Category: visual

“The distinctions that have been made between art in architecture, art as decoration, outdoor sculpture and public art still have not fully entered the consciousness of the visual-art community. Many find it easier to blame local authorities for their highly compromised, so-called public art schemes, but perhaps it is time to point the finger closer to home.” – The Sunday Times (UK)

The Seattle Art Museum has settled with New York’s Knoedler Gallery over a Matisse stolen by the Nazis, and sold by Knoedler to collectors who later donated it to the museum (follow all that?). The Seattle Museum sued Knoedler after returning the painting to heirs of the original owner. “We can’t specify a dollar amount but we are being reimbursed for our legal fees, research and travel costs as well as the loss of the painting.” That will include the museum choosing a piece of artwork from Knoedler’s collection. – Seattle Post-Intelligencer

At a time when returning cultural artifacts to their countries of origin has become a goal, “the most distinguished specialist on Nigerian antiquities is now urging that looted and stolen artefacts should no longer be returned to Nigeria, because of endemic corruption in the country.” – The Art Newspaper

“Russia boasts a staggering 90,000 official architectural landmarks, including churches and palaces from every era in its history, according to the Culture Ministry – and many are in danger of extinction. New-York based World Monuments Watch named seven Russian sites in this year’s list of the world’s 100 most endangered landmarks – more than any other country.” – CNN (AP)

New technologies make exploring the deep oceans easier and bring thousands of previously inaccessible shipwrecks within the reach of explorers. “While various nations have taken steps to protect, preserve and manage historic shipwrecks within their territorial waters, the same has not been the case for shipwrecks in international waters where there is no comprehensive legal regime that protects underwater sites and little or no sovereign jurisdiction.” – The Art Newspaper

When Rev. William Wolcott died in 1911 he donated his art collection – including a Monet and two Pissarros – to Boston’s Museum of Fine Art. Though three of the paintings have been on continuous display in the museum ever since, much of the rest of the collection has lived in storage. So the trustees of Wolcott’s trust sued the museum to get the paintings back so they could sell them and establish education projects in Wolcott’s home town. Yesterday a judge said no. – Boston Herald

Australia’s museums have come under criticism for not doing enough to return art in their collections that may have been stolen by the Nazis in World War II. Now the National Gallery of Victoria will list 24 works from its collection on the internet to see if anyone comes forward to claim them. – The Age (Melbourne)

A new book charges that the contemporary art world has become far too narrow-minded. “Shock art is the safest kind of art that an artist can go into the business of making today. The real mavericks of our time have been working quietly and carefully for years in their studios producing wonderful work few people have seen. And that even though the NEA is not the cause of the various ills we’ve seen, it is to a great degree an embodiment of the problem.” – Salon

Artists create a life-size wax statue of London Evening Standard art critic Brian Sewell and put it in a show. Sewell is depicted staring at a wall label which explains what the artwork is. Sewell is not amused. “I can tell you that they have been desperately trying to get me there to do the boring thing of photographing us together. It means I shall not be going to the exhibition.” – London Evening Standard

Artists in Edinburgh were having trouble getting their work out, promoted and seen. So a group of about 20 artists got together and combined their resources to work and promote their work. “As individuals we couldn’t afford a campaign like this, but together we can.” – The Scotsman