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 Friday, July 7.

NEED-TO-READ 

There’s Yet Another Revolt Against Chris Dercon’s Appointment at the Volksbühne – Not giving up without a fight, Berlin luminaries sign a petition to renegotiate the former Tate Modern director’s controversial appointment, claiming that his program ignores the requirement to give the theater an ensemble and repertoire. Signatories include Diedrich Diederichsen, curator Anselm Franke, and Texte zur Kunst founder Isabelle Graw. (Change.org)

Leo Fitzpatrick Curates Major Group Show – Vogue’s John Ortved talks to Fitzpatrick about his new show, “Feedback,” in which more than 70 artists will take over all five of Marlborough Contemporary’s gallery spaces. (Vogue)

The NRA Targets Modernist Architecture in New Ad – Christopher Hawthorne dissects an ad released by the National Rifle Association blasting urban culture industries. The ad focuses on well-known architectural structures in New York and LA that were designed by people who are either Jewish or born outside of the United States. (LA Times)

Michael Bonesteel Quits SAIC Citing Academic Freedom – The Henry Darger expert resigned from the faculty at the School of Art Institute alleging he was unfairly vilified by students objecting to ideas and material in his courses on comic books and outsider art in the name of political correctness. (Chicago Reader)

ART MARKET

Analyzing the May 2017 US Auctions – With a hammer total of $65.3 million—below the $67.3 million aggregate low estimate—the May sales were weak. (Art Market Monitor)

Christie’s London Sees Strong Classic Week Sales – The Old Masters Evening Sale on July 6 totaled £43.8 million. The top lot was Francesco Guardi’s The Rialto Bridge with the Palazzo dei Camerlenghi, which sold for £26.2 million, the highest price achieved for an Old Master painting this year across all auction houses. (Press release)

Gagosian Gallery Now Represents Jia Aili – The blue-chip gallery is now representing the rising Chinese art star, whose show at Spain’s Centro de Arte Contemporáneo in Malaga closed at the end of June. (ARTnews)

COMINGS & GOINGS

ADAA Welcomes Four New Members – The Art Dealers Association of America has added Andrew Kreps Gallery (NY), Di Donna Galleries (NY), Luxembourg & Dayan (NY and London), and McClain Gallery (Houston) to their 176 gallery-strong network. (ARTnews)

NOMA Acquires Souls Grown Deep Foundation Works – The New Orleans Museum of Art has acquired 10 works through the foundation’s “gift/purchase” program, which hopes to increase representation of African-American artists from the South. (Press release)

New York Foundation for the Arts Announces 2017 Fellows – The foundation has named the 95 recipients of its fellowship program, which has awarded artists across several disciplines a total of $644,000. (Press release)

FOR ART’S SAKE 

David Hockney Celebrates 80th Birthday With New Gallery – Happy Birthday, Mr. Hockney! Topping a blockbuster year, the British artist is celebrating his 80th this weekend with the opening of the David Hockney Gallery at the Cartwright Hall in this hometown of Bradford. (artnet News)

Artists Urge Lincoln Center to Cancel Israel-Backed Play – Over 60 artists have signed an open letter asking the Lincoln Center to cancel performances of a play co-produced by two Israeli theater companies and backed by the Israeli government. (New York Times)

FROM OUR PARTNERS

“William Fares: presencia de ausencia”
Fábrica La Aurora Arts Complex, Suite 12a
San Miguel de Allende, Mexico
July 1 – August 28

The “presence of absence” is the theme of this new show by the California-born artist William Fares, and across an array of vivid geometric abstractions, he explores the power of the gap, the bare surface, and the untroubled void. In such a state of nonbeing, can one discern the purest of essences?

A suite of abstractions by William Fares. Courtesy of Skot Foreman Gallery.

A three-dimensional composition by Willam Fares. Courtesy of Skot Foreman Gallery.

A delicate quartet by Willam Fares. Courtesy of Skot Foreman Gallery.