Author: Seraphina Calder
You’ve seen the headlines. “Kate Fowle, former director of MoMA PS1, joins Hauser & Wirth” . “Pace Gallery Hires Hirshhorn Museum Curator Mark Beasley to Lead Its New ‘Live’ Art Program. In recent years, there has been a steady exodus of high-profile American museum curators into the commercial sector. But look a little further and you’ll find that the trend doesn’t stop in the curatorial department. Mid-level registrars, senior event producers, visitor services associates, video editors, retail assistants, and even museum educators too they’re making the switch.And their transitions may have an even greater impact and reveal more about the…
A climate activist who smeared red and black paint on Edgar Degas’ iconic ballerina sculpture has pleaded guilty to a charge of “causing injury” at the National Gallery of Art (NGA) exhibition in Washington, DC. Joanna Smith entered her plea on Dec. 15 in U.S. District Court, according to a Department of Justice press release. She faces a maximum sentence of five years in prison and could be fined up to $250,000.The incident in question took place on April 27, when Smith and a fellow climate change activist named Timothy Martin entered the NGA with water bottles filled with paint,…
Andy Warhol, the iconic figure in the world of contemporary art, had an unparalleled ability to transform everyday objects into profound works of art. While it’s challenging to pinpoint a single favorite painting, as Warhol’s body of work is vast and diverse, one of his most celebrated pieces that encapsulates his artistic philosophy is undoubtedly “Campbell’s Soup Cans.” Created in 1962, “Campbell’s Soup Cans” is a series of 32 paintings, each depicting a different flavor of Campbell’s Soup. This body of work marked a pivotal moment in the Pop Art movement and established Warhol as a leading figure in the…
Editor’s note: This story originally appeared on On Balance, to ARTnews newsletter on the art market and beyond. Sign up here to receive it every Wednesday. The year started on a cool day, with 100 percent visibility. At least that’s how it seemed at the time. Christie’s was still soaring from the November 2022 night sales, when Paul Allen’s collection fetched $1.5 billion. If that sales season was any indication, the market was all high and frothy. ART SG, the Singapore-based art fair, finally launched its inaugural edition in January (with a little help from Art Basel’s parent company, MCH…
While the global art market seems to be suffering from a general malaise between complex geopolitical conflicts, inflation and high interest rates, Asia seems to be on a markedly different path. Last year saw a 14 percent year-on-year decline in sales in mainland China and Hong Kong, according to the latest report. Art Basel and UBS Global Art Market Report. While sales in the region were still 13 percent above 2020’s $11.2 billion, it was the second-lowest total since 2009 and the report found that auction sales fell in Japan, South Korea and other markets small internationally in 2022. With…
A $20 million Philip Guston painting topped the reported sales list at Art Basel’s VIP day in Miami Beach, which opened yesterday. the painting, Painter at night (1979) was sold by Hauser & Wirth, who also announced the sale of a $2.4 million George Condo painting and a $1 million Henry Taylor painting. “For us, this opening of Art Basel Miami Beach was a resounding affirmation of the strength and resilience of the American art market,” said Marc Payot, president of Hauser & Wirth. Other seven-figure sales announced by galleries at the fair included: Other notable opening day sales of…
How did modern Arabic art develop? How did Arab artists contribute to the art scene in Paris? And how did Paris inspire these artists? These are some of the questions explored in a major new exhibition at the Musée d’Art Moderne in Paris next year.Arab Presence: Modern Art and Decolonization, Paris 1908-1988 (April 5, 2024-August 25, 2024) will take a comprehensive, scholarly look at the influx of Arab artists to Paris during the 20th century, as France slowly withdrew from its colonies in the Middle East and North Africa, and the relations creatives that have developed. during that period.More than…
About 40 miles from London, in Buckinghamshire, England, is the private estate of Mark Getty, who is the grandson of J. Paul (and son of Sir John Paul Getty Jr.), as well as the founder of the prominent photography company Getty Images. Sir Paul bought the 2,700-acre property in 1985 and launched an extensive restoration of the complex’s buildings, of which there are more than 30.The Wormsley Library on the Getty family’s Wormsley estate. Photo: Gareth Cattermole/Getty ImagesA cricket match at Wormsley Field. It was Mick Jagger who reportedly introduced Sir Paul to the sport. Photo: Gareth Cattermole/Getty ImagesThe renovation…
The British Museum’s decision to accept a £50m sponsorship deal with BP caused concern among its trustees, who eventually agreed to accept funding from the energy company despite ethical and safety concerns, as revealed in the minutes of the recently published administrators. The money from BP is to start fundraising for the museum’s ambitious master plan, which would improve the building and re-display the collection.The Journal of Art can report that one administrator quietly resigned on Nov. 27, and many others have expressed concern. The museum’s security chief has warned that BP’s sponsorship deal could lead to risks for both…
A few years ago, Monika and Michal, their two children and their whippet, Donn, decided they were fed up with Warsaw. “We wanted to slow down seriously,” says Monika. Fortunately, she and Michal had the option to work from home, which meant that moving to a smaller, slower-paced city within Poland was a very real possibility. The coastal city of Gdansk topped his list: equally ideal for windsurfing in the summer and long walks along the beach in the winter. However, finding a home there was another matter. “We’d been looking for two years when we saw an ad for…