2011.02.12

International News Digest

New Delays for Amsterdam’S Stedelijk Museum； Manifesta 9 Details

； Schlingensief’S Work Goes Virtual in Preparation for Venice； Der Standard Assesses Vip Art Fair

NEW DELAYS FOR AMSTERDAM’S STEDELIJK MUSEUM

The opening of Amsterdam’s Stedelijk Museum is facing a setback. Eurotopics cites the Dutch daily NRC Handelsblad, which reports that construction on the museum’s new building has stopped because the construction company filed for bankruptcy. According to the newspaper, the latest delay is nothing new because an impasse has been going on since 2004. “Delays, delays, nothing but delays,” notes the editorial, which lays blame with the city. “Now, construction work has stopped, and Amsterdam is launching into a new round of talks. There must be an end

2011.02.04

International News Digest

Belle Haleine in Berlin； Ads on Monuments； The Louvre Behind Bars； Problem with Louis Vuitton Project； Opposition to Berlin’S “Kunsthalle” Exhibition

BELLE HALEINE IN BERLIN

Marcel Duchamp’s only surviving readymade, the perfume flask Belle Haleine, Eau de Voilette, 1921, made a rare and brief appearance last week in Berlin. As Monopol and the Süddeutsche Zeitung report, the work used to be part of Yves Saint Laurent’s private collection until it was auctioned off two years ago for eleven million dollars in Paris. The buyer remains unknown. This solo exhibition––for only three days and nights––marks the work’s first appearance since the auction. Unlike Duchamp’s other readymades, which disappeared after their exhibition, Belle Haleine survived

2011.01.23

International News Digest

Pompidou Criticized After Purchase Of Sehgal Work； Art Basel Jury Turns Down Eigen + Art And Giti Nourbakhsch； Parisian Museums “Disconnected” From Parisian Life?； Art’S Birthday

POMPIDOU CRITICIZED AFTER PURCHASE OF SEHGAL WORK

Not everyone is happy with a recent acquisition made by the Centre Pompidou: Tino Sehgal’s This Situation, 2007. As Le Monde’s Michel Guerrin reports, the artist Fred Forest has used the purchase to reopen an ongoing debate about the prices museums pay for artworks. In the early 1990s, Forest asked the public museum to be more transparent about acquisitions to avoid paying higher prices. In 1997, the Conseil d’Etat (State Council) sided with the Pompidou while noting that museums actually pay lower “privileged prices” which could not be divulged

2011.01.14

International News Digest

Rosemarie Trockel Wins Kaiserring Prize； Cattelan Gives Finance the Finger； Janette Laverrière (1909–2011)； Disappearing Lightbulbs

ROSEMARIE TROCKEL WINS KAISERRING PRIZE

Rosemarie Trockel has been awarded the prestigious Kaiserring (King’s Ring prize) by the city of Goslar, Germany. As Monopol and dpa report, the annual prize has been given since 1975 to international artists, including Joseph Beuys, Anselm Kiefer, Georg Baselitz, Christo, Jörg Immendorff, Bridget Riley, and, most recently, David Lynch. This year’s jury praised Trockel’s versatility and innovation along with her conceptual and multimedia works, which have earned international renown through both solo and group exhibitions. Born in 1952 in Schwerte, Germany,

2011.01.04

International News Digest

Bauhaus Magazine Revived； Support for Imprisoned Iranian Filmmakers； Smoking: Cultural Heritage； Farewell to Kodachrome

BAUHAUS MAGAZINE REVIVED

After an eighty-year break, Bauhaus magazine is set to return in 2011. As Monopol and the Süddeutsche Zeitung report, the announcement was made by Philipp Oswalt, the director of the Bauhaus Dessau foundation. “We want to inform the public twice a year about what’s going on in the Bauhaus context,” said Oswalt. The original magazine, which ran from 1926 to 1931, played a key role in introducing new artistic, design, and architectural concepts from Walter Gropius and his circle. “We want to cover more from the work that we are doing and to reflect upon it,” added Oswalt.

2010.12.19

International News Digest

Yvon Lambert to Remove Collection From Avignon?； Johan Holten to Head Kunsthalle Baden-Baden； Uli Sigg’S Panda Purchase； Berlin Biennial Asks Artists for Political Positions

YVON LAMBERT TO REMOVE COLLECTION FROM AVIGNON?

Yvon Lambert is having second thoughts about keeping his collection of contemporary art in Avignon, France. As Agence France-Presse reports, the dealer is “seriously” contemplating taking back the 350 works because he believes that the city has not paid enough attention to them. The collection was given to Avignon ten years ago and is currently housed in the Hôtel de Caumont, an eighteenth-century building that belongs to the municipality. The center is co-funded by the city, the region, and the French state. According to Lambert, “the technical

2010.12.12

International News Digest

Roman Abramovich to Open Museum in Saint Petersburg?； Museum Closes due to Economic Crisis； Mac/Val Directors to Head Nuit Blanche； Cardiff and Bures Miller Win Kollwitz Prize； Anselm Kiefer at The Collège De France

ROMAN ABRAMOVICH TO OPEN MUSEUM IN SAINT PETERSBURG?

Roman Abramovich may be expanding his art portfolio in Russia. According to a report from the Süddeutsche Zeitung’s Sonja Zekri, the Russian billionaire may be planning to build a museum for modern art on the New Holland island in Saint Petersburg. Abramovich recently won an open competition to develop the three-hundred-year-old docklands on the artificial island, which held the first Russian military harbor. Abramovich now plans to invest four-hundred-million dollars over the next two to five years––an investment that may include a space to

2010.11.30

International News Digest

Going, Going, Gone: Bank of Ireland Sells off Collection； Nonstop Monet； Controversial Show on Gaza Reopens in Paris； Exhibition Attacked in Austria

GOING, GOING, GONE: BANK OF IRELAND SELLS OFF COLLECTION

The Bank of Ireland has begun to sell off its art collection. As Agence France-Presse reports, the decision has attracted criticism of a “cultural suicide” as well as interest from investors. Last week, the auction began at Dublin’s Shelbourne Hotel where 145 paintings and sculptures were put on the block, including Paul Henry’s painting Clouds at Sunset which was sold for a modest $87,000. At the end of the auction, 144 works from the lot had been sold for a total of $1.9 million, an amount that will hardly put a dent in the country’s

2010.11.22

International News Digest

Klara Lidén’S Winning Exhibition at Bonn’S Kunstverein； Haubrok Foundation Loans Works to Berlin’S Nationalgalerie； Basquiat Painting at Paris’S Musée D’Art Moderne； Louvre Seeks Donations Online

KLARA LIDÉN’S WINNING EXHIBITION AT BONN’S KUNSTVEREIN

As the winner of this year’s blauorange (blueorange) prize, this week the Swedish artist Klara Lidén will be picking up the award and unveiling her exhibition at Bonn’s Kunstverein. According to a press release from the blauorange foundation, “Rumpfflächen und Plündererbanden” (Peneplains and Plunderers), curated by Christiane Rekade, addresses the city of Bonn through both landscape and history. “A part of me is this poor architect, arguing with questions about the existing structures in the city,” said the Berlin-based Lidén. “A part of

2010.11.12

International News Digest

Italy to Close Museums in Protest； Ai Weiwei’S House Arrest Ends； Santiago Sierra Turns Down Prize； Austrian Culture Budget Frozen for 2011

ITALY TO CLOSE MUSEUMS IN PROTEST

Museums will be closing down across Italy on November 12 in order to protest the government’s cuts to the cultural budget. As Agence France-Presse reports, archeological sites, parks, and libraries in the main tourist cities join the museums by closing down for the day in protest. Only institutions run by the cities and communes, not by the state, will be affected by the closure. Therefore, the Ducal Palace in Venice and the MAXXI museum in Rome will be closed, but not the Coliseum.

“Art is the main core of business in Italy,” said Andrea Ranieri, a member of

2010.11.02

International News Digest

Berlin’S Kunsthalle Project Revived； Anish Kapoor Chosen for “Monumenta” in Grand Palais； Guy Wildenstein under Investigation； Qatar Expresses Interest in Christie’S

BERLIN’S KUNSTHALLE PROJECT REVIVED

Berlin can look forward to another attempt at establishing a Kunsthalle. As Monopol’s Sebastian Frenzel reports, Berlin mayor Klaus Wowereit revived the faltering project last week with a brand new proposal for an exhibition next summer. As Frenzel notes, Wowereit’s latest move comes after the temporary Kunsthalle Berlin closed in August and after funding, investors, and government support had all but evaporated. Under the latest plan, artists living in the city will be asked to submit portfolios for the exhibition, which will be curated by Angelique Campens,

2010.10.23

International News Digest

Association Calls for “Ban” on Larry Clark Retrospective； Larry Clark Works Removed from Exhibition；Legal Action Against Murakami Show； Works with Israeli Flag Removed from Exhibition； Police End Acropolis Blockade by Greek Cultural Ministry Employees

ASSOCIATION CALLS FOR “BAN” ON LARRY CLARK RETROSPECTIVE

Although the Musée d’Art Moderne de la Ville de Paris has banned visitors under eighteen years of age from seeing the current Larry Clark retrospective, some believe that the X-rating does not go far enough. As Le Monde’s Clarisse Fabre reports, an association has called for the entire show to be banned. Alliance Générale contre le Racisme et pour le Respect de l’Identité Française et Chrétienne (AGRIF) (General Alliance against Racism and for the Respect of French and Christian Identity) addressed a letter to the Paris police and the

2010.10.12

International News Digest

Moscow Curators Lose Appeal； Kiesler Prize for Heimo Zobernig； Berlusconi Coming Clean––Or Going Down The Drain； Green Light for German Arts Academy in Istanbul； Strong European Presence At Morocco’S First Art Fair

MOSCOW CURATORS LOSE APPEAL

There’s bad legal news for Andrej Jerofejev and Jurij Samodurov, the two Moscow curators who were taken to court after organizing the controversial exhibition “Forbidden Art” at the city’s Tretjakov gallery. As the Süddeutsche Zeitung’s Frank Nienhuysen reports, a Moscow judge in the appeals court ruled against the curators and has upheld an earlier charge against the pair for “inciting religious hatred.”

The exhibition included, among other works, a black Madonna made from caviar and Mickey Mouse on traditional religious icons. Due to the scandal surrounding the

所见所闻 DIARY 2010.10.08

神曲 [鹿特丹]

这真是水上地狱！最近，Boijmans van Beunigen 博物馆在鹿特丹港Submarine Wharf码头的巨大展厅内组织了Atelier van Lieshout艺术小组的展览“《Infernopolis》”。这座工业建筑面积达54，000平方英尺，有5层楼高，曾经是建造潜艇的工厂。而Joep van Lieshout就是在新马斯河对面（相对较小的）仓库内建立了AVL小组。上周日，AVL举办了15周年纪念日，还上演了但丁《神曲》的优雅版。

AVL的《Inferno》展览并没有九重罪，而是充满了身体部件和躯干（buildings），有特大号的蠕虫《Wombhouse》，有巨大的紫色精虫（purple sperm）《达尔文》（Darwin），其中还有它自己的信息服务台。从解剖学上来看，这一切都无可非议（不过我的左卵巢内可没有迷你吧，更没有香槟酒杯）。我没有看到那些罪人——放高利贷的、亵渎神明的、放荡不羁的，以及那些艺术批评家——相反，我看到了设计师Christoph Seyffert、Richard Hutten和Marlies Dekkers；收藏家Pieter和Marieke Sanders、北京艺术交易人Waling Boers、“雕塑国际”（Sculpture International）总监Dees Linder,还有鹿特丹TENT博物馆的馆长Mariette

2010.10.05

International News Digest

A Legal End to Exhibiting Photographs of a Beuys Performance； Larry Clark “Shocked” Over Exhibition Restriction； Takashi Murakami on Versailles Criticism； Problems in Prague； Moscow Accepts Critical Work in Louvre Exhibition； Carolyn Christov-Bakargiev on Documenta 13

A LEGAL END TO EXHIBITING PHOTOGRAPHS OF A BEUYS PERFORMANCE

A German court has made a landmark decision, which could have consequences for the future documentation and exhibition of bygone performance-art works. Heard in a Düsseldorf court, the case pitted the German artist copyright collecting agency VG Bild-Kunst against the Stiftung Museum Schloss Moyland, the Moyland castle museum foundation that holds the world’s largest collection of works by Joseph Beuys. The court decided in favor of VG Bild-Kunst: Documentary photographs of a Beuys performance can no longer be exhibited.

As the

2010.09.26

International News Digest

Larry Clark Rated-X； Schöllhammer Heads to Viennafair； Schulze Wins Prize At Cologne Fine Art and Antiquities Fair； Giacometti Auction Sale to Help Museums； Italy’S Cultural Minister Criticizes Tarantino

LARRY CLARK RATED-X

Movies, not art exhibitions, usually get rated. But a retrospective about the photographer and filmmaker Larry Clark at the Musée d’Art Moderne de la ville de Paris has led to an exception. As Agence France-Presse reports, the retrospective, which opens on October 8, will be interdicted for visitors under eighteen years of age. The interdiction, a rarity for French museums, hits Clark’s first retrospective in the country. The exhibition will cover fifty years of Clark’s work through more than two hundred photographs, many of which have never been shown before. According to

2010.09.18

International News Digest

Joseph Beuys: Legacy and Litigation； Prince Claus Awards Announced； Cultural Capitals and Capital Woes；Hendrix and Handel

JOSEPH BEUYS: LEGACY AND LITIGATION

The latest exhibition of Joseph Beuys’s work, Parallelprozesse (Parallel Processes) at Düsseldorf’s K20 state museum, seems to refer obliquely to a legal process that has just begun in the city to decide the status of photographs of a Beuys performance. The decision could not only have an impact on future Beuys exhibitions around the world, but could also set a precedent about documentary photographs of artists’ performances taken by other parties. As the Süddeutsche Zeitung’s Catrin Lorch reports, widow Eva Beuys has been taking care of the estate since

2010.09.08

International News Digest

Neo Rauch Donates Works To Aschersleben；New Museum For Mestre； Pinault Spaces Popular In Venice； Frida Kahlo And Diego Rivera’S New Face； Larry Gagosian’S Collection In Abu Dhabi

NEO RAUCH DONATES WORKS TO ASCHERSLEBEN

Neo Rauch, the star of the New Leipzig School of painting, has donated his complete graphic oeuvre to the German city of Aschersleben. As the Süddeutsche Zeitung and Mitteldeutscher Rundfunk report, the gift includes forty paper works—lithographs, etchings, and photo-engravings—with a value estimated at $130,000. The fifty-year-old Rauch has also promised to give any future paper works to the city. While the painter was born in Leipzig, he grew up with his grandparents in Aschersleben after his parents were killed in a train accident. Aschersleben plans

2010.09.02

International News Digest

Resistance to Murakami at Versailles；an American Dealer in Paris；Who Chewed the Gum?；Rem Koolhaas’s Plans for Venice

RESISTANCE TO MURAKAMI AT VERSAILLES

For his exhibition at the Château de Versailles, Takashi Murakami is facing as much public resistance as his forerunner Jeff Koons faced two years ago. As Agence France-Presse reports, a number of petitions are already circulating against Murakami’s exhibition at the former royal residence of the “Sun King” Louis XIV, outside Paris. There’s also the threat of legal action as well as a protest planned for the opening on September 14. According to the president of the public castle, Jean-Jacques Aillagon, the protesters come from “extreme right fundamentalist

2010.08.29

International News Digest

Questions Unanswered about German Pavilion； Trouble at Germany’s Istanbul Academy； Fiac celebrates Record Number of Applicants； Most Likely You Go Your Way and I'll Go Mine

QUESTIONS UNANSWERED ABOUT GERMAN PAVILION

In the wake of Christoph Schlingensief’s death, many are wondering what will happen to the German Pavilion at the next Venice Biennale in 2011. As the Süddeutsche Zeitung’s Barbara Gärtner reports, Schlingensief’s nomination last May to represent Germany raised more than a few eyebrows—not least from Gerhard Richter, who called his participation “a scandal.” Susanne Gaensheimer, the German pavilion curator and the director of Frankfurt’s Museum für Moderne Kunst (MMK), did not offer many details about the near future. “Now, we have to discuss things

Jennifer Allen