Art Industry News: 101 NFTs of Bored Apes, the Latest Craze in Digital Collectables, Could Make $18 Million at Sotheby’s + Other Stories

Plus, Maurizio Cattelan shoots the cast of "Succession," and the UAE wins the Golden Lion at the Venice Architecture Biennale.

Yuga Labs, 101 Bored Ape Yacht Club (2021).

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 Tuesday, August 31.

NEED-TO-READ

Historic Jazz Haunt Destroyed by Hurricane Ida – One of jazz legend Louis Armstrong’s favorite New Orleans haunts, the Karnofsky Store, has been reduced to rubble by Hurricane Ida. The former tailor shop and residence served as something of a second home for a young Armstrong, who bought his first trumpet there and was encouraged by its owners to pursue a career in music. (The Art Newspaper

Inside the Neue Nationalgalerie’s Architectural Overhaul – Architecture critic Oliver Wainwright does not have a ton of praise to bestow on the original Mies van der Rohe-designed Neue Nationalgalerie, which just reopened after a major restoration of the building, which had fallen into disrepair. (“‘God is in the details,’ Mies was fond of saying,” Wainwright writes. “But don’t look too close.”) David Chipperfield’s faithful renovation left it in better shape, but there were some casualties, like old trees in the sunken garden that were ripped out because they were destabilizing the stones. (Guardian)

Sotheby’s Is Selling a Bunch of Bored Ape Yacht Club NFTs – Add this blurb to the list of things that would have been utterly incomprehensible to you exactly 12 months ago (and maybe still is?). Sotheby’s will auction 101 Bored Ape Yacht Club NFTs by Yuga Labs for an estimated $12 million to $18 million. The online sale of the fast-growing new class of digital collectible will run from September 2–9. The successful bidder will also receive 3 M1 and 3 M2 Mutant serums, which allows them to generate a new “Mutant Ape.” (Press release)

König’s New NFT Marketplace Starts With a Bang – In other NFT news, Berlin dealer Johann König’s new NFT marketplace has reported healthy sales since its August 22 launch. So far, the gallery has reported $210,000 in sales—including $150,000 for a work by Refik Anadol and $15,000 for a work by Jon Burgerman. Two museums, the ZKM in Karlsruhe, Germany, and the Francisco Carolinum in Linz, Austria, acquired an NFT edition by Erwin Wurm. (Email)

MOVERS & SHAKERS

Humboldt Forum Hits 100,000 Visitors — The new Humboldt Forum in Berlin, which partially opened this summer, has hit a milestone of 100,000 visitors. Free admission through November 12 has helped boost attendance at the €680 million ($802 million) cultural institution, which is operating at an occupancy rate of 97 percent. A final group of gallery spaces will open this fall and into early next year. (Press release)

UAE Pavilion Wins Gold at the Venice Architecture Biennale – The United Arab Emirates has won the Golden Lion for the best pavilion at the 2021 Venice Architecture Biennale. The country’s contribution presented a sustainable alternative to cement made from recycled industrial waste. (designboom)

The Frick Gets a Major Collection of Works on Paper – New York collectors Elizabeth and Jean-Marie Eveillard have gifted 26 works to the Frick Collection. The donation includes a sketch for John Singer Sargent’s famous Madame X painting and notable works by Goya, Degas, and Caillebotte. (TAN)

FOR ART’S SAKE

Maurizio Cattelan Shoots the Stars of SuccessionShattered sculptures are strewn about and Tom Wambsgans (Matthew Macfadyen) is pictured with his foot smashed through a canvas in Maurizio Cattelan’s photo shoot of the cast of Succession for New York magazine. The popular series debuts its third season in October. Fingers firmly crossed for an art angle… (Vulture)

 

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