The Whitney Museum has embarked on an ambitious expansion of its online database, dramatically growing its selection of images from 700 to 21,000 works. A sizable portion of the museum’s collection, which has long been out of public view, will occupy a 60,000 square-foot section of the Whitney’s new Meatpacking District space. (more…)
Vito Schnabel will reportedly take over the St. Moritz gallery space formerly occupied by Bruno Bischofberger when the dealer vacates at the end of this season. Bischofberger is reportedly moving his main space in Zürich into a 250,000-square-foot complex, and will be operating without a physical location in the meantime. (more…)
The New York City Ballet has announced its newest artist collaboration, this year partnering with Dustin Yellin to create a large-scale installation featuring a set of “3,000-pound glass sculptures.” “I was moved thinking about these young, 25-year-old dancers [who are] full of life,” Yellin says, “and that they’re on their toes for all these hours.” (more…)
David Hockney, The Dancers IV. 14 August – 5 September 2014 (2014), via Art Observed
David Hockney’s new exhibition of paintings at Pace Gallery, his first full-size canvases since 2009, are a fitting continuation of the artist’s current interests, combining vaguely abstract environments and poses with a subtly loaded series of juxtapositions. The exhibition, which closes this Saturday, sees Hockney returning from several years focused on landscape studies and experimentations in digital video and photography to portraiture and human subjects. (more…)
The Wall Street Journal embarks on a tour of the MTA’s public arts projects, profiling some of the New York Subway’s most iconic murals, installations and pieces, including Roy Lichtenstein’s classic Times Square piece, and Sol LeWitt’s mural at 59th and Columbus. (more…)
The New York Times notes the increased willingness by auction houses to guarantee sales on their highest price lots, a practice that had fallen out of practice since the financial crisis of 2008. But some critics note that the growing practice is actually a result of stiff competition and minuscule profit margins. “They are trying to fix eroding margins by getting more of the upside from the guarantee,” said Michael Plummer, a partner at Artvest.
Takashi Murakami is featured in Nowness’s ongoing artist profile series this week, discussing his recent show at Gagosian Gallery in New York, and the inspiration behind his new works. “For me, (the works) look like 25 years ago,” Murakami says, “with the crazy economy and then the crash.”
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Olafur Eliasson, Contact exhibition on view at Fondation Louis Vuitton, 2014-2015, all photos by Sophie Kitching for Art Observed
Olafur Eliasson’s monographic exhibition Contact has been specifically imagined for the newly opened Fondation Louis Vuitton. This majestic museum commissioned by Bernard Arnault to American architect Frank Gehry is a vessel for contemporary art located in the Bois de Boulogne on the west side of Paris.
Pipilotti Rist, Worry Will Vanish Horizon (video still) (2014), All images Courtesy of the artist, Hauser & Wirth and Luhring Augustine New York.
One of the most seminal names in video art, Pipilotti Rist is presenting a new body of work at Hauser & Wirth’s two Britain locations. The Swiss born artist, who emerged in the rapidly developing field of video art during the 80’s with her infamous video I’m Not The Girl Who Misses Much, has presented an ambitious oeuvre throughout the years, reflecting on issues related to the body, gender and technology. In doing so, she has blended various mediums and structures that are challenging to consider under one practice, each one holding onto a distinct atmosphere set in what could be considered an alternate reality. (more…)
Christie’s has named Derek Gillman as its new new Chairman for Impressionist & Modern Art, SVP, The Americas. “The idea of now moving from public service to Christie’s, where I started my career over 30 years ago, and doing something different, is both stimulating and exciting,” Gillman said. “I very much look forward to this new chapter.” (more…)
In an effort to increase global vaccination rates for easily preventable illnesses, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation has commissioned a group of artists to create works centered around encouraging disease prevention. Among the artists is Vik Muniz, who has been experimenting with biological infection as a generative force for intricate printed works. “Normally, patterns are soothing structures,” Mr. Muniz says, “and all of a sudden, there’s a lot of drama.” (more…)
Following the reception of Stefan Simchowitz’s profile in the New York Times, Jerry Saltz has taken to the New York Magazine website, publishing a considered analysis of both the article and the art world’s response to Simchowitz’s aggressive approach, noting the conditions that may generate such mixed feelings on the collector. “More and more artists now appear resigned to a cynicism that basically says, ‘The whole art world sucks; Simchowitz doesn’t suck anymore than anything else.'” He writes. “Many now see Simchowitz as an outlaw/do-gooder ‘disrupter’ invading the closed domain of the bad gallery world and spreading the wealth around.” (more…)
New York City’s Department of Cultural Affairs is launching a new study, targeting the city’s museums and performing arts groups to understand and quantify each institution’s demographic makeup. The project is aimed at improving access and broad cultural affinity to the City’s cultural offerings. “For the long-term vitality and relevancy of cultural institutions, it makes sense to have the staffs reflect that,” says Cultural Affairs Commissioner Tom Finkelpearl. (more…)
The French Senate and parliament have passed a new bill this week cutting the nation’s VAT rate on French artwork nearly in half, from 10% to 5.5%. The bill, proposed by Socialist party member David Assouline, should have a major impact on the sale of French art, and targets what he considers “a ludicrous situation that penalizes the French scene and does not correspond to any economic logic.” (more…)
The Wall Street Journal takes a look at fashion designer Helmut Lang’s venture into the world of fine art. The highly recognized designer gave up his practice in 2005 to make a move to fine art, and opens a new show of work at Sperone Westwater this month. “The definition means nothing,” Lang says, indicating his change in careers. “There are many writers, but only a few are good. There are many architects, but a few are good. Just because someone is a doctor doesn’t mean he’s a good doctor.” (more…)
Bill Powers interviews painter Jonas Wood this week on Art News, discussing the artist’s move to L.A. a decade ago, his inspiration, and his marriage to fellow artist Shio Kusaka. “When we first moved to California, we lived on the second floor of a pretty big house in Echo Park,” he says. “It was a disaster. In retrospect, I think we both needed to figure out who we were as artists on our own before we could handle it.” (more…)
Alberto Mugrabi is selling his Gramercy Park North home, an $8 million, 2,729-square-foot three-bedroom apartment. The listing, currently posted online, shows Mugrabi’s storied collection of art currently on the walls, including works by Basquiat, Andy Warhol, and Richard Prince. (more…)
Chris Ofili, via Art Observed
There’s a room on the third floor of Chris Ofili’s New Museum retrospective that offers a moment of crystallization for the rest of the exhibition. In a dimly lit chamber set back from the rest of the show, the artist has hung a set of works from his Blue Rider series, painted in rich blue hues that reveal various aspects based on the viewer’s position. Sitting in the room for an extended period, recognizable, horrifying images slowly take form, present themselves, and slip back into the shadows: black bodies hanging from trees, unidentified hooded horsemen, and even an image of a black youth beaten by a series of police. (more…)
Jean Dubuffet, Snack for Two, (1945) via Museum of Modern Art
Currently on view at New York’s Museum of Modern Art is a retrospective focused on the work of French artist and sculptor Jean Dubuffet. Bringing together the museum’s unmatched collection of paintings, sculptures, drawings, prints, and illustrated books from Dubuffet’s prolific output, the exhibition focuses predominantly on the key years of his career: from the 1940’s to mid-1960’s.
The Wall Street Journal notes a new trend among doctors, using classical paintings as an opportunity to test and hone their diagnostic skills, while providing new information for art historians. “Doctors see things that art historians might overlook because they come at a work of art without preconceived notions,’’ said Karen Goodchild, chair of the Art and Art History Department at Wofford College in Spartanburg, S.C. (more…)
The New York Times notes an upcoming wave of exhibitions focusing on the work of Andy Warhol, over 40 in total around the US and abroad, led by the Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts, which has also announced a series of grants and donations for various art institutions. “When I say that Andy is going to be as well known for his philanthropy as he is for his art, it’s really true,” says Foundation president Joel Wachs. (more…)
Marina Picasso, the granddaughter of Pablo Picasso, is selling off over $290 million in works from her personal collection of her grandfather’s works, including Portrait de femme (Olga), valued at about $60 million, and Maternité, which is valued at around $54 million. (more…)
Artist Tania Bruguera has been freed following three consecutive detentions, and is planning to fight her imprisonment in both Cuba and at the UN. “This served to unmask everyone,” Bruguera said in an interview. (more…)
