The Art Daddy's Weekly Daddy Wrap Up for 6/13/25
Daddy Dispatch: Basel, Ghostings, and the Great Summer Daddy Migration. All the art daddy news that is fit to print.
It’s Friday the 13th, just days after a full moon, and the art world hasn’t quite come down from its lunar high — if anything, things are weirder than usual. Ray Ray’s been making moves that feel straight out of a midnight fever dream, and Jerry? Let’s just say his energy is off the charts, leaving everyone guessing what’s next. When the moon sets but the madness stays, you know the art scene is in full unpredictable mode.
We are officially less than a week out from Art Basel—aka the Met Gala of market efficiency, where every gallery girlie, advisor daddy, and washed-up conceptualist makes the pilgrimage to Switzerland in search of seven-figure sales and a photo op at the Beyeler. No, I will not be attending. My editors, bless them, have opted for their annual flute-clinking fair romance instead of sending me to report live. So while they’re nibbling €28 crudités with their VIP lanyards, I’ll be stationed in Brooklyn—feral, caffeinated, and extremely online.
Art Basel where I won’t be this year and leaning into it.
But don’t worry: Daddy is watching. From the preview PDFs to the booth installs to the influencer-tier selfies under whatever institutional wall text is trending, I’ll be covering the entire Basel ecosystem remotely. That means decoding who sold what, who got snubbed, who made out in the Kunsthalle bathroom, and which artists are finally ditching their mid galleries for sunnier mega pastures. There will be spreadsheets, memes, and a few lovingly unhinged observations about the power brokers who pretend they’re too busy to sit down but always have time for oysters and optics.
Meanwhile, the Art Daddy Summer Searches™ are still fully operational. The Hamptons Search™ aiming for those peak performance-piece daddies in Dior sunglasses with soft-core commitment issues. Hamptons daddies (50+) are equal parts weathered linen and generational wealth think art advisors or ex-gallerists in boat shoes, vintage convertibles, and a penchant for quoting Didion at beach bonfires. Their vibe? Quiet luxury, low-key emotional unavailability, and just enough well-aged charm to keep you lingering past Labor Day.
The Upstate Daddy Search™ is all ceramic healing daddies who know their Jung, bake bread, and own exactly one Japanese axe. Most have just emerged from divorce or Bard. Upstate daddies are all rugged tenderness and rustic intellect, wood stackers who read Barthes by the fire and know their way around a foraged salad.
I’m just looking for someone to help cultivate my one-woman Art Daddy summer residency, a willing facilitator of rest, theory, and light chores. Someone who will keep my wine fridge stocked, grant me access to the property, and appreciate a wildly entertaining houseguest who bakes with leftover farmers market fruit and sends you back out with a neatly itemized NYT Cooking app ingredient list.
In perhaps the most unhinged pivot since the breakup heard ’round the art world, Anna Weyant was spotted at Disney World this week. Call it post-Gagosian, post-capitalist healing—or the world's most cursed princess core reboot. And meanwhile, our elusive travel prince Raymond Bulman was seen last night at a party without his infamous axe. Just a wrist chain, a glimmer of chaos, and whatever unspoken regret hangs in the air after one too many tequila sodas.
The art world is still mourning the digital disappearance of Jerry Gogosian—and while her account may have vanished into the ether, the fallout has sent a wave of orphaned followers directly into Daddy’s arms. I’ll do my best to hold you all.
So whether you're Basel-bound, burned out, or browsing from brownstone in Bushwick, I’ve got you. Welcome to the wrap-up.
Tell Your Dad
In my new Substack series, Tell Your Dad, I’m creating a space for art-world gossip, hot tips, and spicy takes. Got something that needs to be called out? Think a show, scandal, or power play deserves more attention than the usual outlets are giving it? This is where it happens. Send your tips to theartdaddyy@gmail.com or slide into my DMs @theartdaddy_.
Raymond Bulman Brings Icelandic Fire and Fierce Vibes — Axe Left at Home, Party Still Slayed at Perrotin
Last night, Raymond Bulman crashed the Perrotin party looking like he’d just stepped off a Nordic saga but hold up, he wasn’t wielding his infamous axe this time. Nope, he left that iconic piece behind, but don’t think for a second he showed up empty-handed. Raymond brought the party’s “head” -you know, that unmistakable wild energy he commands, plus a stash of luxe party favors fresh from Iceland, straight off the heels of his legendary axe-opening Chamoenig bottle trip.
Thank god Raymond wasn’t allowed to operate heavy machinery last night. Note the spill not the far right.
The whole crew was buzzing about how even without his trusty axe, Bulman managed to slice through the scene with that same fierce, untamed vibe that keeps everyone guessing what wild move he’ll pull next. Perrotin never knows what hit ’em when Bulman rolls through — axe or no axe.
Anna Weyant’s Disney Detour: When the Art World Hits the Magic Kingdom to Shake Off Gagosian’s Shadow
In one of the weirder art moments this week, Anna Weyant took a surprising detour from the gallery circuit straight to Disney World. It’s like a post-Gagosian, post-capitalist trauma response played out in mouse ears and churros—because nothing says “processing art world drama” like a day at the happiest place on Earth. Watching her swap auction houses for roller coasters feels like the ultimate art world mood swing, and Daddy is here for every pixel of it. And the best part was it was tucked into a post that was disguised as a photo dump. But girl, I went for the real story here.
And of course, Anna didn’t just visit quietly — she posted the whole thing, inviting her followers into this surreal blend of high art and theme park thrills. Daddy’s loving this surreal mix of serious art vibes and pure theme park escapism.
Anna does give me Glinda the good witch or Disney Princess vibes if I am honest.
This move is less “gallery glam” and more “retreat to fantasy,” a whimsical escape from the endless hustle of sales, showings, and collector texts. You can almost hear the collective sigh from the art market as Anna trades her blazer for Minnie Mouse ears. Honestly, it’s a mood — when the art world’s capitalist circus gets too real, sometimes you just gotta ride Space Mountain instead of the rollercoaster of your career.
OK girl. Visiting Disney world as an adult without children is a whole vibe I don’t want.
This isn’t just a casual vacay—it’s a full-on art world reset, with Anna posting every step, reminding us all that even the sharpest players need to press pause on the market madness. It’s a bold, unexpected flex: when the capitalist circus spins too fast, sometimes you gotta ride Space Mountain instead of the rollercoaster of your career. And honestly, the Art Daddy is here for this whole whimsical, wild move.
Jerry Gogosian Signs Off: When Meme Critique Meets Burnout
Jerry Gogosian just clocked out for good—and honey, the art world felt it hard. The queen of meme satire built her empire roasting the art market’s overinflated egos and power trips with razor-sharp wit that cut deeper than any gallery snub. Her once-anonymous Instagram was the ultimate playground where insider savvy met savage humor, turning art-world fluff into viral fire. When ARTnews dropped the news of her farewell, it wasn’t just an exit—it was the closing of a legendary chapter in meme criticism.
I just penned an essay laying down Jerry’s whole arc—from the sharp, no-nonsense satire that made her a cult icon, to the raw, messy unraveling when the spotlight got too damn hot. Her last act showed us the price of juggling clout and critique in a world where the line blurs and burnout is real. Jerry’s saga isn’t just tea—it’s a masterclass in what happens when the art world’s loudest voice becomes the very spectacle she used to skewer. This piece dives into that tension, tracing how satire morphs under the pressure of digital fame.
Jerry during the height of her meme queen reign.
But here’s the kicker: Jerry’s sign-off shakes the whole game. It raises the stakes on how the art world handles dissent, satire, and the toll of being the loudest, funniest, most biting voice in the room. Meme accounts like @freeze_magazine and @artreviewpower100? They’re still riding the wave, but Jerry’s gone and set a new bar. For those watching from the sidelines, it’s a wake-up call—what happens when the jokes stop, and the critic becomes the show? Daddy’s eyes are on you, art world.
Art Headlines
Frieze House Seoul Sounds Like Fyre Festival Meets Art‑World Reality TV
Coming this September during the fourth edition of Frieze Seoul (Sept 3–6), Frieze Seoul House is being billed as a year‑round cultural hub—with gallery residencies, exhibitions, live performances, and a SANAA‑designed garden pavilion in a revamped 1988 building in Yaksu‑dong. But let’s be honest: it has major Fyre Fest vibes—all spectacle, influencer bait, and heartbreak waiting to happen. Imagine influencers posing under SANAA chairs for the ’gram instead of engaging with serious art.
A rendering of the Seoul House that sounds more like a reality TV concept to me.
This isn’t just big fair energy—it’s reality‑TV cosplay. Remember The Exhibit: Finding the Next Great Artist, where critics like Kenny Schachter flailed through MTV’s first art‑world contest worse than his art practice? It collapsed into cringe faster than you could say “Hirshhorn.” Frieze House Seoul now looks like its glossy sequel—a shiny, overwrought stage set for drama, op‑eds, and “behind‑the‑scenes” influencer content. Will it become a meaningful addition to the cultural landscape? Or implode in its own hype cycle, left empty like a villa on Fyre’s beach? Stay tuned.
Gallery Gauntlet: Reco Sturgis and the High Drama Behind Hugo Galerie’s Meltdown
What could be more art world than death threats, withheld payments, and vanishing gallerists? Reco Sturgis of Hugo Galerie in NYC is out here giving full villain origin story. According to ARTnews, the gallery’s founder is being accused of stiffing artists, dodging debts, and spiraling into lawsuit chaos—with one artist even alleging threatening voicemails. It’s giving shady dealer meets HBO prestige mini-series.
Reco Sturgis founder of the gallery.
Multiple lawsuits have stacked up like poorly wrapped crates in a storage unit, as artists report thousands in unpaid sales and a gallery that essentially ghosted them. The best part? His lawyer claims Reco’s “stepping away from the art world.” Baby, you didn’t step—you disappeared. Hug-gone Galerie, indeed.
Ana Mendieta’s Estate Just Leveled Up — Marian Goodman Playing 5D Art World Chess, And We’re Here For It
Marian Goodman Gallery just dropped the ultimate flex on Thursday when they announced they were snagging global rep rights for the Estate of Ana Mendieta, linking up with Alison Jacques in London and Prats Nogueras Blanchard in Spain. Get ready—Mendieta’s haunting, elemental work finally lands in New York for a solo show this November 2025. Earth, fire, body, and raw transcendence? Yes, please.
This is next-level art world energy: Mendieta’s legacy of nature, mortality, and fierce feminist power is about to hit Tate Modern in 2026 with a heavyweight retrospective. Newly remastered films and major pieces hitting the UK for the first time? Daddy’s watching. This is how legends stay immortal.
In a NYT Style section manner, I also want to set forth some taste making elements.
I am reading: I'm reading Dancing on My Own by Simon Wu
I am drinking: Polar’s summer seasonal seltzers.
I am looking at: All the men over 60 with real estate in other countries on daddy apps. I am also going to auctions to meet men over 60 with real estate in other countries so this counts as a form of looking