| The First Art Newspaper on the Net |   | Established in 1996 | Thursday, June 8, 2017 |
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French paleoanthropologist Jean-Jacques Hublin (R) and Abdelouahed Ben-Ncer of the National Institute of Archaeology and Heritage Sciences in Morocco pose with the casting of a skull of Homo Sapiens discovered in Morocco on June 6, 2017 in Paris. Our human species already roamed Africa 300,000 years ago, sporting modern-looking faces that would not stand out in a crowd today, according to research published on June 7, 2017 that advanced Homo sapiens' origins by a hundred millennia. A groundbreaking fossil discovery in Morocco obliterates two decades of scientific consensus that our forefathers emerged in East Africa about 200,000 years ago, according to two studies published in the science journal Nature. PATRICK KOVARIK / AFP.
by Laurence Coustal / Mariëtte Le Roux
PARIS (AFP).- Early Homo sapiens roamed Africa 300,000 years ago, sporting modern-looking faces that would not stand out in a crowd today, according to research published Wednesday that pushes back our origins by a hundred millennia. A groundbreaking fossil discovery in Morocco obliterates two decades of scientific consensus that our forefathers emerged in East Africa about 200,000 years ago, according to two studies published in the science journal Nature. The findings may also re-organise the human evolutionary tree and eliminate certain extinct Homo relatives as potential human ancestors. Two teams of researchers reported on skull and bone fragments from five ancient humans, along with the stone tools they used to hunt and butcher animals, from a prehistoric encampment at Jebel Irhoud, not far from modern-day Marrakesh. "This material represents the very root of our species, the oldest homo sapiens ever found in Africa or elsewhere," said palaeoanthropologist Jean-Jacques Hublin of the Max Planck ... More |
The Best Photos of the Day French art restorer Veronique Sorano, is at work on a piece of art by Max Ernst (1891-1976),on June 7, 2016, in Paris. ALAIN JOCARD / AFP
| Vilhelm Hammershøi's 'White Doors' acquired by Ordrupgaard Museum | | Christie's selected to manage spring 2018 auction of over 2,000 items from the Estate of David Rockefeller | | Robilant+Voena open exhibition of paintings by Giorgio Morandi | 
Vilhelm Hammershøi, White Doors (detail). Est. £400,000-600,000. Sold for: £1,448,750 / $1,872,509 / 12,360,614 DKK. Courtesy Sothebys.
LONDON.- Yesterday at Sothebys in London, a quintessential interior by Vilhelm Hammershøi was acquired by Ordrupgaard Museum, Copenhagen. Leading the auction of 19th Century European Paintings, White Doors more than tripled its low estimate to bring £1,448,750 / $1,872,509 / 12,360,614 DKK (est. £400,000-600,000), the third highest price for the artist at auction. Nina Wedell-Wedellsborg, Head of Sothebys Denmark, said: Im thrilled that White Doors will be coming home to Denmark after a long sojourn in America, and that it can once again be enjoyed and appreciated by Danish and international audiences. The painting joins a string of works by Hammershøi to have been acquired by museums in recent years, including the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, the Städel Museum in Frankfurt, the National Gallery of Canada, and the Art ... More | | 
Peggy and David Rockefeller, May 1973. Photo: Arthur Lavine/ Rockefeller Estate.
NEW YORK, NY.- The Estate of David Rockefeller, the youngest son of American philanthropist John D. Rockefeller, Jr. and art patron Abby Aldrich Rockefeller, will sell at Christies the personal collection of Peggy and David Rockefeller, which is estimated to include over 2,000 individual items and spans numerous collecting categories, in order to benefit a dozen charities. The sales will be conducted in keeping with David Rockefellers pledge to direct the majority of his wealth to philanthropy and provide for the cultural, educational, medical, and environmental causes long supported by both David and Peggy Rockefeller. A series of dedicated sales is slated for spring 2018 at Christies in Rockefeller Center in New York City. David Rockefeller, Jr. commented: We are delighted to be partnering with Christies to create a significant fundraising opportunity for the philanthropies that are so important ... More | | 
Giorgio Morandi, Cortile di Via Fondazza, 1941, 56 x 45 cm.
LONDON.- Robilant+Voena are presenting an exhibition of paintings by Giorgio Morandi (Bologna, 1890-1964) on view at their London gallery from 7 June to 28 July 2017. This is the second exhibition at the gallery dedicated to the celebrated Italian artist, following the successful 2011 show. The exhibition includes works the artist realised between the 1940s and 1960s, bringing together a selection of four landscapes, seven still lifes and one watercolour. Giorgio Morandi is known primarily for his subtle and contemplative paintings, which he produced with determined consistency by remaining dedicated to a specific repertoire of subjects. Over the course of an extensive and prolific career, Morandi worked almost exclusively in series, concentrating on the production of still lifes and landscapes, constantly making use of the same recognisable subject-objects: ... More |
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| Jacques Herzog, Pierre de Meuron, and Ai Weiwei collaborate on site-specific installation | | Exhibition of works from 1961-1984 by Bernar Venet opens at Blain/Southern in London | | Paris Tableau opens in the magnificent spaces of the Patinoire Royal in Brussels | 
Mockup of installation detail of Hansel & Gretel at Park Avenue Armory. Photo by James Ewing.
NEW YORK, NY.- Park Avenue Armory today unveiled a collaborative, site-specific commission by Jacques Herzog, Pierre de Meuron, and Ai Weiwei. The immersive, interactive installation, Hansel & Gretel, fills the Armorys Wade Thompson Drill Hall and extends into the first floor of the Head House, creating an eerie landscape permeated by modern-day surveillance. Placing visitors in the position of the observed and the observer, the multilayered work submerges audiences in an environment where their every movement is tracked and monitored. Co-curated by Tom Eccles and Hans-Ulrich Obrist, the project is the 49th Drill Hall engagement to be mounted since Park Avenue Armory transformed the building into a cultural center for unconventional work, and follows such milestone installations as tears become
streams become
by Douglas Gordon and Hélène Grimaud (2014), WS by Paul McCarthy (2013), and the event of a thread by Ann Hamilton (2013 ... More | | 
Position of an Indeterminate Line, 1979, Courtesy Archives Bernar Venet, New York.
LONDON.- Bernar Venet, Looking Forward: 1961-1984 traces the development of the artists distinct conceptual mode, focussing on examples of works that were pivotal in defining his practice. It is the French artists first solo show in London since the ICA in 1976. He was in his thirties at the time yet had already been the subject of a career retrospective in New York and was widely esteemed for his role in the development of conceptual art. 1961 was a significant turning point for the young artist. While conscripted to military service in France he was preoccupied by the question of how to free his art work from personal expression. He started employing performance, sound and randomised painting in order to avoid the idioms of pictorial art. After noticing tar dripping down the cliffs in an old quarry, he became fascinated by the physical qualities of this material and how it adhered to the surface, beginning two new bodies of work as a result. By dripping industrial paint onto disca ... More | | 
J. Bourginon, actif entre 1657-1700. Guirlande de fruits tenue par un ruban, 73,7 x 53,7 cm. Huile sur toile. Courtesy Ana Chiclana
BRUSSELS.- Since being established in 2011 by dealers specializing in Old Master painting, Paris Tableau has gradually built up a reputation through the fairs it has organized annually at the Palais Brongniart in Paris. Bringing together the most prestigious specialized galleries, the fair has forged an identity that is recognized both in France and abroad. It has become an essential occasion in the calendar for all lovers of Old Master painting throughout the world. After being the guest of the Biennale des Antiquaires at the Grand Palais in September 2016, Paris tableau has decided to explore new horizons and to turn towards the international stage. For its first event abroad, its choice is Brussels. This European capital, which has become an economic crossroads, lies within a terrain that has a rich tradition of collecting and many connoisseurs of the old Masters. The fair will be held in the heart of the city ... More |
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| World records and fierce bidding at Bonhams Modern and Contemporary Art auction in Hong Kong | | 'Tenner' diamond - purchased at car boot sale for just £10 - sells at Sotheby's for £656,750 | | Alison Jacques Gallery opens second solo exhibition by Cuban-born artist Ana Mendieta | 
Shiy De Jinn (Xi Dejin) 1923-1981, 席德進 Portrait of Nora Sun. Achieved HK$1,980,000. Photo: Bonhams.
HONG KONG.- Bonhams Hong Kong Spring Season closed on 6 June with a buoyant auction of Modern and Contemporary Art at Bonhams international saleroom. The auction, which was 93% sold by lot and 91% by value, was notable for strong bidding from around the world for rare and historic works from the masters of modernism in Asia. A new world record price was achieved for Japanese artist Masaaki Yamada. His exquisite work, Work C 107 from 1962, which was featured as the front cover of the catalogue, achieved HK$1,375,000 (US$176,500). More than half a dozen phone lines competed for both Shiy De Jinn and Richard Lin. Shiy's portrait of Nora Sun. Sun was the grand-daughter of Sun Yat-sen, the founder of modern China, and a much-beloved diplomat in her own right. The work soared past the high estimate, achieving HK$1,980,000 (US$254,000). Following up on our world record price last season for Richard Lin, this season was also highlighted by ... More | | 
A member of Sotheby's staff poses holding a 26.27 carat, cushion-shaped, white diamond, for sale at Sotheby's auction house in London on May 22, 2017. Justin TALLIS / AFP.
LONDON.- Todays Fine Jewels sale in London exceeded pre-sale expectations to achieve £5,171,750 (est. £2,923,400- 4,183,200), with 80.1% of the lots sold. With an exceptional selection of contemporary and antique jewels and decorative accessories on offer, the sale was driven by competition from a broad spectrum of international buyers. The sale was led by the newly discovered cushion-shaped diamond, named the Tenner diamond, which sold for £656,750 (est. £250,000-350,000). The ring was originally purchased in the 1980s from a car boot sale for just £10, when it was assumed to be a decorative costume jewel. The ring was recently confirmed by the GIA as a genuine diamond. Another highlight of the sale was a Cartier diamond brooch worn by Margaret Thatcher on a number of high-profile public occasions, including the day she ... More | | 
Ana Mendieta, Untitled (Silueta Series), 1977. Lifetime colour photograph, 25.4 x 20.3 cm. © Courtesy The Estate of Ana Mendieta Collection, Galerie Lelong, New York and Alison Jacques Gallery, London.
LONDON.- Alison Jacques Gallery presents the gallerys second solo exhibition by Cuban-born artist, Ana Mendieta (b. 1948 Havana, Cuba; d. 1985 New York City, NY). This is the first solo show of Ana Mendietas work in the UK since her retrospective Traces, curated by Stephanie Rosenthal at the Hayward Gallery in 2013. This exhibition focuses on the themes of metamorphosis and transformation in Mendietas work, from her early performances at the University of Iowa in the 1970s, to her later sculptural work in the first half of the 1980s. This thematic focus includes groundbreaking work in performance and photography, film, drawings and leaf sculptures. The theme of metamorphosis and transformation also includes camouflage, with a particular focus on the relationship of the body to nature. From 1974 until the early 1980s Mendieta worked outdoors, ... More |
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| Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago opens highly anticipated Takashi Murakami retrospective | | Newly discovered 17th century secret sea chart leads Bonhams Fine Book sale | | From Saint Petersburg to Savièse: The many facets of Swiss painting at Sotheby's | 
Installation view, Takashi Murakami: The Octopus Eats its Own Leg, MCA Chicago, June 6 September 24, 2017. Photo: Nathan Keay, © MCA Chicago.
CHICAGO, IL.- This summer, the Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago presents the highly anticipated major retrospective Takashi Murakami: The Octopus Eats Its Own Leg, showcasing more than three decades of Murakamis paintings from his earliest mature worksmany of which are being shown in North America for the first timeto his most recent, never-before-seen paintings. Across over fifty works, this seminal exhibition of extraordinary, monumental paintings reveals the consistent, universal themes that have guided his work, reflecting his exquisite level of craft and insightful engagement with history. Takashi Murakami: The Octopus Eats Its Own Leg is curated by MCA Chief Curator Michael Darling and is on view at the MCA Chicago from June 6 to September 24, 2017. One of the most imaginative artists working today, Murakami has created a colorful cast of characters inspired by folklore, ... More | | 
Detail of Portolan chart of the Mediterranean, 1637. Estimated at £40,000-60,000. Photo: Bonhams.
LONDON.- A newly discovered 17th century seafaring chart of the Mediterranean is to be offered for sale at Bonhams Fine Books, Atlases, Manuscripts and Photographs Sale in London on Wednesday 14 June. Hidden away in a house in the West Country for decades, the sea map known as a Portolan chart is estimated at £40,000-60,000. Portolan charts were first made in 13th century Italy as navigational aids. The name comes from portolano, i.e. relating to ports and harbours, and the word in modern Italian for pilot book. The development of cartography in the 15th and 16th century made the maps more accurate, and the information they carried on shipping routes and ports became extremely valuable. The Spanish and Portuguese treated their Portolan charts as state secrets and kept them under constant guard against spies acting for the English and Dutch. The Portolan chart to be sold at Bonhams dates from 1637, and was made by Placidus Calo ... More | | 
Cuno Amiet, Blühende Bäume, 1922. Estimate: CHF 100,000 150,000 / EUR 91,500 137,000). Courtesy Sothebys.
ZURICH.- Saint Petersburg and Savièse are a world away from each other: the emblematic Russian city is a renowned centre for the fine arts, in contrast with a tiny, humble Swiss village in a picturesque Alpine valley. Yet these two locations, along with several others, reflect the rich diversity on offer in Sothebys forthcoming sale of Swiss Art / Swiss Made in Zurich. Leading the sale on June 27 will be a rare and important masterwork by Félix Vallotton, the wintry Saint Petersburg cityscape La Néva, brume légère. Alongside it, an extraordinary private collection of works from the famed Ãcole de Savièse includes masterpieces by Ernest Biéler, the painter who led this group of artists focused on the traditions and the simplicity of rural life in Switzerland. From the 19th century to the contemporary era, the works on offer capture a key place and time in the career of important Swiss artists, opening up a key ... More |
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Michael Palin on his favourite paintings | National Gallery
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 Sotheby's S/2 London opens exhibition of works by Li Yuan-chia and John Latham LONDON.- Sothebys S|2 Gallery in London aims to present the work of artists who may be undervalued by the market, but are art historically important and influential. For its next set of concurrent solo exhibitions, opening on 8 June, the upper gallery will feature works from the 1950-60s by the Chinese artist Li Yuan-chia and the lower gallery will present a selection of works from the same period by British artist John Latham. Both artists experimented with the representation of language in their oeuvres. Li employed the traditional Chinese literati practice of calligraphy to create a completely new visual language around the concept of the cosmic point, while Lathams use of books as both material and symbol in his paintings reveal a desire to incorporate the spheres of literature, science and philosophy into fine art. Li Yuan-chia is an artist without borders. Born in Guangxi ... More Sotheby's S/2 opens its first selling exhibition in Los AngelesLOS ANGELES, CA.- Sothebys S|2 opens its first selling exhibition in Los Angeles of paintings by the renowned Beijing-based artist Li Jin, entitled Li Jin: A Devout Foodist's Journey to the West. On view 8 - 28 June, 2017, the exhibition is to the public in Sothebys Century City gallery space. Li Jin is known for his sharp, witty and often irreverent observations of people, food, wine and places, taken from his travels around the world. During the summer of 2016 and the spring of 2017, Li Jin traveled to the United States, where he spent his time in Los Angeles, Las Vegas and New York. The artist produced 42 works including ink paintings and sculptures chronicling fast food, snacks, and elaborate meals shared with friends as well as encounters with interesting people, strolls through a snowy Central Park along with his observations during the St. Patricks Day Parade. ... More Largest collection of travel clocks in recent times offered at Bonhams Fine Clock saleLONDON.- On 29th June, Bonhams Fine Clock sale will see the largest selection of exceptional English and French travelling clocks to have come to the market in recent history. Nine examples from Britain will cross the rostrum, including pieces in coromandel, rosewood, mahogany, nickel and bronze. A strong array of Continental examples will also appear at the sale. Perhaps the most striking example is a very fine and rare early 20th century gilt brass grande and petite-sonnerie striking carriage clock in original gilt-tooled morocco leather travelling case (£8,000-12,000). Presented with the original signed and numbered red morocco leather travel case with gilt brass handle, the clock features Breguet moon hands, signed and numbered twin train movement and English-style lever escapement. In recent years, Bonhams has become renowned for offering some ... More Exhibition explores Peter Saul's influence on Texas artistsSAN ANTONIO, TX.- The University of Texas at San Antonio announces an exciting group exhibition that explores Peter Sauls influence on Texas Artists. Highlighting the works of Peter Saul, John Hernandez, Megan Solis, and Louie Chavez the exhibition opened to the public on Wednesday, June 7th. A leader in the transgressive gaze, Peter Saul is recognized as having a strong counterculture aesthetic and a wild politically-incorrect figurative practice. Although, Saul is typically associated with the Hairy Who & the Chicago Imagists, he never actually lived in Chicago, but had only frequently exhibited there. The artist did however, live and make work in Texas from 1981 2000 while he taught at The University of Texas at Austin. Although Saul lived in Texas for nearly two decades, he is not often associated with the state. While teaching in Austin, the artist had gallery ... More Christie's Design Sale totals $7,162,375NEW YORK, NY.- The New York Design sale totaled $7,162,375 with active in-room, phone, and online participation from established collectors to new buyers with registered bidders from 23 countries. The top lots of the sale were Francois-Xavier Lalanne (1927-2008), Grand Wapiti, 2000, which realized $907,500, more than tripling its low estimate, and Marc Newson (B. 1963), Pod of Drawers, which sold for $763,500. Notably, 100% of works offered from The Tuttleman Collection were sold with lots greatly exceeding estimates and strong results were realized for works by François-Xavier Lalanne, with all works offered sold totaling $1,663,250. Impressive prices were realized for works by Gallé included in The Joel Schur Collection of Important Works by Gallé, with results from the sale setting the new records for the top-three prices of Gallé lamps, led ... More Exhibition celebrates work by Mexican and Mexican-American artistsRENO, NEV.- The Nevada Museum of Art is showing works by artists from both sides of the Mexican-American border. Miradas: Ancient Roots in Modern and Contemporary Mexican Art, Works from the Bank of America Collection celebrates and reveals a variety of cultural aspects that emerged in the years after the Mexican Revolution (19101920) to the present day. The artworks on view in this exhibition are drawn from the Bank of America Collection, one of the most important art collections in the world. Miradas: Ancient Roots in Modern and Contemporary Mexican Art, Works from the Bank of America Collection remains on view through July 16, 2017 at the Nevada Museum of Art, Donald W. Reynolds Center for the Visual Arts, E. L. Wiegand Gallery located at 160 West Liberty Street in downtown Reno. Consisting of over 100 works, Miradas: Ancient Roots in Modern and ... More PULSE Contemporary Art Fair appoints Katelijne De Backer as new DirectorNEW YORK, NY.- Helen Toomer is leaving her position as Director of PULSE Contemporary Art Fair to focus on launching an artist residency in upstate New York and developing educational and arts related projects. Toomer will join the PULSE Advisory Committee who, along with the rest of the PULSE team, welcomes Katelijne De Backer as the new Director next month. I have enjoyed stewarding PULSE over the past three and a half years and am very thankful for the relationships I have formed with the galleries and their artists. I am thrilled to embark on a new chapter and to get back to working directly with artists, who we need to nurture now, more than ever, Toomer said. I am proud to still be connected with PULSE through the Advisory Committee and I am excited to hand over the reins to Katelijne, who has extensive experience and connections within the art ... More Katie Hollander stepping down as Executive Director of Creative TimeNEW YORK, NY.- Today, Creative Time announced that Katie Hollander, Executive Director of Creative Time, will be stepping down from the organization after nearly a decade of service as Executive Director, Deputy Director, and Deputy Director of Development. Creative Times Board of Trustees is forming a search committee to begin the process of appointing the next Executive Director of Creative Time. Upon Hollanders departure on July 1, 2017, Alyssa Nitchun, currently Deputy Director of Creative Time, will serve as Acting Director. As a leading figure of the organization for nearly ten years, Katie has been vital to the success of Creative Time and in advancing our mission to present important public art for our times, said Suzanne Cochran, Chair of Creative Times Board of Trustees. We are incredibly grateful for Katies leadership and ... More The Armory Show announces curators for 2018 fair and summit to foster curatorial leadershipNEW YORK, NY.- The Armory Show announced today Gabriel Ritter, Curator and Head of Contemporary Art at the Minneapolis Institute of Art (Mia), and Jen Mergel, formerly the Senior Curator of Contemporary Art at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, as curators for the 2018 fair. The Armory Show also announced the inauguration of a curatorial leadership summit to take place during the 2018 fair, chaired by Naomi Beckwith, Curator at the Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago. The summit will bring together over a dozen of the worlds most prominent curators for a daylong program aimed at cultivating new ideas and developments within the curatorial landscape. Ritter will oversee the fairs Focus section, comprised of solo- and dual-artist presentations of new or rarely seen work by todays most relevant and compelling artists. Mergel will develop ambitious artists projects ... More Diverse collection of ethnographic art presented June 23 by Heritage AuctionsDALLAS, TX.- A diverse collection of American Indian, Pre-Columbian and Tribal Art will interest collectors during the June 23 Heritage Auctions Ethnographic Auction. A member of the Tewa-Hopi tribe, Dan Namingha captures the imagery of his homeland and his people in Butterfly Kachina, 1985 (est. $6,000-8,000). Two beautiful Navajo rugs are presented in this auction. A Navajo Pictorial Rug, circa 1925 (est. $5,000-7,000) measures 82-1/2 by 56-1/2 inches, features three Yei figures and is in overall excellent condition. Joining this piece is a Large Navajo Regional Rug, Two Gray Hills, circa 1925 (est. $5,000-7,000) measuring 88-1/2 by 133 inches. Both turn-of-the-century and contemporary Indian artworks comprise the Duncan Family Ranch Collection. Four generations of Hugh Duncan's family were ranchers in Wyoming, right in the proximity of Sioux and Cheyenne ... More American history unfolds in Blackwell's auction of estate antiques, fine art and historical objectsCLEARWATER, FLA.- A family-operated, multi-generational business, Blackwell Auctions has earned a position of respect within the antiques and fine-art trade, not only in Florida, but also worldwide. Co-founders Edwin Bailey and John McNeal, together with auctioneer John Noble, are known for their curated sales of high-quality estate merchandise and fascinating collections. Blackwells ability to secure headline-making consignments was most recently recognized in March, when the company auctioned a unique photo scrapbook documenting the production of the film Jaws. The auction house is once again destined for international attention, this time with a small but historically significant archive of Lincoln memorabilia that headlines their Saturday, June 10 Americana auction. The 120-year-old archive of items related to ... More |
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Flashback On a day like today, American architect Frank Lloyd Wright was born June 08, 1867. RICHLAND CENTER, WI.- Frank Lloyd Wright was an American architect, interior designer, writer and educator, who designed more than 1,000 projects, which resulted in more than 500 completed works. In this image: Frank Lloyd Wright (American, 1867-1959). Gordon Strong Automobile Objective and Planetarium, Sugarloaf Mountain, Maryland. Project, 1924-25. Perspective. Pencil and colored pencil on tracing paper, 19 3/4 Ã 30 3/4 (50.2 Ã 78.1 cm). The Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation Archives (The Museum of Modern Art | Avery Architectural & Fine Arts Library, Columbia University, New York).
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