“The auction of the Piprahwa gems will take place in Hong Kong next week. Sotheby’s listing describes them as being ‘of unparalleled religious, archaeological and historical importance’ and many Buddhists considered them to be corporeal remains, which had been desecrated by a British colonial landowner.” - The Guardian
“Beverly Hills sports and entertainment company Endeavor is selling contemporary art organization Frieze to a new events and experiences company launched by superagent and Endeavor founder Ari Emanuel. … The deal, which is expected to close in the third quarter, was valued at roughly $200 million.” - Los Angeles Times (Yahoo!)
The work in question -- Grey, Orange on Maroon, No. 8 (1960) by Mark Rothko -- sustained several visible scratches in its unvarnished lower paint layer when a young child brushed against it during a visit to the Depot Boijmans Van Beuningen. - ABCNews
After a restitution settlement that would have addressed glaring gaps in the work’s provenance failed to go ahead, the painting’s anonymous buyer pulled out of the sale last month. - Artnet
For s start, it’s closed to the public, since the Chapel has been the site for the voting since 1492 and the cardinals are sequestered while deliberating. A stove and chimney for the smoke are installed, the marble mosaic floor is covered, porta-potties are installed in the next room, etc. - Artnet
Klein’s son, along with the corporation which owns Klein’s trademarks and rights to the color International Klein Blue, sued artist Stuart Semple for infringement over Semple’s creation and marketing of an ultramarine pigment he calls “Easy Klein — Incredibly Kleinish Blue.” - Artnet
Nude models at the fine arts academy, which was founded in 1784, complained to Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera about their “exhausting” work. They want more breaks and argue that their renewable annual contracts, which offer 500 hours over 11 months, do not compensate for the mental and physical suffering caused by their job. - ARTnews
After seizing some of Mann’s photos of her children from an exhibition in Fort Worth, five FWPD officers spent four days and $6,988.77 in Manhattan. Officials say the police visited the Met, MoMA, the Guggenheim, and the Whitney. None of those museums have displayed Mann’s work for several years. - Fort Worth Report
The gallery’s artists are so dominant in New York’s leading museums this season that some in the art world are calling it “Hauser spring.” - The New York Times
“Conservators will now have to repair the artwork, Grey, Orange on Maroon, No. 8, after it was ‘scratched’ by a child visiting the Rotterdam gallery where it was on display. The abstract painting from 1960, which measures 7'6" high by 8'6" wide, was a centerpiece of the Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen.” - CNN
“His bushy-haired, denim-wearing image has inspired all kinds of merch, from bobbleheads and boxer briefs to wigs and waffle makers. Yet said the artist deserves something more: respect.” - Wall Street Journal (MSN)
“A turning point was a project with the artist Cecile Abish, who uses a wheelchair: ‘To get to the garden we needed to take her through the museum’s basement and out through our loading dock. … It threw into sharp relief how urgent this work was.’” - The New York Times
