The most-talked-about stories on ARTINFO, April 4-8:
– Ai Weiwei's shocking detention at the hands of authorities in China was the story of the week. In his "Interventions" column, Ben Davis mapped the trajectory that took Ai from contemporary-art prankster to international icon of dissent.
– Following news of Ai's disappearance in Beijing, we tracked the developments, from diplomatic and art world reactions, to the Chinese government's official response. We also interviewed documentarian Alison Klayman, who has been working with Ai Weiwei for two years and provided context on the escalation of the campaign against him.
– In the West Bank, Jenin Freedom Theatre founder Juliano Mer Khamis — recently seen in Julian Schnabel's film "Miral" — was assassinated.
– We had "23 Questions for Marianne Vitale," whose gravestone sculptures are currently featured in a show at Zach Feuer Gallery.
View Slideshow:
– ARTINFO France surveyed the hubbub surrounding elusive artist Richard Prince's multiple shows in Paris.
– The sell-off of 105 lots from the Ullens Collection at Sotheby's Hong Kong was a blockbuster, netting $54.7 million in total. Zhang Xiaogang's 1988 painting "Forever Lasting Love" alone went for $10 million.
– No sooner had Modern Painters editor Daniel Kunitz written that works at the current Sharjah Biennale "fairly shiver with the pent-up energy of the Middle East at a revolutionary moment", than Sharjah Foundation director Jack Persekian was sacked for the controversial content of one of the works.
– We took a peep at Robert Longo's ravishing, monumental charcoal drawings, on view at Thaddaeus Ropac in Paris.
– Emma Allen interviewed photographer Angela Strassheim, whose recent body of work centers on domestic spaces where murder has taken place.
– Last weekend was World Autism Awareness Day, and autistic artist Taylor Crowe penned an ARTINFO Op-Ed about what art had meant to him.
– Christie's "Green Auction" drew out the glitterati, and Nicki Minaj, while the New Museum threw itself a big gala, and honored Gilbert & George.
– Our IN THE AIR blog noted that Bravo is planning a reality show titled "Gallery Girls." Commenters were quick to make the link to the Web comic of the same name, which is pretty great.
