1997 in art

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Events from the year 1997 in art.

Events

January 27 – It is revealed that French museums have nearly 2,000 pieces of art that had been stolen by Nazis.
February 22 – Gustav Klimt's Portrait of a Lady (overpainted 1917 on Portrait of a Young Lady) is stolen from the Galleria d'arte moderna Ricci Oddi in Piacenza, Italy. It is recovered from a hiding place in the exterior of the building in December 2019.^[1]
March 6 – Pablo Picasso's Tête de Femme is stolen from the Lefevre Gallery in London's Mayfair by an armed robber. It is recovered a week later.
April 27 – Andrew Cunanan murders Jeffrey Trail, beginning a murder spree that will last until July and end with the murder of fashion designer Gianni Versace.
September 8 – Marcus Harvey's controversial painting of Myra Hindley goes on display at the Royal Academy of Art in London and is vandalised twice, by two different artists, on the opening day.^[2]
October 18 – Guggenheim Museum Bilbao, designed by Frank Gehry, is opened.

Puppy by Jeff Koons is moved from Sydney Harbour to the Guggenheim Museum Bilbao.
Robert Colescott becomes the first African-American to represent the United States in a solo exhibition at the Venice Biennial.
Istanbul Contemporary Art Museum is established by conceptual artist Genco Gulan in Turkey as an art project.^[3]^[4]
Patricia Martín conceives La Colección Jumex in Mexico City.

The Lion d'or (Golden Lion) for Lifetime Achievement: Emilio Vedova (Italy), Agnes Martin (USA)
The Lion d'or for Best Pavilion: France exhibiting the work of Fabrice Hyber

Matthew Barney - The Erich Weiss Suite^[9]
Louise Bourgeois – Eye Benches I, II and III (Seattle)
Maurizio Cattelan – Turisti (installation, first version)
Thornton Dial - The Bridge dedicated to Congressman John Lewis at John Lewis Plaza in Freedom Park in Atlanta, Georgia^[10]
Lucian Freud – Eight Months Gone
Zenos Frudakis – Statue of Ellis Arnall (Atlanta)
Antony Gormley – Another Place (sculpture)
Rodney Graham – Vexation Island (film loop)
Philip Jackson
- Gurkha Memorial, London
- Raoul Wallenberg Monument, London
Larry Kirkland – Garden Wreath (installation, Portland, Oregon)
Gabriel Koren - El-Hajj Malik Shabazz, Malcolm X placed at the Audubon Ballroom in Manhattan, New York City^[11]
Sarah Lucas – Bunny Gets Snookered (installation, including Pauline Bunny)
Ron Mueck – Dead Dad, Angel, Big Baby II and III, Man in a Sheet and Mask (Self Portrait) (sculptures)^[12]
Odd Nerdrum
- The Savior of Painting
- Self-Portrait in Golden Cape
Cornelia Parker
- Mass (Colder Darker Matter) (installation)
- The Negative of Whispers (sculpture of found material)
- Pornographic Drawings
Martin Puryear – Bearing Witness (sculpture, Washington, D.C.)
Richard Serra - Snake (completed)^[13]
Gillian Wearing – 10–16 (video)

January 23 – Jeremy Maas, English art dealer and historian of Victorian painting (b. 1928).
January 25 – Dan Barry, American cartoonist (b. 1923)
February 2 – Theodoros Stamos, Greek American abstract expressionist painter (b.1922).
March 7 – Martin Kippenberger, German artist (b.1953).
March 11 – Sam Golden, paint maker (b.1915).
March 15 – Victor Vasarely, Hungarian-French artist (b.1906).
March 19 – Willem de Kooning, Dutch born American abstract expressionist painter (b.1904).
April 16 – Roland Topor, French illustrator, painter, writer and filmmaker (b.1938).
April 20 – Jean Louis, French costume designer (b.1907).
April 22 – Reg Gammon, English painter and illustrator (b.1894)
May 23 – James Lee Byars, American artist (b.1932).