GAMG Newsletter
Norman Lear’s $50 Million Collection
On May 16th, Christie's 20th Century Evening Sale will debut seven works for the collection of the recently deceased television writer, producer, and political advocate Norman Lear. Between those pieces and several others that will be featured in their Post-War and Contemporary Day Sale, Christie's estimates the collection will go for more than $50 million. Norman Lear was an avid collector of modern art, especially pieces that spoke to America's political and cultural landscape. His collection includes pieces by artists such as Willem de Kooning, Ed Ruscha, and Ellsworth Kelly.
Bye
Bye Digitalbasel.io
Only a year after its launch, the NFT website digitalbasel.io has officially shut down. In the email they sent out to galleries, auction houses, and artists, they listed relentless accusations and misunderstandings as the main reason for their lack of success. Over the past year, they had received a cease-and-desist from Art Basel, attempted to sell NFT versions of works that were not actually for sale, and lacked permission from the artists and galleries that were listed on their website.
Ancient Banquet Hall Discovered in Pompeii
In Pompeii, archaeologists have recently uncovered a banqueting hall covered in frescoes depicting mythological creatures associated with the Trojan War. This room, meant for entertaining guests, had black painted walls, which prevented oil lamps from leaving smoke stains on its walls, and enabled the shadows to be cast on the walls, creating an illusion that the figures were alive.
Untited (Yelow, Orange, Yelow, Light Orange) (1955)
Photo by Tristan Fewngs/Getty Images for Sotheby's
VENICE BIENNALE
The Presence of Indigenous Artists
Indigenous artists will have a large presence at this years Venice Biennale, both in many of the pavillions and a central exhibition called "Foreigners Everywhere. This central exhibition will feature an intricate mural done by a collective of painters from the Brazillion Amazon, and Inuuteq Storch, the first Greenlandic and Inuk artist to represent Denmark at the festival, will erect a sign that reads "Kalaallit Nunaat," meaning "Greenland." Denilson Baniwa, the Hãhãwpuá Pavillion's curator, said that there is a very political aspect to the presence of Indigenous artists, and that " our aim is to rewrite history and add a new chapter to art history."
What to look for at the Venice Biennale
Here are the top things to look at Italy's Venice Biennale, the world's biggest art festival:
The latest work from Pierre Huyghe Pradae, an artist who uses materials that range from AI to live bees, to underground space
Christoph Büchel at Fondazione Prada, which will focus on the concept of debt and financial institutions
Janus at Palazzo Diedo, the newest art space of Venice, is aspiring to be one of the city's must-see venues.
Protect our Art
It appears that the British Museum thefts of last year were not an isolated incident, as several UK museums have come forward and revealed that hundreds of items from their collection have been lost, stolen, or destroyed over the past five years. The Imperial War Museum in England has shared that between 2018 and 2023, 539 items have been lost or stolen. The Natural History Museum has lost 65 million-year-old mammal teeth and a dinosaur stomach stone known as a gastrolith. While the British Museum's curator Peter Higgs has been fired over the issue, there may need to be a deeper look into these major security issues.
An Act of Rebellion
Polish artist Ignacy Czwartos was originally picked to represent Poland at the Venice Biennale until the government intervened. On December 29th, under the new prime minister Donald Tusk, the Polish Ministry of Culture called off his project in an act of "censorship." Now, he will be presenting 15 paintings at the International exhibition. The project statement says that these paintings feature context such as "figures and events from Polish history, forbidden by the communist regime between 1945 and 1989, known as the 'blanks' in Polish History."
About Us...
The Guild aims to foster an inclusive community of individuals at Goizueta Business School who share an interest in art, the art market, and their intersection with business. The Guild hopes to provide opportunities for learning, networking, and engaging in discussions related to art markets, art investment, entrepreneurship in the art world, and the broader creative economy.
The GAMG Monthly Newsletter is written and composed by Jainee Shah (BBA25) and Sammi Friedman (C26), 2023-2024 GAMG Newsletter Editors
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Anselm Kefer