A lot went down this week in the weird and wild world of Art. Some things were more scandalous than others, some were just plain wacky—but all of them are worth knowing about. Without further ado:+ 3,000+ people stripped off their clothes on Saturday to have their bodies dyed bright blue as part of artist Spencer Tunick’s latest installation, Sea of Hull. [The Guardian]+ Famed critic and art world staple Andrew Haden-Guest claims he did not kill Jean-Michel Basquiat. [Artnet News]
+ Artists David Gleeson and Mary Mihelic started building Trump’s border on their own, sending a bill for materials and labor to the President of Mexico, Enrique Peña Nieto. [The New York Times]+ Iranian sculptor Parvis Tanavoli is being charged with ‘disturbing the peace’ by authorities in Tehran. [The Art Newspaper]+ Director of the Andy Warhol Museum, Eric Shiner, has stepped down from his post to join Sotheby’s fine arts division. [Artforum]+ Actress Brooke Shields makes her curatorial debut in the Hamptons this week for new show, Call of the Wild. [The Wall Street Journal]
+ Peter Paul Rubens’ Lot and His Daughters sold at Christie’s this week for $58 million dollars, making it the most expensive Old Master painting ever sold at the auction house. [ArtDaily]+ The Brooklyn Museum closed this weekend because their air conditioning went out. [The New York Times]+ Art dealers and collectors in Germany are up in arms after the upper house of parliament passed The Cultural Property Protection Law on Friday. In an effort to crackdown on illegal trafficking in looted antiquities, and to protect German national heritage, the law introduces new import and export restrictions. [The Art Newspaper]+ Famed art patron Elyse Grinstein passed away July 2, aged 87. Along with her husband Stanley, Grinstein co-founded the art lithography publishing house, Gemini G.E.L. According to the Jewish Journal, Stanley and Elyse were often, “hailed as ‘the godparents of the LA art scene.’” [The Los Angeles Times]
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+ London's Victoria and Albert Museum was named the UK’s "Museum of the Year" on Wednesday by the Art Fund, receiving £100,000 in prize money. [The Art Newspaper]
+ Russian artist Katrin Nenasheva completed her latest performance piece, carrying a metal bed frame on her back for 21 days in protest against mistreatment at Russian orphanages. [Artnet News]+ Danish art museum returned reportedly looted archaeological artifacts to the Italian Ministry of Culture on Tuesday. [The New York Times]+ Minimalist artist Michael Simpson won the 2016 John Moores Painting Prize, one of the UK’s most prestigious art awards. [The Guardian]
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+Artist Deborah Kass came out in support of Hillary Clinton with a Warhol-influenced portrait of Donald Trump. [Artnet News]+ Instagram celebrated artist Chuck Close’s birthday, who turned 76 on Tuesday. [Artnet News]Did we miss any pressing art world stories? Let us know in the comments below!Related:Bad News Brexit, Bill Cunningham RIP | Last Week in ArtPrince: Tears and Tributes | Last Week in Art$40 Jeff Koons, "Vagina Artist" Fined: Last Week in Art
