Petr Pavlensky sets fire to the Bank of France
The Russian artist (b. 1984), who received political asylum in France earlier this year, was arrested by the Paris police after setting fire to the entrance of the Bank of France. Known for his controversial performances — often involving self-mutilation — Pavlensky fled Russia after he and his partner Oksana Shalygina were accused of sexual assault. More via Courrier International.
Kehinde Wiley and Amy Sherald will paint the Obamas
Washington’s Smithsonian’s National Portrait Gallery has chosen artists Kehinde Wiley and Amy Sherald to paint the portraits of Barack and Michelle Obama, which will be unveiled early next year and will be added to the museum’s permanent collection.
Kim Sajet, director of the National Portrait Gallery, has cited Wiley and Sherald as having “ achieved enormous success as artists, but even more, they make art that reflects the power and potential of portraiture in the twenty-first century.”
Amy Sherald photo by Paul Morigi/AP Images for National Portrait Gallery. Courtesy National Endowment for the Arts. Kehinde Wiley photo via YouTube.
Kehinde Wiley.
Yasmina Benabderrahmane takes home LE BAL award for young artists with the ADAGP
Following in the footsteps of Clément Cogitore — whose work is currently at Paris’ BAL from September 15 through December 24, 2017 — Yasmina Benabderrahmane is this year’s recipient of LE BAL award for young artists with the ADAGP.
Yasmina Benabderrahmane, Masque de prière (Prayer mask). 2010. Installation view at Casablanca's BIllboard festival. Courtesy the artist.
The jury, led by BAL director Diane Dufour, consisted of: art patron Hugues Aubry, artist Alain Bublex, independent curator Léa Bismuth, artist and designer Élizabeth Garouste, Chief Executive Officer of the Artistic Creation of the Ministry of Culture Régine Hatchondo, photographer Valérie Jouve, Palais de Tokyo curator Rebecca Lamarche-Vadel and Thomas Schlesser, director of the Hartung-Bergman foundation.
Benabderrahmane will receive €20,000 towards the production of a new project to be featured at BAL in Autumn 2019. Honorable mentions went to: Josh Bilton, Mélanie Pavy, Enrique Ramirez, Maxence Rifflet and Sebastian Stumpf.
Daniel Templon to open third Paris space
Daniel Templon Gallery has announced that it will open its third space in Paris at 28 Rue du Grenier Saint-Lazare, a stone’s throw from the Centre Pompidou. The new, three-story, 700 square-meter space is said to open in April 2018. Architect Jean-Michel Wilmotte is in charge of renovation works.
Installation view of Chiharu Shiota, Infinity, 2011 at Galerie Daniel Templon. Courtesy Galerie Daniel Templon, Paris.