Category: visual

Protesters gathered outside the Uffizi in Florence to protest the loan of an early Leonardo work “The Annunciation” — a 15th century work depicting the angel Gabriel and the Virgin Mary — for an exhibition at Tokyo’s National Museum.The Italian art world, politicians and the public have debated the loan for weeks, with some high-profile critics, including filmmaker Franco Zeffirelli, condemning the culture ministry’s decision.”

Why do Cleveland museums get blockbuster shows (and market them to Pittsburgh art and culture lovers) “while their Pittsburgh counterparts seem to be sitting on their hands? The answer is complicated, but has to do with differences in strategy, museum types and timing.”

“Sotheby’s presence comes under the guise of Noortman Master Paintings, a Maastricht art gallery it bought in June for $82.5 million. Christie’s is represented by King Street Fine Art, a subsidiary it formed especially for the fair. The presence of these archrival companies, with booths directly facing each other, has caused a stir among dealers who have long considered the auction houses their biggest competitors.”

Robert Moses had “a greater impact on the physical character of New York City than any other individual, and given how the process of city building has changed since his time, it is unlikely anyone in the future will match him.”

“The ‘Desert Louvre,’ as the French press has dubbed the deal, is part of a revolutionary initiative by France to expand its global influence through its vast cultural heritage and holdings — the one realm where it remains a dominant world power — in the face of its shrinking diplomatic and economic clout.”

Gary Vikan, director of the Walters Museum in Baltimore, starts a blog. Is he the first director of a major art museum to turn blogger? “The Internet is a free gift for all, with boundaries yet to be discovered. There are many more perspectives to be acknowledged, and as a public institution, that’s part of our work.”

Frank Gehry’s Stata building at MIT was designed to stimulate new ideas and make connections between the researchers who work there. “Stata, it was hoped, would nourish professional connections. People would cross the boundaries of scientific disciplines. Great minds would meet and spawn great ideas. Social life would improve.” So has it worked.

“A national register is to be created to protect England’s precious historic sites, bringing together everything from Stonehenge to Blenheim, from Canterbury cathedral to the wreck of the Hanover, an 18th century treasure ship breaking up on the seabed off Cornwall.”

“This week Dubai – best known for its golf courses, its opulent hotels and its lack of taxes – acquired an art fair, which, a little presumptuously, is intended to establish this sand-blown outpost as ‘the most important centre in Asia, likely to rival London and New York within a decade’.”

Charles Saatchi has opened a Chinese version of his website, tapping into what he believes is a huge market. “Having compiled a considerable amount of data, the team estimates that 20 to 30 art schools operate in China; that about 10,000 students will graduate from such schools this year; and that some 14,000 artists in China are represented by galleries. That leaves roughly 10,000 unrepresented artists.”