Amedeo Modigliani’s seminal sculpture Tête will be offered at Sotheby’s New York this November, a rare work in stone from the Italian Modernist, that is expected to achieve up to $45 million during the sale.  ‘‘Modigliani’s Têtes rank among the most revered sculptures of the 20th century,” says Simon Shaw, Co-Head of Sotheby’s Worldwide Impressionist & Modern Art Department. “Working alongside Constantin Brancusi, he believed that direct carving and staying true to materials were critical if sculpture was to be reborn for the Modern age. The present Tête has a truly mesmerizing aura, and is recognized to be the greatest Modigliani sculpture in private hands.’’  (more…)

The New York Times has published an extended account of the recent ruling on the case regarding the inheritance of James A. Elkins, a collector whose works were held jointly by various members of his family.  The ruling, announced earlier this fall, allowed a discounted estate tax on these works, fundamentally changing the way taxes can be levied on art in a collector’s estate.  “I’ve had calls from estate planning attorneys that said they celebrated in the coffee room when this decision came out,” says Carsten Hoffmann, managing director at FMV Opinions. “This is a deal changer.”  (more…)

John Baldessari has created a series of “selfie collaborations” for the limited edition art and fashion publication Visionaire, featuring images taken by famous celebrities and embellished by the artist using some of his trademark images and iconography.  “I’ll probably be most remembered for putting dots over people’s faces,” Baldessari comments. “So it’s funny to do an issue devoted to selfies of famous people.”  (more…)

The Philippine government has seized 15 paintings, including works Monet and Van Gogh, from the former home of dictator Ferdinand Marcos, part of an official effort to secure a body of artworks from the politician’s accumulated wealth.  “The position of the government is this is part of ill-gotten wealth and should be returned to the government and the people,” says Andres Bautista, chairman of the Presidential Commission on Good Government. (more…)

The New York Times profiles the reopening of the SculptureCenter in Long Island City, Queens, following its expansive renovation, and its take on the presentation of the work within its space.  “There are plenty of white boxes in New York, and we don’t want to be another one,” says executive director and chief curator Mary Ceruti.  “People come here ready to see art because they’ve made the effort, and that’s a good thing. Would I like more people to make that effort? Yes, and that’s part of why we did this.” (more…)

The Guggenheim Museum has announced plans to open a new location in New York City, which will house the institution’s archives and library, with possible new space for public engagement.   (more…)

A painting by Edward Degas, valued at around $7.6 million, has been stolen from the home of an elderly Greek Cypriot.   Ballerina Adjusting Her Slipper was stolen Monday in Limassol on the island of Cyprus, and police have already arrested one man in connection with the case. (more…)

Three of France’s most popular musuems, The Louvre, The Musee d’Orsay and The Palace of Versailles, will soon be open to visitors every day, the French government announced. The move “will allow better access for the public and better access to the works,” according to the French Culture Ministry. (more…)

The Whitney Museum of Art will remain open for 36 consecutive hours at the conclusion of the museum’s Jeff Koons retrospective, running from 11 a.m. October 18th through to 11 p.m. October 19^th, a last marathon run before the museum decamps to its new building downtown.  “This will not only give more people an opportunity to see the Koons retrospective, it’s also a chance for some to say goodbye to the Breuer building as it was,” says Whitney Director Adam Weinberg. (more…)

David Hockney, Woldgate Woods, November 26th (2010), via Art Observed

David Hockney returns to the Pace Gallery this month, showing a selection of new works that once again focus on the artist’s love affair with his Woldgate home, and the continued expansion of his decades of work as a painter into new media forms.  Titled The Arrival of Spring, the work is another entry in the artist’s documentation and depiction of the landscapes of rural Britain. (more…)

Pace Gallery has announced that it will be installing three late Alexander Calder sculptures at the foot of the Seagram Building.  Calder’s work was always intended to be installed in the plaza of the International Style icon, but financial reasons prevented his work from making a permanent home there.  “So in our minds, it’s always been a Calder plaza,” says the artist’s grandson Alexander S.C. Rower, “and it’s always nice to see works back there again.” (more…)

Russian entrepreneur, mathematician, engineer and collector, Inna Bazhenova has purchased the Art Newspaper, with the intent of helping in the development of the site’s online offering.  “The quality of its journalism and scholarship are outstanding and its excellent coverage of international art news is vital in our global environment,” she said in a statement. “I want to reassure you that The Art Newspaper will retain complete editorial independence, now and for as long as I own it. My aim is to invest in it so that it may remain as good as it is today.” (more…)

Fergus McCaffrey, via Art Info

Fergus McCaffrey Gallery has announced new plans to expand its spaces, opening new spaces in St. Barths and Tokyo over the next several years.  “The continuity of artist production in St Barths is compelling,” says McCaffrey. “There is an interesting and very rich history of work being made there; including what might have been Cy Twombly’s last works, Polaroid photographs of flowers in the graveyards in Lorient and St. Jean.” (more…)

Ai Weiwei, Blossom (2014) (Detail) photo by Jan Stürmann, courtesy of FOR-SITE foundation

After much anticipation, Ai Weiwei has opened his new project at Alcatraz, the former island prison in the San Francisco Bay.  The project, which brings seven large-scale installations incorporating photography, installation, sound and video, is a fitting continuation of Ai’s projects examination of incarceration following his own imprisonment in 2011.

Ai Weiwei, Yours Truly (2014) (Detail) photo by Jan Stürmann, courtesy of FOR-SITE foundation

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CNN has published a list detailing some of the best attractions and galleries that the city of Berlin currently has to offer, including KW Institute, Sammlung Boros, and the popular Mobile Kino traveling cinema on its list. (more…)

Justine Kurland, Sincere Auto Care (2014)  via Emily Heinz for Art Observed

The complex landscape of Americana, in all of its grungy glory, has been documented many times, each time with a unique perspective and very often with a driving ethical or social message somewhere just below the surface. But in Sincere Auto Care, photographer Justine Kurland seeks to neutralize the otherwise political or cultural connotations of these semiotics. Instead, she presents the subjects as they are: beautiful but dry, deep but all surface, and, as the title suggests, truly sincere.

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An article in Barron’s this week charts the instability and unpredictability of various materials in contemporary art as a considerable liability towards a work’s valuation and security as an investment.  “A great deal of art being sold today may deteriorate quickly and cause the monetary value to decline – precipitously in some cases,” says Emily MacDonald-Korth, founder of Longevity Art Preservation LLC. (more…)

The Turner Prize shortlist has been announced with four artists – Duncan Campbell, Ciara Phillips, James Richards and Tris Vonna-Michell – competing for the £25,000 prize.  The shortlist is notable this year for its strong focus on installation and new media-based works.  “This reflects the mobility of art today, while the prominence of film, performance, and participation reveals an interest in work that adapts according to changing surroundings.” says jury chair and Tate Britain director Penelope Curtis. (more…)

An iconic still life by Vincent Van Gogh, painted only a few years before the end of the artist’s life, is anticipated to sell for $30 to $50 million at Sotheby’s in New York this November, a figure that indicates strong competition for the work.  The piece could very well see fierce bidding to break the artist’s record of $82.5 million, set in 1990.  (more…)

The Telegraph takes a look at the focus on post-war Italian art spanning much of the market in London this, including upcoming auctions focusing on the Arte Povera and related movements, as well as a handful of selling exhibitions.   (more…)

Richard Tuttle is interviewed in the Financial Times this week, in advance of the artist’s new installation commission at the Tate Modern’s Turbine Hall.  “There’s a whole body of my works which starts with the material and then moves to the other sides where the material doesn’t matter,” he writes. (more…)

Walead Beshty, Performances Under Working Conditions (Installation View) via Emily Heinz for Art Observed

Following Petzel Gallery’s open invitation for Walead Beshty to curate its summer group exhibition, the Chelsea space is presenting his first solo show with the gallery, titled Performance Under Working Conditions. Examining modes of work and the kinetic, human element of labor, the exhibition uses minimal, repeated actions to underline the interaction of human and non-human agents.

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Christie’s has added a new fee to its auction sales this month, a 2% performance fee that rewards sales far exceeding pre-sale estimates.  “The purpose is to incentivize and reward high performance that exceeds consignors’ expectations,” says Christie’s head of communications Paddy Feeny.  (more…)

The Guardian visits Tracey Emin in her Spitalfields studio this week, as the artist prepares for an exhibition of new work next month at White Cube.  “Work is good,” she says.  “If I don’t make things, I become ill and depressed. Painting makes me feel like a better human being. It’s what I’m supposed to be doing.”  (more…)