Art Fairs
– India Art Fair has cancelled its Mumbai event, the first edition of which was planned for November 13–16, 2025. The fair’s dates coincided with Art Mumbai, which just closed its second edition last month. India Art Fair’s Delhi edition will go ahead from February 6–9, 2025. (The Art Newspaper)
– Despite the slow-to-disperse economic gloom of the last two years, the outlook going into Art Basel Miami Beach is undeniably sunny. What’s behind this shift in attitude? Listen to this week’s Art Market Minute to find out. (Artnet News)
– New York’s Salon Art + Design announced a new fair in Dallas, scheduled to take place March 26-30, 2025. The event will be held at the Block House in the city’s East Quarter under the leadership of Nicky Dessources. (Press release)
– Reece Rahilly has joined Art Basel as regional head of gallery relations, Americas, after more than a decade at the Armory Show. (Artnet News)
Auction Houses
– Artwork by Thomas Houseago, Pat Passlof, Ivy Haldeman, and Peter Saul all sold during last week’s high-profile day sales in New York. Some soared past their estimates, others flopped on the auction block. Take a look at our round-up to see which lots fell where. (Artnet News)
– Bonhams is facing calls to withdraw a Roman plate, estimated at $25,000to $37,000, from an upcoming sale after a researcher has renewed claims that it was looted. The allegations have reignited a debate over whether auction houses can—and should—access archives of trafficked antiquities from relevant authorities. (Artnet News)
– October’s most expensive auction lots highlight the influence of major art fairs like Frieze London and Art Basel Paris. Many major works, including pieces by David Hockney, Richard Prince, Jean Dubuffet, and François-Xavier Lalanne, were sold at auctions timed to these events. See what topped the list. (Artnet News)
– California auction house Julien’s has named Catherine Williamson as managing director of entertainment and Gabriela Schwartz as managing director and head of the luxury department and corporate brand partnerships. (Press release)
Galleries
– Kathleen Ryan has joined Gagosian‘s roster, Hauser and Wirth now represents María Berrío in collaboration with Victoria Miro, Preslav Kostov has joined Tara Downs, Dimin has tapped six new artists for its roster—Emily Coan, Whit Harris, Taj Poscé, Elena Redmond, Brennen Steines, and Stephen Thorpe—and Lambdalambdalambda has taken on representation of Lui Shtini in partnership with Corbett vs Dempsey. (Press releases)
– Public Gallery is expanding its East London location, taking on a unit neighboring its current space in the Middlesex Street Estate. (Press release)
– Portland, Ore.-based ILY2 announced the appointment of Rosie Motley as its New York director. (Press release)
Museums and Institutions
– The Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of African Art named John K. Lapiana as its director, after a year-and-a-half as interim director, and Heran Sereke-Brhanas as its deputy director. Lapiana, who joined the institution as deputy director in 2022, was pressed into service in April 2023 following the sudden departure of the museum’s previous leader, Ngaire Blankenberg. (Artnet News)
– A new private museum in Kazakhstan, the Almaty Museum of Arts, will launch next summer. Founded by collector, philanthropist, and businessman Nurlan Smagulov, it will house his collection of over 700 artworks by Kazakh and Central Asian artists, as well as international names such as Alicja Kwade, Yinka Shonibare, and Richard Serra. (Press release)
Tech and Legal News
– Artists who received early access to test Sora, an A.I. video-generation tool, leaked its code and released a blistering letter critical of its creator, OpenAI, the company behind ChatGPT. They claim the firm has taken advantage of their unpaid or under-compensated labor to “art wash” its image. (Artnet News)
– London art-world watering hole the Groucho Club, which is owned by Artfarm, the hospitality firm established by Hauser and Wirth co-founders Iwan and Manuela Wirth, has been shut down over allegations that it was the scene of a “serious crime.” A 34-year-old man was arrested on Saturday on rape allegations in connection with the investigation. (Artnet News)
