Jean-Marc Bottazzi, a Japanese bond trader and collector based in Hong Kong, discusses his philosophy of collecting in an interview with The Art Newspaper. He emphasizes deep, focused support of artists rather than acquiring a superficial variety, citing his extensive holdings of over 100 works by the 96-year-old Japanese artist A-Yo and deep collections of Abstract Expressionism, Gutai, and conceptual photography.
Helen Legg has been appointed as the new artistic director of the Royal Academy of Arts in London, transitioning from her current role as director of Tate Liverpool. Starting in June, Legg will oversee the institution’s exhibitions, collections, and public programming, succeeding a period of leadership that saw her manage a major $46 million renovation project at Tate's northern outpost.
New York University has appointed Alison Weaver as the next director of its Grey Art Museum, effective May 26. Weaver, who has served as founding executive director of the Moody Center for the Arts at Rice University since 2015, succeeds Lynn Gumpert, who retired last year after leading the museum since 1997. At Rice, Weaver oversaw the completion of a new building for the Moody Center, launched an artist-in-residence program, curated over 25 exhibitions, and expanded the university's art holdings. She previously taught art history at the City University of New York and served as director of affiliate museums at the Guggenheim Museum, overseeing its outposts in Bilbao, Venice, Berlin, and Las Vegas.
Louisa Buck, a prominent art critic and journalist, has been featured in a profile by The Art Newspaper, highlighting her career and contributions to art journalism. The article discusses her role as a columnist and critic, her insights into the contemporary art world, and her longstanding association with the publication.
The Munch Museum in Oslo has awarded the second Munch Award to Palestinian artist Samia Halaby, recognizing her long-standing courage and integrity in artistic expression. The prize, worth 300,000 Norwegian krones (about $30,000), honors Halaby's decades-long commitment to protesting injustices related to class, gender, and race, as well as her vocal criticism of censorship in the arts. The jury included Munch director Tone Hansen, artist-curator Wanda Nanibush, Yvette Mutumba of Contemporary And, Cosmin Costinas of Haus der Kulturen der Welt, and Munch curator Tominga O’Donnell.
German collector Reinhard Ernst, 79, opened Museum Reinhard Ernst in Wiesbaden last year to house his collection of nearly 1,000 abstract works. The museum recently launched “Helen Frankenthaler. Move and Make,” the first major solo show of the Abstract Expressionist painter in Germany in two decades, featuring works from Ernst’s extensive Frankenthaler holdings. Ernst, who built his wealth through high-precision gear manufacturing, discusses his collecting journey, noting that 80% of his purchases come from auctions.
Phillips has appointed Robert Manley as chairman of modern and contemporary art and Miety Heiden as chairman of private sales, following the departure of Cheyenne Westphal and Jean-Paul Engelen. Manley, who joined Phillips in 2016, has secured major consignments including the collection of Francesco Pellizzi and the Pop Art trove of Miles and Shirley Fiterman, while Heiden has driven a 46 percent growth in annual private sales. The appointments come after Phillips' $51.9 million Modern and Contemporary Evening Sale, which reinforced the auction house's strength in the contemporary segment.
Josh Basseches, director and CEO of the Royal Ontario Museum (ROM), announced on June 5 that he will step down at the end of 2025 after a decade in the role. Under his leadership, the museum underwent three renovations and one expansion, including the reopening of the Weston Entrance, the creation of the Willner Madge Gallery Dawn of Life, and the launch of the C$130m OpenROM renovation project. Notable exhibitions during his tenure included Christian Dior, Kent Monkman: Being Legendary, and Auschwitz. Not long ago. Not far away.
Filipa Ramos has been appointed curator of the 19th edition of the Lofoten International Art Festival, set to take place across the Norwegian arctic archipelago in June 2027. Ramos, a curator and writer who teaches at the Institute Art Gender Nature of the Academy of Art and Design FHNW in Basel, is known for ecologically-focused research that reimagines human-animal-environment relationships. She authored *The Artist as Ecologist* (2025) and is currently organizing the LOOP Festival in Barcelona and the symposia series *The Shape of a Circle in the Mind of a Fish*, created with Lucia Pietroiusti.
Indiana University Bloomington has appointed Mindy N. Besaw as the next Wilma E. Kelley Director of the Sidney and Lois Eskenazi Museum of Art, effective August 15. Besaw, who brings over two decades of curatorial and museum leadership experience, currently serves as director of fellowships, research and university partnerships and curator of American art at Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art. She succeeds interim director Mariah Keller and will oversee all facets of the museum's strategy, operations, and engagement, including exhibitions, collections, teaching partnerships, and public programming.