Irene Kim, who for the last three years was the global head of VIP relations for Art Basel, has left the fair to join Chanel as head of the luxury brand’s US arts and culture division, according to a post on LinkedIn. Kim is the first person to hold the position.
Before heading up the Art Basel’s VIP program, Kim worked for six years as head of the regional US VIP program. Prior to that, she ran the VIP program at the Armory Show in New York.
Her departure marks the third high-profile personnel loss for Art Basel in less than a month. In mid-January, Dunja Gottweis, who formerly worked as Art Basel’s global head of gallery relations, was named director of Art Dubai. Alexie Glass-Kantor, who since 2015 had curated the Encounters section at Art Basel Hong Kong, was hired for the new position of executive director of curatorial operations for Art Dubai’s parent company, Art Dubai Group.
Chanel declined to comment on its new hire. Art Basel did not return a request for comment by publication time. It’s unclear at this time who will take over Kim’s responsibilities at the fair.
Earlier this year, the Chanel Culture Fund announced a three-year partnership with the Hamburger Bahnhof in Berlin, establishing what will now be known as the Chanel Commission, an annual initiative designed to facilitate large-scale, innovative art installations.
The inaugural commission, debuting on May 1 during Berlin Gallery Weekend, will be done by the Berlin-based artist Klára Hosnedlová.
