Tag: News

PHILADELPHIA, PA.- Led by the sale of New Hope impressionist Daniel Garber’s “Quarries at Byram,” which realized $229,000 (estimate $200,000-300,000), Freeman’s December 6th ‘Fine American & European Painting and Sculpture” sale was a great success, with 91 percent of the lots finding buyers (95 percent by value) and realized a sale total of $2,230,000. A traditional highlight of the auction season at Freeman’s and in Philadelphia, the annual December ‘Fine’ sale, as commonly referred to, is not only one of the best and most eagerly anticipate auctions Freeman’s conducts year after year, but has become a barometer of the health of the American and European picture markets. Fresh off the highly successful November 1st ‘Modern & Contemporary Works of Art’ sale featuring works from the Lehman Brothers Collection, this sale was characterized by a nearly fully occupied sales room and hundreds of telephone bids secured from

CAIRO (AP).- Egypt’s antiquities chief says the wall paintings that caused a feud between Egypt and the Louvre Museum will be returned to their original location in a tomb south of Egypt. In a statement Wednesday, Zahi Hawass says the ancient pieces will be restored by experts and replaced on the wall of a 3,200-year-old tomb in Luxor, 320 miles (510 kilometers) south of Cairo. Hawass cut ties with the Louvre in October, saying the museum had refused to return the fragments, which he said had been illegally chipped from that tomb. French officials quickly agreed to hand over the fragments. During a visit to France this week, Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak

GHENT.- In January 2010 S.M.A.K. will be opening its doors for “Curbs & Cracks”, a retrospective exhibition of work by the Belgian artist Koen van den Broek (b. 1973, Bree). It will focus on a young artist who, within the space of a very short time – 10 years – has consistently and confidently developed a body of work that is known and appreciated all over the world. Koen van den Broek finds his inspiration in ‘being en route’ and his work is nurtured by dozens of road trips. Using his own snapshots the artist creates the basis for his paintings, and in a manner that is to the point and functional. Unlike a sketchbook, the photographic images serve only as a reminder and record interesting lines, structures

MADRID.- The architecture of Raili (born 1926) and Reima (1923–1993) Pietilä, which became world famous during the 1960s, is experiencing a second coming in this exhibition, which uses original drawings to present the work of the husband and wife team in the form of some previously unseen designs and others that have attained iconic status in the history of architecture. A host of sketches shows, in a fascinating way, how in their search for design solutions every possible alternative is of equal value to start with, until eventually, the buildings acquire their final forms – forms which stretch the boundaries of modern architecture. The various models give the visitor an opportunity to observe, for example, how the architecture of the President’s Official Residence, Mäntyniemi (1983–93), evolved from the competition-winning proposal to the finished building. At the same time as the Pietiläs began searching for a way forward for modern architecture, Reima Pie

MINEAPOLIS, MN.- The second exhibition in the Minneapolis Institute of Arts’ new photography series featuring emerging artists will present the work of German artist Marco Breuer, and attempt to answer the question: What is a photograph? Breuer’s bold and experimental approach eschews the camera itself. Instead, he strips photography to its essential materiality, presenting works created by manipulating the surface of light-sensitive photographic paper. The exhibition will be on view from February 18 through August 1, 2010, in two parts. For the opening, Breuer will present selections of old and new works. Then, in mid-March, he will alter the space in the Perlman Gallery to evoke a darkroom, emphasizing the artist’s process of creating a photograph. “Marco Breuer challenges the viewer to re-examine the most basic assumptions about photography,” said curator David Little. “Both his creative process

NEW YORK, NY.- In 1975, The Metropolitan Museum of Art acquired, by gift and purchase, more than 400 works of Japanese art from collector Harry G. C. Packard (1914-1991). This daring acquisition instantly transformed the Museum into an institution with one of the finest collections of its kind in the West, comprised of encyclopedic holdings from the Neolithic period through the 19th century. The Metropolitan Museum will celebrate the 35th anniversary of the acquisition with the installation Five Thousand Years of Japanese Art: Treasures from Packard Collection, opening December 17. Featuring more than 220 works, it will showcase the collection’s particular strengths in archaeological artifacts, Buddhist iconographic scrolls, screen paintings of the Momoyama and Edo periods (16th—19th century), and sculptures of the Heian and Kamakura periods (ninth—14th century), as well as a comprehensive selection of ceramics. Some

MIAMI, FL.- Art Miami, the longest running contemporary art fair in Miami and the anchor art fair for the city of Miami, reported outstanding results during Art Week Miami 2009, exceeding the expectations of many. More than 35,000 people visited the fair during the course of the week – an increase of 10% from last year. “We were delighted to have a large turnout of serious, committed collectors, museum curators and others drawn by the exciting work that was exhibited at Art Miami this year. Once again, buyers responded to the Fair’s international mix of work and galleries. Sales were very strong,” Director Nick Korniloff commented. Art Miami’s stellar 2009 run began on December 1st with a ribbon cutting and a 20th Anniversary Proclamation presentation by Miami City Commissioner Bruno Barreiro. A gala VIP reception, attended by 6,500 people, followed. At what Caldwell Snyder Gallery called “the be

DENVER, CO.- In his first major administrative move, incoming museum director Christoph Heinrich announced today the appointment of Cathey McClain Finlon as museum president, effective January 1, 2010. Reporting to Heinrich, Finlon will oversee the Museum’s business operations including finance, development, marketing and human resources, while Heinrich will maintain direct oversight of the curatorial and programmatic functions. Finlon was named Interim President by board Chairman Frederic C. Hamilton in April 2009 with the charge of developing a strategic leadership transition process.

INDIANAPOLIS, IN.- Body Unbound: Contemporary Couture from the IMA’s Collection, on view from April 10, 2010 to January 30, 2011, will examine the many ways designers have manipulated, transformed and liberated the female figure. The exhibition will feature groundbreaking designs by Rudi Gernreich, Issey Miyake, Junya Watanabe, Thierry Mugler, Jean-Paul Gaultier, Gianni Versace and other avant-garde fashion designers. Body Unbound will explore how these designers used modern construction and unexpected materials to contort, conceal, reveal or mock their wearers.