Art news daily: 19 February

Our daily round-up of news from the art world

Karl Lagerfeld (1933–2019) | The celebrated fashion designer Karl Lagerfeld, creative director for Fendi and Chanel, has died in Paris at the age of 85. Born and raised in Hamburg, Lagerfeld moved to Paris as a teenager in 1952 – one of his first jobs was as an assistant for Pierre Balmain in 1955. In 1965, Lagerfeld began his collaboration with Fendi, before joining Chanel in 1983. Beyond the world of fashion, Lagerfeld was also a photographer, collector of furniture and photography, and one-time gallerist.

Ai Weiwei-directed segment in Berlin film cut | Ai Weiwei has told reporters that a segment which he directed for the film Berlin I Love You was cut from the recently released film without his prior knowledge. The artist told DW that ‘the reason we were given for the episode’s removal was that my political status had made it difficult for the production team to secure further funding’ for projects including a planned film in Shanghai, and that the Berlin Film Festival also voiced concern regarding his participation. The cut segment was directed remotely via FaceTime during Ai’s house arrest in China in 2015.

Lucas Museum of Narrative Art announces search for new director | The Lucas Museum of Narrative Art, which is set to open in Los Angeles in 2022, has announced that its founding president Don Bacigalupi is stepping down. In a released statement Lucas said: ‘we would not have been able to break ground in Los Angeles without him.’ Before a replacement is hired, board member John W. McCarter Jr. will act as interim president, while Bacigalupi will continue in an advisory role.