There’s always something going on in the art world. Every Monday, Agora starts the new week by looking back at what happened the week before. Here are our top art news stories from January 24th – January 30th, 2016.
Source: artnetnews
This week saw Ai Weiwei close his Danish exhibition early and an artist on Facebook censored for a naked performance atop a toilet.
Top Art News Stories
Image Source: Instagram
Ai Weiwei Closes Danish Show in Protest of New Refugee Law
Once again, Ai Weiwei is in the news. This time, he has closed his show in Copenhagen in protest of a new law that allows Danish authorities to search the homes of refugees. Under the new law, Danish authorities would be able to confiscate refugees’ belongings to pay for the expense of them staying in Denmark. The Faurschou Foundation gave a statement saying they backed his decision. Full Story Here →
Rare Richard Diebenkorn Works on Display at Van Doren Waxter
Thirty never-before-seen works by Richard Diebenkorn have come on display at the Van Doren Waxter gallery in New York. The exhibition includes a number of watercolor and gouache works on paper. The quality of the color in the paintings is pristine because they have never before been in the light. Full Story Here →
Richard Diebenkorn, Untitled | Source: artnet
Free Admission at Cincinnati’s Contemporary Arts Center
Cincinnati’s Contemporary Arts Center have announced that there will be no admission fee charged to visit their galleries. Free admission will start on February 13 and run for at least three years. Donations from the Johnson Foundation and “the 50” allowed this change to take place. The Arts Center sees an annual footfall of 86,000 visitors. Full Story Here →
Source: artnetnews
Facebook Censors Naked Artist
Brooklyn’s Christopher Stout Gallery found its Facebook account blocked after a photo of artist Lisa Levy sitting naked on the toilet was reported by users. Levy was only partially naked and her bottom half was completely obscured. This is not the first time facebook has removed art that they deem to be offensive. Full Story Here →
Christie’s 2015 Sales Fall by 5 Percent
Christie’s have announced sales of $7.4 billion for 2015, which is down 5 percent from 2014. There were several record-breaking sales in 2015 which included a work by Pablo Picasso selling for an excess of $179 million. Full Story Here →
Italy Censors Nude Statues to Protect Business Interests with Iran
Italian authorities covered a number of classical nude sculptures so as not to offend Iranian President, Hassan Rouhani, who was visiting the country to finalize a number of business deals. They also took the decision not to serve alcohol at his honorary dinner. Several cultural figureheads were not happy with the move and felt that Italian culture was being hidden. Full Story Here →
Image Source: Huffington Post
These are just some of the many news stories that caught our eye this past week. For more stories as-they-happen, be sure to also follow our Facebook and Twitter. You can also sign up for our newsletter for news about Agora Gallery, our exhibitions, and our artists!
We love to hear from you. Tell us about the art and news that you’ve seen online or in person this week!
