NEWS

Latin American Art Auctions In NYC
Sotheby´s and Christie´s are offering Latin American art in New York this week and they estimate sales of US$46 million. Art works by Fernando Botero, Alfredo Ramos Matinez and Matta will be some of the most requested.
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100th Anniversary Of The Birth Of Frida Kahlo
Few artists have captured the public’s imagination with the force of Frida Kahlo (1907–1954). In celebration of the 100th anniversary of the birth of this Mexican artist and to recognize her powerful influence on artists working today, the Walker Art Center (in association with the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art) is organizing a major exhibition of Kahlo’s paintings to premiere in Minneapolis October 27, 2007–January 20, 2008, before beginning a U.S. tour. Curated by art historian and world-renowned Kahlo biographer Hayden Herrera and Walker associate curator Elizabeth Carpenter, the presentation will include approximately 50 paintings from the beginning of Kahlo’s career in 1926 to the year of her death in 1954.
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The Imperial Sale
Gambling magnates are purchasing imperial treasures in the Chinese antiques market. Today, Stanley Ho bought Emperor Kangxi´s throne for US1.8 million. The brown lacquer seat from Kangxi´s reign (1662-1722) was among the record prices for Chinese paintings, ceramics and antiques at Christie´s International spring auctions in Hong Kong. The previous record, set by a 18th-19th century Chinese throne, was US$477,900 in New York in 2004.
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Christie´s: Growing Demand For Modern Asian Art
A 1959 painting by Zao Wou-ki fetched US$3.8 million as collectors from around the world took part in fierce bidding in Hong Kong organizing by Christie´s. Also, Yue Minjun's first self-portrait fetched more than US$2.5 million and a sculpture by Ju Ming US$1.9 million.
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Hockney Unveils Huge Canvas At Royal Academy
British artist David Hockney has unveiled the biggest painting of his career as part of the Royal Academy´s Summer Exhibition in London. The painting titled "Bigger Trees Near Water" is 40ft by 15 ft and formed by 50 small canvases. Hockney created the painting for the end wall in the largest of the academy´s galleries. The exhibition will open on June 11 and runs until August 19.
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Visual Dialogue Between American And British Pop Art
A groundbreaking exhibition "Pop Art Portraits" - the first to explore the role and significance of portraiture within one of the world's most popular and influential art movements - opens at the National Portrait Gallery on 11 October. Conceived as a visual dialogue between American and British Pop Art, this exhibition brings together 52 key works by 28 Pop artists working on both sides of the Atlantic in the 1950s and 1960s. These include major portraits by Andy Warhol, Robert Rauschenberg, Jasper Johns and Roy Lichtenstein alongside those of Peter Blake, Richard Hamilton, David Hockney and Patrick Caulfield.
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Record-Breaking Auction Of Canadian Art
Heffel Fine Art House (Vancouver, Canada) sold more than 219 lots for the record amount of $22.8 million CDN. The auction included four paintings that sold for more than $1 million CDN each, was held at the Vancouver Sheraton Wall Centre where at least dozen Candian fine art records were broken.
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Banker Donates US$9.87 Million To Tate Modern
American-born London-based banker and philanthropist, John Studzinski, has donated a record of US$9.87 (£5) million to the Tate Modern with extension purposes of the landmark building. This is the largest individual gift ever made to the British museum. Mr. Studzinski is a well-known patron of the arts and a Tate trustee since 1998.
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Rare Rembrandt Etching Stolen From Chicago Gallery
A middle aged couple walked in a Chicago (USA) gallery and stole a 17th century Rembrandt etching titled "Adam and Eve" and left five minutes later. Gallery owner, Tom Hilligoss was surprised the crime was during daylight and very fast.
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David Beckham Wants To Become An Art Collector
Football icon David Beckham will become an art collector shortly. He always has developed a love for expensive art and is nowadays receiving advice from close friend, British artist Sacha Jafri. Sacha said: "He's really getting into the art world. He's taking it really seriously and he hopes to amass a valuable private collection".
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New Queensland Art Gallery Chief
The Queensland Art Gallery has a new director, Tony Ellwood will fill the post after Doug Hall retired last month following 20 years at the helm of QAG. His five year contract will begin this July.
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Is It Really Worth US$71.7 Million?
A painting by Andy Warhol set a new auction record for the Pop artist, selling for US$71.7 million yesterday at Christie´s International in New York. The "Green Car Crash (Green Burning Car I)" was estimated to sell for US$25 - US$35 million. The 7 1/2 foot canvas is part of the "Death and Disaster" series, which included electric chairs and suicides.
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Rothko Sets New Auction Record For Postwar Art
Many records were broken yesterday at Sotheby´s New York auction. Bacon, Basquiat, and Rothko established new records for their artworks. The 1962 artwork "Study from Innocent X" by Francis Bacon was sold for US$52.6 million to an anonymous bidder. Another work, an untitled painting by Jean-Michel Basquiat from 1981, sold for $14.6 million, setting an auction record for the artist.
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Freedom At Last For Indian Artist
In Vadodara (India), art student Chandramohan, who was arrested five days ago for exhibiting works of art alleged to be obscene, has been granted bail. Chandramohan, a senior student of the renowned fine arts department of the MS University, was arrested on Wednesday and the exhibition attacked by the saffron brigade.
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The Bilbao Guggenheim Will Celebrate Its 10th Anniversary With Two Exhibitions
The Bilbao Guggenheim Museum is celebrating its tenth anniversary with two exhibitions dedicated to Basque art named "Mysteries: Cartographies of Contemporary Art in Euskadi" and "Each to Their Own Taste," to be inaugurated in July and September, respectively.
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Rockefeller Will Give US$40 Million From Rothko Sale To Charity
Next week, auction house Sotheby´s will offer a very important 1950 Mark Rothko painting belonging to philanthropist David Rockefeller Sr. The artwork is estimated in US$40 million or more and Rockefeller will give all to charity although he hasn´t decide which one. The large sum will not go to only one institution but will be shared between many of them.
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Art Exhibition To Calm Down Tension Between USA And Iran
Condoleezza Rice, US Secretary of State, will visit an Iranian art exhibition in Washington to demonstrate support for the Iranian people despite tensions with the country´s leadership. The first Iranian art exhibit sponsored by the U.S. government shows the works of 30 Iranian artists aged between 22 and 40, entitled "Wishes and Dreams: Iran´s New Generation Emerges".
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Sotheby´s Biggest Sale Since 1990
Sotheby´s had its biggest sale in 17 years thanks to a record of US$23.3 million for a painting by Lyonel Feininger and US$25.5 million for a Paul Cezanne watercolor. The spring art sales was a success, Sotheby´s sold nearly US$280 million worth of Impressionist and modern art. From the 61 lot, only 6 failed to sell.
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Lucian Freud Painting Could Break Record
Christie´s International displayed a Lucian Freud´s painting in London that might establish a record for the artist. The British painter is heading for a US$11 million record. The picture of Bruce Bernard will be sold by New York collectors Elaine and Melvin Merians on June 20. This painting will top Freud´s US$7.8 million "Naked Portrait" and "Red Haired Man on a Chair" of US$8.2 million in 2005.
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Workers hang one of Andy Warhol's paintings in the World of Coca-Cola museum
The new World of Coca-Cola Museum will held an exhibition of 30 Andy Warhol renderings of Coca-Cola´s curvy trademark bottle on May 24. Most are paintings, pencil sketches, photos and screenprints are about Coke except for a self-portrait.
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Art Graduate Sues Penn State University
Penn State graduate, Joshua Stulman, claims the university violated his free-speech rights when instructors canceled his art exhibit "Portraits of Terror" while he was a student. His exhibition was about terrorism in the Middle East and "Arab-Palestinian terorrism directed towards the State of Israel and its people", according to a lawsuit the files last week in federal court in Philadelphia.
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