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Archive for the 'Art News' Category

Stuart Shave’s Modern Art to Open Second London Location

Friday, September 15th, 2017

Stuart Shave’s Modern Art Gallery is set to open a second London location, the Art News reports. “For some time, I have been looking for a second space that would allow the gallery to program multiple shows at one time, to give scope to bring new artists into the gallery, as well as to work more spontaneously when the opportunity arises,” Shave says. (more…)

Documenta Running Deficit of Over $8 Million

Friday, September 15th, 2017

Documenta is facing an operating deficit of over $8 million, the Art Newspaper reports, with city and state governments taking on loans to keep the exhibition running. “Documenta is inextricably linked with Kassel,” Christian Geselle, the mayor of Kassel said. “We want Documenta to continue in Kassel as a world-ranking exhibition of contemporary art.” (more…)

Cornell Tech Campus to Open with Major Art Installations Spread Throughout Building

Friday, September 15th, 2017

The new Cornell Tech campus on Roosevelt Island features a range of art installations by artists including  Michael RiedelMatthew Day Jackson and Alison Elizabeth Taylor, among others, the New York Times reports. “The entire building is designed to spur imagination and innovation and sometimes unintentional interactions,” said Patricia Harris, chief executive of Bloomberg Philanthropies, which helped in the building commissions. (more…)

Miami Arts Institutions Emerge from Hurricane Irma with Little Damage

Friday, September 15th, 2017

The New York Times profiles the damage wrought by Hurricane Irma, and notes how well many Miami arts institutions handled the storm. “It’s an existential question,” says collector Mera Rubell. “Ultimately, how can we predict what’s going to happen anywhere?” (more…)

Ann Freedman Settles Final Knoedler Gallery Lawsuit

Thursday, September 14th, 2017

Ann Freedman has settled her final of several lawsuits against her in the Knoedler Gallery court cases, bringing its long narrative to a conclusion. “Neither the government nor these individuals ever accused Ann of wrongdoing,” Freedman’s lawyer, Luke Nikas says. (more…)

Art Market Monitor Notes Growing Investigation into Dmitriy Rybolovlev’s Close Connections to Monaco’s Legal System

Thursday, September 14th, 2017

The Art Market Monitor has a piece on the increasingly complex connections between collector Dmitriy Rybolovlev and various officials in the Monaco government, indicating that the Russian billionaire may have wielded undue influence on the small country’s justice system.  I have always said that Mr. Rybolovlev had privatized the justice system in Monaco its profit. There is now evidence that the police, the prosecutor’s office and the equivalent of the Minister of Justice have done everything possible to constitute an association of criminals in order to carry out a scam in the judgment,” says Paris based lawyer Francis Szpiner, who is pushing for a broader investigation of this situation.  (more…)

Walker Center Deals with Fallout Over Sam Durant Controversy

Thursday, September 14th, 2017

The New York Times has a piece on the fallout over Sam Durant’s controversial Scaffold work at the Walker Center in Minnesota, and and a number of staff departures at the institution, pointing to demanding working conditions under director Olga Viso. “Obviously the Walker has a slight cloud over it right now,” says Tom Eccles, executive director of the Center for Curatorial Studies at Bard College. “It’s a cloud; not a downpour, but it needs to get out of it quickly.” (more…)

Budi Tek Pressing Chinese Government on Museum Restrictions

Tuesday, September 12th, 2017

Indonesian-Chinese Collector Budi Tek is pressing the Chinese government to overhaul its restrictions on private museums, even as he battles pancreatic cancer. “I am still full of ambition. That’s what’s keeping me alive—and thinking positively,” he says. (more…)

Hirshhorn Museum Acquires Works by Ragnar Kjartansson, Shirin Neshat

Tuesday, September 12th, 2017

The Hirshhorn has acquired artist Ragnar Kjartansson’s long-running Me and My Mother series, which includes footage of the artist being spit on repeatedly by his mother. The museum also acquired pieces by Shirin Neshat, Deb Sokolow, and Mika Tajima, among others. (more…)

New York – Robert Rauschenberg: “Among Friends” at MoMA Through September 17th, 2017

Tuesday, September 12th, 2017

Robert Rauschenberg, Rhyme (1956), via Art Observed
Robert Rauschenberg, Rhyme (1956), via Art Observed

Closing out its run at MoMA this month, Robert Rauschenberg’s impressive retrospective show, Among Friends, is a monument to the spirit of the post-War U.S. and its most exploratory artists, focused through the lens of a single painter. Drawing together some of Rauschenberg’s most iconic and challenging pieces alongside a range of works by his collaborators, friends and lovers, the artist’s pieces trace a life dedicated to the act of creating, and of challenging the work itself to push beyond the thin line between art and life itself.   (more…)

Bridgehampton, NY – Mary Heilmann: “Painting Pictures” at Dan Flavin Institute Through May 27th, 2018

Monday, September 11th, 2017

Mary Heilmann, Ray (2017), via Art Observed
Mary Heilmann, Ray (2017), via Art Observed

In the early years of her career, artist Mary Heilmann embraced a utilitarian approach to the art object, drawing domestic materials, scrap pieces and other objects into a swirling orbit of bright colors and bold, thick strokes of paint.  Drawing on the energy and vitality of the minimalist language, and its conceptual charge to the body of modern painting, Heilmann’s work embraced both a subdued look at the real landscape of the modern American, and the manifold images that float through it each day. (more…)

As Hurricane Irma Bears Down on Miami, a Rush to Preserve and Protect the City’s Art Collections

Monday, September 11th, 2017

Bloomberg has a piece this week on preparations underway in Miami to preserve and save art in the face of the powerful Hurricane Irma currently bearing down on the coastal city. “It’s always scary and dangerous. You can’t take any chances,” says developer Craig Robins. “At this point there isn’t much you can do. You’ve secured everything and now you can only pray. You pray it goes out to sea or gets weaker.” (more…)

Luxembourg to Move Venice Biennale Pavilion to Arsenale

Monday, September 11th, 2017

The nation of Luxembourg is completing negotiations to move its national pavilion at the Venice Biennale to a space in the Arsenale. “This is a focal point of the Biennale and I am convinced that, thanks to this decision, the Grand-Duchy will have an increased visibility from the Biennale of Architecture in 2018,” says prime minister Xavier Bettel. (more…)

NADA Adds Thirteen New Galleries to Membership Roster

Monday, September 11th, 2017

The New Art Dealers Alliance has added a group of thirteen new members, as it continues to grow and evolve. New galleries include Mexico City’s Lulu, London’s Arcadia Missa, and New York’s Signal. The organization will celebrate its new members this December at NADA Miami Beach. (more…)

Fondation Luis Vuitton to Present Work from MoMA Collection in Paris

Monday, September 11th, 2017

Cindy Sherman, via Art NewspaperThe Fondation Louis Vuitton in Paris is partnering with the Museum of Modern Art for a new exhibition, the Art Newspaper reports, presenting key works from the museum’s full holdings, including examples by Marcel Duchamp, Pablo Picasso, and Cindy Sherman. “MoMA is a beacon for Modern art in the West, and for decades its narrative of art historical Modernism was uncontested,” says the Fondation’s artistic director, Suzanne Pagé. “It has also established itself [with] its discernment regarding the art of today, an institution possessed of a clear-eyed vision of its future. Today, the doxa [common belief and opinion] are being reassessed.” (more…)

La Paris Biennale Adjusts to Modern Art Fair Calendar

Monday, September 11th, 2017

La Biennale Paris art fair is preparing to open its doors, as the New York Times charts the adjustments and tweaks to its programming made to make it more competitive in the current art market. “In order to compete as a major fair, you have to be part of the annual calendar or someone will take that slot,” says fair president Christopher Forbes. (more…)

Financial Times Charts Current Challenges Facing Gallery System

Monday, September 11th, 2017

The Financial Times analyzes the current state of the contemporary art market, examining how demands placed on galleries by the international fair circuit and other situations have made it increasingly difficult to compete with mega-galleries. “If you add everything up on a booth for emerging artists, it’s difficult to see how galleries can make the costs back,” says gallerist Laura Bartlett, who recently closed her London exhibition space. “I gained so much profile through international fairs; they just need to be as flexible as possible now and adapt to the market.”  (more…)

Sotheby’s to Sell Works from Estate of Painter Howard Hodgkin

Monday, September 11th, 2017

Sotheby’s has unveiled a collection of 400 works and objects from the estate of painter Howard Hodgkin, which it will place on sale in the coming months through a series of auctions. “If Howard needed it he bought it, sometimes for a lot of money once he could afford it,” says the artist’s partner, writer Antony Peattie. “He didn’t believe in bargains and if something was really good he went ahead and paid the price for it.” (more…)

Ian Cheng Now Represented by Gladstone Gallery

Saturday, September 9th, 2017

Gladstone Gallery is now representing the work of Ian Cheng, who recently capped a summer exhibition at MoMA PS1 featuring an evolving, shifting video game landscape. “We are honored and excited to work with Ian at this pivotal moment in his career,” Barbara Gladstone said in a statement. “Ian’s exceptional current exhibition at MoMA PS1 speaks to the transformative and forward thinking nature of his work, and we’re thrilled to support the continued exploration of his practice. We are eager to build upon the incredible momentum Ian has already gained in his career well into the future.” (more…)

Martine Syms Now Represented by Sadie Coles

Saturday, September 9th, 2017

Martine Syms is now represented by Sadie Coles HQ, the Art News reports.  The announcement comes after Syms capped her first exhibition at MoMA this summer. “Syms is original and dynamic, and has already earned wide recognition for a practice that combines conceptual grit, humor, and social commentary,” a spokesperson for the gallery says. “Having experienced the work during Donahue’s presentation last year as part of London’s Condo gallery-swap scheme, we found Martine and her work compelling, sophisticated, and profound.” (more…)

Los Angeles – Monika Sosnowska at Hauser & Wirth Through September 17th, 2017

Saturday, September 9th, 2017

Monika Sosnowska, Facade (2016), via Art Observed
Monika Sosnowska, Façade (2016), via Art Observed

Taking over one of the multiple large-scale exhibition spaces at Hauser & Wirth’s cavernous complex in downtown Los Angeles, artist Monika Sosnowska offers an interestingly nuanced exploration of modernist architectural convention for her first solo show in the Californian metropolis. Spreading her twisted steel sculptures and varied spatial interventions throughout the gallery, Sosnowska’s body of work marks a negotiation between the historical landscapes and political structures of her home country of Poland, writ large against the gallery’s ample halls. (more…)

ICA Los Angeles Set to Open

Thursday, September 7th, 2017

The ICA Los Angeles is set to open its doors this fall in a former garment factory in downtown Los Angeles, the Art Newspaper reports. “The primary thing we’d like to achieve as an institution is to make this feel like a welcoming space for a public that might otherwise feel intimidated,” says curator, Jamillah James. (more…)

Chicago Tribune Previews MCA Chicago’s Newly Renovated Restaurant with Massive Chris Ofili Mural

Thursday, September 7th, 2017

The Chicago Tribune takes a tour of Marisol, the new restaurant inside Chicago’s Museum of Contemporary Art. The space, named after the famed French-Venezuelan sculptor Maria Sol Escobar, features a massive mural by Chris Ofili. “We want (Marisol) to be a space where people come together,” says chef Jason Hammel. “If people walk around upstairs or go to a performance at the theater, they want a place to hang out afterwards and talk.” (more…)

London’s Proposal to End Art Crimes Unit Greeted with Fierce Criticism

Thursday, September 7th, 2017

Richard Ellis speaking at the Art Business Conference, via Art NewspaperGovernment proposals to close London’s art and antiques crime squad are being met with harsh criticism, the Art Newspaper reports. “We are right to fear it will face closure,” says Richard Ellis, former head of the Metropolitan police’s art and antiques crime unit, noting “too many temporary postings becoming permanent” after similar proposed budget cuts. (more…)