The French historian Bénédicte Savoy and the Senegalese economist and writer Felwine Sarr will present their 108-page study to President Macron this Friday, 23 November. In it they argue that the complete transfer of property back to Africa and not the long-term loan of objects to African museums should be the general rule for works taken in the colonial period unless it can be proven that these objects were acquired “legitimately”.
Blog
For A Producer, Knowing When And How To Close A Play Is As Important As Opening It
“One of the industry’s faults is that producers can find themselves in financial trouble and in a bid not to lose face may not want to tell anyone else about it. Invariably, this sees the situation escalate to crisis point, and by that time with the problems apparent, they’re often irrevocable.”
Miami’s Arsht Center Gets A New CEO
Johann Zietsman’s appointment comes at a pivotal point for the 12-year-old Arsht, which occupies the center of a neighborhood that’s belatedly but rapidly changing after years of stagnation that the facility was meant to help reverse.
‘We Want To Use Music To Create Better People’ — Philadelphia’s Project 440
“Project 440 is the brainchild of Joseph Conyers, assistant principal bassist with the Philadelphia Orchestra, who often explains to people that yes, he does operate a music organization that doesn’t teach music.” Says Conyers, “The arts can play a pivotal role in underserved communities, giving kids opportunities, giving them things that they keep for the rest of their lives.”
At Work With The Ushers At The Metropolitan Opera
“As a shift begins, they pass into the cloakroom to put on their uniforms — tuxedos with burgundy lapels, worn shiny from use. Forty-two work any given performance, each at once a rule keeper, hand holder, problem solver, diplomat.”
The Arts Have A Unique Role In Fighting Climate Change: Nicholas Serota
Writes the chair of Arts Council England, who was for three decades director of the Tate Galleries, “In 2012 we became the first cultural body in the world to include environmental reporting and action in our long-term funding agreements with arts organisations. … Together we substantially increased understanding about the role of the sector in addressing environmental issues and associated social challenges. The findings of our Annual Report on Environmental Sustainability, published on Tuesday, prove the value of that intervention.”
MoMA Chairman Gives $40 Million For New Film Center
“In recognition of the gift, MoMA will create the Debra and Leon Black Family Film Center, spanning two floors of the museum’s … Lauder Building, which includes multimedia exhibition galleries and two theaters. The center will present film exhibitions and premieres with directors, actors, and other cinema experts.”
Artist Ross Bleckner And Ex — Ex-Assistant? Or Ex-Boyfriend? — Sue Each Other
“Bleckner claims the relationship was personal and consensual in nature, and alleges that [Cody] Gilman attempted to extort him by making false claims of sexual harassment. Gilman, for his part, contends that the relationship was professional and that he was subject to inappropriate sexual behavior by the artist and had been attempting to reach an out-of-court settlement.”
Amazon’s HQ2 Will Not Be Good For New York’s Arts Community
“Some New York artists and art spaces may thrive in Amazon’s shadow. But recent art history already provides ample illustration that the benefits of increasing inequality are not really shared equally, and tend to get eaten up by rising rent anyway — the latter being a much greater concern for the average person, artist or otherwise.” For an example, look no further than the home of Amazon’s original HQ, Seattle.
Stolen Picasso Found In Romanian Forest — Whoops! Never Mind, It Was A Hoax
Picasso’s Tete d’Arlequin was one of seven paintings stolen from Rotterdam’s Kunsthal in 2012 by a group of Romanian thieves and thought to have been burned in a stove by the ringleader’s mother. On Monday, news broke that Tete d’Arlequin had been found in rural Romania: later, “it emerged it was totally too good to be true, part of an elaborate and carefully staged piece of performance art by a radical Belgian theatre company.”