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 this Wednesday, July 5.
NEED-TO-READ
Allaying Doubts About Leonard Lauder’s Gift to the Met – For those worried about whether the 78-work donation made by the cosmetics tycoon might be at risk following the delay in the construction of the museum’s new Modern and contemporary wing, the New York Times has a reassuring answer. (New York Times)
How Maria Balshaw Is (Already) Revolutionizing Tate – Serota’s successor, who took up the post in June, has plans to make Tate “the most artistically adventurous and culturally inclusive gallery.” The fact that she’s the first female director to helm the institution in its 120-year history is already a landmark. (The Observer)
Major Artists Will Design Covers for Evening Standard – Ai Weiwei, Anish Kapoor, and Wolfgang Tillmans are some of the artists chosen to design the covers of this week’s Evening Standard magazine, which pays tribute to London’s resilience in the face of recent tragedies. (Press release)
Date Set for DNA Test of Psychic Claiming to Be Dalí’s Daughter – Pilar Abel, the Spanish astrologist who filed a paternity suit in 2015 that claimed she was the legendary artist’s daughter, will take her official test on July 11. (El País)
Israeli Artist Debuts Theater Piece Where Women Rule – As part this year’s edition of the Manchester International Festival, Yael Bartana has created What if Women Ruled the World?. In the play, top female scientists, politicians, activists, and thinkers will take the stage to solve the world’s problems. (Press release)
ART MARKET
Recovered Stolen Jade Vessels Sold for £75,000 – Four stolen Chinese jade miniature vessels identified by the Art Loss Register sold at auction for 10 times their estimate. However, the profit went not to the elderly victim of the theft but to the insurer who paid out on the claim 12 years ago. (Press release)
Turner leads Sotheby’s Old Masters Evening Sale – With an estimate of £15–25 million, J.M.W. Turner’s Ehrenbreitstein (1835) will headline the July sale in London, which will also include a sculpture for the first time ever: a terracotta bust of the young Ferdinando II de’ Medici by Pietro Tacca estimated to go for £1–2 million. (Press release)
Sprüth Magers to Reopen London Gallery in September – The gallery’s expanded Mayfair space, closed for renovations since last year, will reopen on September 29 with a debut exhibition of new works on paper by Gary Hume. (Press release)
COMINGS & GOINGS
Former MFA Director Jan Fontein Dies Aged 89 – The celebrated Asian art curator and scholar who directed the Boston institution from 1975–1987 passed away May 19 in Massachusetts. (NYT)
Brücke Museum Names New Director – Curator Lisa Marei Schmidt will succeed Magdalena Moeller’s 30-year tenure as director of the Berlin museum starting in October. (Artforum)
Mexican artist Jose Luis Cuevas Passes Away – The 83-year-old painter, sculptor, writer, draftsman, and engraver who championed the Breakaway movement died on Monday in Mexico City. (Press release)
Miami Collector Estelle Berg Dead at 76 – The collector who, alongside her husband Paul, was at the heart of the South Florida art scene, died last Tuesday from cancer. (Miami Herald)
FOR ART’S SAKE
Tracey Emin Works Showing at Château La Coste – “Surrounded by You,” an exhibition of 12 paintings and two new enormous bronze sculptures by the British artist will be on view at the French Château from 2 July–31 August. (Artdaily.com)
Hirshhorn Celebrates Yoko Ono With Summer – The museum celebrates the 10-year anniversary of the artist’s famous interactive installation “Wish Tree for Washington, D.C.,” with the added presentation of the Washington debut of “My Mommy Is Beautiful” and an installation of “Sky TV for Washington, D.C.,” on view all summer. (Press release)
M+ Curator Aric Chen Wins Design Prize – Lead curator for design and architecture at the Hong Kong museum since 2012, Chen has won the Design Curator and Design Critic award at the first edition of the Design Prize, which recognizes global excellence in design. (ArtAsiaPacific)
Anri Sala Selected for 2017 Kaldor Public Art Project – The Albanian-born French artist has been selected for Sydney’s 33rd Kaldor Public Art Project, where he will debut a gravity-defying sound and sculptural installation titled “The Last Resort” at the Observatory Hill Rotunder, October 13–November 5, 2017. (BlouinArtInfo)
Matthias Bruggmann Wins Second Edition of Prix Elysée – The Swiss photographer has unanimously won the CHF 80,000 prize for his proposal to continue documenting the conflict in Syria. (Artdaily.com)