Anselm Kiefer, Winter Ade Scheiden Tut Weh Aberdein Scheiden Macht, Dass Mein Herz Lacht (Goodbye, Winter, Parting Hurts But Your Departure Makes My Heart Cheer), 2010
Listed at $100,000

Last night at the Lehmann Maupin Gallery on Chrystie street in the Lower East Side of New York, West-Village-based Foundation for Contemporary Arts held a benefit auction selling nearly 200 paintings and sculptures.  All proceeds went to programs of the FCA, “hoping to assist and encourage innovation, experimentation and potential in the arts,” this year providing 14 grants to artists, of $25k each.

A view from the balcony

The benefit was extremely well attended, with some of the artists joining as well. The large number of works represented a variety of globally well-known artists, including Damien Hirst, Andy Warhol, Jasper Johns, Ed Ruscha, Brice Marden, Francesco Clemente, Bruce High Quality Foundation, Jake and Dinos Chapman, Julie Mehretu, James Rosenquist, Roy Lichtenstein, David Salle, Frank Stella, Elizabeth Neel, Julian Opie, Cecily Brown, Vija Celmins, Robert Gober, Nate Lowman, Dan Colen, Dana Schutz, Kara Walker, and T.J. Wilcox, to name a few.

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Installation Shot, Jenny Holzer “Retro” at Skarstedt Gallery. All images courtesy Skarstedt Gallery and Jenny Holzer, member Artists Rights Society (ARS), NY.

Currently on view at Skarstedt Gallery, through December 18th, is Retro, an exhibition of truisms by Jenny Holzer. The exhibition, which is comprised of benches, plaques, painted signs, electronic LED signs and a sarcophagus, covers a decade of Holzer’s oeuvre from the late 1970’s to the late 1980’s. It aims to reintroduce the diverse use of media comprising Holzer’s historically iconographic works, as well as explore the use of text and language throughout the artist’s early career.

Installation shot, Jenny Holzer’s “Retro” at Skarstedt Gallery.

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New Holland Island, via architettura.it

Adding to an assortment of yachts and football clubs, Roman Abramovich has purchased the entire New Holland Island in St. Petersburg. For nearly $400 million, island plans center around a museum complex – complete with hotels and shopping – to house a portion of the Russian oligarch’s extensive art collection. Among the collection are such high profile pieces as Francis Bacon‘s 1976 “Triptych” and Lucian Freud‘s 1995 “Benefits Supervisor Sleeping,” for which Abramovich paid record-setting prices at Sotheby’s New York and Christie’s, respectively, on an extravagant pair of back to back evenings in 2008.

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Hiroshi Sugimoto – Lightning Fields 163, 2009 – © Hiroshi Sugimoto, Courtesy The Pace Gallery

For the first time since announcing their representation of artist Hiroshi Sugimoto, Pace Gallery at West 22^nd street presents an exhibition of the photographer and architect.  On view are two new 50-foot diptychs from his 2009-2010 “Lightning Field” series as well nine single “Lightning Field” photographs.   The middle gallery houses seven of the artist’s “Seascape” photographs from 1987-1996.

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Smithsonian American Art Museum and National Portrait Gallery in Washington D.C. Photo by Douglas Graham/ Roll Call/ Getty Images courtesy of PBS.org

November 30th marked the beginning of the art world’s latest controversy with the National Portrait Gallery’s removal of a work on display deemed offensive by the National Catholic League and members of congress.  The piece in question is “Fire in my Belly” a video by artist David Wojnarowicz that was put on display October 30th as part of the groundbreaking exhibition “Hide/Seek: Difference and Desire in American Portraiture.”  While the artist’s cut of the film is over 30 minutes long, the version on display at the National Portrait gallery was shortened to four minutes.  An 11-second portion of this cut showed a small crucifix covered with ants, an image William Donohue of the National Catholic League called “hate speech, designed to insult.”

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Susan Philipsz , via BBC

Glasgow-born artist Susan Philipsz has won the £25,000 Turner Prize last night at a ceremony at Tate Britain for her work in sound installation. The artist beat other Turner Prize nominees Dexter Dalwood, Angela de la Cruz, and The Otolith Group for the prestigious prize. Philipsz, 45, was the fourth woman ever to win prize and the first artist to win the modern art prize for sound installation. The artist said she was “very honored” as she received the award from fashion designer/arts patron Miuccia Prada.

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Susan Philipsz Sound Installation Lowlands (2010), via The Guardian

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If one were to squeeze the last four years at Art Basel Miami Beach into a quick few words, it might read something like this: 2006 was good. 2007 was maniacally successful. 2008 was crash and burn. 2009 was a bit lackluster.  Considering the lingering gray economic climate, how would one describe the 9^th edition of the fair, year 2010? The general verdict was this year’s fair was strong and consistent, in terms of art, sales, and attendance.

The Gallerist Galerie Emmanuel Perrotin, Booth G7

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Another view of the main lobby, A Scott Campbell “tropical fantasy” (represented by the Miami based OHWOW Gallery) is the top center work

Art Observed was on site at the Soho Beach House Miami during the week of Art Basel Miami Beach for a tour of the 150 work art collection assembled for the private club and hotel.    Keeping a close connection with the artistic community has been an important part of the strategy for the Soho house brand, which has multiple locations in England as well as in New York and newly in Los Angeles, Berlin and Miami Beach.   This week marked the first Art Basel Miami Beach for the location and it hit the ground running,  hosting some important events such as dinners for White Cube and Victoria Miro galleries and a W Magazine event.

A John Baldessari on the left and a Friends With You on the right, in a hallway on the main floor

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While satellite fairs have sprung up rapidly around Art Basel Miami over the past eight years, it’s no secret the past few years of recession have been challenging; this year, there’s 14 fairs compared to 17 last year. On top of that, recession or no recession, it is a consistent challenge for each satellite in Miami to carve out its own distinct identity and legacy, while at the same time maintaining a steady stream of foot traffic and buyer interest, all within the frenetic week when art world flocks down to the sunshine state. Therefore, many were skeptical last year when New Art Dealers Alliance (NADA) Art Fair, known for displaying up-and-coming, emerging artists, relocated from the Wynwood district – a district similarly jam-packed with similarly cutting edge art exhibits during Basel week – to the large yet a bit off the path location, the Hotel Deauville, roughly 50 blocks North of the main fair. However, in its second year at this locale, while some growing pains (intermittent internet proved painful for many gallerists this year), NADA has truly blossomed and matured into a must-see destination.

The Hole’s, Meghan Coleman and Kathy Grayson at their booth:

More story, images and interview with MoCa Miami Associate Curator Ruba Katrib after the jump…

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Michael Stipe and Jeffrey Deitch – all photos by Caroline Claisse for Art Observed

Jefferson Hack and hotelier Andre Balazs exclusively presented the first large scale screening of the 3-D video art installation Evolution (Megaplex), created by the artist and filmmaker Marco Brambilla at the Standard Hotel and Spa during the week of Art Basel Miami Beach.  Overlooking Biscayne Bay from hotel grounds, hundreds of notable guests had some drinks and watched with 3D glasses an impressively intricate montage of kinetic imagery.   Brambilla is known in part recently for his permanent video installation, Civilization at the Standard Hotel  in New York and also for his collaboration with Kanye West on his video for the single Power.

Guests view the Evolution projection at the Standard Hotel and Spa

Jay Jopling

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Art Observed kicked its shoes off to experience The “Island” trip; a one night, site-specific exhibition on a deserted island in front of the Mondrian hotel. The mysterious event, which did not disclose its departure point until the day of, was organized by Shamim M.Morin (LAND) and Aaron Bondaroff/ Al Moran  of Miami’s OHWOW gallery.  The demand was needless to say very high for this event, and as such, the queue for the boats was a bit reminiscent of some of the final scenes in the movie Titanic.  The project however, was by most accounts, extremely special.  The installation featured works of fifteen artist including Terence Koh, Hanna Liden and Luis Gispert.  A boat brought the guests from the Mondrian hotel to the Flagler Memorial Island where artists “were doing site-specific projects in the foliage, sandbars and water”.

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Art Observed was at the Swiss Institute on Thursday night for the launch of BallyLove , designed by the Swiss artist Philippe Decrauzat. The minimalist, constructivist artist collaborated with the Swiss Institute and the Swiss fashion house Bally for BallyLove, manipulating the imagery of fashion brand, showing black and white repetitive patterns on a wide range products.

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Robert Lazzarini and his work Brass Knuckles (2010) at OHWOW.

Art Observed was in the Miami Design District for the opening of IT AIN’T FAIR 2010, a group exhibition organized by the art gallery O.H.W.O.W during Art Basel Miami Beach 2010.  The show introduces recent work from emerging and established such as Agathe Snow, Kaws, José Parlá, Aurel Schmidt, Scott Campbell and others. The Miami based OHWOW is clearly a pervasive element of the week’s events.  The gallery was founded by Al Moran and Aaron Bondaroff and has been coordinating multiple events during the week.

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Installation view, “Damien Hirst: Medicine Cabinets” at L&M Arts, New York. Courtesy of L&M Arts.

In case you missed Damien Hirst at last month’s Contemporary Art auctions (just one painting made it to an evening sale), there is still time to see eighteen of the artist’s Medicine Cabinets installed at L&M Arts in New York. The cabinets are exhibited along with a collection of Sex Pistols memorabilia that includes posters, prints, and t-shirts.

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Dan Graham, Installation View, Courtesy of Regen Projects

A new pavilion by conceptual artist Dan Graham is currently on display at Regen Projects. The pavilion, like most of Graham’s prior architectural environments, uses corporate architectural foms as a means to discuss theories of perception and social experiences of art. The tear drop shaped pavilion Penultimate Curving Pavilion (2010) is the centerpiece of the exhibition. The work combines two-way glass with mirrors that alter and confuse the viewer’s pereption of the gallery space, the space within the work, as well as glimpses of the other gallery visitors.

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AO vistited the Delano’s Florida Room where graffiti artist/nightlife curator André Sarraiva has set up his Art Basel Miami Beach residency of Le Baron, featuring a five-day series of parties coinciding with the Art Fair events. Le Baron hosts similar events in Art Basel in Switzerland and at the Venice Biennale.  Since 2005, the concept has been in Miami for the fair beginning at the karaoke club, Studio. The entrance policy is likely the toughest of any nightclub in Miami during the fair.  While the line built up outside the party picked up roughly after the MOCA sponsored LCD Soundsystem set finished at the Raleigh steps away and continued on until at least 4am.

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Art dealer Jay Jopling at the White Cube booth

Art Observed was on-site December 1st for the VIP Preview of Art Basel Miami Beach 2010, which opened to the public this morning at 10 a.m. Like most international fairs of its scale and scope, the work presented broadly underscores the trends witnessed across commercial markets and throughout museum and gallery exhibitions over the past several months. It also affords individual institutions an important opportunity to distinguish themselves from their peers, and provide fresh and immediate insight into the nuances and complexities of contemporary taste.

Richard Jackson, Upside Down Duck at the Kordansky Gallery Booth

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Pharrell Williams and Emmanuel Perrotin, Galerie Perrotin, Miami.

Art Observed was present yesterday for the opening of exhibition featuring recent work by Daniel Arsham, Kaz Oshiro, Paola Pivi as well as the french artist Xavier Veilhan.  The exhibition will run until December 11, 2010 at the Galerie Emmanuel Perrotin in Miami.  The following is a photo set from the opening.

The french and Italian artist Xavier Veilhan with Paola Pivi.

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Art Observed was on site for the launch of the Aquariva Speedboat designed by Marc Newson at the Standard Hotel and Spa in Miami Beach.  This is the same speedboat exhibited at the Gagosian Gallery in New York in September.  Below is a photoset of of the event.

Andre Balazs

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A Pablo Picasso work unearthed in the recent discovery of 271 of the late artist’s work in Paris, France. Image courtesy The Telegraph.

In September, a couple boarded a train to Paris with a suitcase full of works by Pablo Picasso, including, as the New York Times reports, “several watercolors, dozens of lithographs, more than 200 sketches and 9 Cubist collages, in the hopes of having it authenticated by Claude Ruiz-Picasso, the artist’s son and the administrator of the Picasso estate.” The trip was at the request of the artist’s son after reading a letter Mr. Le Guennec had sent him requesting authentication.

The works’ owners are Pierre Le Guennec, 71, and his wife Danielle, 68. Mr. Le Guennec had worked as an electrician at three of the famed Spanish-born artists’s properties in the French Riviera in the early 1970s. The couple had kept the works in their garage for the past thirty plus years, but after Mr. Le Guennec’s recent surgery, they thought it best to evaluate the works for their children’s inheritance.

Instead of giving the authentication the Le Guennecs anticipated, Mr. Ruiz-Picasso contacted the Fight Against Traffic in Cultural Goods and his family’s lawyer, Mr. Jean-Jacques Neuer. Among heirs Mr. Neuer represents are Mr. Ruiz-Picasso, Picasso’s stepdaughter Catherine Hutin-Blay, and four others. A law suit was filed on September 23 claiming the works as stolen goods. Two weeks later, on October 5, the Le Guennecs were stunned to find the artworks seized from their home by police.

Pierre Le Guennec, retired electrician to Picasso, from whose house the works were seized by French police. Image courtesy The Guardian.

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Tiermetabolismus V (Katzchen) by Jonathan Meese at Bortolami Gallery, Art Basel Main Fair, Hall B, Booth I-09.

Art Observed will be on site as of today for the ninth edition of the America’s biggest contemporary art fair: Art Basel Miami Beach which will open to the public on Thursday December 2 and will run through Sunday, December 5.

The main section of the fair will house over 180 galleries and over 40,000 are expected following the December 2nd opening.  Annette Schönholzer and Marc Spiegler are the main fair organizers alongside its main sponsor UBS with Cartier, NetJets and AXA Art as the associate sponsors.  While Art Basel is still the main draw, the NADA Fair (the New Art Dealers Alliance) up the road at the Dauville Beach Resort will open to the public Thursday December 2. It will run through Sunday December 5 and also should not be missed.

Untitled (Art Fair Floor) by Ryan Reggiani.  Kate Werble Gallery at Nada Art Fair, booth 312.

The fair week is notable for its bridging of the Latin American buyers with American and British art centers as well as its uniquely intense amalgamation of social, media, fashion and other spheres of influence into the business of selling art.

The global art market seems to have stabilized this year and the main fair, along with its very significant satellites, should be met with lively buying this round.  Beyond this, all around Miami, the social calendar will be infused with events to the point where there is little chance to avoid regretfully missing something.

A view of an installation by Terrence Koh at The Island, an event during the week (see bel0w).

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John Baldessari, Epaulet, Hand, Arm, Baton and Elephant Leg, 2010. All Images © John Baldessari courtesy of Marian Goodman.

Pioneering California-based conceptual artist John Baldessari has been making his way around New York this fall.  Concurrently with his retrospective Pure Beauty at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Marian Goodman Gallery is entering its final week of Sediment (Part 2), an exhibition featuring a selection of the artist’s new painted works.

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John Baldessari, Bowtie, Shirt, Person (with Shadow) and Money, 2010.

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