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, November 30.
NEED-TO-READ
Meet Cultured’s 30 Young Artists to Watch – For the second year running, the magazine has tapped 30 young artists charting their own course through the art world. This year’s list includes Ajay Kurian, Toyin Ojih Odutola, Madeline Hollander, Hayden Dunham, and Aria Dean. (Cultured)
Museums Are Blasé About Sackler Money – Scrutiny of the Sackler family’s fortune—which is built on the sale of the highly addictive opioid OxyContin—has increased. But museums that have benefitted from the family’s largesse (and there are a lot of them) are unlikely to take a principled stance on the source of the money unless the tide of public opinion turns against them, experts say. (The Art Newspaper)
The Guggenheim Teams Up With Rem Koolhaas – The architect is collaborating with the museum to launch an ambitious exhibition about rural areas around the world. The show, “Countryside: Future of the World,” will debut in the Guggenheim’s rotunda in fall 2019. “We know now the political consequences of ignoring the countryside,” Koolhaas said, in reference to Brexit and Trump. (The New York Times)
An Art Raffle Launches to Aid Puerto Rico – As much of Puerto Rico remains without electricity and continues to reel from Hurricane Maria, more than 30 artists are donating work to a benefit art raffle being held today to support artists from the Jácanas, Yabucoa, region. Tickets are $300 and can be purchased via PayPal. (Facebook)
ART MARKET
Ex-Christie’s CEO Patricia Barbizet Leaves Artemis – The trusted CEO of the Pinault family’s global luxury empire, who also stepped in to helm the auction house for two years, is decamping to develop her own business. “After 30 years of fruitful and amicable collaboration with Patricia Barbizet, I understand her desire to have her own entrepreneurial life in turn,” François Pinault said. (Bloomberg)
Was Salvator Mundi Subject to a Double-Bind Guarantee? – The rumor mill has been working overtime following the epic Leonardo sale. Among those rumors: That Russian billionaire Dmitry Rybolovlev, the seller of the Leonardo, guaranteed Warhol’s Sixty Last Suppers for around $50 million, while the three consignors of the Warhol (including Larry Gagosian) guaranteed Salvator Mundi. Such an arrangement would be “extraordinary” and “unprecedented,” sources say. (TAN)
Artcurial Acquires a Real Estate Company – In its first large-scale growth operation, Artcurial has acquired the John Taylor Group, one of the oldest real estate networks in the world. “We will now be able to further develop our market shares in these two activities: the art market and auctions, and luxury real estate and related services,” Artcurial’s CEO Nicolas Orlowski said. (Press release)
Steve Lazarides Will Open a Mayfair Gallery – The street art dealer (and Banksy’s former agent) acknowledges he’s “going to get a tidal wave of shite saying [he’s] sold out” following the news that he will open a gallery this January in the upscale London neighborhood with Wissam Al Mana (Janet Jackson’s ex-husband). “Lazinc” will organize shows of JR, Invader, and Vhils, as well as focus on the secondary markets of Basquiat, Haring, and Banksy. (TAN)
COMINGS & GOINGS
The Hirshhorn Gains Two Board Members – The Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden in Washington, DC, has added two New York-based board members: former finance executive Sandra H. Hoffen and former medical-industry consultant John Wilkerson. With 24 new additions in three years, the Hirshhorn has one of the fastest-growing boards in recent museum history. (Press release)
Gwangju Biennale Announces Details – The 12th edition of the biennale will take a novel format. Eleven curators will organize seven exhibitions that explore the theme “Imagined Borders,” referencing the inaugural 1995 Gwangju Biennale, which was titled “Beyond the Borders.” (ArtAsiaPacific)
Wolfsonian Hires New Curator – The Wolfsonian–Florida International University in Miami has appointed Shoshana Resnikoff as curator. She previously served as assistant curator for exhibitions and research at the Peabody Essex Museum. (Press release)
Addison Gallery Curator to Retire After 31 Years – Susan Faxon has seen incredible growth in the Andover, Massachusetts museum’s American art holdings since taking the reigns in 1986. She was instrumental in the acquisition of works by artists ranging from John Singer Sargent to Barnett Newman. (Press release)
FOR ART’S SAKE
Michael Rakowitz Wants to Rid Cleveland of Orange – Among the newly announced highlights of the FRONT Triennial in Cleveland this summer is Rakowitz’s participatory, citywide artwork that seeks to remove all orange-colored objects from the city. The project is a response to the 2014 fatal shooting of 12-year-old Tamir Rice by a police officer; Rice was holding a toy gun with its orange safety cap removed at the time. (Press release)
British Museum Joins Forces With Google – The two have launched an effort to digitize and disseminate the ancient Maya collection of 19th-century explorer Alfred Maudslay. The collection is made up of photographs, casts, and other scientific documents that were created during archaeological excavations of Maya sites in the late 1800s. (Press release)
Original World Trade Center Sculpture Returns – The Sphere, which was damaged but survived the 9/11 attack on the Twin Towers, has returned to the World Trade Center site after 16 years. German artist Fritz Koenig created the bronze sculpture in 1971 for the plaza beneath the skyscrapers. (CBS)
T Magazine Commissions Artists to Paint Jay-Z – T magazine commissioned Henry Taylor and Chantal Joffe to paint a series of portraits and works inspired by Jay-Z to accompany an interview with the New York Times‘s editor-in-chief. The musician opens up about OJ Simpson’s downfall, Donald Trump’s rise to power, and seeing a therapist. (NYT)