— Zhukova Photo Provokes Anger:Garage founder Dasha Zhukova is under fire for a photograph that depicts the socialite sitting on what looks like an Allen Jones chair of a contorted, scantily clad black mannequin. The portrait of Zhukova, which accompanied a profile of her on Russian fashion website Buro 24/7, was published yesterday on Martin Luther King Jr. Day. Zhukova has not responded publicly to the “racist chair” fiasco, but a Buro 24/7 rep said, “Buro 24/7 is categorically opposed to the idea of racism, oppression or humiliation of people in any form. We see this chair purely in an artistic context.” [The Guardian] UPDATE: Read Dasha Zhukova’s response to the controversy on In the Air.
— Hyundai Sponsors Turbine Hall: The Tate Modern has secured a roughly £5m ($8.2m) sponsorship deal with Hyundai that will fund 10 years of programming in the museum’s Turbine Hall. Past commissions, previously sponsored by Unilever, include works by Louise Bourgeois, Ai Weiwei, and Tino Sehgal. The first commission will be announced later this year and go on view in the fall of 2015. [TAN]
— Rare Murals to Show at Guggenheim: The Guggenheim has secured the loan of five murals from Palermo, Sicily’s central post office, for its upcoming exhibition “Italian Futurism, 1909-1944: Reconstructing the Universe.” Painted by Benadetta Cappa in the early ’30s, the murals have never left the conference room for which they were commissioned. “It’s the grand finale of our exhibition,” said Guggenheim senior curator Vivien Greene. “It’s such a beautiful way to end the show. It ends it on a really positive note. Instead of lingering more on the end of the war, when poor Italy is so beat up it’s so depressing, I thought, ‘Let’s have a finale that shows you at your best.’ ” [NYT]
— eBay Buyer Nabs Masterpiece: Experts are looking for an eBay buyer who bought an impressionist painting that may be byÉdouard Vuillard (likely worth about £250,000, or $410,000) for £3,000 ($4,900). [Telegraph]
— London Art Districts Threatened: London’s gallery districts St James and Mayfair are coping with encroaching property developments that threaten the approximately 160 galleries in the area. [The Guardian]
— MoMA Trustee Search: Allegedly MoMA’s board of trustees called an emergency meeting to discuss naming a new trustee in the wake of the former Folk Art Museum building demolition controversy. [Page Six]
— A Joseph Wright of Derby portrait was given to the Holburne Museum in Bath, England, under the UK’s recently implemented Cultural Gifts Scheme. [Art Daily]
— Greek artist Chryssa, one of the first to use neon as her medium, has died at age 79. [NYT]
— The Art Gallery of Greater Victoria has received a $2.67 million endowment donation from artist Anthony Thorn. [Globe and Mail]
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