Trump-Resistant Smithsonian, MOCA Shuts Geffen Branch due to Protests, Speculation Surrounds Putin's Daughter Art Dealing: Daily Links for June 10, 2025
In the world of art, Sydney-based artist Jack Ball has made a significant stride, winning the Ramsay Art Prize worth AUD$100,000 for his large, multimedia installation, Heavy Grit (2024). Meanwhile, across the globe, the Smithsonian Institution is facing political pressure, standing firm in its commitment to explore the history and legacy of race and racism in the United States.
Ball's winning piece, Heavy Grit, is a testament to his creative prowess, showcased at the Art Gallery of South Australia (AGSA), a venue that established the biennial acquisition award in 2017, considered the country's most illustrious honor for an artist under 40.
Meanwhile, the Smithsonian Institution, including the National Portrait Gallery under director Kim Sajet, has been the focus of expanded criticism from President Donald Trump. Accused of portraying America negatively by emphasizing themes like slavery and racism without celebrating American success and exceptionalism, the Smithsonian has maintained its mission to encourage social change and equity through scholarship and engagement.
Sajet, as director of the National Portrait Gallery, is part of the Smithsonian leadership navigating this clash between the institution's mission and the White House’s demands. While there are no direct public statements from Sajet, the Smithsonian as an institution has implicitly stood up to Trump’s accusations by continuing to emphasize its commitment to truthful and inclusive historical narratives amid political pressure.
Elsewhere in the art world, Sydney Contemporary is debuting a new photography section called Photo Sydney in response to collector demand. The focus of the Metropolitan Museum of Art's artist residency, launched in collaboration with Swiss watchmaker Vacheron Constantin, is on artists whose practice incorporates craft or artisanal materials and methods.
In a striking performance, Russian artist Nadya Tolokonnikova's durational piece, Police State, continues despite the museum being closed. Similarly, Wangechi Mutu, a Kenyan-American artist, will have a solo show at the Galleria Borghese in Rome, with the majority of her works suspended from the ceiling.
Meanwhile, the Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA)'s Geffen branch closed early on Sunday due to the presence of National Guard soldiers in Los Angeles. In a significant art market development, an 11-inch Auguste Rodin sculpture titled Despair (1892), long-thought to have been a copy, just sold for about $1 million. The Comite Rodin, the leading authority on Auguste Rodin, confirmed that the sculpture that was sold was the original and not a copy.
Elizaveta Krivonogikh, also known as Elizaveta Rudnova, works at an art gallery in Paris that showcases Ukrainian artists and some Russian emigres. However, Krivonogikh has been embroiled in a personal controversy, with President Putin denying that she is his daughter from an alleged extramarital affair with Svetlana Krivonogikh.
Amidst these art world events, the Smithsonian continues to highlight its role in presenting diverse perspectives on American history, resisting demands to revert to only celebratory accounts. The institution's commitment to truthful and inclusive historical narratives remains steadfast, despite ongoing scrutiny and possible further actions from the White House.
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- Jack Ball's large multimedia installation Heavy Grit (2024), which won the Ramsay Art Prize worth AUD$100,000, is currently exhibited at the Art Gallery of South Australia (AGSA).
- Accused of portraying America negatively by President Donald Trump, the Smithsonian Institution, including the National Portrait Gallery under director Kim Sajet, maintains its mission to encourage social change and equity through scholarship and engagement.
- Sydney Contemporary is debuting a new photography section called Photo Sydney in response to collector demand, while the Metropolitan Museum of Art's artist residency focuses on artists whose practice incorporates craft or artisanal materials and methods.
- The Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA)'s Geffen branch closed early on Sunday due to the presence of National Guard soldiers in Los Angeles, and an 11-inch Auguste Rodin sculpture titled Despair (1892) just sold for about $1 million, confirmed to be the original by the Comite Rodin.
- Elizaveta Krivonogikh, who works at an art gallery in Paris that showcases Ukrainian artists and some Russian emigres, has been embroiled in a personal controversy with President Putin denying that she is his daughter from an alleged extramarital affair with Svetlana Krivonogikh.
- Amidst these art world events, the Smithsonian Institution continues to highlight its role in presenting diverse perspectives on American history, resisting demands to revert to only celebratory accounts, as seen in its commitment to explore the history and legacy of race and racism in the United States.
