| | The First Art Newspaper on the Net | | Established in 1996 | Friday, July 30, 2021 |
| | | Dutch National Museum of Ethnology exhibits Aztec masterpieces | |
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A worker installs a sculpture of the Aztec deity Chalchiuhtlicue, dating from the 16th century, at the National Museum of Ethnology in Leiden on July 26, 2021. The National Museum of Ethnology exhibits Aztec masterpieces. Some of them can be seen for the first time outside Mexico. Sander Koning / ANP / AFP.
LEIDEN.- Life-sized warriors carved from stone, mythical human-animal figures, intricate gold jewellery, and a full-size 3D print of the sun stone: all this and more will be on display in Museum Volkenkundeâs Aztecs, the first exhibition about the Aztecs ever to be staged in the Netherlands. This year it is 500th years since the Aztec Empire fell to Spanish colonialists. This in fact made the Dutch and the Aztecs fellow countrymen, for at that time both served the Spanish king. Aztecs is an exhibition full of unique collection highlights that have never previously left Mexico, which dissects the myths surrounding this empire that was once believed to have been lost. A must-see for the whole family. Featuring some amazing collection highlights, the exhibition reveals the daily life of the Aztecs and their sophisticated culture. Yet the Spanish painted the Aztecs as a bloodthirsty people, in order to justify their own cruel practices. A gre ... More |
The Best Photos of the Day The Museum of Fine Arts, St. Petersburg 's exhibition, "Antioch Reclaimed: Ancient Mosaics at the MFA," (closing Aug. 22) presents the famed 1930s excavation of the ancient city of Antioch through rare documents, artifacts, and the exquisite mosaics that were discovered during the archaeological dig. Image: Roman, Antioch, Mosaic pavement from "The House of the Drinking Contest" (detail), c. AD 200â300, Stone Tesserae, Museum purchase, Museum of Fine Arts, St. Petersburg.
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| Londoners were promised a hill with a view. They got a pile of scaffolding. | | Australia to return 'stolen' art to India | | Marian Goodman announces new partners and leadership structure |
Visitors ascend the Marble Arch Mound, a new temporary attraction, next to Marble Arch in central London on July 28, 2021. Tolga Akmen / AFP.
by Alex Marshall and Isabella Kwai
LONDON (NYT NEWS SERVICE).- Advance publicity for the Marble Arch Mound Londons newest visitor attraction suggested that an Arcadian landscape would be created in the middle of the city, with spectacular views over Hyde Park. A huge artificial hill, more than 80 feet high, would rise at one end of Oxford Street, Londons busiest shopping district. Costing around 2 million pounds, or about $2.7 million, design renderings suggested that it would be covered in lush trees and that visitors would be able climb to the top and feel a light breeze against their skin. The hill was part of a 150 million-pound plan by Westminster Council to lure visitors back into the center of the city after the pandemic. In May, Time Out, Londons main listings magazine, described it as visually arresting/bonkers. The reality ... More | |
Tamil Nadu, India The dancing child-saint Sambandar, 12th century, purchased 2005.
SYDNEY (AFP).- Australia will return 14 artworks to India, including at least six believed to have been stolen or illegally exported, the National Gallery announced Thursday. The Canberra gallery identified the works -- which include sculptures, photographs and a scroll -- as either stolen, looted or of unknown origin. The collection is composed largely of "religious and cultural artefacts" worth a total of about US$2.2 million, including some dating back to the 12th century. Gallery director Nick Mitzevich told AFP the works were set to be returned to the Indian government within months. "It's a relief that they can be returned to the Indian people, and it's a resolution for the National Gallery to close a very difficult chapter of our history," he said. Thirteen of the works are connected to alleged trafficker Subhash Kapoor, a former Manhattan art dealer who was the subject of a massive US federal investigation known as Operation Hidden Idol. Kapoor, who is awaiting trial, denies ... More | |
Marian Goodman. Photo: Thomas Struth.
NEW YORK, NY.- Marian Goodman announced today a new partnership structure and leadership plan for Marian Goodman Gallery. Philipp Kaiser, who currently serves as Chief Executive Director of Artists and Programs, has been named President and Partner. Executive Directors Emily-Jane Kirwan, Rose Lord, Leslie Nolen, and Junette Teng have been named as Partners. Marian Goodman herself will take on the position of Chief Executive Officer. An advisory committee will support the Partners in overseeing the Gallerys ongoing stewardship and program development. The committee comprises Managing Director Elaine Budin, Executive Directors Aebhric Coleman (London) and Nicolas Nahab (Paris), Director of Finance Beatrice Wang-Coslick, and the Gallerys Director of Communications and Events Linda Pellegrini. Marking an important next step as the Gallery looks to its future, these appointments are a natural progression of the roles each has been play ... More |
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| Dutch unearth Roman canal, road near UNESCO heritage sites | | Solo show with new paintings by Antone Könst opens at Marianne Boesky Gallery | | Penn State's Palmer Museum of Art breaks ground on new home |
The canal -- more than 10 metres (33 feet) wide -- and road were uncovered last week near the eastern city of Nijmegen.
THE HAGUE (AFP).- Dutch archaeologists said on Wednesday they have unearthed a Roman canal and road near ancient military camps that were this week listed on UNESCO's list of World Heritage sites. The canal -- more than 10 metres (33 feet) wide -- and road were uncovered last week near the eastern city of Nijmegen, a major Roman-era settlement with permanent military bases that were awarded the UNESCO status. They are believed to have been built and used by the Roman military, according to RAAP, the country's largest consultancy for archeology and cultural history. Nijmegen is on the Rhine, the border of the Roman Empire at the time, it said in a statement, adding that the discovery was "unique" for that region of the country. Many Roman soldiers were stationed along the river and the canal probably linked Nijmegen and the Rhine and was used to transport troops, supplies and building materials. ... More | |
Antone Könst, Tulips, 2021. Oil on canvas, 78 x 60 1/4 in. 198.1 x 153 cm. Courtesy of the artist. Photo: Lance Brewer.
ASPEN, CO.- Marianne Boesky Gallery is presenting Dear Future, an exhibition of new paintings by Antone Könst. The artists new group of works capture the emotive impact and uncontainable energy of an indefinite future, shifting his portrayed characters between moments of hope, dread, tension, and humor. Dear Future is on view July 29 September 12, 2021 on the second floor of the gallerys space in Aspen. Könsts paintings are rooted in figuration, presenting people, animals, and even inanimate objects that are imbued with personified feeling and life. As a starting point for his works, Könst frequently calls back to archetypal and art historical imagery, sourced from studied explorations of classical painting, sculpture, pop culture, and lived experience. The exhibition is interspersed with these references, such as the symbolic and luminous depictions of rising and setting suns that embody the drama of William Blake ... More | |
View of the main entry plaza of the new Palmer Museum of Art at Penn State. Architect: Allied Works. Rendering: Courtesy of MIR.
UNIVERSITY PARK, PA.- Construction of the new building for the Palmer Museum of Art at Penn State has begun. The Museum will directly neighbor the H.O. Smith Botanic Gardens in The Arboretum at Penn State, replacing the current facility on campus. The new 71,000-square-foot Museum, projected to open in the fall of 2023, will substantially boost accessibility to the Universitys art collections for students, faculty, staff and the public. Seamlessly integrating art, architecture and nature and sited within a landscape similar to those that inspired many of the American works in its renowned collection, the new Museum will nearly double the space for the display, study and stewardship of art. The innovative and versatile design features a series of interlocking pavilions clad in regional stone that evokes the geology of central Pennsylvania. In keeping with Penn States commitment to environmental sustainability, ... More |
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| Christie's to offer a private collection of important baseball memorabilia | | Do Ho Suh exhibits at London Mithraeum Bloomberg SPACE | | D.C. philanthropist Michelle Smith's couture collection to be presented by Hindman Auctions this September |
The collection has been assembled over the last 25 years, and features iconic players, teams, and moments in the history of Major League Baseball with specific focus on items of scarcity. © Christie's Images Ltd 2021.
NEW YORK, NY.- Christies and Hunt Auctions announce a historic offering from a single owner private collection of baseball memorabilia and trading cards entitled Extra Innings: A Private Collection of Important Baseball Memorabilia. A live sale will take place on October 7 at Christies Rockefeller Galleries in New York, and an online sale will run from September 24 through October 8. The collection has been assembled over the last 25 years, and features iconic players, teams, and moments in the history of Major League Baseball with specific focus on items of scarcity. Highlights of the auction include a Babe Ruth professional model hat worn during his 1927-28 Bustin Babes barnstorming Tour ($200,000-$400,000) and an important Babe Ruth Professional Model Baseball ... More | |
Installation view. Photo by Marcus Leith, courtesy Bloomberg SPACE © Do Ho Suh.
LONDON.- London Mithraeum Bloomberg SPACE is presenting its latest contemporary art commission, Proposal for Sachŏnwang-sa (2021), by Do Ho Suh. The installation examines memory, psychic space and modes of survival. The commission is inspired by the resonance between the Roman Temple of Mithras, on which Bloomberg SPACE is situated, and the ancient Korean Temple, Sachŏnwang-sa, built circa 670 AD. Installed directly above the Mithraeum, according to the North-facing aspect of the original Korean temple, Suhs large-scale structure offers a poetic reimagining of Sachŏnwang-sa. Just as the London Mithraeum explores the practices and symbols associated with the cult of Mithras, Suhs exhibition invites audiences to consider the architecture, purpose and meaning of one of ancient Koreas most significant, but enigmatic, archaeological sites. Marrying close analysis of Sachŏnwang ... More | |
J. Mendel Gold-Tipped Russian Sable Hooded Jacket. Estimate: $3,000 - $5,000.
CHICAGO, IL.- Hindman Auctions will present A Life in Couture: The Collection of Michelle Smith, Washington, D.C. on September 21. This offering from the collection of renowned Washington, D.C. philanthropist Michelle Smith will include garments by top designers including Christian Dior, Halston, Stephen Burrows, J. Mendel, and Ralph Rucci, and will illustrate Smiths carefully curated selection of outstanding designs, a majority of which were custom made for her. Smith cultivated a lifestyle of elegance and refinement in all categories, including collecting fine art and luxury goods. The auction demonstrates how she likewise built a remarkable collection of couture clothing and developed relationships with these leading fashion designers. The sale uniquely offers buyers the opportunity to acquire rare pieces of contemporary haute couture, seldom offered at auction. Spanning more than 50 years and highlighting work by celebrated ... More |
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| Markus Döbeli's first solo presentation with Marc Jancou Contemporary on view in Rossinière | | Greece's first underwater museum opens ancient world to dive tourists | | The National Academy of Design announces the launch of the Eastman Johnson Catalogue Raisonné |
Installation view of Markus Döbeli: Paintings and Watercolours, Offsite: Marc Jancou Contemporary, Rossinière, Switzerland, Photo: Julien Gremaud.
ROSSINIÃRE.- Marc Jancou Contemporary is presenting Markus Döbeli: Paintings and Watercolours, the Swiss painters first solo presentation with the gallery. The exhibition, which runs until the 29th of August, brings together a selection of the artists larger works on canvas and a number of smaller watercolour works on paper. Spanning a period of about ten years the works on show reveal the artists single-minded approach to painting. Introspective and meditative, making their presence felt but at the same time appearing rather elusive, Döbelis paintings are characterised by relatively translucent areas of colour which blend into one another seamlessly, with no sharp or definite outlines giving the impression they have occurred rather than having been produced, applied even. Döbelis works present an uncompromising take on abstraction that allows little room for speculation on any possible links to representation. T ... More | |
Scuba divers visit the underwater museum in the Aegean Sea, off the coast of the Greek island Alonissos on July 20, 2021. WILL VASSILOPOULOS / AFP.
by Will Vassilopoulos / Gwenaëlle Souyri
ALÃNNISOS (AFP).- Emerging from the crystal-clear turquoise waters of the Aegean Sea, Hans-Juergen Fercher has just returned from his fourth dive to where mounds of 2,500-year-old wine pots mark the site of an ancient shipwreck -- and Greece's first underwater museum. "This is a combination of diving and archaeological diving. It's diving into history," says the 48-year-old psychiatrist after pulling himself onto the deck of the Triton dive boat. It makes it special and unique." The museum beneath the waves at Peristera, a rocky outcrop off the island of Alonissos, opened in 2020, though the site has been largely mothballed until now due to Covid-19 restrictions. As Greece opens up its vital tourism industry, the site offers an example of a new and more sustainable source of revenue. Divers like Fercher and Danish ... More | |
Eastman Johnson (1824-1906), Self-Portrait, ca. 1859-1860. Oil on canvas, 30.38 x 25 in. Collection of the National Academy of Design.
NEW YORK, NY.- The National Academy of Design is pleased to announce the launch of the virtual Eastman Johnson Catalogue Raisonné on July 29, in recognition of the anniversary of the artists birthday. In this first phase, the catalogue raisonné is focused on American artist Eastman Johnsons paintings. Subsequent phases will include the artists drawings and prints. Founded and directed by Dr. Patricia Hills, project managed by Abigael MacGibeny, and stewarded by the National Academy of Design, the Eastman Johnson Catalogue Raisonné (EJCR) is based on Dr. Hillss decades-long research on Johnsons artwork, which dates to the 1972 monographic exhibition of his work at the Whitney Museum of American Art. Celebrating the artists substantial contributions to the development of American genre and portrait painting throughout the latter half of the nineteenth century, this catalogue raisonné is a vast and intricate online resource designed ... More |
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The Giacometti: A Family of Creators
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Daylight Books publishes 'The Light at the End of History: Reacting to Nuclear Power' by Abbey Hepner
NEW YORK, NY.- Hepner grew up between the Nevada Test Site and the Idaho National Laboratory, where the United States engaged in extensive nuclear testing and reactor experimentation. Fast forward to 2013, and she was living in Japan helping with disaster relief following the tsunami when earthquakes caused the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster. She is a conceptual artist with a deft ability to pivot her messaging style and visual aesthetic to communicate directly or subvertly, analytically or emotionally. The result is a complex, multi-faceted book project examining the tangled history of nuclear energy, the atomic bomb, and radioactive waste. As Kirsten Pai Buick writes in her accompanying essay, "The nuclear industry is inextricably bound to politicslocal, national, and global. And in Hepners quest to understand its details, its totality, ... More
V.O Curations opens an exhibition of works by artist in residence Gray Wielebinski
LONDON.- By Any Means is a group exhibition curated by former V.O artist in residence, Gray Wielebinski. Considering an expanded and contextualised exploration of revenge, the show includes new pieces by Dala Nasser and Zadie Xa, alongside work by Danielle Brathwaite-Shirley, Sunil Gupta Umar Rashid (Frohawk Two Feathers) and Gray Wielebinski. By Any Means acknowledges that revenge - how it is achieved and narrativised - is deeply rooted and inextricable from social, political and historical contexts, and the power structures that shape them. By Any Means sheds light on the ways in which power is maintained through a myopic, individualised, simplified, and often racialized and gendered interpretation or portrayal of revenge, which is detached from broader associations. By Any Means considers how, against this contrived ... More
Largest selection of art from Disney's Sleeping Beauty highlights Heritage Summer Animation Art auction
DALLAS, TX.- The largest collections of one-of-a-kind production cels from the 1959 classic Sleeping Beauty, as well as animation drawings, storyboards, concept art, backgrounds, model sheets and original art from renowned Sleeping Beauty artist Eyvind Earle ever offered will land in new collections when they are sold in Heritage Auctions Animation Art Auction Aug. 6-8. Also featured will be original artwork from all the major studios and all the animation greats, including Chuck Jones, Mary Blair, Gustaf Tenggren, Winsor McCay, Ub Iwerks, Ham Luske, Walt Peregoy, Peter and Harrison Ellenshaw and even a section of lots that are signed by Walt Disney. The event is Heritages third Animation Art Signature Auction of 2021 and its first vintage Animation Art Signature auction of the year. This auction includes more than 1,700 lots of incredible ... More
Dix Noonan Webb to offer important gold penny discovered in Wiltshire
LONDON.- A highly important gold Penny of Ecgberht, King of the West Saxons (802-839) is expected to fetch £150,000-200,000 when it is offered in a sale of Coins and Historical Medals on Tuesday, September 7 & Wednesday, September 8, 2021 at international coins, medals, banknotes and jewellery specialists Dix Noonan Webb. This is the only late Anglo-Saxon gold coin in private hands; the other eight specimens are in institutions (the British Museum having seven and another being in Lausanne). The Gold Penny, or Mancus of 30 Pence, was discovered by a metal detectorist at West Dean, on the Wiltshire/Hampshire border, in March 2020, and is unique. It was struck at a West Saxon mint, possibly Southampton or Winchester, and bears the Kings title, ECGBEORHT REX, around a monogram of the word SAXON. As Peter Preston-Morley, ... More
After a winter of discontent, a glorious summer in Salzburg
SALZBURG (NYT NEWS SERVICE).- Now is the winter of our discontent/Made glorious summer by this sun of York. Those lines, perhaps the most famous opening in all of English drama, go unspoken in the Salzburg Festivals new production Richard the Kid and the King, a cradle-to-grave chronicle of the Bards most ruthless monarch. Yet the monologue was ringing in my ears as I left the theater after four hours of greed, betrayal, hypocrisy, infanticide, decapitation and disembowelment. As Salzburg warmed up in late July, the arrival of Richard was an electrifying theatrical jolt to jump-start the events second pandemic-era installment, which features four new dramatic productions, six fully staged operas and scores of concerts. Forsooth, the winter of our discontent has been made glorious summer by the Salzburg Festival. The acclaimed German ... More
The Neon Museum announces new Executive Director
LAS VEGAS, NEV.- The Neon Museum announces that Aaron Berger has been selected as the museums executive director. Selected after a comprehensive and broad-based search spanning the U.S. and beyond, Berger brings to the museum extensive experience in museum leadership, nonprofit fundraising, and community engagement. Berger, who recently relocated to Las Vegas from Atlanta, Ga., most recently served as the executive director for five years at The Breman Museum in Atlanta, raising annual attendance by 32 percent and garnering accolades such as Must See Destination by Trip Advisor and one of the Best Museums in Atlanta by USA Today 10 Best during his tenure. Berger began his career as the curator for the Marietta/Cobb Museum of Art and was ultimately named director after staging exhibitions of Winslow Homer, ... More
Dominican music legend Johnny Ventura dies aged 81
SANTO DOMINGO (AFP).- Legendary Dominican singer and songwriter Johnny Ventura, considered one of the greatest exponents of merengue, has died from a heart attack at the age of 81, health officials said. Winner of six Latin Grammys over a 60-year career, Ventura shot to fame after forming his own merengue and salsa orchestra called the "combo show," considered one of the most significant bands in Dominican musical history. The Dominican Republic's president, Luis Abinader, declared three days of mourning following his death on Wednesday and said the singer would receive military honors. The Dominican Ministry of Culture tweeted that it "deeply regrets the death of the great Dominican musician Johnny Ventura." "We join in the pain that overwhelms his family in these difficult times. His legacy ... More
Zalika Souley, doyenne of African cinema, dies at 74
NIAMEY (AFP).- Zalika Souley, who won fame and money that did not last as the first sub-Sahara African woman to star on the silver screen, has died at the age of 74, her family said on Wednesday. "We are deeply saddened to announce the death of Hadja Zalika Souley on July 27, 2021 following a long illness," said a statement from her relatives. Souley, who was born in 1947 in the Niger capital Niamey, won a leading role in Moustapha Alhassane's "The Return of an Adventurer" at the age of only 19. In this 1966 African-style Western, Souley donned blue jeans, hat and pistol and, mounted a white horse, embarked on an adventure accompanied by young men -- drawing controversy in the newly independent former French colony for what critics saw as immodest behaviour. For much of her career she collaborated with Niger's pioneering director ... More
Does 'The Da Vinci Code' writer have a secret?
NEW YORK (NYT NEWS SERVICE).- Chloe Gordon, a 32-year-old filmmaker, describes herself as a person who somewhat ironically engages with the work of novelist Dan Brown. She has read all but one of the eight books Brown has published under his name. So when she stumbled upon an internet rumor that identified Brown as the author of a tongue-in-cheek dating guide from 1995 called 187 Men to Avoid: A Survival Guide for the Romantically Frustrated Woman, she immediately ordered it on Amazon. The 96-page novelty book, originally published under the name Danielle Brown, promised very short descriptions of men the author considered unsuitable romantic partners a book of red flags, if you will. Men who think Lamaze is a famous French car race, for example. Men who decoupage. Men with pet rocks. But when she opened ... More
George Rhoads, designer of fantastical 'ball machines,' dies at 95
NEW YORK (NYT NEWS SERVICE).- George Rhoads, a whimsical artist who created elaborate sculptures in which balls traveled seemingly random voyages along labyrinthine paths and set off the ringing of bells, the tinkling of chimes and the vibrating tones of xylophone keys, died on July 9 in Loudun, in western France. He was 95. His grandson, Chip Chapin, said he died in the home of his caretaker, Laura Dupuis. Rhoads colorful audio-kinetic ball machines, which evoked the workings of watches and roller coasters, were built of comically designed tracks and devices like loop-the-loops and helical ramps, and were usually 6 to 10 feet high. Scores of the machines have been installed in childrens hospitals, malls, science museums and airports and elsewhere in a dozen countries, but mostly in the United States and Japan. Each pathway that ... More
Review: With fresh subtlety, opera returns to New York City
NEW YORK (NYT NEWS SERVICE).- Opera is back in New York City. On Tuesday evening, two months before the Metropolitan Opera is scheduled to reopen, a full-scale live performance took place, for the first time since before the pandemic. And it was in the Mets shadow, in Damrosch Park at Lincoln Center, where Teatro Nuovo presented a semistaged, concert-dress version of Rossinis The Barber of Seville. (There is a second performance Wednesday evening.) Like almost all outdoor performances, this one required amplification. Usually, this is a burden. Yet Tuesday, it proved a salve for the audience of roughly 750, as the music had to compete with the sounds of grunting generators and crunching machinery on a nearby street. An outgrowth of the Bel Canto at Caramoor series that Will Crutchfield, a conductor ... More
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PhotoGalleries
Yukinori Yanagi
The Interior
Music of the â80s
Modern Gothic: The Inventive Furniture of Kimbel and Cabus, 1863â82
Flashback On a day like today, English sculptor Henry Moore was born July 30, 1898. July 30, 1898.- Henry Spencer Moore OM CH FBA (30 July 1898 - 31 August 1986) was an English sculptor and artist. He was best known for his semi-abstract monumental bronze sculptures which are located around the world as public works of art. In this image: English Sculptor Henry Moore stands beside his sculpture "Seated Nude" on display as part of the "Art 70" show in Basel, Switzerland, June 9, 1970. Moore represented Britain in the show.
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