Hey art squad, are you struggling to keep awake as your body readjusts to the “new normal”? Us too! Luckily for us though there’s coffee, and extra lucky for you, we’re here to keep you up to date with any art news you missed! So, while you put the kettle on, here’s a roundup of everything that happened in the art world this week.
ART
Louvre Appoints First Female President
It seems mad that the Louvre has never had a female president until now. Laurence des Cars will be leaving her post as director of both the Musee d’Orsay and Musee de l’Orangerie to be the Louvre’s first ever female president in its 228 year history. We love that!
NFT Museum To Open In NYC Skyscraper
Co-founder of Guggenheim Partners Todd Morley has announced plans to create an NFT museum in a skyscraper in the heart of New York. The museum, which will be part of a tower that is still being built, will be a part of the world’s skinniest skyscraper. We can’t wait to see the final result!
Leonora Carrington Home To Be Transformed Into Museum
The Mexico home of surrealist artist Leonora Carrington is set to become a museum. The home was purchased by the Autonomous Metropolitan University in 2017 and the plan is to leave the home exactly how Carrington left it to preserve her character. Carrington is regarded as one of the most prominent female surrealists and we can’t wait to visit her home one day!
FASHION
The End Of An Era For Jean Paul Gaultier
The legendary couturier Jean Paul Gaultier posted an image of IG this week stating “The end.” Despite retiring last year, the designer promised his label would remain and appointed Chitose Abe to take the helm. We’re not quite sure what the post means, but we hope it’s not goodbye forever!
Gucci Releases NFT
The fashion set is not afraid of NFTs! Gucci’s first NFT comes in the form of a film inspired by its Aria collection and will be auctioned off via Christie’s in a sale curated by Lady PheOnix. Proceeds from the sale will be donated to UNICEF in the mission to help the globe have access to Covid-19 Vaccines. The sale ends on June 3.
MARKET
Basquiat To Make $$$ In Hong Kong
We’re no stranger to seeing Jean-Michel Basquiat going for big bucks at auction, and it’s all set to continue. In a curated sale by Taiwanese singer Jay Chou at Sotheby’s Hong Kong, an untitled painting from 1985 is set to make a whopping $45 million. The sale runs between June 12 and 18. We’re looking forward to the results!
Virtual Gucci Bag Sells More Than IRL Original
On May 17 a virtual version of Gucci’s Dionysus Bag with Bee sold for the equivalent of $4,115 via the online game Roblox. The real bag costs $3,400 but it’s worth noting that the virtual bag is not an NFT, so cannot be transferred outside of the Roblox world.
Text Lizzy Vartanian
