Tag: 08.29.00

The Museum of Modern Art has been the arbiter of all things modern since it opened in 1929, and has always championed a linear view of art history as the evolution of one “ism” after another. The museum is currently re-hanging its permanent collection by theme rather than era. “The assumption behind MOMA’s reshuffle, like the Tate’s, appears to be that to continue creating, we have to free ourselves from a burdensome history. Picasso has to be put in his place.” – The Guardian

Turkish mosaics have been ripped from their sites and sold internationally. Does anyone care? “The excavations uncovered a Roman villa. The news was published. The mosaic was to stay in situ and locked up. Six years went by. One night, thieves came, cut out two-thirds of the mosaic and made off with it. Interpol has been searching the entire world for it since 1998.” – Artnet

The British Museum and English Heritage continue hassling over the Case of the Wrong Stone, laid for a new portico for the museum. They also “resist any suggestions that the entire structure could be condemned, although Camden council has not ruled out this possibility.” Instead the stone could be “color-washed” to make it blend with the surrounding stone. – London Evening Standard

“Hundreds of museums could close without investment from the government and the local authorities that are largely responsible for regional collections. Funding from central government to the museum service has fallen by 15% in real terms since 1997, and hundreds of museums around the country are sacking staff, cutting opening hours and seeing treasures kept in inadequate storage crumble because of a lack of funding.” – The Guardian

“The skyscraper is back, and little wonder. Big egos like big buildings. Megalomaniac real estate developers do not believe that ‘less is more.’ Skyscrapers provide instant status symbols for emerging economies. Besides, there’s nothing like a little face-to-face contact to make the wheels of capitalism turn smoothly.” – Chicago Tribune

Legendary dealer Richard Feigen has written a dealer tell-all about the art business.  He “promises tales about ‘the painters, the museums, the curators, the collectors, the auctions, the art.’ That’s a tall order, too tall even for a well informed insider. And it’s far too ambitious for an author who rambles, who digresses, and who loves to preach rip-snorting sermons on too many topics.” – The Idler