Friday, June 19
Leelee Chan Wins Art Basel’s BMW Art Journey Award
Leelee Chan is the winner of this year’s BMW Art Journey Award, which is given to an artist showing at Art Basel. Through the award, Chan will travel to Mexico, Italy, and Japan, where she will learn how to manipulate quartz, crystal, and other materials for a project called “Tokens for Time.” Jes Fan and the duo Amy Lien and Enzo Camacho were shortlisted for the award.
Thursday, June 18
Von Bartha Now Represents Francisco Sierra, Estate of Barry Flanagan
The Swiss gallery Von Bartha now represents the estate of sculptor Barry Flanagan in Switzerland and the painter Francisco Sierra worldwide. Works by both artists are included in the gallery’s presentation in Art Basel’s online viewing rooms, and they will be shown in a group exhibition in the gallery’s S-chanf space this summer. Flanagan is best known for his bronze sculptures of hares and other animals, and Sierra’s paintings grapple with notions of transfiguration.
Wednesday, June 17
Claire Oliver Gallery Is Selling Limited Edition Posters Online
The New York–based Claire Oliver Gallery has launched an online room for selling limited edition posters. The first poster offering in the “Art is for Everyone” series features Bisa Butler’s work I Am Not Your Negro. Proceeds from the sales of the 500 editions of that poster, which are priced at $50 each, will benefit the nonprofit Harlem Grown and its ongoing campaign in partnering with local restaurants to feed Harlem residents.
2020 Praemium Imperiale Awards Postponed Amid Pandemic
The Japan Art Association, which administers the annual Praemium Imperiale awards, will postpone the announcement of the new laureates until September 2021 due to the coronavirus pandemic. The Praemium Imperiale, now in its 32nd year, is among the world’s most prestigious international art prizes in the fields of painting, sculpture, architecture, music, and performance, and comes with a cash purse of nearly $140,000. Previous laureates include Shirin Neshat, David Hockney, Cindy Sherman, and Frank Gehry. The awards ceremony honoring the latest batch of laureates will take place in October 2021 in Tokyo.
Tuesday, June 16
Mary Bauermeister Awarded Germany’s Highest Honor
Mary Bauermeister has been awarded the Officer’s Cross of the Order of Merit, the highest honor that can be bestowed on any German individual by the nation. The accolade is awarded in recognition of achievements in the political, economic, humanitarian, and cultural realms. Bauermeister, whose practice spans drawing, installation, sculpture, and music, was selected for her significant contributions to Germany’s postwar art scene. Nordrhein-Westfalen’s Minister of Culture and Science, Isabel Pfeiffer-Poensgen, said in a statement, “Her work as a determining and sustainable initiator in the art world and her great commitment to young artists deserve special recognition.” Previous recipients in the cultural field include Anselm Kiefer, Josef Albers, and Wolfgang Tillmans.
June Art Fair to Partner with Hauser & Wirth for Online Edition
The second edition of June Art Fair, which debuted in Basel last year, will take place online as part of a collaboration with ArtReview and Hauser & Wirth gallery, which will host the fair on its website. Running from August 20–31, exhibitors include Green Gallery (of Milwaukee), Misako & Rosen (Tokyo), Document (Chicago), Embajada (San Juan), and other enterprises.
Monday, June 15
Kenny Scharf Joins Almine Rech
Almine Rech gallery has added American painter and graffiti artist Kenny Scharf to its roster. Scharf, who describes his fantastical paintings and installations as “pop-surrealism,” first gained notoriety in the 1980s East Village art scene. His work was featured in the 1985 Whitney Biennial and has since been the subject of solo exhibitions at institutions such as the Hammer Museum in Los Angeles and Queens Museum in New York. He will debut new work this fall in the solo exhibition, “Kenny Scharf: DystopianPainting,” at Almine Rech in New York. Running September 10–October 24, the show will feature 15 paintings and one sculpture by Scharf.
Hamptons Virtual Art Fair Set to Launch This Summer
The new Hamptons Virtual Art Fair, which will showcase postwar and contemporary art, will open with a VIP preview running July 23–26. (The fair will officially launch over Labor Day weekend.) The event was founded by Southampton local and collector Rick Friedman in response to Covid-19’s impact on the art market and his community. “Anyone who travels here during the summer for the arts knows what a loss the shutdown is,” Friedman said in a statement.
Modern Art Gallery Adds Sarah Rapson to Roster
The London-based gallery Modern Art now represents Sarah Rapson, who creates contemplative paintings and collages using a variety of materials. The artist’s understated works frequently incorporate newsprint, and her practice also extends to filmmaking. Rapson has previously shown work at Essex Street gallery in New York, the Seattle Art Museum, Spazio Ostrakon in Milan, and elsewhere.
Artist Wayne Ngan Is Dead at 83
Wayne Ngan, whose practice spanned pottery, painting, sculpture, and other mediums, has died at age 83. Having immigrated to Canada from China in 1951, the artist has lived and worked on Hornby Island in British Columbia since 1967, where he has nurtured his love of gardening. Since the 1960s, Ngan has exhibited works at the National Gallery of Canada in Ottawa, the American Crafts Museum in Massachusetts, Hanart Art Gallery in Taipei, and other venues.