This Week's Top Stories: Banksy Mural Fractionalised, and the British Museum Hunts for Missing Treasure

Banksy’s Valentine’s Day Mascara is currently on view at Dreamland Margate. Image: Jack Masters

Market

Sotheby's The Now sale in London, June 2023. Image: Sotheby’s

Banksy’s 'Valentine’s Day Mascara' mural to be sold back to the public for £120 a share
Banksy's mural, a commentary on domestic violence, is to be fractionalized and sold to the public in shares of £120 each; a portion of the proceeds will be donated to the UK domestic violence charity Refuge, and the owner of the mural has pledged a six-figure sum to local charity Oasis, which helps victims of domestic abuse. (Fad Magazine)

Sotheby’s and Yuga Labs respond to lawsuit from Bored Ape investors
Sotheby’s has been added to the class-action lawsuit filed by Bored Ape Yacht Club investors against Yuga Labs, as the plaintiffs allege the auction house helped deceptively promote the NFT collection; both Sotheby's and Yuga Labs have called the allegations baseless. (Cointelegraph)

The Best-Seller List: See the Top Ten Lots Sold in Every Major Category
Artnet highlights the top-selling works in various art categories in 2023, revealing shifts in the market with some sections like ultra-contemporary art facing caution after the NFT bubble burst, while the Old Masters segment shows relative stability and enthusiasm. (Artnet News)

Museum

The Orlando Museum of Art. Image: NYT

The British Museum curator sacked after treasures vanished
A senior curator responsible for the British Museum's Greek collections,has been dismissed after numerous artifacts, including gold and semi-precious stones, went missing from the museum. Former curator Peter John Higgs, 56, maintains his innocence as his former employer conducts an independent review of its security. (The Times)

Orlando Museum Accuses Ex-Leader of Seeking Profit From Fake Basquiats
The Orlando Museum of Art has sued its former director, Aaron De Groft, alleging a scheme to legitimize and sell fake Jean-Michel Basquiat paintings. (The New York Times)

More

Miss Everything (Unsurpressed Deliverance), Amy Sherald, 2023.

Amy Sherald On Bearing Witness, Social Anxiety, and Finding Respite in Her Work
Painter Amy Sherald discusses her anointing as an artist, focusing on Black life in her work, and painting former First Lady Michelle Obama. Sherald also talks about how her artwork offers a corrective narrative for Black communities and how her painting serves as a respite from the world, especially as she has gained more public attention. (Colossal)

Art Dealer Jeff Poe Is ‘Stepping Back’ From Blum and Poe.
Jeff Poe is leaving Blum and Poe gallery, where he co-founded the influential art space with locations in Los Angeles, New York, and Tokyo. Tim Blum will continue to lead with the help of newly appointed managing partner Matt Bangser. (Artnet News)

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