There’s always something going on in the art world. Every Sunday, Agora starts the new week by looking back at what happened the week before. Here are our top art news stories from March 13th – March 19th, 2016.
Source: artnetnews
This week we saw artworks stolen in France and Spain while elsewhere in the U.S., a new museum and art fair were introduced.
Top Art News Stories
Fire at Manchester’s Wythenshawe Hall Causes Extensive Damage
The former art museum Wythenshawe Hall in Manchester suffered extensive damage following an early morning fire. The building was constructed in the mid-1500s and was used as an art gallery until its closure in 2010. Several paintings and antiques were removed from the wreck following the fire. Inquiries are still ongoing as to how the fire started. Full Story Here →
Source: artnetnews
Cambridge University Set to Return Looted Benin Bronze Following Student Protest
After a successful campaign by its students, Cambridge University has removed a bronze statue of a cockerel. The artwork was looted from Nigeria by British colonizers, but will return to its home following a vote by students. The cockerel is the college’s mascot so a new piece needs to be commissioned to replace the Benin bronze. The cockerel is one of a large number of Nigerian statues that were looted in an 1897 British army raid. Full Story Here →
Artist-Run Portal Fair to Launch During Frieze New York
Portal, a new art fair in New York City, will be showcasing artworks without the inclusion of galleries or dealers in their selection process. The artist-run nonprofit 4head will launch the fair as part of Frieze week in May. In this selling event, 70 percent of the sales will go to the artists themselves, and 30 percent will go to 4head to cover event expenses. This process is meant to change people’s perceptions of what an art fair is. Full Story Here →
Secret Chambers in King Tut’s Tomb Could Prove Nefertiti Served as Pharaoh
Archeologists are close to proving that there are two undiscovered rooms off of King Tut’s tomb. Tests have been ongoing since September after archeologist Nicholas Reeves found clues of a sealed-off doorway when examining high-resolution scans of the tomb for another project. It is suggested that these rooms will prove to be the resting place of Queen Nefertiti. Full Story Here →
Source: artnet news
Auction House Porters on Trial for Theft of 250 Tonnes of Valuables
40 porters and six auctioneers are on trial in France for the theft of 250 tons of antiques, jewels, and art. The workers from the Hotel Drouot were arrested following an anonymous tip that sparked investigation in 2009. The stolen artwork was taken from the homes of deceased customers who had left the items to be auctioned off. Instead of taking the items to the auction house, the porters stashed them for resale at a later date. Some porters defended their actions claiming they were only “‘stealing from the dead'”. Full Story Here →
The Met Breuer Opens to the Public
The Met Breuer opened on March 18th. An extension of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, this former home of the Whitney Museum of Art will house contemporary artworks in an attempt to rebrand the Met as an institution that is traditional but also up-to-date. The Met is predicted to lose $8 million this year after the $15 million in renovations and estimated $17 million to run the museum each year, but these costs are rectified as the museum “‘will provide an unparalleled opportunity to experience modern and contemporary art’” says Director and CEO Thomas P. Campbell. Full Story Here →
Source: The Met Breuer
Pilot Creates Amazing Art in the Sky
A pilot of a private plane bypassed his usual route and took a detour to create a fabulous drawing in the sky. By changing flight path, the pilot was able to create an image of an airplane on the flight’s route tracker. The drawing was captured by popular plane tracking website Flightradar24. The pilot is thought to be a flight instructor, and made sure to sign his/her name on the path back. Full Story Here →
Francis Bacon Paintings Stolen From Madrid
Five paintings by Francis Bacon, said to be worth £23.2m, have been stolen from a private residence in Madrid. The thieves struck whilst the owner of the house was away in a seemingly highly professional operation. The owner is said to have been a close friend of Bacon. It will be difficult for whoever took the paintings to sell them without word getting out it is stolen artwork. Full Story Here →
Source: The Guardian
