Celia Paul, Edward Hopper, Saif Azzuz

Weekly Newsletter

Significant reductions at Pace gallery, legal threats toward the Venice Biennale, and the vital role of merging art with everyday life

Who requires an eight-story gallery in Manhattan resembling a shopping mall, plus expansive locations in cities like Los Angeles, London, Berlin, Geneva, Seoul, and Tokyo? Who needs a list of 135 artists, along with numerous estates? Who needs those “museum-quality” exhibitions that reinterpret art history through the constrained view of a profit-driven dealer? Pace, a large gallery, drew attention this week after cutting one-third of its artists and one-fifth of its staff. CEO Marc Glimcher attributed the reductions to a “broken” gallery model, the same model he was instrumental in establishing. While Pace is now more aligned with its purpose as a business designed to sell art, the downside is that artists and art workers bear the cost.

Have you considered that every time you go grocery shopping, share a meal with your family, or stroll with a friend, you’re cultivating culture? Curator and former museum leader Laura Raicovich, in her opinion piece, suggests that many societal issues arise from the division between art and life. The solution, she believes, is to blend the two, emphasizing that art is omnipresent, not just confined to the floors of a mega gallery.

This week’s reading includes Saif Azzuz’s ancestral landscapes, Ali Eyal’s satirical Iraqi Pavilion at a Los Angeles gas station, Edward Hopper’s explorations of American solitude, and Celia Paul’s introspective paintings.   

—Hakim Bishara, editor-in-chief

News

• Pace Gallery has removed 50 artists from its lineup and terminated 50 employees, an action CEO Marc Glimcher described as a “model correction.” This decision follows the opening of its $100 million flagship location in Manhattan’s Chelsea area and its emergence as a leader in the crypto art sphere.
• Marjane Satrapi, an Iranian-French artist, filmmaker, and the author of the graphic novel Persepolis, has passed away at 56. A vocal critic of the Iranian government, Satrapi shared the realities of contemporary Iran with a global audience.
• More than 100 individuals have threatened to sue the Venice Biennale Foundation, claiming that the leadership did not respect their official withdrawal from the recent “Visitor Lion” awards.
• NY SNAP has broadened its scope to offer cultural access for New York residents via the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Millions of New Yorkers are now eligible for the “Explorer” program, which includes benefits like expedited entry and exclusive previews.
• About 44% of fine and studio arts Master’s degree programs in the U.S. might lose the ability to enroll students dependent on federal loans for tuition, according to new guidelines suggested by the Trump administration.
• Lucian Freud’s renowned nude painting of model Sue Tilley, “Sleeping by the Lion Carpet” (1995–96), might reach up to $47 million at Sotheby’s in London this June.
• A new Brooklyn subway mural by Ruby Onyinyechi Amanze adds a whimsical element to the daily commute.

From Our Critics

Features

Opinions

Guides

• Art Movements: Makeda Best is stepping into the role of MoMA’s chief curator of Photography, the Asian Cultural Council has awarded $1.6M in grants to artists, and at least one segment of the art market is thriving.
• Required Reading: Learn Esperanto on Duolingo, explore a Black Panther Party-inspired grandma, Arsenal and Africa, queer fish, the hidden leftist history of Renaissance faires, and more.
• A View From the Easel: Rachelle Mozman Solano engages in filming, paper-cutting, and painting within the solitude of her Brooklyn studio, a space she has occupied for over two decades.
• In Memoriam: Honoring the memories of Alan Saret, Julio Le Parc, and Hilde Lynn Helphenstein

Opportunities This Month