Sheikh Saud al-Thani of Qatar is building five new museums and is serious about collecting for them. “A team of London agents working for the Sheikh bought 350 of the top lots in last months’ Islamic sales, spending well in excess of £15 million. The objects are all destined for the Museum of Islamic Art under construction in Doha to the designs of I.M. Pei, the Chinese-American architect coaxed out of retirement by Sheikh Saud. With its completion scheduled for 2006, the Islamic museum will be the first of the five to open, and the Sheikh‘s determination to buy the very best for its collection is having an extraordinary effect on the Islamic art market.”
Tag: 06.07.04
The FBI, The Bug, And The Museum Of Modern Art
In 2002, the FBI planted a bug in the construction shed at the site of the new Museum of Modern Art in New York. The bug resulted in a 61-count indictment against 24 people including “fifteen family associates; and a number of fellows from locals 14 and 15 of the International Union of Operating Engineers, an AFL-CIO affiliate, have been indicted on charges that include racketeering, extortion, loan-sharking, and all the trimmings. “
A New Old Harry Potter – New Art Or Copyright Ripoff?
A comic book artist, a fan of the Harry Potter series, writes his own soundtrack to the first Harry Potter movie, replacing the original dialogue with his own. “As imagined by Brad Neely, the three main characters are child alcoholics with a penchant for cognac, the magical ballgame Quidditch takes on homoerotic overtones, and Harry is prone to delivering hyper-dramatic monologues.”
“Avenue Q” Night At Tony Awards
“Avenue Q,” the offbeat show about a band of furry-headed slacker puppets and their equally fuzzy human cohorts, pulled a stunning upset last night at the 58th annual Tony Awards at Radio City Music Hall, winning best musical, the evening’s top prize, as well as prizes for best book and best score.”
The New Chinese Collectors
“The rise of the Chinese art buyer has been swift and spirited. Five years ago private art collectors on the mainland were virtually unheard of. Now, driven by plenty of money and a patriotic rush to return treasures smuggled away over the centuries, Chinese collectors are bidding here as well as in New York and London.”
It’s Back: That Old Oprah Magic
Oprah’s new book club features classics (dead authors). But her selections are making the bestseller list, and along with them, the translators. “Though Tolstoy is not around to experience the thrill of becoming an overnight sensation, the elation is beginning to sink in for Richard Pevear and Larissa Volokhonsky, the husband-and-wife team whose translation of that Tolstoy classic love story was selected by Ms. Winfrey as the definitive version for the millions who watch The Oprah Winfrey Show.”