> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://hyperallergic.com/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # Art Movements - URL: https://hyperallergic.com/art-movements-89/ - Published: 2015-03-06T17:02:27.000Z - Updated: 2025-11-24T16:43:33.000Z - Description: This week in art news: Hans Haacke's "Gift Horse" was unveiled in London's Trafalgar Square, the Smithsonian and Palace of Versailles banned selfie sticks, and a 68-year-old German pensioner commenced his search for the long lost "Amber Room." - Author: Tiernan Morgan - Tags: News, Art Movements, #wp, #wp-post, #image-position-hidden, #Import 2025-11-24 07:08 (2014, 2015, part 2) ![Hans Haacke, "Gift Horse." Commissioned for the Mayor of London’s Fourth Plinth Program (Photo © Gautier Deblonde; Courtesy Bolton & Quinn Ltd)](https://storage.ghost.io/c/51/f8/51f871d8-b6be-4a73-b958-0ca4fff0110a/content/images/hyperallergic-newspack-s3-amazonaws-com/uploads/2015/03/hans-haacke-gift-horse_2_low-res2.jpg) Hans Haacke, “Gift Horse.” Commissioned for the Mayor of London’s Fourth Plinth Program (Photo © Gautier Deblonde; Courtesy Bolton & Quinn Ltd) *Art Movements is a weekly collection of news, developments, and stirrings in the art world.* Hans Haacke’s monumental sculpture, “Gift Horse,” was [unveiled](http://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-31739574?ref=hyperallergic.com) by London mayor Boris Johnson in Trafalgar Square. The work, which depicts an equine skeleton, includes an electronic ribbon displaying a live ticker of the London Stock Exchange. The Iraq Museum [reopened](http://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-31672857?ref=hyperallergic.com) in Baghdad. The museum has estimated that about one third of the 15,000 items that were stolen from its collection in the wake of Saddam Hussein’s toppling have been recovered. An estimated 2,500 additional workers will be [hired](http://www.theartnewspaper.com/articles/Work-on-Louvre-Abu-Dhabi-goes-into-overdrive/37118?ref=hyperallergic.com) to complete the construction of the Louvre Abu Dhabi on Saadiyat Island. Writing for the *Art Newspaper*, Vincent Noce criticized a progress [report](http://www.hrw.org/reports/2015/02/10/migrant-workers-rights-saadiyat-island-united-arab-emirates?ref=hyperallergic.com) by the Human Rights Watch regarding the working conditions of migrant workers, arguing that “the emirate appears to have made a serious effort to address the concern expressed by Western museums and architects.” !["KIDULT "WHITE PRIVILEGE" X APC MODERN SLAVERY #kidult #whiteprivilege #apc #lastniggasinparis #racism" (photo by Kidult/Twitter)](https://storage.ghost.io/c/51/f8/51f871d8-b6be-4a73-b958-0ca4fff0110a/content/images/hyperallergic-newspack-s3-amazonaws-com/uploads/2015/03/kidult-image-apc-paris.jpg) “KIDULT “WHITE PRIVILEGE” X APC MODERN SLAVERY #kidult #whiteprivilege #apc #lastniggasinparis #racism” (photo by Kidult/Twitter) The French graffiti artist Kidult [sprayed](http://animalnewyork.com/2015/urban-artist-kidult-shames-p-c-last-ni-paris/?ref=hyperallergic.com) the word “Niggas” in bright red paint on the exterior of French clothing label APC’s Paris boutique in apparent retaliation for founder Jean Touitou brandishing a sign that read “Last Ni##@$ IN PARIS” when his latest collection premiered in January. The Whitney Museum of American Art [announced](http://whitney.org/Exhibitions/AmericaIsHardToSee?ref=hyperallergic.com) the title of its inaugural exhibition in its new building. *America is Hard to See* will be the largest installation of the museum’s permanent collection to date. The Whitney will open the doors to its new home in the Meatpacking District on May 1. Serge Lasvignes was [nominated](http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-31747500?ref=hyperallergic.com) to replace Alain Seban as head of the Pompidou Center. Critics have accused Lasvignes’ nomination as an instance of political maneuvering and nepotism. The Austrian Art Restitution Advisory Board [ruled](http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-31747759?ocid=socialflow%5Ftwitter&ref=hyperallergic.com) that the “Beethoven Frieze” (1902) — a celebrated mural by Gustav Klimt — should not be returned to the heirs of its original Jewish owners. Erich Lederer claims that he was forced to sell the painting to the Austrian state in 1972 due to an export ban on the work. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/51/f8/51f871d8-b6be-4a73-b958-0ca4fff0110a/content/images/hyperallergic-newspack-s3-amazonaws-com/uploads/2015/03/apg-8896-001.jpg) Prince Paul Petrovitch Troubetzkoy, “Mrs. Harry Payne Whitney (Gertrude Vanderbilt)” (1910), bronze, 21 1/8 x 7 1/2 x 12 3/4 inches (courtesy Hirschl & Adler Galleries) Two bronze sculptures [stolen](http://news.artnet.com/art-world/bronze-statues-recovered-32-years-after-broad-daylight-theft-in-new-york-271873?ref=hyperallergic.com) from the Hirschl & Adler Gallery in 1983 were recovered. Crown Archetype will [publish](http://artsbeat.blogs.nytimes.com/2015/03/01/marina-abramovic-to-publish-a-memoir-in-2016/?%5Fr=0&ref=hyperallergic.com) Marina Abramović’s memoir in the fall of 2016. According to the *Art Newspaper*, Jeff Koons has [tripled](http://www.theartnewspaper.com/articles/Koons-at-cutting-edge-with-giant-stone-mills/37232?ref=hyperallergic.com) the production capacity of Antiquity Store, the artist’s stone workshop in Morrisville, Pennsylvania. The news has fueled speculation that Koons’s next major body of work will be produced through the use of 12 computer-operated stone cutting machines. Ahead of a vote on Jeff Koons’s proposed sculpture for the new Kings basketball arena in Sacramento, several artists have voiced their [opposition](http://fox40.com/2015/03/03/more-angst-over-planned-arena-art/?ref=hyperallergic.com) to his selection at a city council meeting. A prevalent complaint was that local artists were not allowed to submit their proposals for the project. Leo Degianni, the truck driver who struck and killed 30-year-old artist Mathieu Lefevre in 2011, [refused](http://gothamist.com/2015/03/02/mathieu%5Flefevre%5Fcyclist.php?ref=hyperallergic.com) to testify at a DMV safety hearing. Video footage shows Degianni failing to signal in his truck shortly before striking Lefevre as the artist cycled past a right turn. The World Press Photo Contest [stripped](http://www.nytimes.com/2015/03/05/arts/design/world-press-photo-revokes-prize.html?partner=rss&emc=rss&%5Fr=3&ref=hyperallergic.com) Giovanni Troilo of his first prize in the Contemporary Issues Category. Critics claimed that the photographer’s use of a remote-control flash violated the rules of the contest. Michele McNally, the contest’s lead juror, told the *New York Times* that “a staged photograph is not acceptable in news pictures that are used to depict real situations and events.” The Smithsonian Institution [banned](http://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-31736314?ref=hyperallergic.com) selfie sticks, as [did](http://www.lemonde.fr/arts/article/2015/03/06/la-perche-a-selfie-bannie-du-chateau-de-versailles%5F4588619%5F1655012.html?ref=hyperallergic.com) the Palace of Versailles. A museum dedicated to whales [opened](http://www.theguardian.com/travel/gallery/2015/mar/05/good-pod-iceland-opens-europes-biggest-whale-museum?CMP=share%5Fbtn%5Ftw&ref=hyperallergic.com) in Reykjavik, Iceland. The world’s tallest wooden skyscraper will be [built](http://www.theguardian.com/cities/2015/mar/01/vienna-plans-worlds-tallest-wooden-skyscraper?ref=hyperallergic.com) in Vienna next year. 68-year-old pensioner Karl-Heinz Kleine [believes](http://in.reuters.com/article/2015/03/03/germany-amber-room-idINKBN0LZ1UK20150303?ref=hyperallergic.com) that the legendary [Amber Room](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amber%5FRoom?ref=hyperallergic.com) — often described as the eighth wonder of the world — is buried somewhere under the town of Wuppertal in Germany. “I only have a small pension, a new \[drill\] is too expensive for me,” Kleine told Reuters. “But whoever helps will get his share of the Amber Room when we find it.” Art restorer Claudia Laurenze-Landsberg [discovered](http://www.morgenpost.de/kultur/berlin-kultur/article138061006/Wie-ein-englischer-Malerfuerst-Rembrandt-verbessern-wollte.html?ref=hyperallergic.com) that Rembrandt’s “Susanna and the Elder’s” (1647) underwent extensive alterations during the 18th century. The culprit is thought to be English painter Joshua Reynolds, who collected works by the Dutch master and is widely known to have altered paintings in his collection. ![Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn, "Susanna and the Elders" (1647) (via Wikipedia)](https://storage.ghost.io/c/51/f8/51f871d8-b6be-4a73-b958-0ca4fff0110a/content/images/hyperallergic-newspack-s3-amazonaws-com/uploads/2015/03/rembrandt_-_susanna_and_the_elders_-_wga19104.jpg) Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn, “Susanna and the Elders” (1647) (via Wikipedia) Scott Mueller, the CEO of Dealer Tire, [revealed](http://www.cleveland.com/arts/index.ssf/2015/03/dealer%5Ftire%5Fceo%5Fscott%5Fmueller.html?ref=hyperallergic.com) himself to be the anonymous donor who gave $23.3 million to the Cleveland Museum of Art. Filip Markiewicz will [represent](http://observer.com/2014/07/filip-markiewicz-will-represent-luxembourg-at-the-venice-biennale/?ref=hyperallergic.com) Luxembourg at the 2015 Venice Biennale. Mary Moore, the daughter of sculptor Henry Moore, allegedly [told](http://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2015/feb/27/damien-hirst-set-back-art-by-100-years-says-henry-moores-daughter?ref=hyperallergic.com) the *Guardian* that Damien Hirst set art back by 100 years (a quote that doesn’t actually appear in the *Guardian*‘s article). ## Transactions Lucian Freud’s collection of works by Frank Auerbach will be [distributed](http://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2015/mar/02/galleries-across-uk-get-frank-auerbach-works-from-lucian-freuds-collection?ref=hyperallergic.com) to galleries across the UK. The 40 works were offered to the UK under the [Acceptance in Lieu](http://www.artscouncil.org.uk/what-we-do/supporting-museums/cultural-property/tax-incentives/acceptance-lieu/?ref=hyperallergic.com) scheme. Jim Dine [donated](http://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2015/mar/04/jim-dine-pop-art-234-print-gift-british-museum?ref=hyperallergic.com) 234 prints to the British Museum. Stephen Coppel, the museum’s curator of modern prints, was asked to select the works from Dine’s oeuvre. David Geffen [donated](http://blogs.wsj.com/metropolis/2015/03/04/avery-fisher-hall-to-be-renamed-after-100-million-david-geffen-gift/?ref=hyperallergic.com) $100 million to the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts. The money will be used to renovate the Avery Fisher Hall, which will be renamed the David Geffen Hall in September. According to the *Wall Street Journal*, Avery Fisher’s family will receive $15 million in exchange for dropping his name from the building. The Ryerson Image Centre in Toronto [acquired](http://www.ryerson.ca/content/dam/ric/PDF/2015-03-04-Abbott-F.pdf?ref=hyperallergic.com) the archives of photographer Berenice Abbot. The MacDowell Colony will invest $4.5 million is [doubling](http://www.macdowellcolony.org/PR-2015-MacDowell-Journ-Initiative-Calder-PR-ONLINE-VERSION.pdf?ref=hyperallergic.com) the number of residencies it offers to journalists and writers working on long form projects. Computer programmer and philanthropist Peter Norton [donated](http://www.brandeis.edu/rose/pdfs/spring2015/Philanthropist%20Peter%20Norton%20donates%20art%20to%20Rose%20Museum%20at%20Brandeis%20-%20Names%20-%20The%20Boston%20Globe.pdf?ref=hyperallergic.com) 41 artworks to the Rose Art Museum at Brandeis University. The gift includes works by artists such as Mike Kelley, Kara Walker, and Gillian Wearing. ![Doug Aitken, "Autumn (1994). Video, 7 1/2 min. Gift of Peter Norton (courtesy Rose Art Museum, Brandeis University)](https://storage.ghost.io/c/51/f8/51f871d8-b6be-4a73-b958-0ca4fff0110a/content/images/hyperallergic-newspack-s3-amazonaws-com/uploads/2015/03/doug-aitken-autumn-1994-video-7-1_2-minutes--gift-of-peter-norton-.jpg) Doug Aitken, “Autumn” (1994), video, 7 1/2 min (Gift of Peter Norton; courtesy Rose Art Museum, Brandeis University) ## Transitions The Baltimore Museum of Art [opened](http://www.artbma.org/press/pdfs/NEWS%5FRELEASE%5FAfrican%5Fand%5FAsian%5FReopenings%5FOverview%5FFINAL.pdf?ref=hyperallergic.com) its renovated galleries dedicated to African and Asian art collections. Jesse Kowalski [assumed](http://www.nrm.org/2015/03/norman-rockwell-museum-announces-new-curator-of-exhibitions/?ref=hyperallergic.com) his role as the Norman Rockwell Museum’s curator of exhibitions. Frank Music Company, the last store in New York City dedicated to selling classical sheet music, will [close permanently](http://www.wsj.com/articles/nycs-last-classical-sheet-music-store-to-close-1425345520?ref=hyperallergic.com) tonight. Joshua Abelow’s prolific art blog, [Art Blog Art Blog](http://joshuaabelow.blogspot.com/?ref=hyperallergic.com), will [cease](http://www.artnews.com/2015/03/03/after-more-than-14000-posts-joshua-abelow-will-end-art-blog-art-blog/?ref=hyperallergic.com) its run at the end of the month. ## Accolades Wolfgang Tillmans [received](http://www.hasselbladfoundation.org/hasselblad-award-2015/?ref=hyperallergic.com) the 2015 Hasselblad Foundation International Award in Photography. ## Obituaries [Albert Maysles](http://www.nytimes.com/2015/03/07/movies/albert-maysles-pioneering-documentarian-dies-at-88.html?ref=hyperallergic.com) (1926–2015), documentary filmmaker. [Susan O’Malley](http://artforum.com/news/id=50448?ref=hyperallergic.com) (1976–2015), artist and curator. [Marc Taraskoff](http://mondephilatelique.blog.lemonde.fr/2015/03/04/disparition-de-marc-taraskoff/?ref=hyperallergic.com) (1955–2015), artist and illustrator.