A group of artists, led by Jules de Balincourt, are taking active measures to prevent the ongoing cycle of gentrification from driving them from their studio spaces in the North Brooklyn neighborhood of Bushwick.  The rising rents in the swiftly gentrifying neighborhood has some artists pushing to take a stand before they are priced out.  “Ten years ago, artists were paying $1 a square foot. Now, in some cases, it’s as much as $4,” says artist William Powhida. “We’re seeing floors subdivided into smaller and smaller spaces, and landlords are charging more and more money. It certainly prices out a number of artists.” (more…)

Since 1983, New York City has constructed or installed public art works at 300 sites throughout the five boroughs under the Percent for Art program. This year, will celebrate its 30 year commitment with the introduction of a mobile app that catalogs these constructions, allowing interested viewers and visitors to the city to find works constructed under this program on an interactive map of the city.  The app will continue to update itself with new installations as well, making it a vital tool for keeping track of current public art installations. (more…)

A woman who openly criticized painter Eric Fischl at the Art Southampton art fair this past weekend later received a call from the artist himself, apparently incensed that she did not care for his work.  Isabel Barnard-Biderman, a former gallery owner, had left her phone number in hopes of getting a signed copy of Fischl’s book, Bad Boy, and instead received a call from the artist. “I went home and the phone rings and it’s Eric saying, ‘What do you mean you don’t like my paintings?’ ”Bernard-Biderman said. “I don’t really know him. He said, ‘Maybe when you come back you’re going to like them.’”  (more…)

Edward Hopper, Study for Nighthawks, (1941 or 1942), via The Whitney

An Edward Hopper painting inevitably leads the viewer to contemplation of the meaning and purpose of the simple and mundane moments that make up the majority of our lives. His scenes depict the usual, the all-too-familiar, and even the occasional melancholy moments of existence.  Empty gas stations, coffee shops, movie theaters, and bedrooms communicate the paradoxical isolation of American society;  while many of the inhabitants are depicted in social settings, in crowds or social establishments, they convey overwhelming feelings of remorse, isolation and resignation. Through his brushstrokes and pencil marks, Hopper provides a commentary on the American life of mid-20^th century, a commentary that is in many cases still applicable to the America of today.

Edward Hopper, Nighthawks, (1942), via The Whitney (more…)

Barry Bergdoll, MoMA’s Architectural Curator for the past six years, has announced that he will be leaving the position to return to Columbia University as chair of the Art History Department.  “The university has now requested that I return to teach full time,” Mr. Bergdoll said in a letter to journalists. “It is for me a great honor that I feel also recognizes the scholarly work that I have continued to pursue most recently in exhibitions and publications here at MoMA.” (more…)

The Museo nazionale delle arti del XXI secolo in Rome has announced critic and curator Hou Hanrou as its new artistitc director.  The Chinese-born Hanrou will take up the position in September, assuming responsibility for the museum’s diverse blend of programming during a time when the museum is struggling to keep its head above water in a difficult European economy. (more…)

Artist Jonathan Yeo’s portrait of Damien Hirst, depicting the artist sitting in one of his own formaldehyde cubes, will go on view this fall at the National Portrait Gallery in London.  The work is part of a show of Yeo’s recent paintings, including portraits of other artists and British political figures.  “Even when we realize it’s a chemical dry suit, which he uses to make his formaldehyde works, it’s not entirely clear if he is making something or whether he is being pickled in one of his own tanks. This power balance is something of which we were both conscious through the creation of the portrait.” Yeo says of the work. (more…)

An EU-funded project that would transform the Piazza Giuseppe Verdi in La Spezi, Italy into a mirrored installation by artist Daniel Buren is currently on hold, following the vocal protests of a group of citizens led by critic Vittorio Sgarbi.  The debates rise from the prospective removal of ten pine trees to make room for seventy-five new orange trees in the space, and effectively stalled the project, which had previously been green-lighted by the local government. (more…)

Hilma af Klint, The Swan, No. 17, Group IX/SUW, The SUW/UW Series (1915), courtesy Hamburger Bahnhof

The first-ever retrospective of the pioneering Swedish abstract artist Hilma af Klint (1862-1944) is currently on view at Berlin’s Hamburger Bahnhof museum. The exhibition includes 200 of Klint’s most revered abstract works, as well as several lesser-known paintings and works on paper, some of which have never been publicly displayed.

Hilma af Klint, Buddha’s Standpoint in the Earthly Life, No. 3a, (1920), courtesy Hamburger Bahnhof

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A Ukrainian artist is accusing Nataliia Zabolotna, the exhibition curator and director at Kiev’s Mystetskyi Arsenal, of censoring a work using daubs of black paint.  The mural, Judgement Day, was censored claiming it was not in the spirit of the exhibition’s focus on the “Great and Grand,” and has already led to the resignation of deputy director Alexander Solovyov.  “I think that censorship is unacceptable, even more so by [an] institution which aims to engage in and support art.”  He said. (more…)

The Institute for Contemporary Art in London is preparing to release “Art Rules,” an online platform similar to Twitter, which will allow users to engage in short-form dialogues over contemporary art, using the site’s 100-character limit to voice their opinions on artists, theories and the contemporary art world.  The site, which launches August 21st, has already published a number of “rules,” by artists, writers and curators which users will be welcome to respond to, including Jeremy Deller’s encouragement to “throw away the rulebook.”  (more…)

Collector Charles Saatchi has announced that he will offer 50 of the largest sculptures and installations from his collection for auction at Christie’s this fall, in order to support the Gallery’s education program. The October 17th auction, held in London, will be shown in an out of use postal depot before the auction, with the offered works targeted for sale to public institutions. “We think it’s really important to open things up and give museums a chance to have a crack at acquiring these works – they need to be enjoyed and shown.” Says Saatchi Director Philippa Adams.

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Graham Beal, the current Director of the Detroit Institute of Arts, has published a letter in the New York Times, asking journalists and analysts to refrain from overt speculation and panic on the future of the city’s museum.  “True, any successful effort to liquidate D.I.A. art would precipitate a series of events likely to lead to its closing, but we are a very long way from actions that would ‘denude its prestigious collection of its most valuable artworks. ‘We believe that a healthy D.I.A. is, in fact, a crucial component in any recovery of the city of Detroit.”  He writes. (more…)

Artist Chris Burden, whose upcoming retrospective at the New Museum this fall will fill all five floors of the institution, will also bring a series of works to the space’s exterior.  Burden will install a pair of 36-foot skyscraper structures (Two Skyscrapers) on the roof of the museum, as well as Ghost Ship, an automated, double bowed boat that will circle the building’s facade.  The exhibition will be the first major retrospective for Burden in New York, and opens on October 2nd. (more…)

The Times Square Alliance has announced the next selection for its Midnight Moment series, which gives over the billboards in Times Square to video work from a variety of artists each night from 11:57pm to midnight.  This August, the series will welcome Jack Goldstein’s The Jump, coinciding with his ongoing retrospective at the Jewish Museum.  “Digitally-remastered for our contemporary screens, this seminal work references the dynamic history of an artist’s role in leading sign technology, once again drawing attention to the cutting-edge technology and innovation showcased nightly on Times Square’s signs,” said TSA director of public art Sherry Dobbin. (more…)

Jane and Louise Wilson, Atomgrad 7 (Nature Abhors A Vacuum) (2010), via 303 Gallery

Over the course of their career, British twins Jane and Louise Wilson have documented the highly complex and haunting architectural ruins of modernity. Their work depicts the near-theatrical decay of industrial and military advances of the twentieth century, or rather, turns the spaces of said decay into a theatrical space. The artists’ current exhibition at 303 Gallery combines the work from two recent projects: the photographs Atomgrad, Nature Abhors A Vacuum I, V, VI, VII and VIII, 2011; and Blind Landing, H-Bomb Test Facility, Lab 1 and Lab 4, 2012.

Jane and Louise Wilson (Installation View) via 303 Gallery

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Robert Wilson, Stargazer Beds (2013), courtesy Matthew Teti for Art Observed

This year’s Watermill Benefit, the annual summer event supporting Robert Wilson’s performance lab in Water Mill, New York, welcomed over 1,200 guests to Wilson’s 8-acre property, presenting over 20 site-specific performances, as well as a silent auction featuring over 100 works. Following this, 700 guests dined under a large outdoor tent to watch the Simon de Pury-led live auction of works by Andy Warhol, Jean-Michael Basquiat, Luc Tuymans, and Tseng Kwong-Chi, among others, with master of ceremonies Alan Cumming, and appearances by Winona Ryder, Marina Abramovic, and Lady Gaga.  Titled Devil’s Heaven, the event showcased a diverse group of performances which differed in content, but effectively came together to produce an ominous and sensual atmosphere as guests followed the prescribed path through the foundation’s grounds, appropriately lit by the setting sun and the fire of tiki torches.

View of Watermill grounds, courtesy Matthew Teti for Art Observed (more…)

French porcelain manufacturer Bernadaud has announced a series of collectible, limited-edition plates, featuring collaborations with a number of contemporary artists, including Jeff Koons, Sophie Calle, Prune Nourry, and JR.  The series of plates, titled L’Art de La Table, are currently available in the company’s Chelsea boutique. (more…)

Donald Judd, Untitled (1965), via David Zwirner

The tight, straight lines of Donald Judd run directly through the entirety of his career, from his early painted works on through to the increasingly large sculptural works and stacks of the 1980’s and 90’s.  Moving to purify notions of space, light, color and depth, Judd’s career wove a strikingly influential path through the landscape of post-war and contemporary art.  It is this tradition that David Zwirner in London seeks to explore, pulling together a small but tightly organized collection of works by Judd for a show exploring the range and depth of the artist’s career, from his early sculptural explorations with iron and plexiglass, on through to his more refined “stacks,” and wall-mounted installations. (more…)

“Picasso Baby,” the final cut of rapper Jay Z’s marathon performance at Pace Gallery earlier this month, will premiere this Friday on HBO.  Directed by music video veteran Mark Romanek, the film will document the 6 hour performance, which included cameos and interactions with Marina Abramovic and Alan Cumming, among many more.  “Concerts are pretty much performance art,” Jay Z says, “but with this smaller venue you can get a bit more intimate.  You can feel the energy of the people.” (more…)

Announced this week, Sony Pictures Classics plans to release Tim’s Vermeer a documentary exploring the approach and technique of 17th century master Jan Vermeer.  Directed by longtime magician and entertainer Raymond Teller, the film will chronicle a Texas-based inventor named Tim  Jenison as he explores how Vermeer accomplished the impressive verisimilitude of the painter’s works.  “Tim is a genius, but I’m a skeptic. I wanted to see him do it. Teller has been the Penn & Teller de facto director since our beginnings, so we made a movie of Tim’s whole monomaniacal trip.”  Says longtime collaborator Penn Jillette. (more…)

The ongoing debate between the Museum Tower and the Nasher Sculpture Center has taken a new turn, with the owners of the 42-story residential building reportedly using fake social media accounts to sway public opinion.  The fake social media accounts are just the latest exchange in this heated debate, particularly given the tower’s imposition on the atmosphere and lighting of the museum.  Several works have shown increased damage due to the light from the tower’s reflective surface, and the museum’s public gardens have also suffered.  “For almost two years…we have watched with growing concern as Museum Tower threatens our neighborhood, spreading misinformation rather than working earnestly toward solving the problems it has created.”  Dallas Museum of Art director Maxwell Anderson and Catherine Cuellar, executive director of the Dallas Arts District Foundation, said in an op-ed published last month. (more…)

Rachel Harrison, Coffee Cart (2013), Courtesy of the Artist and Greene Naftali, New York

Currently on view at Matthew Marks Gallery in the Chelsea district of New York is an exhibition organized by American painter Terry Winters. Titled “Roving Signs,” the group of works made by a variety of artists reflects Winters’ interest in traditional American folktales and the cultural heritage of the United States, as well as the various semiotic interpretations and variations that the use of these symbolic images and stories holds in contemporary art.

The Center for Land Use Interpretation, Autotechnogeoglyphics: Vehicular Test Tracks in America (2006), Courtesy CLUI Archive, Los Angeles

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A pair of installations by sculptor Carol Bove are currently on view in New York, including an appointment-only installation on the High Line, as well as a show of works on the Museum of Modern Art’s fourth floor.  Both recent series of works, the installations showcase an evolution of the artist’s practice, moving towards a more refined, cohesive stylistic approach. (more…)