Art Industry News: Researchers Using Scanning Technology Have Discovered a Mysterious Hidden Chamber in Egypt’s Great Pyramid + Other Stories

Artnet News March 3, 2023 ShareShare This Article

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, March 3.

NEED-TO-READ

The Pitfalls of a Museum’s “Black Lives Matter Hire” – The Canadian curator eunice bélidor has spoken out about her experiences feeling out of place as the first Black curator of the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts, where she was invited to apply shortly after the Black Lives Matter protests of 2020 despite feeling she lacked adequate museum experience. She decided to resign in January after finding the museum did not offer her the support she needed to succeed. “I was the Black Lives Matter hire, but Black Lives do not matter at institutions,” she concluded of her decision. (Hyperallergic)

Can There Be a Market for African Art After Restitution? – Has the debate around the restitution of museum objects made private collectors of historical African artworks too nervous to buy? Ahead of their participation at this month’s TEFAF Maastricht, many dealers think so. (Financial Times)

A Hidden Chamber Inside the Great Pyramid – The Great Pyramids of Egypt never cease to amaze, and every so often they offer up exciting new discoveries like the sealed-off 30-feet-long chamber found just above the main entrance of the Great Pyramid, thanks to modern scanning technology. Researchers have not yet worked out what the 4,500-year-old corridor might have been used for. (AP)

Peter Weibel Has Died – The Austrian artist and curator Peter Weibel, who has directed the ZKM Center for Art and Media in Karlsruhe, Germany since 1999, has died aged 78. An early champion of new media and net art, Weibel gave artistic practices that were often overlooked an elevated, curatorial context and taught students of digital art including Refik Anadol. (ARTnews)

MOVERS & SHAKERS

Dallas Is Launching a New Hotel Fair – The Lone Star State is about to get one more art fair, thanks to gallery And Now proprietor James Cope, who is launching the new Dallas Invitational Art Fair this April. The event will be held in guest rooms at the Fairmont Hotel, a la the L.A.-based Felix fair, across the street from the marquee fair, which runs from April 23–20. (The Art Newspaper)

Sargent’s Daughters Plans NY Expansion – In the wake of its Los Angeles debut last month, the gallery is planning an expansion to its New York City flagship location, promising “larger and more ambitious exhibitions.” Later this year, Sargent’s Daughters will take over the entire ground floor of the 179 East Broadway space, with the gallery’s longtime collaborator SHRINE opening a location in Tribeca. (Press release)

Former Sotheby’s Exec Joins Art Intelligence Global – Mike Goss has joined Amy Cappellazzo, Yuki Terase, and Saara Pritchard. The former chief financial officer of the auction house and veteran executive at Bain Capital will start his tenure as partner at AIG this month. (Press release)

FOR ART’S SAKE

Gagosian Nabs Representation of Derrick Adams – Having gained popularity for his brightly colored paintings and sculptures that celebrate Black culture, the New York-based Derrick Adams has been scooped up by Gagosian. The artist’s work is currently on view at the FLAG Art Foundation until March 11 and new paintings will go on show at the gallery’s Beverly Hills location this September. (Press release)