| The First Art Newspaper on the Net |   | Established in 1996 | Friday, November 24, 2017 |
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| | World's only particle accelerator dedicated to art revs up at the Louvre in Paris | |
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An antique bronze sculpture is analyzed using the latest version of the AGLAE (Louvre accelerator of elemental analysis), an apparatus for the chemical analysis of art and archaeological pieces, at the Louvre museum on November 21, 2017 in Paris. The new AGLAE was carried out in collaboration between the CNRS, C2RMF and ChimieParistech and co-financed by the programm "Investissement d'avenir", the city of Paris and the French culture ministry. The (AGLAE) is a particle accelerator housed by the Center for Research and Restoration of Museums of France in the Louvre museum and used to determine the atomic constituents of cultural items. STEPHANE DE SAKUTIN / AFP.
PARIS (AFP).- The world's only particle accelerator dedicated to art was switched on at the Louvre in Paris Thursday to help experts analyse ancient and precious works. The 37-metre (88-foot) AGLAE accelerator housed underneath the huge Paris museum will be now be used for the first time to routinely study and help authenticate paintings and other items made from organic materials. The Centre for Research and Restoration of the Museum of France (C2RMF) -- which is independent of the Louvre -- has spent 2.1 million euros ($2.5 million) overhauling and upgrading the machine, which can determine the chemical make-up of objects without the need to take samples. "Up to now we almost never analysed paintings because we were afraid the particle beam might change the colours" when it hit the pigments in the paint, director Isabelle Pallot-Frossard told AFP. The AGLAE works by speeding up helium and hydrogen nuclei to speeds of between ... More |
| Seeing with closed eyes: Konrad Fischer Galerie opens exhibition of works by Giuseppe Penone | | Brexit strips UK of 2023 European Capital of Culture | | 1,000 Norwegian artists denounce sexual harassment | 
Giuseppe Penone, Ceppo di cuoio (5), 2010. Wood, leather, nails. 169 x 56 x 55 cm.
DUSSELDORF.- In the past, Giuseppe Penone rubbed graphite directly onto walls in order to reveal their structure, the one left behind after the builderÂs hand had smoothed the surface. This age-old skill, buried in the plasterwork and inherent to the material itself, is revealed in all its curious complexity: the criss-cross lines, a confusion of traces and concealed masses henceforward became visible.
Following a similar approach, by drawing with graphite, Penone has meticulously copied the enlarged image of eyelids onto large sheets of paper, as well as onto the walls, in great detail: the lines and veins, the delicate skin and the marks of ageing; this fragile skin which, when closed, prevents the eye from projecting its gaze, turning its vision inwards and reducing the eye to darkness. Giuseppe Penone then precisely glued acacia thorns onto large canvases which in turn, side by side, reproduce the exact outline of the two eyelids. Placed either side of a marble plaque, we contemplate the ... More | | 
This file photo taken on October 26, 2017 shows pedestrians walking past the Piccadilly Circus advertisement screens in London. Tolga Akmen / AFP.
BRUSSELS (AFP).- Britain can no longer host the European Capital of Culture in 2023 as planned because of Brexit, even though some non-EU countries are eligible, the European Commission said on Thursday. Britain and Hungary had been due to get the honour in six years' time, and five British cities had even reportedly submitted nominations at the invitation of the government. But the European Commission, the executive arm of the soon-to-be 27-nation EU, said it had sent a letter to the British culture ministry on Wednesday saying that it was no longer possible. "As one of the many concrete consequences of its decision to leave the European Union by 29 March 2019, the UK cannot host the European Capital of Culture in 2023," a European Commission spokeswoman said in a statement, confirming a story in Politico Europe. "Given that the UK will have left the EU by 29 March 2019, and therefore be unable to host the European Capital ... More | | 
On the same pages as the manifestos, Aftenposten published several anonymous testimonials from artists who reported sexual violence, pressure and humiliation.
OSLO (AFP).- A thousand artists in Norway, considered one of the world's most gender-equal countries, have denounced rape, assault and harassment in manifestos published by the Norwegian media on Thursday. "Shame and guilt must go to where they belong: among those who harass and those who protect (the perpetrators)," said a declaration signed by 295 female singers and published by the daily Aftenposten. In a separate text, 706 female musicians pointed out that "there is no reason to believe that the music community is better here, even in 'the most equal country in the world'." Norway was ranked the second most gender-equal country in a 2017 World Economic Forum report, which takes into account wage inequalities for women as well as their participation and representation in political and business environments. Scandinavian countries pride themselves on topping the list in gender equality, with Iceland ... More |
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| Berlin police seeking more missing John Lennon items | | A rich selection of museum-quality landscapes: Sotheby's announces auction of Swiss art | | The Loaded Brush: Christie's opens a curated exhibition of masterpieces from private collections | 
A cigarette case from the estate of John Lennon is pictured during a press conference on November 21, 2017 in Berlin. Maurizio Gambarini / dpa / AFP.
BERLIN (AFP).- German police are trying to recover numerous items stolen from the estate of the late Beatle John Lennon, prosecutors said Thursday, after the arrest of a suspect accused of handling the objects. A 58-year-old man identified as Erhan G. was arrested in Berlin on Monday on suspicion of dealing in the stolen goods. Prosecutors said he has "given a broad confession" in the case and provided information about stolen personal items from Lennon that remain undiscovered. Police had on Tuesday announced the recovery of around 100 items, including diaries, a cigarette case and two pairs of Lennon's trademark round spectacles. One of the three diaries from the haul contains an entry penned by Lennon on December 8, 1980 -- hours before he was shot dead by a disturbed fan outside his Manhattan apartment building. But numerous items are still missing. "Among those we are looking for are a sculpture, walking sticks as well ... More | | 
Cuno Amiet, Die blaue Bluse, 1910. Estimate CHF 250,000 350,000 / EUR 216,000 303,000. Courtesy Sothebys.
ZURICH.- Sothebys unveiled the highlights of its upcoming sale Swiss Art / Swiss Made, to be held on 5 December in Zurich. The auction will feature museum-quality masterworks by seminal artists including Ferdinand Hodler, Ernst Ludwig Kirchner, Giovanni Giacometti, Félix Vallotton and Ernest Biéler. Since their launch, Sothebys themed sales, Swiss Art / Swiss Made, have resonated with collectors both in Switzerland and internationally, and in addition to the German painter Kirchner, this seasons auction will present works with a Swiss connection by internationally-renowned artists Christo and Balthus. Looking ahead to the sale, Stephanie Schleining and Urs Lanter, Co-Heads of Sothebys Swiss Art Department, commented: It is a great honour for us to be able to present several museum-quality pieces representing the work of Switzerlands iconic artists. It is rare to see assembled together such a broad and fine ... More | | 
Roy Lichtenstein, Vicki! I -- I Thought I Heard Your Voice, 1964 (detail). Porcelain enamel on steel, 42 x 42 in. © Christies Images Limited 2017.
HONG KONG.- Christies announces the second edition of The Loaded Brush, a landmark private selling exhibition of over 30 works, featuring paintings inspired by the possibilities of the loaded brush. The exhibition will be on view at the Hong Kong Convention Centre from 24 to 27 November, including works by Monet, Picasso, Matisse, Rothko, Rembrandt and Warhol. Touching upon universal themes that explore the nature of beauty, the role of the muse in art, as well as a reflection on portraiture, this exhibition gives an unprecedented opportunity to see works of art rarely, if ever, on public view. Jussi Pylkkänen, Global President, notes: We live in an era of great collections, with the global taste for masterpieces continually sparking the interest of our audiences in Asia. This second iteration of The Loaded Brush goes a step further than last year, celebrating the creativity of an even broader range of artists, who ... More |
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| First editions re-covered: Sotheby's announces auction to benefit Quentin Blake's House of Illustration | | Detailed, colorful New York skyline by President Trump debuts at Heritage Auctions | | Paris scraps Big Wheel attraction | 
Gerald Scarfe, The Making of Pink Floyd The Wall, est. £3,000-5,000. Courtesy Sothebys.
LONDON.- This December, Sothebys London will offer a collection of 33 first editions of classic books, each with a beautifully original dust-jacket, created and generously donated by leading artists and designers to benefit House of Illustration. Each artist selected a book they felt a strong connection to and then created a new dustjacket or artwork in response to it. The re-worked classics include Harper Lees To Kill a Mockingbird, Franz Kafkas The Metamorphosis, Lewis Carrolls Through the Looking Glass, J.D. Salingers The Catcher in the Rye, Rudyard Kiplings The Jungle Book, T.S. Eliots The Waste Land, D.H. Lawrences Sons and Lovers and George Orwells Animal Farm. Artists include Quentin Blake, Maggi Hambling, Raymond Pettibon, Lauren Child, Peter Blake, Chris Riddell, Richard Wentworth, Axel Scheffler, Audrey Niffenegger, Neil Gaiman, George Shaw, Paula Rego and Shaun Tan. The auct ... More | | 
President Donald J. Trump: Very Fine Original Artwork.
DALLAS, TX.- A colorful and finely-executed drawing of the New York City skyline by President Donald Trump makes its auction debut in Heritage Auction's Americana & Political auction Dec. 2 in Dallas. Trump donated the drawing to St. Francis Food Pantries and Shelters organization in New York in 2005. This engaging work is expected to sell for $15,000 or more. "What makes this sketch stand out from any others previously offered is the precise attention to detail and the color Trump used to enhance the city view," said Tom Slater, Director of Americana at Heritage Auctions. "None of President Trump's drawings with this much detail has ever been offered at auction before." The artwork itself measures 9" x 11.5" and presents nicely in its original 24" x 20" frame, which includes a color photograph of the President. It is signed boldly with a clearly legible "Donald Trump" signature. Only two other drawings by President Trump have appeared at auction, the ... More | | 
A picture taken on November 22, 2017 shows Champs-Elysee Avenue illuminated with the Christmas lights with the background the "Grande Roue" ferris wheel in the background, in Paris. Philippe LOPEZ / AFP.
PARIS (AFP).- Paris councillors on Wednesday voted to axe the city's prominent riverside Ferris wheel, the French capital's version of the London Eye. Run by "fairground king" Marcel Campion who has also seen his Christmas market on the Champs-Elysees scrapped because authorities deemed it too tacky, the attraction will be closed from July 2018. City councillors voted almost unanimously against granting him a fresh licence for the "Grande Roue", which has sat intermittently on the Place de la Concorde near the Louvre museum since 1993. Councillors said getting rid of the wheel would help protect the area's "historic visual appearance". They indicated that they were not against a Ferris wheel being erected somewhere else, said deputy mayor Bruno Julliard. ... More |
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| Kewenig opens exhibition of works by the German artist Elger Esser | | First-ever exhibition of contemporary lacquer sculpture on view at the Minneapolis Institute of Art | | Nine new paintings and Kehinde Wiley's first three-channel artist film on view at Stephen Friedman Gallery | 
Elger Esser, Salwa Bahry I, 2011. Ãgypten C-Print, Diasec Face, 97 x 124 x 4 cm | 38 x 48 7/8 x 1 1/2 in. Ed. 5 of 7 + 1 AP.
BERLIN.- Kewenig presents the work group «Morgenland» by the German artist Elger Esser, who studied in the 1990s under Bernd and Hilla Becher. It marks the third solo exhibition of the artist with the gallery. Water landscapes and nature are central themes in Elger Esser's complete photographic works. Inspired by romantic painting and photography from the 19th century, Elger Esser chooses predominantly monochrome and muted shades for his large format landscapes. Through the use of traditional photographic and mechanical techniques, he achieves an extraordinary luminosity and depth, as well as a sense of timelessness and the infinite in his images. The photographs from the series were made between the years 2004 and 2015, in which Elger Esser perambulated amongst other locations, Israel, Egypt and Lebanon. With palm-lined riverbanks between Luxor and Aswan, as well as the Lebanese coast, Esser captured traditional Feluccas ... More | | 
Sasai Fumie, (born 1973) Look, 1994. Lacquer, gold powder, silver powder, and shell powder on Styrofoam. Gift of the Clark Center for Japanese Art & Culture.
MINNEAPOLIS, MN.- The Minneapolis Institute of Art has organized the first comprehensive exhibition of contemporary Japanese lacquer sculpture. On view from October 7, 2017, through June 24, 2018, Hard Bodies: Contemporary Japanese Lacquer Sculpture features the work of 16 artists who show the evolution of lacquerware from bowls, cups, boxes, and other utilitarian objects to large-scale works that are conceptually innovative and emphasize lacquers sheen and lustrous beauty. The works are drawn from the Clark Collections at Mia, the only collection in the world to have substantial representation of this new form. The idea for this exhibition was born after several art-hunting trips to Japan in 2011 and 2012, during which Clark Center founder Bill Clark and I encountered and commissioned lacquer sculptures, said Andreas Marks, PhD, head of the Japanese and Korean Art Department and director of the Clark Center for Japanese ... More | | 
Kehinde Wiley
, Fishermen Upon a Lee-shore, in Squally Weather (Andielo Pierre), 2017. Oil on canvas.
© Kehinde Wiley. Courtesy Kehinde Wiley and Stephen Friedman Gallery, London. Photo: Mark Blower.
LONDON.- Stephen Friedman Gallery presents internationally renowned American artist Kehinde Wileys second exhibition at the gallery entitled, In Search of the Miraculous. This exhibition marks a crucial moment in Wileys career, as he sets out to push both his artistic process and social critique in to new territory. Presenting nine new paintings and his first three-channel artist film, Wiley interweaves the canon of art history with present day politics to investigate key subjects of migration, madness and isolation in contemporary America. This comes at a critical time when the current political administration is seeking to fortify land and sea borders with an agenda that resonates globally. In this exciting new body of work, Wiley departs from the singular portrait style for which he is most celebrated and engages with both classical romanticism and epic maritime allegorical painting. In a series of s ... More |
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ArtdailyVideos Living with gods: the 40,000-year-old Lion Man
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 Michaans to offer items from important curated California collectionsALAMEDA, CA.- When it comes to auction events, "something for everyone" is a claim often made but seldom realized. Important Curated California Collections presented at Michaan's Auctions on Friday, December 8, fits the description, with a qualifier: in this sale there is something for everyone with an eye for taste and quality. Offered are nearly 300 lots of remarkable property amassed by a longtime Silicon Valley collector, who collaborated with top English and American galleries and designers on both coasts for many years. Surrounding the collector's 16,000 square foot California residence are extensive formal gardens. A highlight of the December 8th sale is the selection of rare garden ornaments, such as the pair of 19th century French cast stone sphinxes on pedestals estimated at $4,000-$6,000. The sundial, $2,000-$3,000, is by Edward Troughton (1753-1835), ... More Artists find their voice in Turkey's 'difficult' climateISTANBUL (AFP).- A mute Syrian boy, using just body movements, gives a harrowing description of life under the Islamic State group in Syria. A crowd gathers of passionate anti-establishment protesters. And a galaxy of white ceramic CCTV cameras keeps a Big Brother-like watch over a city. These are just some of the images from this season's contemporary exhibitions in Istanbul as artists grapple with issues of censorship and political turbulence in Turkey and raging violence across the border in Syria. And while critics of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan say the government is riding roughshod over freedom of expression, many artists are openly defying the trend by tackling big issues head-on in a still punchy scene. Almost immediately after the failed coup against Erdogan last year, Turkish authorities launched widespread purges which opponents say have ... More Drumming up a storm: new life for Malaysian Indian folk musicBUKIT SENTOSA (AFP).- Malaysian Indian musicians bang drums on a stage shrouded in smoke, singing in Tamil, as dancers wearing shimmering gold outfits adorned with peacock feathers gyrate to the pounding rhythm. The "urumee melam" ensemble are performing a traditional form of folk music brought to Malaysia generations ago by Indian labourers but which is now enjoying a revival among the country's South Asian community. Malaysia is home to more than two million ethnic Indians who live among a predominantly Muslim Malay population of some 32 million. They are descendants of Indians who came to Malaysia during British colonial rule in the 19th and 20th centuries to work on expansive agricultural plantations. The labourers, mostly from the southern state of Tamil Nadu, brought with them the "urumee melam", which would be played at Hindu temples ... More Historic Ashes memorabilia to be sold in Australia with Leonard Joel AuctionsMELBOURNE.- Two historic pieces of Ashes memorabilia, an engraved silver tray, presented to the President of the Melbourne Cricket Club on Englands defeat of Australia in the very first Ashes Test series in 1882-83 and the Ashes Urn, presented to Australias Cricket Captain, Monty Noble on his teams victory over England in 1909, are to be offered at auction by Leonard Joel at 11am AEDT on 7 December 2017. Max Williamson, Head of Sporting Memorabilia at Leonard Joel said, The Ashes Urn is the pinnacle for any Cricketing Memorabilia collector and this particular urn, being one of only three we know of still in private hands, is the most important piece of Cricketing Memorabilia to appear on the market for many, many years. We are also thrilled that since we announced the auction, to ... More Maddox Gallery, Mayfair presents a new series of work by The Connor BrothersLONDON.- Maddox Gallery, Mayfair presents a new series of work by The Connor Brothers. The Connor Brothers emerged onto the art scene as mysterious American twins, Franklyn and Brendan Connor, who were brought up within an extremist Christian cult known as 'The Family, and who had escaped to Brooklyn where they began creating artwork in order to make sense of the world they had been deprived of. In October 2014 these characters were revealed to be a myth; The Connor Brothers were actually art dealers turned artists Mike Snelle and James Golding. The Connor Brothers work is satirical and humorous in nature and explores the blurring of boundaries between truth and fiction. Mimicking vintage book cover imagery, often from romantic novels or Shakespeare classics, the artists reproduce the covers as large-scale acrylic and oil paintings, modifying ... More Hepworth and Nicholson from legendary Read Collection star at Bonhams Modern British Art aleLONDON.- Two works from the prestigious collection of art critic Herbert Read led Bonhams Modern British and Irish Art sale in London today [Wednesday 22 November]. Barbara Hepworths poignant reflection on maternal tenderness, Mother and Child, sold for £260,750 against an estimate of £150,000-200,000, while Ben Nicholsons 1936 (gouache) achieved £224,750 against an estimate of £150,000-200,000. The work was a Christmas gift from Nicholson to Read and his wife, Margaret when he and Hepworth moved to the Mall Studios in Hampstead. Bonhams Director of Modern British and Irish Art, Matthew Bradbury said: Herbert Read single-handedly championed Modern Art in Britain at a time when it was ignored or even ridiculed. His collection - built largely with gifts from grateful artists was legendary, and I am not surprised these two pieces sold so well. ... More 4 days and 34 galleries: A weekend in Dublin for visual art lovers, collectors and newcomersDUBLIN.- Dublin Gallery Weekend spans 34 art galleries and museums in the city. Now in its third year, this weekend is an opportunity to discover Dublin's vibrant visual art scene and get to know institutional highlights such as the Francis Bacon Studio (Dublin City Gallery the Hugh Lane), The Dublin Art Book Fair (Temple Bar Gallery + Studios) and the newly renovated National Gallery of Ireland, as well as exhibitions and events in galleries such as Kerlin, Mother's Tankstation and Kevin Kavanagh and artist run spaces such as Pallas Projects, Artbox and Mart Gallery. In addition to a wide ranging programme of exhibitions taking place in participating galleries, over 80 special events including of exhibition openings, guided tours, artist and curator talks, concerts and more will take place over the weekend. All mainly free of charge and open to arts professionals ... More Steady business for art dealers at Asian Art in LondonLONDON.- The 20th Anniversary of Asian Art in London launched with 400 people at the Design Centre Chelsea Harbour (DCCH) East Meets West selling exhibition. The following evening at Sothebys Institute and titled, Modern & Contemporary Asian Art: can London become a global hub. Over 2,000 viewed online, while attendance of 150 at Sothebys Institute itself included author, presenter, financial expert & art collector Alvin Hall, who had flown in from New York to participate. If AAL isnt already a global hub for contemporary art, its certainly on its way with Kamal Bakhshi exhibiting at the DCCH, selling several Japanese contemporary works for over £10,000. Taking place during the AAL late night opening weekend, the AAL Gallery Hops in Kensington Church Street, St James & Mayfair were oversubscribed, as was AALs Gala Party attended by over 450 ... More Flowers Gallery exhibits a new series of photographs by British photographer Jason LarkinNEW YORK, NY.- Centred around questions of authenticity and the representation of collective histories, Past Perfect (2008 - 2016), is a new series of photographs by British photographer Jason Larkin, highlighting the visual presentation of war and conflict within public museums around the world. With their vast access to knowledge, todays museums have become our modern-day cathedrals, not only concerned with historic moments, but also with ideas; notions of what the world is, and how it should be framed. Larkin views the war museum as playing an important, and often unquestioned role in constructing ideologies and interpreting cultural identities. In the essay Travels in Hyperreality, philosopher, historian and aesthetician Umberto Eco argued that the museum diorama is potentially more vivid, more effective than the original artefact, achieving an illusion ... More Leading artists unite for a cross-cultural celebration of food plants CANBERRA.- Immerse yourself in a vast Arnhem Land floodplain and lose yourself in a forest of bark paintings, in an ambitious and beautiful cross-cultural collaboration between renowned landscape artist John Wolseley and the great Yolŋu artist, Mulkun Wirrpanda. Midawarr/Harvest: The Art of Mulkun Wirrpanda and John Wolseley, was launched today at the National Museum of Australia in Canberra and is the culmination of an extraordinary friendship between two of Australias most distinguished senior artists, celebrating their shared obsession with traditional Yolŋu plant use. The exhibition features a specially commissioned vast panoramic scroll painting of a floodplain (10m x 2.1m) by Wolseley and 60 paintings and memorial poles by Mulkun showcasing intricately detailed Yolŋu plants. In 2009, Mulkun adopted Wolseley as her wawa (brother) and in ... More |
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Flashback On a day like today, French painter Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec was born Noviembre 24, 1864. Henri Marie Raymond de Toulouse-Lautrec-Monfa (24 November 1864 - 9 September 1901) was a French painter, printmaker, draughtsman, and illustrator, whose immersion in the colourful and theatrical life of fin de siècle Paris yielded an oeuvre of exciting, elegant and provocative images of the modern and sometimes decadent life of those times. In this image: A man passes in front of two posters by French artist Toulouse Lautrec, belonging to Brussels' Musée d'Ixelles, which were shown for the first time in Spain under the title 'Toulouse Lautrec. The origin of the modern poster', at Valencian Museum of Illustration and Modernity, in Valencia, eastern Spain, Thursday 29 September 2005.
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