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The Headlines
THE DALLAS MUSEUM OF ART WILL RETURN A SACRED SCULPTURE to Nepal. The work, depicting a Hindu deity, was looted in the 1980s from the temple shire where it had stood for more than eight centuries. It was sold in 1990 at Sotheby’s to a collector that has loaned it to the museum. Only recently were questions raised about its provenance, and the FBI soon got involved . As part of the first step in the process, the object will head to Nepal’s embassy in Washington, D.C. Allegations of looting continue to plague institutions around the world. Yesterday, we linked to an investigation regarding a looted artifact from Afghanistan. For more on the topic, ARTnews has compiled a list of some of the most consequential cases of looted and plundered works.
ELYN ZIMMERMAN’S ACCLAIMED 1984 INSTALLATION MARABAR will be relocated to a still-to-be determined new site. The piece, which features monumental boulders, some weighing over 500,000 pounds, is currently located in an outdoor plaza at the National Geographic Society in Washington, D.C. The society is planning a construction project that would remove the work to make way for an entrance pavilion and events space. The NGS has agreed to pay for Marabar’s relocation. A somewhat similar case happened recently when a New York City union moved their headquarters and wanted to take their acclaimed mosaic mural. The union enlisted star architect David Adjaye’s help in recreating the work.
The Digest
NFT art star Beeple gives his first interview. [The Art Newspaper]
The Brooklyn Academy of Music gave its former president a one-time bonus in 2015 that helped her finance a $1.9 million home near Prospect Park. [The New York Times]
Banksy has taken credit for a mural on the wall of a former British prison that once held Oscar Wilde. [The Straits Times]
Jeff Koons will get his first major show in the Middle East this year at the QM Gallery Al Riwaq in Doha as Qatar-USA 2021 Year of Culture initiative. [The Art Newspaper]
The 2020 edition of the Busan Biennale will head to Chicago for a year-long project that will reimagine the project for local audiences, emphasizing sound art and music. [The Korea Times]
A rare Ming dynasty bowl, recently purchased for $35 at a yard sale in Connecticut, could fetch $500,000 at Sotheby’s this month. [South China Morning Post]
Artist Hannah Black reviews “Grief and Grievance: Art and Mourning in America,” the late curator Okwui Enwezor’s final show. [Four Columns]
“As Far as Isolation Goes” is a one-on-one (virtual) theatrical encounter devised by artists Tania El Khoury and Basel Zaraa, about refugees that “requires you to draw on yourself, in both senses.” [The New York Times]
Berlin-based artist Monira Al Qadiri’s latest video installation, Diver, looks at Kuwait’s oil and pearl diving industries. [Ocula]
Here’s a recap of the recent Hawai‘i Contemporary Art Summit 2021, which served as a preview for the 2022 edition of the triennial in Hawai‘i, organized by Melissa Chiu. [ArtAsiaPacific]
The Kicker
LOOKING FOR A WAY TO MAKE YOUR APARTMENT OR STUDIO LESS DRY? The Wall Street Journal has compiled a list of “Handsome Humidifiers to Make Your Home Healthier,” which range in looks from modernist-looking sculptures to green clouds. Our immune systems work best when the indoor humidity levels are between 40 and 60 percent, plus the increased humidity could slow the spread of Covid-19 particles indoor. [The Wall Street Journal]
Thank you for reading. We’ll see you on Monday.
