Christie's Auction of Post-War and Contemporary Art in London Realises $31.8 Million

LONDON.-Christie’s Post-War and Contemporary Art Evening Auction took place this evening and realised �19,063,350 / $31,778,604 / €22,513,816 selling 88% by lot and 86% by value. Francis Outred, International Director and Head of Post-War and Contemporary Art, Christie’s Europe: ‘We are delighted with the results of our sales tonight which continued the trend of strong sold rates seen in the first 6 months of this year at our international auctions. This evening, an active market saw 86% of lots find

Damien Hirst Refuses to Become Royal Academician at the Royal Academy of Arts

LONDON.- British artist Damien Hirst has turned down an offer to become a Royal Academician at the Royal Academy in London, an institution that was founded in 1768 by King George III. The refusal was revealed by Secretary and Chief Executive Dr Charles Saumarez Smith CBE, who told the Evening Standard that he does not know the reasons of this decision.

St. Louis Sculpture Park, Citygarden, Opens to the Public

ST. LOUIS, MO.- It has no real equivalent anywhere: a public garden with spectacular landscaping and internationally renowned modern and contemporary sculpture in a completely open, accessible downtown setting. Citygarden, which was dedicated yesterday, is an oasis in the City, a breathtaking civic space of multi-dimensional appeal — marrying art and nature, stone and water, architecture and design. It features fountains and pools, a waterfall, places to sit and even stretch out

Bravo is Sculpting a New Cast for "The Untitled Art Project"

NEW YORK, NY.- Bravo's latest stroke on the reality canvas brings Golden Globe and Emmy Award winner Sarah Jessica Parker and her production company, Pretty Matches, together with the Emmy-nominated Magical Elves ("Top Chef," "Project Runway") and Eli Holzman, to produce an hour long creative competition series among contemporary artists. The Untitled Art Project will bring together thirteen aspiring artists to compete for a gallery show, a cash prize and a

Sears Tower Debuts Glass Walk Out and Skydeck Experience

CHICAGO, IL.- Sears Tower presented The Ledge, a series of glass bays that extend from the building, debuted to the public as part of an updated Skydeck Chicago experience. Reaching out 4.3 feet from the building’s Skydeck on the 103rd floor, visitors have unobstructed views of Chicago – 1,353 feet straight down. “We’ve listened to our visitors and people just want to get closer,” said Randy Stancik, general manager, Skydeck Chicago. “You’d only need

Shepard Fairey Returns to ICA/Boston, Site of his First Major Museum Exhibition

BOSTON, MA.- Just two weeks before the close of his blockbuster exhibition at the Institute of Contemporary Art/Boston, Shepard Fairey returns for Obey Experiment REDUX, a spectacular evening of art and music on the Boston waterfront. On Friday, July 31, from 9 p.m. to 1 a.m., visitors can view Fairey’s “visually arresting” (NY Times) work in the exhibition Shepard Fairey: Supply and Demand, before hitting the dance floor as the artist himself takes over the turntables. Fairey will be

Free Admission Boosts Sense of Public Ownership of National Museums in the UK

LONDON.- Eight years after free admission to museums and galleries was introduced, The Art Fund, the UK's leading independent art charity, releases its new research, Free to see - but what's next?, exploring what has happened since the national museums freely opened their doors, and what value the British public places on their national art collection. ‘I feel like I own this place anyway’ ‘The fact that

Nearly 30 Years of Collaborative Scholarship Culminate in the First Comprehensive Exhibition

LOS ANGELES, CA.- Bronze sculpture played a crucial role in the history of early modern French art and society—from the Renaissance court of Fran�ois I at Fontainebleau until the reign of Louis XV—serving as a medium of self-representation for the French monarchy, and ultimately becoming a model imitated throughout Europe.

The Royal Academy of Arts will Present GSK Contemporary 2009: Earth: Art of a Changing World

LONDON.- The Royal Academy of Arts presents GSK Contemporary 2009, the second annual contemporary art season at 6 Burlington Gardens. Opening in December, Earth: Art of a changing world will present new and recent work from more than 30 leading international contemporary artists, including commissions and new works from the best emerging talent. Recent debates have centred less on

Philip Glass to Perform Etudes and Other Work for Solo Piano at Galleria dell'Accademia

FLORENCE.- On July 13, at 9 pm, in Florence’s Galleria dell’Accademia, Philip Glass will give a solo piano concert in front of Michelangelo's David. After the extraordinary success of the Patti Smith Reading, the museum offers another important initiative associated with the exhibition Robert Mapplethorpe. Perfection in Form.

Workshop Missoni: Daring to be Different Opens at Estorick Collection

LONDON.- Missoni is one of the leading and most distinctive fashion houses in the world. The Missoni style has evolved out of a long-standing collaboration between the husband and wife team of Ottavio and Rosita Missoni. In the late 1940s, Ottavio Missoni established a workshop producing jersey tracksuits that were sported by the Italian Athletic Team at the 1948 London Olympics, where Ottavio himself qualified for the final of the 400m hurdle race.

Chicago Artists Engage Audiences in a Dynamic Five-week Series at the Museum of Contemporary Art

CHICAGO, IL.- This summer, Chicago artists engage audiences in a dynamic five-week series of multidisciplinary performances that involve the rituals of animal husbandry; family squabbles broadcast via laser beams; and the Web 2.0 version of San Francisco’s 1967 “Summer of Love." Here/Not There presents five weekly performances, beginning each Tuesday, from June 30 through August 2, 2009 at the Museum of Contemporary Art (MCA), Chicago. Artifacts and documentation from each performance are on exhibit in the gallery for the duration of the week to

Carl Gustav Carus: Nature and Idea Opens at Staatliche Kunstsammlungen Dresden

DRESDEN.- Carl Gustav Carus (1789-1869), who lived in Dresden from 1814 until his death, was not only an important artist – he was a Renaissance man in the true sense of the word and an outstanding representative of the intellectual and scientific life of his day. A physician, natural philosopher, man of letters, painter and draughtsman, Carl Gustav Carus occupies a special place in the intellectual spectrum of the early 19th century, spanning art, science and the philosophy of nature. His view of nature and the world was influenced by Friedrich Schelling, the naturalist and philosopher Lorenz Oken, Alexander von Humboldt,

Camera Work: Photography from the Permanent Collection on View at the Boca Raton Museum of Art

BOCA RATON, FL.- In May 2009, the Museum debuted an ambitious reinstallation of several permanent collection galleries on its second-floor. The newly hung galleries present more than 150 photographs from the Museum’s extensive photography collection. The exhibition, CAMERA WORK: Photography from the Permanent Collection, takes its name from the pioneering magazine Camera Work, published by visionary photographer and galleryist Alfred Stieglitz from 1903 to 1917. The magazine championed the idea that photography was indeed art.

National Portrait Gallery Announces Finalists and Shortlisted Artists for the "Outwin Boochever Portrait Competition 200

WASHINGTON, DC.- The National Portrait Gallery has selected the artists whose work will be included in the “Outwin Boochever Portrait Competition 2009.” The juried exhibition includes 49 works that will be on view from Oct. 23 through Aug. 22, 2010. Of these works, submitted by people from across the nation, seven were selected for the short list. Each of these seven will win cash awards, and the first prize will include an award of $25,000 and a commission from the museum to create a

New Time and Navigation Exhibit Is in the Works at the Smithsonian

WASHINGTON, DC.- For centuries, nations have invested enormous resources to determine time and place for geopolitical reasons, and their research has changed people’s view of the world. Advanced technology that was once available only to the military has become commonplace and downloadable to cell phones. Instead of stopping at the gas station to ask for directions, drivers can now consult their car’s GPS system. A new exhibition, tentatively titled “Time and Navigation: From Chronometers to GPS” will explore the cultural and technological aspects of precise timekeeping and

Cultural Leaders from Across the World Come Together in London to Launch Leadership Programme

LONDON.- On the 8th and 9th July 2009 26 cultural leaders from the UK, Western Europe, North America, and the Middle East will come together in London to develop their skills and professional networks as part of a two day British Council run programme to launch the British Council’s Cultural Leadership International programme (CLI).

"On-site", Wall Paintings by Carlos Motta at P. S. 1 Contemporary Art Center

LONG ISLAND CITY, NY.- P.S.1 Contemporary Art Center announces a new exhibition program entitled “On-site.” Continuing P.S.1’s long standing tradition of commissioning in-situ projects such as the “Vertical Painting” series (1997), the first incarnation of this new program will focus on wall paintings, an art form that has a long history in New York City. As part of this program, P.S.1 presents Brief History, (2005-2009), the first solo project in a New York museum by Colombian-

The J. Paul Getty Trust to Return Avery Index to Columbia University

LOS ANGELES, CA.- The J. Paul Getty Trust will return ownership of the Avery Index to Architectural Periodicals to Columbia University effective July 1, 2009. One of the preeminent research tools in architecture, the Index offers a comprehensive listing of journal articles published worldwide on architecture and design, city planning, interior design, landscape architecture and historic preservation. The Avery Index covers not only the international scholarly and popular periodical literature but also the publications of professional associations as well as U.S. state

Magnificent Selection of Chinese Red Lacquerware to be Shown at Metropolitan Museum This Summer

NEW YORK, NY.- Although lacquer is used in many Asian cultures, the art of carving lacquer is unique to China. Showcasing some 50 wondrously wrought examples, Cinnabar: The Chinese Art of Carved Lacquer, opening on August 6, will explore the development of this important artistic tradition from the 13th to the 18th century. Drawn from The Metropolitan Museum of Art's holdings as well as the collection of Florence and Herbert Irving, the installation will feature a number of masterworks, including newly acquired, rare 13th-century lacquer boxes for

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