Serpentine Galleries CEO Yana Peel resigns

Our daily round-up of news from the art world

Serpentine Galleries CEO Yana Peel resigns | Yana Peel has stepped down as CEO of Serpentine Galleries after the Guardian reported on the ownership structure of NSO Group, in which a regulated, institutional fund managed by Yana Peel’s husband owns a controlling stake. Peel issued a statement this morning declaring that ‘the work of the Serpentine […] cannot be allowed to be undermined by misguided personal attacks on me and my family’.*

Robert Therrien (1947–2019) | Robert Therrien, the American artist whose monumental sculptures of commonplace objects have appeared in the interiors of museums across the world, has died at the age of 71. Born in Chicago, Therrien moved with his family to Palo Alto in 1954, remaining in California for the majority of his life. His death was announced by Gagosian gallery in a statement that described his studio as ‘a fabled fixture in downtown Los Angeles [that…] straddled the line between fantasy and reality, like much of his work’.

Shortlist for Film London Jarman Award announced | Film London has released the shortlist for its annual Jarman Award. Cécile B. Evans, Beatrice Gibson, Mikhail Karikis, Hetain Patel, Imran Perretta, and Rehana Zaman have all been nominated for the £10,000 prize, which will be presented at a ceremony at the Barbican on 25 November. Inspired by the film director Derek Jarman, the award ‘celebrates the spirit of experimentation, imagination and innovation in the work of UK-based artist filmmakers’, with previous winners including Laure Provost, Elizabeth Price, Monster Chetwynd, and Luke Fowler.

*Updated 21 February 2020: Following a legal complaint, the Guardian removed its article of 14 June 2019 and apologised to Mrs Peel. We are happy to clarify that Yana Peel is not, and was not, personally involved in the operation or decisions of the regulated Novalpina Capital investment fund, which is managed by her husband Stephen Peel, and others. Mrs Peel was not involved in any decision-making relating to the fund’s acquisition of NSO. Mrs Peel only has a small, indirect and passive interest in the fund. She does not own, whether directly or indirectly, any Novalpina Capital entity or any stake in NSO Group.