VISUAL

Anish Kapoor And The Meaning Of The Void

“When Kapoor first made one of these works in Prussian blue, he was stunned to find ‘it wasn’t an empty space painted blue,’ he said. ‘It was full of blueness or, as I say, darkness. What was empty became full. How can that be?’” - ArtNet

The Bayeux Tapestry Arrives In Britain, Under Armed Guard, For The First Time In A While

Where “a while” equals 900 years. - BBC

The Bacteria That Causes Legionnaire’s Disease Has Been Found In The Guggenheim’s Cooling Tower

But, er, don’t freak out, New York. “The building remains safe for employees and visitors, according to both the museum and the union that represents its workers.” - The Art Newspaper

Bayeux Tapestry Arrives Safely At British Museum

“The secretive operation was the result of years of negotiations, tricky logistical planning and multiple technical studies to ensure the integrity of the 70-metre-long (230ft) medieval artwork.” - The Guardian

Have Two English Preservation Societies Been Exaggerating About ‘Witch Marks’ On Old Buildings?

One architectural historian might go even farther: “Anything on a stone building that looks like a design gets picked up as these damn things now. There’s absolutely no evidence they were ever used like that.” - The Guardian (UK)

Artist Mickalene Thomas Sued For Copyright Infringement

“Mickalene Thomas, an artist known for her popular paintings and photo-based installations centering Black women, is facing a lawsuit from the photographer Barbara Karant, who alleges that Thomas used her pictures without attribution or permission in works that appeared at an array of museums and blue-chip galleries.” - ARTnews

British Businessman Fined In First Russia Art Sanctions Conviction

“The U.K. banned the export of luxury items such as cars, jewelry, art, and antiques valued over £250 ($330) to Russia in April 2022. Breaching the law is considered a criminal offense,” but the businessman was fined $37,000 instead. - Artnet

Kahlo Foundation Creates A New Prize For Emerging Mexican Artists

“Through the process of opening the museo and welcoming the globe into Frida’s world, there has been one constant refrain: Más amor, más família, más Mexico – more love, more family, more Mexico,” said the artist’s grandniece. - ARTnews

NYC’s New Museum Finds Its New Director In-House

“Ending months of speculation, the New Museum said today that it has selected Massimiliano Gioni, its artistic director, to be its next director. Gioni has been with the New York standby since 2006, and will take the helm in August. Its previous leader, Lisa Phillips, announced her retirement last September.” - Artnet

Thieves Steal $5.1 Million Worth Of Crystal And Jewelry From Lalique Museum In France

“Three thieves targeted the Lalique museum in Wingen-sur-Moder in northeastern France at around 5:30 am on Sunday, … (and) made off with 27 pieces of jewelry worth an estimated €4.5 million ($5.1 million), prosecutors said Monday.” - AFP (Yahoo!)

Velázquez Portrait Rediscovered By Detroit Institute Of Arts Director

“Salvador Salort-Pons, the director of the Detroit Institute of Arts, recently revealed the discovery of a portrait by Diego Velázquez made during the artist’s earliest years as a court painter to King Philip IV. Salort-Pons, a specialist in Velázquez, published his findings in the current issue of ARS Magazine.” - ARTnews

The Art World Really Is Unsustainable Now

It is extraordinarily difficult for most brick-and-mortar stores in any industry to survive, and that is especially true for art galleries. These large art shows may create a lot of foot traffic, but that doesn’t always translate to robust on-site sales for the galleries. - The New York Times

The Best Architecture Of America’s 250 Years

From California bungalows to New York skyscrapers, from forest retreats to streamlined headquarters, what makes an architecture American, let alone the most significant example of such? - Architectural Record

The MAGA-Reviled Smithsonian Museums Saved Many Lives On The Fourth

Did someone hit a big flashing “irony” button for our timeline? - The New York Times

The Empty, Vacuous Promises Of The New LACMA

“There is nothing emancipatory, nor original, about creating a luxury venue that privileges sensibility over scholarship, allure over accessibility, and fine dining over gallery square footage.” - E-Flux

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