1997 in art
Events from the year [Freedom Park (Atlanta)|]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 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.
- 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.
- October 18 – Guggenheim Museum Bilbao, designed by Frank Gehry, is opened.
- December 2 – Is Painting Dead?, a discussion on ITV in the UK following this year's Turner Prize award, becomes notorious for artist Tracey Emin appearing drunk and storming off.
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.
- 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 opens at the Institute of Contemporary Arts in London.
- 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.
Awards
- Archibald Prize – Nigel Thomson, Barbara Blackman
- John Moores Painting Prize - Dan Hays for "Harmony in Green"
- Schock Prize in Visual Arts – Torsten Andersson
- Turner Prize – Gillian Wearing
- The Lion d'or for Lifetime Achievement: Emilio Vedova, Agnes Martin
- The Lion d'or for Best Pavilion: France exhibiting the work of Fabrice Hyber
Artworks
- Matthew Barney - The Erich Weiss Suite
- Louise Bourgeois – Eye Benches I, II and III
- Maurizio Cattelan – Turisti
- Thornton Dial - The Bridge dedicated to Congressman John Lewis at John Lewis Plaza in
- Lucian Freud – Eight Months Gone
- Zenos Frudakis – Statue of Ellis Arnall
- Antony Gormley – Another Place
- Rodney Graham – Vexation Island
- Philip Jackson
- * Gurkha Memorial, London
- * Raoul Wallenberg Monument, London
- Larry Kirkland – Garden Wreath
- Gabriel Koren - El-Hajj Malik Shabazz, Malcolm X placed at the Audubon Ballroom in Manhattan, New York City
- Sarah Lucas – Bunny Gets Snookered
- Ron Mueck – Dead Dad, Angel, Big Baby II and III, Man in a Sheet and Mask
- Odd Nerdrum
- *The Savior of Painting
- *Self-Portrait in Golden Cape
- Cornelia Parker
- *Mass
- *The Negative of Whispers
- *Pornographic Drawings
- Martin Puryear – Bearing Witness
- Richard Serra - Snake
- Gillian Wearing – ''10-16''
Films
- The Dog of Flanders: The Movie
Deaths
January to June
- January 23 – Jeremy Maas, English art dealer and historian of Victorian painting.
- January 25 – Dan Barry, American cartoonist
- February 2 – Theodoros Stamos, Greek American abstract expressionist painter.
- March 7 – Martin Kippenberger, German artist.
- March 11 – Sam Golden, paint maker.
- March 15 – Victor Vasarely, Hungarian-French artist.
- March 19 – Willem de Kooning, Dutch born American abstract expressionist painter.
- March 31 – Nandor Glid, Yugoslav and Serbian sculptor.
- April 16 – Roland Topor, French illustrator, painter, writer and filmmaker.
- April 20 – Jean Louis, French costume designer.
- April 22 – Reg Gammon, English painter and illustrator
- May 23 – James Lee Byars, American artist.
July to December
- July 15 – Gianni Versace, Italian fashion designer, murdered
- July 16 – Dora Maar, French photographer, poet and painter, lover of Pablo Picasso
- August 4 – Tom Eckersley, English poster artist
- September 6 – Jean-Pierre Sudre, French photographer
- September 29 – Roy Lichtenstein, American pop artist
- October 22 – Leonid Amalrik, Russian animator and animation director
- October 23 – Claire Falkenstein, American sculptor and painter
- November 26 - Philip Berman, art collector, philanthropist, and co-founder of the Philip and Muriel Berman Museum at Ursinus College in Collegeville, Pennsylvania