LEONARDO DICAPRIO PICKED UP ART ON INSTAGRAM DURING ARMORY WEEK
Leonardo DiCaprio, busy man that he is, has taken to purchasing art via Instagram. His most recent acquisition comes from the Copenhagen-based Gallery Poulsen, which uploaded an image of its booth at PULSE art fair last week. DiCaprio took a shine to Nachlass (2015), a sci-fi-inspired painting by Brooklyn artist Jean-Pierre Roy. So he got on the horn, spoke to the gallery, and made the transaction without every having laid eyes on the piece in person. Of course, DiCaprio isn’t the first collector to do this (see Chelsea Gallerist Zach Feuer Sees Sales Bolstered by Instagram), but he is the most famous. How did gallery employees react when Leonardo DiCaprio’s “people” called them up? Find out: Leonardo DiCaprio Buys Art on Instagram at PULSE Art Fair.

LOOK INSIDE THE DICAPRIO COLLECTION
What can we say, it’s been a very Leo week. After learning of DiCaprio’s Instagram buy, we did some sleuthing into what works he has in his collection. Suffice it to say, it isn’t just kooky sci-fi stuff. DiCaprio has a penchant for works by Frank Stella, Takashi Murakami, Ed Ruscha, and Urs Fischer, and even commissioned a portrait by Elizabeth Peyton. Here’s a peek: Take a Look Inside Leonardo DiCaprio’s Growing Art Collection.

SCHOLAR EXPOSES VAN GOGH’S HIDDEN HOMAGE TO LEONARDO DA VINCI
Scholar Jared Baxter, who recently gave a lecture at the Dutch Association of Aesthetics, believes Vincent van Gogh may have hidden an homage to Leonardo da Vinci‘s The Last Supper (1495–1498) within his painting Café Terrace at Night (1888). Baxter believes Van Gogh hid various religious symbols in a number of his works. His evidence? See: Scholar Claims Van Gogh Hid Secret Homage to Leonardo da Vinci’s The Last Supper In His Café Terrace at Night.

TONY SHAFRAZI IS SUING HIS LANDLORD
Art dealer Tony Shafrazi is suing the landlord of his former gallery space on West 26th Street, which he was evicted from last year, for $20 million. The suit alleges that when Shafrazi signed the 15-year, $16,666-a-month contract in 2003, the landlord neglected to inform him that drilling was scheduled to begin nearby on the MTA’s extension of the 7 train line. He is thus accusing the landlord of withholding crucial information about the property from him. The dealer is, interestingly, experiencing a similar legal battle with regards to his SoHo loft. For the full story, read: Bitter Tony Shafrazi Sues Landlord for $20 Million After Eviction.

COULD A BANKSY MURAL HAVE CURSED THIS MAN’S HOME?
A Cheltenham man claims a Banksy painting has been nothing but trouble for him. After Banksy painted Spy Booth on the facade of the man’s home, the man became the inadvertent owner of a seven-figure work of art. His attempts to protect the work have been stalled by bureaucratic red tape. Meanwhile, he can’t make any repairs to his home without eliciting outrage from locals who fear the work will be harmed. “I’ve said right from the beginning I think it deserves to stay in Cheltenham,” he said. “If Cheltenham wants it, Cheltenham can have it. But I need to get on with my own life.” What’s his solution? See: Collector Says Banksy Mural Cursed His House.

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The Go-To Guide for 2015 Asia Week New York