THIS WEEK IN THE ART MARKET - FRIDAY 6TH DECEMBER 2024

ARTREVIEW POWER 100: THE ANNUAL RANKING OF THE MOST INFLUENTIAL PEOPLE IN ART

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ArtReview has released the Power 100 list for 2024, celebrating a number of prominent people and collectives that have created, inspired and crafted the art world. The list goes further and includes writers, philosophers and thinkers who have aided in the creation of art and exhibitions. Artist, curator and institutional director, Sheika Hoor Al Qasimi claimed the top spot on the list this year. As one of the central figures in the contemporary art scene in the Middle East, Al Qasimi has been the director of the Sharjah Biennial since 2003 and the founder of the Sharjah Art Foundation, started in 2009. Other notable figures include Steve McQueen, Nan Goldin, and Koyo Kouoh, who was recently appointed the Curator of the 61st Venice Biennale. In addition, artist collective Forensic Architecture placed fifth on the list, a multidisciplinary research agency investigating human rights violations globally. Their methodology of applying aesthetic analysis to both historical and contemporary events has proven influential, with projects across the globe. Overall, the list highlighted a diverse range of influential figures, capturing significant events and movements within the art world.

ON FIRST DAY, GALLERISTS AND COLLECTORS SAY ART BASEL MIAMI BEACH HAS ITS ENERGY BACK

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Art Basel opened its 22nd edition at the Miami Beach Convention Center on Wednesday morning, with several mega and blue-chip galleries reporting strong sales by the end of the VIP preview day. David Zwirner reported the sale of 24 works, of which 13 were paintings, totaling $12.9 million; the gallery’s top sale was a painting from Yayoi Kusama’s Infinity Nets series from 2017 for $3.5 million. Hauser and Wirth sold 20 works for $15.16 million, including works by Rashid Johnson, George Condo, and David Hammons. Mid-size galleries also reported positive sales, with Lisson gallery selling 15 works and Xavier Hufken’s reporting a total of $2.2 million. It has also been noted that midcentury works have been receiving more attention in comparison to emerging artists. Furthermore, there has been a new wave of buyers for works from this period, particularly from Korea. Overall, the consensus observed seemed to point towards a positive start to the fair, with energy levels at a high.

JASLEEN KAUR WINS 2024 TURNER PRIZE

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Jasleen Kaur, a Glasgow-born artist, received the prestigious Turner Prize for her piece Alter Altar (2023) at a ceremony held at the Tate Britain. The sonic and sculptural installation celebrates the Scottish Sikh community by using everyday objects as symbols of identity and cultural memory. Exploring themes of both familial and political memory, Kaur was commended for her ability to create a narrative that encapsulated different voices in such a way that exuded a sense of solidarity and joy. In addition, Kaur’s choice of soundscape adds a further layer of depth to the installation, with the sounds representing a sense of ‘sonic memory.’ The judges this year were Rosie Cooper (Director of Wysing Arts Centre), Ekow Eshun (writer, broadcaster, and curator), Sam Thorne (CEO of Japan House London), Lydia Yee (curator and art historian), and Tate Britain Director Alex Farquharson. The Turner Prize Exhibition will be on view at Tate Britain until 16 February 2025.

KOYO KOUOH APPOINTED CURATOR OF THE BIENNALE ARTE 2026

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Koyo Kouoh has been appointed Director of the Visual Arts Department by the board of La Biennale di Venezia, primarily tasked with the curation of the 61st Biennale to be held in 2026. Kouoh is the Executive Director and Chief Curator of Zeitz Museum of Contemporary Art Africa (Zeitz MOCAA) in Cape Town. Her previous experience also includes her role as founding Artistic Director of RAW Material company in Senegal. In addition, Kouoh has been part of curatorial teams for documenta 12 (2007) and documenta 13 (2012). Kouoh has shared in a statement that, “The International Art Exhibition of La Biennale di Venezia has been the centre of gravity for art for over a century. Artists, art and museum professionals, collectors, dealers, philanthropists and an ever-growing public converge on this mythical site every two years to feel the pulse of the Zeitgeist. It is a once-in-a-lifetime honour and privilege to follow in the footsteps of luminary predecessors in the role of Artistic Director, and to compose an exhibition that I hope will carry meaning for the world we currently live in — and most importantly, for the world we want to make. Artists are the visionaries and social scientists who allow us to reflect and project in ways afforded only to this line of work. I am deeply thankful to La Biennale’s Board and particularly its President, Pietrangelo Buttafuoco, for entrusting me with this momentous mission, and I look forward to working with the entire team.”

IMPACT AWARDS 2024

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The Prince Claus Fund Impact Award recipients were announced this week at the Royal Palace in Amsterdam. Presented biannually to six recipients, the award focuses on individuals whose contributions to art and culture engage their communities in innovative and impactful ways while addressing urgent contemporary issues. The Executive Director of the Prince Claus fund shared that, “in times of global crises, it has been the work of such cultural practitioners and activists that drives us forward, as their selfless work advocates for social change through the power of culture.” The recipients of the award this year include individuals like Myrlande Constant, a Haitian visual artist who is celebrated as one of the first women to work with Vodou drapo, a traditional Haitian flag art, historically practiced by men. Rosa Cháves, a Guatelmalan poet and activist, also received the award for work and research into themes of family, migration, rural and urban environments and the body. The panel of judges themselves hail from a diverse range of backgrounds, led this year by Pablo Leon de la Barra, a curator and researcher based in Mexico.