“Officials from Egypt’s antiquities ministry recently announced that [four] ram-headed sphinxes had been taken from the Karnak temple in Luxor to the capital’s busy traffic roundabout, where they have joined a pink granite obelisk.” Egyptologists say that the sculptures will be damaged by Cairo’s air pollution, while government critics say it’s a move to erase Tahrir Square’s recent history as a protest site. – The Guardian
Blog
Facebook’s New Independent Oversight Board ‘Has All The Hallmarks Of The UN, Except Potentially Much Less Effective’
Kara Swisher: “I am not trying to be glib here, because solving the problem of how to deal with speech across the largest and most unwieldy communications platform in human history … may be beyond the capabilities of anyone .. given that Facebook and [Mark] Zuckerberg have purposefully created a system that is ungovernable.” – The New York Times
As Creatives Move Online During Lockdown, Fans Follow Them To Patreon
“Since mid-March more than 70,000 extra creators have joined Patreon, which allows fans to give monthly payments to artists in exchange for exclusive content or simply out of a desire to support someone whose work they appreciate. The artistic influx has been matched by an equally large increase in supporters. … the number of whom is up 25% month on month. Over the same period, spending by existing patrons has increased by 75%.” – The Guardian
Two California Galleries Defy Lockdown Orders And Reopen Because ‘Art Is So Important’
One gallery owner said, “Art is so important. We’re more important than other businesses. I want to be taken seriously.” Another said, “We refuse to die here in the tunnel. We’re pushing through to the light.” Her husband tweeted a quote from Ayn Rand’s The Fountainhead. – Artnet
As If COVID Weren’t Bad Enough, This City’s Shuttered Museums Are Dealing With An Earthquake
A 5.4 magnitude temblor hit the Croatian capital, Zagreb, in late March. “Over 80% of [the city’s] museums are in buildings that date from before the Second World War and most of them have reported serious damage, but the aftershocks and lockdown have stopped detailed inventories of the destruction being made. More than a third of them are identified as unsafe or dangerous.” – The Art Newspaper
UK’s National Theatre Will (Offer To) Pay Actors For Plays Streamed During Corona-Crisis
“The ‘nominal’ payment will apply to all the productions the National has been streaming on YouTube since early April. The venue said it was up to the artists whether they chose to accept it.” – BBC
Police Recover 19,000 Artifacts In Bust Of International Art Theft Ring
Police officers in Spain recovered several rare pre-Columbian objects at Madrid’s Barajas airport, including a unique Tumaco gold mask, gold figurines and pieces of ancient jewellery. All had been illegally acquired by looting in Colombia. – The Guardian
Sixty Percent Of Small UK Publishers Say They’ll Be Out Of Business By Fall
With author events cancelled, titles delayed and bookshop sales severely hit by lockdown, the survey of 72 small publishers reveals almost 60% fear closure by the autumn. The Bookseller said that 57% reported they had no cashflow to support their business, and 85% had seen sales drop by more than half. – The Guardian
Virologist: Don’t Count On Going To Shows, Festivals, Events Before Next Year
“We will ultimately return to enjoying such collective experiences – as they “appeal to the human nature” – but only after most people in the country have either been infected with the disease (herd immunity), or inoculated (vaccines or combinations of drugs) in some way. In “the near-term”, he says, “it’s just not going to happen. I think this year is basically a write-off, if I’m honest with you,” he adds. – BBC
The Rebirth Of The Drive-In
Before the coronavirus crisis, the drive-through had been fast losing status, often deployed as a symbol of obesity and the worst of car-dependent urban design. In many cities, it had been subject to outright bans. The drive-in, meanwhile, is nearly extinct, with just a few still operating in Southern California. But during the pandemic, drive-throughs have become a weird sort of societal glue. And the drive-in has been reconsidered. – Los Angeles Times