Art Industry News: Documenta Is Likely to Be Postponed as Organizers Say Not Even 2022 Is a Sure Bet + Other Stories

Plus, New York's Vessel has closed indefinitely and art collector Dasha Zhukova buys back Garage magazine.

'The Parthenon of Books' by artist Marta Minujin in Kassel during documenta 14. Photo: Thomas Lohnes/Getty Images.

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 Wednesday, January 13.

NEED-TO-READ

Dasha Zhukova Buys Back Garage Magazine – The Russian-American art collector has bought back a controlling stake in the art and fashion magazine she founded, Garage, after Vice Media Group announced it would cease to publish the biannual publication after its 10th anniversary edition this spring. Zhukova is reportedly in talks with European and US publishers to continue operations and is considering fusing the magazine with the Garage Museum of Contemporary Art, which she founded in 2008. (Business of Fashion)

Blanton Announces Massive Redesign – The University of Texas art museum has announced plans for a $35 million overhaul led by the Snøhetta architecture firm. The ambitious new initiative, which aims to raise the profile of the institution, includes a public mural commission from the 105-year-old Cuban-American painter Carmen Herrera. The mural, which features 14 monumental green squares punctuated by white diagonal spears, will be titled Green How I Desire You Green after a poem by Federico García Lorca. (New York Times)

Documenta 15 May Be Pushed Back – It is likely that the 15th edition of Documenta will be postponed by one year due to ongoing travel restrictions that have curtailed preparation, according to general director Sabine Schormann. The influential quinquennial art exhibition in Kassel is currently scheduled to take place from June 8 to September 25, 2022. A final decision will be made public this summer. (The Art Newspaper)

The Vessel Has Closed After Third Death By Suicide – The developers of Thomas Heatherwick’s massive sculpture in Hudson Yards, the Vessel, have temporarily closed the structure after the third death by suicide at the site in less than a year. They are now consulting with experts on how to prevent future incidents, including by raising the chest-high barrier that separates the platform from the edge. (TAN)

ART MARKET

How Streetwear Brands Broke Into the Auction Houses – Streetwear brands selling sneakers and hoodies cracked the luxury auction market after the sneaker-reselling website StockX, launched in 2016, proved to investors the vast potential of reselling sneakers for profit. Despite a recent dip in high-selling swag at auction, advisors say the potential of this sector will only continue to grow. (Wall Street Journal)

Auction Planned to Mark Ruth Orkin’s Centennial – An auction at Bonhams New York will offer a selection of American artist Ruth Orkin’s pioneering documentary photography. The sale on February 2 marks 100 years since the celebrated photographer was born. (Guardian)

COMINGS & GOINGS

National Gallery of Canada Names New Leadership – The Canadian museum has appointed Angela Cassie as its new vice president of strategic transformation and inclusion and Tania Lafrenière as its new senior vice president of people, culture, and belonging. The gallery’s director said the appointments represent the final touches of its first strategic plan. (TAN)

Mackenzie Art Gallery Names First Indigenous Director – The MacKenzie Art Gallery in Regina has named John G. Hampton as its next executive director and chief executive. Hampton, who will be the first Indigenous person to lead a major public gallery in Canada, has been serving as interim director of the institution since August. (ARTnews)

DC Extends Lockdown Restrictions on Museums Through Inauguration – The mayor of Washington, DC, Muriel Bowser, has extended city’s restrictions on public gathering and has said that museums must remain closed until January 22. Other public services such as libraries and indoor dining are also restricted until then. (WTOP)

FOR ART’S SAKE

Cuomo Plans New York Arts Revival Plan – New York’s governor Andrew Cuomo has announced a plan to revive the city’s cultural events and find employment for artists in order to preserve New York’s reputation as an exciting arts center. To that end, he is launching a public-private collaboration called New York Arts Revival that will offer pop-up concerts and pilot socially distanced performances. “What is a city without social, cultural, and creative synergies?” Cuomo said in a statement. (NYT)

Walker Art Center to Host Jannis Kounellis Retrospective – The Walker Art Center will host the first US survey of the work of Arte Povera giant Jannis Kounellis in 35 years. The sprawling exhibition curated by Vincenzo de Bellis, scheduled for 2022, will include nearly 70 works. (ARTnews)

See Madrid Buried in Record Snowfall – The Spanish capital of Madrid has been hit with its heaviest snowfall in 50 years. Blanketed in nearly two feet of snow (we know, we know, for some of you that is just a regular Tuesday), the city came to a standstill for days. Photographers captured locals frolicking around the city’s monuments in the aftermath of the storm. (NYT)

A woman skis outside the Las Ventas bullring in Madrid on January 10, 2021. Photo by Gabriel Bouys/AFP via Getty Images.

A woman skis outside the Las Ventas bullring in Madrid on January 10, 2021. Photo by Gabriel Bouys/AFP via Getty Images.

A snowman is built outside the Cibeles Palace in Madrid on January 10, 2021. Photo by Gabriel Bouys/AFP via Getty Images.

A snowman is built outside the Cibeles Palace in Madrid on January 10, 2021. Photo by Gabriel Bouys/AFP via Getty Images.

A man walks past the Prado Museum in Madrid on January 10, 2021. Photo by Gabriel Bouys/AFP via Getty Images.

A man walks past the Prado Museum in Madrid on January 10, 2021. Photo by Gabriel Bouys/AFP via Getty Images.

A woman walks by Puerta de Alcala after a heavy snowfall in Madrid on January 11, 2021. Photo by Gabriel Bouys/AFP via Getty Images.

A woman walks by Puerta de Alcala after a heavy snowfall in Madrid on January 11, 2021. Photo by Gabriel Bouys/AFP via Getty Images.


Follow Artnet News on Facebook:


Want to stay ahead of the art world? Subscribe to our newsletter to get the breaking news, eye-opening interviews, and incisive critical takes that drive the conversation forward.