In the News

  December 2010 – January 2011

271 Unknown Works of Art by Picasso Comes to Light

Mouans- Sartoux, France : Pierre Le Guennec (71) who worked as an electrician for Picasso between 1970 and 1973 claims to possess 271 pieces of unknown works of the artist. The retired electrician says that Picasso gave him the works as “gifts”. The “gift” includes lithographs, cubist paintings, notebooks and a watercolour from his famous Blue Period whose total worth is estimated at $ 79 million (60m euros, £ 50.6m).

Metropolitan Museum of Art (New York) informed that Picasso produced more than 20,000 works of art throughout his career, but hundreds of them have been listed missing. Picasso being so prolific experimented continuously with his work. It would be haste to dismiss Le Guennec's claims on the paintings as Picasso was unpredictable enough to barter his valuable paintings for routine odd works. Picasso has often been regarded as ungenerous, but as reported by Le Monde, he often bestowed his artworks on friends and relatives. Earlier, between 1967 and 1973 he had given his chauffer several pieces of his work. The artist was also very generous to his barber, Eugenio Arias, who got about 60 of his works.

Picasso always signed and dated his pieces of work often including personal messages, but out of the 271 works that Le Guennec's claims, only one of them is reported to be signed and dated. When asked by French radio station RTL, Le Guennec confirmed that the gifts were given by both Picasso and his wife, but he could not remember when he got the art works. Claude Picasso, Picasso's son, told the French newspaper Liberation, “To give away such a large quantity, that's unheard of. It doesn't add up. It was a part of his life.” Danielle Le Guennec (Pierre's wife) told in an interview to RTL that she was good friend to Jacqueline Roque, Picasso's wife, “for 14 years until her death”. Claude, when asked if Jacqueline could have given the paintings as a gift, said “it's out of question”. Pierre Daix (Picasso biographer) informed that “she was completely submissive to him. She wouldn't move a little finger unless he told her to.” Once the pieces were authenticated, Claude contacted France's specialist art police. The art police is reported to have confiscated the works and interviewed Le Guennec.

The BBC's Christian Fraser informed that the investigators are trying to find out how Pierre got the paintings. He also said that that a multimillion- euro legal battle would now begin over the ownership of the paintings.



Indian sculptor, Latika Katt, wins Beijing Art Biennale award

Beijing : Indian sculptor, Latika Katt, won an award at the fourth Beijing International Art Biennale, from among 535 artists across 93 partaking countries.

The New Delhi-based sculptor won the award for her bronze work titled "Makar Sankranti at Dashawmeth Ghat, Varanasi".

One of India's leading artists, Katt has put up solo and joint exhibitions in India and abroad including Paris, Ankara, Havana, Stockholm, Osaka and Chicago.

Though currently working independently, Latika has headed the Department of Fine Arts and Art Education at Jamia Millia Islamia University and has also taught at the Banaras Hindu University.

She attempts to create a multi-dimensional imaginative world which features in collections in the National Gallery of Modern Art, Mumbai and the Lalit Kala Akademi, New Delhi, among others.



Bangladeshi Painters at Nomad Gallery, Islamabad, Pakistan

Islamabad : On December 14, Islamabad saw 10 seasoned Bangladeshi painters at Nomad Gallery exhibiting their contemporary realistic painting in varied forms and themes.

Suhrab Hossain, the High Commissioner of Bangladesh inaugurated the group exhibition. Titled as 'The International Show' the show included Mohammad Mahabubul Islam Baabu, Syed Mohammad Shamim, Mohammad Zahir Hossein Newton, Mohammad Rezaun Nabi, Mohammad Fakruzzaman, Anisuzzaman Anis, Mohammad Abdul Aziz, Rajaul Islam Lovelu, Shahin Akhter Lipi and Fahmida Khatoon in their collective cache of 33 colourful paintings where subjects were, what the artists do in everyday life.

Every artist attempted to represent a collective theme 'East meets West' giving the visitors a message of love, tranquility and brotherhood. Most of these themes displayed their true humanity with imaginative treatment.

Though all painters have put in their efforts to grab the attention of viewers but the work of Aziz and Baabu stole the limelight.

The exhibition would remain on display till December 21, 2010.



Lucknow at Los Angeles

Lucknow : The celebrated Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) in LA, California, are displaying a 3-month long exhibition, from December 12 to February 27, with Lucknow as their theme. The exhibition, titled `India's Fabled City: The Art of Courtly Lucknow', after its show in California, will travel to Musie National des Arts asiatiques-Guimet, Paris, and would be exhibited from April 6, 2011 till July 11, 2011.

The exhibition, which includes about 200 works of art, is curated by Stephen Markel and Tushara Bindu Gude, Apart from European oil paintings, water colours and prints, Indian opaque water colour paintings, vintage photographs, textiles and garments, as well as a variety of decorative art objects and jewellery, are also displayed.

The exhibition has been divided into 12 sections set in 10 galleries. Each section is organised to suggest the story of Lucknow's history and the growth of its artistic traditions



Return of the Art Palm Beach

Florida : The Art Palm Beach, which will include painting, sculpture, photography, design, fine art glass, video and installations from modern art to new progressive artists, begins from January 20-24, 2011

The exhibition will include a show from distinguished sculptor, Albert Paley. Gordon Halloran will be exhibiting “Museum of Ice”. Curator Gary Krimershmoys, will be presenting a historically significant installation of Post Soviet Contemporary Art. Gallery exhibition include sculptures by Yves Klein and Niki de St. Phalie, Gallery De Buck; paintings by Marc Quinn, Rudolf Budja Gallery; a one man exhibition by Lino Tagliapietra, Shantz Gallery; new works by globally acclaimed designer Rolf Sachs by Priveekollektie Contemporary Art & Design Gallery Heusden. The photography highlights include artists Chi Peng, Qiu Zhijie, Yin Xiuzhen et al presented by Chambers Gallery; Hendrik Kerstens by Witzenhausen Gallery 

In 2010, about 20,000 people were present including a single-day venue record of 6,000 during the fair's opening preview night, which marked the largest art opening for any contemporary fair in Palm Beach history.



List of Participants for Art Stage Singapore Fair Announced

Singapore : The Art Stage Singapore will begin on 12th January 2011 and will be open to the public from 13th to 16th January 2011. The list of contemporary and modern art galleries and artists participating in the next year's inaugural fair has been announced. Set to debut at the iconic Marina Bay Sands, the fair will feature over 100 of the world's famous and up-and-coming galleries. Art Stage Singapore's exhibitors will represent 18 countries which have been handpicked via a stringent selection process. The participating and internationally renowned galleries will include Boers-Li Gallery (Beijing), Eslite Gallery (Taipei), Galerie Hans Mayer (Dusseldorf), Nature Morte (New Delhi/Berlin), Rossi & Rossi (London) and others. Art Stage Singapore will feature Project Stage, a platform for young galleries and artists.

The leading Asian contemporary artists who will have their works exhibited at the fair include: Subodh Gupta (India), Jia Aili (China), Jitish Kallat (India), Hyungkoo Kang (Korea), Li Hui (China), Rudi Mantofani (Indonesia), Yoshitomo Nara (Japan), Qiu Anxiong (China), T. V. Santhosh (India), Keiichi Tanaami (Japan), Unmask Group (China) and others. Among the top artists from other continents who will also exhibit their works include Edward Burtynsky (Canada), Stephan Balkenhol (France/Germany), Daniele Buetti (Italy), Chris Levine (UK), Andy Warhol (USA) and Albert Watson (UK) and others.