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- Ahead of planned protests in Paris and calls to demonstrate at the Grand Palais, where Art Basel is held, the fair would not confirm at this stage whether it will have to shutter Saturday, even as other art spaces, such as the Fondation Louis Vuitton, announce closures.
- An early Roman-era marble torso just broke an auction record for classical sculpture, selling for $34.3 million at Sotheby’s.
- The New York Public Library was gifted some 250 prints by Kiki Smith from her sister, the artist Seton Smith.
The Headlines
ART BASEL PARIS PACKING EARLY? Ahead of planned protests Saturday, the Fondation Louis Vuitton plans to close its doors out of precaution, ARTnews has learned. New anti-government protests about social and economic inequalities are expected in Paris and other European cities this weekend, sparking rumors that Art Basel may also have to close early as a result. Reporter Julie Brener Davich posted on Instagram that the fair stated that “at this stage we have nothing to share. We remain in close contact with the Paris Police Prefecture and all relevant authorities and will communicate any decision as soon as practicable.” ARTnews has contacted Art Basel for comment. Meanwhile, the Instagram account Documentations Art has called on readers to “take the Grand Palais,” where Art Basel is held, in a form of protest on Saturday, against what it calls “Art Basel, the fair of plunder,” reports Le Monde. The French media described the social media post as “riddled with approximations and falsehoods” about how wealthy individuals are allegedly enriching themselves by buying art for supposed investment and tax-reduction purposes. Many online comments criticized the logic behind the post, but rumors have spread of a potential protest at the fair when the general public typically visits.
VENI, VIDI, VENDIDI. Following heated bidding, an early Roman-era marble torso just broke an auction record for classical sculpture, selling for $34.3 million at Sotheby’s Magnum Opus Evening Auction on Wednesday, reports ArtDependence. The torso, wearing an ornate tunic carved in incredible detail, is believed to represent one of the Julio-Claudian emperors, who ruled Rome from 27 BC to AD 68, and it was likely made in two parts to stand, with most of its weight unevenly placed on its right leg.
The Digest
The New York Public Library was gifted some 250 prints by Kiki Smith from her sister, the artist Seton Smith. [ARTnews]
The convicted Miami art dealer Leslie Roberts, sentenced to prison for selling fake Andy Warhols, has been assisting federal agents with investigations into other cases of art fraud. [The Art Newspaper]
Florentina Holzinger’s concluding Venice Biennale performance, CLOSING ÉTUDE, is “a final dinner” that will include a procession from the Austrian pavilion to the historic Scuola Grande della Misericordia. [ARTnews]
Months of delays in grant payments from the San Francisco Art Commission to artists are worrying awardees, some of whom still haven’t been paid and are struggling to make ends meet as a result. [San Francisco Examiner]
The Swedish “museum” network Fotografiska has opened its fifth site in China, specifically the Shenzhen Bay MIXC commercial center, adding to its global expansion. [Le Journal des Arts]
The Kicker
WHO WANTS THE WORLD? A 1930’s globe used by General Dwight D. Eisenhower during World War II was damaged when Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth dispatched his own team to relocate the artifact from the Pentagon and put it in his own office, reports the Washington Post. “Ordinarily, moving historical items within the building is a deliberate process overseen by trained curators,” explains the Post. But for whatever reason, Hegseth’s staff wanted to bypass protocol, and the people moving the 30-inch globe dropped and broke it. The Army confirmed the damage during an “attempted move” on February 3, which left a hole in the sphere. In the end, the broken globe stayed in its original place. “Hegseth wants an Eisenhower totem to be like Ike, brilliant in war and peace,” said Ty Seidule, a retired brigadier general. “Hegseth is no Ike. The globe won’t give him Ike’s attributes of humility, intellect, and judgment.”