Albanian president and artist Edi Rama is profiled in The Guardian this week, as he prepares to open an exhibition at Marian Goodman Gallery. “If art cannot make politics more sane,” he says, “politics, with its insanity, can sometimes make art even better.” (more…)
Collector and co-chair of the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, Elaine Wynn is interviewed in Forbes this week, discussing her motivations behind collecting art, and her decision to purchase Francis Bacon’s Three Studies of Lucian Freud for $142 million. “First I was worried I’d want to buy it,” she says. “Then I was worried I might not get it.” (more…)
The MFA Boston is planning a $24 million renovation project, including a 22,000-square-foot conservation center that will expand the institution’s capabilities. “It’s a very positive moment for us,” says MFA director Matthew Teitelbaum. “I think people will see it as a real affirmation of our core responsibilities, and I feel very good about that.” (more…)
The Art Newspaper profiles the ongoing struggles of digital art startups to effectively capture large portions of target markets, particularly given resistance from the tech-savvy under-35 demographic. “True disruption doesn’t come from entrepreneurs. In the art world, it has always come from the artists. Anyone waiting for the internet to disrupt can keep waiting,” says Pace head Marc Glimcher. (more…)
Artist Richard Prince was commissioned to design the cover for the final A Tribe Called Quest record, out this month. The artist’s design incorporates his own rugged hand into the group’s signature red, black and green color scheme. (more…)
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…)
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…)