The Art Daddy's Weekly Wrap Up for 7/18/29: Darius Himes's Election Replacement Election and Upstate Art Weekend Edition
All the art daddy news that's fit to print
It's mid July and its peak summer in the city. And while I am not on a yacht in the Greek isles or Sant-Tropez praying that my boat doesn’t get tipped over by orcas, I am still navigating problematic people at art openings who are descending in droves via the Thirsty Gallerina and just want to get drunk and aren’t there for the work. Someone needs to tell them to stop.
I am fresh off the first election cycle in the search for Darius Himes’s replacement and let me tell you daddies, it didn’t go down without some drama. Keep reading for all the tea on that. Darius was also made aware of the current state of the election via me in the DMs with no reaction on his end which is par for the course for our former fav stoic art throb and his soon to be sagging neck and receding hairline.
DH struggling to get online and not living his best summer life.
Also, note quite a newsworthy item, but definitely one for gossip, Simon de Pury’s next charity auction put on by Sharon Stone’s Knights of Charity will also feature celebrity guest Andy Garica. Two months ago the two had a spirited head to head where the Swiss crocodile noted that Andy liked it “muy muy muy caliente.” For you and my sake I can only hope there is more of this ridiculous banter caught on tape for the next one. Dm me I have the clip. Happy weekend daddies.
Celebrated Video Art Daddy Bill Viola Dies
The groundbreaking artist Bill Viola died this week at age 73. Viola helped to popularize video art and exploited many nuanced topics including spirality and human consciousness. Viola helped to expand the genre of video art while also leaving his mark on it in the process.
Artwork by the late Bill Viola.
He passed away at his home in Long Beach, California due to complications of early onset Alzheimer’s disease according to the New York Times last Friday.
Goya Daddies Will Now Have a Dedicated Institute
One news item of note this week was the Hispanic Society, a jewel of a museum in Washington Heights which focuses on Latin American and Spanish art, has recently launched an initiative to house a new Goya Research Center it will be based at their museum. It will be run by Guillaume Kientz who is an expert in Goya, and was also the Spanish and Latin American art at the Musée du Louvre in Paris for 9 years according to The Art Newspaper.
MFA Student Makes British Museum Daddies Pay Closer Attention
This week an MFA grad student at London Goldsmith's drew attention to their thesis show entitled Sleight of Hand which featured a stolen coin from the British Museum. The exhibition which was on view until 7/16, is by the Brazilian artist Lê Sartuzi consisted of documentation of a video of them stealing the coin then replacing it with a replica and placing the original in the donation bin.
The British Museum.
Sartuzi told the Art Newspaper that his work emphasizes “the problem of universal museums” and the British Museum “is a foundational part of the colonial, imperialist system,” he noted that the coin he stole was the only one on display of British origin.
It took more than a year of planning and interestingly is part of the museum's handling collection which lets viewers touch objects under the supervision of museum volunteers. This has been a part of museum programming since 2000 as well. This also calls into question larger issues that the Royal Museum has had in recent years around staffing and even when a former curator stole various rare items from their permanent collection and sold them on Ebay. In fact, controversies at the museum over the last few years even sparked a recent New Yorker article about it.
Upstate Art Weekend Daddies
It's the height of the summer art season and last week the always hideous Hamptons Art Fair closed and this week people are gearing up for the Upstate Art Week. Arguably buzzier and younger, the Upstate Art Weekend is in its 5th iteration and brings together over 100 galleries, art centers, and museums in the upstate area which covers a lot of territory. Some highlights for this weekend for me include the 0 Art Fair, a new alternative fair model which is the brainchild of artists William Powhida and Jen also launched this weekend which is sure to draw a crowd.
This cutie map made by Upstate Art Weekend.
The Campus which is James Cohan's, Anton Kern's and several other galleries' new venture, a 78,000-square-foot Ockawamick School and its surrounding 22 acres in Claverack has been converted into exhibition space. People tend to forget that Jack Shainman’s 2013 purchase of property in Kinderhook, NY was one of the first of these kinds of spaces. The School, which it is called, consists of over 30,000 square feet and offers an impressive showcasing of programming through the summer months.
Additionally, many artists for decades have always sought refuge outside of the city and specifically upstate to live and work, and in COVID, there was another mass exodus of creatives upstate which also shifted the real estate market there and drove the cost of living up in desirable areas like Beacon, Kingston, Hudson, Cold Spring and surrounding towns. It also has led to farmers who have historically lived in this area now being priced out. This week should be a big one and not to disappoint.
The Darius Himes Replacement Election
What election doesn't have drama? And this week the Art Daddy's Replacement for Darius Himes not only had the first ballot count but also endured its own scandal. After almost two weeks of tagging and showcasing the candidates, last week Sotheby's Milaap Patel, a natural peacock announced in the dms he was dropping out. He was at first confused, even though I had reached out to inform him of this ridiculous election and that he had been nominated via crowdsourcing. Well, he told me he was a “low key” kind of guy and that the art daddy, while funny, being part of it wasn't really his thing.
Latest bracket from the first election cycle.
As a result, I tried to work with him to announce his dropping out and his statement which notified me was “too much.” Well Milaap, I used to work in marketing, I was doing damage control, and I am here to tell you you're not low key and shy. After telling me he was a bit stressed out from the Art Daddy and that he didn't post often, he then proceeded to post multiple stories at a Ferrari event he was at.
However, the second and final ballot will move forward with the following three names: Xan Serfain of LGD, Siddhartha Shah, director of the Mead Art Museum of Amherst College, who beat out Gagosian advisor and our fav art world barefoot Contessa, Bernard Lagarange (he’s obsessed with being barefoot and there is a piece coming on that soon), and former Christie's specialist and auctioneer, Robbie Gordy. It's now anyone's race and the official date for the final election cycle is set for 7/26/24. Please see here for election guidelines and DM for a bracket or email!
In a NYT Style section manner, I also want to set forth some taste making elements.
I am reading: This article from The Guardian on How to preserve legacy.
I am drinking: Whole Foods Italian Sparkling Mineral Water.
I am looking at: This piece up at DIA Beacon from FGT and its visually stunning but wish it had multiple works of his in the space.
Until next time daddies be sure to follow The art daddy substack as well as on Instagram to get your daily dose of daddies. Dm's are always open for news, gossip, and tea sessions.