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 Monday, May 27.
NEED-TO-READ
How Eli Broad Put Grand Avenue on the Map – The billionaire philanthropist charts the rise of Grand Avenue in Los Angeles as a cultural district—a history he had no small hand in developing. Along the way, he recounts the troubles he encountered (“the 1970s were a tough time economically, and LA didn’t have a lot of old-style, old-money philanthropists, as New York or Chicago did”) and the protracted negotiations he and others had with collector Giuseppe Panza to buy the Museum of Contemporary Art’s founding collection. (LA Times)
Did Leonardo da Vinci Have ADHD? – A professor of psychiatry at King’s College London thinks the best explanation for Leonardo’s chronic inability to finish his paintings and inventions was due to undiagnosed Attention Deficit and Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). Though it is impossible to conclusively know 500 years after his death, researcher Marco Catani points out in a new paper that the artist had a documented tendency of being constantly “on the go,” and often jumped between tasks, sleeping little and working continuously night and day by taking short naps. (Science Daily)
ART MARKET
Masterpiece London Gets a Sculpture Program – The Masterpiece London art fair, which opens on June 27, will include a sculpture program organized by Jo Baring, director of the Ingram Collection of Modern British art. The fair—which presents works of art from across the ages along with items of furniture—will include sculptures by Tony Cragg, Gary Hume, and Philippe Hiquily, among others. (Press Release)
UOVO Diversifies Into Fashion Storage – The New York-based art storage company is launching a division specifically for clothing, shoes, accessories, and haute couture pieces. The new division, called UOVO:MODA, will have spaces in all four of the company’s storage facilities, including in its main space in Long Island City. (Art Daily)
A Private Equity Firm Invests in LiveAuctioneers – The Boston equity firm Cove Hill Partners is now a majority owner of the online marketplace LiveAuctioneers. According to a release, the injection of funds will be used to “accelerate investments in innovation to reach new bidder audiences and expand technology solutions for sellers.” (ARTnews)
COMINGS & GOINGS
Blum & Poe Now Represents Yukinori Yanagi – The gallery, which has locations in New York, Los Angeles, and Tokyo, will represent the Japanese artist worldwide. Yanagi will have a solo show in fall 2019 at the Tokyo gallery ahead of a larger exhibition in Los Angeles in 2020. (Press release)
Wong Ping Joins Tanya Bonakdar Gallery – Tanya Bonakdar, who has galleries in New York and Los Angeles, has added the Hong Kong-based artist Wong Ping to the gallery’s stable. Wong will have his first solo show at the gallery in 2020. The artist is also represented by Edouard Malingue Gallery in Hong Kong and Shanghai. (ARTnews)
FOR ART’S SAKE
The Wing Champions Diverse Art – The Wing, a group of networking and co-working spaces for women only, is building an art collection of works by female and non-binary artists. Lolita Cros, the organization’s curator, is visiting artists’ studios in each city where the Wing has a location, and is adding works by artists to each collection. Many of the works are for sale. (Garage)
Carmen Herrera Creates Monumental Sculptures for New York – The veteran Cuban-born, New York-based artist is getting the first major outdoor sculpture project of her seven-decade career. Herrera’s Estructuras Monumentales, five enormous abstract works, will be on view from July 11 through November 8 in Lower Manhattan’s City Hall Park, thanks to the Public Art Fund. (Press release)
Your Daily Dose of Banksy – Banksy was all over Venice during the opening week of the Venice Biennale, and what was once speculation about a new work was confirmed by the artist in a Instagram post. Where will he turn up next? (Instagram)