December 4, 2014: Sales Abound at Art Basel in Miami Beach Preview, Carol Vogel Leaves The New York Times, and Sotheby’s Sells a Turner for $47 Million
Opening
In Miami … Art Basel in Miami Beach, NADA Miami Beach, and PULSE Miami Beach open today; #ArtsyTakeover, a special collaboration between the artist collective WALLPAPERS, Artsy’s Julia Colavita, and East Hampton Shed’s Nate Hitchcock, opens today at Artsy’s NADA booth and Room 1034 at the Deauville; Locust Projects hosts a reception for Daniel Arsham’s “Welcome to the Future,” 7–10 p.m.; “Shen Wei: In Black, White and Gray” opens at the MDC Museum of Art + Design, with corresponding dance performances, choreographed by the artist, beginning tomorrow.
In London … Christian Marclay and Ryoji Ikeda in conversation at Artangel, 6:30 p.m.; “Ham Jin: Somewhere Underneath” opens at HADA Contemporary.
In Paris … “Anni Leppälä: The Book of Images” and “Catherine Poncin: Traversées” open at Galerie Les Filles du Calvaire.
Today’s Notable News
Art Basel in Miami Beach opened for preview yesterday to strong sales, including an early purchase by actor Leonardo di Caprio of a 1973 Frank Stella painting; the fair opens to the public today. (via Art in America)
Last night’s Artsy Dance Party honored artist Shen Wei, with music by Theophilus London and NAR, an installation by Zaha Hadid, and a video installation created by MATTE featuring Shen Wei’s dance performances serving as backdrop. Among those in attendance were sponsors Silas and Celia Chou, co-host Wendi Murdoch, Jemima Kirke, Ivanka Trump, and Lauren Remington Platt.
Miley Cyrus’s performance at a Jeffrey Deitch-hosted Miami party last night was predictably sensational, and prefaced by Deitch’s proclamation that the pop singer’s “Southern outsider art” is “very close to Mike Kelley.” (via artnet News)
Veteran arts reporter Carol Vogel has resigned her post at The New York Times. Vogel, who has been on the newspaper’s staff since 1983, joins a long list of writers taking voluntary buyouts from the company. (via ARTnews)
Last night, Sotheby’s sold J.M.W. Turner’s 1835 painting Rome, from Mount Aventine for $47.4 million. The painting’s last owner was Archibald Primrose, a former British Prime Minister, who acquired it in 1878. (via Art Market Monitor)
The Creative Capital / Warhol Foundation Arts Writers Grant Program has announced its 2014 list of grantees, among themJames Trainor and Suzanne Hudson. (via Artforum)
A photograph of a nude woman on display at the Museum of Contemporary Art in Jacksonville, Florida, has sparked conflict among the city council, whose president called the image “pornography” and demanded that the mayor revoke a $230,000 grant given to the museum. (via Hyperallergic)
Best of Instagram
Via @strandbeests: “Thank you for the mention @instagram & your stunning picture @newteam. Yesterday's #sunrise #InstaMeet was the first official #BeachWalk for #StrandBeest. Please do visit the Exhibition until December 7th I've set up with @peabodyessex & @audemarspiguetduring @artbasel in #MiamiBeach or join for a walk [daily at 10:30am & 4:30pm].”
Good Reads
“15 Minutes of Fame (and 50 Years Later, Record Sales)” (via The New York Times)
“Is the Time Ripe to Buy Middle Eastern Art?” (via BBC)
“World’s Oldest Art Identified in Half-Million-Year-Old Zigzag” (via National Geographic)
Want to catch up with the rest of this week’s news? Review past Daily Digests here.
Image credits: Daniel Arsham, “Welcome to the Future,” 2014. Rights Reserved.; Artsy Dance Party, photo by Ben Rosser.
