José María Velasco Gómez (1840-1912)

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,”

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).

The Barcelona auction house La Suite will auction off a collection of works purchased in the 1980s from the Barcelona gallery Dau al Set, when it was managed by art collector Salvador Riera. The auction will take place on October 10 and will include works by artists such as Salvador Dalí and José María Sicilia.

In a recent interview, Bergantiños Diaz, who fled to Spain, acknowledged finding the painter who was able to mimic the artworks but denied any involvement in the scheme, blaming his former girlfriend, Glafira Rosales. He stands accused of orchestrating the sale of $80 M in art fakes and faces extradition. (NYT) 

August Uribe made headlines in November when he became the latest Sotheby’s employee embroiled in the onslaught of leadership changes occurring under Patrick Drahi’s management.

For 4 days starting 31 Oct., the California gallery will welcome visitors to vote and see the art. Notably, a safely-viewable 50-foot mural by Amir H. Fallah will adorn the building, commissioned in July. The Iranian-born artist is known for political works; his new mural is a call for ‘empathy’. (NYTimes)

Penske Media Corporation (PMC), the owner of Variety, Rolling Stone, The Hollywood Reporter, WWD etc, announced the acquisition of Artforum International Magazine yesterday. The storied contemporary art magazine is celebrating its 60th anniversary this year. Editor David Velasco will remain at the helm.

The abandoned 19th-century neoclassical mansion has been restored and converted into offices for the ministry by architects Cecilia Puga, Paula Velasco and Alberto Moletto, who won the contract in a 2012 competition. Contemporary additions have been made to the building, including a bronze helical staircase. (Dezeen)