Art Outlook: 4 December

Some of the stories and discussions we’ve spotted online this week

Turner steals the limelight with a record-breaking price at Sotheby’s

The news that Duncan Campbell had won the Turner Prize was met with (rather loudly and publicly voiced) media ‘indifference’ this week. In the end, Turner himself stole the British limelight: yesterday Sotheby’s sold Rome, from Mount Aventine for a record price of £30.3 million to an anonymous buyer. Will it disappear from public view?

London’s ‘Olympicopolis’ secures government funding

The UK Treasury will put £141 million towards a new cultural centre in London’s Olympic park. Dubbed ‘Olympicopolis’ by Boris Johnson, the site will include new venues for the V&A, University of the Arts London, and Sadler’s Wells.

The surprise departure of Christie’s Chief Executive

Steven Murphy will leave Christie’s at the end of this year, by ‘mutual’ agreement with the board. The revelation comes less than a fortnight after his counterpart at Sotheby’s, William Ruprecht, announced his resignation. Who will pick up the reins?

Guggenheim reveals its Helsinki design shortlist

While debates about the impact and viability of its planned Helsinki outpost rumble on, the Guggenheim Foundation has announced the design competition shortlist. Six architects are in the running for the commission, which received a record number of submissions for an architectural competition.

The art world descends on Miami Beach

Some 60,000 people are expected to visit this year’s edition of Art Basel – Miami Beach. In its event preview, The Art Newspaper noted the increasing visibility of women artists at the fair (and not just Miley Cyrus…)

Sarah Lucas will represent the UK at the Venice Biennale

At the last Venice Biennale, Jeremy Deller offered visitors to the UK pavilion free cups of tea. Sarah Lucas’s contribution to the next one probably won’t be quite so polite. Her work is famous for its innuendo and witty eroticism. ‘To prick convention could be a term coined for Lucas’ work’, claimed Andrea Rose, who chaired the selection committee. Quite.

Chinese artists sent to the countryside to ‘correct’ their ideas

The State General Administration of Press, Publication, Radio, Film and TV in China has announced that Chinese artists should visit the countryside and sites of national importance, in order to ‘form a correct view of art’.