With 2024 coming to an end, we can't skip a thorough recap of the most ''hot'' art news of the year! Of course, it is impossible to start our recap without mentioning the highlight of the year, or in other words - the most talked about auction of the year - 2024- that agitated the public and made people argue about what should be considered Art.
The world's most expensive banana sold at Sotheby's auction
Maurizio Cattelan's banana was put up for auction at a contemporary art auction in New York with a pre-sale estimate of $1 million to $1.5 million. The price immediately began to rise, as there were many interested bidders, and reached $5.2 million ($6.2 million with the auction house's fee), which was offered by Justin Sun, a well-known Chinese collector and founder of the cryptocurrency platform Tron. Sun is already known for high-profile acquisitions: he bought an Alberto Giacometti sculpture for $78 million at Sotheby's in 2021 and, as he claims, was ready to pay $70 million for an NFT by Michael Winkelmann, known as Beeple, but was unable to due to a computer glitch.
Sun explained why he purchased such an expensive lot in his statement after the auction. He thinks Comedian is more than just a banana duck taped to a wall. It represents a cultural phenomenon that bridges the worlds of art, memes, and the cryptocurrency community. This work inspires thought and discussion and will be part of history in the future.” Sun knew he was not supposed to eat the banana but did it anyway to “honour its place in both art history and popular culture.”
Rising Art Crime puts galleries before the choice that may lead to unpleasant consequences
2024 has been a challenging year for the art sector, as many galleries struggle to adapt to a new reality to stay afloat. To our greatest disappointment, theft and vandalism went hand in hand this year and resulted in many artworks being destroyed. This violence resulted in increasing security methods that potentially help preserve valuable objects. These methods include restricted access to specific, most valuable collections and identity checks of those willing to interact with art.
Another concern is the money laundering. To prevent that, art galleries must ensure that the artworks presented to the public are not linked to illicit activities; as you can assume, these checks also need money.
What are the consequences of these policies?
With the increased protection of the art pieces, it is logical that the maintenance costs also increased over the last year. That means art becomes less and less accessible to the general public, which throws us back in time and may result in a significant decrease in public interest in the art sector. The new order of things also implies that purchasing art pieces for private collections involves additional security checks to avoid scams and disappointments.
The astonishing painting by Belgian Artist René Magritte became the most expensive Surrealist work ever sold, with its record $121.2 million.
The Art World held its breath in anticipation during a 10-minute bidding war at Christie’s auction in New York and saw the painting proudly joining the US$100 million club. The painting was a part of Mica Ertegun’s private collection. Mica was an interior designer with impeccable taste, making her an icon and one of the most influential people in the Arts world. Since her passing in late 2023, it was a matter of time before her collection would become available for auction. The estimated price for the painting was $95 million, starting at US$75 million, but the reality exceeded any expectations. Alex Rotter and Xin Li-Cohen duelled for the work until Adrien Meyer offered the winning $105 million, and the painting was sold to an overseas buyer, who preferred to remain incognito.
The painting has been repeatedly praised for its unique ability to contrast a nocturnal landscape and daylight –– a surrealist motif that Magritte explored in his art for almost two decades.
The artwork depicts a house with a single streetlamp in front. The flame from the lamp lights up the entire canvas, including the dark trees in the foreground, while the image is serenely reflected over a pool of water. Above the streetscape, a light blue sky dotted with puffy white clouds stretches to the top of the canvas.
The World’s oldest known to humanity cave painting was discovered in Indonesia
and it is a 51200-year-old piglet.
The painting, which depicts three human-like figures supposedly interacting with a wild pig, was discovered in a limestone cave called Leang Karampuang on the island of Sulawesi. Archaeologists believe the image is at least 510 centuries old. Indonesian Island has been attracting archaeologists from all over the globe for years due to its enchanting caves full of rock art. It is not the first ancient painting found there, but it is now believed to be the oldest. The date was identified thanks to a new technique used by a team. It is known as U-series laser ablation analysis to date the tiny layers of calcium carbonate that form on the surface of the art to determine how long ago they were created.
The Pinacoteca di Brera finally opened a museum of contemporary art
It took Milan almost half a century to implement plans for a major new contemporary art museum, which opened its doors to the public this December.
Palazzo Citterio, a stately 18th-century mansion located two hundred meters from the Pinacoteca di Brera, was officially opened on December 7, the day of San Ambrose, the patron saint of the city.
The event took place as part of a major initiative called Grande Brera, the creation of a new cultural cluster, the heart of which will be Palazzo Citterio, the Pinacoteca di Brera and the Braidense Library, which, like the new museum, is run by the Pinacoteca.
It is a home for around 200 examples of post-war and contemporary art, including works by Amedeo Modigliani, Giorgio Morandi and Pablo Picasso. Thanks to the initiative, every art lover can now visit the complex and look at the valuable objects in a space dedicated to 20th-century art.
The authorities aim to return Brera to its former glory and to create a large museum complex in Milan based on the models of Florence and Rome in terms of attendance and revenue figures.
Notre Dame: Rising from the Ashes
After the devastating fire that damaged one of the World’s most famous Paris landmarks in 2019, Notre Dame de Paris shut its doors with a promise to come back soon, and it did. Notre Dame Cathedral was resurrected unusually quickly: it was solemnly opened on December 7th. The bells of Notre Dame Cathedral rang on Saturday evening in Paris for the first time since the incident.
The sceptics believed it would take 10 or even 20 years for restoration works to be completed, but the leading architect, Philippe Villeneuve, was quite optimistic about finishing the project on time.
On the night of the fire, Philippe Villeneuve was in La Rochelle. He arrived in Paris by train at 10:34 pm and went straight to the cathedral. The next day, around 10 am, the firefighters announced that the fire had been extinguished.
Villeneuve returned to the site at 6 am. After closely examining the damage, he concluded that five years was a realistic time frame. He was confident of success. The extent of the damage was quite clear: the roof support, the spire, and the lead roofing were lost. The five-year deadline did not frighten him, he confessed. On the contrary, the architect hoped that the tight deadline would make all parties act with confidence and enthusiasm
The third stage of restoration, which began long before the fire, is scheduled for the period from 2025 to 2028. It will be devoted to the altar and the sacristy. After the third stage, it will be the turn of the southern transept and both naves, northern and southern.
Art in the times of resilience: how Palestinian artists convey a message
The 2024 dragged the world into wars and divided nations. Politics has always catalysed Art. Many artists throughout history have expressed their opinions and made statements using art and the public as their tools, and Palestinian artists are no exception. Of course, we all know what is happening where yet sometimes we get so lost in our own little nothings of life we forget to look up and perceive the world.
Artists from Gaza are planning a biennial exhibition of works about life under siege during the 13 months of war. More than 40 artists are taking part in the preparation of the exhibition, aiming to showcase their creative voices amid the ongoing conflict. The Biennale is currently in the funding phase and is seeking partnerships to host events and safely transport art objects. The participant list includes many outstanding artists, including Yasmeen Al Daya, Yasmeen Al Daya, Maysa Yousef, and Motaz Naim.
The event aims to connect with the global community and reinforce the importance of preserving Palestinian cultural identity in the face of enormous adversity.
References
Creative Flair, (2024). Rising Art Crime and Enhanced Security Measures in London’s Galleries. Creative Flair Blog. Available from https://blog.creativeflair.org/rising-art-crime-and-enhanced-security-measures-in-londons-galleries/#google_vignette [Accessed 19 December 2024].
Doubek. J., Beardsley, E. and Werbeck, N. (2024). Photos: Notre Dame Cathedral reopens, with its first service since a devastating fire. NPR. Available from https://www.npr.org/sections/the-picture-show/2024/12/07/g-s1-37345/photos-notre-dame-cathedral-reopens-macron-trump [Accessed 19 December 2024].
Ghosh, P. (2024). World's oldest cave art found showing humans and pig. BBC. Available
from https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c0vewjq4dxwo [Accessed 19 December 2024].
Hawkins, A. and Agence France-Presse, (2024). Crypto entrepreneur eats banana art he bought for $6.2m. The Guardian. Available from https://www.theguardian.com/world/2024/nov/29/crypto-entrepreneur-justin-sun-eats-banana-art-he-bought-for-6m-dollars [Accessed 19 December 2024].
Imam, J. (2024). Milan’s Pinacoteca di Brera rebrands as launch of new modern art space nears. The Arts Newspaper. Available from https://www.theartnewspaper.com/2024/09/27/pinacoteca-di-brera-milan-rebrands-grande-brera-museum [Accessed 19 December 2024].
Stewart, J. (2024). Over 40 Palestinian Artists Organize ‘Gaza Biennale’ as an Act of Resilience [Interview]. My Modern Met. Available from https://mymodernmet.com/gaza-biennale/ [Accessed 19 December 2024].
Tsui, K. (2024). René Magritte’s ‘L’empire des lumières’ sells for record $121 million. CNN. Available from https://edition.cnn.com/2024/11/19/style/rene-magritte-lempire-des-lumieres-sells-for-record-hnk-intl/index.html [Accessed 19 December 2024].
Wong, K. (2024). Magritte's 'Empire of Light' sells for US$121 million in New York, setting auction record for the Surrealist master. The Value. Available from https://en.thevalue.com/articles/christies-new-york-fall-evening-sale-result-mica-collection-magritte [Accessed 19 December 2024].
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