April 14 | A daily digest of art news

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Basquiat's Untitled, 1982 — a painting from Adam Lindemann’s collection and estimated at $40 million— could fetch top the artist's record at Christie’s May Auction in New York.

Currently he artist’s highest priced work is Dustheads, which sold for $48.8 million in 2013. More information on Art Market Monitor.


Liu Yiqian — the Chinese businessman who bought Zhang Daqian’s Peach Blossom Spring for $35 million earlier this month — is to take 100% ownership of Beijing Council International Auction Co. for $415.4 million, expanding its family-backed auction business. Read more on Forbes.


Erkka Nissinen and Nathaniel Mellors have been chosen to represent Finland at the 2017 Venice Biennale. The exhibition, entitled “The Aalto Natives”  will include a multimedia installation including video, sculpture and … a talking egg. More on Blouin Art Info.

Okwui Enwezor — the first African curator of the Venice Biennale — has been reconfirmed in his role as director of the Haus der Kunst in Munich. Ludwig Spaenie, the Bavarian minister of Education, gave the green light for a five-year extension to Enwezor’s contract, citing him as “one of the most brilliant curators of contemporary art worldwide”. The full story on Suededdeuteche.


Following a 50,000 square metre expansion, New York’s Museum of Modern Art (MoMa) might close some of its media-specific galleries, including its architecture and design galleries. Works from these collections will be interspersed throughout the museum following the $400 million renovation by architectural firm Diller Scofidio + Renfro. Read more on Hyperallergic.


Initially scheduled for December 2015, AKAA ( Also Knowns As Africa,  a new  contemporary art and design fair focused on African artists,  will take place at Le Carreau du Temple, Paris from November 11 through 13,  after having been cancelled following last year’s terrorist attacks in the French capital. For its first edition, AKAA will welcome 25 international galleries. More info on Publik Art.