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☆ Who’s Laughing Now? Banana-as-Art Sells for $6.2 Million at Sotheby’s
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-20 | by ( Zachary Small | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

A banana that for years has stirred controversy in the art world sold for $6.2 million with fees at Sotheby’s contemporary art auction on Wednesday night. It became what is arguably the most expensive fruit in the world — though it will likely be tossed in a couple days. It comes with a certificate of authenticity and installation instructions for owners to replace the banana — if they wish — whenever it rots. “Returns in the market have been flat or decreasing over the last decade,” said Michael Moses, who tracks the investment potential of artworks for clients. “It’s a fascinating asset because you can get so much joy from it that people are willing to accept lower returns.

Persons: ”, Maurizio Cattelan, Justin Sun, Michael Moses, “, Joy, Sun Locations: Chinese

☆ What’s in Our Queue? Cycladic Art and More
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-18 | by ( Zachary Small | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: 1 min

What’s in Our Queue? Cycladic Art and MoreI’m a culture reporter for The New York Times, where I investigate the art world’s relationship to money, politics and technology. But my tastes were eccentric long before joining the newsroom. Here are five things I’m obsessed with →

Persons: → Organizations: The New York Times

☆ A French Museum Collides With New Jersey Politics
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-03 | by ( Zachary Small | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Plans to build an outpost of the Pompidou Center in the heart of Jersey City were put on hold after the State Legislature voted last week to rescind $24 million in funding for the Paris museum’s project. Another $34 million in state and federal assistance for what would have been the Pompidou’s first satellite location in North America was also put in jeopardy by the vote. Tim Sullivan, chief executive of the New Jersey Economic Development Authority, addressed a letter to museum officials saying that the project was called off. “Due to the ongoing impact of Covid and multiple global conflicts on the supply chain, rising costs, an irreconcilable operating gap and the corresponding financial burdens it will create for New Jersey’s taxpayers, the Legislature has rescinded financial support,” Mr. Sullivan wrote, “leaving us to determine that this project is unfortunately no longer feasible.”

Persons: Tim Sullivan, ” Mr, Sullivan, “ Organizations: Pompidou Center, State, Paris, New, New Jersey Economic Development Authority Locations: Jersey, North America, New Jersey

☆ Elden Ring Raised Masochists, and They’re Back for More
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-13 | by ( Zachary Small | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Kai Cenat had died more than 430 times and was prepared to die again when one of the toughest adversaries in video game history, Malenia, Goddess of Rot, finally succumbed to his sword after a marathon battle in Elden Ring. He had lost his breath playing a two-year-old game that sprouted a cottage industry of influencers capitalizing on its notorious difficulty. Elden Ring became a phenomenon after it was released in February 2022. It was a breakout hit for the president of FromSoftware, Hidetaka Miyazaki, who enlisted the “Game of Thrones” author George R. R. Martin to sketch the gothic fantasy’s deep mythology about warring families and troubled gods. The game also benefited from the social media users who shared delightfully embarrassing videos of their avatars being slashed, staggered and stabbed by horrific monsters.

Persons: Kai Cenat, ” Cenat, FromSoftware, Hidetaka Miyazaki, George R, Martin Locations: Elden

☆ University of the Arts President Resigns After School Announces Closure
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-04 | by ( Zachary Small | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The University of the Arts president, Kerry Walk, has resigned only a few days after her administration said that the nearly 150-year-old institution in Philadelphia would close because of declining revenue and enrollment, union officials representing school employees told The New York Times on Tuesday. News of the resignation, which earlier appeared in The Philadelphia Inquirer, broke as students were protesting the closure on campus, holding signs with messages including “It’s not noble for artists to suffer” and “We are not trash don’t throw us away.” Union officials told The New York Times that a meeting to start layoff negotiations on behalf of some 450 employees was abruptly canceled Tuesday by the school’s outside legal counsel as faculty learned that Walk was stepping down. “We are appalled,” United Academics of Philadelphia, one of the unions representing employees, wrote in a statement. “This sudden resignation, announced via the media, continues the pattern of disregard and cruelty to which the University of Arts has subjected employees and students.”On Sunday, the University of the Arts posted a statement to its website saying that “despite our best efforts, we could not ultimately identify a viable path for the institution to remain open and in the service of its mission.” It has not commented on Walk’s resignation; she served as university president for less than a year. Before she joined the University of the Arts, Walk was the president of Marymount Manhattan College for eight years.

Persons: “ It’s, ” Organizations: University of the Arts, Kerry, New York Times, ., Philadelphia Inquirer, ”, of, University of Arts, Marymount Manhattan College Locations: Philadelphia, ” United, of Philadelphia

☆ Ransomware Group Claims Responsibility for Christie’s Hack
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-27 | by ( Zachary Small | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

In a post on the dark web on Monday, the group claimed that it had gained access to sensitive information about the world’s wealthiest art collectors, posting only a few examples of names and birthdays. It was not immediately possible to verify RansomHub’s claims, but several cybersecurity experts said they were a known ransomware operation and that the claim was plausible. Nor was it clear if the hackers had gained access to more sensitive information, including financial data and client addresses. The group said it would release the data, posting a countdown timer that would reach zero by the end of May. “We attempted to come to a reasonable resolution with them but they ceased communication midway through,” the hackers wrote in their dark web post, which was reviewed by a New York Times reporter.

Persons: Edward Lewine, “, Christie’s, ” Organizations: New York Times Locations: Christie’s, GDPR

☆ The Night That Sotheby’s Was Crypto-Punked
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-18 | by ( Zachary Small | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

It would have been the greatest insult to rock the Upper East Side on any normal night, but instead the private equity heir Holly Peterson could only laugh. Why had a Sotheby’s official denied her access to a bidding paddle? In February 2022, Ms. Peterson, an author and art collector, was surrounded by a new clientele: the crypto nouveau riche, who made a temporary home of the art market. It was supposed to be another banner evening for the booming art market, where NFTs had come to represent almost half of the industry’s $65 billion valuation in only a couple of years. They were estimated to sell for $20 million to $30 million, and, for the first time, Sotheby’s had devoted a major sale to just a single lot of NFTs.

Persons: Holly Peterson, Peterson, riche, NFTs, Sotheby’s, Leonardo da Vinci Organizations: Twitter Locations: sweatpants

☆ At Christie’s, the Show Goes On, Despite a Hack
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-14 | by ( Zachary Small | Julia Halperin | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The salesroom at Christie’s was packed on Tuesday evening, as spectators rubbernecked to see if buyers would compete for multimillion-dollar artworks at an auction house still hobbled by a cyberattack. Could she succeed despite the headwinds of a slumping market and concerns about whether a cyberattack might have compromised the financial data of Christie’s clientele? There were only four withdrawals ahead of the evening sales, as Christie’s salespeople worked hard to assure buyers and sellers that business would continue without a glitch. There was a depth of bidding not seen the night before at the contemporary art sales at Sotheby’s, where out of its 52 lots, most sold on just a few bids. Still, Sotheby’s managed to outdo its rival with a total of $267 million on Monday — more than double Christie’s final result of $115 million, from a total of 57 lots, offered on Tuesday.

Persons: Georgina Hilton, Rosa de la Cruz, Christie’s salespeople, Sotheby’s Organizations: Cuban Locations: Christie’s, Cuban American, Sotheby’s

☆ Hobbled by Cyberattack, Christie’s Says Marquee Sales Will Proceed
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-12 | by ( Zachary Small | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Officials at Christie’s auction house said on Saturday that the marquee sales that account for nearly half of its annual revenue would continue, despite the company having lost control of its official website last Thursday in a hack that is testing the loyalty of its ultrawealthy clients amid its spring auctions. Natasha Le Bel, a spokeswoman for the auction house, said that Christie’s New York sales of modern and contemporary art “will take place as planned,” but did not respond to questions of how the online portion of the auction would continue. “We remain committed to providing the highest level of service to our clients and look forward to a successful week,” she said. It was the second time in less than a year that Christie’s had suffered a breach. In August, a German cybersecurity company revealed a data breach at the auction house that leaked the locations of artworks held by some of the world’s wealthiest collectors.

Persons: Natasha Le Bel, ”, Christie’s Locations: York, German

☆ At Art Auctions Market Seeks Its Footing After Stumbling Sales and a Hack at Christie’s
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-12 | by ( Zachary Small | Julia Halperin | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Estimates are still soaring past the $20 million mark and canvases still bear the signatures of dependable ringers like Warhol, Basquiat and Picasso. A cyberattack at Christie’s brought down the company’s website on Thursday, and as of Sunday morning, Christie’s had not yet regained control of it, but promised the auctions would proceed, at least in person. (A place-holder website was set up allowing access to the digital catalogs, but did not allow online bidding.) With the site down and questions still unanswered about the fate of confidential data, analysts are uncertain about the impact on buyers and sellers. Over the next week, more than 1,700 works of modern and contemporary art are expected to be offered at the three major houses — Sotheby’s, Christie’s and Phillips — with an estimate of $1.2 billion to $1.8 billion.

Persons: Warhol, Basquiat, Picasso, Christie’s, Phillips Organizations: Christie’s Locations: Christie’s

☆ Christie’s Website Is Brought Down by Hackers Days Before $840 Million Auctions
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-10 | by ( Zachary Small | More About Zachary Small | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Days before Christie’s expected to sell as much as $840 million worth of art at an auction set to include paintings by Warhol and Basquiat, the auction house experienced what it described as a “technology security issue” that took its website offline. By the next morning, the website was redirecting visitors to a temporary page outside of its own web domain. “We apologize that our website is currently offline,” it said. “We are working to resolve this as soon as possible and regret any inconvenience.”Edward Lewine, a Christie’s spokesman, said that a security issue had affected some of the company’s systems, including its website. “We are taking all necessary steps to manage this matter, with the engagement of a team of additional technology experts,” he said in a statement.

Persons: Christie’s, Warhol, Basquiat, Edward Lewine, ”

☆ A Pithy YouTube Celebrity’s Plea: Buy This Video Game
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-09 | by ( Zachary Small | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: 1 min

Freewheeling assessments of the gaming industry have attracted millions of fans to the YouTube reviews of the personality nicknamed Dunkey, whose self-deprecating humor sweetens his critiques of popular video games. “Kirby is a lot like me,” he said while reviewing the pink puffball’s latest adventure. “He is a big fat guy that sucks up all the food.”“I’m just a referee on this one so you cannot get mad,” he explained in a middling review of Spider-Man 2, aware of the game’s rabid fan base. “This is an evil game made by an evil man,” he proclaimed about Elden Ring’s difficulty. “And whoever’s job it was to balance the damage-scaling on enemies did not show up for work.”

Persons: Dunkey, “ Kirby, ”, “

They used to call this waterlogged city the Most Serene Republic, but there is nothing serenissima about the opening days of the Venice Biennale. The world’s longest-running and most extravagant festival of contemporary art opens to the public on Saturday after a preview biathlon of fine art and financial profligacy that has grown more hectic than ever. You exchange tips on shows not to miss. You judge, you gossip, you wash it all down with Prosecco. Have you seen the Uzbekistan pavilion?

Organizations: Venice Biennale, Prosecco Locations: Serene, Venice, Uzbekistan

But the rattling shook buildings in New York City and drove startled residents into the streets. Image The command room of New York City Emergency Management. Today’s earthquake Magnitude 4.8 Conn. Pa. 1964 4.5 1994 4.6 250-mile radius from New York City Md. 250-mile radius from New York City Del. While earthquakes in New York City are surprises to most, seismologists say the ground is not as stable as New Yorkers might believe.

Persons: “, Kathy Hochul, ” Gov, Philip D, Murphy, Con Edison, Eric Adams, ”, Adams, Zach Iscol, Dave Sanders, Ron Hamburger, Valorie Brennan, Ada Carrasco, The New York Times “ I’ve, Kristina Feeley, Feeley, Folarin, “ There’s, Kolawole, Lazaro Gamio, Riyad H, Mansour, Janti, Hamburger, Michael Kemper, Clara Dossetter, David Dossetter, Dossetter, ’ ”, Lola Fadulu, Gaya Gupta, Hurubie Meko, Michael Wilson, William J . Broad, Kenneth Chang, Emma Fitzsimmons, Sarah Maslin Nir, Erin Nolan, Mihir Zaveri, Maria Cramer, Grace Ashford, Camille Baker, Liset Cruz, Michael Paulson, Patrick McGeehan, Troy Closson Organizations: ”, United States Geological Survey, Police Department, Fire Department, Con, Gracie Mansion, The New York Times, Whitehouse, New York City Emergency Management, Credit, Lamont, Columbia University, Maine CANADA, New York City Del, Lincoln Center, New York Philharmonic, United Nations, Children U.S, Security, New York Police, United Airlines, Newark Liberty International Airport Locations: Newark, New Jersey, Manhattan, Philadelphia, Boston, New York City, New York, Rockland County, Murphy of New Jersey, Whitehouse, N.J, California, Japan, Zach Iscol , New York, New, Northridge, Los Angeles, Califon, Marble, Ramapo, New York , New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Palisades, N.Y, N.H, Pa, New York City Md, Del, Va, Maine, R.I, Md, Palestinian, Gaza, East Coast, “, York, San Francisco, Gaya

☆ Kim Kardashian Is Sued for Saying Her Tables Are Authentic Donald Judds
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-27 | by ( Zachary Small | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: 1 min

In a video where Kim Kardashian tours the offices of her Skkn by Kim company, she points out the glam rooms, theater and kitchen of her sprawling 40,000-square-foot space, all drenched in several rosy hues of beige. It is sparsely furnished, in keeping with what Kardashian has described as her love for the calming influence of minimalist design. Even the furniture tends to be minimalist chic. “These Donald Judd tables are really amazing,” Kardashian says, speaking of an artist widely celebrated for his genius with simple forms, “and totally blend in with the seats.”Except that the dining set is not by Donald Judd, according to the nonprofit foundation that represents his legacy. It sued the celebrity on Wednesday, accusing her of making false claims.

Persons: Kim Kardashian, Kim, Kardashian, Donald Judd, ” Kardashian

☆ In Whitney Biennial Artwork, a Message Reveals Itself: ‘Free Palestine’
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-14 | by ( Zachary Small | More About Zachary Small | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Officials at the museum, including the exhibition’s curators, said that they had not been aware of the message, which most viewers missed at first. They later said that they had not known about the message, which was added when the work was fabricated in the fall, but that the message would not have affected their decision to display the art. Annie Armstrong, a writer for the publication Artnet News, noted the “Free Palestine” message in an article about the exhibition yesterday. “The museum did not know of this subtle detail when the work was installed,” said Angela Montefinise, chief communications and content officer, who added that there were no plans to remove or change the artwork. And within the culture industry, there has been a wave of resignations, boycotts and firings that have come with addressing the war.

Persons: Annie Armstrong, ”, Angela Montefinise, Whitney Locations: Gaza, Israel

☆ Museum of Chinese in America Names New Leader
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-05 | by ( Zachary Small | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The Museum of Chinese in America in the Chinatown neighborhood of Manhattan has experienced protests and resignations, a fire and legal problems. Now, the board has chosen a new leader who wants to move the institution forward and reconnect with the local community. In 2019, the city awarded the museum $35 million through a program for community projects as part of a deal for a local jail — money that allowed the museum to buy the main building. Museum officials said they have opposed the jail’s construction. But some residents have remained skeptical of the museum’s position, and maintain that in taking the money, officials betrayed the neighborhood.

Persons: Michael Lee, “, ” Organizations: of, Staff, . Artists Locations: America, Chinatown, Manhattan

☆ Jeffrey Gibson Will Bring Sculptures of Ancestral Spirits to Met Facade
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-27 | by ( Zachary Small | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Last summer, Jeffrey Gibson received an honor that most artists wait for their entire lives. It was the curator David Breslin, wondering if Gibson would become the sixth artist to alter the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s facade with newly commissioned sculptures. “He called me from the beach,” recalled Gibson, a Choctaw-Cherokee artist known for infusing abstract works with queer and native themes. For the commission, Gibson will return to the ancestral spirit figures he started assembling in 2015. The challenge will be translating these delicate structures of beadwork, textiles and paint into four weatherproof sculptures that will gaze upon museum visitors from their plinths above Fifth Avenue.

Persons: Jeffrey Gibson, David Breslin, Gibson, ” Organizations: Venice Biennale, Metropolitan Museum Locations: United States, Venice, Choctaw

BALTIMORE (AP) — A Baltimore County police officer is accused of using excessive force when he pepper sprayed a handcuffed man in the face and closed him inside a hot patrol car, even as the man repeatedly said he couldn’t breathe. A 19-year veteran of the Baltimore County Police Department, Small previously served in the Military Police, according to his attorney. “Like all citizens, Officer Small is entitled to the presumption of innocence,” attorney Brian Thompson said in an email. Small tried to slam the car door, but the man’s knee was in the way. It says the man started gasping, choking and calling for help while kicking the car door to get officers’ attention.

Persons: Zachary Small, Small, Brian Thompson, “, ” Small, yanking, Justin Graham, Moore, Jacob Roos, weren’t, didn’t, ” Organizations: BALTIMORE, Baltimore County Police Department, Military Police, Johns Hopkins Hospital, Officers, Baltimore, Baltimore City Locations: Baltimore

☆ Report Says 17 Percent of Gamers Identify as L.G.B.T.Q.
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-13 | by ( Zachary Small | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Less than 2 percent of console video games include L.G.B.T.Q. characters or story lines even though 17 percent of gamers are queer, according to GLAAD’s first survey on the industry. But it also found that many queer gamers saw virtual worlds as an escape in states where recent legislation has targeted L.G.B.T.Q. “The statistic is driven largely by young gamers. Its latest report found that 10.6 percent of series regulars in prime-time scripted shows identified as L.G.B.T.Q., which researchers said helped put their video game study in perspective.

Persons: GLAAD’s, ”, Blair Durkee Organizations: Nielsen

☆ Brazilian Police Seek Husband in Murder of Noted Art Dealer
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-12 | by ( Zachary Small | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Brazilian police investigating the murder of Brent Sikkema, a prominent New York art dealer who was found stabbed to death last month in his Rio de Janeiro apartment, are now seeking the arrest of his husband, Daniel Sikkema. It was a shocking twist in a case that has captivated the art world. A lawyer for Daniel Sikkema, Fabiana Marques, said that he was innocent and that he remained in New York, where he was “shocked” by the latest development. When Brent Sikkema was found slain in Rio, investigators said that at least $40,000 had been stolen. (The police originally identified Mr. Prevez with the surname Trevez.)

Persons: Brent Sikkema, Daniel Sikkema, Jeffrey Gibson, Fabiana Marques, ”, Alejandro Triana Prevez, Prevez Organizations: Venice Biennale Locations: New York, Rio de Janeiro, United States, Venice, Rio

☆ Rubin Museum, Haven for Asian Art, to Close After 20 Years
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-31 | by ( Zachary Small | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The Rubin Museum of Art in Manhattan will shutter after two decades of championing its prized collection of art from Himalayan Asia, with leaders saying on Wednesday that they wanted to envision a modern museum without walls. But the museum, which will sell its building, was also facing financial challenges and had become a focal point in recent discussions about the history of religious objects being looted from Asian countries. Doors to the Rubin Museum will close Oct. 6, when its last exhibition ends, before the institution transitions to a skeleton crew that will process long-term loans and research inquiries and help with fund-raising. “The definition of what a museum is has evolved dramatically in recent years,” Noah Dorsky, the museum’s board president, said in a statement. “Historically, the Rubin’s culture embraces continual change and evolution, and in our new incarnation, we are redefining what a museum can be.”

Persons: Jorrit Britschgi, ” Noah Dorsky, ” Organizations: Rubin Museum of Art, Rubin Locations: Manhattan, Himalayan Asia

☆ Leading Museums Remove Native Displays Amid New Federal Rules
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-26 | by ( Julia Jacobs | Zachary Small | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The American Museum of Natural History will close two major halls exhibiting Native American objects, its leaders said on Friday, in a dramatic response to new federal regulations that require museums to obtain consent from tribes before displaying or performing research on cultural items. “The halls we are closing are artifacts of an era when museums such as ours did not respect the values, perspectives and indeed shared humanity of Indigenous peoples,” Sean Decatur, the museum’s president, wrote in a letter to the museum’s staff on Friday morning. That will leave nearly 10,000 square feet of exhibition space in the storied museum on the Upper West Side of Manhattan off-limits to visitors; the museum said it could not provide an exact timeline for when the reconsidered exhibits would reopen. “Some objects may never come back on display as a result of the consultation process,” Decatur said in an interview. “But we are looking to create smaller-scale programs throughout the museum that can explain what kind of process is underway.”

Persons: Sean Decatur, ” Decatur, ” Organizations: American Museum of, Eastern Locations: Eastern Woodlands, Manhattan

☆ MoMA Sued by Artist Who Performed Nude in Marina Abramovic Work
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-24 | by ( Zachary Small | More About Zachary Small | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

A performance artist has sued the Museum of Modern Art, saying that officials neglected to take corrective action after several visitors groped him during a nude performance for the 2010 retrospective “Marina Abramovic: The Artist Is Present.”The allegations were submitted this week in New York Supreme Court, with the artist, John Bonafede, seeking compensation for emotional distress, career disruption, humiliation and other damages. Mr. Bonafede had participated in one of Ms. Abramovic’s most famous works from the 1970s, “Imponderabilia,” which requires two nude performers to stand opposite each other in a slim doorway that visitors are encouraged to squeeze through to enter an adjoining gallery. According to his lawsuit, Mr. Bonafede was sexually assaulted seven times by five museum visitors. He reported four of the individuals to MoMA security, which ejected them from the galleries, the lawsuit said; the fifth assault was directly observed by security.

Persons: Marina, John Bonafede, Bonafede, Abramovic’s, “ Organizations: Museum of Modern, New York Supreme, MoMA Locations: New York

A man was arrested in Brazil on Thursday in connection with the killing of Brent Sikkema, a New York art dealer who was found with 18 stab wounds in his Rio de Janeiro apartment this week. The man, Alejandro Triana Trevez, knew Mr. Sikkema and was believed to have stolen cash from the scene before fleeing, said Detective Alexandre Herdy, head of the city’s police homicide unit. The police believe that Mr. Sikkema had brought over $40,000 to spend on furnishing a new apartment in Rio. “He staked out on the street,” Detective Herdy said. “He comes from São Paulo in the morning, goes straight to the place where the crime took place, to the victim’s street.

Persons: Brent Sikkema, Alejandro Triana Trevez, Sikkema, Alexandre Herdy, Herdy, “, São, Mr, Trevez Organizations: São Paulo Locations: Brazil, New York, Rio de Janeiro, Rio, Cuban, Uberaba

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