Plus, Poland's right-wing government sacks another museum director and Portugal is accused of violating its duty to the Venice Biennale.
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 Friday, December 10.
Portugal Accused of Botching Venice Biennale Selection – Bruno Leitão, the curator of the Venice Biennale’s Portuguese pavilion, has accused the country’s ministry of culture of violating its duty in the applications process, describing it as “scandalous, completely out of touch with reality and dismissive of art.” Leitão said one jury member deliberately gave the application of Portuguese artist Grada Kilomba, which explores colonial legacies and racism, a dramatically low rating to ensure that the mean score was low enough that it wouldn’t go through. (The Art Newspaper)
Another Left-Leaning Museum Director Sacked in Poland – Jaroslaw Suchan, who has been the director of Łodz’s Museum of Art since 2006, will not have his contract renewed, the Ministry of Culture and Heritage announced last week. Cultural institutions in Poland have been facing a wave of leadership change since the right-wing government took over. (The Art Newspaper)
Warhol Foundation Wants Supreme Court to Review Ruling – The Warhol Foundation in New York filed a petition on Thursday arguing that the Supreme Court should review an earlier decision in favor of photographer Lynn Goldsmith, who accused the famed Pop artist of copyright infringement in his 1984 “Prince” series, which was based on a 1981 photograph she took of the musician Prince while on assignment for Newsweek. (ARTnews)
A Lawyer in the Wildenstein Saga Is Accused of Tax Evasion, Too – Claude Dumont-Beghi, a lawyer accusing French billionaire art dealer Guy Wilderstein of cheating his stepmother Sylvia out of a fortune from the inheritance, is now facing the same fate as her foe. While Guy Wildenstein has been facing criminal probe over alleged tax evasion, Dumont-Beghi has been found hiding $5.1 million she received from her late client Sylvia Wildenstein and has been convicted for tax fraud. (Bloomberg)
Frieze L.A. Releases Exhibitor List – Some 100 galleries from 17 countries will be featured in the line-up of Frieze Los Angeles 2022, the first IRL edition since just before the pandemic lockdown in 2020. The latest edition also shows significant growth from the 2020 edition, which showcased 75 galleries. The L.A. fair will also include Frieze Sculpture Beverly Hills and Focus L.A., dedicated to L.A.-based galleries under 15 years old making solo or duo presentations. (ARTnews)
Investigators Clamp Down on Illegal Antiquities Trade – Investigators from Greece and the United States have seized 180 antiquities traded illegally, including ancient statues and jewels from Greece. Works recovered included a statue of a young man dated 560 B.C. and a bronze eagle that was a part of a cauldron from Crete dated 660 B.C. (Monopol)
Christie’s Relocates Its Shanghai HQ – Christie’s will relocate its Shanghai office and art space to Bund One, a century-old historical building in the heart of the Chinese city’s art and culture scene, in spring 2022. The new location marks the auction house’s continual expansion in the region. It is expecting to move to its new Hong Kong headquarters in 2024. (Press release)
Future Generation Art Prize Awarded – The Berlin-based Afghan artist Aziz Hazara has been awarded the $100,000 Future Generation Art Prize for his video installation Bow Echo, a response to the Kabul local community’s resistance amid prolonged military conflicts. (ARTnews)
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