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 Thursday, October 7.
NEED-TO-READ
Mysterious Shanghai Museum Closures Raise Eyebrows – Recent closures at Shanghai museums have sparked speculation about potential government interference. The Long Museum West Bund abruptly shuttered for two days at the end of September citing “facility maintenance,” while the Shanghai Minsheng Art Museum said it would close indefinitely from this month onward. Meanwhile, three imported works on show at the Shanghai Himalayas Museum have been removed due to customs issues. (The Art Newspaper)
Um, There Are a Ton of Hitler NFTs on OpenSea – Hitler-themed NFTs have amassed thousands of likes and sold for thousands of dollars on OpenSea, one of the largest NFT marketplaces. The platform has said that it upholds a policy of “openness” with regard to content, but it is unclear how it plans to address collections that are deemed to be glorifying Nazis. (Vice)
Teddy Roosevelt Statue Defaced at the American Museum of Natural History – Anonymous protesters splashed red paint on the contested Theodore Roosevelt statue at the American Museum of Natural History around midnight on October 6, just days ahead of the Indigenous People’s Day on Monday. The statue has long been the subject of protests by Indigenous groups and grassroots activists. (A similar incident took place in 2017.) City authorities said last year that they would remove the equestrian statue following a reassessment of local monuments sparked by Black Lives Matter protests, but it remains standing today. (Hyperallergic)
Jerry Gogosian: ‘Artists in Future Won’t Pick Up a Brush in Real Life’ – Hilde Lynn Helphenstein, better known by her online alter ego Jerry Gogosian, says that social media will “continue to be the driving force” in the art world in an interview with the Wall Street Journal. The artist-turned social media personality, who has amassed nearly 100,000 Instagram followers with her signature memes, added that NFTs are here to stay and that “most artists in the future will never even pick up a brush in real life.” (Wall Street Journal)
MOVERS & SHAKERS
Baer Faxt Launches Bidder Database – The art-industry newsletter is leveling up with the debut of a database listing the buyers and underbidders for works offered at auction. Users will be able to access an index of names recorded from 1996 through 2021. (Founder Josh Baer says that, in 25 years, he’s received “just five to ten name corrections” out of more than 10,000 listings.) Access will cost $200 a month for individuals and $500 a month for businesses. (TAN)
Untitled Art Fair Slashes Booth Fees for Emerging Galleries – A total of 22 emerging galleries, artist-run spaces, and non-profits will see their booth fees cut from $13,000 to $5,000 in a new section called Nest at the upcoming 10th edition of the Untitled Art Fair in Miami Beach. (FT)
Strong Sales Reported at Inaugural Shenzhen Fair – A strong local collector base gave a boost to the inaugural Shenzhen DnA Design and Art Fair, which has just concluded its five-day run. The fair, which took place in the southern megacity adjacent to Hong Kong, saw sales of work ranging in price from under $1,000 to $775,000. (TAN)
FOR ART’S SAKE
TOILETPAPER Heads to Seoul – TOILETPAPER, cofounded by artist Maurizio Cattelan and photographer Pierpaolo Ferrari, is heading to Seoul. The magazine and creative studio will set up an installation-meets-office at Hyundai Card’s exhibition space Storage in Itaewon, an international district of Seoul. The show opens on October 8 and runs until February 6, 2022. (Press release)
Installation view of TOILETPAPER‘s first show in Seoul, South Korea, at Hyundai Card’s exhibition space Storage. Courtesy of Hyundai Card.