Art Industry Updates: Leadership Changes, Auction Results, and Museum Developments

Guillaume Cerutti has resigned from his position as president of the Pinault Collection after only 13 months, with François Pinault, founder of Kering, taking over as interim president. No official reason has been provided for his departure. In auction news, Sotheby's Modern and Contemporary South Asian sale in New York achieved a complete sell-through, generating $22.1 million, with Maqbool Fida Husain's 1958 work 'Second Act' selling for $5.1 million. Christie's is presenting a collection of Minimalist works assembled by Henry S. McNeil Jr., featuring a Donald Judd piece estimated between $10 million and $15 million. Photo London will relocate to Olympia in Kensington for its 11th edition from May 14 to 17, with several galleries returning after absences. The Brooklyn Museum plans to construct a $13 million gallery for its African art collection, scheduled to open in fall 2027. MCH Group, parent company of Art Basel, reported a slight revenue decline to CHF 429.5 million for 2025, attributing it largely to unfavorable currency exchange rates. Online auction house AstaGuru, based in Mumbai, will hold its first U.K. auction in late May and has appointed Laryssa Jesse as managing director for the U.K. Sundaram Tagore is opening a new London gallery on Pall Mall on May 16. Thaddaeus Ropac now represents the estate of Martha Diamond, while Magenta Plains has taken on the estate of Paul Gardère. Christopher Canizares is departing Hauser & Wirth after 16 years to establish his own artist management agency. French authorities have temporarily blocked the export of a Renaissance drawing by Hans Baldung Grien, valued at approximately $3.5 million. For the Venice Biennale, Cork Street Galleries is collaborating with the British Council to support the British Pavilion, and artist Gabrielle Goliath will independently present her work 'Elegy' after its removal from the South Africa pavilion. The U.K. government is considering implementing a £20 fee for overseas visitors to national museums, a proposal opposed by cultural leaders like V&A director Tristram Hunt. OpenAI has discontinued Sora, its AI text-to-video tool launched in 2024. Artist Pat Steir, renowned for her abstract waterfall paintings, has passed away at age 87.