Art Industry News: JR Unveils a New Mural in Paris Dedicated to George Floyd and Adama Traoré as Demonstrations Spread to France + Other Stories

Art Industry News is a daily digest of the most
consequential developments coming out of the art world and art
market. Here’s what you need to know on this Thursday, June
11.

NEED-TO-READ

Artists in the Philippines Fight Back Against
Anti-Terror Bill – Artists and creatives in the
Philippines have joined forces under the campaign “Artists Fight
Back” to oppose a new anti-terrorism bill that would allow for the
arrest and detention of suspected terrorists, which includes anyone
who might incite others to participate in acts the bill considers
terrorism. “As artists … Our job …. is to incite … to serve
the truth, whether or not it is aligned or in accordance with the
government’s stance,” the campaign writes in an open letter. To
date, more than 1,400 artists and cultural workers have signed the
statement. (Art Asia
Pacific)

France Prepares a New Slavery Memorial
– As the French government launches an open call for
a memorial commemorating victims of slavery to be installed near
the Louvre, a Paris-based black advocacy group,
the Representative council of France’s Black Associations
(Cran), has said that the chosen artist must be of African descent.
Cran’s president, Louis-Georges Tin, added that the monument
was a start—but should not be the only way the history of slavery
in France is memorialized. “A memorial is a good idea but a museum
would be better,” he said. “It is high time we had a museum in
Paris; there also needs to be some kind of financial compensation.”
(The Art
Newspaper)

JR Unveils a Mural Dedicated to George Floyd and Adama Traoré
– The French street artist JR
has unveiled a new mural in Paris commemorating George Floyd and
Adama Traoré, a young black man who died in police custody in
France. The mural, created in collaboration with director Ladj Ly
and students from his film school, depicts one eye of Floyd and
another of Traoré. Traoré’s death in 2016 has become a renewed
flashpoint in protests across France against police brutality. At
the unveiling of the mural, Traoré’s sister Assa renewed the
family’s call for “the police officers to be brought to justice”
for what they did to her brother. (Art Daily)

London Art School Changes Its Name – The London Metropolitan University has decided
to drop the name of Sir John Cass from its art, design, and
architecture school. In a public letter shared on their website,
the school said: “We recognize that the use of Sir John Cass’s name
contributes to the redemption of a man without acknowledging the
enormous pain he caused as a major figure in the early development
of the slave trade, and the legacy of this pain. The use of his
name is incompatible with our commitment to support the Black
community and to actively oppose racism in all forms.” It will
remain simply the the School of Art, Architecture, and Design until
a new name is chosen. (Twitter)

ART MARKET

Christie’s Faces Backlash for Selling Igbo Objects –
A Princeton professor is condemning
Christie’s for offering two Igbo objects, called alusi or “sacred
sculptures,” that were removed from Nigeria by Jacques Kerchache, a
French collector. The sculptures, which Chika Okeke-Agulu says were
taken from the Nri-Awka area and removed from Nigeria during the
country’s civil war—carry an estimate of €250,000–350,000
($283,000–396,000). To describe the provenance of the works,
Christie’s used the words “acquired in situ.” (ARTnews)

The Kadist Foundation Encourages a New Approach to Resale
Rights – The Kadist
Foundation in San Francisco is developing a novel proposal for how
the resale royalty in the US—which was effectively deemed
unconstitutional after a court battle in 2018—could be adapted for
the present moment. The foundation has drafted a document that
designates that 15 percent of resale profits go to a charity of the
artist’s choice. The agreement is available online at artistcontract.org. Such an arrangement
would allow artists to help rebalance the wealth disparity and
generate good from their ballooning prices, while collectors would
get a tax write-off. (TAN)

COMINGS & GOINGS

LA’s Annenberg Space for Photography Is Closing –
The Annenberg Space for Photography
in Los Angeles is closing down for good after 10 years. The space
founded by philanthropist Wallis Annenberg has been closed since
mid-March and, like many LA institutions, is still unclear when it
would be able to reopen and under what circumstances. The Annenberg
Foundation has decided instead to redirect its funding towards
recovery initiatives in the community. (Los Angeles Times)

Milwaukee Art Museum Prepares to Reopen – The Milwaukee Art Museum in Wisconsin is the
latest American museum to announce its reopening
plan. The institution will welcome visitors in phases beginning
in the middle of summer. The first month of reopening will offer
free admission with strict safety protocols in place, including
social distancing and a requirement to wear masks. (Milwaukee Journal
Sentinel)

FOR ART’S SAKE

Former Akron Art Museum Employee Responds to Lawsuit –
A former staffer at the Akron Art
Museum, Michael Murphy, has responded to a lawsuit filed against
the museum and its ex-director Mark Masuoka in which he is named.
Murphy has emphatically denied allegations of sexism made against
him by Jenelle Alverson, whom he used to supervise. “As the highest
ranking African American employee at the Akron Art Museum I didn’t
have the luxury of being inappropriate or incompetent,” Murphy
said, comparing Alverson’s accusations to the white woman who
called the police on a black bird watcher in Central Park.
(Cleveland.com)

Hannah Black Interviews a New York State Senate Candidate
– The artist Hannah Black
interviewed the New York State Senate candidate Jabari Brisport
about the coronavirus crisis, the prospects for the New York Health
Act, and governor Andrew Cuomo’s role in stalling unemployment
checks. Brisport calls Cuomo a “Machiavellian genius,” saying:
“It’s a masterclass in marketing. If any other governor had the
most deaths by far in their state, the press would say they were
doing a terrible job. But Cuomo is somehow seen as the leader in
the crisis, such a great contrast to Trump, despite all the
deaths.” (Artforum)

London’s National Portrait Gallery Trolls JK Rowling
– The Harry Potter author has
drawn criticism for making recent transphobic
statements online. In a subtle rejoinder, and just in time for
Pride Month, the National Portrait Gallery shared a painting from
its collection of celebrated soldier, diplomat, and fencer
Chevalier d’Eon, the earliest representation of a transgender
sitter in its collection.⁠ D’Eon played a key role in peace
negotiations that ended the Seven Years’ War and worked as a
professional fencer, competing in women’s attire. “This portrait is
an unprecedented historic document of the sitter’s acceptance into
British society at a time when people who wore clothing not
associated with their assigned gender were viciously persecuted,”
the post states. (Twitter)

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Dedicated to George Floyd and Adama Traoré as Demonstrations Spread
to France + Other Stories appeared first on artnet
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