Art Market Contrasts: From Serious Venice Biennale to Frothy New York Auctions

The art world presents contrasting moods between serious exhibitions and frothy market events. Okwui Enwezor's Arsenale at the Venice Biennale has been described by critic Benjamin Genocchio as 'morose, joyless and ugly,' while New York recently witnessed a record-breaking auction price for a Picasso. Hans-Ulrich Obrist's old passport is being auctioned to raise funds for Bidoun magazine. Adel Abdessemed's drawing of a dog carrying a severed human hand is available for $80,000 on artspace.com. Photo London, backed by Maja Hoffman's Luma Foundation, represents a new art fair. Hans Bellmer's La Poupée (1936) is estimated at £10,000-15,000 at Sotheby's Photographs Auction in London on 23 May. Catherine Lampert's book Frank Auerbach: Speaking and Painting has been recently released. The author expresses a preference for serious art over market-driven events, mentioning Anthony Vaccarello and Tim Ryan fashion items metaphorically.