Art Industry News is a daily summary of the most important developments in the world and the art market. Here’s what you need to know this Wednesday, June 6.
TO READ
documenta 14 Artists support the injured Greek mayor – More than 120 artists and curators who participated in documenta 14 wrote an open letter to condemn the attack on Yannis Boutaris, 75-year-old mayor of Thessaloniki, by a far-right mob in northern Greece on 19 may. his support of the city’s Turkish, Jewish and LGBTQ communities and his collaboration on the recent exhibition. (Art forum)
Teenager convicted of British Museum terror plan – An 18-year-old from south London has been found guilty of planning an attack at the British Museum. Safaa Boular is the youngest female Islamic State terrorist convicted in Britain. (BBC)
Jennifer Lawrence is dating an art dealer – Page six excitedly reports that the movie star’s “secret new boyfriend” is “dashing New York gallerist” Cooke Maroney. Currently director of the Gladstone Gallery, he previously worked at Gagosian. The two men have reportedly been seeing each other for a few weeks. Gallery dinners may have just gotten a lot more exciting! (Page six)
Google highlights Iraqi heritage in danger – The tech giant and New York’s World Monuments Fund have teamed up to launch a series of online exhibitions aimed at raising awareness of endangered cultural heritage in Iraq. Stories of destruction and reconstruction are illustrated with drone footage, 3D models and videos. (The arts journal)
ART MARKET
Leslie Hindman Auctions appoints new managing director – Thomas Galbraith succeeds Leslie Hindman as CEO of the company she founded, while she will become chairman of the board. Galbraith previously worked as artnet’s director of global strategy and as interim CEO of Google Ventures startup Twyla. The auction house recently received an investment from a private equity firm intended to fund large-scale growth. (ARTnews)
Sotheby’s sues Greece over antiquity – In an unusual move, the auction house and family of late collectors Howard and Saretta Barnet are suing the Greek government after its culture ministry objected to the sale of an ancient Greek statuette of a horse. The lot of blankets was withdrawn from the Sotheby’s New York sale on May 14. Records show that disgraced British dealer Robin Symes dealt in the antiquity. (Financial Times)
Paul Smeets appointed president of paintings at TEFAF Maastricht – The president of the Old Paintings Gallery Rob Smeets in Geneva has succeeded Konrad Bernheimer as president of the painting section of the fair. He also joined the TEFAF executive committee. (Press release)
Did a U-turn on the ivory ban swing the British elections? – Former UK Environment Secretary Owen Paterson said a tougher ivory ban was omitted at the last minute from the 2017 Conservative agenda – a decision he said contributed to to the government’s disappointing electoral results. (Evening standd)
COMINGS AND GOINGS
Tate Britain appoints director of exhibitions and displays – German-born curator Andrea Schlieker will take up her new role at the Tate in September. Previously she was Director of Commissions and External Projects at White Cube and founding curator of the Folkestone Triennale. (Press release)
Freelands announces new funding – Elisabeth Murdoch’s Freelands Artist Program has chosen four galleries to share £1.5 million ($2 million) in grants to promote new talent. These are the G39 in Cardiff, Wales; PS2 (Paragon Studios / Project Space) in Belfast, Northern Ireland; Site Gallery, Sheffield; and the Talbot Rice Gallery at the University of Edinburgh. (Press release)
Iceland taps a shoplifter to steal the show at the Venice Biennale – Shoplifter is the pseudonym of Brooklyn-based Icelandic artist Hrafnhildur Arnardóttir, who was selected to represent her native country at the 2019 Venice Biennale. The 50-year-old artist is known for creating monumental installations with artificial hair and true. (ARTnews)
Weisman Art Museum chief resigns Lyndel King announced his intention to resign in June 2020 after 40 years as the museum’s director and chief curator. Under his leadership, the University of Minnesota Museum moved to a new home designed by Frank Gehry. (Press release)
FOR THE LOVE OF ART
Oprah gets her own show at the Smithsonian – The National Museum of African American History and Culture has launched “Watching Oprah: The Oprah Winfrey Show and American Culture,” a year-long exhibition celebrating the media titan. She is a longtime supporter and one of the largest donors to the Washington, DC museum. (Charm)
Kiki Smith takes over New York synagogue – The artist filled the Eldridge Street Museum, a converted former synagogue on New York’s Lower East Side, with 50 enchanting works. Birds covered in gold leaf perch on suspended aluminum chairs in front of a stained glass window, while wooden sculptures line the benches. (Hyperallergic)
V&A East downsizes, but takes a fashionable turn – Fashion house Balenciaga is behind the new V&A East, set to open in London’s upcoming East Bank cultural district. The design will be wrapped in a dress-like outer layer. The branch will, however, take up less space than previously planned, as the designs need to preserve the skyline view of St Paul’s Cathedral. (Evening standard)
Royal Academicians flags fly over Mayfair in London – To celebrate its 250th anniversary, the Royal Academy is flying arty flags over the streets of Mayfair. They were designed by four academicians: Grayson Perry, Cornelia Parker, Rose Wylie and 90-year-old pop art pioneer Joe Tilson, whose Venice-inspired flags fly above Regents Street. (Instagram)
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