Art Industry News: Greece’s Former Finance Minister Slams documenta 14 in Athens + More Must-Read Stories

Plus, London museums boost security measures following terror attack and the Peggy Guggenheim Collection gets a new director.

Yanis Varoufakis, former finance minister of Greece. Photo Jack Taylor/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 this Thursday, June 8.

NEED-TO-READ

Yanis Varoufakis Slams documenta 14 Athens – As the Kassel leg of documenta 14 opened to invited guests and journalists, Greece’s former minister of finance detailed his misgivings about the Athens iteration of the quinquennial event, which he says took away more resources than it gave back. (art agenda)

London Museums Boost Security Following Terror Attack – Tate Modern and the Hayward Gallery are among 12 museums located near the site of the attacks this past Saturday that have jointly issued a statement pledging to keep their venues “safe, open, and welcoming to all.” (The Art Newspaper)

Gurlitt Hoard Is Not at documenta 14 After All – In 2015, documenta 14 curator Adam Szymczyk announced plans to show the then-newly uncovered trove of the German dealer as part of the event. But the Kunstmuseum Bern, the institution that accepted the collection, wouldn’t allow it to travel. (ARTnews)

Performa Announces Ambitious Architecture Program – The New York-based performance festival has announced the launch of Circulations, a new architecture program for the seventh edition of the biennial. It will feature site-specific live performances and architectural experiments across the city and region. (Press release)

Oakland Art Space Directors Charged With Manslaughter After Fire – Derick Almena, who illegally rented out space, and Max Harris, who organized the infamous Ghost Ship party on December 2, 2016, have been charged with involuntary manslaughter for the deaths of 36 people. (The Guardian)

ART MARKET

Le Corbusier Lighting Withdrawn From Auction – More than 100 light sconces designed by the architect Le Corbusier were withdrawn from a sale at the Paris auction house Artcurial on May 30, just an hour before they were due to go under the hammer. (TAN)

Sotheby’s Sells a Diamond for a 6,567,500% Profit – The ring, featuring a massive cushion-shaped diamond, was bought in a car boot sale in the 1980s for £10, as it was believed to be a decorative costume jewel. It sold at Sotheby’s London for£656,750 this week. Talk about a return on your investment. (Press release)

COMINGS & GOINGS

New Director for the Peggy Guggenheim Collection in Venice – Karole P.B. Vail has been a member of the museum’s curatorial staff since 1997 and is, in fact, a granddaughter of Ms. Guggenheim. She will be the museum’s second director in history, after Philip Rylands, who steps down this month. (Press release)

Jerwood/FVU Award Announces Winners – The artists Maeve Brennan and Imran Perretta are the recipients of the 5th edition of the British moving image prize. Both will be each be awarded £20,000 ($25,892) to create new film works. (Press release)

Lars Jan to Create the Third Audemars Piguet Commission – The American artist will work with guest curator Kathleen Forde to create a major new artwork, slated to debut this December at Art Basel Miami Beach. (Press release)

FOR ART’S SAKE 

LACMA Launches First-Ever Kickstarter Campaign – The museum has set up a crowdfunding campaign to raise $75,000 so it can bring a small, egg-shaped museum (which can only hold four people) from Guatemala to Los Angeles for an upcoming exhibition as part of the initiative “Pacific Standard Time: Los Angeles/Latin America.” (Los Angeles Times)

“Missing” John Lautner Home Has Been Found and Restored – A house designed by architect John Lautner in 1948 was considered to be lost for over 65 years. But it resurfaced on the real-estate website Curbed.com recently, after which a pair of architecture-loving Angelenos restored the house, giving it a new lease on life. (The New York Times)

Mid-1800s Painting Found in a Chapel Outside Buffalo, NY – The small town of Tonawanda was unknowingly holding a gem inside a church: a painting depicting St John the Baptist that dates back to the mid-1800s has been discovered by restorers underneath a ceiling work. (WIVB.com)

Zaha Hadid-Designed Train Station Opens in Naples – The first phase of Hadid’s Napoli Afragola Station was inaugurated yesterday in Naples by the Italian Prime Minister Palo Gentiloni. The high-speed rail service will connect Bari and Reggio Calabria with the north of Italy and Europe. See some images of the station below. (designboom)

Zaha Hadid's Napoli-Afragola Station in Naples, Italy. Photo Jacopo Splimbergo, courtesy Zaha Hadid Architects.

Zaha Hadid’s Napoli Afragola Station in Naples, Italy. Photo Jacopo Splimbergo, courtesy Zaha Hadid Architects.

Zaha Hadid's Napoli-Afragola Station in Naples, Italy. Photo Jacopo Splimbergo, courtesy Zaha Hadid Architects.

Zaha Hadid’s Napoli Afragola Station in Naples, Italy. Photo Jacopo Splimbergo, courtesy Zaha Hadid Architects.


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