ArtReview Releases its Power 100

Friday 15th October 2010

Anybody that keeps up to date with what's happening on the big stage of the contemporary art world will definitely be familiar with few of the names that have made it on to the ArtReview Power 100 for 2010.

As stated by ArtReview, this is more than just a list of the most favoured people in the art world at the moment, or a who's who of the faces on the contemporary scene. What the list represents is the group of people who are actively shaping the art world, who are key to current trends and who form some of the most important networks in terms of market development and the proliferation of contemporary art across the world.

Whatever you think of the list and the people on it, you can't argue that it isn't interesting to see who made it onto the list, where they sit in the list and why they got there.

The top 10 are all reconisable art world giants, for a range of different reasons. Gallerist Larry Gagosian made it in at number 1, beating curator Hans Ulrich Obrist who held the top spot last year. It's no surprise that Gagosian is sitting pretty this year; he now has 9 gallery spaces around the world, beating the likes of David Zwirner who is also in the top 10, and seems to have unlimited powers when it comes to dictating how things the art world around him should be orchestrated.

Hans Ulrich Obrist takes the second spot on the chart for continuing to be a serious power curator in a year when curatorial budgets were not looking too hot.

On the museum side of things, MoMA Director Glenn D. Lowry comes in at number 5 and the leader at the Tate, Sir Nicholas Serota, comes in at number 7. Three million people descended on MoMA this year, in part to see some of the great contemporary exhibitions that the museum presented. It could be easy for MoMA to sit back and bask in the glory of their fantastic modern art collection, but they don't. They push forward and stick with the flow of the contemporary art scene, ensuring that MoMA stays relevant and at the centre of the art world. The Tate on the other hand has been critised a lot this year for things like their relationship with BP, but as ArtReview rightly points out, "if it weren't for Tate Modern, London wouldn't be the art centre it has become." Pat on the back for Sir Nick.

A certain power collector also made it into the top 10, and it's no surprise given his contemporary art empire. An art collection worth more than $1billion, an entire wing at LACMA, a hefty investment of $30 million in LA MOCA and even his own museum. Not bad going.

Visit the ArtReview 100 website to get the full listing and to take a closer look at some of the most powerful and interesting characters in the contemporary art world.

Posted on October 15th 2010 on 10:23am

Labels: contemporary art

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