January 2009

Explore the Apollo archive

Look back over two vibrant years of Apollo: browse every issue from January 2006 to the present day.

Met announces new Director:
After months of speculation, the Metropolitan Museum of Art has named Thomas P. Campbell as the successor to outgoing Director Philippe de Montebello who announced his retirement eight months ago after 31 years in post. English-born Campbell, aged 46, is a graduate of London’s Courtauld Institute of Art and has been a curator at the Metropolitan since 1995 where he has developed a reputation for producing scholarly catalogues and ambitious exhibitions. Campbell will become the ninth director in the Met’s 138-year history.

Fakes alert:
The Bunkamura Museum of Art in Tokyo has withdrawn three paintings from its current exhibition after it was told by the Marc Chagall Committee (a Paris-based group authorised to authenticate work by the artist) that they are possible forgeries. The works, Portrait of a Woman (1908), Family (1911-12) and Fiddler (1917) are on loan to the museum from the Moscow Museum of Modern Art. The Moscow Museum insists the works are authentic, but the Chagall Committee cites evidence of dubious painting techniques. The Bunkamura Museum said, ‘We are going to leave it to the two of them to discuss the paintings' authenticity.’

£500,000 Grant for Artist Rooms:
The Henry Moore Foundation has announced one of its largest grants in its 31-year history. A sum of £500,000 has been awarded to the Artist Rooms endowment fund that allows the National Galleries of Scotland and Tate to acquire works by contemporary artists.

Jeff Koons takes Chateau de Versailles by storm:
US artist Jeff Koons has installed some of his most famous works at the Chateau de Versailles. It is the first time that a contemporary artist has shown pieces in the historic interior and many in France have protested that the show cheapens the Chateau. The French media have questioned if the exhibition, held at a palace that epitomises the French Revolution, is mostly of benefit to French billionaire and collector, Francois Pinault, a key patron of the show having loaned 17 of Koon’s works from his private collection.

End of the loin:
At SHContemporary, Shanghai’s largest contemporary art show, organisers removed an exhibit called Art Farm that consisted of eight live pigs tattooed in Louis Vuitton logos by Belgian artist Wim Delvoye (pictured above). The artist said, ‘We have collectors who’ve travelled to China all the way from Europe to see the pigs. They’re very disappointed.’

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