Chinese dissident artist puts up show in Italy; most expensive painting in the world gets downgraded

A SUMMARY OF THE MOST EXCITING ART NEWS FROM AROUND THE GLOBE

While we focus on Indian art, we can’t obviously function in a vacuum. It’s a small world and everything is connected, especially on the web. So, let’s train our spotlight across the world map to see what’s going on — from art trends to socio-political issues to everything that affects the great aesthetic global consciousness. Or, let’s just travel the world and have some fun!

Despite pressure from Beijing, Italian city opens Chinese dissident art show

A provocative portrait of President Xi Jinping and paintings made with blood — these are among the works on display at an exhibit by Chinese dissident artist Badiucao, which Chinese officials had tried to get cancelled. But, despite putting pressure on the northern Italian city of Brescia to nix the event, organizers went ahead anyway in a bid to \”support freedom of expression.\” For the first few days of the exhibit, Badiucao will sit in the torture chair and read from a diary that was sent to him by a resident in Wuhan. The work details 100 days of records from the early stages of the coronavirus pandemic. Hindustan Times tells you more about the artist’s iconoclastic move.

World’s most expensive painting — ‘not a da Vinci’!

In 2017, the painting ‘Salvator Mundi’ was sold for an eye-watering $450million after leading experts said it was an original from Leonardo da Vinci himself, and allegedly bought by Saudi Arabia’s crown prince Mohammed bin Salman (although these claims were met with denial). But now, the most expensive painting ever sold has been downgraded by the Prado Museum, which claims it was only ‘attributed to, authorised by or supervised by’ the famous High Renaissance painter. The value of the painting is expected to fall after the move from the main Spanish national art museum in Madrid. Metro.co.uk dissects the development.

Nazi-looted Van Gogh auctioned for record $35.9 million

Seized by the Nazis during their World War II occupation of France, a Vincent van Gogh landscape titled ‘Mueles de ble’ has now sold at a Christie’s New York auction for a whopping $35.9 million. This is a record for the 1888 watercolor by the Dutch impressionist, which was exhibited in 1905. ‘Mueles de ble’ depicts a haystack in Arles, France, where van Gogh lived for more than a year in the 1880s. Unlike his best-known work, which was painted with oils, this painting was executed in watercolor, gouache, pen and ink on paper. The Indian Express has more details.

Yayoi Kusama show a first for Israel, draws in huge crowds

Over 100,000 tickets have been sold ahead of the start of an upcoming exhibition dedicated to Yayoi Kusama in Israel, slated to run from November 15 to April 23 next year. \”Yayoi Kusama: A Retrospective,\” is the first exhibit in Israel dedicated to the 92-year-old internationally acclaimed Japanese avant-garde artist. And, it is already fully booked through mid-February, according to the Tel Aviv Museum of Art\’s website. Kyodo News tells you more.