- Rutgers University Libraries caused a controversy with the display of “Vitruvian Man” by an anonymous student or faculty member. The piece is one of the Jesus figurines from a crucifix attached to a dart board. After the image went viral on the conservative internet, the library removed it and issued an apology. [The Blaze]
- Phil America installed the guerilla art exhibition The Perilous Fight in the abandoned Nevins Street subway station. The MTA hasn’t sanctioned the installation and hasn’t issued a statement, but it’s unlikely the show will remain there. The work comprises a series of flags America made in tribute to victims of gun violence. [Gothamist]
- Someone found a demo tape of early HD video technology from 1993. It’s pretty incredible, because it looks more or less like it was shot yesterday. With the exception of the twin towers and older taxis, this could be from someone’s iPhone 6. Chris Plante muses on the strangeness of seeing the past through the lens of contemporary technology. There’s an entire generation for whom nostalgia won’t be characterized by grainy film, choppy video, or Polaroids. [The Verge]
- Larry Gagosian is on the cover of the Wall Street Journal Magazine this week, and the story of his art world ascent is surprisingly compelling. How did Gagosian go from being a Los Angeles parking lot manager to someone who owns a private jet and a globe-spanning chain of galleries? Leo Castelli’s mentorship, for starters. [The Wall Street Journal]
- MoMA’s architecture and design galleries will not be demolished in the new renovation. They closed the galleries as part of the construction process in their new expanded space next door, prompting speculation that those galleries would be sacrificed to the reno gods. No such luck. [Curbed New York]
- Does the Babacar M’Bow/MoCA North Miami drama never cease? The former museum director is now suing the city of North Miami for wrongful termination after he was dismissed for sexual harassment claims. [artnet News]
- Auction house competition is so cut-throat that their commissions have plummeted more than 50 percent since 2009. There is now a term called “enhanced hammer”, which refers to what happens when an auction house offers between 4-7 percent of the buyer’s premium on top of the sale price. Then there’s price guarantees too. Definitely still a seller’s market for those of us who have a bunch of high end art we want to sell (hedge fund managers!). [Bloomberg]
- It seems as if there’s a “but is fashion art?” article every time a museum opens a garment-centric exhibition. Now, we’ve got Isaac Mizrahi at the Jewish Museum and Manus x Machina: Fashion in the Age of Technology opening at The Met next month. The latter sounds like it’s going to be pretty interesting. There’s also the new film “The First Monday in May”, which chronicles the curation of last year’s blockbuster China Through the Looking Glass and the equally considered Met Gala. Does fashion belong in a museum? As long as it rakes in these levels of attendance and funding, that question answers itself. [The Washington Post]
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