February 19 | A daily digest of art news

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The billionaire hedge fund owner Kenneth Griffin has reportedly paid $500 million for two artworks in one of the largest private art sales to date. Griffin acquired Willem de Kooning’s 1955 oil on canvas Interchanged for about $300 million and Jackson Pollock’s 1948 Number 17A for about $200 million.

More on Bloomberg.

Another art fair has announced it will not go ahead with its 2016 edition. The Melbourne art fair has been canceled after three major galleries withdrew their participation. The 15th edition of the event, which is one of Australia’s most celebrated contemporary events was set to take place from August 18 through 21. More on The Guardian.

The Barcelona Museum of Contemporary Art (MACBA) is looking for a new chief curator. Details of the position and application procedures are available on the museum’s website.


Metropolitan Museum of Art new logo Happening

 

The Metropolitan Museum of Art has revealed a new logo to replace the decades-old existing logo on March 1. Although the Met feels the new, red design represents that “the Met is here for everyone”, not everyone seems to be crazy for the redesign. More on The Wall Street Journal.

One of the businessmen implicated in the Knoedler gallery trial can be extradited from Spain to the United States to face charges in New York City. Jesus Angel Bergantinos Diaz is accused of selling fake artworks to the value of $33 million. More on The Art Newspaper.