Fatoş Üstek named director of Liverpool Biennial

Our daily round-up of news from the art world

Fatoş Üstek named director of Liverpool Biennial | Fatoş Üstek, current director and chief curator of the David Roberts Art Foundation, has been named the new director of the Liverpool Biennial. Prior to joining DRAF in 2018, Üstek was an independent curator; projects included fig-2 at the ICA and Art Night 2017, both in London. She replaces Sally Tallant, who was appointed president and executive director of the Queens Museum in New York at the end of last year. Üstek was featured on this year’s Apollo 40 under 40 Europe; read Apollo’s interview with the curator here.

Vancouver Art Gallery workers reach agreement with museum | Workers at the Vancouver Art Gallery, who went on strike last Tuesday, have now reached an agreement with the museum and have ended their strike, their union CUPE 15 announced yesterday. The agreement concludes a lengthy period of negotiations over the workers’ contracts; the new four-year deal includes retroactive wage increases of 1.5 per cent for the past two years and future increases of 1.75 per cent in 2019 and two per cent in 2020.

High court dismisses Neo Bankside residents’ case against Tate | A high court judge has dismissed a nuisance claim made by residents of the Neo Bankside development that the viewing platform on the top floor of the Tate Modern’s Blavatnik Building constitutes an ‘invasion of privacy’. The owners of the four flats who brought the case argued that the viewing platform, which opened in 2016, allowed gallery visitors to see into their homes. The judge stated this was ‘because of the complete glass walls of the living accommodation’ and the claimants could ‘take remedial steps’ to protect their privacy, such as using curtains or blinds.

Tomi Ungerer (1931–2019) | The artist, writer and illustrator Tomi Ungerer has died at the age of 87. Ungerer, who was born in Strasbourg in 1931 and lived in New York for two decades before settling in Ireland in 1976, was primarily known for his satirical drawings. However, his oeuvre extended to paintings, sculptures, political posters, erotica and more 140 books for both adults and children. There is a museum dedicated to his life and work in Strasbourg. The Washington Post has published an obituary here.