The Art World This Week, 6 June 2025
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Galerie Lelong co-founder Daniel Lelong has passed at 92, Frieze London and Frieze Masters to host over 280 exhibitors under Regent’s Park’s white tent from 15 to 19 October, and more. Here’s Ocula’s briefing on the art world developments and news you might have missed.
Institutions
Whitney Museum Halts Independent Study Program After Controversy
Whitney Museum of American Art will suspend its prestigious study programme for 2025 and 2026 after over 300 students and alumni protested its decision to cancel a pro-Palestine student performance scheduled last month, dubbing the act ‘censorship’. Read more.
Art Museum to Open in Slovenia, Featuring Anselm Kiefer, Theaster Gates, and More
Designed by David Chipperfield Architects, Muzej Lah will exhibit the private collection of Slovenian collectors Igor and Mojca Lah against the backdrop of the Julian Alps in Bled from summer 2026. Its 800-work-strong collection will be presented across 5,000 square metres.
Shuttered San Francisco Art Institute Campus to Host Artist Residencies
The storied San Francisco Art Institute campus, which was acquired by mega-patron Laurene Powell Jobs after filing for bankruptcy in 2022, will soon offer residencies to an annual cohort of 30 emerging artists under the educational non-profit California Academy of Studio Arts.
Naoshima New Museum Opens on Japan’s Famed Art Island
Japan’s Naoshima Island, which hosts the renowned Setouchi Triennale, now has a dedicated contemporary art museum. Designed by Tadao Ando, Naoshima New Museum of Art will exhibit work by Japanese and regional artists across its combined 1,500 square metres of galleries.
Art Fairs and Market
Frieze London and Frieze Masters Name Over 280 Exhibitors
Frieze London will welcome 160 galleries to Regent’s Park from 15 to 19 October, including local mainstays like Victoria Miro, Sadie Coles HQ, and Maureen Paley, in addition to the usual blue-chip gallery lineup and smaller spaces like The Approach and Corvi-Mora. Led by new director Emanuela Tarizzo, Frieze Masters will host 120 galleries.
Sydney Contemporary Adds Photography Section to Largest Edition Yet
Australian mainstay fair Sydney Contemporary has announced 114 exhibitors in its largest edition to date, which is set to return to Carriageworks from 11 to 14 September with a new photography section introduced by organisers to meet ‘collector demand’.
Artissima 2025 Announces Theme and Leadership
Italy’s contemporary art fair Artissima will return to Turin from 31 October to 2 November, taking the title Operating Manual for Spaceship Earth, inspired by architect R. Buckminster Fuller’s 1969 book of the same title, and led by new director Luigi Fassi.
Gallery Representations
Carroll Dunham is Now Represented by Matthew Brown
American painter Carroll Dunham is now represented by Matthew Brown (New York/Los Angeles), alongside Galerie Max Hetzler, Blum, Eva Presenhuber, and Gerhardsen Gerner. The gallery will host the veteran artist’s first exhibition at its Tribeca site in September 2026.
The Estates of Elda Cerrato and Alice Trumbull Mason Join Galerie Lelong
The estates of Italian-Argentinian painter Elda Cerrato (1930–2023) and American abstract painter Alice Trumbull Mason (1904–1971) have joined Galerie Lelong. The gallery will open an exhibition of Cerrato’s work in New York next year and bring both artists’ work to Art Basel.
Awards
Canada’s Largest Contemporary Art Prize Announces Shortlist
Six artists will contend for the 100,000 CAD Sobey Art Award presented by National Gallery of Canada and Sobey Art Foundation to the country’s top talent: Tarralik Duffy, Tania Willard, Chukwudubem Ukaigwe, Sandra Brewster, Swapnaa Tamhane, and Hangama Amiri.
Jack Ball Wins Australia’s 2025 Ramsay Art Prize
Perth-born, Sydney-based artist Jack Ball won the 100,000 AUD Ramsay Art Prize, presented by Art Gallery of South Australia, for his immersive installation Heavy Grit.
Obituaries
Daniel Lelong, Co-Founder of Galerie Lelong, Dies at 92
Galerie Lelong founding partner Daniel Lelong died in hospital on Wednesday morning after a burst of illness. ‘All those who have known [Lelong] will remember him as a warm and unfailingly positive person,’ his gallery said. —[O]
Main image: Sydney Contemporary (5–8 September 2024). Courtesy Sydney Contemporary. Photo: Wes Nel.
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