Since its announcement last October, this show, a kickoff of the Imaginary Museum exhibition series, has been embroiled in a debate over its ethics. The question is whether having the personal collection of a museum trustee exhibited inside the walls of the museum may be a little too much insider trading and whether, in exhibiting this collection, the New Museum is selling out to its anti-mainstream ideals.

But Joannou’s collection, which has never before been exhibited in the states, is widely viewed as one of the most significant private collections of contemporary art in the world. And Jeff Koons, whose piece “One Ball Total Equilibrium Tank” from 1985 whet Joannou’s appetite for collecting and is a cornerstone in this exhibit, is curating. It doesn’t sound too bad.

Despite the murmurings, the show itself seems to say something different. First that while museums, galleries, and other alternative art spaces around the world are going for broke in this tepid art market, capitalism in still working out for Joannou and Koons. The critics are also saying that while Koons may be one of the most significant artists of this generation, perhaps he might want to stick with making art and not arranging it.

On his curating, Koons elaborates, “When you collect within the time of your own life, you confront your own mortality, and things that you respond to…you enter into the metaphysical aspect of art and art history. The vocabulary is not just linear, it’s like how light bends in time. History bends in time. And a collection bends in time.”

It seems like with all this scandal and notoriety, people are really talking up this slightly run-of-the-mill survey of contemporary classics. The 100-plus piece show is heavy with enormous sculptures and figurative works and touches on significant themes in contemporary art like playing with the human form and ruminations on the apocalypse.

It features work by the art stars of the past two and a half decades. Cindy Sherman, Kiki Smith, Charles Ray, Takashi Murakami, Cady Noland, Urs Fischer, Vanessa Beecroft, Matthew Barney, Kara Walker and some forty odd others are all there. So while Joannou clearly has a good eye for blue chip artists, the exhibition reflects little more than who and what has achieved art world notoriety (and appealed to Joannou) in the past twenty-five years.

Skin Fruit: Selections from the Dakis Joannou Collection
is on view at the New Museum through June 6
235 Bowery
New York, NY 10002

One Ball Total Equilibrium Tank 1985, Jeff Koons

Selection from the Survival Series, Jenny Holzer (1984)

Revolution, Counter-revolution, Charles Ray (1990). Ray will be re-envisioning this piece for Skin Fruit.

Jennifer Love Hewitt is single again. The Ghost Whisperer star split from her comedian costar Jamie Kennedy after a year together  but they will have to show up on set and work together. Awkward! Jamie first gushed over his ex during a radio interview with Ryan Seacrest in March 2009, saying, “I’m in love!” while J. Love called Jamie “hilarious.” But that was then. Friends of the former couple admit that there was no infidelity but that the romance had just “run its course. They just sort of looked at each other and said, We like each other and we make each other laugh but this isnt for the long-term.” There will surely be a line of eligible men ready to snatch up the sexy actress, who has dated John Mayer, Stephen Dorff and Carson Daly.

Out & About

Jennifer Aniston, running errands in NYC after a press junket at The Ritz Carlton for her new movie The Bounty Hunter.

Jessica Simpson, arriving at a taping of Good Morning America in NYC wearing an orange dress and red shoes.

Renee Zelwegger and Bradley Cooper, having dinner at LA’s Street with Emily Blunt and John Krasinski.

Mickey Rourke, on a date with his supermodel girlfriend at NYC’s Matsuri at
the Maritime Hotel.

Kourtney Kardashian, with babydaddy Scott Disick and son Mason at a polo
match in Miami Beach.

Demi Lovato and Joe Jonas, going to church together in LA.

Lies Maculan’s The Dream Shop through March 2010
30 West 21st Street, NYC
Tues. – Sun. 3 – 11pm

Anisha Lakhani, Emerson Barth

Chessy Wilson

Kipton Cronkite, Clay Floren, Jeff Wilgo, Harry Stendhal

Lies Maculan

Lucy Sykes Rellie, Euan Rellie, Susan Shin

And for Coco fans, a cover shoot video for her native Canada’s Flare magazine.

Any Old Iron
149 Orchard Street, between Stanton Street and Rivington Street, New York City. The shop is scheduled to operate Sunday to Wednesday, 12 p.m. to 7 p.m., Thursday and Friday 12 p.m. to 8 p.m and Saturdays from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.