Semple vs Kapoor
Stuart Semple, the British artist behind the world’s “pinkest pink” and “glitteriest glitter”, has attempted to trump Anish Kapoor once again by creating a supposedly superior version of the sculptor’s “Vantablack” pigment.
According to Semple, his rival pigment is the “flattest, mattest, blackest art material on the planet.” Unlike Vantablack Semple’s “BLACK” only costs £16.99 to buy and is available to anyone (aside from Anish Kapoor). “It’s a beta version, so it’s not perfect, but it’s totally usable and exciting. It’s good, very good,” says Semple. “I’m hoping a vibrant community of artists will help take it to the next level and make it the ultimate for all of us.” The paint was created as a challenge to Kapoor, who acquired exclusive rights to Vantablack in 2014. More information via Dazed.
Anish Kapoor responds to Semple by dipping his middle finger in pink pigment. Photo via Instagram
“Made in LA” biennial
The Hammer Museum has announced that Anne Ellegood, a senior curator at the institution, and Erin Christovale, an independent curator, have been selected to curate the fourth edition of the “Made in LA” biennial, which opens in June 2018.
In a statement, Hammer Museum director Ann Philbin said: “Anne Ellegood and Erin Christovale are both fierce champions for artists, and we are excited to see the fresh perspectives and discoveries that these two will bring forward in Made in LA 2018. Our biennial changes with each iteration, and the combined talents of Anne and Erin promise to reveal new dimensions of both ‘Made in LA’ and Los Angeles.” Artforum has more.
Picasso prints up for sale
A rare collection of Picasso prints valued at $9.3 million is put up for sale exclusively in Australia.
Dubbed “The Lump Collection,” it is one of three of the world’s most valuable and comprehensive collections of original Picasso linoleum cut proofs. The seller in question is Canadian-born British art collector, print dealer, and philanthropist Frederick Mulder. The collection encompasses 75 different subjects and motifs, and spans the entire period of Picasso’s work in this medium. Mulder has committed to donate $1 million from the sale of the collection to the Australian arm of the global non-profit organization The Funding Network, which her founding in London in 2013 to support social change projects. Find out more on Bloomberg.
Portrait of a young woman, after Cranach the Younger, II (detail)
New director at Artists Space
Non-profit gallery and arts organization Artists Space has appointed Whitney Museum curator Jay Sanders as executive director and chief curator.
Sanders will take up the role following the departure of Stefan Kalmár, who left to become the director of the Institute of Contemporary Art, London. At the Whitney, Sanders developed the museum’s performance program, and co-curated the 2012 Whitney Biennial. As executive director at Artists Space, he will take the lead in the search for a new exhibition space after the organization lost its former Greene Street location last June. The new location will be announced in the coming months. ARTnews has more information.
