The week in art news: Victoria Siddall appointed NPG director, baseball jersey hits auction record, leading Ab Ex scholar dies and more…

Victoria Siddall appointed director of London’s National Portrait Gallery. Siddall, who is the first female director to be appointed in the museum’s 168-year history, was previously global director of Frieze, founding Frieze Masters and steering four international art fairs in London, New York and Los Angeles. She also co-founded the Gallery Climate Coalition and Murmur, charities championing environmental responsibility accross the arts. Siddall is the NPG’s 13th director and takes the reins from Dr Nicholas Cullinan OBE, who became director of the British Museum in June 2024. Siddall will take up the post from Autumn 2024.

Oh, baby! Baseball legend Babe Ruth’s New York jersey hits auction record for sports memorabilia. The Jersey, which sold for $24.12 million with Heritage Auctions, was described as “essentially the Mona Lisa” by the house. Ruth famously wore the Jersey during his alleged ‘called shot’ at the 1932 World Series, whereby he declared to his opponents that he was about to hit a home run, before doing just that. There is scant evidence that the ‘Sultan of Swat’ ever called that shot, but why should proof get in the way of a great story?

Late bloomer? “Seminal” Monet Water Lily will make auction debut at Christie’s new Asia-Pacific HQ in Hong Kong on 26th September. The painting, made between 1897–99 is one of the earliest examples from Monet’s Nymphéas series and will headline the inaugural auction at the house’s new 50,000 sq ft Zaha Hadid-designed space. The painting is expected to achieve an eye-watering $25-$35m.

David Anfam, British curator and scholar on Abstract Expressionism, has died aged 69. Anfam was celebrated for his in-depth analyses and ability to open the movement up to new audiences. Among his most notable works are his 1998 Mark Rothko catalogue raisonné and extensive writings on Jackson Pollock and Clyfford Still. Anfam also curated landmark exhibitions including ‘Mark Rothko: The Chapel Commission’ in Houston (1996), ‘Bill Viola: Ocean Without a Shore’ (2007) at the 52nd Venice Biennale and ‘Abstract Expressionism’ at London’s Royal Academy of Arts (2016-2017). As John Yau, critic and longtime friend of Anfram, told Hyperallergic: “He had an enormous appetite and always brought the same high standard of care and commitment to everyone whose work he wrote about.”

Unhappy feet… CCTV footage of penguin sculpture attackers released. The vandals targeted sculptures on display as part of the Waddle of Worcester arts trail. At around 01:00 BST on 20th August, cameras captured two perpetrators “rugby tackling” one artist-designed penguin before pushing it to the ground and stamping on it. The BBC reports that another had to be recovered from the River Severn by specialist firefighters. The motive behind the “upsetting” attack is unclear, and although the culprits are not clearly identifiable in the newly-released footage, Sgt Sam Mott of West Mercia Police asked that “anyone comes forward with any information if they recognise their clothing or mannerisms.” The penguins will head to auction in October to raise funds for St Richard’s Hospice. 

Khaleb Brooks to create London’s first slavery memorial, Artnet News reports. Opening in 2026, the 23-ft sculpture will be an “immersive” bronze cowrie shell, symbolising the currency used in Africa and later by European traders in exchange for enslaved people. It will be unveiled in West India Quay on London’s docklands, once a hub of international trade including imports from Britain’s colonies in the Caribbean and North America. Sadiq Khan, Mayor of London commented: “It’s essential that London’s streets, statues, and memorials reflect our shared history, and this memorial will help to remind and educate Londoners of the capital’s role in this terrible treatment of human beings.”

Noguchi Museum employees walk out over “Anti-Palestinian” keffiyeh ban, Artnews reports. Last week, workers at the museum protested an amendment to the employee dress code, which included the banning of the traditional Palestinian headdress as part of new rules against “wearing clothing or accessories that display political messages, slogans or symbols,” as an internal email sent by museum director Amy Hau stated.

Rashid Johnson will have a major Guggenheim career survey in 2025, the New York Times reports. The American artist will take over Frank Lloyd Wright’s hallowed rotunda with ‘A Poem for Deep Thinkers’ (18th April 2025 – 18th January 2026), a mid-career show spanning photography, video, film, paintings, sculpture and installation, including plants, a Yamaha piano and works from his Anxious Men and Broken Men series. Johnson served on the New York museum’s board from 2016-2023.