Art Industry News: The Whitney Has Surpassed the Met as the Priciest Museum in New York City + Other Stories

The Whitney Museum. Photo: Lucie Rebeyrol.

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, July 14.

NEED-TO-READ

Jeff Koons’s Art Gets a Cameo in the New Spider-Man Film – The artist’s Balloon Dog gets hit on the head and smaller Balloon Dog sculptures fall out of it in the new animated film Across the Spider-Verse. There are also references to his polychromed wood sculpture String of Puppies (1988) and the stainless steel bust Louis XIV (1986). The particular scene was set inside the Guggenheim and was conjured up when Phil Lord, a co-writer of the screenplay, and Christopher Miller, a producer, visited the Koons retrospective at the Whitney Museum. (New York Times)

Tiona Nekkia McClodden Joins White Cube – White Cube will globally represent the artist who work spans documentary film, experimental video, sculpture, painting, sound installation and poetry. McClodden will have her first U.K. solo in February 2024 at White Cube Bermondsey, London. She previously worked with Mitchell-Innes & Nash. (Press release)

The Priciest Museum in NYC – Speaking of the Whitney, the downtown art museum increased ticket prices to $30 for adults and $25 for students and seniors, making it one of the most expensive institutions in the city, with prices for students and seniors exceeding those at the Met, which also charges $30 for adults. This is the first admission increase since 2016, and the museum cited “inflation, rising costs, and still-recovering attendance” as reasons for the price hike. (The Art Newspaper)

More Nations Announce Venice Biennale Acts – Robert Zhao will represent Singapore; Cyprus has named a group of artists including the duo LLC, the collective Endrosia, and Haig Aivazian. And Turkey has named Gülsün Karamustafa to take over its pavilion. (Press release) (In-Cyprus) (Straits Times)

MOVERS & SHAKERS

The Shed Names New CEO – Meredith (Max) Hodges will take the helm of the nonprofit arts center in Hudson Yards this October, taking over for founding CEO Alex Poots, who currently serves as the artistic director. Hodges held positions at MoMA in New York, served as executive director of Brooklyn’s Gallim Dance company, and most recently led the Boston Ballet, where she helped increase attendance and significantly grew the endowment. (Artforum)

The Royal College of Art and Acute Art Debut Education Program – The two institutions will launch a five-day summer program exploring of the potential of virtual reality, augmented reality, and artificial intelligence. KAWS, MetaKovan, Olafur Eliasson, and Julie Curtiss are among the artists who will share perspectives. (Jing Culture)

New Spot for Dutch National Photography Museum – Nederlands Fotomuseum is slated to open in a new location in Rotterdam in 2025. The museum’s six million-strong collection will be housed in a newly renovated historic warehouse on the Rijnhaven harbor. (Press release)

FOR ART’S SAKE

Siena’s Cathedral Floor Are on View – A rare sight will be unveiled at the Cathedral of Siena in Siena, Italy: its inlaid marble floors, which are so fragile that they are almost always covered up. They will be on view now until July 31 and again from August 18 through October 18, 2023. (The Art Newspaper)