Category: visual

So-called “‘nighthawkers’ are using metal detectors and online auctions to strip rural Britain of its archaeological riches, and their illegal activities are proving every bit as destructive. English Heritage has been so concerned about the extent of the depredation that it commissioned a study, which revealed that what was once an illicit hobby has mushroomed into a semi-professional criminal industry. According to police, thieves have formed loosely connected networks to trade information, often in online forums, about new and vulnerable sites.”

“Call this pop art for the street. Call it conceptual graphics. Either way, Fairey’s imagery has stood out in an era when skate-and surfer-related graphics are burgeoning, even if his work has roots in the same.”

“The New Zealand market has been remarkably steady. After a brief surge in 2003 and 2004, it has settled down at around the $15 million annual mark. No boom and therefore, as auction houses have their fingers firmly crossed, no likelihood of a bust this year.”

“The museum, located at the foot of the ancient Acropolis, a hill that is home to ancient temples including the Parthenon, has been plagued by construction delays and legal wrangling. The 100-million euro project was originally scheduled for opening in 2004, ahead of the Athens Olympics.”

“Sculptor Eugenio Merino’s piece puts Hirst in a suicidal pose with blood pouring from a bullet wound to his head. It was unveiled at ARCO’s launch over the weekend. The piece has already been sold for $41,290 Cdn to a collector in Florida.”

“The contemporary art market, with its abiding reputation for foggy deals and puffy values, is a vulnerable organism, traditionally hit early and hard by economic malaise. That’s what’s happening now. Sales are vaporizing. Careers are leaking air. Chelsea rents are due. The boom that was is no more.”

For Iraqis, the mere fact of the exhibition was a sign that Iraq’s artistic traditions might have not only survived years of war and chaos, but also emerged reinvigorated.

The art auction market is “finally feeling the full brunt of the global economic crisis. For the first time in five years, the auction houses struggled to secure enough top material to entice potential bidders. Without discretionary sellers, auctioneers had to rely heavily on those compelled to sell art because of divorce or debt or to settle an estate. Consigners had to accept lower asking prices.”

With its elegantly elliptical curve and signature variegated blue-and-white exterior suggesting sea glass, the Harmon was expressly designed by British superstar architect Lord Norman Foster to be one of the newly defining iconic buildings in this young, aspiring city. But the new hotel will now be 28 stories rather than 48 after 15 stories of incorrectly placed rebar was discovered.

“Not every story can be told, but many of these exhibits tell no story at all. They are just spectacle, lacking context and intellectual content.”