An all-Russian lineup of galleries is taking part in the Cosmoscow fair this year, which runs through September 17. In the run-up to the fair, some dealers complained that their applications had been rejected due to political work about the invasion of Ukraine, and others accused the fair of interfering with what they brought and how it was displayed. The fair’s director has denied allegations of internal censorship. The now-disgraced founder of L.A.
But his slippery maneuvering came to an end last July when the feds finally charged him with three counts of embezzlement. Now, he has beenin a bankruptcy case ongoing since 2013, and faces prison pending a federal trial in January. Catherine Wagley digs into how he dodged consequences for so long, and what that says about “the opacity of the art market and the millions of dollars sloshing around in it.