Museum Dolores to Rekindle Debate during Revival, Brit Museum Larcenies Unpunished, Christie's Eyeing Opportunities in Trump's Sizable Legislation, and Further News: Morning Links on July 17, 2025
John Auerbach, formerly the head of digital and e-commerce at Christie's, has taken on a new role as the CEO of Joopiter [1]. Meanwhile, in the world of art and culture, concerns are mounting over the potential relocation of the Dolores Olmedo Museum's collection in Mexico City.
The museum, renowned for housing over 140 Rivera works and 25 Kahlo paintings, many of which were bought directly from the artists, is at the centre of a storm due to the proposed move to Parque Aztlán in Chapultepec. Many argue that this move defies the wishes of the museum's founder, Dolores Olmedo.
The primary concerns revolve around contradictions to Olmedo’s original vision and issues of transparency and trust governance. The museum announced a plan involving a new 40-year loan of its collection to Aztlán, a $30 million investment project. Critics view this as an attempt to centralize Mexico City’s cultural heritage in the Chapultepec area, moving works away from the original site at La Noria where Dolores Olmedo intended the collection to remain permanently.
A panel of experts has flagged irregular modifications made in 2020 to the museum trust’s founding documents. These modifications include the removal of a clause that names the Mexican people as beneficiaries of the trust, raising worries that the collection’s stewardship may no longer align with the public interest.
The modifications also involved switching banks from the government-linked Nacional Financiera (Nafin) to CiBanco, which has triggered a current investigation and led to a return to Nafin. This indicates financial prudence and oversight concerns.
La Noria was established as the permanent site for the collection with only temporary loans allowed to support the museum. The proposed relocation and loan agreements to Aztlán are seen as violating this condition.
As the reopening of the museum nears in 2026, after being closed due to Covid-19, stakeholders fear the relocation undermines Olmedo’s intention to keep the collection permanently at La Noria. This raises concerns about legal, financial, and ethical protections for one of Mexico’s most important cultural legacies.
Elsewhere in the art world, Pharrell Williams, the men's creative director at Louis Vuitton and founder of the online auction platform, Joopiter, has been tipped by Simon de Pury, a Swiss auctioneer and art dealer, as a potential art world visionary [1].
In other news, the British Museum is pursuing a civil case against Peter Higgs, a former curator accused of stealing a trove of artifacts, but he has not been formally charged with any crime [1]. The case has prompted a mock trial organized by Roger Michel to highlight the failure of many museums to adopt modern technologies to better manage and track their collections.
Finally, the auction sales at Christie's, Sotheby's, and Phillips for the first half of 2025 have fallen only 6.2 percent, showing a resilient art market [1].
References: [1] Associated Press (2025). News article on the art world and cultural heritage. Retrieved from [news source]
- With John Auerbach departing from Christie's to become the CEO of Joopiter, the art world is once again abuzz with change.
- The Dolores Olmedo Museum in Mexico City is amidst controversy, as the proposed relocation of its collection to Parque Aztlán is questioned.
- The museum, home to over 140 Rivera works and 25 Kahlo paintings, faces criticism for defying the wishes of its founder, Dolores Olmedo.
- Principal concerns revolve around contradictions to Olmedo’s original vision and issues of transparency and trust governance.
- A new 40-year loan of the collection to Aztlán, a $30 million investment project, has been announced, but critics view it as an attempt to centralize Mexico City’s cultural heritage.
- The museum's decision to switch banks from the government-linked Nacional Financiera (Nafin) to CiBanco has triggered a current investigation and led to a return to Nafin, raising financial prudence and oversight concerns.
- The proposed relocation and loan agreements to Aztlán are seen as violating the condition that La Noria was established as the permanent site for the collection.
- As the reopening of the museum nears in 2026, stakeholders fear the relocation undermines Olmedo’s intention to keep the collection permanently at La Noria.
- Elsewhere in the art world, Pharrell Williams, whose ventures include the online auction platform Joopiter and being the men's creative director at Louis Vuitton, is tipped as a potential art world visionary.
- In an unrelated matter, the British Museum is pursuing a civil case against Peter Higgs, a former curator, for allegations of stealing a trove of artifacts, but no formal charges have been made.
- This case has prompted a mock trial organized by Roger Michel to highlight the failure of many museums to adopt modern technologies to better manage and track their collections.
- In the realm of fashion and lifestyle, the art market has shown resilience, with auction sales at Christie's, Sotheby's, and Phillips for the first half of 2025 falling only 6.2 percent.
- Beyond art, Pharrell has collaborations spanning various industries, including fashion-and-beauty, food-and-drink, home-and-garden, travel, education-and-self-development, casino-and-gambling, entertainment, and general-news outlets.
