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 Thursday, April 20.
NEED TO READ
Prague has restored damaged artefacts in Syria – The National Museum in Prague will next month return a group of twenty artifacts that were damaged during an armed conflict in Syria after being restored by the Czech institution. (ART news)
New Trump NFT sells out on day one – Former US President Donald Trump could face a lot of uncertainties about his political career and legal disputes, but his NFTs are certainly doing well. After it was revealed that he won $1 million after selling out its first collection of NFTs last year, its second collection of 47,000 digital collectibles sold out in a single day after its launch on Tuesday. (Cointelegraph)
Basquiat owned by Valentino at auction – The 12 foot wide canvas work El Gran Espectaculo (The Nile) (1983), also known as Untitled (Black History) from the famous Italian fashion designer’s collection will go on sale at Christie’s New York in May, with an estimated presale of $45 million. (ART news)
The Shakespeare Museum will open in London – A new venue for bard megafans will open in Shoreditch next year on the site of the Curtain Playhouse, one of London’s first theaters where Shakespeare’s plays were staged. Although other famous theaters like the Globe and the Theater were built in the “wooden O” style depicted in Henry V, the Rideau is actually a rectangular structure. The new museum will serve as an anchor point for the next commercial development called la Scène. (The arts journal)
MOVERS AND SHAKERS
Christie’s reveals its environmental impact report – The auction house says it has reduced its emissions by 37% since 2019. Progress is on track with its goal of reducing global carbon emissions by 50% and reaching net zero by 2030. (Press release)
Senzeni Marasela wins first K21 World Art Prize – The South African visual artist is the first recipient of the prize, awarded by the Stiftung Kunstsammlung Nordrhein-Westfalen in Düsseldorf. An exhibition of Marasela’s work is currently on display at the museum, which will now present the honor to one artist each year. (Press release)
Director of MMCA in South Korea resigns – Youn Bum-mo officially resigned as director of the Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art of South Korea, halfway through his second three-year term, which was due to expire in 2025. The leadership of the MMCA has constantly changed over the past decade, with a new director appointed after a new president took office. Youn, who was appointed to the post under the previous administration, had his contract renewed last year shortly before current chairman Yoon Suk-yeol took over the reins. In January, a museum audit disclosed that it had 16 cases of illegal or unfair business practices. (The Korean Herald)
Walker Art Center Appoints Rosario Güiraldes as Curator of Visual Arts – The Buenos Aires-born curator joined the Minneapolis, Minnesota-based museum after serving as associate curator at the Drawing Center in New York. Güiraldes takes up his new duties on May 1, 2023. (Press release)
FOR THE ARTS
Scout Zabinski opens his London debut at the Carl Kostyal – Entitled “Into the Veil”, the young American painter’s first solo in the British capital presents a new set of oil paintings and an incursion into sculpture. The work is rich in cultural subtexts and references to personal trauma, including a series of nude paintings depicting her in vibrant colors and her first sculpture. (Press release)
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