Screenshot from Jeffrey Deitch's video tour of what he calls his "movie-star house," formerly owned by Cary GrantDid anyone besides me gag while reading this press release from LA MOCA?Max Anderson, director of the Indianapolis Museum of Art, apparently did. On his Twitter page today, Max allowed himself an implied dig at a colleague, LA MOCA's director Jeffrey Deitch, whose … [Read more...] about Museum Director Smackdown: Indy Max Jabs LA Jeffrey UPDATED
Archives for 2010
Brooklyn’s Costume “Transfer” to the Met: A Huge Deaccession-in-Disguise
Beaded velvet ball gown with fur-edged hem, Paris, 1890s, offered from Brooklyn Museum's costume collection at Augusta Auctions' Nov. 10 sale in New YorkI've got a major correction to make: I was wrong in unconditionally extolling the transfer of the Brooklyn Museum's costume collection to the Metropolitan Museum, back when that deal was announced two years ago. My chief … [Read more...] about Brooklyn’s Costume “Transfer” to the Met: A Huge Deaccession-in-Disguise
Steve Cohen Grabs Himself a “Coke” (but not a MoMA trustee seat) UPDATED
Stevie pops the top lot? Warhol, "Coca-Cola [4] [Large Coca-Cola], 1962Making the Internet rounds is this link to Judd Tully's Friday ArtInfo piece, which outed megacollector Steve Cohen as the buyer of the top-priced lot in Sotheby's evening contemporary sale last week---the nearly seven-foot-high Warhol "Coca-Cola," 1962, which bubbled to an estimate-defying $35.36 … [Read more...] about Steve Cohen Grabs Himself a “Coke” (but not a MoMA trustee seat) UPDATED
Shanghai Ai: Your Seat at His Protest “Crab Fest”
Wish you could have attended the protest "Crab Fest" that was hosted in absentia by Chinese dissident artist Ai Weiwei at his soon-to-be-demolished Shanghai studio? Now you can!Ai Weiwei / River Crab Feast @ Shanghai Studio from An Xiao Mina (An Xiao) on Vimeo.On a much less celebratory and more personal note: I had to do a U-turn yesterday on my way to Boston, where I was … [Read more...] about Shanghai Ai: Your Seat at His Protest “Crab Fest”
$42.64-Million Record for Lichtenstein in Christie’s Businesslike Sale
Amy Cappellazzo, talking to a recalcitrant bidder?No, its Roy Lichtenstein's "Ohhh...Alright...," 1964Auctioneer Christopher Burge checked his watch as he descended from the podium after tonight's contemporary sale at Christie's and saw that he had clocked a speedy two hours for his 75-lot marathon---an average of about 1.6 minutes between hammer thwacks. It was a brisk, … [Read more...] about $42.64-Million Record for Lichtenstein in Christie’s Businesslike Sale
Met Repatriates 19 King Tut Objects: Other Tut Holdings to Remain?
Bronze figurine of a dog with a painted gold collar, left; lapis lazuli bracelet inlay in the form of a sphinx, above (Photos: Metropolitan Museum of Art) The Metropolitan Museum and the Egyptian government have jointly announced the Met's return to Egypt of 19 objects from King Tutankamun's tomb that had been unearthed during Howard Carter's celebrated excavations. Both … [Read more...] about Met Repatriates 19 King Tut Objects: Other Tut Holdings to Remain?
Highlights of $222.45-Million Sotheby’s Contemporary Auction: The Curatorial Effect
Auctioneer Tobias Meyer, caught between a $14.08-million Bacon and a $35.36-million WarholShould Michael Taylor get a commission?It seems likely that tonight's record at Sotheby's for a work on paper by Arshile Gorky---$3.67 million ($3.2 million hammer price, against an estimate of only $800,000 to $1.2 million) owes something to the spurt of interest in such works created by … [Read more...] about Highlights of $222.45-Million Sotheby’s Contemporary Auction: The Curatorial Effect
Shame on Italy: Marion True’s Case Ends with a Whimper
I used to worry about how long it was taking. But the more it lasts, the more will be the shame. So said Paolo Ferri, then Italy's prosecutor in the Marion True antiquities trafficking trial, during our chat in Athens two and a half years ago. Ferri was right, but not in the sense that he intended. What's shameful is making the Getty Museum's former antiquities curator … [Read more...] about Shame on Italy: Marion True’s Case Ends with a Whimper
MeTube at Children’s Palace, Shanghai: Break Dancing, Baton Twirling
Drawing class at the Children's Palace for children gifted in the arts, ShanghaiWhile we're on the subject of China, let me lighten up and bring you one of the many delights of my recent vacation there. (I really did treat it as a vacation, not my usual workation.)In Shanghai last month, I got a glimpse of the engaging goings-on at one of the several Children's Palaces … [Read more...] about MeTube at Children’s Palace, Shanghai: Break Dancing, Baton Twirling
Weiwei Fray: “Harmonious” Party Goes on Without the Host
Image of Ai Weiwei's Shanghai studio, slated for the wrecking ballChinese dissident artist Ai Weiwei successfully hosted a party in absentia at his soon-to-be-demolished studio in the Malu Town section of Shanghai. The "crab fest," attended by more than 400 supporters (according to the BBC), went off without a hitch, without incident and with the crustaceans.Tania Branigan of … [Read more...] about Weiwei Fray: “Harmonious” Party Goes on Without the Host
Ai Weiwei Under House Arrest: Chinese Police Crabby about His “Crab Fest” UPDATED TWICE
Ai WeiweiThe only surprise to this story is how Ai Weiwei managed to stay not arrested for so long.So writes Elaine Chow of the Shanghaiist blog (part of the Gothamist network), regarding the news, published by the Chinese dissident artist on his Twitter page, that Chinese police have put him under house arrest. (My above link to Ai's post is to the site of the tumblr-based … [Read more...] about Ai Weiwei Under House Arrest: Chinese Police Crabby about His “Crab Fest” UPDATED TWICE
Judge Approves Fisk/Crystal Bridges Deal, Restricts Use of Walton’s $30 Million
Davidson County Chancellor Ellen Hobbs LyleIn her latest astonishing Memorandum and Order, issued today, Davidson County Chancellor Ellen Hobbs Lyle ruled that Fisk University can sell a half-share in its Stieglitz Collection to Alice Walton's planned Crystal Bridges Museum for $30 million. But what Lyle giveth with one hand, she taketh away with the other: The financially … [Read more...] about Judge Approves Fisk/Crystal Bridges Deal, Restricts Use of Walton’s $30 Million
AFP Reports: Ai Weiwei’s New Shanghai Studio Faces Demolition
Ai Weiwei's "Sunflower Seeds," now at the Tate ModernTate Photography, © Ai Weiwei [More on the Weiwei Fray: here and here.]Speaking of Chinese dissident artist Ai Weiwei, this just in from Agence France-Presse:Outspoken Chinese artist Ai Weiwei says he is offering his supporters 10,000 river crabs---an autumn delicacy---to "celebrate" the government-ordered demolition of his … [Read more...] about AFP Reports: Ai Weiwei’s New Shanghai Studio Faces Demolition
MeTube in China: Tiananmen Square’s Black Smoke Enshrouds Mao
China Journey: The Grrl at The WallI'm back, art-lings, but not exactly better than ever. I had a fabulous time in China---a particularly exciting place to visit right now, thanks to both its increasingly dominant economy and its proliferating architecture-on-steroids:Shanghai's skyline, seen from my hotel windowA tour-bus view of Rem Koolhaas' Beijing headquarters for CCTV … [Read more...] about MeTube in China: Tiananmen Square’s Black Smoke Enshrouds Mao
National Academy No Longer Ostracized: It’s About Time! UPDATED WITH PODCAST
It figures that I'd be halfway around the world (and not blogging) when the Association of Art Museum Directors announced its long overdue decision to lift the sanctions it imposed almost two years ago on the National Academy. As CultureGrrl readers know, I broke the story about the National Academy's stealth deaccessions in late 2008 of two important paintings---a Church … [Read more...] about National Academy No Longer Ostracized: It’s About Time! UPDATED WITH PODCAST