The week in art news: British Museum coin heist caught on camera, tributes paid to Bill Viola, “Satanic” sculpture decapitated and more…

Artist heists historic coin from British Museum. Last year, the BM was rocked by revelations that up to 2,000 artefacts were missing, lost or stolen from its collection. Resulting in police investigations and the resignation of its director, Hartwig Fischer. Now, Brazilian artist Ilê Sartuzi has revealed just how easy it is to pull off a heist. On the 18th June, during a presentation by a volunteer guide and after a year of careful planning, Sartuzi swapped a 1645 silver coin for a replica before dropping the original into the museum’s donation box. Sartuzi filmed and screened the heist as part of his MFA degree show at Goldsmiths, London.

In related news, former head of British Museum Hartwig Fischer has landed himself a cushy job in Saudi Arabia heading the planned World Cultures Museum. Fischer resigned as director of the BM following the revelations about missing artefacts and claims early warnings had been dismissed. Fischer’s new role will see him head up the new Riyadh museum, in what’s been described by the Saudi Museums Commission as, “a pivotal moment in Saudi Arabia’s cultural renaissance.”

Prajakta Potnis wins Loewe Foundation / Studio Voltaire Award international artist’s residency. The Mumbai-based artist is the second recipient of the award, which “celebrates talent, creative thinking and individuality within contemporary art practice.” Potnis will now receive a £25,000 stipend, a free studio space for 12 months, money towards travel, equipment, materials and production, and mentoring.

18 artists to exhibit at Kennedy International Airport. On Tuesday, the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey announced that the soon-to-open Terminal 6 would feature the work of 18 contemporary American artists, including Teresita Fernandez, Laure Prouvost, Charles Gaines and Barbara Kruger. Following feedback from visitors, the Port Authority recently made investing in art a requirement for all private airport developers. The budget for Terminal 6 alone reached $22M.

Tributes paid after pioneering American video artist Bill Viola dies at his home in Long Beach, California. Viola produced videotapes, installations, sound works, electronic music and works for live TV broadcast and his work was strongly influenced by mysticism and Zen philosophy as well as the work of Bruce Nauman and Nam June Paik. According to the New York Times, the 73-year-old American artist died on Friday 12th July of complications related to Early-Onset Alzheimer’s.

Auction sales down 27% according to the Financial Times. Analysis by ArtTactic shows that in the first half of 2024, sales of fine art and luxury goods at Sotheby’s, Christie’s and Phillips, while remaining steady in volume, declined in value, reaching $4.25B, 27% down on the first half of 2023. The report puts this down to “sluggish economic growth and geopolitical uncertainty”. However, the report notes that online-only sales grew 14% in value.

Shahzia Sikander’s “Satanic” sculpture at the University of Houston decapitated in vandal attack during bad weather and power cuts caused by Hurricane Beryl. The university told the New York Times that the incident is under investigation and the sculpture will remain standing. The sculpture of a female figure with rams’ horns and tentacle arms was previously described as “Satanic” by an anti-abortion group.

Henry Moore Institute reopens after eight-month, £500,000 renovation. The research centre, library, and community space in Leeds was founded by the British sculptor, who studied at the city’s art school. The renovation started in November 2023 and focussed on the building’s public spaces.

London loses three galleries, as Addis Fine Art closes its UK location, and Vitrine and Sundy shut down entirely. Addis Fine Art opened its Fitzrovia gallery in 2021, co-founder Rakeb Sile blamed rising costs and uncertainty while noting that “niche galleries like ours have extremely low margins.” They will focus on their original space in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Alys Williams of Vitrine cited the growing pressure on mid-sized galleries from “larger operations” and the difficulty of achieving constant growth as the reason behind the closure of the gallery’s spaces in Fitzrovia, Bermondsey and Basel. On Tuesday, Liam Tickner and Francesca von Zedtwitz-Arnim announced the closure of Sundy, after six years and 32 exhibitions. “We are proud and humbled by what we have achieved together and are now looking forward to a brand new chapter,” they wrote in an email.

Art Basel Miami Beach is under new management and a new model: with smaller stands to attract smaller galleries. The 2024 edition of the fair is the first to be led by Bridget Finn, who was appointed in July 2023. Held between 5th – 8th December, it will feature 283 galleries. A number of these galleries will be taking advantage of the new model, which offers smaller booths at lower prices and was reportedly influenced by Finn’s background in mid-level gallery management.