“Un Mundo Sin Muros” translates to “A World Without Walls” (photo courtesy of Enrique Chiu)
Week in Review is a weekly collection of news, developments, and stirrings in the art world. Subscribe to receive these posts as a weekly newsletter.
In response to Donald Trump’s pledge to build a “big, beautiful wall” on the US–Mexico border, Mexican artist Enrique Chiu embarked on a large-scale mural project on the existing border fence to spread a message of peace, with the help of 3,8000 volunteers. | Hyperallergic
PEN America condemned the Trump Administration for closing child detention Camps to journalists, saying: “It is shocking that the American public largely must learn about the dangerous conditions at these detention centers not through reporters being able to cover the news, but through second-hand reports from lawyers and advocates granted access under a legal agreement with the U.S. border patrol.” | Hyperallergic
Sheefy McFly, a Detroit-based street artist and musician, was arrested while painting a mural commissioned by the city after police mistook him for a vandal. “They treated me like a felon even though I was commissioned by the city to do this,” said McFly, adding that he felt “racially profiled and bullied.” | Hyperallergic
New Museum Union members chanted and handed out leaflets on Tuesday night protesting stalled contract negotiations as the museum’s summer exhibitions opened to visitors, amassing a crowd of nearly 300 supporters. | Hyperallergic
Renowned art collector Agnes Gund and her daughter, Catherine Gund, signed an open letter to the 2020 Democratic presidential candidates compelling them to tax the wealthy. The next day, Eli Broad (whose name bears the Broad Museum in Los Angeles), published an op-ed in the New York Times saying: “Wealthy people like me should commit to reducing the ravages of economic inequality.” | Medium, NYT
Three Matildas in the Mischief Mob lead a revolt against BP. (photo by Ron Fassbender)
British actor, theatre director, and playwright Mark Rylance resigned as an associate artist of the Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC) after 30 years, admonishing the company’s ongoing ties to British Petroleum (BP). “ … I feel I must resign as I do not wish to be associated with BP any more than I would with an arms dealer, a tobacco salesmen or any company or individual who willfully destroys the lives of others alive and unborn,” he wrote in an opinion article published in the Guardian. “Nor do I believe would William Shakespeare.” | Hyperallergic
NURTUREart, a veteran Brooklyn nonprofit Gallery, is closing. The gallery, which gave exhibition opportunities to emerging artists and curators, cited a “confluence of resource challenges and a shifting environment for non-profits” as the reason for its closing after its current season. | Hyperallergic
Former students of the now-closed Phoenix Art Institute were supposed to have their debts forgiven under the Closed School Discharge program. That didn’t happen, leaving them with tens of thousands of dollars in limbo. | Hyperallergic
The Lab, a San Francisco nonprofit, is raising money to buy the historical Redstone Labor Temple in the city’s trendy Mission District before it’s turned into corporate offices. | Hyperallergic
Someone stole a golden egg from Salvador Dalí’s “Space Venus,” a $2.8 million sculpture in Vancouver. The theft might bring an end to an annual public art project in the city dedicated to Dalí’s sculptures. | Hyperallergic
Caravaggio, “Judith Beheading Holofernes” (circa 1607), (image courtesy Cabinet Turquin)
A so-called Caravaggio painting that was seemingly lost to time has just been sold to a mysterious buyer for an undisclosed sum. It was previously estimated to sell for as much as $171 million when Marc Labarbe Auctions (based in Toulouse, France) canceled an auction planned for June 27. The piece, “Judith Beheading Holofernes” (circa 1607) was found in an attic in 2014 and painstakingly restored. It will now go to a private collector. Not everyone agrees that it’s a Caravaggio, however, as Hyperallergic reported in 2016. Eric Turquin, the dealer and appraiser who authenticated the painting, has released a lengthy catalogue and website defending its authenticity. | ArtNet
This and other notable sales and acquisitions are chronicled in our latest Transactions story.
Hyperallergic is commemorating Pride Month by featuring one contemporary queer artist per day as part of a series, Queer Artists in Their Own Words.
This Week in the Art World
Diedrick Brackens, “bitter attendance, drown jubilee” (2018), woven cotton and acrylic yarn and silk organza, 72 x 72 inches (© Diedrick Brackens. Courtesy of the artist, Jack Shainman Gallery, New York and Various Small Fires, Los Angeles.)
Hamja Ahsan was awarded the Grand Prize by the 33rd Ljubljana Biennial of Graphic Arts. | Artforum
The inaugural edition of Singapore-based fair ART SG has been postponed to October 2020. | Artforum
The Baltimore Museum of Art has opened a 250-square-foot satellite space in Lexington Market. | Baltimore Sun
Han Bing, Robert Nava, and Brie Ruais are now represented by Night Gallery. | ARTnews
Mohamed Bourouissa is now represented by Blum & Poe. | via email announcement
Diedrick Brackens is now represented by Jack Shainman Gallery. | CultureType
Joey De Jesus, Oasa DuVerney, Adama Delphine Fawundu, Christie Neptune, Jamaal Peterman, and Padma Rajendran were selected to receive the 2019-20 ArtFP commission by BRIC. | via email announcement
Sue Canterbury has been promoted to curator at the Dallas Museum of Art. | Artforum
Bethany Collins, Assaf Evron, Brendan Fernandes, Caroline Kent, and Alice Tippit are the finalists for Artadia’s annual Chicago awards. | ARTnews
Spencer Crew was appointed the interim head of the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture. | CultureType
Gagosian hired Sebastian Cwilich, the co-founder of Artsy, as an adviser. | ARTnews
The winners of the inaugural Detroit City of Design Competition, awarded by Design Core Detroit, are Cyclerate by SmithGroup; Garden Novella by Other Works; and 3Rooms by Collectif Escargo. | via email announcement
Kate Fowle was appointed director of MoMA PS1 in Long Island City. | Artforum
The IFPDA Fine Art Print Fair has announced the 70 galleries exhibiting in its next edition. | ARTnews
Nicolas Party is now represented by Hauser & Wirth. | ARTnews
Mike Steib was appointed CEO of Artsy. Carter Cleveland, the platform’s co-founder and former chief executive, will begin a new role as executive chairman. | ARTnews
Lucas Zwirner was named head of content for David Zwirner Gallery. Fang Zhong was named digital editorial director of the gallery. | ARTnews
In Memoriam
Dave Bartholomew (1918–2019), producer, arranger, composer, trumpet player, and bandleader who helped shape New Orleans R&B scene | NYT
Steve Dunleavy (1938–2019), journalist | New York Post
David Esterly (1944–2019), sculptor and writer | NYT
Nancy Fouts (1945–2019), sculptor | The Times
Charles Ginnever (1931–2019), sculptor | AV Press
Michael Jaffee (1938–2019), co-founder of the Waverly Consort | NYT
Judith Krantz (1928–2019), romance novelist | New Yorker
Mitchel Levitas (1929–2019), journalist and editor | NYT
Jim Pike (1936–2019), co-founder and lead singer of the Letterman | Boston Globe
Sascha Pohlflepp (1978–2019), artist and design researcher | Artforum
Elliot Roberts (1943–2019), manager of musicians | NYT
Peter Selz (1919–2019), art historian who specialized in German Expressionism | Berkeleyside
Philippe ‘Zdar’ Cerboneschi (1967–2019), producer and electronic artist | NPR
