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THE HEADLINES
CLEAR DIVIDE. CLEARING, the gallery which began in New York and expanded to Brussels and Los Angeles, has split. Following word of a schism reported in February, the gallery announced in emails on Wednesday that “after twelve years of transatlantic relationship, … the American and European entities of the gallery are going separate ways.” The Brussels gallery will be run by its former director, Lodovico Corsini, and will operate under his name. Corsini emailed another, “personal message” that avoided references to a separation, confusing those who had not read the first joint statement, and appearing to positively soften the news by saying the gallery was “transitioning under Ludovovico Corsini,” while remaining in the same Brussels space, “under [his] continued leadership.” CLEARING in the US will remain under the leadership of its founder, Olivier Babin.
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THE DIGEST
META-GALLERY FAIL. Beleaguered NFT website digitalbasel.io has shut down after it provoked the ire of Art Basel, along with galleries and the Art Basel franchise, who claimed it had infringed on the copyrights of artists. The one-year-old project “faced misunderstandings and baseless accusations of fraudulent activities,” that hindered its progress, stated the company in an email sent Wednesday. In March, 2023, Art Basel sent a cease-and-desist letter to Digital Basel.
Christie’s pulled four ancient Greek vases from an auction, after allegations came to light that they were linked to Italian dealer Gianfranco Becchina, who was convicted of art trafficking in 2011. [The Guardian]
Archaeologists have uncovered new frescoes in Pompeii, considered among the finest ever to be found. A near-complete mosaic floor, and mythical Greek scenes adorn the newly revealed, black-painted walls of a Roman banquet hall, from what is reportedly the largest dig in a generation. [BBC]
Brazilian curator Adriano Pedrosa talks about the pressures he is up against, and his vision for the Venice Biennale. It opens to previews next week amid worries over Italy’s rightwing politics, international conflicts, and criticism of the contemporary art exhibition’s inclusion of 55 percent dead artists, a notable high. [The New York Times]
Changing demographics and digitization has meant China’s young, ultra-wealthy are reshaping art and luxury spending, said experts at an HSBC Hong Kong conference. Mainland China is projected to see a 47 percent rise in “ultra-high-net worth individuals” by 2028, according to the Knight Frank Wealth Report, and thanks to online bidding and sales platforms, young Asian buyers are increasingly engaged in Christie’s global auctions. [South China Morning Post]
One of three prints from the original, 1924 negative of the iconic Le Violon d’Ingres photograph by Man Ray heads to Christie’s in Paris, along with 200 works by the artist, from the collection of his friend, Marion Meyer. [The Guardian]
Alumni Tod and Cindy Johnson have donated $10 million to Carnegie Mellon University to support public art just as it prepares to build an expanded and renamed Institute of Contemporary Art (ICA) Pittsburgh. [The Art Newspaper]
THE KICKER
VENICE MIXTAPE. The photographer Eric Scaggiante has made you a mixtape. Specifically, one to listen to while wandering the increasingly packed walkways of Venice, as the city rushes to prepare for the Biennale opening next week. Offered on Frieze’s website, the soundtrack is not a bad method for keeping calm amid the crowds, while also offering a little hint of the magical Italian city for those who aren’t able to globe-trot to every far-flung art event. The photographer’s images of Venice life are featured in Frieze Magazine’s special Venice issue as well. Scaggiante says the playlist is “an ode to the hidden and invisible art of Venice, made by artists of different generations, from Venice and/or based around the island.” There are some beautiful pieces to discover here, including the uplifting Barabbas by Mantovani.