A piece in Art News this week looks at the continued attempts Art Basel has made to lure galleries to Hong Kong during the trying political climate in the city. “When one sees the images in the media,” says dealer Sean Kelly, “one feels very strongly that one wants to stand for those fighting for democracy and in some cases their lives. But the corollary to that is if one doesn’t attend the fair, one is letting down a much larger percentage of the population who voted resoundingly and definitely supported democracy but at the same time … are people who are trying to support their family. There are taxi drivers, the laundresses, the busboys, all of the people who work in the infrastructure that surrounds the fair who are in dire circumstances financially because of the ongoing issue in Hong Kong. … I think it is a very difficult, very complicated, and nuanced situation.” (more…)

Arts Council England is requiring organizations to provide data on the socio-economic background of their employees, as it takes steps towards remedying working class gaps in the workforce.  According to ACE head Simon Mellor, the data is “an important step in understanding the scale of the problem and helping us to consider what steps we can all take to challenge the barriers that people face in entering and progressing in our industry.” (more…)

The city of Paris will soon have a major arts hub located in the banlieue of Romainville, called Komunuma.  “Paris can grow, and indeed it must grow,” says director-general Joachim Pflieger. “This is quite a new model for France, because we see public and private activities working together.” (more…)

Ashley R. Harris will become the first executive director for Independent Art Fair New York, Artforum reports.  “With the appointment of Ashley Harris, we are entering a new phase of our business,” says founder Elizabeth Dee. “Over the course of the decade, our fair has developed in concert with the demand for new forum that prioritizes contemporary collecting, incorporating a true reflection of the arts ecosystem—and now our attention to this area is growing in truly exciting ways.”  (more…)

A piece in Art Newspaper profiles the current VR efforts at The Louvre and asks how the technology might change future exhibitions. “It’s a wonderful tool because it links accurate information on the works of art with imagination,” says Dominique de Font-Réaulx, head of the Louvre’s interpretation and cultural programming department. (more…)

Even as China cracks down on Islam inside its country, collector Budi Tek is steaming ahead on his plans for a partnership with Qatar Museums.  “We have a strong cultural authority here and they will review our programs,” he says. “We have a good relationship with them and we make sure the shows will be in the interest of the public rather than damaging public interest.” (more…)

The WSJ spotlights Carpenters Workshop Gallery, and its challenges to the boundaries between art and design.  “We’re nonconformists, because we’re not interested in design, as such—the functionality of the object is not relevant,” says founder Loïc Le Gaillard. “What we like is the way that there is strong narrative in the object.” (more…)

France has released a concrete timetable for returning works to Benin, Art News reports.“With President Talon, beyond the terms of these restitutions, we discussed the enrichment of cultural cooperation between our 2 countries,” says Franck Riester, the French cultural minister. “The course is clear and our mobilization total.” (more…)

Artist Alexandre Singh gives Art in America a tour of his studio and speaks on his vision for the arts. “I like art because it’s a field where you have the liberty to dabble like a dilettante in anything that you want,” he says. “I often say this rather fatuously, but if someone decided “I’m going to make a restaurant on the moon as an artwork,” that’s an artwork. The logistics are another thing.” (more…)

Maria Balshaw, Director of Tate, and the artist Steve McQueen have warned against the increasing privatization of arts education in the UK.  “We need a level cultural playing field for all children because we want and need visually literate adults,” Balshaw says. “There should be fair access to arts in line with the offer to pupils in Scotland and Wales where the arts are already a core commitment.” (more…)

The curators for the 2020 edition of MoMA PS1’s Greater New York have been announced, with Serubiri Moses, Kate Fowle, Inés Katzenstein and Ruba Katrib heading up the show.  “We’re going to have to move fast, in terms of the studio visits that we do,” says Fowle. “But you don’t want to move like a pack.” (more…)

Artists weigh in on the recent UK elections in Art Newspaper this week, as they reflect on the Conservative Party victory. “It seems that individualism, greed and consumerism are at the centre of the environmental problems and the voting population of the UK aren’t ready to acknowledge this yet,” says Gavin Turk. “The youth coming through seem to offer a way forward and they should be supported.” (more…)

A piece in The Atlantic this week highlights debates over the collection of the Royal Museum for Central Africa in Belgium, and how ongoing debates over decolonization has put the museum collection under a critical lens. “The collections of the Royal Museum for Central Africa have been composed by Europeans; it remains a challenge, therefore, to tell the colonial history from an African perspective,” reads one recently rewritten plaque at the museum. (more…)

Collector Jean Faurschou has opened the latest location for his private art collection in Greenpoint, NYT reports.  “We’re making shows because that’s actually what we love to do,” he says. “It’s become a passion to make exhibitions.” (more…)

Avery Singer is now represented by Hauser & Wirth, the gallery announced today. (more…)

A new filing in a dispute over a Rudolf Stingel has illustrated more of the background in the case of Inigo Philbrick, particularly how the dealer would move between classifying the transfers of works as sales or loans.  “That is the real story here of what is going on with all of these Inigo deals—there was a lot of easy money allowing him to perpetrate these frauds, not only from the Reubens but others as well,” says attorney Judd Grossman. (more…)

Russian museums are seizing on Vladimir Putin’s idea to open satellite venues in various regions of the country as a move to improve living standards.  “We must organise branches of such museums in regional centers of the Russian Federation, so works of art don’t lie around in storage or in basements, but so people see them,” Putin said. (more…)

The WSJ gives a tour of the $18.5 million New York Townhouse on sale this month, featuring interiors designed by Julian Schnabel.  The colorful home is currently inhabited by his first wife, Jacqueline. (more…)

George Condo is reported in talks to join Hauser & Wirth, according to Art News.  The report cites several sources saying that the artist is being courted by the massive gallery. (more…)

A piece in Ad Age this week looks at the number of companies and advertising agencies piggybacking on a massive popularity of Maurizio Cattelan’s banana sculpture Comedian.  (more…)

A painting believed to be a Gustav Klimt stolen 23 years ago has been discovered in the wall of the Ricci Oddi gallery where it had previously been on display.   “It is very strange, because, immediately after the theft, every single inch of the gallery and garden was checked with a fine-tooth comb,” says Jonathan Papamerenghi, a member of the Piacenza council. “The strangest thing is that the painting is in excellent condition. It does not seem like it has been locked under a trapdoor for 22 years.” (more…)

Bloomberg is throwing its weight behind the Save Venice foundation, fielding donations to help combat the effects of climate change on the lagoon city. “We’re worrying about the foundations of the buildings, as well as the stonework,” says Melissa Conn of Save Venice. (more…)

Sotheby’s has reordered its auction house around two divisions, Fine Arts and Luxury, Art and Objects, with Amy Cappellazzo taking on an expanded role as head of the Fine Arts division. The strategy will look to “reduce the current silos that exists between fine arts, business development and regional organizations,” according to a statement. (more…)

Art News has published the 30th edition of its Top 200 Collectors List, with a number of familiar faces and new names included. (more…)