Art Headlines Roundup: August – September 2024
It has been a fascinating couple of months in the art world, with a surprising number of stories that go beyond the niche interests of academics or the art market, hitting major news headlines. We love to see which stories manage to bridge that gap, and with so many recent events to choose from, we’re presenting our own mini round-up of the most talked-about headlines from the past couple of months…
Banksy’s Animal Art Trail
The world-famous artist dominated headlines over the first half of August as he revealed a series of animal artworks across London. Excitement built among those following the story as each piece was announced, leading many to speculate on what was coming next, as well as the meaning behind each work.
The artworks included a mountain goat, elephants, monkeys, pelicans, piranhas, a wolf, a cat, and a gorilla in the process of releasing other animals from London Zoo. As is so often the case with Banksy’s work, more headlines immediately followed as various artworks were stolen, defaced, or removed for their own protection.
Van Gogh Exhibition
Van Gogh seems to make headlines every year, through everything from immersive art experiences to biopic musicals. This year, however, there has been extra buzz about the groundbreaking Dutch painter, as the National Gallery in London has just launched a showcase of Van Gogh’s work entitled ‘Poets and Lovers’. The exhibition has already attracted rave reviews, even from reviewers who have identified themselves as ‘sceptics’.
There has also been a smattering of accompanying headlines reporting on recent revelations from physicists that Van Gogh’s ‘The Starry Night’ actually captures the scientific principles of fluid dynamics and turbulence.
Divisive Sculptures
Public art depicting a celebrity is just as likely to attract outcry as admiration, something we have seen on two different occasions in recent weeks. A sculpture of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip was revealed at Antrim Castle Gardens in Northern Ireland to mixed reviews, including a facebook comment which gained much attention (and laughter) by comparing the appearance of the late queen to Robin Williams in Mrs Doubtfire.
There were arguably much stronger reactions to a new sculpture of Oscar Wilde that is due to be installed in Chelsea in the coming weeks. There have been negative commentaries on the design of the work, which depicts the head of Wilde, divided into sections and laid on its side, since the proposed image was first revealed. However, a recent searing take-down of the work by Wilde’s own grandson, Merlin Holland, has inspired fresh critiques.
Focus on Representation
Recently, many large-scale public artworks seem to have been focusing on minority or under-represented groups; for example, the most recent Fourth Plinth display at Trafalgar Square was unveiled this month, revealing the faces of 726 trans, non-binary and gender non-conforming people. The artwork, by Mexican artist Teresa Margolles, was titled Mil Veces un Instante, “A Thousand Times in an Instant.”
Another example of underrepresented communities commemorated in public art was the recent announcement of the final approved design for a planned memorial to the victims of the transatlantic slave trade. The bronze sculpture, by Khaleb Brooks, will be a seven-metre-tall cowrie shell titled The Wake, and is due to be installed at West India Quay in London Docklands.
Vandalism at Exhibition Opening
The art world can sometimes take an ugly turn, as we saw at the opening of an exhibition of Ai Weiwei’s artwork in Bologna, where one of the sculptures was purposely smashed. Ai Weiwei, a hugely influential Chinese artist and activist, has created many artworks that explore themes of destruction, including the act of breaking items himself. It could be speculated that the self-described ‘artist’ who smashed the artwork was attempting to create his own form of art; however, the 57-year-old Czech man had reportedly defaced other artworks and even attacked an artist in the past, and the act has been broadly condemned as vandalism.
From the Rubbish Tip to the Auction House
A man from Kent has lived the dream of just about every art collector in the world, when he learned that an artwork he salvaged from a tip at age 11 was in fact a 500-year-old Albrecht Dürer engraving titled Knight, Death and the Devil. The artwork was rescued from destruction by Mat Winter when he was a child – apparently, he spotted it in the back of someone’s car while at a rubbish tip, and simply asked if he could take it, as he liked the way it looked.
Winter’s artistic intuition was thoroughly rewarded when he contacted a specialist this year to find out if the artwork was worth something – the answer being a resounding yes. The artwork sold for £33,390, beating its auction house estimate of £10,000-£20,000. After fees and premiums were removed, Winter was able to take home £26,500.
Banksy Theft
Banksy had not one, but two, series of headline stories surrounding his art over the past two months: one of his ‘Girl with Balloon’ artworks was stolen from the Grove Gallery, London, on the 8th of September. Art theft is hard to avoid when looking at any art headlines, although this particular theft is unlikely to be listed alongside the Gardner Heist anytime soon. The artwork, valued at £270,000, was the only item stolen from the gallery, which apparently held almost £2 million in stock; it was retrieved in just a matter of days. The two suspects apprehended are due to appear in court in October.
Have Your Say
Do you think we missed anything? If you want to share the art headline that has captivated you the most, or offer your thoughts on our picks, add a comment below or head to our social media channels:
