Attention span corner

Ralph Rugoff, director of London’s Hayward Gallery has been mentioned on overthenet before. This time he’s got interesting things to say about art and money, money and art. You can read the rest of the interview here.

Nayeri: In your talk, you said artworks today were recognized for their price and as commodities. Is the art market something that disturbs you?

Rugoff: I wouldn't say it disturbs me. It certainly has an effect on what I do.

There's a Warhol in this show that probably doubled its value due to the auction activity from the time we first contacted the lender to the time we had to cover it with insurance. There is another Warhol that the collector finally decided he didn't want to lend, because the market for Warhol suddenly seemed to have doubled.

All the attention of it -- how much money is paid for a Peter Doig or a Damien Hirst -- distracts us from thinking about what the work is about. It's amazing that these contemporary artworks are selling for as much money as they do, but I don't think it necessarily helps anybody appreciate what's interesting about contemporary art.

Source: Soaring Prices Turn Art Into a Commodity, Hayward's Boss Warns. By Farah Nayeri on bloomberg.com
Image: a gnat