The UAE government has bought AED1.5 million (£329,390) worth of local art in support of the scene following the postponement of the Art Dubai art fair. The works will be shown in a digital exhibition with Alserkal Avenue before being sent to Emirati embassies and missions around the world. ‘With the cancellation of the many art events that were scheduled to take place this season, we wanted to send a message of solidarity to our artists,’ the UAE’s Minister of State Zaki Nusseibeh told The National.
David Zwirner has offered digital real estate to 12 smaller galleries on its online platform. While the biggest galleries have long operated interactive online spaces, complete with 3D visualisation and the ability to scale and zoom in on artworks, smaller operations with less budget have been left struggling in the pivot from physical to online exhibitions following the closure of their spaces in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. From 3 April, in a project the gallery has titled Platform, David Zwirner will host 47 Canal; Bridget Donahue; Bureau; Company; David Lewis; Elijah Wheat Showroom; Essex Street; James Fuentes; JTT; Magenta Plains; Ramiken; and Queer Thoughts for free and without commission, with the individual galleries handling sales directly. Spokesman Thor Shannon says there are plans for an equivalent scheme for UK galleries.
Museums in Europe and America are donating supplies of gloves, plastic aprons, hats, shoe covers and FFP3 masks, all commonly used when restoring, handling and installing artwork, to health services fighting the COVID-19 pandemic. The Stedelijk Museum, the Van Gogh Museum, the Het Nieuwe Instituut in Rotterdam, the British Museum in London and others followed the example the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam. The Art Newspaper reports the Dallas Museum of Art donated 10,000 nitrile gloves to a local medical centre and the Whitney Museum of American Art donated shoe covers, gloves and 11 Tyvek suits to medical centres in New York. The Museum of Modern Art and the Metropolitan Museum of Art are also believed to have made donations to New York heath workers. Efforts in the UK are being coordinated by Bethany Reynard of the National Museum Directors’ Council.
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Juan Uslé has been awarded the 2020 Fondation Guerlain Drawing Prize. The prize, now in its 13th year, works to raise the profile of drawing within contemporary art. Uslé receives €15,000 and a work of his will be added to the collection of the Musée National d’Art Moderne in Paris. An exhibition due to take place at the Paris Drawing Fair, showing works from Uslé and the two runners-uo (Callum Innes and Florian Pumhösl who will each receive €5,000) has been cancelled due to COVID-19.
Following the cancellation of Frieze New York, scheduled to take place between 7–10 May, organisers are planning to open online viewing rooms. Galleries who would’ve have exhibited at the fair will be able to show artist works online at no additional cost. According to ARTnews, galleries also have the option of a full refund or the option to secure a place for next edition in 2021. Banking on things getting back to normal is the Royal Academy in London, which has announced its annual open submission Summer Exhibition will occur in the autumn. The Summer Exhibition has been held every year without interruption since 1769, even throughout the war years. This year artist siblings Jane and Louise Wilson curate.
Stay tuned for the daily rundown on the latest news from the artworld. Last updated on 02 April 2020
