| | The First Art Newspaper on the Net |   | Established in 1996 | Tuesday, May 5, 2020 |
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| | Spain's Reina Sofia museum prepares to reopen in pandemic era | |
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The Reina Sofia is home to Pablo Picasso's anti-war masterpiece "Guernica" Gabriel BOUYS AFP.
by Alvaro Villalobos
MADRID (AFP).- The halls are eerily quiet at Madrid's Reina Sofia, Spain's most visited museum, as a solitary art restorer looks after its star attraction -- Pablo Picasso's anti-war masterpiece "Guernica". Like all of Spain's museums, the modern art museum housed in a former hospital has been closed since mid-March due to a nationwide lockdown to contain one of the world's deadliest coronavirus outbreaks. But with the restrictions starting to be eased, it is getting ready to reopen -- hopefully in a month -- with new social distancing and hygiene regulations in place for the pandemic age. Museums must "convey the message that there is no need to fear others," said the Reina Sofia's director, Manuel Borja-Villel. Visitors will move through the multi-story building on a circular path so as not to cross by one another, cameras will take people's temperature and dispensers for hand sanitiser will be distributed across the museum, he told AFP. Paper maps and brochures will no longer be available ... More |
The Best Photos of the Day The Kunstsammlung Nordrhein-Westfalen will reopen both locations --- K20 and K21 --- for visitors as of May 5, 2020. The normal opening hours for both venues will apply: Tuesday to Friday from 10:00 am to 6:00 pm and on weekends and public holidays from 11:00 am to 6:00 pm. The health of its visitors and employees is a top priority for the Kunstsammlung NordrheinWestfalen. Pablo Picasso. Kriegsjahre 1939 bis 1945, installation view K20, Kunstsammlung Nordrhein-Westfalen, photo: Achim Kukulies © Kunstsammlung NRW.
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 | | Dallas Museum of Art announces the death of benefactor S. Roger Horchow | | Strong results for Asian art online sales at Christie's | | Fossil shows cold-blooded frogs lived on warm Antarctica | 
The Museums long history with Roger Horchow began in 1974, when he first joined the Board of Trustees and its Membership Committee followed by his service on the Trustee and Development Committee the following year. Photo: Dane Walters/KERA.
DALLAS, TX.- The Dallas Museum of Art is deeply saddened by the passing of S. Roger Horchow, the world-renowned retail entrepreneur, award-winning Broadway producer, author, and longtime trustee and benefactor of the Dallas Museum of Art. A debonair and leading patron of the arts, he was a beloved friend, inspiring leader, and dedicated advocate of the Museum for over 45 years. The Museums long history with Roger Horchow began in 1974, when he first joined the Board of Trustees and its Membership Committee followed by his service on the Trustee and Development Committee the following year. Throughout his long relationship with the Museum, Horchow served as Vice President of the Board for five years, Chair of the Marketing & Development Committee and as a member of the Committee on Collections, Development Committee, Marketing Committee, and Search Committee that hired ... More | | 
KAWS (B. 1974), Companion (Karimoku Version), realized US$68,750 / HK$531,174, against a low estimate of US$20,000. © Christie's Images Ltd 2020.
HONG KONG.- Pavilion Online: Chinese Art (April 21 28) achieved HK$7,671,250 / US$994,184, with 86% sold by lot, 169% by value and 47% of lots selling above their high estimates, beating all previous Pavilion Online sales. The sale attracted over 300 registrants across the globe with 80% of new buyers from Asia Pacific. The top lot of the auction was a rare Qingbai iron-spot decorated Xuanwu pillow, Northern Song Dynasty (960-1127), the Property of Mr. Mark Lam, that sold for HK$437,500 / US$56,699, against a low estimate of HK$15,000 / US$ USD$2,000. 86% sold by lot | 169% sold by value 47% of lots sold above high estimate Strong participation from Asia Pacific 80% of new buyers from the region Contemporary Art Asia Online (April 21 30) achieved US$783,000/ HK$6,049,593, with 99% sold by lot, 211% by value and 64% of lots selling above their high estimates. The sale attracted over 400 registrants across the globe with 42% of new buyers. The to ... More | | 
In an undated handout image, a reconstruction of the Eocene helmeted frog on the Antarctic Peninsula 40 million years ago. Simon Pierre Barrette, Jose Grau de Puerto Montt, and Mats Wedin/Swedish Museum of Natural History via The New York Times.
by Lucas Joel
NEW YORK (NYT NEWS SERVICE).- In 2015, Thomas Mörs reached for a frog in the sand, but the frog didnt hop away. Thats because the frog had been fossilized 40 million years ago. Nevertheless, Mörs knew that the frog would soon be hopping into history books, because it was the first fossil frog from Antarctica ever found. When I was going through samples and I saw this, I said: Wow! Thats a frog! said Mörs, a vertebrate paleontologist at the Swedish Museum of Natural History who led the team of researchers that announced the find April 23 in Scientific Reports. I knew nothing like this was known from Antarctica. Its exciting. Mörs and his team retrieved the frog from Seymour Island, which sits on the Antarctic Peninsula roughly 700 miles south of Tierra del Fuego on South America. The frog came to light ... More |
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| | Kunstsammlung Nordrhein-Westfalen reopens on May 5 | | Julien's Auctions announces highlights included in the "Music Icons" sale | | Tornabuoni Art presents 'In Focus: Alighiero Boetti', a virtual exhibition of the artist's work made in self-isolation | 
Pablo Picasso, Still Life with Bull's Skull, 5.4.1942, Kunstsammlung Nordrhein-Westfalen, Düsseldorf, © Succession Picasso / VG Bild-Kunst, Bonn, 2019, Photo: Walter Klein, Düsseldorf.
DUSSELDORF.- The Kunstsammlung Nordrhein-Westfalen will reopen both locations K20 and K21 for visitors as of May 5, 2020. The normal opening hours for both venues will apply: Tuesday to Friday from 10:00 am to 6:00 pm and on weekends and public holidays from 11:00 am to 6:00 pm. The health of its visitors and employees is a top priority for the Kunstsammlung NordrheinWestfalen. For this reason, the social distancing and hygiene regulations aimed at the containment of the Covid-19 virus recommended by the health ministries and other ministries of the state of North Rhine-Westphalia shall apply to museum visits until further notice: Limited number of visitors for both venues Compliance with the distance regulation of 1.5 m Wearing face and nose masks Observance of hygiene ... More | | 
Prince's custom-made 1984 blue cloud guitar. Estimate: $100,000-$200,000.
LOS ANGELES, CA.- Juliens Auctions has announced the marquee lineup of Music Icons to take place on Friday, June 19 and Saturday, June 20 live in Beverly Hills and online at juliensauctions.com. Some of the most iconic memorabilia and important artifacts ever assembled, representing the legendary multigenre music artists of our time will be offered: Prince, Elvis Presley, The Beatles, Madonna, Michael Jackson, Johnny Cash, Jim Morrison, the Rolling Stones, Queen, David Bowie, The Police, Guns N Roses, Bob Marley, Elton John, Phish, Whitney Houston, Yngwie Malmsteen and many more. Special highlights also include an exclusive collection of Noel Gallaghers handwritten lyrics to Oasis biggest hits, a never before seen archive of Walter Becker and Steely Dan and a rare selection of Phil Leshs most synonymous Grateful Dead tour gear and wardrobe that will excite the most devoted Deadhead fan and ... More | | 
Senza titolo, Rosso Gilera 60 1232, ca 1978, mixed media and collage on paper on board, 100 x 70 cm.
LONDON.- The times we live in force us to live in self-isolation, and although this dimension might, on the one hand, be experienced as a deprivation of liberty, it can also provide the essential conditions for creativity: to be with oneself without external distractions. Alighiero Boetti (1940-1994), perhaps more than any other artist, developed the idea of creativity as a shared act: he delegated the making of his art to others (including embroiderers and a large number of studio assistants), and he pioneered a collective and social idea of artistic expression. However, while he was experiencing a period of solitude and isolation, he created an extraordinary cycle of work, which he named Tra sé e sé (Between Self and Self) and which remains a unique and revelatory facet of the artists career. In 1980, after Boetti had been living between Rome and Kabul for almost a decade, Afghanistan became ... More |
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| | National Gallery commemorates the 75th anniversary of VE Day | | Museum Ludwig reopening on May 5 | | Alexander and Bonin presents "John Ahearn and Rigoberto Torres: Works from the 42nd Street Art Project, 1993" | 
Titian, Noli me Tangere, about 1514. © The National Gallery, London.
LONDON.- Every day during the Second World War, the National Gallery was one of the few places in London where you could find a programme of cultural activity - concerts, organised by Dame Myra Hess, exhibitions of contemporary art, and a 'Picture of the Month', brought back from storage in a Welsh mine to delight the public. Therefore, it is ironic that Victory in Europe Day 8 May 1945 was one of only two days (the other being the following day, 9 May 1945) during the whole war that the National Gallery exceptionally closed - but it was for a very good reason; to allow huge celebrations marking the end of the war to take place in Trafalgar Square. On August 23, 1939, with the Second World War looming, the National Gallery started evacuating the bulk of its collection to secret countryside locations for safe-keeping. By May 1940, the collection had been transferred to Manod Quarry, a slate mine in the Welsh mountains, ... More | | 
F. A. Oppenheim, Akropolis, Athen. Friedliche Pallas, 1853. Salzpapier auf Karton, 27 x 21 cm. Museum Ludwig, Köln. Reproduktion: Rheinisches Bildarchiv Köln.
COLOGNE.- The Museum Ludwig announces that it will reopen on May 5. Of course, all the necessary precautions will be taken to protect visitors and staff. Due to the museums generous exhibition spaces, it is easy for visitors to maintain a safe distance. The museum attendants have been thoroughly trained on the new situation and will ensure that there are not too many visitors in any area of the museum. The total number of visitors must not exceed 400 people at any given time. Staff members and visitors will be required to wear masks covering their mouth and nose. The checkout and cloakroom staff will be separated from the visitors by Plexiglas panels. Floor markings in front of the ticket desk and cloakroom will help maintain a safe distance. The museum will resume its regular opening hours of Tuesday to Sunday from ... More | | 
John Ahearn, Ai Wei Wei 1993. Acrylic on plaster. Photo: Joerg Lohse. Image courtesy of Alexander and Bonin, New York.
NEW YORK, NY.- Alexander and Bonin is presenting Works from the 42nd Street Art Project, 1993, an online exhibition of works by John Ahearn and Rigoberto Torres from this historic public art project. In the summer and fall of 1993, The 42nd Street Art Project transformed Manhattans Times Square into a bustling, around-the-clock gallery of contemporary art. Organized by The 42nd Street Development Project and Creative Time, the venture prompted twenty-four American artists to create temporary, site-specific works in, on, and around storefront display windows, theater marquees, commercial billboard spaces, and sidewalks. These artists introduced an unusually diverse audience to the world of contemporary art and promoted the renewed potential of this well-known street as a destination for entertainment and culture. For their participation in the ... More |
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| | Morphy's May 27-29 auction presents unrivaled selection of Founders & Patriots Militaria | | Spring pops up in colorful sculpture at Cahoon Museum drive-by show | | Rare Flora Danica flatware service and an exceptional pair of French commodes among top draws in Heritage sale | 
Extremely important and fine silver-mounted and inlaid presentation pipe tomahawk signed R. (Richard) Butler and inscribed to Lt John McClellan. Extensively exhibited, including at the Smithsonian. Depicted on cover of Indian Tomahawks & Frontiersman Belt Axes, and in several other respected reference books. Estimate $300,000-$500,000.
DENVER, PA.- May is a month in which America honors its military, both on Armed Forces Day and Memorial Day. Morphys will answer the call for recognition of those whove served our country with an exceptional three-day auction traversing the 18th century through modern era. Day 1, on May 27, is titled Founders & Patriots Arms, Militaria, Documents, Artwork & Rare Imprints from the Era of the American Revolution & the War of 1812. Days 2 and 3, May 28 and 29, are reserved for a collector favorite: Morphys top-notch Extraordinary, Sporting & Collector Firearms sale. Lavishly illustrated, expertly detailed catalogs for all three ... More | | 
Alfred Glover installing Garden Grove.
COTUIT, MASS.- The Cahoon Museum of American Art announces a new drive-by exhibition, Garden Grove, featuring colorful sculpture by Cape artist Alfred Glover. The exhibition is part of the Museums ongoing Streetside series and remains on view throughout the year. Garden Grove consists of a series of whimsical trees with giant ginkgo and philodendron leaves that are inhabited by baby birds in blue nests, spotted dogs, exotic flowers, and other creative creatures. The artworks are clearly visible from the street along Route 28 in Cotuit. A lifelong artist and Cataumet resident, Glover is well known to regional audiences for his fanciful, enchanting sculptures created in wood and metal. His inspiration comes from exotic flora and fauna he has seen on his international travels, as well as stories and memories from his childhood. Two of his espalier trees, on view by the Museums front door, were ... More | | 
A Very Rare Early Victorian Chinoiserie Ironstone Fireplace Surround, circa 1830-1850 (estimate: $15,000-25,000).
DALLAS, TX.- Heritage Auctions Fine Furniture & Decorative Arts Auction May 28 in Dallas, Texas includes strong ceramics collections and counts among its highlights an array of lots from five private collections: the Virginia Cook Collection, the John Robert Clark Collection, both from Dallas, Texas, the Estate of Randall J. Moskovitz, M.D., and the Sir Arthur Bryan Collection. Also featured is a fine selection of ceramics from the Collection of the Birks Museum at Millikin University in Decatur Illinois. This auction brings together some remarkable private collections, with choices for collectors of all levels Heritage Auctions Silver and Decorative Arts Director Karen Rigdon said. There is also a particularly fine selection of ceramics in the sale, including Sèvres, Meissen Pâte-sur-Pâte, Wedgwood Black Basalt and KPM plaques that ... More |
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About Time: Fashion and Duration (Extended Exhibition Preview)
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| | More News |
 Broadway, doors closed and stages empty, fears an uncertain futureNEW YORK (AFP).- New York's celebrated Broadway theaters have been shuttered since March 12 and may well not reopen before September. The very real fear is that with no public funding to help them weather the crisis, some shows may never reopen. Their neon lights still glow at night, but for nearly two months -- as New York has become the US epicenter of the coronavirus pandemic -- there have been no lines outside the many theaters around Times Square. In normal times, those theaters would be taking in $33 million a week in tickets sales. Now, nothing. Theater professionals received two weeks' pay when their venues closed, but now they have nothing but jobless benefits, and the chaos in New York's overwhelmed unemployment offices means many have so far received nothing. "Unfortunately, its almost impossible for a performing musician ... More Young Jordanians on lockdown showcase 'talent from home' for hit contestAMMAN (AFP).- An online talent contest created to keep young Jordanians busy as they sit out their country's coronavirus lockdown has proved a hit, with thousands participating and millions watching. Mahmoud Azzazi, 22, lives in a working-class neighbourhood of the capital Amman and is studying culinary arts, but has been turning his mind to music during the lockdown. He was among the prize winners for his rendition of the song "Sway", made famous by the likes of Dean Martin. Jordan's culture ministry launched the "My talent from my home" contest in late March, and says it has since attracted more than 67,000 participants and 18 million views on social networks. With children under 16 prohibited from leaving their homes except in case of emergency, and with schools and universities still closed, the contest has provided a creative outlet for many young people. ... More Zev Buffman, prolific theatrical producer, is dead at 89NEW YORK (NYT NEWS SERVICE).- Zev Buffman had been a prominent Broadway producer for two decades when he met Elizabeth Taylor in 1980 at the opening night of his revival of Brigadoon, the Lerner and Loewe musical, at the National Theater in Washington. Taylor, the epitome of screen glamour since the mid-1940s, had almost no stage experience. But Buffman, a brash Israeli-born impresario, asked her if she would act in a play. Smitten by talking to the actors at the backstage party that night and hoping to recover from a career lull, he recalled, she quickly agreed. In May 1981, eight months after their encounter, Taylor opened at the Martin Beck Theater on Broadway in Buffmans revival of The Little Foxes, Lillian Hellmans drama about a wealthy Alabama family. It was a hit. From the moment I persuaded Elizabeth to do a Broadway ... More International Print Center New York announces Five ProjectsNEW YORK, NY.- International Print Center New York announces (Re)Print: Five Projects, an online exhibition centered on works by Mark Bradford, Cecily Brown, Glenn Brown, Enrique Chagoya, and Lynette Yiadom-Boakye. A dialogue between contemporary prints and the source material referenced, (Re)Print examines how artists revise, recontextualize, and personalize familiar imagery to elicit new thinking. Further, the pairings express the dynamic relationship between contemporary practice and the historical role that prints have played in image reproduction and dissemination, and in the shaping of history, culture, and beliefs. Originally organized for presentation in IPCNYs exhibition space, this digital exhibition includes dynamic visuals, didactic text, artist quotes, and audio recordings of commentary by Jennifer Farrell, ... More Historic New England names Vin Cipolla next President and CEOBOSTON, MASS.- Vin Cipolla has been appointed the next President and CEO of Historic New England, the heritage organizations board of trustees announced today. A nationally recognized leader in the arts, preservation, and environmental advocacy, Cipolla has served as chairman, president, and CEO at public and private organizations in New York, Washington D.C., Boston, and London. He succeeds retiring President and CEO Carl R. Nold on June 1. Said David A. Martland, Chair of the Historic New England Board of Trustees, We set out to find a President and CEO who could build on our foundation of excellence and expand the reach of our work. With an extraordinary background of preservation, conservation, and cultural leadership at both national and regional levels, combined with an exceptional track record in organizational ... More Christie's and amfAR partner to raise critical funds for COVID-19 researchNEW YORK, NY.- Christies and amfAR, The Foundation for AIDS Research, announced a new partnership devoted to raising critical funds for COVID-19 research through a dedicated global auction at Christies this June. After the rapid spread of the coronavirus this spring forced amfAR to cancel its annual fundraising Gala at Cannes, which last year raised $15 million in vital research funds, the two organizations are joining forces to bridge the gap in fundraising and use it as an opportunity to address the new and urgent threat of COVID-19. From the Studio will present contemporary artworks that have been generously donated by leading collectors and by artists themselves, including new works never before seen by the public, which have been sourced with the help of Michael Nevin, director of The Journal Gallery. Proceeds from the June ... More Shelburne Museum to close for summer due to COVID-19SHELBURNE, VT.- For the first time in its 73-year history, Shelburne Museum will not open for summer due to concerns related to the coronavirus pandemic, Museum Director Thomas Denenberg announced. All exhibition buildings, the grounds and the Museum Store will remain closed through the spring and summer months. Exhibitions will be cancelled or postponed. Events and activities, educational programming and rental events will be cancelled or rescheduled. The museums administrative offices are also closed, with staff working remotely until public health officials advise it is safe to return to offices. The decision to extend the closure of Shelburne Museum was a difficult one. We followed guidance from state and federal health officials. While we weighed that advice with our paramount concern for the safety of our extended Shelburne ... More Damien Hirst and Snapchat launch new spin art lensLONDON.- British artist Damien Hirst has collaborated with Snapchat on a new augmented reality experience that allows users to create their own versions of the artists celebrated Spin paintings using the Snapchat camera. Inspired by Hirsts colourful paintings and the technique he uses to make them, the new lens enables users to pour virtual paint onto a round, spinning canvas. Layers of vivid paint can be applied in any combination of colours, allowing anyone to create their own spin paintings. The collaboration is in support of global charity Partners in Health, a social justice organisation working to support vulnerable communities in developing countries during the COVID-19 pandemic, providing healthcare for millions of patients worldwide. Damien Hirst said: "It's amazing to be working with Snapchat on this totally mega spin art lens and making it possible ... More Gallery NAGA opens solo exhibitions of works by Nicole Chesney and Rick FoxBOSTON, MASS.- To mark the beginning of another month in this surreal and uncertain time, Gallery NAGA will present the third solo exhibition of glowing, ephemeral paintings by Nicole Chesney and luscious, Irish landscapes on paper by Rick Fox. Nicole Chesneys abstract paintings are oil paint on acid-etched and mirrored glass. The title of the show, Current, is defined as, belonging to the present time, as well as a body of water, air, or electricity moving in a definite direction. Current continues Chesneys endless wondering with notions of sky and water and investigations of perception. Chesney is a student of color, always within reach in her studio is Werners Nomenclature of Colours, The National Audubon Society Field Guide to North American Weather and The National Audubon Society Field Guide to the Night Sky. Darwin ... More Los Angeles funders unite to create Relief Fund for Visual ArtistsLOS ANGELES, CA.- California Community Foundation together with the J. Paul Getty Trust and a coalition of local artist-endowed foundations announced today the launch of the Relief Fund for L.A. County Visual Artists, a collaborative effort to support the regions visual artists who are struggling due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The artist relief fund will distribute $655,000 to visual artists who represent the various and diverse communities of Los Angeles County and have been severely impacted by the current crisis. It was created with CCF endowment funds and by repurposing the biennial Fellowship for Visual Artists program, which began in 1988 with a founding gift from the J. Paul Getty Trust. Additional support has been provided by a group of premier artist-endowed foundations based in Los Angeles, including the Mike Kelley Foundation for the ... More Waddesdon Manor offers free beautiful backdrops for virtual meetingsWADDESDON.- With most of us working from home and spending our days on video calls Waddesdon Manor is giving people the chance to add a touch of glamour to their online meetings, by offering free downloads of lavish interiors, amazing artwork and spectacular gardens to dazzle colleagues on Zoom and Teams. Waddesdon was made for meetings it was built in the 1870s to host gatherings of the great and good at Baron Ferdinands house parties. So, if you're working from home or just staying in touch with loved ones, why not jazz up your next call with one of our favourite views or rooms or some of the most popular paintings in the collection to give you a background fit for royalty. Heres some of what is on offer
Sometimes more is more. Bring a touch of France to your screens with this incredible aerial shot of the Manor. Waddesdon ... More |
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Flashback On a day like today, Russian painter and architect Viktor Hartmann was born May 05, 1834. Viktor Alexandrovich Hartmann (5 May 1834, Saint Petersburg - 4 August 1873, Kireyevo near Moscow) was a Russian architect and painter. He was associated with the Abramtsevo Colony, purchased and preserved beginning in 1870 by Savva Mamontov, and the Russian Revival. In this image: The Paris Catacombs
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