Global contemporary art events and news observed from New York City. Suggestion? Email us.

New York – Tim Rollins and K.O.S.: “Workshop” at Lehmann Maupin Through June 15th, 2019

May 28th, 2019

Tim Rollins and K.O.S., Akerika - For Karl (1989), via Lehmann Maupin
Tim Rollins and K.O.S., Amerika – For Karl (1989), via Lehmann Maupin

When artist Tim Rollins passed away in December of 2017, the public commemoration for the artist seemed to touch every corner of the art world. Countless figures from across the spectrum of New York’s diverse creative communities paid tribute to Rollins’s impact on New York, and in many cases, personally on their practice, particularly younger artists with experiences either collaborating with him or working closely on past projects. Read More »

New York – Sanya Kantarovsky: “On Them” at Luhring Augustine Through June 15th, 2019

May 24th, 2019

Sanya Kantarovsky, Beach (2919), via Luhring Augustine
Sanya Kantarovsky, Beach (2919), via Luhring Augustine

Luhring Augustine has mounted a show of new works by painter Sanya Kantarovsky this month, the first solo exhibition by the Russian artist with the gallery.  The show, titled On Them, presents vignettes from the lives of a strange group of real and imagined subjects. An anguished killer, a hospice patient, a headless infant accordionist, and a disenfranchised snowman, assembled into a painted tragicomedy, simultaneously unnerving and seducing the audience.

Sanya Kantarovsky, Fracture (2919), via Luhring Augustine
Sanya Kantarovsky, Fracture (2919), via Luhring Augustine

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New York – Frank Stella: “Recent Work” at Marianne Boesky Through June 22nd, 2019

May 22nd, 2019

Frank Stella, Jasper's Split Star (2017), via Marianne Boesky
Frank Stella, Jasper’s Split Star (2017), via Marianne Boesky

Currently on at Marianne Boesky Gallery, a body of recent sculptures by renowned artist Frank Stella presents an intimate look at the artist’s ever-evolving and innovative approach to form. Ranging from the monumental to attentively-rendered small-scalle works, the pieces on view underscore Stella’s ongoing exploration of the spatial relationships between abstract and geometric forms and the ways in which they behave in and engage with physical space.

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AO On-Site – New York: The 2019 Whitney Biennial, May 17–Sep 22, 2019

May 20th, 2019

Nicole Eisenman, via Art Observed
Nicole Eisenman, via Art Observed

Following a wild few weeks between New York and Venice, the pace of the art world has slowed somewhat, and the big apple has had a moment to catch its breath, opening the doors on this year’s edition of the Whitney Biennial.  Often described as a snapshot of art in the United States, the Biennial brings together work by a range of artists across the spectrum of American contemporary practice and in a broad array of mediums. Over the past year and a half, curators Jane Panetta and Rujeko Hockley crossed the country visiting artists and surveying a broad selection of perspectives and concepts to complete their show.

Simone Leigh, via Art Observed
Simone Leigh, via Art Observed

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RIP: Lutz Bacher, Relentless Pioneer of Various Forms and Processes, Has Died

May 17th, 2019

 

Lutz Bacher, via K21
Lutz Bacher, via K21

Artist Lutz Bacher, a relentless innovator whose works frequently defied easy categorization or understanding, has passed away.  The artist, who has long avoided releasing much biographical information about herself, was either 75 or 76 at the time of her death. Read More »

AO Auction Recap – New York: 20th Century and Contemporary Evening Sale, May 15th-16th, 2019

May 17th, 2019

Jeff Koons, Rabbit (1992), via Christie's
Jeff Koons, Rabbit (1992), final price:$91,075,000, via Christie’s

Following the early days of the marathon week of auctions in New York, it wasn’t hard to anticipate a strong outing for the Contemporary Auctions soon to take place, yet the impressive sales at Christie’s, Sotheby’s and Phillips this week outpaced expectations, charting a path of major auction records and bested tallies that marked a strong outlook for the secondary market. Of particular note was the setting of a new auction record for a living artist with Jeff Koons’s Rabbit selling for a new record price of $91,075,000. Read More »

AO Auction Recap – New York: The Impressionist and Modern Evening Sales, May 13th-14th, 2019

May 15th, 2019

Claude Monet, Meules (1891), via Sotheby's
Claude Monet, Meules (1891), final price: $110,747,000, via Sotheby’s

It’s been a wild week so far the world’s financial elite, especially in New York, where the stock market has plummeted over fears of an ongoing trade war with China and the attendant tariffs that implies. Yet that didn’t seem to deter the city’s auction houses from swinging for the fences and connected, as Christie’s and Sotheby’s capped a pair of wildly impressive sales that saw both auction houses notch some strong figures, and some major auction records, including a new world record for Claude Monet at Sotheby’s last night. Read More »

AO On-Site – Venice – Luc Tuymans: “La Pelle” at Palazzo Grassi Through January 6th, 2020

May 13th, 2019

Luc Tuymans, La Pelle (Installation View), via Art Observed
Luc Tuymans, La Pelle (Installation View), via Art Observed

Continuing its string of landmark exhibitions running concurrently with the spectacle of the Venice Biennale, François Pinault’s Palazzo Grassi has opened the doors on a major exhibition dedicated to the works of Belgian painter Luc Tuymans. Considered among the most influential painters of his generation, Tuymans has been dedicating himself to figurative painting since the mid-1980’s, and has regularly reinvented both himself, and the potentials for the medium, over the course of his work. Drawing from a range of sources and iconographies, his pieces at the Palazzo Grassi offer a welcome respite from the throngs outside, and the bustle of the early days of the Biennale. Read More »

AO Auction Preview – New York: Impressionist/Modern and Post-War/Contemporary Evening Sales, May 13th -16th, 2019

May 12th, 2019

Robert Rauschenberg, Buffalo II (1964), via Christie's
Robert Rauschenberg, Buffalo II (1964), via Christie’s

The show previews, VIP openings and special presentations of the 58th Venice Biennale are now in the bag, and the art world has returned to business as usual this week, returning to New York for a string of auction sales that will offer a grounding take on the market, and a look at how the following weeks may have affected both single artists and the overall health of art world economics at the top of the market.

Amedeo Modigliani, Tete (1911-1912), via Christie's
Amedeo Modigliani, Tete (1911-1912), via Christie’s Read More »

AO On-Site – Venice – Adrian Ghenie: “The Battle Between Carnival and Feast” at the Palazzo Cini Through November 18th, 2019

May 12th, 2019

Adrian Ghenie, The Wall (2019), via Art Observed
Adrian Ghenie, The Wall (2019), via Art Observed

Marking the 2019 seasonal opening of the Palazzo Mini gallery in Venice, artist Adrian Ghenie and Thaddaeus Ropac Gallery have brought a selection of new paintings to show in the space. Marking a new step in the artist’s continued exploration of the nuances of power, masculinity and politics in both the contemporary era and the annals of history, the new show stages a set of works notable for their portrayal of modern political crises, clashes of personality, and the framing of power.

Adrian Ghenie, Figure With Dog (2019), via Art Observed
Adrian Ghenie, Figure With Dog (2019), via Art Observed

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