Week in Review: Michael Craig-Martin in Full Color, Olafur Eliasson Lights Up LA and a $200M Collection Heads to Auction

1

London: Michael Craig-Martin's major retrospective opens at the Royal Academy of Arts, featuring large-scale, colorful works that many find joyful but The Guardian’s critic prefers the artist’s early conceptual works.

2

New York: A Claude Monet water lily painting will be the star lot at the Sotheby’s sale of hair-and-beauty magnate Sydell Miller’s $200 million collection.

3

London: Teresa Margolles was flanked by members of Mexico's trans community when her sculpture was unveiled on the Fourth Plinth in London's Trafalgar Square, The Guardian reported.

4

Los Angeles: Olafur Eliasson has transformed MOCA LA’s Geffen Contemporary space with a dozen new luminous commissions in his sprawling solo show.

5

Market: Elliott Erwitt's classic image of a rainy day in Paris, Umbrella Jump, led Bonham’s sale of the photographer’s work. For all the highlights, see the HENI News report.

6

Market: Rafa Macarron led Phillips $769,200 Modern & Contemporary online auction when an untitled 2012 painting sold for $80,500, 75% above its low estimate. For all the highlights, see the HENI News report.

7

London: Wes Lang’s first UK solo show, “The Black Paintings”, goes on show at Damien Hirst’s Newport Street Gallery next week, presented by HENI.

In other news

New York: The Frick Collection announced it had appointed Axel Rüger as the museum’s next director, starting in 2025. He will leave the Royal Academy of Arts in London, which he has led since 2019.

New York: A court threw out a lawsuit accusing the Helen Frankenthaler Foundation of exploiting the artist’s legacy. The suit was filed by the artist's nephew, Frederick Iseman ARTnews reported.

Saudi Arabia: Christie’s is expanding in the Middle East having been granted a commercial license to operate in Saudi Arabia, a first for a major auction house, The Art Newspaper reported.