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 on Monday, July 3.
NEED TO READ
California Universities Fail to Meet Restitution Requirements – A state audit found that in the three decades since a 1990 federal law established a process for the repatriation of Native American remains or cultural heritage, less than half of California’s 21 campuses have complied. Twelve did not complete the first stage of reviewing their collections and only 6% actually returned items to their tribe of origin. (The arts journal)
American artist John Dugger is dead The traveling entertainer has died aged 72. He traveled widely and was known for his avant-garde and highly political works and interventions. Most notably, he built the People’s Participation Pavilion at Documenta 5 in 1972 and founded the Banner Arts Studio in 1976, dedicated to the textile art form that defined his practice. (Guardian)
A new book links a New York cult to the disappearance of Jackson Pollock? – Alexander Stille, author of a new book released last month called The Sullivanians: Sex, Psychotherapy, and the Wildlife of an American Commune, suggested that there is a connection between Pollock’s untimely death and the Sullivan Institute, a cult based on Manhattan’s Upper West Side. Encouraged by art critic Clement Greenberg to join the group, known for encouraging alcohol consumption and sexual freedom, Stille suggests that Pollock’s membership contributed to his alcoholism and his infidelity to Lee Krasner. He died in a car accident in 1956. (QG, Daily mail)
Artist Hsiao Chin has passed away – The Chinese pioneer of post-war abstraction in China has died aged 88. He has lived and worked in Europe for over six decades, fusing Western modernist movements with Eastern spirituality. He died peacefully on June 30 in a Taiwan hospital, his London gallery confirmed in a statement. (Press release)
MOVERS AND SHAKERS
Van Gogh’s first buyer gets his first solo exhibition – The modern art museum Mu.ZEE in Ostend, Belgium, shines the spotlight on avant-garde Belgian artist Anna Boch with the new exhibition “Anna Boch, an impressionist journey”. It includes 96 paintings by the artist – the only woman in the Belgian artist group Les Vingt (Les Vingt) – including an interior scene in which Boch included one of his two Van Gogh paintings, Peach trees in bloom. The Dutch artist sadly only sold one painting –The red vineyard– before his death by suicide, and Boch was the buyer. (The arts journal)
More layoffs in the art industry – Amid the fears of a drop in the art market, there have been a series of layoffs at a number of leading companies, including 35 employees at Artsy, or 15% of its staff. Sotheby’s and LGDR have also reportedly made cuts, and there has been a lot of staff turnover at online sales platform LiveArt. (The Web, ART news)
Half of stolen NFTs are sold in less than 3 hours – A report from blockchain security firm PeckShield found that if you are the victim of NFT theft, you need to act fast if you want your art back, as half of all stolen NFTs are resold within three hours. In more positive news, Rogues only succeeded with $2.27 million in NFT in June 2023, an 85% decrease from February’s high of $16.2 million. (Coin Telegraph)
Skarstedt Gallery hires – New York gallery Skarstedt made two big hiring moves, hooking Françoise de Saint Phalle from the LGDR as commercial director, and The Sotheby’s veteran George O’Dell, most recently Executive Vice President of LiveArt, as Senior Director of Sales. (The Web)
FOR THE ARTS
Murals celebrate Magritte’s 125th birthday – The city of Brussels is commemorating what would have been Magritte’s 125th birthday on November 21 this year by commissioning eight large murals as part of a new outdoor exhibition. These tributes are inspired by the most famous surrealist paintings and are the work of French street artist Julien de Casabianca. (The Brussels Times)
Pedestrians walk past a wall reproduction of René Magritte’s work painted by artist Julien de Casabianca in Brussels. Photo: NICOLAS MAETERLINCK/BELGA/AFP via Getty Images.
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