Category: visual

The iconic Philly convenience store/sandwich chain, writes Inga Saffron, “is on a relentless march through central Philadelphia, where it picks off architectural trophies, runs them through the brand’s blanderizing machine, and spits them out as indistinguishable clones.” – The Philadelphia Inquirer

“Heritage experts warn that restoring Notre-Dame de Paris after the devastating fire of 15 April will be so complex that it could take a decade or more, despite President Emmanuel Macron’s vow to ‘rebuild the cathedral more beautiful than ever’ within five years.” – The Art Newspaper

“Under Iowa’s law, inmates no longer have access to mainstream publications such as National Geographic, says the lawyer Nathan Mundy, who represents Michael Lindgren, a tattoo artist challenging the statute in federal court. Mundy adds that his client is now not even allowed to draw his own nude figures, which will hurt Lindgren’s practice when he is released.” – The Art Newspaper

According to director Richard Armstrong, the Guggenheim Abu Dhabi, part of the emirate’s Saadiyat Island complex of museums, is expected to open in 2022. “The Frank Gehry-designed museum, which would be the Guggenheim’s biggest space at around 320,000 sq. ft, was initially due to open in 2012 and then in 2017.” – The Art Newspaper

Water levels in the River Elbe dropped so far that “hunger stones” were revealed – carved boulders used since the 1400sto commemorate droughts and warn of their consequences. One of the stones bears the inscription “Wenn du mich siehst, dann weine” (If you see me, weep).  – The Guardian

This story takes up the cases of several high-profile fires that have damaged cultural icons and asks: 1. why do we not seem to be more careful in taking care of them, and 2. when contemplating what was destroyed, we sometimes restore in ways that end up as garish cartoons of what they were. – ArtWatch

“Devon Van Houten Maldonado asks artists and curators to imagine the changes and trends that will influence the art world in the next two decades.” – BBC

Last week a court of appeals in Paris handed septuagenarian U.S. businessman Gary Snell a suspended prison sentence of one year and Parisian art dealer Robert Crouzet a four-month suspended prison sentence as part of an 18-year legal battle over counterfeited Auguste Rodin sculptures. – Artsy

“For every multi-millionaire dollar Robert Rauschenberg estate, there are thousands of lesser-known talents whose families have to confront the tough decisions about what to do with hundreds of artworks and archives. To sort out the realities facing artists and their loved ones, [Hrag Vartanian] invited two experts in the field.” (podcast) – Hyperallergic