Trevor Shimizu, Landscapes (Installation View), via 47 Canal

In 1998, the Museum of Modern Art opened an ambitious and expansive exhibition of the work of Pierre Bonnard.  Among those winding through the galleries of the show was Trevor Shimizu, who left the museum ultimately disillusioned by the possibilities of painting in the modern age, and convinced that he should abandon the format.  The artist would turn, as a result, to video and performance art as a result, exploring approaches driven in part by his disappointment in the possibility of painting.  (more…)

Another string of closures has marked a bleak few days for the art world, as Frieze New York cancels its 2020 edition in the city, and François Pinault’s ambitious new museum inside Paris’s Bourse de Commerce postponed its opening until September.   (more…)

Leidy Churchman, Kishkindha Forest (Jodhpur) (2020), via Matthew Marks

Currently on view at Matthew Marks in New York, painter Leidy Churchmann presents a wide-ranging selection of canvases exploring the artist’s ever-evolving sensibility and eye, exploring the landscape of modernity at a range of scales and points of inquiry.  Titled Earth Bound, the show is a nuanced and intriguing exploration of the world, treating its residents and phenomena as a stream of images, and exploring the effects of their simultaneous presentation within the gallery. (more…)

A piece in the NYT charts the galleries experimenting with digital sales rooms and online viewing platforms as Coronavirus continues to threaten social gatherings. “If galleries are closed, how can we sell art?” asks David Zwirner. “The online platform is something we have envisioned as an important part of what we do.” (more…)

Closures continue this week over the coronavirus, as the National Gallery in London and the Tate announced full shutdowns for the coming weeks.  “We will continue to monitor the situation closely and we look forward to welcoming visitors back to the galleries when we reopen” a statement by the Tate reads. (more…)

Jordan Wolfson, ARTISTS FRIENDS RACISTS (Installation View), via David Zwirner

Twenty holographic videos and nostalgic photographs printed on brass comprise artist Jordan Wolfson’s latest, unsettling work entitled ARTISTS FRIENDS RACISTS, currently on view at David Zwirner in Paris. Utilizing a range of autobiographical and cultural iconographies, the artist explores the convergent power of images and language in the framing of any cultural epoch. (more…)

Liam Gillick, Redaction (Installation View), via Casey Kaplan

Taking over Casey Kaplan’s midtown exhibition space with a selection of works outlining his incisive and intricate exploration of labor, modes of legibility and the conscription of a body politic, artist Liam Gillick reflects on the various stages and of his career. Unifying a selection of key texts, abstract structures and installations, spanning the early 90s to the late 2000s, and will coincide with the gallery’s 25th anniversary. (more…)

The string of coronavirus-related closures continues as Christie’s shutters 10 of its salesrooms around the globe, with Phillips following suit soon after. “In the days ahead, we will be communicating a number of necessary changes to our usual course of business, including further changes to our sale calendar,” says Guillaume Cerutti, chief executive officer of Christie’s.
“These decisions are undertaken with a great degree of care and in close consultation with our clients.” (more…)

As coronavirus-related closures continue around the globe, Art Basel is mulling over postponing its flagship fair this June, Art News reports. “We have been closely monitoring the spread of the virus since its early stages and continue to take the evolving situation extremely seriously,” reads an open letter from the fair. “The health and safety of everyone concerned is our highest priority and all necessary measures will be taken to prevent their safety.” (more…)

A number of blue-chip galleries have revealed plans to close in the face of coronavirus. “While we firmly believe that communal engagement with art is crucial in these challenging times, our first priority is to take every possible measure to ensure the safety of our visitors, artists, and staff,” a Pace spokesperson says. (more…)

A piece in Art News this week notes the fears and concerns of chronically ill artists threatened by the specter of coronavirus. “It’s a recipe for disaster,” says artist Ezra Benus. “What will happen to me if the medical system gets overwhelmed and I lose access to medications and doctors?” (more…)

Museum closures have begun in the United States, as The Whitney, The National Gallery of Art, and The Met announced plans to close. “Our highest priority is the safety and wellbeing of our staff, volunteers, and visitors during this time,” a statement from The Whitney reads. “We look forward to reopening to our staff and community as soon as possible.” (more…)

Frieze profiles Palais de Lomé, the first major contemporary art museum in Togo, and the only state-funded arts institution in all of Africa. (more…)

A piece in the New York Times this week follows the recent controversies surrounding dealer Inigo Philbrick.  The piece details Philbrick’s free-wheeling lifestyle and risky deals, which ultimately landed him in his current legal predicaments. (more…)

After weeks trying to mitigate the impact of coronavirus, The Louvre has closed indefinitely.  The Museum had made several efforts to avoid closing but ultimately was forced to shutter its doors today. (more…)

A piece in Barron’s this week notes the changing atmosphere and culture of Arts Philanthropy. “Part of that is generational driven,” says Anders Petterson, founder of ArtTactic and author of the report. “There is a younger generation coming after us who are seeing art not only in terms of an object, or commodity, or something you need to own, but [who] also realize art has a broader impact on the society we live in.” (more…)

New Images of Man (Installation View), via Blum & Poe

In 1959, MoMA launched the exhibition New Images of Man, a show that combined a disparate and imaginative body of works that brought together a group of artists grappling with the human condition and with new modes of representation in painting and sculpture in the wake of the Second World War.  Returning to this subject matter for a new show exploring both the original exhibition and its echoes through culture in the following sixty years, Blum & Poe Los Angeles has mounted a new take, part homage, part radical revision, that spans two floors in the gallery and reconstitutes emblematic figures from the original MoMA line up of artists alongside artists from this era and beyond to re-examine its motivations and impact. (more…)

Museums have begun to reopen in China and Japan, following a string a coronavirus-related closures. “We do the disinfection everyday according to the [official] sterilizing protocols, and all the working staff has been trained beforehand,” says a spokesperson for the Power Station of Art in Shanghai. “We have also prepared a temporary quarantine area on every floor in case of any emergencies. All visitors must have their temperature taken, as well as present their ID card and registered health code, before entering.” (more…)

Anicka Yi will be the Tate Modern’s next Turbine Hall commission. “Anicka Yi has developed a reputation for highly innovative work,” Frances Morris, director of Tate, said in a statement. “Her installations are unforgettable, using the latest scientific ideas and experimental materials in unexpected ways. The results not only engage the senses, but also tackle some of the big questions we face today about humanity’s relationship to nature and technology.” (more…)

Vienna’s Albertina Museum will get a Modern branch, the NYT reports. “I want to exhibit the Austrian canon alongside the larger canon,” says Klaus Albrecht Schröder, the general director of the Albertina. “In later exhibitions we will include artists like Georg Baselitz, Cindy Sherman, Alex Katz and Mike Kelley. But Austrian artists will always be present, at least 50 percent.” (more…)

Art Basel Hong Kong’s online viewing room program has been announced, a consolation for exhibitors left unable to attend the fair due to coronavirus.  (more…)

Germany has promised financial assistance to arts institutions affected by coronavirus. “It’s clear to me that the situation is a massive burden for the cultural and creative sectors and that small institutions and freelance artists could face considerable distress,” says culture minister Monika Grütters. “I won’t leave you in the lurch!” (more…)

Maya Lin has been tapped for the next Madison Square Park Conservancy installation, where she will erect a series of desiccated trees as a response to climate change. “Climate change has been a significant aspect of Lin’s practice through sculpture and installations, and also through her projects documenting mass extinction due to the loss of species and habitat degradation,” says Brooke Kamin Rapaport, the deputy director and Martin Friedman chief curator of the Madison Square Park Conservancy. “She is working on solutions for this global dilemma. This will be her legacy.” (more…)

A few hours after the WHO has declared a coronavirus a global pandemic, The L.A. Art Book Fair, has been cancelled. “Our annual L.A. Art Book Fair is both a celebration and a critical platform for artists’ books and publishing activity from across the globe,” a statement reads. “We are grateful for the understanding of our participating artists and publishers, and want to acknowledge the time and effort they have dedicated to developing creative publishing projects for the fair. We encourage everyone to continue to support their work.” (more…)