“Recent events question the quality of acquisition procedures and the functioning of its market. A reaction is necessary to guarantee France’s capacity for influence in the cultural and heritage domain.” - ARTnews
At the ancient citadel of Aleppo, which was also recently damaged during Syria’s civil war, parts of an Ottoman-era mill collapsed along with parts of the minaret at citadel’s mosque. - ARTnews
The legislation moves five major antiquities museums out of the Ministry of Culture, giving them more independence but also requiring more fundraising. The archaeologists running these museums fear that the new governing boards will no longer be required to have experts in the field as members. - ARTnews
A compact man with a round face, Adam Lindemann, 61, is an unusual character in the art market, combining the passion and obsessiveness of an old-school collector steeped in art history with the cool pragmatism of a businessman looking to profit off his assets. - The New York Times
"After expanding its horizons in Málaga, Shanghai and Brussels, with the prospect of a spinoff in the pipeline for Jersey City, United States, in 2025, the Pompidou Center ... will bring its expertise to the contemporary art museum being constructed by Lebanese architect Lina Ghotmeh." (in English) - Le Monde
“I was invading public space with a mosaic of a small character whose role is to invade,” said the artist. A quarter-century later, it is hard to go more than a few blocks in much of Paris without spotting an Invader mosaic — if you look. - The New York Times
Dreams of collectivity in the financialized and non-financialized zones of the art world have deep roots. But they were usually outside the door of the art world center, banging to get in. What’s different about the most recent period is that it really felt as if this door had been opened. - Artnet
"Every single available ticket to see the Rijksmuseum's Johannes Vermeer retrospective is already gone, the Amsterdam institution said over the weekend, dashing the hopes of many far and wide who had hoped to see the unprecedented show." - ARTnews
"The Association of Art Museum Directors (AAMD), the American Alliance of Museums (AAM), the Association of Academic Museums and Galleries (AAMG), and the Association of Art Museum Curators (AAMC) collectively called on Valparaiso University’s Brauer Museum of Art to reverse course." - Hyperallergic
Wendy Halsted Beard, says the FBI, "allegedly went to great lengths to deceive her clients, ... making up a double lung transplant and other medical emergencies, and swapping one client’s signed photograph with a $405.26 purchase from the Ansel Adams Gallery’s gift shop." - The New York Times
Home ownership is just a dream for many, and so "the cliche of dog-eared magazine pages crammed with antique chandeliers and Louis XV chairs has been replaced by media empires chasing a young, video-oriented audience." - The Guardian (UK)
Lauder will continue to own The Black Feather Hat, "after agreeing to the restitution and repurchase of the work from the heirs of a Jewish woman who had owned it before World War II." - The New York Times
The program, which starts March 3, focuses on seven rising artists from around the country who were selected by Hirshhorn curators. Each week, the artists are commissioned to make a themed work — such as an exploration of gender — that is evaluated by Melissa Chiu, the Hirshhorn’s director. - The New York Times
Two weeks ago, following an alleged complaint from a visitor about art with a "destructive ideology." Russia's Ministry of Culture demanded that the Moscow museum bring its exhibitions "in line with spiritual and moral values." The ousted director, Zefira Tregulova, learned about her firing from the media. - MSN (The Washington Post)
"The Smithsonian's Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden is teaming up with MTV Studios to create the six episode docuseries The Exhibit: Finding the Next Great Artist, which will follow seven American artists who will compete for a presentation at the museum and a cash prize." - ARTnews
