NICK GRINDROD, VARIATIONS ON A THEME
Art Works Gallery have announced the opening of Variations on a Theme, an exhibition showcasing works by British artist Nick Grindrod. Marking Grindrod’s first solo exhibition in Asia, the exhibition is brimming with the artist’s abstract geometrical style and vibrant colours. Grindrod encourages the viewer to think beyond their own perceptions of form and colour, carefully teasing out the tension between scale and perspective. The exhibition will run from 16th January – 16th February 2025, at Art Works Gallery at One Holland Village.
Nick Grindrod (b. 1974), The Weight of the World, 2024
ART BASEL MIAMI BEACH 2024: FINAL SALES REPORT – ARTLYST
Art Basel Miami Beach closed on Sunday, the 2024 edition of the fair welcomed more than 75,000 visitors and showcased 286 galleries from 38 countries. Featuring a diverse range of works, from contemporary pieces to 20th century masters, acquisitions were made by both major institutions and private collectors. Works by artists such as Picasso, Keith Haring, Cecily Brown, and Marlon Mullen were among many that were presented at the fair. The curated sectors, Kabnett, Meridians, Nova, Positions, and Survery, were commended for the diversity of the narratives presented and the immersive installations that highlighted the fair’s development away from traditional formats. Sales included Richard Prince’s Harbor Nurse (2003) for USD 4.5 million by Gladstone Gallery, and a Tom Wesselmann at Almine Rech, that sold for between USD 1.25 – 1.5 million. In addition, Argentinian gallery Ruth Bensecar Galería de Arte sold La Famille dans la Joyeuse Verdure (2013-2019) by Chiachio & Giannone for USD 280,000. Sales were also reported at White Cube for Antony Gormley’s OPEN STRESS II (2023) for GBP 500,000 and Lynne Drexler’s Tribute (1963) for USD 800,000.
A FIRST LOOK AT THE DESIGNS FOR THE MET’S NEW MODERN AND CONTEMPORARY ART WING
Director and CEO Max Hollein shares architect Frida Escobedo’s vision for the new Tang Wing. The new Oscar L. and H.M. Agnes Hsu-Tang Wing has been drawn from Escobedo’s engagement not only with the Museum’s building and collection, but also with its surrounding setting within Central Park. The new wing will increase the gallery space by nearly 50%, leaving more than 70,000 square feet for the display of the Modern and Contemporary collection. In addition, Escobedo is the first woman to design a wing at the Met, her designs engaging in strong dialogue with its surroundings. The exterior façade is defined by a diaphanous limestone ‘celosia,’ that subtly responds to the sunlight movements throughout the day. With the space addressing critical accessibility, infrastructure, and sustainability needs, the new wing combines a modern approach with timeless motifs to create a space that reflects the Museum’s collection of modern and contemporary art.
Architectural rendering of the new Oscar L. and H.M. Agnes Hsu-Tang Wing
SAUDI ARABIA PUTS $52.6M. TOWARD CENTRE POMPIDOU OVERHAUL IN DEAL WITH FRANCE
The Centre Pompidou will be renovated for €262 million, of which Saudi Arabia will contribute €50 million ($52.6 million). The money is an aspect of the heritage fund that is part of a partnership, first officiated in 2018, between Saudia Arabian and French culture officials. The Centre Pompidou will be closed for the renovation between 2025 and 2030, with exhibitions held offsite during that time. The announcement of this funding was made last week by French Culture Minister Rachida Dati and Saudi Culture Minister Prince Bader bin Abdullah bin Farhan Al Saud. Alongside this project, there are nine other cultural deals related to projects in archaeology, film, and photography. France has agreed to back Saudi Arabia in the development of multiple museum and heritage projects, including a new photography museum in Riyadh, that will be linked to programs at the National School of Photography in Arles. These projects also include restoration and conservation efforts with regards to Saudi heritage sites such as royal palaces.
3 DINOSAUR FOSSILS FROM JURASSIC PERIOD HEADED FOR LONDON AUCTION
Christie’s is presenting three dinosaur fossils from the Jurassic period at auction on Thursday, with estimates falling within the millions. The skeletons of an adult and juvenile Allosaurus will be sold as a pair with an estimate of GBP 5 – 8 million alongside a Stegosaurus fossil with an estimate of GBP 3 – 5 million. James Hyslop, Head of Science & Natural History at Christie’s London has stated how rare it is to see dinosaur skeletons come up at auction and the complicated logistics that come hand in hand with the sale of such pieces. A Sotheby’s auction in July in Colorado saw a Stegosaurus fossil fetch a record USD 44.6 million.
The skeletons on display at Christie's, London
5 ARTISTS ON OUR RADAR IN DECEMBER 2024
Artsy share their monthly top five artists who have made a significant impact over the last month through new gallery representation, exhibitions, auctions, art fairs, or new works on Artsy. The first on the list is Stevie Dix (b. 1990), a Belgian artist who presents Surrealist themes of the body and cosmic landscapes in minimalist multipaneled works, often connected through unusual rectangular formations. Dix’s current exhibition with carlier | gebauer, titled CHAOS, is her first exhibition with the gallery, but the artist has been shown at a number of tastemaker galleries internationally. The next artist mentioned is Ayotunde Ojo (b. 1995), a Nigerian artist who often portrays domestic scenes inspired by everyday life. Transitioning from hyper realistic pencil drawings to figurative painting, the artist’s current practice holds a dreamlike quality with its blurred edges and diffused forms. Ghanaian artist Kwaku Yaro (b. 1995) is next on the list, with his large-scale mixed media portraits that utilize pointillist techniques. Yaro often incorporates recycled and repurposed materials, inviting the viewer to consider the potential that everyday objects hold. The following artists are Chinese artist Xiangjie Rebecca Wu (b. 1998) and Benoit Platéus (b. 1972). Wu compares individual paintings to lines in a poem, coming together to create a whole. Belgian artist Platéus’ practice presents themes of abstractions and conceptual questions through a multimedia approach, using painting, collage, sculpture, and photography.
Stevie Dix (b. 1990), After forever, 2024
SAMIA OSSEIRAN JUNBLATT, PAINTER WHOSE WORK LOOKED EAST AND WEST, 1944-2024
Samia Osseiran Junblatt, the Lebanese modernist painter, has passed away this week. Born in Saida, Osseiran Junblatt graduated from Beirut College for Women and later from the Pius XII Institute in Florence, Italy. Having made the transition from working with Western abstraction to figuration, the artist was inspired by a trip to Japan and especially focused on forms of Ukiyo-e art history. In 1974, she received a scholarship and studied graphic art at the University of Fine Arts in Tokyo. Furthermore, the artist’s works were inspired by her life experiences and the turbulence within Lebanese history. One of the recurring motifs throughout Osseiran Junblatt’s works is the sun, with Sunset (1968) featured at the 2024 Venice Biennale. Osseiran Junblatt said, “Ionce believed in the classical concept of time and space and the idea of permanency; but because of events in my life, this has changed and has been replaced now by the idea of change and impermanency, all this is reflected in my work.”
TARRAWARRA BIENNIAL TO ADOPT ‘FIRST PEOPLES’ APPROACH
TarraWarra Biennial, a platform celebrating Australian contemporary art, will open its ninth edition at TarraWarra Museum of Art in Healesville, Victoria, in March. Curated by Kimberly Moulton, a Yorta Yorta writer and curator, the upcoming edition is titled We Are Eagles. The title refers to a speech made by Douglas Nicholls, an Aboriginal pastor, calling for Aboriginal rights on the 150th anniversary of Australia’s colonisation. With commissions by 22 artists, including Nathan Beard, Nadia Hernández and Angel Tiatia, the works explore themes of land, memory, and regeneration. An example of one of the installations that will be shown is Shireen Taweel’s Pilgrimage of Hajjonaut (2024-2025), a project that explores celestial navigation technologies and feminist narratives in relation to migration and pilgrimage. Pitjantjatjara artist Iluwanti Ken will be exhibiting new work that presents eagle stories from her community and Kamilaroi artist Warraba Weatherall’s installation delves into the topic of artefact repatriation. Moulton has shared that she will employ the First Peoples curatorial approach, sharing “ways in which creative practice can re-story our connections to object and memory.”
Shireen Taweel, Pilgrimage of a Hajjonaut, 2024–2025 (production still)
Jordan Tan holds an MA in History of Art from the prestigious Courtauld Institute of Art. With a passion for fine art and the art market, Jordan plays a key role at Art Works by researching and interpreting trends across the primary and secondary markets, delivering valuable insights and business intelligence for the fine art department.
