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Friday, 23 September 2016 02:55

Allegedly owing $621 million in taxes to the French authorities, the heir of a New York art-dealing empire, Guy Wildenstein, has appeared in a Paris court, potentially facing up to a decade in prison if convicted. What is considered one of the biggest tax fraud trials ever held in France, the taxes are from a family fortune estimated at more than $1 billion being hidden in offshore tax havens.

Friday, 23 September 2016 02:45

The life stories of LGBTQ men and women who made historic contributions to society have often been ignored or underestimated. A new initiative, undertaken by Historic England and referred to as Pride of Place, is relisting (protecting) the homes of Oscar Wilde, Benjamin Britten, and Anne Lister, among others.

Friday, 23 September 2016 02:40

What distinguishes a chair designed by an architect rather than a furniture designer? Whey would an architect want to design a chair? These and many other ideas are explored in “Chairs by Architects” (Thames & Hudson).

Friday, 23 September 2016 01:10

Branding and statement architecture are often seen by museum administrators as essential to attracting audiences. But what does the public want? The focus has shifted to visitor experience and making museums leisure destinations. As museums get bigger, the tension between intimacy and expansiveness becomes more difficult to resolve. In the article that follows, architects, curators, and artists share what they love about museums.

Thursday, 22 September 2016 03:12

The architect David Adjaye is realizing a dream project. At the end of this month, he will open the National Museum of African American History and Culture — the 12th and final Smithsonian museum on the National Mall — on five acres that were once home to a slave market, just beyond the White House. Personal experience, as well as historical memory, informs Adjaye’s architectural decisions. Throughout the museum, he strives for what he calls an “ease of navigation” — an idea 
he thinks about a lot.

Thursday, 22 September 2016 02:15

Director of Agence France-Muséums Manuel Rabaté will be the first director of the Louvre Abu Dhabi. Rabaté has been in his role at Agence France-Muséums, the governmental department charged with the development of the Louvre Abu Dhabi project, since 2013. Hissa Al Dhaheri, who hails from the United Arab Emirates and is currently a project manager for the development, has been appointed as his deputy.

 

 

Thursday, 22 September 2016 01:31

Actors and art collectors Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt amassed a collection estimated to be worth $25 million. Curious as to what they collected during their now dissolving marriage?

 

Thursday, 22 September 2016 00:54

The Tate has acquired a rare circa-1650s painting of an unknown woman, by Joan Carlile, thought to be Britain’s first professional female portrait painter. The earliest of Carlile’s works to enter the collection, it is also the earliest work by a woman artists to enter the museum.

Thursday, 22 September 2016 00:32

Celebrating its first year of operation, the Broad Museum in LA welcomed its 820,000 visitor at the close of its inaugural year. Built by acclaimed architects Diller Scofidio + Renfro, the Broad houses the impressive collection of one of the nation’s most important arts patrons, Eli Broad.

Tuesday, 20 September 2016 16:29

Once you step inside Pagoda Red, it’s easy to forget that you’re in the middle of Chicago’s industrial West Town neighborhood. The spacious gallery, which includes a magnificent outdoor garden decorated with commanding stone sculpture and vessels, is brimming with exquisitely crafted Asian antiques, modern design, and fine art that spans centuries. Founded by Betsy Nathan, Pagoda Red is a favorite among collectors and interior designers thanks to its one-of-a-kind inventory.

Tuesday, 20 September 2016 16:28

Experts at the Rijksmuseum in The Netherlands have attributed six paintings to the Dutch master Hercules Segers. Segers, who was admired by Rembrandt, often painted mountainous landscapes using unconventional techniques. Prior to the recent authentication, art historians agreed that Segers created between ten and twelve paintings during his lifetime. A major exhibition dedicated to Segers and his work will open on October 7 at the Rijksmuseum.

Tuesday, 20 September 2016 16:27

An important collection of ceramics by Pablo Picasso will head to auction at Sotheby’s on November 22 in London. The vases and earthenware belonged to the late English actor Richard Attenborough, who amassed an impressive collection of Picasso ceramics during his lifetime. Picasso’s experimentation with ceramics began in 1946, when he was introduced to the Madoura pottery workshop in France. During his career, Picasso produced several thousand ceramic works and continued to experiment with the medium until his death.

Tuesday, 20 September 2016 16:26

Four early Rembrandt paintings have been reunited at the Ashmolean Museum in Oxford, England, for the first time in centuries. The works are part of the Dutch master’s “Five Senses” series, which was created between 1624 and 1625, when Rembrandt was still a teenager. One of the paintings was discovered in a cellar last year, while the final “Senses” painting remains missing and has not been seen in nearly 400 years.

Monday, 19 September 2016 13:57

There’s nowhere quite like Los Angeles. Long known as the entertainment capital of the world, the sprawling and diverse metropolis has recently garnered attention for its rapidly growing design scene. While the cost of living continues to soar on the East Coast, an increasing number of artists are heading west, taking advantage of Los Angeles’ abundance of spacious (and relatively affordable) studios, as well as the city’s unique atmosphere—a result of its rich cultural past.

Monday, 19 September 2016 13:56

In July, news broke that the Waldorf Astoria—an iconic luxury hotel in Midtown Manhattan—would close in 2017 for a considerable renovation. The Art Deco landmark, which was bought by the Chinese holdings company Anbang Insurance Group Co. back in 2015, is expected to remain shuttered for around three years while more than three-quarters of the hotel’s 1,413 rooms are converted into high-end  condominiums. After preservationists repeatedly voiced their concerns over the future of the structure’s celebrated interiors, Anbang has agreed to work with the city’s Landmarks Preservation Commission to carry out the project.

Monday, 19 September 2016 13:55

After years of debate, the Senate Judiciary Committee approved the Foreign Cultural Exchange Jurisdictional Immunity Clarification Act—a bill aimed at safeguarding artworks on loan to the United States for exhibitions. While the legislation is meant to encourage foreign countries to send important works abroad by assuaging fears that they will be seized, opponents believe that the Act could end up protecting looted artworks and artifacts. The current iteration of the bill exempts the descendents of the owners of works plundered during World War II as well as works seized from a targeted group by a foreign government after 1900.

Monday, 19 September 2016 13:54

Back in April, five paintings from the Dutch Golden Age were recovered in Ukraine. The masterpieces, which date back to the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, were stolen from the Westfries Museum in Hoorn, Netherlands, in 2005, and held for ransom by a far-right Ukrainian militia. Over twenty-four paintings were looted during the theft. On Friday, September 16, Ukrainian officials handed over the recently recovered works to the Netherlands.

Monday, 19 September 2016 13:50

In 1831, John Constable finished a painting of the Salisbury Cathedral—a stunning Gothic edifice in Southern England. The artist had a strong emotional connection to the painting, which was completed a year after his wife’s death, as well as the town where it was created. Salisbury Cathedral from the Meadows, which belongs to Tate Britain, is embarking on a five-year tour that will kick off at the Salisbury Museum. From there, it will make stops in Wales, Scotland and East Anglia.

Friday, 16 September 2016 14:04

The Swiss architect Peter Zumthor has been selected to design the Beyeler Foundation’s upcoming expansion. The museum, which is located outside of Basel, Switzerland, was designed by Renzo Piano and completed in 1997. Zumthor, who was awarded the Pritzker Prize in 2009, was chosen from a shortlist of eleven firms. The project is expected to cost upward of $80 million.

Friday, 16 September 2016 14:02

Demisch Danant—a New York-based gallery specializing in twentieth century French design—will inaugurate its new space on West 12th Street with the exhibition, Made in France. The show will present more than two dozen rare and important objects that, together, chart the evolution of French design during the 1960s and 1970s. Works by such luminaries as Étienne Fermigier, Maria Pergay, Joseph André Motte, and Pierre Paulin will be on view.

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