Art Industry News: Larry Gagosian on How a Complete Stranger Saved His Life One Night in London + Other Stories

by admin

Sep 12, 2019

artnet

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, September
12.

NEED-TO-READ

Lawyer Accused of Stealing an Elderly Client’s Yves Klein
– An 80-year-old collector in
France has filed a complaint against her former lawyer for
allegedly stealing an Yves Klein painting from her. The Paris
prosecutor’s office and police are investigating the claim that he
expropriated the painting, which is reported to be worth several
million euros. The collector says that she was given the Yves Klein blue
painting by the artist
in 1956 when she was 17 years old. She says the lawyer took it away
for safekeeping two years ago but now refuses to return it.
(Europe 1)

The Art Institute of Chicago Plans a Revamp –
The Art Institute of Chicago has
invited the Barcelona-based architects Barozzi/Veiga to create a new masterplan for its campus. The
architects have been asked to make the museum “more extroverted and
modern” and less inward-looking. The Institute’s
director, James Rondeau, says the plan is still in its early
stages, but the architects have been quietly investigating the
museum’s campus for the past two years. The project is expected to
be the institution’s biggest makeover since Renzo Piano added the
Modern Wing, which opened in 2009. (Chicago Tribune)

The Day Larry Gagosian Almost Choked to Death –
The mega-dealer opens up to fellow
gallerist Bill Powers in a candid interview for
GQ magazine. When asked if he has ever had a
near-death experience, Gagosian reveals that someone had to give him the Heimlich when he
choked on a steak at the Balthazar restaurant in London. “It scared
the shit out of me,” Gagosian admits, adding that he sent the Good
Samaritan a case of wine as a token of his gratitude. He also
reveals he got married in Vegas at the age of
21. Asked about his
legacy, Gagosian
declares: “The game’s not over yet.” (GQ)

Major Art Donated to UK Museums in Tax Deals
– A Rubens painting of the Holy Roman emperor Charles
V and a Damien Hirst sculpture of a decapitated pregnant woman are
among the list of artworks that will be donated to UK museums and
galleries in lieu of tax this fiscal year. All told, the treasures
amount to £58.6 million ($72 million). The total value of the
haul is more than double last year’s. (Guardian)

ART MARKET

Pornhub Teams Up With… Maccarone Gallery – The Los Angeles-based Maccarone Gallery has
teamed up with the online porn site. Gallerist Michele Maccarone chose the 50 works
and Pornhub paid for the production and installation of the group
show called “The Pleasure Principle.” Pornhub’s vice president Cory
Price says: “We don’t just randomly sponsor art things—we want it
to be part of the conversation of sex and sexuality in the art
space.” (Bloomberg)

Art Basel Miami Beach Announces Lineup – Among the 269 galleries heading to Miami Beach
this fall will be 20 newcomers to the fair. They include: Barro
Arte Contemporáneo from Buenos Aires; Document, moniquemeloche, and
Mariane Ibrahim Gallery from Chicago; Galería Agustina Ferreyra
from Mexico City, and Central Fine from Miami Beach.
(Press release)

Felix LA Releases Exhibitor List – The Hollywood-based fair Felix LA is
expanding. The second
edition in February 2020 will feature 60 gallerists, up from 41
last year. Newcomers include New York-based P.P.O.W, and Andrew
Kreps. The Institute of Contemporary Arts, London, will also have a
booth in the historic Roosevelt Hotel. (ARTnews)

Looted Mayan Sculpture Is Withdrawn From a Paris Auction
– A Mayan sculpture due to be
auctioned at Drouot in Paris has been withdrawn after protests by
the Guatemalan ministry of culture. The bas-relief, which is
believed to have been illicitly removed from the
Piedras Negras site in the
1960s, had an estimate
of $27,000 to
$39,000. (LA Times)

COMINGS & GOINGS

California African American Museum Names Deputy Director
– The California African American Museum has
appointed Cameron Shaw as its new deputy director and chief
curator. The writer, editor, and curator, who was the former
director of New Orleans-based nonprofit contemporary art
organization Pelican Bomb, will replace Naima Keith, who departed
earlier this year for a job at the Los Angeles County Museum of
Art. (Press release)

Tate Beefs Up International Curatorial Staff
– Tate Modern in London has named four new curators
of international art with specialties in Africa, the Middle
East, and South Asia. The new additions to the team are: Nabila
Abdel Nabi, Osei Bonsu, Valentina Ravaglia, and Devika Singh.
(ARTnews)

Met Brings in Canadian Cree Artist to Make Over the
Great Hall – The Canadian Cree artist Kent Monkman will
create two huge paintings for the Met’s Great Hall, which will be
unveiled on December 19. The installation of the 11-by-22-foot
canvases is part of a new series in which the museum invites
contemporary artists to create new works inspired by the
collection. (Vulture)

FOR ART’S SAKE

Politician Slams the
Louvre’s Airbnb Deal – After Airbnb offered a private night to two lucky
guests at the Louvre last April, the company announced a new offering: Eight
small groups will be allowed to visit the French museum between
September and December on Tuesdays, when it’s closed to the public.
But French politician Ian Brossat is accusing leadership of
commercializing the museum. In a letter, he says the cooperation
with a commercial giant like Airbnb is disastrous and shocking.
(Le
Point)

Battle Between DC Mayor
and Arts Commission Heats Up – The Washington
Post offers a helpful primer on the ongoing battle
between DC Mayor Muriel Bowser and the city’s art commission.
On August 30, the Bowser administration attempted to secure the
commission’s art collection by changing the locks of its art
storage facility without warning. Commission employees were later
given access, but the standoff continues ahead of October 1, when
the commission spins off as an independent agency outside of
mayoral control. (Washington Post)

There’s a New Art Fair
and It’s Teensy – Do you love art, but find it’s just
a little bit too big? Barely Fair in Chicago is the event for you.
The fair, which launches its first edition on September 20,
features tiny contemporary works in shoe box-size booths. The cute
conceptual fair is charging only $25 a “booth,” and will host
around 24 galleries. Chicago-based gallery Lawrence & Clark will
offer some scaled-down blue-chip art by the likes of Barbara
Kruger, Anish Kapoor, and Lawrence Weiner. (New York Times)

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