Pope Francis's Fearsome Art Record, Twombly Foundation Riven by Strife, and More

Published: March 14, 2013

– Pope Francis I's Poor Art Record: The newly elected Pope Francis I, formerly Argentina's Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio, brings a less-than-saintly stance on contemporary art with him to the Vatican. In 2004, Bergoglio — then Buenos Aires's Archbishop — declared an exhibition by the Argentine artist León Ferrari "blasphemous" and called for its closure, setting off protests from conservative Christian groups and Catholic church officials. The show featured, among other things, images of Jesus, Mary, and assorted saints in a toaster, a frying pan, and a blender. "For many years I have made art dealing with discrimination on various fronts: against gays, against women, against Jews, etc.," Ferrari told the Art Newspaper's Jason Edward Kaufman at the time, explaining his work (the article is not online). "And against the tortures that the Church promises en masse to sinners." [Artlyst, Gallerist, TAN]

– Unrest at the Cy Twombly Foundation: A new lawsuit filed today in Delaware state court claims that one of four trustees of the Cy Twombly Foundation took more than $300,000 in unauthorized fees for investment services and was assisted in appropriating the funds by fellow trustee and art-world lawyer Ralph E. Lerner. The news follows another lawsuit, filed by Lerner earlier this year, asking a judge to intervene and appoint Twombly's son Alessandro to the board in order to break a deadlock. [NYT]

– China's Slump Injures Global Art Market: Every March, art market pundits not-so-patiently await the release of the European Fine Art Foundation's annual report, authored by academic Clare McAndrew. This year's study has just arrived, and it's got some bad news for China. The Asian nation's spending on art and antiques shrank by nearly a quarter in 2012, contributing to an industrywide contraction of seven percent to $56 billion. [Reuters]

– Brits Encourage Will and Kate to Buy Contemporary: Should the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge begin collecting contemporary art? So says Tessa Murdoch, a curator at London's Victoria & Albert Museum. Murdoch claims such engagement would encourage young artistic talent in England; others believe it would help the palace seem less stuffy. "Art is an inescapable aspect of cool," writes Mark Hudson. "And cool is arguably of considerably more value to the Royal family than grandeur." [Telegraph]

– US's Only Arms Museum Closing: The Higgins Armory Museum in Worcester, Massachusetts, the only museum in the country devoted solely to weapons and armory, will close for good in December. Despite attracting a robust attendance of 60,000 visitors last year on a budget of just $1.3 million, the institution will transfer its collection and its $3 million endowment to the Worcester Art Museum, which will renovate the space currently serving as its library to become a showcase for objects from the Higgins. "There is not enough long-term support, and I can say I am very gratified that the trustees have made the tough decision and did not draw it out," interim director Suzanne W. Maas said. [Boston Globe]

– Western Galleries Learn the Ropes in HK: Galleries like Lehmann Maupin, Gagosian, and White Cube have flocked to Hong Kong in recent years, but the former British colony isn't overflowing with ready buyers. "Here you have to fight for every single sale," says Ben Brown Gallery director Andreas Hecker. "There is not as much name recognition for galleries here, and I think it’s a shock to the system," notes art consultant Jehan Chu, adding that galleries are in "a race against time to build an educated client base… before the rent and associated costs drag them down." [TAN]

– Norway Will Help Move Munch Museum: The Munch Museum in Oslo, which was recently forced to lay off 20 percent of its staff due to budget problems stemming from long-stalled plans to relocate to a larger and more central location, will receive a helping hand from the Norwegian government. "The state will help put in place a new Munch Museum, both financially and organizationally," said Norway's culture minister Hadia Tajik. "It's a shame that this has taken so many years." Still, the government's timing couldn't have been better: This year marks the 150th anniversary of Edvard Munch's birth. [AFP]

– Israel Picks Gilad Ratman for Venice: Israel's Ministry for Culture and Sport has selected 38-year-old, New York-based artist Gilad Ratman for a solo presentation in the Israeli Pavilion in this year's Venice Biennale, making him the country's youngest-ever Venice representative. He will create the site-specific, multi-media installation "The Workshop," which will use video, sound, environmental, and physical interventions to tell the narrative of a community's journey from Israel to Venice. [Artforum]

– Watts Towers' Stability to Be Measured: A new study by experts from UCLA will determine the stability of the famous Watts Towers in South Los Angeles. Expected to be completed by early next year, the review will measure wind and sun exposure, as well as the effects that earthquakes have had on the sculptures. The study will be overseen by the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, which has a long-term preservation contract for the Watts Towers. [LAT]

– Elad Lassry to 303: New York's 303 Gallery now represents Israeli-born artist Elad Lassry, who previously showed with Luhring Augustine. Locals may remember Lassry for his creepy High Line billboard depicting two women looking through portholes, which was erected last August. 303 has been beefing up its artist roster recently; earlier this year, the gallery announced its representation of Jacob Kassay. [Press Release]

VIDEO OF THE DAY

An interview with León Ferrari done just before the Catholic boycott of his work