Category: visual

It was a great sculpture. But probably too good to be true…

“Today, ambitious modern art – made, perhaps, from space-age materials – is increasingly likely to be constructed by teams in either spark-filled factories or computer-filled design practices. But does it help the assistant to learn, or does it sap their own time and energy? And how do their egos cope with seeing the fruits of their labour applauded under another’s name?”

“Madrid’s latest art museum, the CaixaForum, has opened in the heart of the city’s cultural district near the Prado, the Reina Sofia and the Thyssen-Bornemisza museums. The $94m project has been funded by the Caixa Foundation.”

Antony Gormley made his name as the creator of grand sculptures with his monumental Angel of the North. “On the whole, we have not reinvented the statue very convincingly for the 21st century,” adding “There is an awful lot of crap out there.”

“Why don’t we care more about Stonehenge? How did we come to this? It’s not as if anyone disputes that there’s a problem here. A parliamentary commission described the state of Stonehenge as “a national disgrace” back in 1997, and the plans to improve it go even further back.”

It’s Richard Neutra’s masterpiece in Palm Springs, California. “Christie’s is gambling that the house’s extraordinary pedigree will move it into the realm of art rather than real estate. Otherwise, its tract-house size (five bedrooms, 3,200 square feet) and unglitzy appointments (small bedrooms, ranch- house-style closets) would preclude such a stratospheric valuation. Only massive, super-luxurious estates charge this kind of price in Palm Springs.”

“Robert E. Meyerhoff, a Baltimore philanthropist who has one of the world’s outstanding collections of post-World War II paintings, has received county approval to turn his Maryland estate into a museum that will be part of the National Gallery of Art.”

Leaders of Denver’s new Clyfford Still Museum unveil architect Brad Cloepfil’s plans for the new museum. “It’s not about about the building as an object,” he said. “It’s not about the building as a form. But it’s about what we hope is a series of spaces that provide moments for introspection and repose.”

“The role of national museums is to record, preserve, research and display artefacts and art. They are not shops or businesses, and it is not their job to sell off or dump items that should be held in care for future generations. Museums hold items in storage for the benefit of researchers, in case new questions arise, or for use in future exhibitions when, due to innovation and a bit of imagination, the items are deemed exciting and interesting again.”

Farhad Moshiri became the first artist from the Middle East to sell a work of art at auction for more than $1 million yesterday when “Love” sold for $1,048,000 at Bonhams’s first Dubai auction.”