ArtPourri

Auction News — Sotheby’s:  A new record for sculpture at auction was made recently when an exquisite bronze figure of “Artemis and the Stag,” circa 1^st Century B.C./1^st Century A.D., sold for $28.6 million.  Christie’s:  The 20^th Century Decorative Art & Design Week auctions concluded with a total of $17.6 million.  Highlight was the Prototype Maison Tropicale by Jean Prouve, a visionary prefabricated construction that set a new world record for the legendary designer at $4.9 million.

Favorite Announced — The U.S. Postal Service has announced that voters selected Yoda as the Star Wars character to be featured on a single stamp.  Look for this lovable fellow later this summer.

Gallery Reopens — The Faberge Gallery at the New Orleans Museum of Art has reopened with a larger and broader range of objects.  A total of 82  are on exhibit, not including 44 miniature Easter Eggs that are displayed on three separate objects.

Venice Biennale On — The 52^nd International Art Exhibition from La Biennale di Venezia, entitled “Think with the Senses—Feel with the Mind, Art in the Present Tense,” presents 100 artists from all over the world.  Seventy-six national participations and 34 collateral events complement the exhibition through Nov. 21.  Photographer Malick Sidibe is the first African to be awarded the Golden Lion award for lifetime achievement at the Biennale.

Copyright ARTtalk Vol. 17 No. 9 — July 2007