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Friday, 13 May 2016 16:11

Seventeen stolen paintings, including masterpieces by Tintoretto, Peter Paul Rubens, and Andrea Mantegna, have been recovered in Ukraine. The works, estimated to be worth over $18.3 million, were stolen from Italy’s Castelvecchio museum last November.  Ukrainian officials found the paintings stuffed in plastic bags on a small island between Ukraine and Moldova.

Thursday, 12 May 2016 11:29

Los Angeles’ Modernist roots run deep so it’s no surprise that one of the city’s top design fairs boasts a pretty incomparable cache of twentieth century treasures. According to exhibitor Nick Batchelder of Archive, “The fact that noted galleries like Hauser Wirth & Schimmel and Parrasch Heijnen are opening up locations in Los Angeles illustrates what we have already known, LA is a major city in the global art market. This translates into the design world as well.”

Thursday, 12 May 2016 11:28

A new, three-mile art walk uniting the Beyeler Foundation in Basel, Switzerland, and the Vitra Campus in Weil am Rhein, Germany, has been unveiled. The path, which crosses the Wiese River, is dotted with interactive installations. The Beyeler Foundation boasts an impressive collection of modern and contemporary, including works by Mark Rothko, Jackson Pollock, and Vincent van Gogh, while the Vitra Campus features numerous architectural gems by the likes of Frank Gehry, Tadao Ando, and Zaha Hadid.

Thursday, 12 May 2016 11:27

A pair of portraits by Francis Bacon and a painting from Cy Twombly’s seminal Blackboard Series led Sotheby’s $242.2-million contemporary art auction on Wednesday, May 11. The Bacon portraits, which have been in the same collection for over forty-five years, netted $35 million, while Twombly’s calligraphic work garnered $36.7 million. The auction followed Sotheby’s lackluster Impressionist and Modern Art Sale, which failed to realize its low estimate of $164.8 million on Monday, May 9.

Thursday, 12 May 2016 11:26

The Indiana University Art Museum has received a $15 million gift from philanthropists Sidney and Lois Eskenazi. The bequest will help fund a renovation of the museum’s I.M. Pei-designed building. The Eskenazis, who are both Indiana University alumni, will also donate 100 works from their personal collection to the museum, including pieces by Marc Chagall, Alexander Calder, Pablo Picasso, Pierre-Auguste Renoir, and Paul Jenkins.

Thursday, 12 May 2016 11:24

The National Portrait Gallery in London has acquired an album containing rare portraits by the pioneering Victorian photographer Oscar Gustave Rejlander. An export bar was placed on the works after they were sold to a Canadian buyer at an auction back in 2014. The National Portrait Gallery raised £74,651 to keep the album, which include a never-before-seen self-portrait of Rejlander, in the UK.

Wednesday, 11 May 2016 13:51

1. Farias Apartment by Alex Papachristidis Interiors—This exquisitely layered apartment exemplifies Alex Papachristidis’ dramatic yet refined style. Pairing ornate antiques, including Neoclassical seating, dazzling crystal chandeliers, and commanding case pieces, with modern art, Papachristidis creates a residence that is rooted in tradition yet decidedly fresh. Patterned textiles, ranging from a paisley fringed bedskirt to a bold tiger print carpet, add to the home’s unique brand of timeless sophistication.

Wednesday, 11 May 2016 13:49

During its spring benefit on Saturday, May 7, Dia:Beacon unveiled new permanent installations spotlighting the innovative artists Dan Flavin, Walter de Maria, and Bruce Nauman. All of the works are part of the Dia Art Foundation’s permanent collection. The museum has dedicated an entire basement gallery to Flavin’s luminous 1973 work, Untitled (to you, Heiner, with admiration and affection).

Wednesday, 11 May 2016 13:47

A record-breaking painting by Jean-Michel Basquiat led Christie’s Postwar and Contemporary Art Evening  Sale on Tuesday, May 10. Garnering $57.3 million, the 1982 canvas sailed past its presale estimate, which hovered above $40 million. The work was followed by Mark Rothko’s No. 17, which netted a cool $32.6 million. Basquiat’s previous auction record was set in 2013 at Christie’s when Dustheads sold for $48.8 million.

Wednesday, 11 May 2016 13:46

Jens Risom, who turned 100 earlier this month, is one of the last surviving pioneers of the mid-century modern movement. Widely credited with introducing Scandinavian design to the United States, the Danish-born designer also played a pivotal role in the launch of the iconic furniture company, Knoll. Among Risom’s most notable designs are his Amoeba coffee table and his wood lounge chairs, which feature seats and backs made of woven nylon straps.

Wednesday, 11 May 2016 13:45

New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art is currently hosting the first exhibition to unite J.M.W. Turner’s whaling paintings. Created toward the end of the English artist’s career, the works are among Turner’s final seascapes. One of the works, Whalers, belongs to the Met, while the other three paintings have been loaned to the institution by Tate Britain. Turner’s Whaling Pictures will remain on view through August 7.

Tuesday, 10 May 2016 13:36

1. This stunning Chicago mansion just dropped $2.5 million.

Built in 1916 as a prairie-style electrical substation, this mansion in Chicago’s historic Gold Coast district, recently underwent a comprehensive renovation and expansion. While the home’s original facade remains intact, inside, the residence is a study in contemporary sophistication.

Tuesday, 10 May 2016 13:35

On Saturday, May 14, an animal-themed exhibition titled Menagerie will open at Baltimore Clayworks— a non-profit ceramic art center in the city’s historic Mt. Washington neighborhood. The exhibition, which includes works by Ann Chahbandour, Michelle Haas, and Robin Whiteman, explores the zoological realm’s long-standing influence on art  through sculptures and vessels in animal form or decorated in motif.

Tuesday, 10 May 2016 13:34

The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York has halted plans to redesign its Fifth Avenue building. Last year, the museum announced that the British architect David Chipperfield would oversee a considerable expansion. Rather than adding to The Met’s structure, Chipperfield would redesign existing spaces. The $600-million project’s delay comes on the heels of news that the institution is cutting spending as a growing budget deficit looms.

Tuesday, 10 May 2016 13:32

A retrospective honoring the influential architect Zaha Hadid, who died suddenly in March, is scheduled to take place alongside Venice’s Architecture Biennale. Held May 26-November 27 at the Palazzo Cavalli-Franchetti, the exhibition will feature a selection of works on paper, jewelry, furniture, and 3D printed models by Hadid. Best known for her geometric and decidedly futuristic designs, the Iraqi-British architect was the first woman to be awarded the Pritzker Prize.

Tuesday, 10 May 2016 13:30

Sotheby’s, which has seen a number of employee shake-ups in recent months, has announced a $25-million loss for the first quarter of 2016. Last year at this time, the auction house had reported a $5.2-million gain. The news was followed by a lackluster Impressionist and Modern Art Sale on Monday, May 9. The auction netted $144.4 million, falling short of its low estimate of $164.8 million.

Monday, 09 May 2016 11:46

George Kravis II, one of the country’s top collectors of industrial design, has donated a number of important objects to the Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum in New York. Among the gifts are a set of Ruba Rombic vases and a decanter by Reuben Haley, whose graceful, geometric works were inspired by Cubist paintings; an aluminum and walnut punch bowl and a set of sculptural pitchers by Russel Wright; and a Wells Coates AD65 radio that is particularly near and dear to the collector’s hear

Monday, 09 May 2016 11:45

For years, Greece has pleaded with the British Museum to return the Elgin Marbles—a collection of classical sculptures made by the people of Athens for the Parthenon. Purchased by the British Museum in 1817, the marbles had been taken from Greece by Lord Elgin—a Scottish nobleman and diplomat. As the push to have the sculptures returned to their homeland continues, Greece is hoping to gain the support of the United Nations for its repatriation mission

Monday, 09 May 2016 11:43

New York City has received its first permanent installation by the Japanese artist Yayoi Kusama. A bronze pumpkin will adorn the entrance of Sky—a seventy-one-story residential tower located in midtown Manhattan. The building, which was designed by the celebrated architect David Rockwell, will also feature two of Kusama’s Infinity Net paintings in its lobby.

Monday, 09 May 2016 11:42

Maine’s Colby College Museum of Art has received a series of 100 etchings by Pablo Picasso. Known as the Vollard Suite, the series of Neoclassical sketches dates back to 1939 and is widely considered Picasso’s greatest achievement as a printmaker. Works from the Vollard Suite, which were donated by museum benefactors Peter and Paula Lunder, will go on view at the museum starting on June 2.

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