Home > ArtoftheDay Weekly > #9 - from 22 June 2006 to 28 June 2006

Art Of The Day Weekly

#9 - from 22 June 2006 to 28 June 2006

IN THE AIR

Dear, dearer Gustav Klimt

While forecasts had it that the Art Basel fair would yield astronomical revenues – some spoke of half a billion dollars – the greatest transaction of the moment took place across the Atlantic, in the United States. It concerns a superb painting by Klimt, the portrait of Adèle Bloch-Bauer (1907) all in golds and shimmers, similar to a mosaic from Ravenna. The masterpiece, taken away from its owners by the Nazis in 1938, then exhibited at the Belvedere museum in Vienna, was only returned in January 2006, following a long judicial batlle. The heirs sold it a new owner, Ronald Lauder. The cosmetics magnate, whose pockets are very deep, happens to be the founder of the Neue Galerie, in New York, a museum with a beautiful collection of German and Austrian art. By buying this Klimt, he enriches it with a piece of top quality. But above all he has more than succeeded in creating more renown for himself than all the specialised public relationss outfits could have done Indeed, Ronald Lauder admits he spent more than for the most expensive painting in the world (Picasso's Boy with a pipe, sold for 104 million dollars in 2004 at Sotheby’s). But, by skillfully wielding rumor like a fearsome weapon in our ever smaller planet, he did not unveil the exact amount. Speculation has no limits and figures are constanly being blown up, with the New York Times announcing 135 million dollars. That is more than enough to make this painter who is dear to the general public even dearer and to put Klimt on a par with Picasso, Van Gogh, Cézanne and Matisse.

A reproduction of the portrait of Adèle Bloch-Bauer

AUCTIONS

Primitive Arts : Vérité means truth

PARIS - In French "vérité" means truth and the sale of the Vérité collection was indeed a moment of truth. Everyone was awaiting this sale and it has disappointed no one. The scattering of the collection of primitive arts of art dealer Claude Vérité was held at Drouot on 17 and 18 June and brought in 43 million euros, threefold the estimates. All 514 lots were sold, eight went beyond one million euros and another 36 fetched out for more than 150 000 euros. The explosive participation of Guy Loudmer, suspended from his fonctions as auctioneer but present as a consultant (and, more so, as a hoarse usher), helped «round up the troops» and wake up the room. The highest bid (the year's record in France) was given to a Fang mask, at 5.9 million euros, which also makes it the most expensive piece in the world in primitive arts. A Tschokwe hunter's statue, from Angola, went for 3.7 million euros and a Senoufo statue from the Ivory Coast for 2.9 million euros. The very brand new museum of Quai Branly, overwhelmed by these auctions for millionairs, was only able to preempt a modest lintel from New-Guinea, at 58 000 euros. Life is tough...for some of us.

To download the sales catalogue and the LCI video

EXHIBITIONS

Sicily, sauce Normande

CAEN- Right after year one thousand, on the road to the Holy Land, pilgrims and crusaders went through Southern Italy. Among them, there were the Normand Lords who were good warriors and quickly cut out their own domains. They kicked out the Arabs from Sicily and gave birth to an Arab-Normand civilization that would later be considered by many as the golden age of Sicily's history. The exhibition retraces these two centuries (from the middle of the 11th to the end of the 13th century, when the dynasty from Anjou took over) using pieces in ivory, manuscripts, sculpted décors. But it aso shows the persistence of myths in learned culture (the drawings by Viollet-le-Duc looking there for the roots of gothic art) or popular culture, with the carts decorated with the epic of the paladins from France, puppets and fireworks…All of this is experienced in Caen through documentaries.

  • Les Normands en Sicile,(The Normands in Sicily) at the Musée de Normandie, from 24 June to 15 October 2006.

    The website of the museum of Normandy

  • The Maeght Foundation in the dark

    SAINT-PAUL-DE-VENCE – In 1946, the Maeght gallery opened an audacious exhibition in Paris. The title was «Black is a color», and it grouped together works by Matisse, Rouault, Bonnard. Sixty years later, the Maeght foundation has become an empire and attracts over 200 000 visitors per year, with an overabundant collection (in particular more than 50 Giacomettis and more than 150 Mirós !). Curators have decided to remember this historical moment of the post war era. The older masters naturally invited – with in particular lithographies by Geer van Velde –but the panorama has enlarged to all more recent productions, up to our days: Albers, Michaux, Masson, Soulages, Tinguely, Motherwell, Kline, Reinhardt, Saura, Tápies to finish with Boltanski, Kapoor, Kiefer. Under the sun of Provence, the contrast wil be even more striking than in that long gone Parisian autumn.

  • Le noir est une couleur (Black is a color), at the Maeght foundation, from 30 June to 5 November 2006.

    Presentation of the exhibition on the website of the foundation

  • Quinn, blood in Rome

    ROME – The Italian capital used to trail behind in so far as the main circuits of contemporary art are concerned, but it is catching up with the time lost. We shall soon see the Maxxi (national center for contemporary arts), drawn by Zaha Hadid, in the place of a former barracks, and the enlargement of the Macro (the museum of contemporary art of Rome), designed by Odile Decq. In the meantime, the Macro already has an overabundant program. This summer we will admire the large installation Exit by Christian Boltanski and a retrospective by Marc Quinn. The artist, in the sphere of the Young British Artists, had people talking quite a bit about him a few years ago. During work done in the home of his number one collector, Charles Saatchi, the plug of the freezer was pulled out and the statue in frozen plasma that represents the bust of Marc Quinn had melted. We can imagine that in order to survive the Roman Summer all the necessary steps will be taken to ensure the preservation of the works (thirty will be exhibited) that use milk, placenta, etc.- as well as marble or simply paper to lie down drawings on - to talk about the frail and perishable nature of the human body.

  • Marc Quinn and Boltanski at the Macro, from 22 June to September 2006.

    The website of the Macro

  • MUSEUMS

    Brussels gets pluged in

    There was already the Tate Modern in London and the Centrale Montemartini in Rome. The Centrale électrique (electrical plant), inaugurated on 22 June, now joins the crowd of energy producing plants transformed into exhibition space . This 1000 sq. meter space in the heart of the city (place Sainte-Catherine), with glass roof and beautiful heights, has been baptised «European Center of contemporary art». Its ambition is to give a second wind to art events in Brussels. His inaugural exhibition deals with the question of animals in current creation. Talents of different horizons and ages participate to this first Zoo , using various supports: Gilles Aillaud, Jan Fabre, Carsten Höller, Roni Horn, photographer William Wegman, illustrator Tomi Ungerer, etc. Four exhibitions are planned each year.

  • Zoo at the Electric Plant, from 23 June to 8 October 2006

    The website of the city, for further information

  • BOOKS

    America before Americans

    Arts premiers in French is literally "first arts" and refers to what in English is primitive arts. The expression is now part of many household conversations, even though the officials at the museum of Quai Branly seem to ignore it. Following an exploration he started with Africa and Oceania, the author looks towards another ideal continent, America: the Inuit, the Mayas, the Incas, the Aztecs and other less known cultures such as the Mochicas, the Calimas or the Indians from the Amazone. The text is synthetic and leaves a large place to the illustrations: traditional objects (pectoral ornaments from the Gold museum in Bogota, a two-head serpent in turquoise from the British Museum, a skull with sacrifice daggers from the museum of Mexico) as well as an engraving that shows Géronimo cutting up a buffalo or a photograph of Claude Levi-Strauss… A few boxed texts illustrate specific themes, like writing by the Mayas or the movie director François Reichenbach's collection. A pleasant inititiation, which could work as a manual for a first visit to the new Quai Branly museum.

  • Arts premiers, Indiens, Eskimos, Aborigènes, par Bérénice Geoffroy-Schneiter, éditions Assouline, ISBN : 2-84323-837-4, 2006, 30 €.(

    Buy that book from Amazon

  • IN BRIEF

    BERLIN – Anstoss Berlin Haus am Waldsee celebrates under this name its 60 years of existence and the 300th exhibition by showing the vitality - found again since the 90s - of the artistic scene in Berlin. Among the artists invited from 22 June to 17 September: Franz Ackermann, Angela Bullock, Olafur Eliasson, Mona Hatoum and Anri Sala.

    To know more

    BIARRITZ – Latin-american art is honored at the Bellevue with the venezuelan collection of Daniela Chapard, from 27 June to 30 September: nearly 130 works by artists as varied as Torres-Garcia, Matta, Lam, Cruz-Diez, Tamayo, Soto or Botero.

    Information on the website of the city of Biarritz

    FONTAINEBLEAU – The Osenat auction house presents on 25 June one of the only two known paintings by photographer Gustave Le Gray. The Portrait of Empress Eugénie, done in 1869 for a commission by Ismaël Pacha, is estimated at 150 000 euros.

    The website of the Osenat study

    GRENOBLE – A new exhibit space is inaugurated on 22 June at the top of the Bastille cableway. It is named LIA, Lieu d’Images et d’Art (Places of Images and Art), and its first guest will be Antony McCall and his «films of solid light».

    Presentation of the LIA

    LONDON – What future lies ahead for the Commonwealth Institute? This building from the sixties, near Kensington Gardens and currently not used, runs the risk of being demolished in order to face certain real estate projects, as the Observer recalled on 15 June. The English Heritage association announced it would move to defend it.

    MARLY-LE-ROI – Park in Progress, the event that results from the artistic nurseries program from across the borders, will be held on the night of 24 June in the park of the Injep. As of 8 PM, «works in suspense» and «aerial choreographies» will precede a visual and acoustic evening itinerary (after 10:30 PM). Free shuttle service will be provided for to return to Paris.

    The detailed program

    MONACO – The international contemporary art prize, given by the Prince Pierre foundation, was rewarded on 20 June to Saâdane Afif. The artist, born in 1970, received 15 000 euros and a credit for the same amount to produce new works. He will also enjoy an exhibition up to 15 August (4 quai Antoine Ier).

    Biography of the artist on the Prince Pierre foundation website

    NANTES – Until 10 September 2006, le Lieu unique (The unique place) brings together the creations of European students of design under the name of’ European ways of life .

    A presentation of Cumulus, the international website for students in design

    PARIS - The 4th Bérès sale, named for the major librarian, and organised on 20 June by Bergé and associates, recorded a total revenue of 14 million euros. A collection of ornithologic drawings from 1550 by Pierre Gourdelle was sold for 1,4 million euros. Stendhal's hand written work in 6 notebooks was preempted by the municipality of Grenoble at 936 942 euros. Two days prior to the sale, Pierre Bérès had offered the State a copy of la Chartreuse de Parme corrected by Stendhal.

    PARIS – To celebrate its opening, the museum at Quai Branly will charge no admission from friday 23 to sunday 25 June. It will remain open throughout the night from Friday to Saturday.

    The website of the Quai de Branly Museum

    PARIS – Gérard Garouste is the 2006 winner of the Montblanc prize for Culture, which honors private patrons. The artist is rewarded for the social and educational work carried out by his association, La Source.

    PARIS – The Ecole nationale supérieure des beaux-arts organises its open doors on friday 23 and saturday 24 June.

    The website of the ENSBA

    STAVERN (Norway) – Kitsch painters of the world, unite! This in a way is the objective of the event named Kitsch Annuale to be held on 25 June in the buildings of a shipyard. Eight countries will send representatives, among them Fereidoun Ghaffari, Shale Young, Riccardo Rossati and Odd Nerdrum.

    Learn more on the website www.worldwidekitsch.com

    VILLANDRY – The gardens of the castle of Villandry, in the Loire valley, which each year attract over 350 000 visitors, will celebrate their centennial by dedicating an exhibition to their creator, Joachim Carvallo.

    Know more

    ON ARTOFTHEDAY

    This week, do not miss

    This is a prolific and very versatile artist (painting, sculpture, ceramics, photography) presented by the Orsay museum. Danish artist Willumsen worked a lot in France, where he was also trained and then passed away. 100 works illustrate his itinerary, which led him from Symbolism to Expressionism, markéd by the forces of nature.

    From Symbolism to Expressionism, Willumsen, a Danish artist

    It was the first museum to be built after World War II. Inaugurated in 1961, the Malraux museum, designed by students of Auguste Perret, has just been rearranged to face the increase of works of art. A new source of light and an opening regained towards the sea offer the ideal conditions to admire a beautiful impressionist collection and the recent Senn-Fould donation, a unique selection of turn of the 19 century paintings and drawings.

    Le Havre, reopening of the Malraux Museum