Image via Complex Original
The art world encompasses a higher high and a lower low than it ever has before, which makes it difficult to put together a list like the biggest art moments of the year. Once we started thinking about it, we realized that the past twelve months have been controversial, exciting, and groundbreaking for a number of reasons, whether through the re-opening of museums and museum wings or events that crossed over into politics or pop culture. In any case, there's something for everyone in this list of The 25 Biggest Art Moments of 2012, which may or may not have to be altered before the official year's end.
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25. GIF Named Word of the Year
25. GIF Named Word of the Year
Date: November 12, 2012
The Oxford University Press named "GIF" the American Word of the Year. Katherine Martin, head of the U.S. dictionaries program at Oxford said, "GIF celebrated a lexical milestone in 2012, gaining traction as a verb, not just a noun." While we're a little bummed out that YOLO didn't win (it was a contender), GIF represents what was popular artistically, technologically, and culturally this year.
24. David Hockney Says Tobacco Is Delicious
24. David Hockney Says Tobacco Is Delicious
Date: February 8, 2012
Painter, printmaker, designer, and photographer David Hockney, also known as one of the richest living artists, has always been controversial. Last February, he responded to personal attacks by writing to the Guardian, saying that cigarettes are "delicious" and "pleasure-giving." He continued to say that, "I for one am not sure medicine is a science – human beings are messy and all a little bit different, and I rejoice in that." We salute him for his honesty.
23. Philadelphia's Barnes Museum Re-Opens
23. Philadelphia's Barnes Museum Re-Opens
Date: May 19, 2012
The Barnes Museum in Philadelphia was plagued with years and years of lawsuits and controversy over what its founder, Albert C. Barnes, would have wanted for the museum. Thankfully, the museum moved downtown and re-opened so that the public can once again enjoy his vast collection of modern and folk art.
22. Hurricane Sandy Delivers Devastating Blow to NYC Art Galleries
22. Hurricane Sandy Delivers Devastating Blow to NYC Art Galleries
Date: October 30, 2012
Being located near the water during Hurricane Sandy was a huge disadvantage for the art galleries in Chelsea. Robert Zwirner, among others, experienced basement flooding and damaged artworks. As public transit was shut down, it also prevented visitors and buyers from visiting their spaces. Thankfully, many of these businesses have been able to rebuild slowly, but there is still work to be done post-Sandy.
21. Legendary Art Collector Herb Vogel Dies
21. Legendary Art Collector Herb Vogel Dies
Date: July 22, 2012
In July, America lost one of its greatest collectors. A humble mailman, Vogel spent money on what he loved—art. He lived, with his wife Dorothy in a simple apartment in New York City. Dorothy, who worked as a librarian, footed the bills. Herb decorated.
In his time, Herb Vogel collected 5,000 works of art including examples by Chuck Close, Jeff Koons, and Edward Ruscha. The collection, now in the trust of the National Gallery in Washington, stands testament to a distinct passion and proves that "You don't have to be a Rockefeller to collect art."
20. Damien Hirst's Spot Challenge
20. Damien Hirst's Spot Challenge
Date: January 12 through March 17, 2012
Fact: Few artists are as audacious as Damien Hirst. His love of the art world is unmatched. His ability to manipulate it is perhaps his greatest talent.
In the early part of 2012, Hirst teamed with Gagosian to mount a global show of his spot paintings. Produced from 1986 to 2011, the paintings are as the name suggests. Hirst, always one for publicity stunts, used the multi-national exhibition to create a challenge: Those who hit every Gagosian Gallery would win a free painting.
We called it a contest for "rich people." A few of our modest friends managed to complete it. Regardless, Hirst's game left an impression: Art still has space for the outrageous.
19. Glenn Beck Dunks An Obama Figuring Into a Jar of Pee
19. Glenn Beck Dunks An Obama Figuring Into a Jar of Pee
Date: November 28, 2012
Glenn Beck went on his Blaze television show trying to express his solidarity with artists across history who have felt their First Amendment right threatened. He was specifically referring to Andres Serrano's photograph, Immersion (Piss Christ), when he (unsuccessfully) submerged an Obama figurine in a jar of fake urine. It was just as offensive as it was a gesture of the pathetic lengths he'll go to get attention, even if it means reducing art and the art world to his childish antics.
18. Tate Modern's Chief Curator Sheena Wagstaff Joins the Metropolitan Museum of Art
18. Tate Modern's Chief Curator Sheena Wagstaff Joins the Metropolitan Museum of Art
Date: January 17, 2012
Previously the Chief Curator at the Tate Modern in London, Sheena Wagstaff left earlier this year to become Chairman of the Department of Modern and Contemporary Art at the Met. In the wake of the Met's announcement to take over the Breuer building in 2015, it made sense to get fresh, superstar art talent.
17. The American Wing at the Metropolitan Museum of Art Re-Opens
17. The American Wing at the Metropolitan Museum of Art Re-Opens
Date: January 16, 2012
New Yorkers and visitors to the Metropolitan Museum of Art in NYC rejoiced the re-opening of the American Wing. It now has a wealth of material on view that's presented thematically. It gives everyone one more reason to visit this heralded establishment.
16. David Choe Reveals His $200 Million Facebook Stock Options
16. David Choe Reveals His $200 Million Facebook Stock Options
Date: February 1, 2012
When David Choe revealed that he declined money in 2005 to paint the walls of Facebook's first office in Palo Alto, California in exchange for stocks, it was a big deal. That prescient decision made him a multi-millionaire earlier this year in the wake of Facebook's IPO. He discussed how he felt about it with Barbara Walters on February 8th and hilariously called her "Babs-1" the whole time.
15. The Rotterdam Art Heist
15. The Rotterdam Art Heist
Date: October 16, 2012
Rotterdam's Kunsthal Gallery was robbed of seven masterpieces painted by Picasso, Monet, Gauguin, Matisse, and Lucian Freud. The event, which occurred days after the vandalism of a Rothko painting at the Tate Modern in London, was yet another reminder of the fragile security at museums. At this point, the thieves have not been caught.
14. SABER Does an Aerial Graffiti Campaign in NYC
14. SABER Does an Aerial Graffiti Campaign in NYC
Date: September 23, 2012
In response to Mitt Romney telling Fortune Magazine that he would eliminate arts programs if elected president, SABER did an aerial graffiti campaign in NYC that included phrases such as "Defend the Arts," "#StreetArt," and "Occupy Wall Street." He hired five skywriting planes to do it and told the press, "This extreme conservative has no appreciation for the arts or American culture, despite the fact that creative people are the backbone of this country."
13. Sprinter Usain Bolt Steals Camera and Takes Photos After Winning Olympic Race
13. Sprinter Usain Bolt Steals Camera and Takes Photos After Winning Olympic Race
Date: August 9, 2012
After winning the 200m race at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London, Usain Bolt grabbed a photographer's camera and started taking photos. His images showed the excited faces of the crowd and press and were actually pretty solid images.
12. Ai Weiwei "Never Sorry" Documentary Released
12. Ai Weiwei: Never Sorry Documentary Released
Date: July 27, 2012
Ai Weiwei: Never Sorry, a documentary by Alison Klayman, premiered on July 27, 2012 in New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Washington, D.C., and Bethesda. The film documented many prominent events in the life of this controversial Chinese artist and brought attention to his cause to liberate the Chinese people and celebrate individualism.
11. Artsy Launches to the Public
11. Art.sy Launches to the Public
Date: October 8, 2012
The launch of Art.sy to the public is a huge milestone in their mission "to make all the world's art accessible to anyone with an Internet connection." The site boasts many features, including the ability to save, share, and view art, in addition to viewing it according to genes. You can also easily buy art on the site. While many companies are aiming to bridge the gap between art and technology, we believe Art.sy is doing it best.
10. Obama's Campaign Secretary Brilliantly Name-Drops Salvador Dalí
10. Obama's Campaign Secretary Brilliantly Name-Drops Salvador Dalí
Date: August 30, 2012
When actor and director Clint Eastwood gave a speech at the Republican National Convention, spending the majority of his time berating an invisible Barack Obama in an empty chair, no one knew it would become a moment in art history. In fact, even when Los Angeles Times art critic, Christopher Knight, called Clint Eastwood "the new Marina Abramović," people were still hesitant to call his actions performance art. It wasn't until Politico asked for a comment from Barack Obama's campaign secretary, Ben LaBolt, that people started to classify the ridiculous moment artistically. LaBolt simply said, "Referring all questions on this to Salvador Dalí." Genius.
9. Louvre Opens Satellite Museum in Lens, France
9. Louvre Opens Satellite Museum in Lens, France
Date: December 4, 2012
The addition of the Louvre satellite museum in Lens, France is important for a number of reasons. The $194 million museum adds Old Masters to a depressed coal-mining town, invigorating its local economy and expanding the reach of the institution. We look forward to seeing how this will revive the region and hopefully set a standard for other countries to do the same with their art resources.
8. Artists Resign From Board at Museum of Contemporary Art in Los Angeles
8. Artists Resign From Board at Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles
Date: July, 2012
Ed Ruscha resigned from the Board of the Museum of Contemporary, Los Angeles on July 17. He was the final artist to leave, following Barbara Kruger and John Baldessari, and Catherine Opie. His exit left the museum with no artist board members, delivering a blow to Director Jeffrey Dietch's leadership. Chief-curator Paul Schimmel had resigned, the scope of the exhibitions appeared to be dumbing down (disco becoming topic of discussion), and financial difficulties loomed.
In simple terms, this is an example of a museum losing identity and (frighteningly) validity through poor balance of mission and percieved positive pubic outreach.
7. Street Art Goes Mainstream
7. Street Art Goes Mainstream
Date: 2012
We know what you are thinking, "old news." Sure, Shepard Fairey and Obama happened. Exit Through the Gift Shop got rave reviews. Art in the Streets buzzed through media in 2011. Trust us though. Street art has gotten even bigger.
In 2012, the street art mural festival exploded in popularity. People in Atlanta, Richmond, Rochester, South Africa, and many more places experienced mural painting first hand. Gaia, our number 1 street artist RIGHT NOW, has even pushed Open Walls in Baltimore to international recognition. The proof is in the pudding: Street art has become a valuable asset to rejuvenating communities and a celebrated artistic element that fans and city council folk alike can champion.
6. Mitt Romney vs. Big Bird
6. Mitt Romney vs. Big Bird
Date: October 3, 2012
During the first Presidential debate, Mitt Romney told the moderator Jim Lehrer the following, "I'm sorry Jim. I'm gonna stop the subsidy to PBS. I'm gonna stop other things. I like PBS, I like Big Bird, I actually like you, too. But I'm not going to keep on spending money on things to borrow money from China to pay for it." This caused the Internet to go wild with memes and accusations that Mitt Romney had a problem with big bird, reminding the public that he had earlier said he would eliminate arts funding if elected.
5. Christie's Has Record-Breaking Contemporary Art Auction
5. Christie's Has Record-Breaking Contemporary Art Auction
Date: November 14, 2012
The most recent contemporary art auction at Christie's was historic. 11 works (by artists like Andy Warhol, Franz Kline, Jean Michel Basquiat, Mark Rothko, Jeff Koons, and Roy Lichtenstein) sold for over $10 million, 56 hit for over $1 million, and the final tally was a mind-blowing total of $412,253,100.
4. Rothko Vandalism at the Tate Modern
4. Rothko Vandalism at the Tate Modern
Date: October 7, 2012
Last October, a vandal by the name of Vladimir Umanets defaced Mark Rothko's 1959 Black on Maroon painting at the Tate Modern in London. He wrote "Vladimir Umanets '12 / A Potential Piece of Yellowism" on it and calmly walked away without getting caught by security. Bystanders tweeted the image above, causing the event to go viral online. The painting's estimated worth is around $86.7 million. Days later, he was arrested by the Metropolitan Police.
3. ArtReview Releases Power 100 List for 2012
3. ArtReview Releases Power 100 List for 2012
Date: October 17, 2012
The release of ArtReview's Power 100 list is a highly anticipated moment each year. This year's selections were spot on as usual, with some minor disputes here and there over the ranking. The top spot went to curator Carolyn Christov-Bakargiev, who curated this summer's Documenta in Kassel, Germany. She is followed by Larry Gagosian, Ai Weiwei, and a host of other influential artists, curators, gallerists, and more.
2. Islamic Art Wing Opens at the Louvre
2. Islamic Art Wing Opens at the Louvre
Date: September 27, 2012
Islamic Art is being heavily embraced in the art world these days. Many are attributing this to donations by wealthy Islamic families and world leaders to institutions such as the Met and the Louvre, and others attribute it to a market that now favors the genre. In any case, the opening of the Islamic Art wing at the Louvre in Paris, France marks a milestone in preserving, understanding, and publicly displaying this important type of art.
1. Ai Weiwei Parodies Psy's "Gangnam Style"
1. Ai Weiwei Parodies Psy's "Gangnam Style"
Date: October 24, 2012
Ai Weiwei parodied Psy's "Gangnam Style" in a video that went viral in a matter of seconds via his Twitter @aiww. Psy himself was in the video and apparently taught Ai Weiwei how to do the dance. The moment was hilarious, employing the same humor Ai Weiwei often uses throughout his own art.
