David Zwirner Gets the Upper Hand: David Zwirner did a very clever thing in Berlin. He made a public declaration in favor of paying more for an art fair booth to subsidize the participation of smaller galleries at the New York Times art conference. The idea was quickly supported by Marc Glimcher and Elizabeth Dee who added some figures to the concept which seemed to validate the move. Oddly, at least according to the Times’s own report, Art Basel’s Marc Spiegler didn’t respond by saying the fair already does that in myriad ways from booth pricing to showcase sections in their fairs but offered something about “the algorithm for figuring out how to do this, is difficult to reach.” …
Glenn O’Brien’s TV Party as Style Icon: The New York Times’s T magazine has a soft spot for Mudd Club-era personality, Jean-Michel Basquiat buddy, and noted style advice columnist Glenn O’Brien: “The seeming effortlessness of O’Brien’s “TV Party” wardrobe — which ranged freely from formal to casual, everyday to outré — was the work of a true original.” …
National Gallery of Canada Gets Cold Feet in Chagall Sale: The Globe and Mail reports that the scheduled $6-9m sale of Marc Chagall‘s The Eiffel Tower is off:
• The decision was made at a heated meeting of the gallery’s board on Wednesday night and later shared with the government, sources who were not authorized to speak publicly about the decision said. The sources said the National Gallery is worried about the effect of the controversy on its international reputation and its standing in the arts community. The climb down occurred two days after the director and chair of the gallery vowed to proceed with the auction despite widespread controversy. …
Fondazione Prada Opens Final Piece of Complex: Condé Nast Traveler has the details on the opening of the last piece of the art foundation, a Rem Koolhaas designed tower:
• The design of the Torre is in keeping with the unconventional feel of the 205,000-square-foot former distillery: Half of the floors are rectangular in shape and the other half trapezoid, and as visitors climb each floor, the ceiling height increases from bottom to top, making no two floors—or two views—of the city the same. […] In addition to its contemporary art program, six levels of the building will be used for exhibitions and installations from the Prada collection, and the very top floors will have a restaurant (rumored to be lead by a local Michelin-starred chef), a rooftop bar, and a 1,728 square foot panoramic terrace.
