James Stourton, chairman of Sotheby’s UK, to leave company to pursue a 2016 completion of a biography on Kenneth Clark, a controversial director of the National Gallery in London. Contrasting other opinions in the art world, Stourton calls Clark the “grandest of grandees in the art world.”
Jerry Saltz of the NY Magazine critiques the art of Documenta 13, exploring the rise of Post Art but only in select installations: “even with its tremendous flaws, Documenta allows us all to feel a stake in this thing called art, and sense that Post Art is on the immediate horizon, approaching fast.”
The NY Times elaborates on Lakshmi Mittal‘s celebration and the public’s reception of the recently completed ArcelorMittal Orbit at Olympic Park in London, remarking on the mixed praise and criticism of the visual design of the public art piece. Turner prize winner, Anish Kapoor, comments that “the experience will be about winding up and in on oneself. You want to forget the construction and engage with what you’re experiencing.”
London art market sales are expected to reach $1 billion with the help of affluent collectors from the East. “The four week summer season of major international auctions at Christie’s… is set to become one of the richest and most valuable series of auctions in company history,” says Jussi Pylkkanen, head of Christie’s Europe.
Kehinde Wiley discusses his new collection and artwork for Santigold’s album cover in an interview with Dazed Digital. “Aesthetically Santi and myself both have an abiding interest in finding parallels between cultures and genres.”
All photos by Caroline Claisse for Art Observed.
With the closing of the weekend, Art Basel has reached the culmination of what has been an extensive and prolific week of exhibitions, sales, salons, and performances. The cultural capital sited on the banks of the Rhine attracted more than 2,500 artists, 300 galleries, and an international presence of 36 countries for the festival’s 43rd successful installment.
“System of Display” (2010) from Pace, reflecting Andy Warhol‘s “Mao” (1973) at the LM ARTS booth
‬Edward Spencer-Churchill in ownership dispute with the Mugrabi family over sale of Jean Michel Basquiat painting, currently held by Christie’s until the issue is resolved.
Richard Prince, Untitled (2012)
In his first exhibition at 303 gallery since 1991, Richard Prince presents a show titled 14 Paintings – a small collection of paintings and a single sculpture. Some 30 years ago, Richard Prince actually lived in the current gallery space where his work is now showing.
Installation View of Richard Prince’s 14 Paintings at 303 Gallery
All photos by Caroline Claisse for Art Observed.
Another parallel event joining Basel this year is the-solo-project, presented by Paul Kusseneers Gallery in Antwerp. This independent satellite fair features an international collection of galleries, carefully selected to showcase an in depth selection of work from the chosen artists. This year, the-solo-project celebrates its fifth consecutive year and features a week-long, time coincident with Art Basel, exhibition titled ‘Solo Shows by Selected Galleries’.
Belgium based Alice showcases Antoine Bouillot’s “Little did they know”
‬Frieze London announces 2012 fair details, namely a list of 170 exhibitors and the addition of a new section ‘Focus’, featuring post 2001 established galleries. “Every year, Frieze London gets tens of thousands of people thinking about how we see the world through art,” says Michele Faissola of Deutsche Bank, Freize sponsor for the 9th consecutive year.
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Pedro Reyes’ puppet performance “Baby Marx” (2008-present); All photos by Caroline Claisse for Art Observed
Art Parcours Night was the official debut to the four-day expansive Art Basel festival. Held at neighboring sites around the city, this year the annual event featured a performance and installations by Kathryn Andrews, ‘Voix de Ville’ (2012). Andrews staged several Vaudeville-era acts along the Rhine River, using the talents of acrobats, magicians, and musicians. The performances took place against her installations, which served as backdrops on an unconstrained stage space. The show ran adjacent to other performances and on-site exhibitions of work that will remain on display till this Sunday, June 17.
Claude Lévêque‘s “Ring of Fire” (2011) installation
Kristof Kintera’s “Memorial of the One Thousand and One Nights” from Jirisvestka Gallery; All photos on site for Art Observed by Caroline Claisse
Similarly minded to LISTE in its emphasis on emerging artists and galleries, VOLTA is another of Art Basel’s several accompanying satellite fairs. VOLTA can be seen as perhaps even more cutting-edge in ways and annually attracts an eclectic and international array of art.
Now entering its eighth parallel collaboration with Basel, the fair has shown remarkable growth in coverage and influence since its start in 2005. This year, 81 galleries gather in the halls of the colossal Dreispitzhalle to create an atmosphere marked by youth and spontaneity.
NY Times reviews this year’s Documenta art fair. “It is alternately inspiring — almost visionary — and insufferable, innovative and predictable, meticulous and sentimentally precious.”
| Jeff Koons by Schneider, Sischy and Siegel | Jeff Koons: The Painter and the Sculptor | Jeff Koons by Jeff Koons |
Jeff Koons, the artist; All photos by Caroline Claisse for Art Observed
Adjoint to the week-long Art Basel fete, Swiss museum Fondation Beyeler partnered with American artist Jeff Koons to assemble and showcase key series from his repertoire under one roof, namely, The New, Banality, and Celebration.
Yesterday night in particular, the Foundation Beyler hosted a private dinner at which the pop-age artist himself was present, along with guests Zaha Hadid, Tracey Emin, Stephanie Seymour, and Jeanne Greenberg Rohatyn. Koons took the opportunity to unveil his over-sized floral installation, “Split Rocker”. Serpentine Gallery director Hans Ulrich Obrist and architect Rem Koolhaas afterward gave the pre-dinner keynote.
All photos on site for Art Observed by Lisa Marsova
On June 9th White Columns in the West Village debuted DO YOUR THING, a group show curated by New York based DJs Thomas Bullock and Eric Duncan (also known as RUB N TUG). Bullock and Duncan have been regular fixtures on the downtown scene for over ten years and and are known for not only their art world presence but also for throwing a series parties together.
Vienna’s Leopold Museum pays $5 million to keep Egon Schiele’s 1914 “Houses by the Sea,” a Nazi looted piece taken from Jenny Steiner in 1938.
A Gerhard Richter piece sold for $20-25 million, so far leading the sales at Art Basel. 1986 “A.B. Courbet” was purchased by an unidentified collector.
Stephen G. Rhodes’ “Overduin and Kite” from Los Angeles; All photos on site for Art Observed by Caroline Claisse
As a colossal fair, Art Basel encompasses many satellites and offshoots, namely Design Miami/Basel, Scope, Volta, and LISTE. LISTE, now in its 17th installment, is a significant art fair in itself, showcasing a variety of up and coming galleries and artists. This year, there are 22 countries and 64 galleries represented, 11 of which are immediately new to the art world. Congruently, all participating artists are under the age of 40. Identified as “The Young Art Fair in Basel”, LISTE offers an excellent introductory opportunity to young, contemporary artists and galleries alike.
LISTE 17 began on Tuesday, June 12 and continues through Art Basel’s end on June 17.
Louvre Museum hosts its first ever catwalk show, a collection by Italian designer Salvatore Ferragamo. “The clothes’ light colored palette is on purpose and in tune with the Louvre’s light colored stone,” said Creative director Massimiliano Giornetti.
‬The Guardian interviews Turner prize winner Rachel Whiteread, revealing the thought process and controversy behind her latest endeavor, a frieze on London gallery Whitechapel. “You can’t make a good piece of public art by consensus; it’s just not possible. So I really had to stick my heels in,” says Whiteread.
‬An installation of Anish Kapoor works at the Yorkshire Sculpture Park will open this Saturday, June 16th.
Chris Burden‘s Curved Bridge (2003) from Galerie Krinzinger at Art Unlimited; All photos on site for Art Observed by Caroline Claisse
Art 43 Basel continues today with the 2nd VIP Preview day, although the fair’s Art Unlimited and Art Statements sections were unveiled two days prior on the evening of Monday, June 11. Art Unlimited is exhibiting 62 projects this year, all traditionally large in scale, surpassing the conventional gallery confines. The value of the works shown is equally as sizeable and many have already been sold by the nearly 100 internationally represented galleries participating. Art Statements, another of Basel’s parallel events, features solo shows by promising new artists and rising galleries in the art world.
This year, Art Unlimited is curated by Gianni Jetzer, the director of the Swiss Institute in New York. An interview with him featuring commentary on the exhibit’s selection process and the projects that made it in can be found here.
Franz West’s contorted, neon pink installation resembling human innards drew crowds to Gagosian’s stand at Art Unlimited. The sculpture, titled Gekröse (2011), which translates as “bowel,” is the largest of West’s repertoire and sold on the first day of its showing, according to Reuters.
