Art Industry News is a daily summary of the most important developments in the art world and the art market. Here’s what you need to know this Wednesday, July 19.
NEED TO READ
Inside the looted art museum of donor Shelby White – A trustee who was also on the Met’s acquisition committee, White may have had an eye for valuable antiques, but it appears she didn’t examine their provenance too closely. Seventy-one stolen items worth nearly $69 million have been recovered from his Manhattan apartment by investigators over the past two years, and another 17 from the Met. These included ancient Greek vases, a Chinese funerary artifact and several ancient bronze sculptures. (New York Times)
Lawsuit against Guelph Treasure dismissed again – A long-running legal battle, launched by the Jewish heirs of a group of Frankfurt merchants who sold the Guelph treasures to the Prussian state in 1935, has encountered another hurdle. Last week, the United States Court of Appeals upheld a 2022 decision that the claim should not be heard in a US court. (The arts journal)
Smithsonian cancels Asian American Literature Festival – The abrupt, last-minute decision to cancel this year’s festival caught the attention of the Smithsonian’s Asian Pacific American Center. More than 1,000 writers and artists have signed an open letter criticizing the organization’s lack of explanation or accountability for its actions and calling for the immediate resignation of its acting director Yao-Fen You. (Hyperallergic)
Israeli antiques blocked at Mar-a-Lago – The antiquities were loaned by Israel to former US President Donald Trump for a 2019 White House exhibit that never took place. According to a new report, they were eventually moved to Trump’s vacation home in Mar-a-Lago, Florida, but have not yet been repatriated. (ART news)
MOVERS AND SHAKERS
The kitchen appoints the main curator – Robyn Farrell has been named senior curator at Manhattan nonprofit arts space The Kitchen and will begin her role on August 1. Previously a curator at the Art Institute of Chicago, Farrell will work closely with CEO and Chief Curator Legacy Russell. (Press release)
The Museum of the City of New York appoints a new president – Meanwhile, Stephanie Hill Wilchfort will take on the role of director and president of the Museum of the City of New York in September, after serving as president and CEO of Brooklyn’s Children’s Museum. (New York Times)
Gucci partners with Christie’s on NFTs – Auction and fashion houses are teaming up for the “Future Frequencies: Explorations in Generative Art and Fashion” on-chain auction on Christie’s 3.0 platform. Works by artists such as Claire Silver, Tyler Hobbs and Emily Xie will be featured on the Gucci Art Space online gallery. (Observer)
FOR THE ARTS
The Tate lends the Rothko room for a major Paris fair – One of the Tate’s most beloved attractions, a room dedicated to Mark Rothko’s purple, orange and brown Seagram murals, is loaned to the Fondation Louis Vuitton in Paris for a retrospective of abstract expressionism this fall (October 18 to April 2, 2024). In return, the Tate Modern has been lent and will soon present a series of works by Joan Mitchell which were exhibited by the foundation last year. (The arts journal)
A gallery technician poses next to the Seagram Murals, by artist Mark Rothko at Tate Britain on October 15, 2020 in London, England. Photo by John Phillips/Getty Images.
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