The Art Market Monitor analyzes the current market for Gerhard Richter, noting the artist’s recent decline in market prices, and the inclination for both buyers and sellers to avoid recent Richter pieces on offer.   (more…)

The Financial Times profiles dealer John Kasmin this week, as the British dealer reflects back on the course of his career, and the impact he made on the Post-War art world.  “I said all artists do is produce the work, the dealer has to create its allure,” he says.  “Rather a silly remark, but it’s not completely untrue.” (more…)

The New York Times previews the week of auctions in the wake of the U.S. elections, and questions how the art market may be affected.  “There has been a lot of insecurity and it’s hard to say exactly what will happen,” says Jay Gorney, a collector and curator. (more…)

The WSJ offers its perspective on the week’s auctions, exploring the offerings across each auction house through a selection of top paintings, including works by Gerhard Richter and Willem de Kooning in its forecast. (more…)

David Hockney is interviewed in The Guardian this week, as the artist offers his perspectives on the U.S. election, and his take on politics in general.  “I’ve only lived in England, France and the United States, and in each of these countries you’re very free,” he says.  “So I just let the politics do what it’s doing. I’m not interested enough. I’m interested in other things.” (more…)

Painter Zeng Fanzhi is profiled in the New York Times this week, as he reflects back on his career, and his growth alongside China’s art market.  “You might say I am very cunning,” he says. “I only sell my paintings to those who really like them. Then those people will help me promote my works.” (more…)

Germany’s Cultural Property Protection Law is preventing the conversion of a 1,000 year old castle, Schloss Derneburg, in Hannover, which was purchased from painter Georg Baselitz, and was intended to become a museum.  “We continue to review the situation. We plan to show art at Derneburg — but it could well be work that is not from the Hall or Hall Art Foundation collections because of the new law,” says Maryse Brand, director of the Hall Art Foundation, which was also founded by owners Andrew and Christine Hall.   (more…)

Following months of setbacks and hardships, Cairo’s Townhouse Gallery has reopened in a converted paper factory in the city.  The gallery was closed late last year by authorities, and dealt with problems this year after part of the gallery collapsed.  “Almost every work, exhibition, music performance, theatre or film presentation needs to have permission from the appropriate syndicate or censors,” says William Wells, the director of the gallery. (more…)

A Caravaggio painting found in a French attic has gone on view in Milan at the Pinacoteca di Brera.  Judith Beheading Holofernes was found in Toulouse, and is being shown alongside one of the museum’s own Caravaggio piece to allow visitors to view and compare the works.  “It is not the job of a museum to confirm the attribution of the paintings it borrows, only to decide firstly if the painting is necessary for the thesis of its exhibition, in this case ‘A question of attribution’ and secondly if it is of a quality that warrants being shown in a museum, which in this case—whether it is a Caravaggio or not—it certainly is,” says director James Bradburne. (more…)

The Guggenheim Abu Dhabi is continuing to expand its collection as its March 2017 opening date nears, even as its curatorial team continues to shrink, the Art Newspaper reports.  Two top members of the museum’s curatorial department recently left the museum, but construction continues to push forward, with officials claiming it will meet that date. (more…)

A series of highlights from the art collection of David Bowie sold last night at Sotheby’s in London, bringing a total of £24 million, including a Jean-Michel Basquiat painting that brought a total of $7 million.  “David’s art collection was fueled by personal interest and compiled out of passion. He always sought and encouraged loans from the collection and enjoyed sharing the works in his custody,” a spokesperson for the artist’s estate said. “Though his family are keeping certain pieces of particular personal significance, it is now time to give others the opportunity to appreciate – and acquire – the art and objects he so admired.” (more…)

The New Yorker spotlights the efforts of Chinese billionaire Liu Yiqian to build and maintain several private museums in his home country, including the massive Long Museum West in Shanghai.  “It might not have a long history, this city, but it is a place made by immigrants, for immigrants. We are exposed to so much from everywhere that people here have to adapt,” he says. (more…)

The Art Market Monitor has a short analysis on the potential impacts of a Trump presidency on the art market, speculating how continued investment in “alternative stores of value” and broader economic trends could be disrupted by the new president’s administration.   (more…)

Adrian Ghenie’s ascendancy as an auction mainstay is covered in the New York Times this week, as the artist’s prices continue to skyrocket, even to the point of earning concern from his dealers.  “The market is overreacting,” says Thaddaeus Ropac. “We would be happy if everything were strong but not crazy.” (more…)

Austrian authorities have uncovered a group selling counterfeit Picasso and Chagall paintings, the New York Times reports.  A group of six suspects were arrested in a Vienna suburb after trying to sell undercover officers the paintings for upwards of €10 million each.   (more…)

Forbes writes on the continued growth in popularity of fine art as an asset class for wealthy families this week, noting the ongoing growth rate of 212% for the field, even as the act of collecting itself remains somewhat less predictable.  “Art collecting should be a joy,” says adviser Warren Winegar. (more…)

CBS Philadelphia takes a look inside the city’s FBI Art Crimes division, as the organization prepares to return a multi-million dollar collection to its rightful owner.    “Every day we get to come in and we get to work these matters and try to get this stuff back for people to see,” FBI Special Agent Jake Archer says. (more…)

The renovation of Berlin’s Pergamon Museum will be delayed a full four years, and is set to go 100% over budget, after a large pumping station designed to keep water out during the building’s initial construction was discovered under its foundations.  The station must be removed for the foundations to be reinforced.  (more…)

Sotheby’s is showing a loss $54.5 million for the third quarter, the New York Times reports, as the art market’s slump continues to affect sales, and changed scheduling saw fewer major auctions during the quarter.  “The third-quarter results were not expected to be good,” Tad Smith, Sotheby’s president and chief executive, said in a statement. “Underneath our seasonally low level of sales, there were encouraging but tentative indicators that the market could be looking for a rallying point.” (more…)

A recently rediscovered piece by Pieter Brueghel the Younger, Wedding Dance in the Open Air, will go on public view in Bath, the Guardian reports.  The piece was discovered by Jennifer Scott, director of the city’s Holburne Museum, while she was reviewing the institution’s archives.  “The more I looked at the panel, the better it seemed,” she says. “Even under the grime the detail and the color seemed fantastic, far too good for a mere copy.” (more…)

A group of authors, librarians, gallery attendants and museum workers marched on Trafalgar Square this week, protesting widespread cuts to the UK’s cultural services.  “Given the clear benefits arts and culture bring to our society and our economy, cuts to libraries, museums and galleries represent everything wrong with the Tories’ approach to public spending,” says Public and Commercial Services general secretary Mark Serwotka. (more…)

The Art Market Monitor has some interesting perspectives on the ongoing market push towards online sales, emphasizing the notably small percentage of sales that take place online, and the complexity of market transactions that will likely continue to serve as a barrier for those looking to sell more expensive works.  “The absolute numbers are still a tiny fraction of Sotheby’s actual revenue,” Marion Maneker writes.  “That may explain why Sotheby’s release takes pains to illustrate other benefits to the firm.” (more…)

The Art Newspaper charts the impact that the U.S. elections have had on the country’s art market, and outlines the perceived value of artworks as assets in a time of economic and political uncertainty.  “The biggest difference compared with previous elections is that it’s not only the focus of America, but of the world,” said Grégoire Billault, head of contemporary art at Sotheby’s New York. (more…)

Carol Bove is profiled in the New York Times this week, as the artist prepares for her first solo exhibition with David Zwirner Gallery, alongside one at Maccarone in LA, and reflects on the influences and approaches to her work over the years.  “Years ago, my grandmother made some diminishing remark to me about Busby Berkeley’s achievement, saying that he just copied all of his choreography from a kaleidoscope,” she says. “But a lot of people have seen a kaleidoscope, and only one person made those dances! Everyone is thoroughly interconnected and everyone is also an individual.” (more…)