Three museums jointly acquired a copy of Christian Marclay’s The Clock for a low six-figure sum in line with previous sales of the work (LACMA’s edition of the work was purchased for $467,500 by Steve Tisch), according to Bloomberg.
“Given our commitment to contemporary art, this is a signature acquisition for us,” said Israel Museum Director James Snyder, who said the acquisition partners shared the cost of the purchase equally. He declined to elaborate on the price beyond the ballpark figure the museum paid.
Israel Museum acquired the piece with the help of the Ostrovsky Family Fund. The joint acquisition means that screenings will be coordinated among the partners so it is only on view at one venue at a time.
Snyder said that had Israel Museum bought the work alone, “it would have been the single largest acquisition of a video work” ever acquired by the museum. He said that all copies of the work sold for the same price.
Tate Joins Pompidou, Israeli Museum to Buy Marclay’s 24-Hour Clock Video (Bloomberg)
