Marina Abramovic. Image from theguardian.com
Last week Artnet released its list of artists, curators, gallerists, critics and collectors deemed the most powerful individuals in contemporary art. With one hundred names making the cut, we decided to narrow things down and feature the influential women who’ve snagged a spot. Presented in no particular order, these are ten of the most powerful women making waves in the art world.
1. Marina Abramovic
Despite losing a recent court case against Ulay, it goes without saying that Marina Abramovic‘s inclusion is a no-brainer. The 1970s-created “Rhythm” series, one of her earliest works, caused the performance artist to lose consciousness during its fifth instalment. Abramovic recently executed a Kickstarter campaign for the creation of her own eponymous institute, a venture which proved successful after she received $600,000 in donations. Further, collaborations with pop culture icons Lady GaGa and Jay-Z have allowed the creative to maintain relevancy, thus furthering her position as “the grandmother of performance art”.
2. Nita Ambani
As well as owning a Champions League-winning football team, Indian native Nita Ambani is the chairperson of the Reliance Foundation. The Foundation funds exhibitions regularly at the Met and at Chicago’s Art Institute. Most importantly, The Reliance Foundation is currently undergoing plans to build a massive art space in Mumbai, which Ambani hopes will encourage her community to embrace art as part of their lives.
Yayoi Kusama. Image from sheva.com
3. Yayoi Kusama
Throughout her practice, 87 year-old Yayoi Kusama has had a hand in Surrealism, Minimalism, pop art, the Zero and Nul movements, Eccentric Abstraction and feminist art. A painter, sketcher, screen printer and performer, her 70 year ride in the art world has seen her influence artists Yoko Ono and Andy Warhol as well as fashion mogul Marc Jacobs. She is the highest earning living female artist.
4. Monika Sprüth and Philomene Magers
We couldn’t possibly leave the Two “Art world feminists” Monika Sprüth and Philomene Magers off this list. Being the founders of one of SLEEK’s favourite galleries, Sprüth Magers in Mitte, the pair own a host of spaces spanning Europe and most recently, the US. A host of artists’ work has donned the walls of their several studios – including that of Philip-Lorca diCorcia, Stephen Shore and John Baldessari.
Miuccia Prada. Image from vogue.com
5. Miuccia Prada
Pioneering fashion tycoons, Prada, have an ever expanding collection of creative projects – which is further solidifying their stature in the art world. The youngest granddaughter of Mario Prada, Miuccia, is taking charge of the proceedings, as the beneficiary of the company. Not only is she the head designer of one of the most successful fashion houses in the world, she is also the founder of its subsidiary Miu Miu. With a reported $4.2 billion fortune and her impeccable personal style and sense of cool injecting into her fashion lines, the woman is unstoppable.
6. Rosa de la Cruz
Rosa de la Cruz is co-founder of the 30,000 square foot private museum The de la Cruz Collection Contemporary Art Space in Miami’s Design District. There, de la Cruz is able to focus on her philanthropic efforts – offering scholarships and educational workshops for her community.
7. Sheikha Mayassa Al-Thani
The “undisputed queen of the art world“, Sheikha Mayassa Al-Thani is the chairperson of Qatar Museums. Overseeing the purchase of works by Damien Hirst and Mark Rothko, her organisation’s spending hits a billion dollars a year.
Cindy Sherman. Image from pinterest.com
8. Cindy Sherman
Cindy Sherman‘s body of work is enormous. Growing up and moving away from being the shy kid from Long Island, terrified of the bright lights of New York, Sherman found a niche in her self-exiling work. Her use of prosthetics, face-paint, wigs and costumes allowing her to morph from person to person and be her own constant subject has turned her into one of the most talked about photographers of the past 50 years – with work only being knocked out of the running as the most expensive photograph by the legendary Andreas Gursky.
9. Maya Hoffmann
Chair of the Swiss institute and founder of the LUMA Foundation, many museums might not even exist if it wasn’t for Maya Hoffmann. Playing significant roles in the development of Tate Modern, the Serpentine Gallery and the New Museum, her foundation also funds Photo London, the only festival of its kind in the UK capital.
10. Ingvild Goetz
Another heavyweight in the art world is Ingvild Goetz. The German arts patron founded Sammlung-Goetz in Munich. Specialising in new media, Goetz has exhibited artists including Nan Goldin, Richard Prince and Diane Arbus to name a few.