INSIDER
Veronica Ryan wins Turner Prize for evocative sculptures
Read full article: Veronica Ryan wins Turner Prize for evocative sculpturesArtist Veronica Ryan has won the prestigious Turner Prize for work that transforms materials including fruits, seeds and volcanic ash into elusive and evocative sculptures.
New York AG: Sotheby's helped rich art lover skirt taxes
Read full article: New York AG: Sotheby's helped rich art lover skirt taxesNEW YORK – Sotheby's helped an art collector dodge millions of dollars in New York sales taxes, the state attorney general said in a lawsuit filed Friday, accusing the prominent auction house of accepting bogus documentation to spare a top client a tax bill. “Sotheby’s violated the law and fleeced New York taxpayers out of millions just to boost its own sales," Attorney General Letitia James, a Democrat, said in a statement. Porsal agreed to pay $10.75 million in taxes, damages and penalties over allegations that it skirted sales tax on more than $50 million in art buys from various entities in New York. Other buyers generally owe New York state and city sales tax on art purchased and delivered in the city. Sales tax on the collector's 2010 Kapoor purchase alone would total over $126,000, according to the lawsuit.
Michael Douglas, Zeta-Jones to co-host Jerusalem ceremony
Read full article: Michael Douglas, Zeta-Jones to co-host Jerusalem ceremonyJERUSALEM – Hollywood power couple Michael Douglas and Catherine Zeta-Jones are set to return to Israel as co-hosts of this year’s Genesis Prize ceremony. The Genesis Prize Foundation announced on Wednesday that the pair would co-host the June 18 event, where former Soviet dissident and Israeli politician Natan Sharansky is to be honored as the 2020 laureate. Douglas, whose mother wasn’t Jewish and who himself is intermarried, directed his award toward projects promoting diversity and inclusiveness in the Jewish world. “Catherine and I look forward to returning to Israel, a country our entire family loves so much,” Douglas said in a statement. The foundation said that during Douglas’ visit, it will hold a special event honoring his father’s cinematic legacy.
BMW unveils X6 in world's 'blackest black'
Read full article: BMW unveils X6 in world's 'blackest black'MUNICH, Germany - Vantablack, the world's "blackest black," has had a controversial start to life, and now it's coming to a special edition BMW X6. Hussein al-Attar, who designed the new X6, says Vantablack VBx2 opens new possibilities for designers. "The Vantablack VBx2 coating foregrounds these fundamental aspects of automotive design, without any distraction from light and reflections." "I think it worked really well on the BMW X6, because of the size of the car, its distinctive shape, and how imposing it is," Jensen said in a statement. The BMW Vantablack X6 will be on show at the Frankfurt Motor Show September 12-22, and the third-generation X6 will arrive in showrooms in November.
7 charged for vandalizing Chicago 'Bean,' police say
Read full article: 7 charged for vandalizing Chicago 'Bean,' police sayChicago's Cloud Gate structure, also known as the Bean, was spraypainted by vandals early Tuesday in the city's Millennium Park. (CNN) - Seven people are facing charges after the famous "Bean" sculpture in Chicago's Millennium Park was vandalized earlier this week. The stainless steel structure, officially known as the Cloud Gate, was spray painted with graffiti, Chicago Police Department spokeswoman Kellie Bartoli told CNN. The Cloud Gate was completed in 2006, according to the Millennium Park Foundation's website. One hundred and sixty-eight stainless steel plates were cut using computer technology and assembled together like a puzzle to create the sculpture.
Chicago's Bean sculpture vandalized
Read full article: Chicago's Bean sculpture vandalizedGetty ImagesA popular Chicago attraction was vandalized late Monday, leading to the arrests of seven people. The Chicago Tribune reported that graffiti was spray-painted on The Bean sculpture in Millennium Park. The vandals also tagged the Cancer Survivor Wall in Maggie Daley Park. The Bean, also known as Cloud Gate, had its stainless steel surface defaced with the words "35th Crew" in silver paint. The Bean, a familiar sight in many tourists' photos, was created by artist Anish Kapoor and installed in Millennium Park in 2006.