Art Industry News: Celebrities Turned Out in Force for Billionaire Collector Joe Nahmad’s Lavish Wedding in Sardinia + Other Stories

NEED-TO-READ

Two Nazi Sculptures to Go on View at German Museum – On September 10, a horse sculpture will join another that is already on view at Germany’s Historical Museum in Berlin as a part of efforts to confront the country’s Nazi past. The works will be together on permanent display alongside other problematic works of art. The sculptures, and were commissioned by Adolf Hitler’s chief architect, Albert Speer. (Deutsche Welle)

Francis Bacon Portrait to Be Fractionalized – ARTEX MTF, a stock exchange, has announced that it will list and trade the artwork by Francis Bacon from 1963. The artwork, valued at around $55 million, will be offered to investors as ordinary shares of $100 through a public offering on the ARTEX MTF platform. The investment opportunity is expected launch June 19 and July 19. ()

Inside Art Collector Joe Nahmad’s $12.9 Million Wedding – Stars including Leonardo DiCaprio, Tom Brady, Serena and Venus Williams were among the guests of the wedding of billionaire art collector Joe Nahmad and model Madison Headrick the weekend of May 27 in Costa Smeralda, Sardinia. The lavish celebration cost €12 million (approximately $12.9 million), according to one Italian report. (Page Six)

Winston Churchill’s WWII-Era Cigar Hits Auction Block – A cigar smoked by nearly 80 years ago, and kept in a glass jar since then, is set to be sold at auction. The wartime U.K. leader gave a half-smoked cigar to Hugh Stonehewer-Bird, consul general in Rabat, Morocco between 1943 and 1945. It is set to sell with Derbyshire-based Hansons Auctioneers on June 16 with a guide price of £600 to £900. (Evening Standard)

MOVERS & SHAKERS

Drew Sawyer Heads to Whitney to Helm Photo Department – Curator Drew Sawyer is leaving his post at the Brooklyn Museum to serve as the curator of photography of the downtown Manhattan-based museum starting in July. While in Brooklyn, Sawyer curated shows of artists including Jimmy DeSana and John Edmonds, and will open the forthcoming “Copy Machine Manifestos: Artists Who Make Zines” exhibition at the Whitney. (ARTnews)  

Susumu Kamijo Joins Venus Over Manhattan – Japanese-born, New York-based artist Susumu Kamijo is joining the stable at the Manhattan gallery, where he most recently had a solo show in October 2022. The artist’s playful and colorful compositions often incorporate poodles and other flora and fauna. (Press release)  

Anicka Yi Joins Esther Schipper – In other gallery news, the conceptual artist is now represented by Berlin-based gallery in addition to New York’s Gladstone Gallery. Yi was tapped for Tate Modern’s esteemed Turbine Hall commission in 2021; her first solo show with the new gallery will be in September. (Ocula)  

FOR ART’S SAKE

ARCOlisboa Concludes Successful 6th Edition – The Lisbon-based fair ended the sixth edition of its event, the most international to date featuring 86 galleries from 23 countries, a 32 percent increase from last year. More than 13,000 visitors attended the fair at the Cordoaria Nacional space, surpassing the pre-pandemic figures. (Press release)

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