Every week, Artnet News brings you Wet Paint, an original scoop gossip column. If you have a tip, please email Annie Armstrong [email protected].
An Evening of Lesbian and Bi Backgammon League
“This is my fourth party this week,” sighed wearily Stephania Botolamibarefoot, in blue jeans, lounging on the sofa under the sofa Yuta Koser draw and beside Kayode Ojo in her light-filled sculpture Chelsea attic.
“However, the advantage of this is that I have a lot of wine left over.”
On the dining table across from the New York art dealer are five or six briefcases filled with backgammon Preparing for what’s to come: This month’s iteration of the art world Lesbian and Bisexual Backgammon Leagueor LBBL in short.
It was a Sunday afternoon, and after another crazy week in May packed with openings, auctions, and parties, the atmosphere in the room was relieved, and this group of artists, dealers, consultants, and more ended another rigorous A week, now available in the company of a group of queer and queer women — a rare space in the upper echelons of the art world, where male bravado reigns supreme.
“I’ve been looking forward to it,” said Lily Snyderdirector Eric Firestone who came that afternoon beside 56 Henry galleryof Allie Rains, Zou Moli of JTTCurator Daisy Sanchez (she has been participating since she was 17) and the artist Jenny Schuler“It’s a very satisfying mix of competition, chatter and mentorship from the art world,” she said. “You have women in different parts of your career, and they’re generally similar in thinking.”
The monthly event started in 2016 and has since been in – where else? —— West Village lesbian bar small roomWhere seesaw founder Alan Sviskowski Met an interior designer Hester Hodder. The two met and started playing backgammon . Speed bar, Rines and Bortolami, then a pair, began to join.The event snowballed from there, with other attendees including Jenna Griburn, Sable Alice Smithand Dominic Levi.
Rines and Tsuo shake hands like elite athletes after a great game.
“It’s the perfect game because you can play and drink and talk and play,” Swieskowski told me.It has some real rewards: after Up-and-coming gallerists Nicole Lipka, who now runs the queer collective Jialemet Rines at an LBBL tournament, Rines lent her gallery to Ripka Sag Harbor Encourage her to cultivate a new audience for a summer in the East. “For me, as a young person in the art world, it’s fantastic,” Ripka said. “I met Stefania, and many others that I would not have met, who were able to help me in my career.”
Not to mention it’s all rosy and warm fluff.I overheard art advisors Shirley Pasqualella There was an argument over what I thought was a work of art (“Is the payment done?” she asked Tsuo. “I’m still waiting!”), but it turned out to be a bet on a previous tournament. The first to put up a bet was Ryans, who put $300 in cash on the table. Her strategy was to seal off her board’s home base to prevent Tsuo from getting through — and it worked. Rines teases Tsuo that the game is actually over, and Tsuo exclaims, “I was reading the rules before I came here! I don’t have time! I have to run a gallery!”
Around 8 p.m., the game began to heat up, and someone put the Stereo laboratory On the speaker, this is about when things happen Playful. Gossip started going around, mostly about who was invited and who wasn’t, who was dating whom, etc.someone told me Andrew Kreps once claimed he was iconic”Mickey loves it!“Business is Life cereals, and his royalties were used to open his first gallery. Unfortunately, a cursory Google search debunks this myth.
The room gets a little quieter when a guest – it’s the previous guest Sotheby’s rainmaker Amy Capellazzo, she’s apparently been playing backgammon since she was a child – a little late. It didn’t take long before she was plopping down and playing Bortolami on the board.After winning the lottery, she told Wet paint: “I like using game theory.”
The impact of the war on New York Art Month
Installation view of Lazy Mike’s NADA booth.
Last night, I covered Phillips20th Century and Contemporary Art Evening Sale, which ended up being the auction house’s most lucrative sale ever. When I see so many people exceeding their estimates and phone bidders grinning at their mysterious clients, I can’t help but wonder about the owner of the house, Russian Enterprise Group Mercury Groupwill see its net gain.
To be fair, Phillips has donated a large amount of change to red crossdisaster relief work Ukraine. Back in March, the house was built from their London Sold to relief organizations.CEO Stephen Brooks He said at the time, “I made a very clear statement earlier this week about our condemnation of the invasion of Ukraine, witnessing the horrific scenes in Ukraine. Tonight we did something very practical.”
Last night’s auction brought in a staggering $225 million. There’s no easy way to know how many of them can be traced back to the Mercury Group, but presumably it was part of a one-time payment.Throughout the month, the effects of the Ukrainian war on the art market were evident, from wet paintof view, it seems that small galleries bear the brunt.
“The truth is, once the war started, we couldn’t do anything, so we stopped programming,” said Anton Swiatskywho co-operates Fragment Galleryit is based on both Moscow and New York. In February, he abruptly closed his Moscow office four days after the war began. “We’re one of the only spaces in Moscow and New York, so if anyone can get around sanctions, it’s us. But what’s the point? Who am I selling to in that country?”
Fortunately, Fragment already has a space in New York. Mikhail Ovcharenkoformerly a partner in Moscow Regina Galleryopened its own space, called lazy mike2020.The gallery was scheduled to participate in the New York edition nada This month, the work was held in customs for three days due to shipping sanctions against Russia.At the VIP opening of the show and in the two days that followed, Ovcharenko frankly presented five Daniel Manzos.
“We’re just not sure if they’ll be successful,” explains Ovcharkeno.The only tangible artwork on display is Natalia Pifko printed Vladimir Putin In a coffin, it was made the day before the show.
“We wrote a statement saying we are very sorry and embarrassed on behalf of the land where we were born,” Ovcharenko said. “It’s something we’ve never supported.”
we hear
Alison Glenn joined public art fund As senior curator… art news Posted a rather erotic gossip about a certain art world power couple, only to unpost it minutes later… Tom Sachs Is releasing a new version of his NFT rocket project… Arthur Jaffa Looking for an assistant in LA…an anonymous text sent a New Yorker named “It List” pant founder Will Colemanthe artist Lucien Smithand Zwirner event manager Lauren Ashley Van Dyke Like those watching in NYC, we hear the people behind the letters are the anonymous duo this ionic pack podcast…
spot
Treman Emory, Max Farago, Ajani Russelland Shani Kwajavis Attend Lyman MopinThe “Twerk and Jerk” BBQ representative Narie Districtfood by Ghetto Food *** Lorraine Randolph and Sarah Levine Abortion rights rally in New York city*** Armin Rich, Genesis Traman, Jack Sibbert, and Albert Cechbal Eat on Crab Cakes and Sliders Ron HarrahArtful Chelsea Apartments *** multiple hyphens Donald Glover Dine at art world hotspots altro heaven *** Selma Gold down until Jason Derulo existWhitneyof the annual event, she received the honor *** Martha Stewart Surprise in front of opening collectors and photographers Douglas Friedmanof show residential area bin Soleimani *** Alex Dacourtof beloved meet committee, as long as the sun lasts (2021), in Louisiana MuseumWhere big bird Will gloomily look out over the Danish countryside ***
Wet Paint Questionnaire
Last week’s question was important to me because the only art I collected was buzzing on the flesh of my left arm. It seems that many of you think who has the best tattoo collection in the art world! Louis-Philippe van Eckhout named Carter Foster of Brandon Art Museumwho “has the best Ellsworth Kelly Kelly himself has a checkered tattoo on his arm. ” Martin AguileraDirector of Sales Mendeswoodsaid”Hugh Scott-Douglas Has one of the best tattoo collections in the art world. When I started my tattoo journey a few years ago, he was a great inspiration and point of reference for the artist. Given that I can’t collect the art I like right now – even from my own gallery – I’ve added over 35 different artists to my collection and look forward to getting them in Asia during Frieze Seoul More. “That’s the spirit! Writer Zach Sokol name check artist Nick Sethi, I heard it before Klaus Biesenbach there is one Douglas Gordon Edition tattoo on his back Gagosian Booth from a few years ago.
That’s enough to shame my meager collection. My next question is: Who are the sportiest art dealers?
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