Like every year, 2024 proved to be a mixed bag for the art world. While it made progress and new waves in some areas, it also saw some lows and dull moments. While the shadow of the pandemic is over, the after-effects and memories still endure. On the other hand, the major upheavals in other fields – be it politics or technology – continued to impact the art world.
Here is a wrap-up of the major events that happened in the art scene in 2024:
The Year In Archaeology
Archaeology had a steady year with some decent discoveries and findings. Perhaps the most impressive was the excavation of a 4,000-year-old fort city in Saudi Arabia. The Bronze Age town of al-Natah was well-preserved and could reveal a lot more about ancient Arabia. In Italy, a Nabatean temple was discovered off the coast of Puteoli, estimated to be two millennia old.
During the renovation of Notre Dame, excavations carried out beneath the building returned more than 1000 fragments of artworks, as well as burial sites. In Indonesia, a painting of a wild pig made with red pigment was found in a cave. Estimated to be 51,200 years old, it would be the oldest cave painting ever discovered.
A Good Year For Indigenous Artists
Indigenous artists across the globe enjoyed a year of recognition and acclaim. 2024 began with the “New Terrains” exhibition of contemporary Indigenous artists at Philips. In February, numerous indigenous artists were included in the “Foreigners Everywhere” exhibition at the Venice Biennale.
Jeffrey Gibson was represented at Hauser & Wirth, Emmi Whitehorse set a new auction record at Philips, and Emily Kam Kngwarray was added to Pace. However, some have pointed out that the new opportunities for indigenous artists have not translated into greater pull in the market.
New York Downtown Space Kept Shrinking
For New York, one of the biggest art hubs in the world, the year proved to be a rather gloomy one. Unlike the Tribeca of last year, 2024 marked the closure or shrinking of art spaces. The Simone Subal Gallery and Helena Anrather decided to close their doors this year. Alexander & Bonin closed the door at the beginning of the year. Jasmin Tsou, who closed JTT last year, joined Lisson Gallery as director. There was also a string of smaller, recently-opened galleries in downtown New York which shuttered down this year. Most commentators believe that the absence of patronage is the reason why galleries fail to survive during financial difficulties.
(…to be continued)
