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 Tuesday, May 16.
NEED TO READ
Matthew Barney returns to New York – The entertainer and ex-high school quarterback scrutinizes the violence and spectacle of American football in “Secondary”, a new exhibition in Long Island City now open until June 25. The five-channel cinematic installation takes as its starting point the infamous 1978 incident when Jack Tatum delivered an open-field hit on Darryl Stingley, leaving the New England Patriots wide receiver paraplegic. (New York Times)
Bisa Butler takes quilted portraits – The textile artist opened a personal exhibition “The world is yours” at Jeffrey Deitch’s New York Gallery (until June 30) featuring a new series of colorful quilts based on celebratory photographs of everyday and famous black figures from recent history, including those of Janette Beckman, Gordon Parks and Jamel Shabazz. The idea was inspired by the uplifting lyrics of rapper Nas. (NYT)
Santa Fe Museum reopens after successful funding bid – Despite sudden closure last month, a fundraising campaign raised enough money for the Santa Fe Center for Contemporary Art to resume programming at its movie center. The organization will be led by former board chairman Paul Barnes, a retired documentary editor who will host a series of film screenings and events with critic David N. Meyer and the founder of No Name. Cinema Justin Clifford Rhody. (Hyperallergic)
Indian government denies repatriation request report – The country disputed a report by the The telegraph of the day claiming he plans to make a major appeal to the UK for the return of artefacts taken during colonial rule. Sources quoted in the Indian press say the report was a “significant exaggeration” and “unfortunately misleading”. Instead, India takes a more targeted approach and requests the return of several specific items. (The arts journal)
MOVERS AND SHAKERS
Sprüth Magers now representing Martine Syms – The announcement comes ahead of the American artist’s first solo exhibition at the gallery’s Los Angeles location, “Loser Back Home,” which showcases new work across photography, film, painting and sculpture. Syms, who made headlines last year for his satirical film The Desperate African, and who is currently a 2023 Guggenheim Scholar, will continue to be represented by the headquarters of Sadie Coles in London and Bridget Donahue in New York. (Press release)
French PR launches an online art platform – Publicist and art collector Maurice Lévy has announced the launch of YourArt, a YouTube-inspired website featuring artwork for sale through 3D digital displays and artist interviews. The ambitious project is financed by friends, including Patrick Drahi, owner of Sotheby’s. (The world)
The Shanghai Biennale appoints a curator – The artist Anton Vidokle will be the chief curator of the next Shanghai Biennale, which opens its 14e edition from November 9 to March 31, 2024. The exhibition “will reflect on how the artists have advanced our understanding of the relationship between life on earth and the cosmos that nourishes and conditions it”. (ArtReview)
FOR THE ARTS
Ai WeiWei’s Fly to Stay Put in Cornwall – The monumental sculpture of the artist Roots (2019) has been installed in the Rainforest Biome at the Eden Project in Cornwall, England, having been part of the centre’s ‘Super Natural’ exhibition since September 2022. Weighing nearly 1.5 tonnes and incorporating the root of an endangered Pequi Vinagreiro tree from Brazil, the work was nestled among South American wildlife despite being several miles from its natural habitat. The work “provokes questions about the human and planetary cost of deforestation and rainforest fragmentation,” said Eden arts curator Misha Curson. (Press release)
Ai Weiwei, Fly (2019) is now on display in the iconic Rainforest Biome at the Eden Project. Photo: Callum Leak, courtesy of the artist and Eden Project.
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