BEST

Rock ‘n’ Roll – As director Bong Joon-ho’s
film Parasite competes for an Oscar this weekend, we
look into the mysterious ancient rock at the center of the
film’s parable about class struggle.

Amazon-Sized Taste – Jeff Bezos is
reportedly the owner of two record-shattering artworks that sold
at auction last spring: a Kerry James Marshall and a giant Ed
Ruscha.

A Historic Collection Comes to Auction – A
collection of personal effects owned by Georgia O’Keeffe and her
husband, Alfred Stieglitz—including their marriage
certificate—is headed to Sotheby’s in March.

X Marks the Spot – After getting hit with
a wave of criticism, artists are defending their paricipation in Desert
X AlUla in Saudi Arabia.

Christie’s Anoints a New Market Star – Work by
the Polish painter Tamara de Lempicka stole the show at the auction house’s
Impressionist and Modern art evening sale in London, which brought
in $138.9 Million in total.

White Cube Woos Julie Curtiss – The
UK-based gallery has added star painter Julie Curtiss to its
roster (though she will still be represented by Anton Kern
in the US).

Well, Well, Well – Archaeologists have
discovered the oldest wooden structure in
Europe: a 7,000-year-old well.

WORST

Art Basel Axes Hong Kong Fair –  Art
Basel has officially canceled this year’s Hong Kong
edition, citing the coronavirus outbreak that’s been spreading
around the world.

Chinese Closures Continue – The openings
of two highly anticipated new museums in China have been delayed as the country tries to
put a lid on the virus, while Hong Kong has banned large public gatherings.
Meanwhile, the Chinese state is directing museums to ramp up their digital presences.

Remembering Beverly Pepper – The Brooklyn-born
sculptor died at the age of 97 at home in Italy after a
storied career making seemingly weightless sculptures out of
gigantic slabs of steel.

Dershowitz’s Allegedly Dodgy Deals – An
art law professor says Trump’s impeachment lawyer, Alan Dershowitz
(who also had close ties to disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein)
may have purchased some looted antiquities at
auction.

Make Architecture Federalist Again – In a
leaked order, President Trump demanded that federal buildings be
built in “classical architectural style.”

Toxic MoMA Military
Money – Forty-five US military veterans who
served in Iraq, Kuwait, and in other theaters around the world sent
a letter to the Museum of Modern Art asking it to reject funding from “toxic”
sources.

Art School Drama – A religious institution
that promised to purge all non-Christian teachers from an art school
it oversees has reversed its decision after a backlash.

Philbrick Saga Rages On – Collectors and
investors are going to court to try and untangle yet another artwork caught in the web spun by
disgraced dealer Inigo Philbrick.

Traffic Jam – The German artist Simon
Weckert caused an actual traffic jam of sorts by tricking
Google Maps with 99 smart phones and a little red wagon.

The post From Jeff Bezos’s Art Collection to the
Cancellation of Art Basel Hong Kong: The Best and Worst of the Art
World This Week appeared first on artnet News.