Year Ender 2024: Art lovers, here are 5 events that shaped the art scene this year

2. Indian athletes were being celebrated through art at the 7th Arrondissement Town Hall in Paris in an event organised by the JSW Group that commemorated India at the Olympics over the years. As three Indian athletes set sail on the SS Mantua to participate in the Summer Olympics in Antwerp, Belgium, Paris-based Indian artist Sujata Bajaj saw the coming together of the Indian flag and the Olympic rings through her moving piece.

The contemporary artist, who is believed to have been born in 1975, first drew attention in the ’90s for his graffiti and distinctive iconographies (Source: Instagram/Banksy)

Looking beyond…

3. A banana duct-taped to a wall fetched an astounding $6.2 million (Rs 52.34 crore) at a Sotheby’s auction, far exceeding its pre-sale high estimate of $1.5 million (Rs 12.68 crore). The piece, titled ‘Comedian’ by Italian artist Maurizio Cattelan, soared to viral fame when it first appeared at Art Basel Miami Beach in 2019. The winning bid came from cryptocurrency entrepreneur Justin Sun, who emerged victorious after a five-minute bidding war involving seven collectors.

4. Halim Zukic, a local businessman from the town of Visoko realised his long-held dream of recreating one of Vincent van Gogh’s most famous paintings, The Starry Night, in the form of a nature park. After buying some land and a cottage in a nearby village 20 years ago, the 10-hectare Starry Night park became a part of a larger complex offering a retreat to visitors. He planted more trees and created 13 lakes using existing natural streams.

5. Banksy, an England-based street artist, had been making headlines all year due to his stolen art. The Bristol-based artist is known to comment on socio-political issues and there was speculation that his recent works from the animal-series might have been in response to the recent far-right riots across the UK, or the tense situation in the Middle East.