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Jump start for Budapest’s planned culture quarter The Art Newspaper, 13 March 2014
BUDAPEST, HUNGARY – "Plans to transform Budapest’s institutional landscape have taken another step forwards with the launch of four parallel competitions open to international architects. The winning designs will form the centerpiece of the new Liget cultural quarter, to be created within the limits of the city’s Városliget (City Park)." [see also Nemzetközi workshop a Liget Budapeströl and www.szepmuveszeti.hu, 13 November 2013]
Wooing a New Generation of Museum Patrons The New York Times, 19 March 2014
NEW YORK, UNITED STATES – "Several hundred millennials mingled under the soaring atrium of the Guggenheim Museum on Fifth Avenue one recent frigid February night. Weaving around them were black-clad servers bearing silver trays piled high with doughnuts, while a pixieish D.J. spun Daft Punk remixes. The occasion was the museum’s annual Young Collectors Party, and the increasingly tipsy crowd thronged in a space usually filled with visitors eager to see the 73-year-old institution’s priceless artworks. But on this night, the galleries displaying an exhibition of Italian Futurism were mostly cordoned off. Instead, youthful, glamorous and moneyed New Yorkers were the main attraction. Many museums, including the Guggenheim, view events like this as central to their public programming. They get a new generation through the front door and keep potentially staid institutions relevant with a cultural landscape in flux."
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Cultural News, a monthly global round-up of what’s happening in culture, is a free service of Lord Cultural Resources. Excerpts are directly quoted from the articles – please click on the links to read the full articles on the original news sites. To receive it in your inbox rain or shine, please press the subscribe button above - it will take less than 30 seconds to become a subscriber. Follow us on Facebook and Twitter for the latest digest of cultural news.
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Our Clients and Lord Cultural Resources in the News
Start-up museums in Washington, D.C. The Washington Post, 28 March 2014
WASHINGTON, DC – The Washington area rivals Silicon Valley in ideas for a particular kind of start-up — the museum start-up. It’s the dream of folks with a notion they can’t shake, that they’re sure will catch fire and attract legions of visitors. They want to add to the existing mix of Smithsonian museums, the National Gallery of Art, and the Spy Museum. Right now there are efforts underway to build: a Bible Museum, a National LGBT Museum, a National Museum of the American People, an Armenian Genocide Museum of America. There are new, futuristic efforts, like the Museum of Science Fiction, and ones that are decades old, like the National Women’s History Museum, the idea for which took root in the mid-’90s, when female lawmakers tried to get a statue of suffragettes moved from the Capitol basement to the Rotunda. There’s the National Museum of the American Latino, the Irish American Museum of Washington, D.C., and others, in various stages of planning and execution.
New 9/11 Museum Announces It Will Open May 21 New York Times, 25 March 2014
NEW YORK, UNITED STATES – "After years of planning, the national museum created to document and memorialize the devastating attack on the World Trade Center on Sept. 11, 2001, will open to the public on May 21. The museum has set aside the preceding week as a dedication period, when it will be kept open 24 hours a day so that survivors, the families of victims, emergency workers and neighborhood residents and business owners can preview the 110,000 square feet of exhibitions and tributes that document the history and memorialize the nearly 3,000 people killed that day." [see also, 9-11 victims’ museum to open May 21, The Spec, March 2014]
Construction under way on main hall of massive new Egyptian museum, expected to open by 2015 Fox News, 17 March 2014
CAIRO, EGYPT – "Egypt's antiquities minister says construction is under way on the main hall of a massive new museum [the Grand Egyptian Museum] by the Pyramids, the final phase of a complex that's intended to house 100,000 ancient artifacts including King Tutankhamun's mummy. Minister Mohammed Ibrahim and the country's international cooperation minister toured the 120-acre site Monday. Authorities are seeking to revive Egypt's battered tourism industry after three years of turmoil."
First gallery completed at Louvre Abu Dhabi Arabian Business, 17 March 2014
ABU DHABI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES – "The Louvre Abu Dhabi has reached another milestone with construction of the first gallery now complete. The Tourism Development & Investment Company (TDIC), master developer of the museum, said the gallery was one of the largest within the permanent galleries and comes a year after work on the project began."
The Royal Ontario Museum makes it to 100. Now, the real work begins The Globe and Mail, 14 March 2014
TORONTO, ONTARIO – “A 100th birthday for any institution, or anybody, is an auspicious occasion. A fraught time, too, since amid all the congratulations, special events, recollections and fond backward glances, there are invariably moments of taking stock. And of wondering: How much longer? In the case of humans, the answer is obvious: Not very much. For an institution, it’s trickier. Especially one like the Royal Ontario Museum in Toronto which, as the country’s largest such institution – 74,000 square metres, 40 galleries, more than 6 million artifacts – is marking the centennial of its public inauguration on March 19. The ROM is burdened (or should that be honoured?) with not one mandate but two, both of which any pedestrian strolling Queen’s Park boulevard can see carved in capital letters on the limestone exterior of the museum’s 1933 wing: ‘The Record of Nature Through Countless Ages,’ ‘The Arts of Man Through All the Years.’” [see also, As the ROM celebrates its centenary, 100 things to know about the museum, The Huffington Post, March 2014]
Museum to help teach human rights Winnipeg Sun, 14 March 2014
WINNIPEG, MANITOBA – “A fourth R has been added to the curriculum for teachers in Winnipeg: Rights. The University of Manitoba and Canadian Human Museum for Human Rights announced a new partnership on Friday that will organize a summer institute for teachers, to teach them how to teach human rights.”
Patricia and Phillip Frost Museum of Science / Grimshaw Architects Arch Daily, 14 March 2014
MIAMI, FLORIDA – "Slated to open in 2015, the Patricia and Phillip Frost Museum of Science is on its way to become the world’s most innovative and sustainable science museum with the structural foundation now complete and the vertical construction currently in progress. Designed by Grimshaw Architects, the 250,000 square-foot complex will harness energy from water, sun, wind and even museum visitors to power exhibits and conserve resources. More images and architects’ description after the break."
American Revolution Museum readies for construction Philadelphia Business Journal, 5 March 2014
PHILADELPHIA, UNITED STATES – “The Museum of the American Revolution — still a couple years from opening - took one step closer Wednesday. Demolition is set to begin on the former visitor center at 3rd and Chestnut, where the $118 million museum will be built. At a ceremony Wednesday, museum officials hosted philanthropist H.F. “Gerry” Lenfest, former Gov. Ed Rendell, Revolutionary War re-enactors, members of the Bricklayers union, a crowd of supporters and a couple of critics.”
Oklahoma Senate passes Indian museum bill NewsOK, 4 March 2014
OKLAHOMA, UNITED STATES – "A bill authorizing the use of $40 million from the state’s Unclaimed Property Fund to help complete Oklahoma City’s American Indian Cultural Center and Museum cleared the state Senate on Tuesday despite stiff opposition. The vote was 30-17. The bill will now head to the state House, where House Speaker Jeff Hickman has indicated it is likely to receive a chilly reception."
national holocaust monument schemes by daniel libeskind + david adjaye Design Boom, 4 March 2014
OTTAWA, ONTARIO – "the six shortlisted proposals for canada’s national holocaust monument have been unveiled. the memorial, which will be located in ottawa, will be oriented towards the city’s war museum, designed to promote a better understanding of the events of the holocaust and how they have affected canadian history. the project sees a number of renowned names collaborate with daniel libeskind grouped with edward burtynsky, and david adjaye paired with ron arad. in may 2013, teams of artists, architects and designers were invited to submit examples of their prior work, before the six selected groups were chosen to develop their initial concepts. a seven-member jury composed of accomplished professionals in the fields of art and urban design, a holocaust survivor, and representation from the national holocaust monument development council will recommend the winning design team to the government of canada later this year."
Hay que diferenciar entre una ciudad de eventos y otra llena de acontecimientos El Correo Español, 3 March 2014
BILBAO, SPAIN – "El faturo de algunas ciudades está en la cultura. Agotada su capacidad inductrail, víctimas de la deslocalizacion o del final de un modelo que en otro tiempo creó riqueza pero ahora conduce a la ruina, muchas urbes han vuelto sus ojos hacia una posible reconversión en busca de un futuro mejor, en todos los sentidos. Gail Lord, copresidenta de Lord Cultural Resources de Canadá, participará en el Forum d'avignon Bilbao, que se celebrara en la Alhondiga del 5 al 8 de marzo." [see also Guggenheimetik bada zer ikasi, baina problematikoa da kopiak egitea, Berria.info, 6 March 2014]
Museums
A new breed of curators at US museums has the job of playing with visitors’ expectations The Art Newspaper, 31 March 2014
UNITED STATES – "The Henry Art Gallery in Seattle is seeking “a director of education and public engagement”. In January, the Whitney Museum of American Art in New York hired a “director of public programmes and public engagement”. Both are new positions. Museums across the US are hiring staff under the “public engagement” rubric, often as part of their education departments. Today, the New Museum in New York, the Williams College Museum of Art in Massachusetts, the Berkeley Art Museum, the Museum of Contemporary Art Detroit and the Hammer Museum in Los Angeles all have curators or directors of “engagement”. Five years ago, none of them did."
China’s largest private museum opens in Shanghai Visitors turn out to see second branch of the Long Museum, owned by the collectors Liu Yiqian and Wang Wei, in the Xuhui Riverside development The Art Newspaper, 31 March 2014
SHANGHAI, CHINA – "A last-minute rush of construction is common to new Chinese museums, but at the opening of the Long Museum’s second space in Shanghai, the final touches ahead of the launch on 28 March were only belied by a faint whiff of paint. The who's who of the Chinese art world turned out to see the collection of top contemporary and classic works, particularly a scroll of Song Dynasty calligraphy whose authenticity has been brought into question. The branch in West Bund joins the original Long Museum in Pudong, which opened in December 2012; both are owned by the super-collectors Liu Yiqian and Wang Wei. “My wife’s balls are bigger than mine—to get this done on time is a victory,” a happy Liu said at a press conference ahead of the opening. "
Nouveau musée olympique - Berraf : «Le projet coûtera 250 millions de dinars» Letempsdz.com, 23 mars 2014
ALGER, ALGÉRIE – “Le nouveau musée olympique algérien, faisant également office d'Académie olympique, coûtera 250 millions de dinars et ses travaux de réalisation dureront au moins trois ans, a révélé le président du Comité olympique et sportif algérien (COA), Mustapha Berraf, samedi à Alger. «Nous avons récupéré tous les documents nécessaires, y compris l'autorisation de démolir l'ancienne bâtisse qui se trouve sur le terrain devant accueillir le nouveau musée olympique», a déclaré M. Berraf lors de l'assemblée générale ordinaire (AGO) du COA, tenue à Djenane El Mithak.”
Brecon Museum and Art Gallery revamp plans unveiled BBC News, 22 March 2014
BRECON, WALES – "Plans have been unveiled for an £8.8m revamp of a Victorian museum and art gallery and a new library in Brecon in Powys. Development of the council-owned Grade II-listed Brecknock Museum is part of wider plans for a cultural and community hub in the town centre. It will also include a community space, cafe and shop. The authority aims to submit a planning application to Brecon Beacons National Park Authority later this year."
£1 million bid to 'build' a pharaoh's tomb in Bolton This is Lancashire, 22 March 2014
BOLTON, ENGLAND – "BOLTON Museum could become a global attraction after unveiling ambitious plans to house a full-scale reconstruction of the tomb of a great Egyptian Pharaoh. The burial chamber of Thutmose III forms the centrepiece of a million pound bid being prepared by the museum as part of ambitious proposals to radically redesign Bolton Museum’s Egyptology gallery and turn it into a major attraction."
Pluie de fermetures de musées à Berlin Artmediaagency.com, 21 mars 2014
BERLIN, ALLEMAGNE – "La ville de Berlin va voir un grand nombre de ses musées fermer pour cause de rénovation dans les prochains mois."
Coventry Transport Museum unveils £8.5m revamp BBC News, 20 March 2014
COVERNTRY, UNITED KINGDOM – "Plans for an £8.5m redevelopment of Coventry Transport Museum have been unveiled. The year-long project, beginning on 31 March, will see 12 of the museum's galleries undergo "major makeovers," a museum spokesman said. Under the plans, the nearby Grade I-listed 12th Century Old Grammar School will also be restored for use as an exhibition, education and events space. The museum will remain open while most of the work is carried out."
After the Exhibition, Finding New Uses for Displays The New York Times, 19 March 2014
WORLD – "MAKING what is old new again with fresh displays has long been the province of museums. But what happens to all the stuff left over when shows end? Many museums are going beyond traditional recycling efforts and giving second lives to exhibit materials. The Denver Museum of Nature & Science recently donated tiles to Habitat for Humanity, left over from the counter of a thermopolium, an ancient Roman dining place recreated for the “A Day in Pompeii” exhibition, and about 300 old uniforms from a Space Odyssey exhibit were sent to a company that recycles fabric."
CSU's University Art Museum set to begin renovation, expansion project Coloradoan, 12 March 2014
NEW SOUTH WALES, AUSTRALIA – "After raising $3 million as part of the first phase of a capital campaign, the University Art Museum is preparing to embark on a renovation/expansion project that will allow it to reach new heights — literally. Initial conceptual plans focus on renovation to the east side of the existing museum, including five new galleries for semi-permanent and traveling exhibitions with increased ceiling heights to create a better museum space and offer more flexibility for larger installations. The building is located at 1400 Remington St., and is the site of the former Fort Collins High School."
Stuff.co, 12 March 2014
WELLINGTON, NEW ZEALAND – "As critics call for one Wellington waterfront building to be sunk, another has come to the surface, proposing to commemorate New Zealand's history of shipwrecks. Before submitters could voice their views on a proposed six- storey building for the waterfront's site 10, private developer Garth MacIntyre outlined his proposal for the neighbouring site 9 - a narrow strip of land on which the Environment Court has put height restrictions of 19 metres and 16m at the southern end."
After Lengthy Wait, Harvard Art Museums Will Open Renovated Building in November The Crimson, 11 March 2014
CAMBRIDGE, MASSACHUSETTS – "Following years of renovation, the Harvard Art Museums announced Tuesday afternoon that its new facility, which will house collections from all three of the University’s art museums—the Busch-Reisinger, the Fogg, and the Arthur M. Sackler—will open on Nov. 16 of this year. The reconstructed building, which expands total gallery space to 43,000 square feet, will include six levels of public space, a new glass roof, and new resources and spaces for teaching, exhibition, and research."
Un futur centre d’art contemporain en Arabie Saoudite Lejournaldesarts.fr, 11 mars 2014
RIYAD, ARABIE SAOUDITE – "Le groupe Abdul Latif Jameel a annoncé la création d’un centre d’art contemporain de 7 000 m2 en Arabie Saoudite."
First ever Indian film museum to open soon in Mumbai! India.com, 10 March 2014
MUMBAI, INDIA – "More than a century since the birth of Bollywood, the first ever Indian film museum is all set to open, in the birthplace of Indian cinema. The country’s highly celebrated movie industry will inaugurate the government-funded National Museum of Indian Cinema, in Mumbai. The museum is situated in a grand 19th century heritage bungalow, in South Mumbai. It took around seven years to create, with a budget of nearly 20 million US dollars. The picturesque museum categorically illustrates the history of Indian cinema, right from the silent era where there were films in black and white, up to the current, colourful, music-filled movies. The museum is lavishly spread on two whole floors of the building, and it showcases icons of the Indian cinema industry."
Melnikov House to be turned into a museum The Calvert Journal, 6 March 2014
MOSCOW, RUSSIA – "Melnikov House, an iconic avant-garde building in central Moscow, is to become part of a new museum complex, the Ministry of Culture has announced. In the grounds of the house, built in 1929 by Konstantin Melnikov, a prolific avant-garde, architect, painter and professor, a new museum will be built dedicated to his work and his painter son Viktor. The new museum, the construction date of which has not been announced, marks the latest chapter in a series of legal wranglings over the threatened building. Once completed, Melnikov House, a three-storey building with an innovative spiral construction, will host tours."
Viking warship to go on display in British Museum exhibition London Evening Standard, 4 March 2014
LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM – "New Viking discoveries never before seen in public go on show this week as the British Museum opens a major show on the famous pillagers. >The star exhibit is the surviving timbers of a 37-metre Viking warship, the largest in existence, on what is likely to be its only visit to the UK from Denmark where it was unearthed in 1997."
City conditionally approves lease with CWHC Owen Sound Sun Times, 4 March 2014
OWEN SOUND, ONTARIO – "Owen Sound council gave conditional approval Monday night to a lease agreement to allow the Community Waterfront Heritage Centre to operate a marine and rail museum at the city-owned former Canadian National train station. It's been a long road. Certainly last June the community indicated what it hoped would happen down there. And it's wonderful news for the entire community tonight that council has allowed us to move ahead with the project,î CWHC president Richard Thomas said in an interview following councilís decision. He said the CWHC intends to open its museum on the Victoria Day long weekend in May."
Yale Daily News, 28 February 2014
CONNECTICUT, UNITED STATES – "At the Yale Peabody Museum of Natural History, dinosaurs may soon strike a new pose. The Dinosaur and Mammal Halls were last updated in the early 1980’s, and they currently retain inaccurate information based on mid-twentieth century perspectives on dinosaurs and fossils. While many museums across the country recently renovated for similar reasons, the Peabody is taking the opportunity to frame its history of life exhibits from a climate perspective. The Peabody is more than half way to its 30 million dollar goal and posed to begin construction as soon as the remaining funds are raised, said Richard Kissel, the director of public programs at the Peabody."
Architecture
MVRDV reveals €50m bowl-shaped art gallery Architects Journal, 26 March 2014
ROTTERDAM, NETHERLANDS – “MVRDV has revealed images of its competition-winning scheme for a new mirrored art gallery space in Rotterdam. The 15,000m² bowl-shaped building will sit on the northern edge of OMA’s Museumpark, which stretches from the Architecture Institute to the recently refurbished Kunsthal. The building contains an art depot with restoration facilities, exhibition spaces, offices, and a restaurant, sculpture garden and exhibition space will be located on the building’s roof providing views out over Rotterdam."
Pritzker Architecture Prize Goes to Shigeru Ban New York Times, 24 March 2014
WORLD – "Architecture generally involves creating monuments to permanence from substantial materials like steel and concrete. Yet this year, the discipline’s top award is going to a man who is best known for making temporary housing out of transient materials like paper tubes and plastic beer crates. On Monday, the Japanese architect Shigeru Ban was named the winner of this year’s Pritzker Architecture Prize, largely because of his work designing shelters after natural disasters in places like Rwanda, Turkey, India, China, Haiti and Japan."
New plans revealed for Ontario Place park Blog TO, 21 March 2014
ONTARIO, CANADA – "A team of landscape architects have unveiled the latest plans for a narrow sliver of former waterfront land close to what used to be Ontario Place, and there are several notable changes from the interim version of the park presented earlier this year. The serpentine strip that's being turned into a new waterfront park runs from the foot of Ontario Place Blvd., down the back of Echo Beach, and out round the back of the old water slides. When the park was open the area was used for parking and equipment storage."
.archi, une maison pour les architectes sur la Toile Lemonde.fr, 20 mars 2014
WORLD – “A compter du 8 avril, les architectes pourront bénéficier d'une adresse Internet utilisant l'extension « .archi ». Conçu en partenariat avec l'Union internationale des architectes (UIA), ce nom de domaine sera strictement réservé à la communauté des architectes et à leurs organisations dans le monde entier (agences, ordres, écoles, médias, musées, etc.)."
Onze grands cabinets d’architecture français attendus à Taipei la semaine prochaine pour un forum Tawaininfo.nat.go.tw, 18 mars 2014-03-24
TAIPEI, TAIWAN – "Ubifrance, l’agence française pour le développement international des entreprises, a récemment annoncé la tenue à Taipei d’un forum sur le thème des équipements culturels et des musées organisé en collaboration avec l’AFEX, une association faisant la promotion de l’architecture française dans le monde. Pas moins de onze cabinets d’architecture et de design d’intérieur en provenance de l’Hexagone seront représentés à cet événement qui se tiendra du 24 au 26 mars au Centre de conventions internationales de Taipei."
MCASD names architect for expansion UT San Diego, 14 March 2014
SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA – "The Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego is one step closer to realizing the long-discussed, $30 million expansion of its La Jolla campus. The institution has hired the New York-based architectural firm of Selldorf Architects to design the expanded facility, which will triple the museum’s gallery space and allow it to showcase its permanent collection."
BIG’s Boat-Shaped Maritime Museum Azure Magazine, 12 March 2014
HELSINGOR, DENMARK – "Bjarke Ingels and his Copenhagen firm submerge a magnificent building in a dry dock in Helsingør, Denmark. BIG usually goes big, with spectacular concepts that radically alter a city’s urban fabric. But with the new Danish National Maritime Museum, the architecture firm led by Bjarke Ingels has made a statement that up is not necessarily the only way to build an icon. Still, the 6,000-square-metre underground structure in Helsingør shares a crucial quality with the firm’s other projects, including its early renowned Copenhagen buildings, such as 8House and Mountain Dwellings. That is, people can scale them through a continuous loop – except here visitors are led across and down, via zigzagging bridges, to the bottom of a 60-year-old dry dock."
Creating a 'cathedral-like' arts space in Cape Town from a former silo for V&A Waterfront World Architecture News, 5 March 2014
CAPE TOWN, SOUTH AFRICA – “‘How do you turn forty-two vertical concrete tubes into a place to experience contemporary culture?’ asks Thomas Heatherwick, Founder of Heatherwick Studio, a London-based firm that has just scooped the commission to transform the Grain Silo Complex at the V&A Waterfront in Cape Town into a ‘cathedral-like’ arts space. Heatherwick Studio is working in collaboration with three local deliver partners: Van Der Merwe Miszewski; Rick Brown Associates; and Jacobs Parker. This challenging brief asked the design team to take a heritage-listed cluster of forty-two 33m-high concrete tubes at 5.5m diameter each and convert them into an accessible and inspirational venue to exhibit the most extensive collection of contemporary art from Africa and its Diaspora (gifted to the institution by ex-Puma CEO and Chairman Jochen Zeitz).”
steven holl completes reid building at glasgow school of art Design Boom, 5 March 2014
GLASGOW, UNITED KINGDOM – "Steven holl architects has completed the ‘seona reid building’ at the glasgow school of art, an addition that is envisioned as a complimentary contrast to charles rennie mackintosh’s iconic building completed over 100 years before. the translucent materiality of the design juxtaposes the masonry of the existing structure, allowing the building to express the school’s activity within the city’s urban fabric. creating a 21st century model for the university, the scheme’s interior and exterior work simultaneously in engaging the functional needs and psychological desires of the program. the design embodies the school’s future aspirations, making connections with the city and relating to the architecture of mackintosh building opposite."
Where architects live: inside the homes of zaha hadid, shigeru ban and david chipperfield Design Boom, 5 March 2014
WORLD – “Presented at salone del mobile, part of milan design week 2014, ‘where architects live’ gives an intriguing insight into the daily lives of some of the world’s leading designers: shigeru ban, mario bellini, david chipperfield, massimiliano and doriana fuksas, zaha hadid, marcio kogan, daniel libeskind and bijoy jain of studio mumbai. The exhibition intimately reveals the homes of the eight architects, broadening visions of domestic architecture and interior design, and suggesting that this discipline is most suited to evolution and experimentation. As well as the photographs shown below, the event’s curator francesca molteni worked alongside architect and scenographer davide pizzigoni to collect real-life videos, sounds, comments and reconstructions. The end result is an interactive and engaging exhibition that thoroughly documents each architects’ way of living.”
BIG expansion plans for kimball art center in park city, utah Design Boom, 4 March 2014
UTAH, UNITED STATES – "The kimball art center has unveiled renderings of its proposed expansion which will double the cultural institution’s space to 30,000 square feet. designed by bjarke ingels group (BIG), the plans include building renovations in addition to the 15,000 square foot expansion of the center’s current main street location. additional exhibition halls, social areas and increased administration spaces have also been incorporated within the design. Expanding the campus, kimball art center also plans on renting or purchasing a second plot, creating further opportunities for art appreciation and education. the second site will primarily house education studios and programs, and will allow kimball art center to proved a greater range and frequency of classes, more parking, and easier accessibility for student drop offs. Once plans have been approved for the project, construction is scheduled to begin in 2015."
Antoine Predock and Bjarke Ingels to receive 2014 RAIC Honorary Fellowships Canadian Architect, 3 March 2013
CANADA – "The Royal Architectural Institute of Canada (RAIC) has selected two internationally renowned architects to receive its 2014 Honorary Fellowships. New Mexico-based Antoine Predock is the architect behind the Canadian Museum for Human Rights in Winnipeg, set to open in September 2014. Bjarke Ingels, the leading force behind Copenhagen- and New York-based firm BIG is the 39-year-old responsible for two unusual skyscrapers in Western Canada – the Beach & Howe Tower in Vancouver and Telus Sky in Calgary. In 2011, the Wall Street Journal named him Innovator of the Year for architecture." [see also Beach and Howe Mixed-Use Tower / BIG, Arch Daily, 17 April 2012]
makoto yamaguchi places art gallery in karuizawa forest Design Boom, 2 March 2014
KARUIZAWA, JAPAN – "located near the town of karuizawa, a popular weekend retreat for residents of tokyo, makoto yamaguchi design has completed a villa perched on a steep forest slope. developed for a musically inclined couple, the residence also comprises a series of flexible and adaptable spaces showcasing a variety of contemporary art pieces. the structure functions as a venue for intimate music concerts and a place to entertain friends. the clients requested that no wood should be visible, with open white volumes providing a suitable backdrop for the collection. the gallery offers views across the japanese landscape, while kitchen and washroom facilities are built into the concrete floor."
bjarke ingels group proposes ArtA arnhem cultural center Design Boom, 18 February 2014
NETHERLANDS – “ArtA is a proposed cultural center to be built in arnham on the banks of the river rhine in the netherlands. the project will reconnect the site with the waterfront, housing both the museum arnhem and the focus film theater, bringing together creative professionals, entrepreneurs and artists. One of four international practices to submit competition entries, bjarke ingels group (BIG) has proposed a simple program of space combining two contrasting architectural typologies – the white cube and the black box. while many successful contemporary art galleries are often characterized by large open floor plans and generous ceiling heights, a film theater forms an introverted volume designed for contemplation and focus. the successful integration and balance of these archetypes ensures a diverse and vibrant civic facility. the building’s primary volume is twisted to generate a diagonal arts plaza that connects the ground floor with the roof top. this public space creates encounters between the different users of the building, blurring divisions between art, education and recreation.”
Technology
The Holy See has hired a Japanese IT company to help scan thousands of manuscripts The Art Newspaper, 28 March 2014
VATICAN – "The Vatican Apostolic Library has announced a €18m deal with a Japanese IT company to digitise 3,000 ancient manuscripts over the next four years. In a press conference last week, the library prefect, Monsignor Cesare Pasini, said the partnership with NTT Data Corporation continues “a task we have been undertaking for years” to digitise the Vatican’s entire collection of 82,000 manuscripts, an estimated 40 million pages. With help from the Tokyo-based firm, the total is expected to reach 15,000 digital documents by 2018."
Museum of Science to Open 4-D Theater Business Wire, 27 March 2014
BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS – “The Museum of Science, Boston today announced the opening of a new 4-D Theater coming in August 2014. The 4-D Theater will combine the visually captivating high definition capabilities of a 3-D film with special sensory effects that are built into the theater seats and environment to create a fully immersive experience. To make way for the new theater, the Museum’s 3-D Digital Cinema will close on March 30, 2014. The 4-D Theater will feature industry-leading technology to provide museum goers with a unique, full sensory experience that will bring on-screen images to life. Wind, water misting, blowing snow, bubbles, scents, and even a surprise tap on the back at just the right moment will delight and engage visitors, making them feel like they are part of the environment they see on screen."
The Wall Street Journal, 24 March 2014
NEW YORK, UNITED STATES – “The prehistoric flying reptile swooped over a shimmering ocean. But in a flash, it quickly plummeted into the waves. A curse rang out. The interactives group at the American Museum of Natural History was testing one of the more ambitious features from its newest exhibit "Pterosaurs: Flight in the Age of Dinosaurs," which opens April 5. In it, a flight simulator will allow visitors to soar through two carefully constructed prehistoric landscapes—using their bodies like a "game controller" to direct the flight of the reptile."
1,300 year-old mummy and her intimate tattoo The Telegraph, 23 March 2014
LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM – “Wrapped in bandages and caricatured as figures of terror in Hollywood movies, Egypt’s mummies have long captivated and bewildered scientists and children alike. Now a new exhibition at the British Museum will disclose the human side of the mummies of the Nile. Eight have been – scientifically speaking – stripped bare revealing secrets taken to the grave thousands of years ago. Subjecting the corpses to the most advanced scientific techniques, including sending the mummies to hospitals around London for CAT scans – the museum’s Egyptologists have been able to build up the most detailed picture yet of what lies beneath the sarcophagi and bandage-wrapped bodies.”
Tagging in Museums #blowinguppersonal #notwhatweplanned Museum 2.0, 19 March 2014
WORLD – "These tags all do a great job capturing the magic of exploring a museum. They do a great job sharing the humor and surprise of collections objects. They position museums as social starting points, experiences worth sharing, braggable moments. They do something entirely different than what museums professionals thought tags might do for our institutions."
Gardner Museum teams with Google for virtual tour The Boston Globe, 18 March 2014
BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS – “On the anniversary of the 1990 theft that is still the world’s most notorious art heist, the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum on Tuesday became the first New England museum to use Google’s Street View technology to let viewers navigate their way virtually around its galleries. The collaboration with the Google Cultural Institute allows what the Gardner describes as a “complete first-person walk-through experience” of the museum.”
Should we ban photography in museums and galleries? The Telegraph, 8 March 2014
WORLD – “Twenty years ago cameras were almost universally banned in museums and galleries, mainly because the flash was so obviously disturbing and possibly damaging to light-sensitive paint. If you wanted to take home an image of a favourite work, you hoped to find a decent postcard for which you would fork out 40 pence: the quality of these was often poor, admittedly, and the selection exiguous. Now all anyone has to do is hold up a smartphone, tablet or digital camera in front of the object and click – it’s as easy as breathing, and the practice is at least tacitly permitted in the Tate, British Museum, Louvre, Hermitage, and Metropolitan Museum. (The National Gallery, Musée d’Orsay, Uffizi or the Prado, on the other hand, still make efforts to forbid it.)"
Black Hawk State Historic Site adding audio tour of museum QC Online, 5 March 2014
ILLINOIS, UNITED STATES – “Hauberg Indian Museum at Black Hawk State Historic site is adding an audio tour of the museum. Washington D.C. based actor Craig Sechler of Nova, PBS and National Geographic fame narrates your journey though the cycles of moon with the tribe. (Craig is married to hometown girl Julie Waterman and often uses 2dogs digital when in town.) Talented local actor Pat Flahrity, Montreal born actor and WLLR personality Craig Michaels, actor and professor of Theater at St Ambrose University for 40 years Mike Kennedy, nationally know children's book author and voice talent Nancy Nehlsen, and wonderful juvenile talent Riley Kelly; contribute to this entertaining, informative, Ken Burns-like audio production. The script took almost a year of research and writing by Dave Cox (2dogs) and Beth Carvey (Museum Director). Final production was handled by Moline Illinois' 2dogs digital audio. A closed premier for board members was held at 2dogs March 4, and will be available at the museum soon.”
Art and Culture
Gurlitt's Salzburg hoard is bigger and better than first thought German collector says he will return works if there are "reasonable" grounds for suspicion they are Nazi loot The Art Newspaper, 27 March 2014
GERMANY – "Cornelius Gurlitt, the German collector found in 2012 to possess hundreds of works of art in an apartment in Munich and house in Salzburg believed to have been stolen by the Nazis, said in a press statement yesterday (26 March) that he will return all looted works to their owners or descendants. His pledge comes with a qualification. He said: “Should works have the reasonable suspicion of having been looted, please give them back to their Jewish owners.” One “significant” work from the collection found in Gurlitt's Munich apartment is about to be returned, said Gurlitt's lawyer Christoph Edel, who did not name the artist or title of the piece. “But we would like to emphasise that only a small percentage of the Cornlius Gurlitt collection falls under the suspicion of being looted art in our legal opinion,” said Edel in the same press release."
Huffington Post, 25 March 2014
WORLD – "The world of art needs more social enterprise and the world of social enterprise needs more art. With a foot firmly planted in both camps, it strikes me that both of these fields have only scratched the surface of how engaging with the other could lead to game-changing or even world-changing breakthroughs. The art world is full of enterprising individuals, companies and not-for-profits, but has relatively few good examples of social enterprise. Some might make the case that a theatre company or a music label is a social enterprise in that it is creating and distributing products and generating a range of positive social benefits. But it is seldom the case that these businesses are driven from a social enterprise mindset."
Scrap metal dealer’s junk market purchase turns out to be $33 million Faberge egg The unidentified dealer was planning to melt down his $14,000 purchase, but was disappointed when he realized it would be worth just $500. The tiny golden egg turned out to be a rare relic from Russia’s royal family, a gift from Tsar Alexander III to his wife Maria Feodorovna in 1887. NEW YORK DAILY NEWS, 22 March 2014
UNITED STATES – "One man’s trash turned out to be Russia’s priceless treasure. A scrap metal dealer from the Midwest had no idea that the tiny golden egg he was planning to melt down was actually a $33 million relic from the court of imperial Russia. The unidentified man unknowingly hit the jackpot when he purchased the 3.2-inch egg at a junk market for a mere $14,000. He jumped on the deal because he thought the egg was pretty little trinket. The egg stands on an elaborate gold pedestal, supported by lion paw feet. Three sapphires are embedded in the gold and when the man pushed the center diamond, the egg popped open to reveal a Vacheron Constantin watch.
Mahlangu’s house to be turned into museum iol News, 22 March 2014
PRETORIA, SOUTH AFRICA – "The Mamelodi home of Martha Mahlangu, the mother of struggle icon Solomon Mahlangu, would be turned into a museum, President Jacob Zuma said on Saturday. Speaking at Martha Mahlangu's funeral in Pretoria, Zuma said the project would be headed by the arts and culture department and the City of Tshwane."
Tuwharetoa considers tribal museum Radio New Zealand News, 14 March 2014
TAUPO, NEW ZEALAND – “The return of a huge Maori carving stolen from a Ngati Tuwharetoa Marae more than 70 years ago has prompted talk in the tribe of developing a tribal museum. The koruru (Maori carved face), just over a metre high and requiring three men to lift it, is now housed at Taupo Museum's Tuwharetoa Gallery. An official welcoming was hosted by the hapu of Ngati Te Kohera at Mokai Marae near Taupo last week.”
Hip-Hop Pioneers Plan a Museum for the Bronx The New York Times, 12 March 2014
NEW YORK, UNITED STATES – "Before hip-hop became a musical genre, it was a form of expression — and an escape — for its early creators in the Bronx. Now some of those elders of the genre want to underscore its Bronx roots by opening a hip-hop museum inside the Kingsbridge Armory, a long-empty fortress that is being redeveloped into a national ice sports center. The museum — to be called the Universal Hip Hop Museum — would utilize interactive technology to provide a comprehensive look at hip-hop, including its historical and cultural roots and the contributions of break dancers and disc jockeys, according to museum organizers."
WWII Imphal campaign foundation sets up museum New Kerala, 12 March 2014
IMPHAL, INDIA – “In what is quite literally a blast from the past, the Second World War Imphal Campaign Foundation sets up a museum in Imphal to mirror that period through relics, artifacts, arms and ammunitions, and a warplane engine. The museum was set up on the initiative of the tourism department of Manipur state. Manipur is a repository of historical information and relics of the period since it is often considered to be one of the most significant theatres of World War II and having witnessed many high-pitched battles between the Japanese and the Allied troops.”
Angola: Cultural Heritage Deposit Allows Preservation of Museum Arts Pieces allafrica.com, 6 March 2014
LUANDA, ANGOLA – “The minister of Culture, Rosa Cruz e Silva, said Thursday in Luanda, that the construction of Cultural Heritage Deposit, in the museum of anthropology, guarantees a better conservation and treatment of arts piece in the museum. The official was speaking during the symbolic launching of cornerstone for the construction of infrastructure which will cover at least 1,443 square meters, comprising the floors and ground floors. Rosa Cruz e Silva announced on the occasion that Domingas Rogério Kahango is the new director of National Museum of Anthropology, replacing the anthropologist Américo Kwononoca.”
Catherine Millet: "L'art n'a plus de frontières" Lexpress.fr, 1 mars 2014
FRANCE – “Catherine Millet, fondatrice de la revue Art press, et engagée dans la défense de l'art contemporain depuis des décennies, parle de sa passion. L'art, dit-elle, "nous aide à vivre et à mourir". Mais, ces derniers temps, il a tout de même bien changé. Et ce n'en est que plus excitant. Interview”
Connecting Canadians with Nature Parks Canada, 28 February 2014
TORONTO, ONTARIO – "Canada’s parks ministers have committed to work together to creatively and collaboratively inspire Canadians to experience nature through parks in ways that support their health and well-being. The action was prompted by the first-ever comprehensive evidence-based report in Canada that chronicles the many proven benefits of spending time in nature."
Creative Economies, Creative Cities, Innovation and Urban Planning, Cultural Tourism
Stratégie culturelle et économie – Le renouvellement des villes par les musées Artmediaagency.com, 20 mars 2014
PARIS, FRANCE – “L’impact qu’un nouveau musée peut avoir sur la ville qui l’abrite est bien plus vaste que la simple création d’un espace flambant neuf, conçu afin de présenter une collection d’art. Nous semblons compter sur ces institutions plus que jamais, de leur faire porter une part importante de responsabilité pour régénérer certains quartiers, capter l’attention internationale sur une commune et inspirer une génération de concitoyens. En parallèle, les budgets alloués à la culture continuent de se réduire et les gouvernements semblent douter de la portée d’une scène culturelle florissante sur une économie locale. Est-ce que les musées sont la réponse à apporter systématiquement quand une ville est en déclin ? Ne sommes-nous pas en train d’amplifier leurs retombées ? Qu’est-ce qui fait que l’effet d’une institution particulière est si profond sur l’infrastructure d’une ville ?”
Israel to build national centre for ancient artifacts The Guardian, 18 March 2014
ISRAEL – "Israel is building a national archaeological centre to store and showcase its rich collection of 2m ancient artefacts, including the world's largest collection of Dead Sea scrolls, Israel's antiquities authority said on Tuesday. Most of Israel's state antiquities collection, currently stored in large warehouses that are closed to the public, will be moved to a new 35,000 square metre (377,000 sq ft) centre – the antiquities authority's first public centre for exhibiting its hoard of treasures that date back as far as 5,000 years. Parts of the centre will be open to the public."
Louisiana Children's Museum plans a $22 million new facility in City Park Nola.com, 18 March 2014
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – "The Louisiana Children’s Museum will occupy a new site in City Park by New Orleans’ tricentennial in 2018, if all goes as planned. The new H-shaped, three-story structure situated in an 8.5-acre space will be dubbed the Early Learning Village. It will be located behind the New Orleans Museum of Art, to the east of Roosevelt Mall. Julia Bland, the Children’s Museum chief operating officer, said that an effort is being made to preserve the oak trees and small historic shelter building that now occupy the site."
Dubai To Add Art Museums In Metro Stations Gulf Business, 18 March 2014
DUBAI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES – "Dubai’s ruler Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum has issued a directive to include art museums in the emirate’s metro stations, state news agency WAM reported. The project of integrating museums to the stations will be completed within a year and will be launched during Art Dubai 2015. “We want to inspire and communicate with every employee on his way to work, every student on his way to pursuing education and every tourist visiting Dubai,” said Sheikh Mohammed. “We want to transfer Dubai Metro stations to museums accompanying passengers to all destinations.” Dubai’s museum initiative will be built in phases, a statement said."
Eiffel Tower first-floor redevelopment nears completion Attractions Management, 17 March 2014
PARIS, FRANCE – "Work on the first floor of France’s iconic Eiffel Tower is almost finished, with new upgrades offering visitors a glass floor to walk over, shops, restaurants, plus an events and conference space 57m (187ft) above Paris."
STEAM Carnival announces date for LA debut Leisure Opportunities, 14 March 2014
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – “The inaugural STEAM Carnival – an entertainment showcase that reimagines the classic midway with lasers, fire, and robots – will take place at Los Angeles’ CRAFTED port-side warehouse from 25 to 26 October 2014, organisers have announced."
Egypt: Antiquities Minister Signs Agreements With a U.S. Institution to Renovate Museums in Cairo All Africa, 14 March 2014
CAIRO, EGYPT – "Antiquities Minister Mohamed Ibrahim returned to Egypt on Thursday 13/03/2014 after a five-day visit to the United States. During his visit, Ibrahim signed an agreement with a US institution to renovate museums in Cairo. During his visit to the US, Ibrahim met with US Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs Anne Patterson and US Assistant Secretary of State for Educational and Cultural Affairs Evan Ryan on Thursday."
Poverty report recommends art events in empty Welsh shops BBC News, 13 March 2014
WALES – "Empty shops and other disused spaces should be used by arts organisations to help people in poverty access cultural events, a report has said. In her report for the Welsh government, Baroness Andrews said action was needed on issues like transport costs which prevented people travelling to cultural events. She also said theatre groups should form closer links with charities and anti-poverty organisations. An action plan is due to be published."
Medieval museum in Runcorn needs loan for major £5m makeover bid Runcorn & Widnes Weekly News, 11 March 2014
RUNCORN, ENGLAND – "A MEDIEVAL museum in Runcorn could secure vital funding on Thursday in its bid for £3.67m of Heritage Lottery Funding (HLF). Norton Priory needs a £300,000 loan from Halton Borough Council to fill a shortfall in the £690,392 sum it needs to raise itself to apply for the grant. Bosses at the former monastic site forecast that visitor numbers could pass 55,000 per year if the lottery funding bid is a success – a rise from 31,000 in 2012-13."
Building date set for Waitangi museum Radio New Zealand News, 6 March 2014
NEW ZEALAND – “A new multi-million dollar museum on the Waitangi Treaty Grounds is expected to be built before 6 February next year. The Bay of Islands development, which includes an education centre, is expected to cost about $12.5 million. The Minister of Internal Affairs has announced the Lottery Grants Board will contribute $5.75 million. Waitangi National Trust chief executive Greg McManus says its vision is for Waitangi to become a first choice destination for both New Zealanders and international visitors. He says the development will provide a secure climate-controlled area in which to house significant taonga and stories of Maori and European history. The Trust hopes the museum will be finished by February next year. A charitable foundation to help pay for the museum and education centre was set up in 2012.”
Damaged Pompeii to receive Italy rescue fund BBC News, 4 March 2011
ITALY – “Italy says it will unblock 2m euros (£1.6m) in emergency funding to save the ancient city of Pompeii, after flooding caused walls to collapse. A number of structures, including the Temple of Venus and Roma, were damaged by heavy rainfall on Sunday and Monday. The decay prompted calls for action from the European Union and the United Nations. The site, where volcanic ash smothered a Roman city in AD79, has suffered slow degradation for many years. It is one of the world's greatest archaeological treasures. Every year, some 2.5m tourists visit Pompeii, which sits near the southern city of Naples. Despite the money they generate, there have been allegations that the city - designated a World Heritage site by the UN cultural organisation Unesco - has been neglected and underfunded.”
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