Alain Delon’s Collection Heads to Auction, Australia’s Museums Get a ‘Lifeline,’ and More: Morning Links for April 5, 2023

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The Headlines

A STAR’S COLLECTION, REVEALED. The actor Alain Delon, an iconic figure in the history of 1960s art cinema, is set to sell works from his collection at Bonhams Cornette de Saint Cyr in Paris, Barrons reports. Eighty pieces are set to be sold for a total of $4.4 million–$5.5 million, among them an oil painting by Raoul Dufy and a portrait by Eugène Delacroix. It’s not the first time Delon has sold art from his holdings—he previously parted ways with some contemporary art in 2007, saying at the time, “I bought for passion, never for investment.” Très chic.

NEWS FROM DOWN UNDER. Australian museums are set to receive what the Guardian is calling a “lifeline”: an AUD 535 million funding package from the government that will support collecting institutions across the country. The National Gallery of Australia, the National Library of Australia, and the National Museum of Australia stand to benefit; all had recently been facing financial shortfalls. Anthony Albanese , the Prime Minister of Australia, said he was “committed to preserving, protecting, and celebrating” these institutions. Meanwhile, the National Gallery of Victoria has revealed the lineup for its NGV Triennial, which will this year include Boston Dynamic’s robot dogs (courtesy Agnieszka Pilat), Yoko Ono, Tracey Emin, and more, per ABC News.

The Digest

Angelica Jopling, the daughter of White Cube mastermind Jay Jopling, is launching her own London gallery. Titled Incubator, this space will be totally “siloed” from her father’s business. [The Art Newspaper]

Japanese architect Kengo Kuma has released a proposal for Athens’s National Archaeological Museum that would play heavily on the concept of “unearthing,” with the entryway beneath what appears to be a giant slab. [ArchDaily]

Romero Britto, the popular Brazilian artist known for his gorgeously colored creations, will become the subject of a new documentary from director Patrick Moreau. Among the interviewees will be none other than Gloria Estefan and Arnold Schwarzenegger. [Deadline]

A bizarre QAnon theory centered around a keg with the word “ADENOCHROME” on it, a reference to a chemical compound produced from adrenaline. While some conspiracists put forward the false information that Heineken was manufacturing barrels that contained the substance, the keg was, in fact, an artwork by Natalie Lambert. [USA Today]

A photograph by Christopher Boffoli was stolen from a Boston gallery and then, before being intercepted by the police, made it all the way to Denver. But the thieves may not have been interested in the art at all, it seems. [WCVB]

The Kicker

A SLAM DUNK. You know the rules—don’t touch the art. But at the Contemporary Arts Museum Houston, visitors are encouraged to do more than simply place their hands on Trenton Doyle Hancock’s latest artwork, an indoor basketball court that can be used for play as well. Titled CAMH COURT, the piece has been greeted in kind by locals. “Most museums are rarified, or most experiences of museums are pretty inert,” said director Hesse McGraw. “We wanted to find a way that people can have a really active and animated experience.”  [Defector]