Frieze London has announced that curator Clara M. Kim will take the helm for Spotlight, the special section of London’s Frieze Masters this fall.  Adriano Pedrosa, who led Spotlight since 2012, will still organize the section at Frieze New York in May. (more…)

Artist Vito Acconci has contributed a new architectural design proposal to the Tasmanian capital of Hobart, a twisting, maze-like bridge linking two of the city’s main memorial sites.  “All the surfaces of the maze are riddled with holes, from tiny to less or more than tiny; each of the many multiple mazes surrounds an empty open space,” says a spokesman from the artist’s studio. “You retrace your steps back and forth, and find your way from one maze to another, up and down and up again.”   (more…)

The North Carolina Museum of Art has received a major donation of modern and contemporary art from the collection of Jim and Mary Patton this week, including works by Richard Diebenkorn, Helen Frankenthaler, Ellsworth Kelly and Robert Motherwell, among others.  “This transformative gift significantly expands the breadth and scope of the Museum’s permanent collection and will allow our visitors to have an even more engaging and exciting experience in our modern and contemporary galleries,” says NCMA Director Lawrence J. Wheeler. (more…)

The Wall Street Journal profiles the ongoing collaboration between Rem Koolhaas and Dasha Zhukova to create the new home for Zhukova’s Garage Museum of Contemporary Art in Moscow’s Gorky Park.  “The building is basically a found object,” Koolhaas says. “We are embracing it as it is.” (more…)

The New York Times notes the attractive benefits for wealthy collectors founding their own private, tax-exempt museums to house their art collections, allowing the collectors to deduct full market value for their donations even when the museum may be housed on the same property as their home.  “I’m not against it being done, but it’s got to be done well,” says Robert Storr, dean of the Yale School of Art. “If there’s to be a public forgiveness for taxes there should be a clear public benefit, and it should not be entirely at the discretion of the person running the museum or foundation.” (more…)

The New York Times profiles the work and life of Ray Johnson, an artist who left a subtle but lasting impact on the discourses of pop, conceptual and abstract art over the course of the last half century, before taking his own life in 1995.  “He was a guerrilla fighter against materialism and fame, and in a sense he’s still fighting today,” said Frances F. L. Beatty, president of Richard L. Feigen & Co., which represents Mr. Johnson’s estate. (more…)

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…)

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.

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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…)

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…)

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 takes a look at the changing atmosphere of China’s contemporary art market, and interviews some of the players driving the market’s new focus on emerging artists.  “Buying a work of contemporary Chinese art is buying a little piece of history and a window into how society is changing,” says Tom Pattinson, Director of Surge Art. (more…)

Global art sales topped $16 Billion in 2014, according to the new figures released this week by Artnet, with Andy Warhol at the top of the list of top-selling artists for his $653.2 million in sales.  “The headline number is not so much a comment on the art market as it is on global wealth,” says Jeff Rabin of advisory firm Artvest Partners. “We haven’t seen a considerable increase in the number of objects sold. We have seen price appreciation at the top end.” (more…)

Google is rolling out a new tech platform designed to make museum exhibitions around the world easily available to users, using a combination of technologies including Street View and YouTube.  “Users can use the app to experience virtual tours at home, or they can use it to enhance at the museum,” says Product Manager Robert Tansley. (more…)

Art News previews the selection of solo shows and specially focused exhibitions that will be on view at March’s ADAA Art Show at the Park Avenue Armory, including Haim Steinbach at Tanya Bonakdar, Michelangelo Pistoletto at Luhring Augustine, and a show of Arte Povera works at Marian Goodman. (more…)

Malaysian curator and art adviser Adeline Ooi has been named Art Basel’s new Director for Asia, the New York Times reports, replacing former Director Magnus Renfrew.  ‘‘We wanted someone who we thought could catalyze the growth of the art market across Asia,’’ says Marc Spiegler, the director of Art Basel. (more…)

Since opening in 2012, Shanghai’s Power Station of Art has become a central player in the rapidly expanding Chinese contemporary arts scene, as evidenced by the success of its recently opened 10th Shanghai Biennale.  “We want the Shanghai Biennale to be more international,” says Li Xu, deputy director of the Power Station. “This is a new kind of cultural confidence.” (more…)

The New York Times notes the rush of interest by art buyers towards Cuba since President Obama lifted the economic embargo on the country earlier this month, with collectors fighting for first access to the country’s long-praised arts culture. “They’re saying, ‘I want to go before everyone else does,’ ” says dealer Alberto Magnan, who specializes in Cuban art. (more…)

The Ace Hotel, in collaboration with the opening of Paul Thomas Anderson’s newest film Inherent Vice, is presenting a trio of exhibitions in Los Angeles, London and New York, including an immersive installation by Jonah Freeman and Justin Lowe in NYC.  The exhibitions run from January 5th – 11th. (more…)

The Museums Association, Britain’s governing body for arts and historical institutions, is strengthening its ethics code, including sanctions and penalties for museums selling off parts of their collections for financial gain.   “We recognize local authorities face a tough time,” says MA Director Sharon Heal.  “We just want to caution that if you’re going down this road, follow the process and you’re acting in the public’s best interest.” (more…)