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!
Brazilian curator Adriano Pedrosa to helm the 2024 Venice Biennale
Organizers of the Venice Biennale have announced that Brazilian curator Adriano Pedrosa will oversee the 60th International Art Exhibition, set to be held in 2024. In a pair of firsts, Pedrosa is both the first Latin American and the first from the Southern Hemisphere to curate the event. In a statement released by the goliath art festival on December 15, the board followed the suggestion of its president, Roberto Cicutto, in appointing Pedrosa, who is the current artistic director of the Museu de Arte de São Paulo. The Biennale’s dates have also been agreed upon, with the sprawling city-wide event set to run from April 20 to November 24, 2024. More on Artnet News.
London\’s National Portrait Gallery to return next June
The National Portrait Gallery, one of London’s most high-profile museums, will re-open 22 June next year following a three-year closure. The Inspiring People redevelopment, the most extensive in the gallery’s 166-year history, is costing £35.5m. The NPG recently accepted a £10m gift towards the revamp from the foundation set up by the British-American businessman Leonard Blavatnik. To recognise the donation, the Trafalgar Square institution\’s will rename its first floor the “Blavatnik Wing” where nine galleries have been refurbished. The Blavatnik Wing will be used to exhibit a comprehensive redisplay of the gallery’s permanent collection, showing portraits of some of the key figures in British history, from the Tudor era through to the mid-20th century. Notable portraits in the collection depict the naturalist Charles Darwin, who founded the theory of evolutionary biology, the political activist Emmeline Pankhurst and the British-Jamaican nurse Mary Seacole. Details on Secret London.
A sold out auction of Sir Terence Conran\’s personal design fetched $1.4 million
A friend of the late Sir Terence Conran, the art dealer John Kasmin, once remarked, “The problem with Terence is that he wants the whole world to have a better salad bowl.” At yesterday’s sale, “Sir Terence Conran – The Contents of Barton Court,” one lucky bidder upgraded their kitchenware significantly by purchasing a set of Conran’s own salad bowls. That collection of contemporary turned timber bowls—which once formed a large shelfscape outside Conran’s office—sold for £3,187 ($3,880). A testament to Conran’s longstanding cultural and aesthetic influence, the sellout auction—including furniture, art, and decorative objects from the design trailblazer’s personal collection—earned a total of £1,179,500 ($1,435,811), more than three times the pre-sale estimate. “Sir Terence Conran was a legendary figure in the history of modern design,” said Harvey Cammell, Bonhams Global Director, Valuations and Private Collections. “It has been a real privilege to offer highlights from his personal collection, which all came from his beloved home at Barton Court in Berkshire. The items in this sale demonstrated Sir Terence’s impeccable taste and offered bidders a chance to acquire items of design history. It is no wonder this very special sale achieved such exceptional results.” Read more on UK Daily News.