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Brooklyn Museum Appoints Its First Composer In Residence

Cellist and composer Niles Luther, 27, "is kicking off his residency by composing three musical arrangements to accompany the exhibition 'Hiroshige’s 100 Famous Views of Edo' (feat. Takashi Murakami), which opened today." - Forbes

How To Install Hundreds Of Solar Panels Atop A 500-Year-Old Church

Said church is the chapel of King's College, Cambridge, where a year-long (and rather delicate) project to place 438 panels on the roof was just completed. A desecration of historic architecture? Says the college's provost, "People don’t come to King’s College Chapel to see the roof." - Smithsonian Magazine

Remember The “God Hates Renoir” Demonstrations Of 2015?

"Armed with snobbish hipster fury and signage that read 'God Hates Renoir,' 'ReNOir,' and 'We’re Not Iconoclasts, Renoir Just Sucks At Painting,' the group briefly received considerable media attention — though none from the institutions it was heckling." - Artnet

Warning That Venice’s Historic Houses Are Crumbling

Mario Piana, the Proto (architect) responsible for the maintenance of St Mark’s Basilica, in Venice, has warned that the city’s historic building stock is crumbling from the bottom up because of the rising water level of the lagoon. - The Art Newspaper

Report: British Museum Chairman Clashes With Prime Minister

British Museum chairman George Osborne reportedly clashed with officials from the Prime Minister’s office over the selection of the institution’s next museum director prior to the appointment of National Portrait Gallery director Nicholas Cullinan. - ARTnews

The State Of Notre-Dame de Paris Cathedral Five Years After The Fire

The leader in charge of the reconstruction efforts says the giant project is within budget and on schedule, with official reopening planned for this December 8. Here's a run-down of what's been achieved, including some important historical and architectural discoveries. - Deutsche Welle

Historic Artworks Rescued From Notre-Dame Fire Are Now On Display

The 13 "Mays," large-scale 17th-century paintings which had hung in the cathedral's side chapels, were evacuated from the burning edifice with only a bit of water damage. After conservation, they're being shown alongside 17th-century tapestries and the rarely-seen chancel rug, which has been used only a few times. - The Observer (UK)

Artists At Israel’s Venice Biennale Pavilion Refuse To Open Until There’s A Gaza Ceasefire

"Artist Ruth Patir said the exhibit ... 'will only open when the release of hostages and ceasefire agreement happens' in a statement shared on Instagram Tuesday. Patir said she would raise her voice 'with those I stand with in their scream, ceasefire now, bring the people back from captivity.'" - CNN

Why Do These People Hate Renoir So Much?

Armed with snobbish hipster fury and signage that read “God Hates Renoir,” “ReNOir,” and “We’re Not Iconoclasts, Renoir Just Sucks At Painting,” the group briefly received considerable media attention—though none from the institutions it was heckling. - Artnet

The Resurrection Of Notre Dame Is Bringing The French Together In Some Unexpected Ways

"For almost five years, Parisians looked into a sad emptiness when they walked past Notre-Dame and looked up. The void reminded them of a national trauma” of April 15, 2019. - Der Spiegel (Germany)

Ukrainian Artists Make Fun Of Refugee Stereotypes At The Venice Biennale

But then, the work is also affecting. “The line between a certain irony, and the suspension of disbelief, turns out to be extremely fine." - The Guardian (UK)

The Towering Vessel Sculpture At Hudson Yards Will Reopen, With More Mesh Intended To Prevent Deaths

"Peter DeSalvo Jr., the father of the first person to die by suicide , faulted the developer for not heeding warnings from experts or implementing safety measures after his death." - The New York Times

The Most Scathing Diss Track Of 2024 Is About Detroit Architecture

"Last week, the city of Detroit installed a budget-looking sign on I-94 that spells out its name in mint-green lettering reminiscent of chewing-gum packaging. The local reaction to it has been, to put it gently, unimpressed." - Vulture

Please Stop Calling The Whitney Biennial ‘Safe,’ People

“It’s usually art-world people and critics, who tend to say it every two years, as if the museum has ever intentionally sought controversy or embraced radical politics. That’s never been the case." - Hyperallergic

A Short History Of Artists Sneaking Work Into Museums

Taking to X (formerly Twitter), the museum applauded the mischievous initiative. “We think this is funny and would like to know the artist,” a spokesperson wrote. “So get in touch! There will be no trouble. Word of honor.” - Artnet

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