VISUAL

NJ Father/Daughter Team Convicted Of $2M Art Fraud

Erwin Bankowski, 50, and Karolina Bankowska, 26, admitted in federal court in Brooklyn to wire fraud conspiracy and misrepresenting Native American–produced goods. The pair, a father and daughter, now face up to 20 years in prison, along with at least $1.9 million in restitution.  - ARTnews

Zimbabwe’s Plundered Iconic Stone Birds Are Finally Returned

Known as the Zimbabwe Bird, it has long been a symbol of national identity, but behind it lies a complex tale of displacement, colonial plunder and restitution. - BBC (MSN)

What Has Gone Wrong With Architecture

Architecture is a Fox’s discipline. It sits between capital, politics, infrastructure, climate, design, engineering, art, psychology, and economics. Its task is to hold these domains together, manage complexity, and, at its best, make spaces and places in which we can live better together. - Time

The Death Of Art Schools

Rather than treating education as a public good, elected officials shift the burden onto individuals, underfund institutions, and protect a system that redistributes wealth upward. Financialization destroys the relation between education, citizenship, and the public world that the university is supposed to build. - Hyperallergic

How Do You Put The Venice Biennale’s Central Exhibition Together After Its Curator Died?

Only days after she was diagnosed with liver cancer last year, curator Koyo Kouoh passed away. Nevertheless, the Biennale’s flagship show will open next month under her name and chosen title, “In Minor Keys.”  A five-person team of Kouoh’s assistants and advisers has tried to channel her work. - The New York Times

Compromise: Russia Will Have Show At Venice Biennale, But It Will Be Closed To Public

“According to new reports from Italian news outlets, Russia‘s group exhibition ‘The tree is rooted in the sky’ will only be accessible to members of the press and industry insiders during the Bienniale’s preview May 5-8. When the exhibition opens to the public (May 9-November 22), entry will be prohibited.”  - Artforum

A Detailed Account Of The Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum Heist

A former FBI agent who led the investigation for more than two decades is now offering the first detailed account of how investigators reached that conclusion — and publicly identifying the men he believes were involved. - AP News

The World’s First Museum Of AI-Generated Art Is Coming Soon To L.A.

“Dataland, the world’s first A.I. art museum, is set to open on June 20 after more than two-and-a-half-years of planning and construction. … The museum will be housed inside the Grand L.A., a Frank Gehry-designed complex comprised of high-end apartments, entertainment facilities, and a luxury hotel.” - Artnet

So An AI Has Just Declared A Painting By A Street Artist More Valuable Than A Picasso. Questions Abound

What’s worth more—a Picasso or a painting by a street artist no one has heard of? According to the AI model we built, the answer is the latter. - ARTnews

The New LACMA: Architectural Drama At The Expense Of Art

Carolina Miranda: "In some ways, this freeway-like building could not be more LA: messy, sprawling, too big to take in from a single vantage point. In others — its embrace of the road and its relentless horizontal-ness — it seems stuck in a vision of the past." - Bloomberg

Who Does Trump Want To Hire To Redo The National Mall Reflecting Pool? His Pool Guy

Trump originally envisioned the pool being topped with turquoise so that it would look like the Bahamas, but was convinced by the contractor to choose “American flag blue” instead. - Artnet

What Did It Take To Put Together The Met’s Epic Raphael Show?

The largest survey dedicated to the Renaissance master in the U.S. includes 33 of his paintings and 142 works on paper. About 60 public institutions from 11 countries sent their treasures by the man born Raphael Sanzio da Urbino (1483–1520). Private loans include his two most expensive works at auction. - Artnet

Instagram Commenters Went Wild When Boston’s Museum Of Fine Arts Posted Nudes Online

But the museum was expecting - even welcoming - the commentary. - Boston Globe

The Rocky Statue Has Entered The Building

That is to say, the Rocky Balboa statue is no longer on the steps of the Philadelphia Museum of Art - it’s actually inside. Wild, because “when the bronze statue was left on the steps after filming the Rocky movies, the museum fought to have it removed.” - CBS News

How LEGO Became The World’s Most Powerful Art Medium

“Lego’s appeal, represented by its zillions of plastic blocks and many movies and TV series, transcends nations. It is one of the planet’s top-selling toy brands, and the toy’s singular pixelated appearance is instantly recognizable on any screen.” - Salon

Our Free Newsletter

Join our 30,000 subscribers

Latest

Don't Miss