British artist Sonia Boyce is creating a database of artworks by black artists held in public UK collections, seeking to create a comprehensive record of their presence across the nation’s museums and galleries.  “It’s a big job; no one has done this before,” Boyce says. “One of the problems for anyone trying to do research in this area is that the information is there, but it’s hidden. This project will leave a trail for future scholars.” (more…)

The Tehran Museum has announced a historically significant exhibition of the work of Wim Delvoye, the first time the museum has used its entire space, comprising nine galleries and outdoor space, for a show focusing on a non-Iranian artist.  “They are very professional; they are easier to work with than the Louvre,” the Belgian artist said of the museum. (more…)

The New York Times notes an increased interest in artists over recent years in concerns of space, perception and dimensionality, drawing lines between the study of quantum physics, spatial politics, and work by artists like Rachel Whiteread and Matthew Ritchie.  “The formulation of the laws of perspective in the 14th century gave artists permission to see everything in a new way,” Ritchie says. “Now your sky isn’t flat. You’ve got a proper sky with depth, and now your angels can get up to some real mischief.” (more…)

The Tate Modern has appointed two new curators, Clara Kim and Nancy Ireson.  Kim takes on the role of Daskalopoulos Senior Curator in International Art (Africa, Asia, and Middle East), with Ireson apointed as a curator of international art. (more…)

The New York Times profiles Sheena Wagstaff, The Met’s new head of Modern and Contemporary Art and former Tate Modern Chief Curator, in her mission to transform the museum’s offerings for more recent work, focused around its new exhibition space at the Breuer Building, former home to the Whitney.  “My work at the Tate Modern, along with my colleagues, too, was very much about re-addressing the Western canon, re-addressing the idea of what modernism actually means, and broadening and expanding that scope,” she says. (more…)

The dual galleries Feuer/Mesler and Mesler/Feuer are consolidating their exhibition spaces downtown, moving all operations to their Chinatown space at 319 Grand Street.  “It’s a really great time for the gallery,” Joel Mesler says.  “We have the possibility in the next few months to make a thoughtful expansion. The Lower East Side has changed so much, and we actually prefer that location.” (more…)

A number of Parisian cultural institutions are reporting sizable drops in attendance following the attacks in the French capital this month.  The Louvre has reported a 30% decrease in attendance, and the Centre Pompidou has seen a 50% drop.  “1000 visitors per day versus the 2000 per day that had been coming to see the current Wifredo Lam exhibition,” says Benoît Parayre, director of communication. (more…)

A recent UK survey has found that the arts are widely dominated by those with a middle-class upbringing, due mainly to the precariousness of early years in the field (often requiring free labor among other financial sacrifices) that lower class artists are less likely to be able to take.  “What’s most alarming is how things are going to get harder for young people in the arts who haven’t got family support, because of how much more precarious the situation is looking like it will become,” says Hadrian Garrard, the director of Create, an organization which conducted the survey in conjunction with Goldsmiths. “The scale of people who have worked for free or are working without a contract is pretty scary. And given how much more expensive it is to live in London, it is more and more likely that people without money will just not be able to follow careers in the arts.” (more…)

Robert Irwin has been commissioned for a full-room installation at the Hirshhorn, bringing more than 100ft of scrim to respond to the museum’s uniquely circular architecture.  “The 1960s is a crucial decade in the history of contemporary art, and Irwin’s investigations into the ways our perceptual processes are shaped and framed were at the forefront of the developments unfolding then,” says Evelyn Hankins, the Hirshhorn curator in charge of the exhibition. (more…)

The Venice Biennale has closed its doors this week, closing on a total visitor count of 500,875, with 2,899 average visitors per day.  The attendance figure marks a 5.45% from the 2013 edition of the event.   (more…)

Following the Detroit Institute of Art’s preservation of its collection as part of the city’s “Grand Bargain” to leave bankruptcy, the museum is facing the challenge of building up a $400 million endowment by the time tax funding expires in seven years.  “Now that we can tell the story about the role we played, along with foundations and the state, in creating and successfully bringing the grand bargain to fruition, that’s an impactful message to take to prospective donors,” says DIA Board Chairman Gene Gargaro. (more…)

Palestinian poet and artist Ashraf Fayadh has been sentenced to death by the Saudi Arabian government, following the artist’s abandonment of Islam, and his outspoken stance against the national government.  “We condemn these acts of intimidation targeting Ashraf Fayadh as part of a wider campaign inciting hate against writers and using Islam to justify oppression and to crush free speech,” an online petition pushing for his release. (more…)

Henri Matisse’s Portrait of Greta Moll is the subject of a lawsuit in the UK, after the sitter’s descendants threatened to file a lawsuit over ownership of the work against the National Gallery.  Moll’s heirs claim that the work was sold from her collection without permission, but the museum states it has no obligation to return it even if these allegations were true.  “If it is true that the painting was stolen in 1947, then the family did suffer an injustice, but not at the hands of the National Gallery, who bought the painting in good faith over 30 years later,” a National Gallery spokesman said. (more…)

Art Market Monitor takes a look at what it calls a cooling market for Andy Warhol works, noting the trends of expansion and contraction of the artist’s median price over the past decade and a half.  “The Warhol market, and by extension the Contemporary art market, has moved far and fast in a short period,” the article reads.  “Taking time to consolidate would not be a bad thing for art or the art market.” (more…)

Urs Fischer and Tara Subkoff are profiled in New York Magazine this week, as the couple reflect on Subkoff’s new film #Horror, which premiered this week in New York, and documents the fraught emotional relations of young children.  “One of the things I love about the movie is its harshness — the harshness of the girls against the other girls, the harshness and brutality, which is not a male brutality,” Fischer says. “The movie reminds me a little of Stand by Me â€” as a romanticized girl version. Basically, I see your movie as the contemporary-girl version of Stand by Me.” (more…)

Artist Gary Hume is parting ways with White Cube Gallery, the Art Newspaper reports, partially due to the artist’s increasingly limited time spent in the UK.  As [he] is spending more time working in the US, by mutual agreement, he will no longer be represented by [us],” says a White Cube spokeswoman, who referred to the relationship between Hume and White Cube as “close and extremely positive.” (more…)

Verona’s Castelvecchio is the victim of a $16 million art heist, after four men entered the museum this past Thursday, making off with a series of works including pieces by Rubens, and five pieces by Jacopo Tintoretto.  Italy’s art theft police task force is leading the investigation. (more…)

An Indian artist was briefly detained this week in Jaipur, after unveiling a work depicting a cow hanging suspended in mid-air, a work that some Hindu viewers found offensive.  The local police chief who ordered the detainment has been “removed and I have spoken to the artist personally,” Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje says. (more…)

Lucian Freud’s sketchbooks, drawings and letters have been acquired by the UK from the estate of Lucian Freud, allowing the artist’s estate to sidestep its tax bill as part of the country’s Acceptance in Lieu Scheme.  “This rare collection of Lucian Freud drawings and letters provides a fascinating glimpse into the work of one of our most pioneering artists,” Culture Minister Ed Vaizey says.  “Bringing these never seen before treasures into public collections means that everyone can enjoy and see the early beginnings that shaped his most celebrated work.” (more…)

The powerful new WoofbertVR app, used to digitally simulate immersive 3-D environments, has launched with a look into a room at the Cortauld Gallery, where the user can view works by Renoir, Gauguin, and Monet.  “What museums are excited about — among other things — is access,” says co-founder and chief executive, Robert Hamwee. “Pretty soon a kid with the smart phone in India can visit the Louvre.” (more…)

An article in Town and Country chronicles the ongoing case between Russian billionaire Dmitry Rybolovlev and dealer Yves Bouvier, and the intertwined social and personal histories that underscore the case.   (more…)

France has awarded Adam D. Weinberg, the Director of the Whitney Museum of American Art, with the insignia of Officer of the Order of Arts and Letters.  Weinberg’s work has involved a number of collaborations with French institutions including the Centre Pompidou, Grand Palais, and Le Consortium in Dijon. (more…)

Billionaire hedge fund manager and collector Ken Griffin has stated his concern about the health of the market, as increased focus at the top end of the market has covered an increased price disparity around middle level works.  “We’re seeing the tier one artists with their best works setting all-time record highs,” he said. “But we’re seeing second-tier artists and second-tier works by the best artists starting to slide down in price.” (more…)

The continuing legal struggle between Dmitriy Rybolovlev and Yves Bouvier has now drawn in HSBC bank, after the bank’s reportage of Bouvier’s name on several accounts further supported allegations of money laundering and fraud.  The bank later reported the inclusion of his name as a “clerical error,” which allowed Bouvier’s release.  Both Bouvier and Tania Rappo, who was also arrested in the case, are now filing suit against the bank. (more…)