🍎🐍 Art As A Consequence #14
🌐 Luis Simó is painting the internet - catch our video interview, and a lot more on art, crypto, and fashion. Meet you in the email body.
Welcome to the fourteenth edition of the ART AS A CONSEQUENCE weekly briefing. This week I had the pleasure of publishing my conversation with Luis Simó, who spoke about blending traditional art and crypto culture. He also discussed his painterly process and inspirations on the evolving landscape of art in the digital age. Also, catch up on the latest news on art (it was a heavy week, buckle up), crypto, maybe a few sales, and upcoming events. Grab a snack 🍎 and happy scrolling.
Lol (lots of love),
Dimitria
Notable news from the art world 🦋✨
🍎 Maurizio Cattelan did his first major New York exhibition since his pivotal retrospective, “All,” at the Guggenheim in 2011, where all artworks were suspended like a mobile. His new exhibition “Sunday” shows shot (by bullets) steel panels — plated in 24-karat gold to a narcissus reflection.
“Gold and guns are the American dream.”
—Maurizio Cattelan
The shot-up panels, 64 in all and entitled “Sunday,” weigh about 80 pounds (36 kgs) each and stretch almost 54 inches high (137 cm) — about the size of a 10-year-old child. With the “Sunday” panels, the audience participates in the aftermath of a shooting, seeing their own reflections riddled with bullet holes, with the seductive beauty of gold’s glimmer — and with competing implications of both an indictment and a glorification of violence.
During the opening, Cattelan stamped guests at the opening, including Larry. A very notable female art dealer, who I will not name (you can DM me and I’ll tell you though) posted a carousel with a video on her instagram account showing Larry and Cattelan in action (getting stamped and stamping), however she has since deleted it. I wonder why. Check out the full article on The New York Times and the press release on Gagosian’s website here.
🍎 This week’s shocker, one of my favourite galleries (and I am very sad for how it turned out), Nino Mier Gallery was accused of underpaying artists in new investigation. In her article on The Art Newspaper Julia Halperin reported that documents dated to 2018 and 2019 show that some artists were underpaid by anywhere between 20-54%.
Artist Louise Bonnet, who left Mier’s gallery in 2022 and is now represented by Galerie Max Hetzler and Gagosian, said:
“It feels especially repulsive to be lied to, manipulated and robbed by someone whose business model relied entirely on making you believe that they cared about you as if you were ‘like family’ and because of this, one could trust them completely to make decisions as to what was best for one’s career, which seemed reasonable, since an art dealer’s success depends entirely on an artist’s trust, well being and ability to work. So in the end, this sort of betrayal is just so, truly, dumb.
In 2022, Artnet News profiled Mier, noting that the dealer was “aware that you might think he’s kind of shady” because of how quickly his operation grew. “I think they assume this rise and this success could possibly have come by someone else’s hand, which is just not true,” he told artnet. “I just know that if you take the time to get to know me, I think you would think very differently of me.”
🍎 The Financial Times posted a great article on Greek tycoon Dimitris Daskalopoulos who gave away more than 350 works by 142 artists, including some genuine stars: Matthew Barney, Steve McQueen, Louise Bourgeois, to Tate, Guggenheim and Athens’ EMST but his name won’t be appearing at any of them. Read here.
🍎 The New York Times published this week an article on the merging worlds of art and fashion. That’s great for brands, but what about artists — and the art?
Highlighting the commission of a sculpture by Austrian artist Erwin Wurm for the French fashion house Lanvin. Wurm's piece, titled "Desire," features a handbag on legs and sneakers, reflecting contemporary consumerism.
I love this because in September 2021, I orchestrated for a similar piece by Erwin Wurm "Tall bag YSL" to be presented at Bongénie Grieder at Bahnhofstrasse in Zurich for the exceptional Art Basel week in September (during Covid - everyone improvised). The bronze sculpture came from Erwin Wurm’s notorious "Walking Bag" series and let’s praise my wonderful gardening arrangement 😅
🗝️ Key points include:
Collaborations between artists and brands: Artists have collaborated with luxury brands, designing products like handbags and accessories for many decades, most historically one thinks of Elsa Schiaparelli and Salvador Dalí's partnership in the 1930s, and more recent collaborations like those between Louis Vuitton with artists like Takashi Murakami and/or Jeff Koons, which benefited both artist tremendously. The aim is always to position luxury items as works of art, thereby enhancing their cultural and aesthetic value.
Financial benefits and credibility hazards: Artists involved in collaborations with brands can benefit financially and gain exposure to wider audiences. However, there's a risk of being perceived as "selling out" for money, potentially compromising their artistic integrity.
Impact on the art market: Auction houses have expanded their offerings to include luxury categories such as handbags and streetwear. This diversification attracts new clients and enhances the auction experience but raises questions about the relationship between luxury and traditional fine art markets.
There's a delicate balance for artists to maintain their artistic integrity amid commercial collaborations. While the fusion of art, fashion, and luxury presents opportunities for both artists and brands, it also poses challenges regarding authenticity and artistic credibility. Catch the full article on The New York Times here
🍎 On that cross-pollination note, Venus Williams was announced to host a six-episode podcast to coincide with an upcoming exhibition on photography and the environment for Carnegie Museum of Art. The accompanying podcast will feature the voices of guest scholars, writers and artists. As host, Williams seeks to underscore the legacies of artists of colour while forging a partnership with the Carnegie based on her tandem interests in expanding her photographic knowledge and attracting an underrepresented audience to the museum. Find more details here.
🍎 Lastly, catch your Frieze New York Week wrap-up here
🛸 Out of this world content
Luis Simó
is Painting the Internet
“It is not easy for everyone to mint on Bitcoin, to make an inscription, because it has a cost. I resonate with that. It is like a spam filter, because you have to pay to inscribe an artwork.”
—Luis Simó
Meet Luis Simó, the Spanish artist who blends traditional art to crypto culture. In my latest discussion with Luis he spoke about the beginning of his journey from entering the CryptoPunks Discord in 2021 to becoming a sought-after artist bridging the worlds of traditional oil painting and digital innovation. What makes Luis unique is his skillful navigation between the complexities of selling physical paintings linked to NFTs and his experimentation across different blockchains. We spoke about his painterly process and inspirations on the ever evolving landscape of art in the digital age. You can watch the interview or read the text.
A very short rise and shine moments in the crypto space 🚀
🍎 Beeple celebrated 17 years with the Everydays.
Now, moving to the fashion sector 🛍️
🍎 To mark a century since Montblanc released their Meisterstück pen in 1924, Montblanc has partnered with American director and screenwriter Wes Anderson to create a campaign that journeys into the Maison’s extraordinary world as seen through the filmmaker’s eyes. One of the funniest and quirkiest ads, pennies worth spent, watch here.
🍒 Bonus: watch one of the best clips from “Finding The Money”
That’s all frens! 👋 toodeloo
See you next Sunday - if there is a next Sunday.
Visit artasaconsequence.net to discover more about my work in the art industry. You can contact me over email or find me on social media: Instagram | X | LinkedIn
