Archaeologists has put on display some of the treasures they have uncovered from a nearly complete ancient city they discovered. “The city, untouched for more than 1000 years, was found less than 10 metres under the waters of the Mediterranean about six kilometres off the coast near Alexandria, Egypt.” – The Age (Melbourne) (LA Times, Reuters)
Tag: 06.05.00
GANGS SMUGGLE AFRICA’S ART
Demand for Africa’s ancient art is so high that gangs of thieves are taking advantage smuggling out artifacts to London in a trade that’s said to be worth £500 million a year. – The Sunday Times (UK)
A “VENDETTA” AGAINST A PICTURE
A self-proclaimed “fake hunter” insists that a painting in Britain’s National Gallery said to be by Rubens is a fake. Pay no attention to this man, writes one expert. “An amateur in the worst sense of the word, he has become a man with an obsession, apparently deaf and blind to evidence, disingenuous to a menacing degree, prepared to take words out of context with a knowing and triumphant Gotcha! and thoughtlessly prepared to traduce all who disagree with him; in this bitter feud against the National Gallery he makes an ass of himself.” – London Evening Standard
YOU BREAK IT…
“A patron at the Minneapolis Institute of Arts on Sunday disregarded a do-not-touch sign, climbed atop a display platform and sat down on a chair dating to the Ming Dynasty, breaking it in three places.” The chair was worth “six figures.” – St. Paul Pioneer Press
ANOTHER PLEA FOR RETURNING THE ELGINS
Greece calls again for the return of the Elgin marbles from the British Museum, but says it might be interested in sharing ownership of the artwork. – BBC
SORTING OUT OWNERSHIP
Boston’s Museum of Fine Art debates the proper way to list artwork with questionable provenance on the internet. – Boston Herald
LINKIN’ LOGS
The latest development in the digital music wars: MP3Board.com (an online music-search site) has filed a lawsuit against the Recording Industry Association of America (which has been trying to shut the web site down) on the grounds that providing hyperlinks does not constitute copyright infringement. – Wired
PINING FOR VINYL?
Despite doomsayers who claim programs like Napster and the rise of teen pop bands spell looming losses for the recording industry, the past few months have been the most successful the music business has seen, with three albums selling more than $1.3 million in their first week. So why aren’t the execs overjoyed? “Imagine if this summer three Hollywood movies shattered the opening week box-office record, boom, boom, boom, one after the other. The town’s top executives would be bruised from so much backslapping. The music industry, though, gnashes its teeth and pines for simpler times.” – Inside.com
WE’LL HELP, BUT…
The Australian government is alarmed at the lavishness of Opera Australia’s productions. The company is $6 million in debt and the government says it will help, but only after a thorough review of the company’s spending. “The review would examine the possibility of selling some of the company’s buildings in Melbourne and Sydney and outsourcing production of its sets and costumes.” – The Age (Melbourne)
WHO WILL LEAD BAYREUTH NEXT?
For the past 49 years the directorship of Germany’s Bayreuth Festival (the Ground Zero of Wagner worship) has been held by the composer’s grandson Wolfgang. Now, as Wolfgang’s succession draws near, a jockeying for position among the Wagner clan. – New York Times