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 Friday, December 23. It’s our final Art Industry News of 2022—Happy New Year, and see you in January.
NEED-TO-READ
The Art Market Did Not Get More Local in 2022 – The pandemic sparked much chatter about a slower, more local and more sustainable art market. But data shows the trade continues to be centered around three main hubs—the U.S., the U.K., and China—which account for about two-thirds of all art sales. (The Art Newspaper)
Molly Crabapple on the Danger of A.I. Art – The American artist came out swinging against the looming threat of A.I. image generators in an op-ed for the L.A. Times. In no uncertain terms, she called out services like DALL-E and Stable Diffusion as a “replacement” for artists, powered by the “massive theft” of their existing work as training data. (Los Angeles Times)
Emily Ratajkowski Is Dating an Artist – The Art Boy is back! That special category of man who has wooed many a Hollywood starlet (think: Jennifer Lawrence, Sienna Miller) has returned to the headlines thanks to Ratajkowski’s recent rendezvous with artist Jack Green. Green is a member of the Still House Group, a hip Brooklyn art collective that emerged in the aughts. Ratajkowski was previously married to Sebastian Bear-McClard, whose father is artist Michael McClard. (Daily Mail)
China’s Art Fairs End the Year With a Boost – After Shanghai Art021 was suspended after just one day because of a single Covid case, the fair is back amid newly loosened restrictions with a two-location pop-up called Art Week Encore (December 15-30). Other small art fairs have also moved ahead late this month, including Guangzhou Contemporary Art Fair and Nanjing Art Fair International. (TAN)
MOVERS & SHAKERS
Olana Gets a $25 Million Overhaul – Olana State Historic Site, the former estate of painter Frederic Edwin Church in Greenport, New York, is planning a major expansion thanks to a $25 million donation. The 150-year-old house will be joined by a new carbon-neutral Frederic Church Center for Art and Landscape. (TAN)
Hip Hop Museum Gets Federal Funding – U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand has secured $3 million in federal funding for the Universal Hip Hop Museum in the Bronx. The project is currently mid-construction and set to open in 2024. (NewsOne)
Oscar White Muscarella Has Died – The influential archaeologist and “voice of conscience” in the museum world has died at the age of 91. During his long tenure at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, Muscarella led the way in researching and identifying smuggled antiquities and advocating for better acquisition practices. (New York Times)
FOR ART’S SAKE
Venice Holds Eighth Edition of the Santa Claus Regatta – As Artnet News signs off for 2022, we leave you with these delightful photos of the way-more-charming Italian version of Santa Con. Where drunken New Yorkers in Christmas costumes wreak havoc on the city’s bar scene, Venetians spread good-natured holiday cheer throughout the city’s historic canals during the seasonal “regatta.” (Reuters)
Rowers dressed as Santa Claus participate in the eighth edition of the “Santa Claus Regatta” in Venice on December 18, 2022 in Venice, Italy. Photo by Stefano Mazzola/Getty Images.
Rowers dressed as Santa Claus participate in the eighth edition of the “Santa Claus Regatta” in Venice on December 18, 2022 in Venice, Italy. Photo by Stefano Mazzola/Getty Images.
Rowers dressed as Santa Claus participate in the eighth edition of the “Santa Claus Regatta” in Venice on December 18, 2022 in Venice, Italy. Photo by Stefano Mazzola/Getty Images.
Rowers dressed as Santa Claus participate in the eighth edition of the “Santa Claus Regatta” in Venice on December 18, 2022 in Venice, Italy. Photo by Stefano Mazzola/Getty Images.
Rowers dressed as Santa Claus participate in the eighth edition of the “Santa Claus Regatta” in Venice on December 18, 2022 in Venice, Italy. Photo by Stefano Mazzola/Getty Images.
Rowers dressed as Santa Claus participate in the eighth edition of the “Santa Claus Regatta” in Venice on December 18, 2022 in Venice, Italy. Photo by Stefano Mazzola/Getty Images.