Art Basel parent company MCH Group cancels Masterpiece fair in London
The forthcoming edition of the London art and antiques fair Masterpiece, which was planned for 28 June to 5 July, has been cancelled by its owners, the Swiss events company MCH Group, which also runs Art Basel. “Escalating costs and a decline in the number of international exhibitors mean that the event is not commercially […]
Anti-money laundering training videos launched to help UK art dealers ‘navigate a lot of red tape’ and avoid penalties
The British Antique Dealers’ Association (Bada), the Society of London Art Dealers (Slad) and the Association of Art and Antiques Dealers (Lapada) have jointly commissioned a series of training videos on Anti-Money Laundering (AML) legislation. The resources are being created by the art compliance specialist Rakhi Talwar, who worked with the trade bodies previously on […]
‘It helps Hong Kong if other Asian cities do well’: Chinese gallerist Kevin Poon discusses his new Singapore gallery
Connections between Singapore and Hong Kong run deep, says the cultural entrepreneur Kevin Poon ahead of launching the first space of his WOAW gallery in the Southeast Asian city to coincide with the launch of Art SG Singapore fair. Since 2019, Poon, a Hongkonger, has maintained two spaces in his home city, one in Central […]
Art SG Singapore fair report: has the city-state’s moment in the sun finally come?
“It’s hot, humid and small,” was one collector’s summary of Singapore when asked if the city-state could become the new Hong Kong, which is to say the new dominant art market hub in Asia. It is certainly still hot and humid, but now also buzzing with art-excitement as the much-postponed Art SG opens to the […]
New business, familiar face: former Sotheby’s chairperson Patti Wong launches advisory focused on top Asian collectors
The trend for auction house executives to set up their own advisory services continues apace with the announcement today that former Sotheby’s rainmaker Patti Wong is launching an art advisory firm in Hong Kong. Joining her at Patti Wong & Associates are fellow Sotheby’s veterans Daryl Wickstrom and Lisa Chow, who has been appointed the […]
Mumbai’s commercial gallery scene undergoes major ‘post-pandemic’ expansion
In what is being presented as a sure sign of India’s flourishing art market, Mumbai Gallery Weekend (MGW) is currently holding its largest edition yet (until 15 January), with 32 participants—its first regular event since 2020. Since then, the financial capital’s gallery landscape has seen significant shifts as India’s leading dealers have rolled out expansion […]
Art crime specialist honoured by New Zealand for services to field
A New Zealand-based art historian has been awarded the country’s Order of Merit, for services to ‘art crime research and visual arts’. Penelope Jackson, who is based in Tauranga, has authored several books on art crime, including Females in the Frame: Women, Art and Crime (2019), which considers how such illicit activity differs when undertaken […]
Another monumental Munch painting once hidden from Nazis in a barn heads to the block
A monumental painting by Edvard Munch, which was hidden from Nazis in a remote barn in a Norwegian forest along with a version of The Scream, is expected to fetch between $15m-$25m when it goes under the hammer at Sotheby’s in London on 1 March. Proceeds of the sale will be split with the family […]