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 Friday, March 17.
NEED TO READ
Impact of Covid on London museums – Museums are still trying to bring their attendance figures back to where they were in 2019. The British Museum reported 4.1 million visitors in 2022, which, while still more than three times higher than in 2021 , is still a third lower than its 2019 number of 6.2 million. Similarly, the Tate Modern saw 3.9 million visitors, down 36% from 2019. The Victoria and Albert Museum saw 2.4 million visitors, down 40%. (The arts journal)
Tribe Weighs Last Home for Returned Cultural Objects – Members of the Oglala Sioux tribe, from Wounded Knee, decide by consensus what to do with 130 artifacts and human remains that have been returned by the Founders Museum in Massachusetts. There is consensus that human remains should be buried; when it comes to objects, including grave goods, some believe they should be buried or burned according to spiritual practices. Others hope they will go to a museum run by the tribe. The institution accepted the return last fall. (New York Times)
The Tom Sachs Spinoff Exposes – Nike has responded to allegations about the work environment in artist Tom Sachs’ studio. The company said it was “deeply concerned about the very serious allegations” and is investigating the matter. A survey of Braked cited former employees who alleged Sachs made comments related to employees’ gender and appearance, called people by offensive names, threw objects across the room and walked around in his underwear. Nike may have already had some clues about the Sachs vibe – apparently the company changed the packaging for a sneaker collaboration with artist Tom Sachs in 2017, which featured the phrase “work like a slave “. (Complex, ART news)
MOVERS AND SHAKERS
The gallery merry-go-round spins – Gladstone Gallery has announced it is bringing the late Robert Rauschenberg’s million dollar artwork Maybe the market (Night Shade) at the upcoming Art Basel fair in Hong Kong to mark his official representation of the artist’s estate with Thaddaeus Ropac and Luisa Strina. Lehmann Maupin presents new artist Sung Neung Kyung Location 2 (1980), available for $150,000 to $200,000. At the same time, Almine Rech now represents the Joël Andrianomearisoa, very popular Malagasy artist. (FinancialTimes, Press release)
Culture & Partners With Sotheby’s Institute of Art – The first Culture& and Sotheby’s Institute of Art Cultural Leaders program will launch in September 2023 to “empower and nurture the next generation of diverse leaders”. Three full scholarships for the 2023-24 and 2025-26 academic years will be available to students from underrepresented communities for the schools’ Masters of Contemporary Art programs; fine arts and decorative arts and design; and artistic affairs. (Press release)
List of Art Fair Exhibitor Names – The Basel-based contemporary art fair is set to return June 12-18 with 88 galleries from 35 countries around the world. Returning galleries include Tehran-based Dastan, Brussels-based Super Dakota, Los Angeles/New York-based François Ghebaly, Berlin-based Sweetwater, and Paris-based Parliament. (Press release)
FOR ART
The artist who survived the Holocaust – Actor Emile Hirsch has joined the cast of the upcoming film Bau: artist at war, which tells the story of the artist who was imprisoned in the Plaszow camp and used his creative talents to save hundreds of prisoners by forging identity documents. The wedding of the artist and his wife Rebecca at the camp was dramatized in Steven Spielberg Schindler’s list. (Variety)
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