Galerie Jaeger Bucher in Paris announces the death of Swiss artist Michael Biberstein

PARIS.- Galerie Jaeger Bucher announce the death of its artist Michael Biberstein who passed away on Sunday 5th of May, victim of a cerebrovascular accident in his Alentejo house in Portugal. His relentless creation focused on landscape, not a real landscape but one found in the spirit, where a man’s quest for the meaning of his existence and his deeper self, placed us in front of a “Resonance of Silence” (title of his last exhibition at the gallery). The chromatic breathing of [...]

Storm Thorgerson’s family announces that the Pink Floyd cover designer dies at age 69

LONDON (AFP).- British graphic designer Storm Thorgerson, best known for designing the iconic cover of Pink Floyd’s 1973 classic album “The Dark Side of the Moon”, has died aged 69, his family announced on Thursday. More recently, Thorgerson created the artwork for records released by Scottish rockers Biffy Clyro, British stadium band Muse and Australian dance-rock outfit Pendulum. He was a childhood friend of Pink Floyd’s founding members before becoming its design chief. His most famous creation featured a prism of glass [...]

Franco-Chinese abstract painter Zao Wou-Ki dies at home at the age of 93: Lawyers

PARIS (AFP).- Chinese-French abstract painter Zao Wou-Ki, a significant figure in 20th-century Chinese art, died Tuesday at his home in Switzerland aged 93, Marc Bonnant, a lawyer for his wife, told AFP. A lawyer for Zao’s son, who was in a legal battle with his step-mother to obtain power-of-attorney over the artist, confirmed the death and said Zao, who suffered from Alzheimer’s disease, had been hospitalised twice since the end of March. The Beijing-born Zao left China for Paris before the Communist [...]

Kate Haw named new Director of Smithsonian’s Archives of American Art

WASHINGTON, DC.- Kate Haw, currently vice president for development at the National Building Museum, has been named the director of theSmithsonian’s Archives of American Art, effective May 27. The Archives, founded in Detroit in 1954, became a part of the Smithsonian in 1970. Its mission is to collect, preserve and make available primary source material documenting the history of the visual arts in the United States. Its holdings of 20 million original documents pertaining to art in America, including letters, diaries, [...]

New Director appointed to the Istanbul Design Biennial

ISTANBUL.- Özlem Yalım Özkaraoğlu, Director of the first Istanbul Design Biennial organised by the Istanbul Foundation for Culture and Arts (İKSV), is handing over her duties to Deniz Ova, Director of International Projects at İKSV. Özlem Yalım Özkaraoğlu who has been the Director of Istanbul Design Biennial since 2010, will continue to contribute to the biennial as consultant and a member of the Istanbul Design Biennial Advisory Board, while pursuing her own projects in the field of design. Deniz Ova, who has worked [...]

Bonhams appoint Laure Raibaut as Senior Specialist of Modern & Contemporary Art in Hong Kong

HONG KONG.- Bonhams announced the appointment of Laure Raibaut as Senior Specialist of the new Contemporary Art department in Hong Kong. Commenting on her appointment, Dessa Goddard, Director of Asian Art, North America, said: “We are delighted to have Laure as the anchor for our growing team of specialists in Asian contemporary art. Her seasoned experience in the private sector and her vivacious personality make her ideally suited to lead Bonhams expansion into this vibrant art market.” A French national, Laure Raibaut [...]

National Gallery of Australia pays tribute to pre-eminent Australian sculptor Bert Flugelman

CANBERRA.- The National Gallery of Australia last week paid tribute with great sadness to esteemed Australian sculptor, Bert Flugelman. As one of this country’s pre-eminent sculptors, Bert Flugelman’s art over the decades was shaped by his passion and determination; his steadfastness, courage and humour. ‘Bert Flugelman was a great Australian sculptor, teacher and inspirer of younger artists. We are lucky to have his largest major work in our Sculpture Garden and have also fortunately been able to update our collection of his [...]

Serpentine Gallery’s Nicola Lees appointed as new Curator for Frieze London 2013

LONDON.- Nicola Lees has today been announced as the new Curator of Frieze Foundation, responsible for the unique programme of artist commissions, which takes place annually at Frieze London. Lees will also take up a position on the judging panel of the Emdash Award 2013, giving an emerging international artist the opportunity to participate in the Frieze Projects programme. Amanda Sharp and Matthew Slotover, Co-Directors of Frieze commented: ‘Nicola’s understanding of the busy, complex fair environment and the role of Frieze Projects [...]

Terra Foundation CEO Elizabeth Glassman to Join Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art Board

BENTONVILLE, AR.- Elizabeth Glassman, president and chief executive officer of the Terra Foundation for American Art, has recently been appointed to the board of directors of Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art. Since joining the Terra Foundation in 2001, Glassman has led the organization in developing and launching its expanded grant program, which has since awarded approximately $45 million for some 450 exhibitions and scholarly programs in more than 30 countries. Glassman also oversees the Foundation’s renowned collection of American art, which [...]

Walters Art Museum appoints Julia Marciari-Alexander as new Executive Director

BALTIMORE, MD.- The Walters Art Museum today named Julia Marciari-Alexander as its new Executive Director. Marciari-Alexander brings to the Walters more than 15 years of experience in all aspects of museum operations, including exhibitions, education, community outreach, publications and management, both at the San Diego Museum of Art (SDMA), where she currently serves as the Deputy Director for Curatorial Affairs, and at the Yale Center for British Art, where she held the position of Associate Director for Exhibitions and Publications, among other [...]

Oleg Vassiliev, leading Nonconformist and Contemporary Russian painter, dies at 81

NEW YORK, NY.- Oleg Vassiliev, a highly influential painter of the Nonconformist and Contemporary Russian Art movements whose importance had been widely recognized not just by scholars worldwide but was also highly regarded by other artists, has passed away after a long battle with cancer at the age of 81. “Oleg Vassiliev was a true modernist who ingeniously balanced on the margin between discourse and nature, realism and abstraction,” says Dr. Margarita Tupitsyn, prominent art scholar and curator, and a lifelong [...]

Columbus Museum of Art welcomes Tyler Cann as its new Associate Curator of Contemporary Art

COLUMBUS, OH.- After an extensive national search, the Columbus Museum of Art has announced the appointment of Tyler Cann as the Museum’s new Associate Curator of Contemporary Art. “Tyler brings a fresh eye to CMA’s permanent collection along with solid scholarship and a broad international outlook,” said Nannette V. Maciejunes, CMA Executive Director. “He joins us at a particularly exciting moment in the Museum’s history. Our upcoming expansion promises the first permanent galleries devoted to our late 20th Century and contemporary collection in [...]

Dakin Hart appointed Senior Curator of the Noguchi Museum effective February 2013

LONG ISLAND CITY, NY.- Jenny Dixon, Director, The Noguchi Museum, has announced the appointment of Dakin Hart as Senior Curator at The Noguchi Museum, effective February 2013. In this capacity, he is responsible for the oversight and management of the Museum’s curatorial affairs, including exhibition development, publication planning and logistics, and the care and interpretation of the collection. He will play a central role on the Museum’s staff, reporting to the Director and working closely with other departments. Ms. Dixon said, “On [...]

Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art announces leadership realignment to support strategic plan

BENTONVILLE, ARK.- Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art Board of Directors and board chair Alice Walton have promoted Crystal Bridges Executive Director Don Bacigalupi to the newly created position of president and appointed him to Crystal Bridges Board of Directors. The board has also promoted Crystal Bridges Deputy Director for Operations and Administration Rod Bigelow to executive director. Both promotions are immediately effective. In his newly expanded role, Bacigalupi will serve as a member of the board of directors and will advance [...]

Kate Fowle is new Chief Curator for Garage Center for Contemporary Culture in Moscow

MOSCOW.- Garage Center for Contemporary Culture announced that Kate Fowle, Executive Director of Independent Curators International (ICI), New York, has been appointed as its new Chief Curator. The post – which reflects Garage’s continuing commitment to bringing international modern and contemporary culture to Russia – is an important addition to its expanding curatorial department. She will join International Programme Adviser Hans Ulrich Obrist as part of Garage’s programming team. Based between New York and Moscow, Kate Fowle will begin working with Garage [...]