Katherine Bernhardt, Sharks, Plantains, and Cigarettes (2015) all photos courtesy Venus Over Manhattan

Painter Katherine Bernhardt has created an exhibition of work inspired by her recent residency in Puerto Rico, taking inspiration and encouragement from the landscape and artists of the city as her muse, and translating them into the artist’s signature hand.   (more…)

Tracy Emin, You Made Me Feel Beautiful again! (2015), at White Cube, all photos by Andrea Nguyen for Art Observed

As the weekend arrived, Frieze London shut its doors on another week of strong sales, live projects and installations taking up the yards of Regent’s Park, with the fair reporting an impressive 260% increase in attendees during the VIP hours.  Even after the rush of buyers in the fair’s early hours, sales continued steadily through the rest of the week, concluding yesterday as the last vistors left the space. (more…)

Gordon Matta-Clark, Energy & Abstraction (Installation View)

Mystery, stemming from associations with the notion of void, always played a crucial role in opulent practice of Gordon Matta-Clark.  Differing from the often massively-sized voids he created in or between buildings before their demolition throughout his career, however, the pen and ink works currently on view at David Zwirner’s 20th street location appears as an almost direct response, although on a much more manageable scale.  Blank paper surfaces submit to restless marks of ink in splashes of color or stark black hues, signaling complex narratives behind the artist’s demanding projects, while deep carvings on gesso expose concealed layers that otherwise would go unnoticed when compared to his immense carvings through the architectural skeletons of buildings. (more…)

Robert Irwin, 2 x 2 x 2 x 2 (Installation View), via White Cube

White Cube Bermondsey is currently playing home to a slight, albeit impressive exhibition by Robert Irwin, taking the artist’s interest in environmental sculpture, space and light to arguably its most minimal conclusions.  Taking up two rooms at the London Gallery, the exhibition continues Irwin’s exploration of objects in space, and their relationships to the site in which they reside. (more…)

Peter Doig, Cabin Essence (1993-1994), via Christie’s

The sales have concluded in London tonight, after Christie’s capped a tightly run 54-lot auction that saw a final tally of £35,562,500, with 9 lots going unsold. (more…)

The New Yorker profiles Fox Television’s Empire, and the collection of contemporary African-American art that the show has consistently used on-screen, including works by Kehinde Wiley, Mickalene Thomas, and Kerry James Marshall.  “I’ve been doing this twenty-six years, and I was really excited because rarely do I get a director who includes the art within the shot,” says set decorator Caroline Perzan. “The art has become one of the main focal points of the set design.” (more…)

The Guardian profiles artist Sam Gilliam, whose work during the 1960’s and 70’s was considered among the best working in abstraction, and who, at 81, is experiencing another moment in the limelight after L.A. gallerist David Kordansky rallied to bring the artist’s work to wider attention.  “Sam stayed constant – it was the world that turned,” says Laura Hoptman, MoMA’s curator for painting and sculpture. “Finally, he popped back into focus.” (more…)

Christie’s has announced another of its highlight lots for its November auctions in New York, this time pointing to Roy Lichtenstein’s Nurse, from 1964.  “He’s completely concentrated the image, taken away the words,” says Brett Gorvy. “There’s fear in her face — you’re not quite sure what the narrative is. You bring your own narrative.” (more…)

Christian Marclay, Green Plop on Yellow (2014), via Art Observed

Christian Marclay returns to Paula Cooper this fall with an exhibition of new video work and paintings, continuing the artist’s interests in the intertwining of action and image in pop culture formats.  Here, turning his attention to comic books and graphic novels, the artist’s collagist practices are given a light-hearted twist.

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Larry Gagosian and Jeffrey Deitch are teaming together for an exhibition during Art Basel Miami Beach this year, bearing the title Unrealism and taking place in the historic Moore Building in the Miami Design District.  “Larry and I have wanted to do a project together for some time,” Mr. Deitch said. “Everything came together.” (more…)

Ai Weiwei has announced that his memoirs will be released in 2017, published by Crown Publishing Group, a division of Penguin Random House.  “The history of totalitarianism is one characterized by the state’s continuous attempts to destroy individual memories,” the artist says. (more…)

Zero Group founder Enrico Castellani will launch a rare exhibition of his works at Dominique Lévy in London, the first solo showing of the artist’s work in the city.  “He thinks things over very deliberately. There has to be a reason,” says Emilio Steinberger, one of the gallery’s senior partners. (more…)

The Art Newspaper notes that despite increasing attention to the globalizing art world, the cities of London and New York still remain central hubs in the burgeoning market.  “Around ten years ago, galleries looked for ways to be around the world. But people soon realised that the costs weren’t just financial,” says New York dealer Sundaram Tagore.  “You don’t have to have multiple locations. Globalization has made it easier to bring collectors to New York and London, the art world’s original stomping grounds, and most of the important collectors already own homes there.” (more…)

Hyperallergic has a report on the ongoing allegations behind an Istanbul exhibition of Joan Miró works denounced as fraud by the artist’s foundation, and the lawsuits currently filed against dealer Emre Sefer, who organized the show.  Sefer denies the charges, claiming her purchased the works from Canadian dealers Art Brokers West.  “The lawsuit over the certificates of authenticity and the action for compensation continue. Those trials will resume in October and November,” Sefer says.  “Art Brokers West claims that all the artworks are original. They also said that we could return all of them if we wanted. We do not intend to initiate a legal process against Art Brokers West until the lawsuits in Turkey conclude.”  (more…)

The Hirshhorn has received a $2 million gift from trustee Joleen Julis and her husband, Mitch, setting the record for the museum’s largest single gift.  “As we conclude this transformative 40^th anniversary year, the Hirshhorn seeks to become a creative hub at the intersection of art and technology and to lead the global conversations on the art of our time. It is the support of people like Joleen and Mitch that enables us to move forward with these goals,” said Director Melissa Chiu in a statement. (more…)

The New York Times notes that sixteen different cultural institutions in New York City are currently embarking on major fundraising campaigns, with a combined financial goal of $3 billion.  “Each of these institutions have loyal supporters who are engaged,” said Daniel Brodsky, a real estate developer and the chairman of the Metropolitan Museum. “There are many prosperous people in New York City.” (more…)

A U.S. federal judge in Washington, DC has fined Russia $43.7m for failing to hand over a collection of books and religious documents to a Brooklyn-based Jewish Orthodox organization.  The action is partially a result of Russia’s recently imposed export ban of artworks and antiques to the U.S., fearing that works may be seized, and has seen similar actions taken in the U.S. (more…)

Eric Fischl is in the New York Times this week, advocating for a new method of art authentication using the artist’s DNA to show if the work is really their handiwork.  “Authenticating a work from the very start can alleviate the pain and frustration people go through when they think they have something of great value and they really don’t,” he says.  “What’s not sexy about synthetic DNA?”  (more…)

Bloomberg notes the strong interest on site at Frieze this week, and the collectors getting aggressive on buying even while other markets flounder.  “Russians are in trouble. Brazil is in trouble. Commodities are way down,” says Eli Broad. “The art market is very strong. You’d think there are no troubles anywhere in the world.” (more…)

The U.S. General Services Administration art collection has been archived and uploaded online, allowing interested viewers to browse works and artists from the the archive, as well as view where works may be on view.  Other pieces from the collection on loan to museums and galleries are also included.  (more…)

Antony Gormley, EXPANDED FAMILY X2: CHOOSE (2014)

On view at Galerie Thaddaeus Ropac’s Salzburg location through October 31st is Space Out, artist Antony Gormley’s ongoing investigation of physical space and its encapsulation through sculptural intervention.  One of the most recognized and influential sculptors working today, Gormley has always been interested in space and its correspondence to physicality, yet with his recent series, Expansion Field, the artist accentuates his often noticeable tendency towards stripping human figures down to geometrical forms. Divorced from human attributions such as curves or postures, these robust creations bear various references to the history of art including Minimalism and Russian Constructivism. (more…)

Tania Bruguera is profiled in both The Guardian and The Art Newspaper today, as she begins her post as a teacher at Yale University, and reflects on her turbulent past year.  “In Cuba we’ve been in two dictatorships after the other,” she tells the Guardian. “A lot of people don’t see it that way yet, and for me it’s hard, still, to say those words. People have been under fear. We need a process where people understand not only what their rights are, but what to ask for.” (more…)

Larry Gagosian has sold his Upper East Side Carriage House to SculptureCenter chair Sascha Bauer for $18 million, the NY Daily News reports.  Gagosian bought the property in 1988 from Schlumberger heiress Christophe de Menil. (more…)

A work by Lutz Bacher in MoMA PS1’s Greater New York exhibition is drawing attention after Daniel Arsham pointed out the work’s similarity to a set piece from his film Future Relic.  Arsham however, doesn’t seem bothered by the comparison.  “If they are indeed the same materials, there would have been no way for them to know it was my work unless they follow my Instagram and had seen the set design then,” he says.  “If they are indeed the same exact objects, then all I can say is that the artist has a very good eye!” (more…)