1997 in art explained

Events from the year 1997 in art.

Events

• January 27 – It is revealed that French museums have nearly 2,000 pieces of art that had been stolen by Nazis.
• February 22 – Gustav Klimt's Portrait of a Lady (overpainted 1917 on Portrait of a Young Lady) is stolen from the Galleria d'arte moderna Ricci Oddi in Piacenza, Italy. It is recovered from a hiding place in the exterior of the building in December 2019.^[1]
• March 6 – Pablo Picasso's Tête de Femme is stolen from the Lefevre Gallery in London's Mayfair by an armed robber. It is recovered a week later.
• April 27 – Andrew Cunanan murders Jeffrey Trail, beginning a murder spree that will last until July and end with the murder of fashion designer Gianni Versace.
• September 8 – Marcus Harvey's controversial painting of Myra Hindley goes on display at the Royal Academy of Art in London and is vandalised twice, by two different artists, on the opening day.^[2]
• October 18 – Guggenheim Museum Bilbao, designed by Frank Gehry, is opened.

Full date unknown

• Puppy by Jeff Koons is moved from Sydney Harbour to the Guggenheim Museum Bilbao.
• Robert Colescott becomes the first African-American to represent the United States in a solo exhibition at the Venice Biennial.
• Istanbul Contemporary Art Museum is established by conceptual artist Genco Gulan in Turkey as an art project.^{[3] [4]}
• Patricia Martín conceives La Colección Jumex in Mexico City.

Exhibitions

• Sensation opens at the Royal Academy of Art in London.
• Kate and Helen Storey's Primitive Streak opens at the Institute of Contemporary Arts in London.^{[5] [6] [7]}
• Documenta X opens in Kassel.
• October 29 until February 28, 1998 - Jackie Winsor: Sculpture at MoMA PS1 in Long Island City, Queens, New York City, New York.^[8]

Awards

• Archibald Prize – Nigel Thomson, Barbara Blackman
• John Moores Painting Prize - Dan Hays for "Harmony in Green"^[9]
• Schock Prize in Visual Arts – Torsten Andersson
• Turner Prize – Gillian Wearing

-The Venice Biennial-

• The Lion d'or (Golden Lion) for Lifetime Achievement: Emilio Vedova (Italy), Agnes Martin (USA)
• The Lion d'or for Best Pavilion: France exhibiting the work of Fabrice Hyber

Artworks

• Matthew Barney - The Erich Weiss Suite^[10]
• Louise Bourgeois – Eye Benches I, II and III (Seattle)
• Maurizio Cattelan – Turisti (installation, first version)
• Thornton Dial - The Bridge dedicated to Congressman John Lewis at John Lewis Plaza in Freedom Park in Atlanta, Georgia^[11]
• Lucian Freud – Eight Months Gone
• Zenos Frudakis – Statue of Ellis Arnall (Atlanta)
• Antony Gormley – Another Place (sculpture)
• Rodney Graham – Vexation Island (film loop)
  • • Philip Jackson Gurkha Memorial, London
  • Raoul Wallenberg Monument, London
• Larry Kirkland – Garden Wreath (installation, Portland, Oregon)
• Gabriel Koren - El-Hajj Malik Shabazz, Malcolm X placed at the Audubon Ballroom in Manhattan, New York City^[12]
• Sarah Lucas – Bunny Gets Snookered (installation, including Pauline Bunny)
• Ron Mueck – Dead Dad, Angel, Big Baby II and III, Man in a Sheet and Mask (Self Portrait) (sculptures)^[13]
• Odd Nerdrum
  • The Savior of Painting
  • Self-Portrait in Golden Cape
• Cornelia Parker
  • Mass (Colder Darker Matter) (installation)
  • The Negative of Whispers (sculpture of found material)
  • Pornographic Drawings
• Martin Puryear – Bearing Witness (sculpture, Washington, D.C.)
• Richard Serra - Snake (completed)^[14]
• Gillian Wearing – 10 - 16 (video)

Films

• The Dog of Flanders: The Movie

Deaths

January to June

• January 23 – Jeremy Maas, English art dealer and historian of Victorian painting (b. 1928).
• January 25 – Dan Barry, American cartoonist (b. 1923)
• February 2 – Theodoros Stamos, Greek American abstract expressionist painter (b.1922).
• March 7 – Martin Kippenberger, German artist (b.1953).
• March 11 – Sam Golden, paint maker (b.1915).
• March 15 – Victor Vasarely, Hungarian-French artist (b.1906).
• March 19 – Willem de Kooning, Dutch born American abstract expressionist painter (b.1904).
• March 31 – Nandor Glid, Yugoslav and Serbian sculptor (b.1924).
• April 16 – Roland Topor, French illustrator, painter, writer and filmmaker (b.1938).
• April 20 – Jean Louis, French costume designer (b.1907).
• April 22 – Reg Gammon, English painter and illustrator (b.1894)
• May 23 – James Lee Byars, American artist (b.1932).

July to December

• July 15 – Gianni Versace, Italian fashion designer, murdered (b. 1946; murdered)^[15]
• July 16 – Dora Maar, French photographer, poet and painter, lover of Pablo Picasso (b. 1907)^[16]
• August 4 – Tom Eckersley, English poster artist (b. 1914)
• September 6 – Jean-Pierre Sudre, French photographer (b. 1921)^[17]
• September 29 – Roy Lichtenstein, American pop artist (b. 1923)
• October 22 – Leonid Amalrik, Russian animator and animation director (b. 1905)
• October 23 – Claire Falkenstein, American sculptor and painter (b. 1908)^[18]
• November 26 - Philip Berman, art collector, philanthropist, and co-founder of the Philip and Muriel Berman Museum at Ursinus College in Collegeville, Pennsylvania (b. 1915^[19]
• December 16 – Lillian Disney, American artist and wife of Walt Disney (b. 1899)^[20]

Full date unknown

• Jean Pierre Capron, French painter (b.1921).

Notes and References

1. News: Portrait of a Lady: Painting found in wall confirmed as stolen Klimt. BBC News. 2020-01-17. 2020-01-28.
2. Web site: Art crimes: Myra. 2015-03-13. https://web.archive.org/web/20150302170505/http://www.artcrimes.net/myra. 2015-03-02. dead.
3. News: Gibbons. Fiachra. 2006-06-13. Istanbul set to stamp its culture credentials. International Herald Tribune. 2012-06-01.
4. Web site: Lubelski. Abraham. 2006-12-22. Contemporary Istanbul. https://web.archive.org/web/20070211020415/http://www.artfairsinternational.com/?p=63. 2007-02-11. Art Fairs International. 2012-06-01.
5. News: The art of science. Times Higher Education. London. 1997-10-10. 2012-07-25.
6. News: Find Your Primitive Streak. https://archive.today/20130201082241/http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/smgpubs/access/382102401.html?dids=382102401:382102401&FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT&type=current&date=Aug+07,+2003&author=&pub=Evening+Times&desc=Find+your+Primitive+Streak&pqatl=google. dead. February 1, 2013. Evening Times. Glasgow. 2003-08-07. 2012-07-25.
7. Book: Kohn, Marek. Helen and Kate Storey: science and art engaging the public. London. Wellcome Trust. 2011.
8. Web site: Jackie Winsor: Sculpture . 4 September 2024.
9. Web site: Harmony in Green by Dan Hays (born 1966) - Walker Art Gallery, Liverpool museums. Liverpoolmuseums.org.uk. 28 November 2018.
10. Web site: At the Jewish Museum, 'Houdini' Makes Pigeons Appear. The New York Observer. 16 June 2010.
11. Web site: City of Atlanta, Mayor's Office of Cultural Affairs | OCA's Public Art Program Restores Sculpture Dedicated to Congressman John Lewis.
12. Web site: Projects Detail Viewer - Percent for Art.
13. Book: Hurlston, David. Ron Mueck (Exhibition Catalog). 2010. National Gallery of Victoria. Melbourne. etal.
14. Web site: Richard Serra Snake . 2024-08-20 . The Guggenheim Museums and Foundation . en-US.
15. Web site: FBI – Serial Killers, Part 6: Andrew Cunanan murders a fashion icon . FBI . dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20160702022814/https://www.fbi.gov/news/stories/2014/march/serial-killers-part-6-andrew-cunanan-murders-a-fashion-icon . 2 July 2016 .
16. Web site: Dora Maar (1907 - 1997). www.lemondedesarts.com.
17. Book: Jean-Pierre Sudre. Jean-Pierre Sudre. Actes Sud. 2003. 9782742743940. 202.
18. News: Claire Falkenstein; Prolific and Innovative Sculptor. Oliver. Myrna. October 25, 1997. Los Angeles Times. February 25, 2011. https://web.archive.org/web/20121105172237/http://articles.latimes.com/1997/oct/25/news/mn-46691. November 5, 2012. live.
19. News: Pace. Eric. 1997-12-02. Philip I. Berman, Art Collector And Museum Benefactor, 82 (Published 1997). en-US. The New York Times. 2021-01-13. 0362-4331.
20. News: Walt Disney's Widow, Lillian, Dies at 98. Weinraub. Bernard. December 18, 1997. The New York Times. 0362-4331. September 6, 2016.