Category: visual

The BBC is defending itself against critics who are protesting the corporation spending £4m on art. “Well-known artists including Rachel Whiteread and Tracey Emin are among those who have been asked to produce artworks for the corporation under a programme of purchasing public art linked to the redevelopment of Broadcasting House in London.”

“Melbourne is the proud capital of street painting with stencils. Its large, colonial-era walls and labyrinth of back alleys drip with graffiti that is more diverse and original than any other city in the world. Well, that was until a few weeks ago, when preparations for the Commonwealth games brought a tidal wave of grey paint, obliterating years of unique and vibrant culture overnight.”

“Why is it that Australians, who think so much about design when choosing a new BMW, a Dyson vacuum cleaner, or a Dualit toaster, think so little about design when it comes to their homes? Why is it that only 3 per cent of Australian homes are designed by an architect? Why are we so archiphobic?”

A Toronto condo developer is “in the process of buying $700,000 worth of art from local galleries. Condo buyers will be invited to select their piece from the collection when the as-yet-undeveloped units hit the market in April. The idea was to offer an incentive that reflected the spirit of the art-rich neighbourhood. The question is, will this investment help ease the pang of gentrification for long-time residents?”

Marcus Wills wins this year’s Archibald Prize. “The Melbourne artist won the $35,000 prize for his portrait ‘The Paul Juraszek Monolith (after Marcus Gheeraerts)’, inspired by an etching by a Flemish engraver.”

“Tate Britain drew a record 1.73 million visitors last year with shows such as ‘Turner Whistler Monet.’ Yet many overlook its permanent display of Turners and Gainsboroughs, and forget that it hosts the Turner Prize contest and other contemporary-art events. As the museum turns six this month, it seeks to shed its dowdy image as a venue reserved for old-master shows.”

“Since scrapping entrance fees, the national galleries and museums that used to charge have attracted 5 million extra visitors. There were celebrations yesterday at the 67 per cent increase in numbers through the doors of institutions from the Science Museum in Manchester to the National Maritime Museum, London, since they axed their admission fees. But of all the national museums and galleries in England – those regarded as so significant they receive funding direct from Government – seven which had never charged have experienced a fall in visitors during the last four years. Overall attendance has risen by only two per cent since 2001 at the museums and galleries that were always free.”

Ohio’s Kent State University will move its entire graduate program in architectural studies to its Cleveland outpost “as soon as possible,” according to the school’s dean. “KSU has operated the Urban Design Collaborative in Cleveland since 1999,” and the school wants all of its architecture students to work in an urban environment. Kent State’s main campus is located 40 miles southeast of Cleveland.

“The Hispanic Society of America, home to one of the largest collections of Hispanic cultural material outside Spain, has decided to move downtown [in Manhattan] from Washington Heights to draw more visitors and acquire the space it needs to display its art and artifacts… A proposal to move ahead with relocation plans received unanimous support from trustees at a meeting last month at the Prado Museum in Madrid. The two institutions have a close association.”

Christopher Knight says that the Whitney Biennial has become so dull and predictable as to make one question why it still exists. “The need for a national art survey disappeared long ago. What use does it have in a global art world characterized by broad public popularity in international urban centers, inexpensive travel, instant communications and a roaring marketplace? Even with work by 101 artists, as the show boasts this year, surely no one considers the biennial a reliable survey of anything.”