Art Industry News: Rijksmuseum Pauses Ticket Sales for Its Vermeer Blockbuster After Fierce Demand Crashes Its Website + Other Stories

Art Industry News is a daily digest of the most consequential developments coming out of the art world and art market. Here’s what you need to know on this Tuesday, March 7.

NEED-TO-READ

Arte Povera Artist Dies at 80 – Italian artist Piero Gilardi died on Monday. The Arte Povera artist was well-known within in Europe and abroad for his works, which merged technology and nature. He quit the commercial art world just as his work had found a solid collector base to become a full-time political activist, only returning to the gallery world around a decade later. (ARTnews)

Master Printmaker Dies at 86 – Lou Stovall, the Washington artist who was known for his collaborations with Sam Gilliam, Alexander Calder, and Jacob Lawrence, has died. The artist and master printmaker made intricate and densely colored screen prints. (Washington Post)

The Rijksmuseum Shuts Down Ticket Sales for Vermeer – The Rijksmuseum has closed online ticket sales for its Johannes Vermeer retrospective after the intense demand put strain on its website. The blockbuster show sees 28 of the 37 known paintings by Vermeer come together, and initially sold out two days after tickets went on sale. More tickets have since been released. ()

Hermès Wants to Control MetaBirkin NFTs – The French luxury house has asked a New York court to permanently block NFT artist Mason Rothschild from selling or promoting his MetaBirkin NFTs, and hand over control of the smart contract, social media handles and royalties. The move follows a verdict last month when a nine-person jury ruled in favor of Hermès, awarding the brand $133,000 in damages for the intellectual property theft. (CoinDesk)

MOVERS & SHAKERS

New London Fair Gets a Name – Harry Van der Hoorn and Thomas Woodham-Smith, founders of the original Masterpiece fair, have found a name for their new fair launching at Royal Hospital Chelsea in June: The Treasure House Fair. Exhibitors in the first edition include Ronald Phillips, Adrian Sassoon, and Richard Green. ()

Yuga Lab’s Bitcoin NFTs Fetch Top Bid – The TwelveFold auction of the Bored Ape company’s first-ever Bitcoin-based NFT netted around $16.5 million in sales. Two hundred eighty-eight of the 300-edition artworks were claimed by bidders, and the remaining 12 inscriptions for “future contributors, future donations, and philanthropic efforts.”  (CoinDesk)

Tate Liverpool Plans Major Renovation – The waterfront gallery and museum will close from October 16, 2023 through 2025 to undergo a major revamping process with a price tag of nearly $36 million. (BBC)

London Gallery Weekend Returns – The event has a date for 2023—June 2 to June 4. The third edition will see 120 galleries participate, including 15 new participants. ()

FOR ART’S SAKE

Pussy Riot Take Center Stage at Piccadilly Circus – Nadya Tolokonnikova is taking over CIRCA’s screen for International Women’s Day tomorrow, March 8. On view till April 5, the Pussy Riot co-founder’s new video work addresses patriarchy, and is greatly influenced by the overturning of the abortion bill last June. A purple wax candle-sculpture of an eggplant emoji will be auctioned at Sotheby’s. ()