The Headlines
MODIGLIANI DISCOVERY. Experts say a portrait bought at an antique market in France about 15 years ago is in fact an early painting by Amedeo Modigliani, according to Corriere Adriatico. When Italian collector Paolo Guzzini spotted an interesting seal on the back of an expressive oil painting of a man, he decided to pay a few thousand euros for it. The seal said the canvas came from a shop that supplied artists in Montmartre in the early 1900s, but there were no clues about who made the painting. Still, Guzzini felt he was onto something. He consulted the Fondazione Amedeo Modigliani in Rome, which had the work X-rayed and even determined the identity of the sitter: a certain Mario Cavalieri, a friend of Modigliani. Their conclusion? This was undoubtedly one of Modigliani’s early portraits, made in 1906, soon after his arrival in Paris. “The value of this artwork today is not only in its market price, but especially in its historic importance,” Guzzini said.
DECODING DOCUMENTA. The preeminent art show Documenta, which takes place once every five years in Kassel, Germany, has enacted a new code of conduct three years after an antisemitism scandal roiled its 2022 edition. The new rules of conduct is not likely to patch over disagreements about the exhibition’s response to the controversy, however, and unsurprisingly, opinions about the code of conduct already diverge. The code of conduct stipulates that Documenta “actively opposes all forms of anti-Semitism, racism, and any other form of group-related misanthropy,” and “considers the working definition of anti-Semitism of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) and the definition of racism of the UN Convention on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination as binding.” The problem, as Hyperallergic points out, is that this definition has come under fire, particularly for stating that examples of antisemitism include “denying the Jewish people their right to self-determination, e.g., by claiming that the existence of a State of Israel is a racist endeavor.” Critics argue this is used to stifle criticism of Israeli policies. Monopol writer Saskia Trebing agreed that the IHRA definition “can give rise to conflict,” but she also notes that Documenta has adopted an “agree to disagree” policy on the matter.
The Digest
Collector Roberto Bilotti has removed a sculpture by Italian Futurist Umberto Boccioni from an exhibition in the Galleria Nazionale d’Arte Moderna e Contemporanea in Rome. He claimed the work was hidden away in “a dark corner,” mislabeled in captions, and “not valued at all,” something the museum denied. [Il Corriere della Sera]
An art exhibition at the Chicago Cultural Center has drawn criticism over a work that connected the US to Israel and featured puppets of Uncle Sam and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. While some have sought its removal, others have said taking it away would count as censorship. [ABC7 Eyewitness News]
Christie’s withdrew an El Greco painting from its Old Masters sale in New York last month that estimated to be worth between $7 million and $9 million. Romania had objected to the sale, claiming that the painting was part of the “state’s patrimony.” [Romanian Journal]
The Kicker
GUADALAJARA’S THRIVING ART SCENE. While the art world descends on Mexico City’s Zona Maco art fair, another nearby art scene in Guadalajara is making the most of the event, with their artist-led ART WKND GDL scheduled ahead of the larger fair. In a long read for Observer , Elisa Carollo takes us through the many festivities, open studios, and gallery events that are making the country’s second-largest city a dynamic and expanding center for art workers. “These pockets of artistic energy, removed from the gravitational pull of global art capitals, combine international influences with deeply rooted local traditions and perspectives in a way that can feel far more engaging than the broader contemporary art scene,” she writes.
