Category: visual

“Despite being plagued with a social conscience and a reflex desire to rush off to disaster zones and build designer emergency housing, the Mr Hyde in architects just can’t help being tempted by unlimited power, riches and gold taps. Can’t think why.”

A Francis Bacon painting of a female nude sold for 20 million pounds ($39.7 million) including fees last night in London as Sotheby’s completed Europe’s biggest contemporary-art sale.

The museum’s visionary leader worked to globalize the Guggenheim brand. “In a statement on Wednesday the foundation emphasized that Mr. Krens would remain at the foundation as a senior adviser for international affairs, overseeing the creation of a 452,000-square-foot museum in Abu Dhabi to be designed by Frank Gehry.”

“The London dealer Anthony d’Offay is giving over almost his entire collection – now conservatively valued at £125m – for the price he paid originally. The collection contains some of the finest works by the most important artists of the last 50 years.”

“One major L.A. museum is celebrating construction of plentiful new gallery space filled with art it doesn’t own, and another is celebrating 250 works of art it does own but can install in its galleries only for a short time. LACMA: Lots of museum space, very little museum art. MOCA: Lots of museum art, very little museum space.”

Amsterdam’s Rijksmuseum, closed since 2003 for renovations, won’t open completely until 2013 as renovations take longer after a construction bid by a leading builder is rejected.

Net income for the three months ended Dec. 31 jumped to $102.4 million, or $1.55 a share, from $70.3 million, or $1.09, a year earlier, New York-based Sotheby’s said today in a statement. Revenue rose 31 percent to $345.8 million.

So British museums should sell off art they’re not using? “It’s obvious de-accessioning risks the loss of works to the nation that may be far more valued in a few years than they are now. Caravaggio was deeply unfashionable in the 18th and 19th centuries. What if museums like the Louvre or the Uffizi had actually sold off his works?”

“The plan involves assessing major archaeological sites, including the ancient Sumerian cities of Warka and Eridu, to see how badly damaged they are and the full extent of looting.”

“Sir Norman Rosenthal, Exhibitions Secretary at the Royal Academy (RA) in London for the past 31 years, left the institution last month. In a frank interview he reveals that he was forced out of the RA and that he would have happily continued working there for another decade.”