In case you missed it, Benjamin Genocchio — who was replaced as director of the Armory Show after being accused of sexual harassment — is back in the art world as a partner of Gmurzynska Gallery.A call to the gallery’s headquarters at Paradeplatz, Zurich, confirmed that Genocchio is working for the company. The company provided his email and described him as vice president at the company’s New York branch.Genocchio has been seen at Tefaf in New York and also Art Basel Hong Kong at the gallery’s booths.Last year Genocchio was replaced at the Armory Show by Deputy Director Nicole Berry, in events detailed by a New York Times report.“Five women who have worked with him over the years told The New York Times that they experienced unwelcome touching by him,” according to the article by Robin Pogrebin. “In interviews, a total of eight who had worked with him at the Armory Show, Artnet and Louise Blouin Media said he made sexually inappropriate comments to them, and an additional 11 people said they had observed or knew about Mr. Genocchio making these comments, often in the workplace.”Genocchio was given several days to respond to the allegations, according to the report, and issued a statement in which he said he had never intentionally acted in an inappropriate manner nor spoke to or touched a colleague in a sexually inappropriate way: “To the extent my behavior was perceived as disrespectful, I deeply and sincerely apologize and will ensure it does not happen again.”Australian-born Genocchio, who has a doctorate in art history, started as an art critic for The Australian then wrote about art for The New York Times before editing for Blouin Artinfo. His wife is the museum director Melissa Chiu.The New York Times reported: “In one compelling account related by several women, more than 20 female employees gathered in August 2016 in the conference room at Artnet… to discuss complaints about sexual harassment and the treatment of women in the office. As the director of human resources and other executives listened, women zeroed in on Mr. Genocchio, who had recently stepped down as editor of Artnet News to go to the Armory Show.”Louise Blouin, the founder of Artinfo, recently spoke in support of the #METOO movement: “As a gesture of support and solidarity, I wish to offer a confidential point of contact for those women in the art world who have also suffered such aggravated harassment. We need to create, together, a new normal that is based upon respect, equality, dignity and justice: equality@artinfo.com.” http://www.blouinartinfo.comFounder Louise Blouin
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