José Cruz Herrera (1890-1972)

Kinetic art is in mourning, having lost two of its exponents this summer: the Franco-Venezuelan painter and colour theorist Carlos Cruz-Diez, who died on 27 July at 95, and the Paris-based Greek artist Takis, who died on 9 August at 93. A retrospective of his work is on show at the Tate Modern.

This figure of geometric abstraction had a late success at 89 years old thanks to an exhibition at the Latin Collector Gallery in 2004. The artist had lived in Paris for several years before settling permanently in New York. The Lisson Gallery will devote a solo show to her in the autumn in its new Los Angeles space.

Spain will buy the Archivo Lafuente, the 20,000-piece collection of avant-garde objects and artworks amassed by José María Lafuente, a who made his fortune selling mozzarella and other cheeses to a chain of Spanish grocery stores, since the 1990s. In Lafuente stated: “It is a private archive with a public vocation,”

The Venezuelan artist, 1923-2019, continued his research on color, the foundations of which he established in 1954, right up until his death aged 95. Just months earlier, we visited his studio, which resembles a beehive—a true family business at the service of art.

The Blanton Museum of Art in Austin, Texas commissioned the monumental mural as part of its $35 M redesign project. Herrera, now 105, has been making art her entire life, but has only recently seen widespread success, largely due to the historical neglect of women and Latin American artists. (The Art Newspaper)

The Italian gallery, which this year celebrates its fifteenth anniversary in France, will now collaborate with the estate of Carlos Cruz-Diez, the Venezuelan artist who died in 2019. This is international representation, but not exclusive.

3 centuries after its sinking off the coast of Colombia, one of the largest galleons in the Spanish armada has resurfaced thanks to never-before-seen images filmed by the army. Visible in the video are cannons, porcelain shards & gold coins. Located in 2015 at 3,116.7 ft the shipwreck has never been fully excavated.

Following the announcement that Leon Black would not seek re-election as board chair amid controversy regarding ties to Jeffrey Epstein, MoMA has revealed that Kravis will step into the role. A former president of the board, she and her husband are significant collectors and supporters of the museum. (ARTnews)

Colombian curator José Roca will curate the 23rd edition of the biennial, a ‘biennale of our times’ that will address climate change and sustainability. Roca has already curated major shows in South America, the UK and US, and his art space Flora Ars+Natura in Botogá explores the intersections of nature and art (SMH).

Aside from the estimated 3.2 million acres of destroyed forest and grasslands, the wildfires devastating Eastern Bolivia since May have caused grave cultural harm by destroying prehistoric rock art sites. The full extent of the damage, largely caused by soot and heat, will not be known until the fires are out.