Art Industry News: After the Loss of His Nike Deal, Tom Sachs Publicly Commits to Building a Better Studio Culture + Other Stories

NEED-TO-READ

Photos From Madonna’s Hit the Auction Block – Forty prints of the images taken by fashion photographer Steven Meisel from the singer’s 1992 coffee table book will make their auction debut at Christie’s New York this fall to mark the 30th anniversary of the popular yet controversial title. Each print will be an edition of one, signed by Madonna and Meisel. Fees-free presale estimates ranged from $50,000 to $300,000. Proceeds of the sale will go to Raising Malawi, a non-profit founded by the singer to support orphans and children in need. ()

Rijksmuseum Extends Hours for Vermeer Show – The Rijksmuseum has extended the opening hours for its once-in-a-lifetime exhibition, staying open until 2 a.m. for its final weekend June 2 and 3. The museum is also releasing 2,600 new tickets via a lottery system that interested applicants can submit to by 5 p.m. this Friday, May 12. ()

Tom Sachs Commits to Improving Workplace Culture – The artist has expressed “regret” about his treatment of former staff members in his studio, and committed to “building a studio culture that better aligns with the values that I have tried to perpetuate and explore as an artist.” The public statement comes after it emerged that Nike called off its lucrative sneaker deal with him in the wake of former employees making allegations in the press, including to Artnet News, about the “demeaned, dehumanized” workplace under Sachs. ()

Declassified Documents on Parthenon Marbles – Newly available documents reveal that the U.K.’s Conservative Party government rejected a 1983 proposal made by Hugh Jenkins, a former Labour arts minister, to amend the 1963 British Museum Act which forbids the institution to deaccession from its collection in order to accommodate the Greeks’ demand for the return of the Parthenon Marbles. The law is still in effect today but the British Museum is shifting its position to favor a long-term loan and forming a new partnership with Greece. So far, Greece has rejected the proposals. ()

MOVERS & SHAKERS

Pilar Corrias to Open New London Space – The gallery will open its new flagship space in Mayfair in October, 15 years after it inaugurated in London. Occupying more than 5,300 sq ft over two floors, the new space will open with a solo presentation of L.A.-based artist Christina Quarles on October 10, coinciding with the Frieze London week. ()

Marian Goodman L.A. to Open With Steve McQueen – Opening on September 23, McQueen’s solo show featuring the U.S. premiere of video installation (2022) will inaugurate the gallery’s new space in Los Angeles. Other exhibitions at the gallery’s L.A. venue in the pipeline include Cristina Iglesias, Hiroshi Sugimoto, and Tony Cragg. ()

Ampersand Foundation Award – Clarrie Wallis, director of Turner Contemporary, has won the Ampersand Foundation Award for 2023, for the exhibition “Resistance” that she curated along with artist Steve McQueen. The institution will receive £125,000 for their project along with £25,000 for a related publication. ()

Ruth Arts Awards $1.3 Million to Organizations – The Milwaukee, Wisconsin-based Ruth Foundation for the Arts announced the recipients of the second annual Artist Choice program, which awarded $1.25 million in unrestricted grants across 56 arts organizations. Recipients include the Asian American Arts Alliance (Brooklyn, NY); The Center for Afrofuturist Studies (Iowa City, IA); Crow’s Shadow Institute of the Arts (Pendleton, OR); La Impresora (Rincón, PR); and The Kitchen (New York, NY). ()

FOR ART’S SAKE

Mona Lisa and Live Chickens Take Center Stage at Singapore Exhibition – National Gallery Singapore’s new show “See Me, See You: Early Video Installation of Southeast Asia” has brought Thai artist Apinan Poshyananda’s (now artistic director of Bangkok Biennale) iconic 1985 work back to life—with live chickens as guest stars during the opening weekend. The gallery partnered with the animal welfare group Chicken Rescue Rehome on the exhibition, which runs until September 17 (the chickens may or may not return throughout the rest of the show). ()