Away from the big festivals, edgy artists proved their mettle and made it a year to remember
The international art scene this year is probably best remembered for the major events of the summer - the Venice Biennale, Art Basel, Munster Sculpture Projects and Documenta to name just the few - all those record-breaking auctions, and the crippling strike in New York last month that shut down most Broadway shows around the Thanksgiving holidays.
But there were also 'alternative' events that made this year's global arts scene memorable and bizarre.
It was the year that naked male figures basked on rooftops all around London, 'Harry Potter' went naked in the West End, the West End found its musical stars by public vote, and a diamond-encrusted skull was put on sale for GBP50 million (HK$775 million).
The London arts year started in January when sculptor Mark Wallinger (plus 15 assistants) painstakingly recreated a one-man anti-war protest outside the Houses of Parliament for a show at Tate Britain, entitled State Britain. The work subsequently won Wallinger the Turner Prize this month.
Just along the South Bank, the builders finally left the Royal Festival Hall in June after being on site for two years. Some commentators suggested it looked much the same, although the Festival Hall said this was one of its aims - with all of the original seating reconstructed piece by piece - and emphasised the 'stunning rooftop terraces and riverside cafes' of the reopened area.
