World news digest
Afghanistan: The first museum dedicated to the mujahideen, the rebels who fought the Soviet Union during its occupation of Afghanistan …
Afghanistan: The first museum dedicated to the mujahideen, the rebels who fought the Soviet Union during its occupation of Afghanistan (1979-89), has opened in the western city of Herat. The exhibits include portraits of 50 dead commanders and a 360° diorama that depicts the mujahideen’s victory over the Russians in Herat.
China: Several museums have opened in Shanghai to coincide with the World Expo, which runs from 1 May to 31 October and is expected to attract 100 million visitors. They include the Rockbund Art Museum, which has opened with a celebration of “peasant creativity”, curated by the artist Cai Guo-Qiang. The Zendai Himalayas Art Museum features a 3,000sq m “art supermarket”.
France: Parliament has voted to return the mummified heads of 15 Maori warriors, which are housed at several museums across France, to New Zealand. The heads, which will be sent to the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa in Auckland, were removed by European travellers in the 18th and 19th centuries.
France: The Centre Pompidou-Metz (pictured above), a regional outpost of the Paris-based modern art museum, has opened in the north-eastern town of Metz. The new 10,700sq m building includes four galleries that will host temporary exhibitions displaying works drawn mainly from the Centre Pompidou. The new gallery, with its distinctive undulating roof, is the work of Japanese designer Shigeru Ban and Jean de Gastines, from France. The project had a budget of €72m, while the annual operating costs are estimated at €10m.
Turkey: An investigation into the inventory of Ankara State Museum of Painting and Sculpture, commissioned by the Turkish culture ministry, has revealed that about 400 works in the collection are missing or have been replaced by forgeries. Government officials said state institutions had borrowed works from the museum over the past 30 years.
US: Billionaire Tom Golisano has given $5m to the Children’s Museum of Naples, in Florida, which is scheduled to open in spring 2011. The museum, which has raised $21m towards its $25m target, has pledged to match the donation. “Tom’s donation is the fertiliser on the tree,” said Simone Lutgert, the capital campaign chairwoman. The institution has been renamed The Golisano Children’s Museum of Naples.
Compiled by Gareth Harris. Seen in the Washington Post, BBC, Associated Press, the National (Abu Dhabi), the Art Newspaper and Naplesnews.com
China: Several museums have opened in Shanghai to coincide with the World Expo, which runs from 1 May to 31 October and is expected to attract 100 million visitors. They include the Rockbund Art Museum, which has opened with a celebration of “peasant creativity”, curated by the artist Cai Guo-Qiang. The Zendai Himalayas Art Museum features a 3,000sq m “art supermarket”.
France: Parliament has voted to return the mummified heads of 15 Maori warriors, which are housed at several museums across France, to New Zealand. The heads, which will be sent to the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa in Auckland, were removed by European travellers in the 18th and 19th centuries.
France: The Centre Pompidou-Metz (pictured above), a regional outpost of the Paris-based modern art museum, has opened in the north-eastern town of Metz. The new 10,700sq m building includes four galleries that will host temporary exhibitions displaying works drawn mainly from the Centre Pompidou. The new gallery, with its distinctive undulating roof, is the work of Japanese designer Shigeru Ban and Jean de Gastines, from France. The project had a budget of €72m, while the annual operating costs are estimated at €10m.
Turkey: An investigation into the inventory of Ankara State Museum of Painting and Sculpture, commissioned by the Turkish culture ministry, has revealed that about 400 works in the collection are missing or have been replaced by forgeries. Government officials said state institutions had borrowed works from the museum over the past 30 years.
US: Billionaire Tom Golisano has given $5m to the Children’s Museum of Naples, in Florida, which is scheduled to open in spring 2011. The museum, which has raised $21m towards its $25m target, has pledged to match the donation. “Tom’s donation is the fertiliser on the tree,” said Simone Lutgert, the capital campaign chairwoman. The institution has been renamed The Golisano Children’s Museum of Naples.
Compiled by Gareth Harris. Seen in the Washington Post, BBC, Associated Press, the National (Abu Dhabi), the Art Newspaper and Naplesnews.com