Neo-Expressionist painter Per Kirkeby dies; Howard Hodgkin prints to be auctioned to raise money for museum collection

Neo-Expressionist painter Per Kirkeby dies Michael Werner Gallery, who had worked with Per Kirkeby since 1974, has announced that the artist has died at the age of 79. Born in Denmark and known for his painterly technique, he was, at various points in his career, based in Copenhagen. His work is featured in numerous public collections including the Tate, London, the Museum of Modern Art, New York, and the Centre Pompidou, Paris.

Speaking to Artnews, Gordon VeneKlasen, a partner and co-owner of Michael Werner Gallery, said: “Per was an extraordinary man and an incredibly important and vital figure in painting. He was widely respected and adored, as both a teacher and an artist. He was one of the first artists to join the gallery and had a close personal and professional relationship with Michael Werner for nearly 45 years. Per and I also shared a close relationship, travelling around the U.S., South America, and Europe together for nearly three decades. It’s a real personal loss, he will be dearly missed.”

Howard Hodgkin prints to be auctioned to raise money for museum collection Prints by the British painter and printmaker, who died last year, will go on display at Sotheby’s, London, on 8 June, before a sale four days later. It includes artist’s proofs of illustrations, stage, ballet and costume designs, plus commissions including his poster for the London 2012 Olympics.

His partner, Antony Peattie, told the Guardian that the sale would help fund a collection of Hodgkin’s graphic work to be given to a museum, and to create a ‘definitive catalogue raisonné of his prints’. In a career spanning six decades, Hodgkin’s various achievements included winning the Turner Prize in 1985, representing Britain at the Venice Biennale and being knighted in 1992.

Kenneth Olumuyiwa Tharp CBE appointed director of the Africa Centre Previously chief executive of the Place, Tharp performed for 13 years with the London Contemporary Dance Theatre and has also served on various arts boards, including The Royal Opera House.

The Africa Centre, which has just relocated to its new home in Southwark, London, is an international centre for contemporary African culture, business and innovation.

Commenting on his appointment, Tharp said: “The Africa Centre has a key role to play in making tangible the cultural richness and creative energy emanating from the African continent, and in sharing the vibrancy of its 54 nations and extensive diaspora, with as many people as possible.”

Nicolas Bourriaud to curate Istanbul Biennial Founding director of the Palais de Tokyo in Paris will curate the 16th edition of the biennial, which will take place 14 September – 10 November 2019.

Bourriaud said: “I am very honoured to be able to contribute to the history of Istanbul Biennial, which has always been a place of strong curatorial statements since its creation in 1987. Also, as a crossing point, the city of Istanbul takes a specific signification today, in a global political era marked by binary thought. I will try to build an exhibition that measures up to our historical situation.”

Bourriaud, who is currently head of the Montpellier Contemporain, was curator for contemporary art at Tate Britain from 2007 to 2010.

Frieze New York to offer compensation to exhibitors following heatwave The fair’s organisers will offer ‘some compensation’ to exhibitors after a heatwave created ‘sauna-like conditions’ at the event last week. As the Art Newspaper reports, air conditioning in a new tent could not compete with the record temperatures, which several dealers have claimed deterred collectors. The fair is also looking at how it can deal with unpredictable weather conditions in the future after last year it was temporarily shut down due to flooding.

Frida Kahlo Corporation sues the artist’s great niece after she prevents sale of Barbie doll made in her likeness The company that licenses Frida Kahlo’s name and image for use on products including dolls and alcoholic drinks is suing her great-niece after she prevented the sale of a new Frida Kahlo Barbie in Mexico, something it claims she has no right to do.

In the lawsuit, the Panama City-based Frida Kahlo Corporation (FKC) claim that Mara Cristina Romeo Pinedo became dissatisfied with the group in 2011 and began a ‘campaign to discredit and disparage the corporation and usurp its role as the licensing agent for commercial products featuring the artist’s name and likeness’.

Kahlo, who died in 1954 aged 47, is one of Mexico’s best known artists and is renowned for her self portraits.

Activists dismantle car at the V&A in protest over VW sponsorship In advance of the museum’s ‘The Future Starts Here’ exhibition, which will explore design and technology, Greenpeace activists took apart a VW Golf car in the V&A courtyard. They called the event ‘The Future Doesn’t Start Here’.

Greenpeace are currently running the ‘Ditch Diesel’ campaign which calls on VW to abandon diesel car manufacturing and invest in electric instead. The company currently produces around a fifth of all diesel cars sold in the UK.

Images:
1. Per Kirkeby, Untitled, 1995. Courtesy: Michael Werner Gallery
2. Kenneth Olumuyiwa Tharp. Photo. Megan Taylor

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