From the Obama Portraits’ Road Trip to Aaron Carter’s Unfair Use: The Best and Worst of the Art World This Week

Catch up on this week's news—fast.

Former US President Barack Obama and first lady Michelle Obama at the Smithsonian's National Portrait Gallery. Photo by Mark Wilson/Getty Images.

BEST?

The Obama Portraits Will Travel – The wildly popular official portraits of Barack and Michelle Obama by Kehinde Wiley and Amy Sherald are hitting the road for a five-city tour to museums around the US.

Gee Whiz – The artists’ enclave of Gee’s Bend, Alabama, has nurtured quilters for generations—and it could soon become an art destination for a potentially huge audience.

Meet the New Stars of “Made in LA” – The Hammer Museum announced the 30 artists participating in its 2020 biennial, including Kahlil Joseph
and Aria Dean.

Recovered, at Long Last – Almost 40 years after a brazen heist, five Old Master paintings looted from Gotha’s Fiedenstein Palace were returned safely to the historic castle this week.

Let’s Party – Art star Nicolas Party joined The Art Angle podcast for an extended interview about his newfound fame, moving to New York, and his past as an unlawful street artist.

Judy Chicago Does Dior – The pioneering feminist artist teamed up with designer Maria Grazia Chiuri to create an epic installation for Dior’s Paris runway show.

 

WORST?

Aaron Carter Gets Called Out – Former child pop-star Aaron Carter was accused of ripping off an artist’s work for a line of bleached, $100 hoodies.

Hidden in Plain Sight – A Klimt painting thought stolen, but then recovered from the wall of an Italian gallery, may have been left there on purpose all along—at least according to the alleged thieves.

Christie’s Cancels – An upcoming Christie’s auction in Dubai has been axed from the auction house’s calendar after the company decided there was a dearth of quality works at market.

Ew, Is that a Ewe? – The Ghent Altarpiece has been unveiled after a massive restoration—and the Internet is in a tizzy over the work’s crazy-eyed lamb of God.

Hacktivists at the Museum – Two artists hacked into the New Museum’s Hans Haacke survey to make a bold statement about the museum’s complacency with regard to wealth inequality.


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