artforum news
May 19, 2009
FROM THE EDITORS
Nothing says drama like an auction; even when the market is low the theater is packed. Collectors, dealers, and art-world players swarmed to New York last week to watch (and even partake in) the proceedings; every step of the way Artforum.com was there, bringing updates from the scene. On the print side, Artforum’s May issue features Bruce Hainley on the artist Larry Johnson, Jim Jarmusch in conversation with Amy Taubin, and Greil Marcus on Marianne Faithfull. As an added online-only bonus, you can also read Lorraine O’Grady’s article, “ A Day at the Races,” from the April 1993 issue of Artforum. After checking out the latest news and reviews, be sure to take a look at our “500 Words” interviews with artists and Melissa Anderson’s daily reports from the 62nd Cannes Film Festival in our film column.

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SCENE & HERD
Collector François Pinault with Gil outside Christie’s. (Photo: Ryan McNamara)
Sarah Thornton on Sotheby’s and Christie’s spring auctions[05.14.09] “Although the women had blinged down and the men flaunted somber ties, the talk outside Christie’s was about a ‘disconnect in the market’; some people, after all, are still very rich.” – Sarah Thornton

Linda Yablonsky at the new Brant Foundation[05.12.09] “Tony Shafrazi pulled up Dennis Hopper’s cell-phone number on his BlackBerry. ‘Julian Schnabel always does this, too,’ actor Christopher Walken said. ‘Name comes up, a minute later Julian has him on the phone.’” – Linda Yablonsky

David Velasco on the “Quick and the Dead” at the Walker Art Center[05.05.09] “I entered the lecture hall and sat down with artist Trisha Donnelly and writer Bruce Hainley, who, along with Sturtevant, had early on secured their position as the weekend’s Heathers; every time I saw them, I knew I was in the right place.” – David Velasco
IN THE NEWS
• ROCCO LANDESMAN PICKED TO LEAD NEA
• JOE SCANLAN NAMED DIRECTOR OF PRINCETON ARTS PROGRAM
• LYNN ZELEVANSKY APPOINTED DIRECTOR OF CARNEGIE MUSEUM
• PEW EXHIBITION GRANTS ANNOUNCED
• CHRISTIE’S SALE TOTALS $93.7 MILLION; SOTHEBY’S $47 MILLION
• WOLFSON WINS CARTIER; BOURSIER-MOUGENOT WINS GOLDEN DAVID
CRITICS’ PICKS

RUBEN OCHOA

Ruben Ochoa has left a tantalizing amount of empty space beyond the piles of earth; the installation encourages curious viewers to pass beneath the hefty concrete. … READ ON

MARC CAMILLE CHAIMOWICZ

The sparse elements in Marc Camille Chaimowicz’s exhibition orchestrate a sparse lyricism that has surrealist overtones and a refined pop dandyism born of 1970s glam. … READ ON

“RUMMAGING”

“Rummaging,” the third installment of the Bonniers Konsthall’s yearly salon de jeunesse, focuses on artworks that reshape and reconfigure space. … READ ON
Other recent picks: Alex Katz, Marcel Breuer, Desirée Holman, Matthew Picton, Francis Cape, Cathy Wilkes, Kara Hearn, “HF | RG”, Victor Man, Christopher Wool, Tal R, Richard Patterson … READ ON
500 WORDS

JENNIFER WEST

On the occasion of the premiere of her Skate the Sky Film at the Tate Modern’s “The Long Weekend” event, the Los Angeles–based artist Jennifer West discusses new directions in her practice. … READ ON
Other recent 500 Words: Christopher Williams, Carey Young, Emilie Halpern, Stephen Petronio …
FILM

MELISSA ANDERSON’S DAILY REPORTS FROM CANNES

“Cannes loves to court—if not manufacture—controversy, as the overcooked adjectives in the press book for Lou Ye’s Spring Fever, about man-man love, spying, betrayal, and triangulation, attest.” … READ ON
Other recent film reviews: Ed Halter on Ken Jacobs’s Anaglyph Tom, Melissa Gronlund at a Tate Modern conference on Expanded Cinema, Melissa Anderson on Olivier Assayas’s Summer Hours, Darrell Hartman on Ice People, Andrew Hultkrans on Blank City and Variety …