

Manet’s current exhibition at The Royal Academy of Arts is about to have its own tour on-film.  Directed by filmmaker Phil Grabsky and premiering on April 11th, the film will take viewers on a high-definition tour of the blockbuster museum exhibition, offering insights and in-depth perspectives on the artist’s practice and approach to painting.  The film is the first of a series of museum films distributed worldwide, and will be followed by a tour of the Oslo exhibition Munch 150, celebrating the 150th birthday of painter Edvard Munch. (more…)