ArtsJournal: Arts, Culture, Ideas

VISUAL

A New Definition For The Word, And Place, Museum

"Following a years-long debate over how ideological the definition should be, the final text includes new language about museums being ethical, diverse, accessible, inclusive and sustainable" - and open to the public. - Washington Post

What’s Going To Happen To Sydney’s Rather Ugly Central Station Area?

Central Station is a "blight" that "sliced central Sydney in two" when the tracks were built in 1871. The infrastructure minister "said he hoped the development would heal the 'scar' through the city, improve connectivity and provide 850 much-needed residences." - The Guardian (UK)

The Murky World Of Stolen And Forged Art

There's a lot - a wild amount, and it's possibly underreported - of art theft via forgery or replacement paintings, and now photos as well. - Toronto Star

Microsoft Co-Founder’s Billion-Dollar Art Collection To Go To Auction

The trove of blue-chip works spanning 500 years collected by Paul Allen by artists such as Jasper Johns and Paul Cézanne, will go under the hammer in New York later this year; all of the sale proceeds will go towards philanthropic causes in line with Allen’s wishes who died in 2018. - The Art Newspaper

UNESCO Warns That Hagia Sofia Is Endangered

Originally constructed as a church, the Turkish government converted the structure to a mosque in 2020 in a highly controversial decision. In the years since, the Byzantine-era cathedral has seen increased damage and vandalism. - ARTnews

This Startup Wants To “Decentralize The Museum” By Becoming An Art-Lending Library For Far-Flung Institutions

"(At) the Web3 start-up Arkive, ... members don't put down any funds to participate (at least for now); the works it collects are meant to be loaned out to cultural institutions, and the objects that Arkive acquires are not only digital ones." - ARTnews

Portions Of 2,000-Year-Old Roman Temple Fresco Unearthed In Italy

Says the excavation's lead archaeologist, "It's the first time that the ruins of a shrine painted with such a wide palette of colors in an incredibly well-preserved state — and with such rich, elaborate decorations — has been unearthed." - CNN

More Basquiat Scandal Fallout: Orlando Museum’s Interim Director Resigns After Seven Weeks

Luder Whitlock took the temporary post on July 5, following the firing of director Aaron De Groft after the FBI confiscated as forgeries the works in the museum's big Basquiat exhibition. Whitlock had already served as the museum's interim director once before, for nine months in 2020. - ARTnews

Your Museum Has Been Implicated In A Fraud. What To Do? Why, A Task Force, Of Course

Shortly after federal agents descended upon the institution in June following questions about the authenticity of works in a Basquiat show, the Orlando Museum of Art canned its director Alan De Groft. Mounting evidence alludes to his involvement in a greater scam. - Artnet

This Is Possibly The Most Influential Artist Whose Name You’ve Never Encountered

One wouldn't expect to consider a designer of advertising posters to be historically important, but Jules Cheret's work — widely imitated and now found in reproductions in countless homes, restaurants and offices — established the visual vocabulary that we now associate with the Belle Epoque. - Artnet

A First Look Inside The International African American Museum

The long-planned institution on Charleston's waterfront, set to open next January, will tell stories of the Africans involuntarily brought to the U.S. and their descendants. Here's an overview of its construction, what will be in its galleries, and a few small controversies. - Charleston City Paper

Netflix Spent $5 Million To Create Replica Of The Sistine Chapel. Then Destroyed It. Why?

The revelation begs a question: At a time when TV and film productions are churning out increasingly elaborate sets in the streaming era, and audiences remain hungry for IRL immersive experiences, could installations like Netflix’s Sistine Chapel have a second life? - Artnet

New York Museums Now Required To Publicly Identify Art Stolen By Nazis

The new law requires that New York museums immediately place a placard or sign acknowledging Nazi-looted art. - The Hill

Can Museums Survive If They Stay Politically Neutral?

“The democratic battles fought worldwide in the name of human rights urge museums to take an active stance towards a fair advancement of civil society. Believing that the cultural sector can remain neutral in the face of exclusion and discrimination would endanger museums’ own relevance.” - The Art Newspaper

Philadelphia Loves Its Murals. But The City Has Targeted Them For Years

For young graffiti artists, their highly stylistic and calligraphic “wickets” were an alternative to gang life in communities abandoned by slumlords and the city. The city spent $3 million a year and brought in the National Guard to rid Philadelphia of graffiti. - Philadelphia Inquirer

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