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Readers response: Are there any particular museums or historical sites that have made a lasting impression on you?

<p>When travelling around the world, some museums, attractions and historical sites can have more of a lasting impact than others. </p> <p>We asked our readers if there are any particular places that have had a lasting impression on them while travelling, and the response was overwhelming. Here's what they said. </p> <p><strong>Anne Hare</strong> - The Alhambra in Granada, Spain. Absolutely beautiful. Don't miss it!</p> <p><strong>Sandra Beckett</strong> - Seemingly little known, but the British Library in London has an absolutely jaw-dropping permanent exhibition of literature. Original handwritten manuscripts from famous authors through the ages. Wonderful for book lovers.</p> <p><strong>Jackie A Morris</strong> - St Paul's Cathedral London. Not being one to get into churches, but I went there as my son asked me to. I was in awe, managed the climb to the spire as well. Etched in my memory.</p> <p><strong>Christine Taylor</strong> - The Pantheon is certainly up there.</p> <p><strong>Tony Hallam</strong> - The Colosseum in Rome. I was in awe knowing i was standing in the place where gladiators had stood and fought 2000 years ago.</p> <p><strong>Pamela Rigby</strong> - In Flanders Fields, Ypres, Belgium.</p> <p><strong>Kris White</strong> - Killing Fields in Cambodia, chilling and desperately sad.</p> <p><strong>Gayle Morris</strong> - Stonehenge and the Cliffs of Moher.</p> <p><strong>George Jamieson</strong> - The statue of David in Florence, out of this world!!!</p> <p><strong>Jim Janush</strong> - Museo De La Revolución, Havana, Cuba.</p> <p><strong>Margie Buckingham</strong> - The Uluṟu rock base at sunset- its eerie silence is unnerving.</p> <p><strong>Steve Gerreyn</strong> - Cathedral of Seville. Magnificent.</p> <p><em>Image credits: Shutterstock </em></p> <div style="font-family: inherit;"> <div class="x1rg5ohu xxymvpz x17z2i9w" style="display: inline-block; vertical-align: middle; width: 22px; font-family: inherit;"> <div class="html-div xdj266r x11i5rnm xat24cr xexx8yu x4uap5 x18d9i69 xkhd6sd x1hy63sm xg01cxk xhva3ql" style="margin: 0px 0px 0px 11px; padding: 0px; opacity: 0; font-family: inherit;" aria-hidden="false"> </div> </div> </div> <div class="x6s0dn4 x3nfvp2" style="font-family: inherit; align-items: center; display: inline-flex; min-width: 447px;"> <ul class="html-ul xe8uvvx xdj266r x4uap5 x18d9i69 xkhd6sd x1n0m28w x78zum5 x1wfe3co xat24cr xsgj6o6 x1o1nzlu xyqdw3p" style="list-style: none; margin: 0px -8px 0px 4px; padding: 3px 0px 0px; display: flex; min-height: 15px; line-height: 12px; caret-color: #1c1e21; color: #1c1e21; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, '.SFNSText-Regular', sans-serif; font-size: 12.000001px;" aria-hidden="false"> <li class="html-li xdj266r xat24cr xexx8yu x4uap5 x18d9i69 xkhd6sd x1rg5ohu x1emribx x1i64zmx" style="display: inline-block; padding: 0px; margin: 0px 8px;"> </li> </ul> </div>

Travel Trouble

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World’s top 10 food museums that are seriously strange

<p><strong>Le Musée Art du Chocolat de Lisle sur Tarn, Lisle-sur-Tarn, France</strong></p> <p>A weird and wonderful tribute to the sweet stuff, the Le Musée Art du Chocolat de Lisle sur Tarn is dedicated to the world of chocolate art. Chocolate elephants? Check. Chocolate candle holders? Check. There’s even a chocolate fountain – and by that, we mean one made entirely from chocolate.</p> <p>The sculptures, some of which weigh around 100 kilograms, are displayed in three halls. Must-sees include the life-sized chocolate woman and the huge white chocolate of the main character of the comic series The Adventures of Tintin. We’re getting a sugar rush just thinking about it.</p> <p><strong>Dutch Cheese Museum, Alkmaar, Netherlands</strong></p> <p>Thought tulips were the Netherlands’ biggest export? Think again, it’s cheese, more specifically, Edam and Gouda. Learn more at this brilliant Dutch Cheese Museum, which explores the history of the cheeses and how they’re made.</p> <p>It’s tucked inside one of Alkmaar’s oldest buildings, the 16th century Cheese Weigh House in Waagplein Square. Our favourite bit? The bright yellow, cheese-inspired decor and the super-sized model cow, designed to provide visitors with an insight into the milking process.</p> <p><strong>Cup Noodle Museum, Yokohama, Japan</strong></p> <p>Amazingly, the Cup Noodle Museum is one of several museums in Japan dedicated to instant noodles, otherwise known as ramen. The sheer size of this museum is a reminder of the nation’s love of the foodstuff – there are several enormous halls, including one containing a replica of the shed in which the first type of ramen was invented (it was chicken-based if you were wondering).</p> <p>There’s plenty for younger visitors, who can whiz down slides in a noodle-themed playground and swim through a ball pool resembling a cup of ramen soup. Don’t forget to check the noodle-themed marble run, either, it features 4,000 marbles and represents the various stages of ramen production.</p> <p><strong>Friet Museum, Bruges, Belgium</strong></p> <p>The Friet Museum is, perhaps unsurprisingly, the world’s only museum dedicated to what is widely known as French fries, but which are known as Belgian friet in this part of the world.</p> <p>Visit this Bruges attraction and you’ll learn all about the humble potato (first grown in Peru 10,000 years ago) and can admire various friet-related masterpieces, including drawings of the city’s famous Frituur chip stalls. The strangest exhibit? The enormous – but weirdly beautiful – display of friet fryers.</p> <p><strong>Carpigiani Gelato Museum, Carpigiani, Italy</strong></p> <p>The Italians are serious about how they make their ice cream, proof of which is the Carpigiani Gelato Museum in Bologna. You’ll find it inside what was once a factory owned by Carpigiani, the manufacturer of the world’s first ice cream-making machine.</p> <p>Exhibits include the ornate tin-plated boxes used by Italy’s first gelato sellers, along with a huge selection of gelato-related gadgets. There’s also a large workshop where you can sign up for lessons in gelatology, possibly the world’s coolest subject.</p> <p><strong>The Herring Era Museum, Siglufjörður, Iceland</strong></p> <p>Herrings might not sound like a very exciting item of food, but visitors to The Herring Era Museum will certainly leave with a new appreciation of the small, oily fish. The museum, inside a former salting station, looks at how, in the 20th century, the herring industry transformed this tiny village into a thriving town, with 23 herring salting stations and five herring processing plants.</p> <p>Sadly, over-exploitation of stocks meant the industry ground to a halt, but the tiny museum is a reminder of a period of time referred to by locals as the Atlantic Klondike.</p> <p><strong>Pizza Hut Museum, Kansas, USA</strong></p> <p>The Pizza Hut Museum opened in Wichita, Kansas in 2017, on the very same site of the first Pizza Hut restaurant. It’s packed full of pizza-related memorabilia, including the first Pizza Hut pizza pan used in 1958, when the restaurant opened.</p> <p>Other rare items include Pizza Hut Barbie dolls, menus, staff lists from the 1950s, and signage from the first restaurant. You’ll also be able to admire the original recipe for the brand’s famous sauce, scrawled on a napkin by the employee who perfected it.</p> <p><strong>Poli Grappa Museum, Bassano del Grappa, Italy</strong></p> <p>It’s probably a good idea to leave the car at home before a visit to the Poli Grappa Museum because samples of Italy’s famous liquor certainly aren’t in short supply. The museum is small but well laid out, with three rooms filled with exhibits relating to the famous Italian grape-based brandy.</p> <p>One notable highlight is the beautiful collection of antique stills, although many visitors make a beeline for the third room in order to sample some of the varieties produced by the nearby Poli Distillery.</p> <p><strong>The Idaho Potato Museum, Idaho, USA</strong></p> <p>America’s favourite tuber is the star of the show at The Idaho Potato Museum, which is home to both the world’s largest potato and the world’s largest potato chip, along with a wealth of potato-related facts.</p> <p>There are entire sections dedicated to tools used to harvest potatoes in the early 1900s, along with the world’s largest collection of mashers. And don’t forget to visit the café, where you can indulge in a chocolate-dipped potato.</p> <p><strong>The Spam Museum, Minnesota, USA</strong></p> <p>Learn about the world’s most divisive processed meat with a visit to The Spam Museum, a huge attraction examining the food’s rise to global domination. Not convinced? Check out the exhibit relating to its role in WWII, when Spam became a staple for servicemen and women.</p> <p>Then there’s the display of 15 varieties of Spam sold around the world. There are plenty of opportunities for taste tests, just look for one of the museum’s guides known as Spambassadors.</p> <p><em>Image credits: Getty Images</em></p> <p><em>This article originally appeared on <a href="https://www.readersdigest.com.au/culture/10-of-the-worlds-strangest-food-museums" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Reader's Digest</a>. </em></p>

International Travel

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Eco-activist attacks on museum artwork ask us to figure out what we value

<p>In the last few weeks <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2022/10/23/arts/claude-monet-mashed-potatoes-climate-activists.html">climate change activists have perpetrated various acts</a> of reversible vandalism <a href="https://twitter.com/artnews/status/1585745905512169473">against famous works of art in public galleries</a>. </p> <p>In the latest incident on Oct. 27, two men entered <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2022/oct/27/girl-with-a-pearl-earring-vermeer-just-stop-oil-protest-mauritshuis-the-hague">the Mauritshuis gallery in the Hague</a>. After taking off their jackets to reveal t-shirts printed with anti-oil slogans, one proceeded to glue his head to <a href="https://www.reuters.com/business/environment/famed-girl-with-pearl-earring-painting-targeted-by-climate-activists-nos-2022-10-27/">glass overtop</a> <a href="https://www.mauritshuis.nl/en/our-collection/artworks/670-girl-with-a-pearl-earring/">Johannes Vermeer’s Girl with a Pearl Earring</a>, while the other bathed the head of his partner-in-crime with what appeared to be tinned tomatoes before gluing his own hand to the wall adjacent to the painting.</p> <p>This was just the latest in a series of similar art attacks that have peppered the news. </p> <p>The motivation of the eco-activists involved is to draw attention to the crisis of climate change, the role of big oil in hastening the deterioration of the environment and the necessity to save our planet.</p> <p>By attacking a famous and high-value cultural target like Vermeer’s Girl with a Pearl Earring — it <a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0335119/">even starred in its own movie</a> — the protesters are asking us to examine our values.</p> <h2>Big oil protests</h2> <p>The first Vermeer painting to come to auction for almost 80 years <a href="https://www.cbc.ca/news/world/vermeer-fetches-record-price-1.506190">sold for almost $40 million in 2004</a>. Today a Vermeer (<a href="http://www.essentialvermeer.com/how_many_vermeers.html">there are not that many)</a> could easily be valued at twice that. Whether you like Vermeer or not, the monetary value of the targets under attack enhances the sheer audacity and shock value of the current art attacks.</p> <p>The eco-activists want to appear to desecrate something that people associate with value and with culture. Their point is that if we don’t have a planet, we’ll lose all the things in it that we seem to value more. </p> <p>As activist Phoebe Plummer of Just Stop Oil <a href="https://www.artnews.com/art-news/news/just-stop-oil-protestor-van-gogh-sunflowers-why-video-1234643678">told NPR after being involved in the attack on Van Gogh’s Sunflowers at London’s National Gallery</a>: “Since October, we have been engaging in disruptive acts all around London because right now what is missing to make this change is political will. So our action in particular <a href="https://www.npr.org/2022/11/01/1133041550/the-activist-who-threw-soup-on-a-van-gogh-explains-why-they-did-it">was a media-grabbing action to get people talking, not just about what we did, but why we did it</a>.”</p> <p>Note, the idea is disruption, not destruction. As acts designed for shock value, the activists did draw immediate public attention.</p> <h2>Attacking art</h2> <p>By staging their attacks in public galleries, where the majority of visitors carry cell phones, activists could be assured film and photos of the incidents would draw immediate attention. By sticking to non-corrosive substances and mitigating damage to the works under attack, they don’t draw the kind of public ire that wilful destruction would evoke. </p> <p>In recent news, attacking art as a form of public protest has largely been limited to public monuments outside the gallery space, like the <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2022/02/02/us/confederate-monuments-removed-2021-whose-heritage/index.html">destruction and removal of Confederate</a> or colonial statues. </p> <p>But it’s also true that works of museum art have come under attack before. Over the course of its history, <a href="https://www.theartnewspaper.com/2019/02/19/trimmed-splashed-and-slashed-the-anatomy-of-rembrandts-the-night-watch">Rembrandt’s Night Watch in the Rijksmuseum</a> in Amsterdam was stabbed in two separate incidents in 1911 and 1975; in 1990, it was sprayed with acid; but all of those attacks were ascribed to individuals with unclear and less clearly rational motives.</p> <p>I see a few issues at stake with assessing what these recent art attacks could mean.</p> <h2>1. How effective is the messaging?</h2> <p>The activists have been articulate about their objectives, but those objectives haven’t been <a href="https://twitter.com/BrydonRobert/status/1587587106997960705">obvious to everyone who sees</a> via social media, but doesn’t stick around to hear the explanation. When a broad <a href="https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/why-are-climate-activists-throwing-food-at-million-dollar-paintings-180981024/">range of media</a> <a href="https://time.com/6224760/climate-activists-throw-food-at-art/">outlets all</a> perceive <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/rebeccahughes/2022/08/05/why-are-climate-activists-gluing-themselves-to-art-in-italy/?sh=1e2e8a6a246a">the need to publish</a> editorials on why eco activists are targeting art, something is getting lost in translation.</p> <p>People see the endangerment of the works of art, but may ascribe that to the activists, not to the planetary erosion wrought by climate change. I don’t think everyone is getting the message.</p> <h2>2. Possible misplaced outrage</h2> <p>The incidents up until now have been pretty effective and harmless acts. But what if something is irreparably damaged? People will be outraged, but they’ll still be outraged about the art, not about the planet. </p> <p>And while there will be a call for stiff prison sentences, precedent suggests that’s an unlikely outcome. </p> <p>A man who damaged a Picasso valued at $26 million USD at the Tate Modern <a href="https://www.artnews.com/art-news/news/tate-modern-picasso-damaged-man-sentenced-1234569349">in London in 2020 was sentenced to 18 months in jail</a>.</p> <h2>3. Violation of public trust</h2> <p>The third effect is what I consider a violation of the public trust, and this gives me pause. Works of art, even the most famous ones, lead precarious lives of constant endangerment; war, weather, fire, floods. The protesters are destabilizing the idea that public galleries are “safe” spaces for works of art, held in public trust. </p> <p>As fari nzinga, inaugural curator of academic engagement and special projects at the <a href="https://www.speedmuseum.org/">Speed Art Museum</a> in Louisville, KY, pointed out in a 2016 paper: “The museum doesn’t serve the public trust simply by displaying art for its members, <a href="https://incluseum.com/2016/11/29/public-trust-and-art-museums">it does so by keeping and caring for the art on behalf of a greater community of members and non¬members alike</a>, preserving it for future generations to study and enjoy.” </p> <p>Right now these acts, no matter how well-intentioned, could lead to increased security and more limited access, making galleries prisons for art rather than places for people. </p> <p>At the same time, part of the activsts’ point is that economy that sustains <a href="https://grist.org/climate/can-art-museums-survive-without-oil-money/">big oil is entwined with arts infrastructure</a> and the art market.</p> <h2>The thing that saves us?</h2> <p>The pandemic taught us, I think, that art could be the thing we share that saves us; think of <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q734VN0N7hw">people during quarantine in Italy singing opera together from their balconies</a>. </p> <p>Eco-activists engaged in performance protests ask us to question our public institutions and make us accountable for what they, and we, value. Their climate activism is dedicated to our shared fate.</p> <p>If you’re willing to fight for the protection of art, maybe you’re willing to fight to protect the planet.</p> <p><em>Image credits: Getty Images</em></p> <p><em>This article originally appeared on <a href="https://theconversation.com/eco-activist-attacks-on-museum-artwork-ask-us-to-figure-out-what-we-value-193575" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Conversation</a>. </em></p>

Art

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10 of the world’s strangest food museums

<p> </p> <p><strong>Le Musée Art du Chocolat de Lisle sur Tarn, Lisle-sur-Tarn, France</strong></p> <p>A weird and wonderful tribute to the sweet stuff, the Le Musée Art du Chocolat de Lisle sur Tarn is dedicated to the world of chocolate art. Chocolate elephants? Check. Chocolate candle holders? Check. There’s even a chocolate fountain – and by that, we mean one made entirely from chocolate. The sculptures, some of which weigh around 100 kilograms, are displayed in three halls. Must-sees include the life-sized chocolate woman and the huge white chocolate of the main character of the comic series The Adventures of Tintin. We’re getting a sugar rush just thinking about it.</p> <p><strong>Dutch Cheese Museum, Alkmaar, Netherlands</strong></p> <p>Thought tulips were the Netherlands’ biggest export? Think again, it’s cheese, more specifically, Edam and Gouda. Learn more at this brilliant Dutch Cheese Museum, which explores the history of the cheeses and how they’re made. It’s tucked inside one of Alkmaar’s oldest buildings, the 16th century Cheese Weigh House in Waagplein Square. Our favourite bit? The bright yellow, cheese-inspired decor and the super-sized model cow, designed to provide visitors with an insight into the milking process.</p> <p><strong>Cup Noodle Museum, Yokohama, Japan</strong></p> <p>Amazingly, the Cup Noodle Museum is one of several museums in Japan dedicated to instant noodles, otherwise known as ramen. The sheer size of this museum is a reminder of the nation’s love of the foodstuff – there are several enormous halls, including one containing a replica of the shed in which the first type of ramen was invented (it was chicken-based if you were wondering). There’s plenty for younger visitors, who can whiz down slides in a noodle-themed playground and swim through a ball pool resembling a cup of ramen soup. Don’t forget to check the noodle-themed marble run, either, it features 4,000 marbles and represents the various stages of ramen production.</p> <p><strong>Friet Museum, Bruges, Belgium</strong></p> <p>The Friet Museum is, perhaps unsurprisingly, the world’s only museum dedicated to what is widely known as French fries, but which are known as Belgian friet in this part of the world. Visit this Bruges attraction and you’ll learn all about the humble potato (first grown in Peru 10,000 years ago) and can admire various friet-related masterpieces, including drawings of the city’s famous Frituur chip stalls. The strangest exhibit? The enormous – but weirdly beautiful – display of friet fryers.</p> <p><strong>Carpigiani Gelato Museum, Carpigiani, Italy</strong></p> <p>The Italians are serious about how they make their ice cream, proof of which is the Carpigiani Gelato Museum in Bologna. You’ll find it inside what was once a factory owned by Carpigiani, the manufacturer of the world’s first ice cream-making machine. Exhibits include the ornate tin-plated boxes used by Italy’s first gelato sellers, along with a huge selection of gelato-related gadgets. There’s also a large workshop where you can sign up for lessons in gelatology, possibly the world’s coolest subject.</p> <p><strong>The Herring Era Museum, Siglufjörður, Iceland</strong></p> <p>Herrings might not sound like a very exciting item of food, but visitors to The Herring Era Museum will certainly leave with a new appreciation of the small, oily fish. The museum, inside a former salting station, looks at how, in the 20th century, the herring industry transformed this tiny village into a thriving town, with 23 herring salting stations and five herring processing plants. Sadly, over-exploitation of stocks meant the industry ground to a halt, but the tiny museum is a reminder of a period of time referred to by locals as the Atlantic <em>Klondike</em>.</p> <p><strong>Pizza Hut Museum, Kansas, USA</strong></p> <p>The Pizza Hut Museum opened in Wichita, Kansas in 2017, on the very same site of the first Pizza Hut restaurant. It’s packed full of pizza-related memorabilia, including the first Pizza Hut pizza pan used in 1958, when the restaurant opened. Other rare items include Pizza Hut Barbie dolls, menus, staff lists from the 1950s, and signage from the first restaurant. You’ll also be able to admire the original recipe for the brand’s famous sauce, scrawled on a napkin by the employee who perfected it.</p> <p><strong>Poli Grappa Museum, Bassano del Grappa, Italy</strong></p> <p>It’s probably a good idea to leave the car at home before a visit to the Poli Grappa Museum because samples of Italy’s famous liquor certainly aren’t in short supply. The museum is small but well laid out, with three rooms filled with exhibits relating to the famous Italian grape-based brandy. One notable highlight is the beautiful collection of antique stills, although many visitors make a beeline for the third room in order to sample some of the varieties produced by the nearby Poli Distillery.</p> <p><strong>The Idaho Potato Museum, Idaho, USA</strong></p> <p>America’s favourite tuber is the star of the show at The Idaho Potato Museum, which is home to both the world’s largest potato and the world’s largest potato chip, along with a wealth of potato-related facts. There are entire sections dedicated to tools used to harvest potatoes in the early 1900s, along with the world’s largest collection of mashers. And don’t forget to visit the café, where you can indulge in a chocolate-dipped potato.</p> <p><strong>The Spam Museum, Minnesota, USA</strong></p> <p>Learn about the world’s most divisive processed meat with a visit to The Spam Museum, a huge attraction examining the food’s rise to global domination. Not convinced? Check out the exhibit relating to its role in WWII, when Spam became a staple for servicemen and women. Then there’s the display of 15 varieties of Spam sold around the world. There are plenty of opportunities for taste tests, just look for one of the museum’s guides known as Spambassadors.</p> <p><em><span id="docs-internal-guid-665b11ed-7fff-7b7e-ab71-5c7bc9f7bd68">Written by Tamara Hinson. This article first appeared in <a href="https://www.readersdigest.com.au/culture/10-of-the-worlds-strangest-food-museums" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Reader’s Digest</a>. For more of what you love from the world’s best-loved magazine, <a href="http://readersdigest.innovations.com.au/c/readersdigestemailsubscribe?utm_source=over60&amp;utm_medium=articles&amp;utm_campaign=RDSUB&amp;keycode=WRA87V" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here’s our best subscription offer.</a></span></em></p> <p><em>Image: Courtesy </em><em>Friet Museum</em></p>

International Travel

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"Truly unique" piece of Australian history acquired by National Museum

<p>Intricate carvings depicting Australia’s early history including colonial bush life, the gold rush and representations of conflict occurring between settlers and First Nations peoples, feature on a unique ‘Australian Colonial Billiard Table’, have been acquired by the National Museum of Australia in Canberra.</p> <p>The table substantially adds to the Museum’s National Historical Collection and supports its mission to tell remarkable stories from Australian history.</p> <p>It was acquired by the National Museum of Australia for $1.1 million, with the support of the Australian Government through the National Cultural Heritage Account, which contributed $550,000.</p> <p>The National Cultural Heritage Account is a grant program that assists Australian cultural organisations to acquire significant cultural heritage objects.</p> <p>The acquisition was also supported by the Pratt Foundation and donors to the National Museum’s 2022 Annual Appeal.</p> <p>The ‘Australian Colonial Billiard Table’ and matching scoreboard is an unrivalled piece of craftsmanship that through the depictions of colonial life and native flora and fauna contributes to an understanding of our national identity and design history.</p> <p>It was built in 1885 by Sydney-based billiard table manufacturer Ben Hulbert and features ornate carvings by skilled cabinet maker George Billyeald.</p> <p dir="ltr">The table has a rich history and was displayed at the 1886 Colonial and Indian Exhibition in London, at Adelaide’s Jubilee Exhibition in 1887 and at Melbourne’s Centennial Exhibition in 1888.</p> <p>It was also reportedly displayed at Buckingham Palace, where it is suggested that it was admired by Queen Victoria and played upon by billiards enthusiast Prince Albert, the Prince of Wales, who was later crowned King Edward VII.</p> <p>National Museum director Dr Mathew Trinca thanked the Australian Government for its financial assistance with the purchase of the billiard table, which he said is a one-of-a-kind example of Australian colonial furniture-making.</p> <p>“The craftmanship and design of this piece is extraordinary. This truly unique acquisition, carefully carved from Tasmanian blackwood, perfectly showcases our colonial history, and we are delighted to be able to share it with the nation,” said Dr Trinca.</p> <p>Museum Curator Dr Ian Coates, who coordinated the acquisition said the decorative panels show how European settlers understood their world, and the vision of Australia they wanted to promote internationally.</p> <p>“Perhaps most significant are the scenes of conflict between First Nations peoples and colonists included as part of life on the frontier. Such representations of conflict are rare. They are an important part of our national history – subject matter that was ignored for much of the twentieth century, and which now forms part of the truth-telling about what happened in the history of our nation.”</p> <p>“The table and scoreboard are magnificent examples of nineteenth century decorative arts. They are also highly significant for the prominent role they played in the global dissemination of Australian iconography and themes during the late-nineteenth century,” said Dr Coates.</p> <p>It will be on display at the National Museum of Australia from 17 November.</p> <p><em>Image credits: Supplied by National Museum of Australia</em></p>

Art

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Soup on Van Gogh and graffiti on Warhol: climate activists follow the long history of museums as a site of protest

<p>Andy Warhol’s Campbell’s Soup Cans at the National Gallery of Australia are just the <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/culture/2022/nov/09/climate-activists-target-andy-warhols-campbells-soup-cans-at-australias-national-gallery">latest artistic target</a> of climate protesters, who have been throwing <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2022/oct/14/just-stop-oil-activists-throw-soup-at-van-goghs-sunflowers">soup</a>, <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/climate-protesters-throw-mashed-potatoes-at-monet-painting/2022/10/23/cc39e636-52f0-11ed-ac8b-08bbfab1c5a5_story.html">mashed potatoes</a> and <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/climate-protesters-throw-mashed-potatoes-at-monet-painting/2022/10/23/cc39e636-52f0-11ed-ac8b-08bbfab1c5a5_story.html">cake</a> at art worth millions of dollars.</p> <p>The actions have received a <a href="https://www.artnews.com/art-news/news/in-doha-four-museum-directors-talk-the-climate-protests-1234644472/">muted response</a> from some museum directors, but the protesters know exactly what they are doing. </p> <p>As the activists who threw soup on Van Gogh’s Sunflowers <a href="https://www.frieze.com/article/interview-just-stop-oil">said, "</a>We know that civil resistance works. History has shown us that."</p> <p>Indeed, there is a long history of museums and art being used for political protest.</p> <h2>For women’s suffrage and women artists</h2> <p>In 1914, suffragette Mary Richardson <a href="https://womensarttours.com/slashing-venus-suffragettes-and-vandalism/">slashed</a> the canvas of Velázquez’s Rokeby Venus at London’s National Gallery. </p> <p>Richardson wanted to attract publicity to Emmeline Pankhurst’s imprisonment for her suffragette actions. Richardson selected this painting in part because of its value, and because of “the way men visitors gaped at it all day long”.</p> <p>Her tactics are credited as <a href="https://www.surfacemag.com/articles/just-stop-oil-protests-museums-environmental-activism/">motivating</a> Extinction Rebellion and Just Stop Oil.</p> <p>Since 1985, the <a href="https://eprints.mdx.ac.uk/25207/1/Camillabrownpaper.pdf">Guerrilla Girls</a> have been exposing sexual and racial discrimination in the art world.</p> <p>Their actions have usually occurred at the outskirts of museums: in museum foyers, on nearby billboards and on New York City buses. Perhaps their most famous work <a href="https://www.tate.org.uk/art/artworks/guerrilla-girls-do-women-have-to-be-naked-to-get-into-the-met-museum-p78793">asked</a>: “do women have to be naked to get into the Met Museum?”</p> <h2>Against corporate sponsorship and artwashing</h2> <p><a href="https://www.artnews.com/art-news/news/decolonize-this-place-kanders-whitney-nine-weeks-of-art-and-action-12207/">Decolonize this Place</a> brings together campaigns against racial and economic inequality. </p> <p>They organised a campaign beginning in 2018 targeting the then vice-chair of New York’s Whitney Museum, Warren B. Kander, whose company sold tear gas that had reportedly been used against asylum seekers along the US-Mexico border. </p> <p>The campaign’s first event was held in the museum’s foyer. <a href="https://www.artnews.com/art-news/news/no-space-profiteer-state-violence-decolonize-place-protests-whitney-vice-chair-warren-b-kanders-11507/">Protesters burned sage</a> to mimic tear gas, which wafted through the lobby until the fire department arrived. </p> <p>The protesters argued Kander’s business interests meant he was not fit to lead a globally significant cultural heritage institution that sought relevance for a wide and diverse public constituency. Kander <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2019/07/25/arts/whitney-warren-kanders-resigns.html">resigned</a> from the museum’s board in 2019.</p> <p>Since 2018, artist <a href="https://news.artnet.com/art-world/sackler-nan-goldin-victoria-albert-1704450">Nan Goldin</a> and her “Opioid Activist Group” have been staging “die-ins” at the museum to protest against the galleries named for sponsorship from the Sackler family.</p> <p>The Sackler family business is Purdue Pharma, infamous for OxyContin, a major drug in the US <a href="https://www.npr.org/2022/03/03/1084163626/purdue-sacklers-oxycontin-settlement">opioid crisis</a>. </p> <p>Activists have targeted galleries around the world, and so far the Sackler name has been removed from galleries including the <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2019/07/18/arts/sackler-family-museums.html">Louvre</a>, the <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/culture/2022/mar/25/british-museum-removes-sackler-family-name-from-galleries">British Museum</a>, the <a href="https://news.artnet.com/art-world/sackler-name-change-guggenheim-museum-2110993">Guggenheim</a> and, as of last month, the <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2022/oct/01/campaigners-celebrate-as-va-severs-sackler-links-over-opioids-cash">Victoria and Albert Museum</a>.</p> <h2>For the return of cultural artefacts</h2> <p>The highest-profile actions against the British Museum have targeted its rejection of calls to return objects including the <a href="https://www.artnews.com/art-news/news/parthenon-marbles-british-museum-protest-1234632365/">Parthenon Marbles</a> of Greece, the <a href="https://morningstaronline.co.uk/article/b/british-museum-closes-gallery-in-response-to-protesters">Benin Bronzes</a> from modern-day Nigeria, and the <a href="https://morningstaronline.co.uk/article/b/british-museum-closes-gallery-in-response-to-protesters">Gweagal shield</a> from Australia. </p> <p>In 2018, a group of activists performed a “<a href="https://camd.org.au/stolen-goods-tour-of-bm-protest/">Stolen Goods Tour</a>” of the museum. Participants from across the world gave a different story to what visitors read in the museum’s object labels and catalogues, as the activist tour guides explained their continuing connections with objects in the collection.</p> <p>The tour did not convince the museum to return cultural items, but drew extensive global attention to <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/oct/11/nigeria-benin-repatriate-bronzes-smithsonian">ongoing campaigns</a>seeking restitution and repatriation.</p> <h2>In the culture wars</h2> <p>Protests using art and museums aren’t just the domain of the left.</p> <p>In 1969, <a href="https://www.routledge.com/Museums-and-Social-Activism-Engaged-Protest/Message/p/book/9780415658539">an arsonist destroyed</a> a display at the National Museum of American History that commemorated Martin Luther King Jr, who had been recently assassinated. The perpetrator was never identified.</p> <p>In 2017, <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2017/jun/18/noose-found-hanging-washington-museum">nooses</a> were left at various museums of the Smithsonian, including The National Museum of African American History and Culture. No groups ever came forward to claim responsibility or express a motive, but the noose is a potent and divisive symbol of segregation and racially motivated violence.</p> <p>In December 2021, doors to the Museum of Australian Democracy in Canberra were <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-12-30/act-protesters-set-old-parliament-house-on-fire/100731444">set alight</a> twice by protesters with a number of grievances, including opposition to COVID-19 vaccines.</p> <p>The museum’s <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-01-20/multimillion-dollar-repair-bill-for-old-parliament-house-fire/100770268">director said</a> the “assault on the building” would force the museum to rethink its commitment to being “as open as possible, representing all that is good about Australian democracy”, and at the same time keeping it protected.</p> <h2>‘Direct action works’</h2> <p>The past two decades have seen a surge of art-focused demonstrations. </p> <p>In 2019, Decolonize this Place and Goldin’s anti-Sackler coalition met with members of 30 other groups in front of Andy Warhol’s “The Last Supper” (1986) at the Whitney. </p> <p>They were there to celebrate the Tate Museum in London and the Guggenheim Museum in New York, who had announced they would stop taking funding from the Sackler family. One participant cried “<a href="https://hyperallergic.com/491418/decolonize-this-place-nine-weeks-launch/">direct action works!</a>” </p> <p>Even when protests at museums and art achieve less concrete outcomes than this, they remain central tools for building public awareness around political and social issues. </p> <p>It is unlikely actions against museums and art will subside anytime soon.</p> <p><em>Image credits: Getty Images</em></p> <p><em>This article originally appeared on <a href="https://theconversation.com/soup-on-van-gogh-and-graffiti-on-warhol-climate-activists-follow-the-long-history-of-museums-as-a-site-of-protest-193009" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Conversation</a>. </em></p>

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Archaeologists demand the British Museum return Rosetta Stone to Egypt

<p dir="ltr">More than 2,500 archaeologists have signed a petition for the British Museum to return the Rosetta Stone to Egypt. </p> <p dir="ltr">This effort, which was launched last month, has urged the Egyptian Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly to officially request the object’s return, along with 16 other artefacts that were illegally and unethically removed from the country.</p> <p dir="ltr">Earlier this year, renowned Egyptian archaeologist Zahi Hawass called for the return of the Rosetta Stone, and announced his plans to form the petition. </p> <p dir="ltr">“Previously it was the government alone asking for Egyptian artefacts,” Monica Hanna, an archaeologist who co-founded the current restitution campaign, told CBS News. “But today this is the people demanding their own culture back.” </p> <p dir="ltr">The Rosetta Stone, a 2,200-year-old granodiorite stele inscribed with hieroglyphs, Ancient Egyptian Demotic script, and Ancient Greek, was discovered in 1799 during a Napoleonic campaign in Egypt, in which Napoleon’s troops apparently stumbled upon the stone while building a fort near the town of Rashid, or Rosetta. </p> <p dir="ltr">It was then acquired by the British Museum in 1802 from France under a treaty signed during the Napoleonic Wars.</p> <p dir="ltr">“The confiscation of the Rosetta stone, among other artefacts, is an act of encroachment on Egyptian cultural property and identity, and is a direct result of cultural colonial violence against Egyptian cultural heritage,” states the petition. “The presence of these artefacts in the British Museum to this day supports past colonial endeavours of cultural violence.”</p> <p dir="ltr">“History cannot be changed,” the document continues, “but it can be corrected, and although the political, military, and governmental rule of the British Empire withdrew from Egypt years ago, cultural colonisation is not yet over.”</p> <p dir="ltr">The British Museum, however, maintains that there has never been a formal request by the Egyptian government for the stone’s return.</p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image credits: Getty Images</em></p>

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See inside the top-secret museum you can’t enter

<p dir="ltr">While most museums aim to educate the public, there’s one that most of us won’t be allowed to enter that holds artefacts that have shaped key historical moments - and it’s located in the headquarters of the CIA.</p> <p dir="ltr">The US intelligence agency has its very own in-house museum at its headquarters in Langley, Virginia, with a collection recently renovated to mark its 75th anniversary.</p> <p dir="ltr">According to the <em><a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-63023876" target="_blank" rel="noopener">BBC</a></em>, whose journalists were among a select group given access during a media tour, the 600 artefacts on display include everything from old-school spy gadgets to models of the compound that housed Osama bin Laden.</p> <p><span id="docs-internal-guid-c8978b1b-7fff-2994-e40b-b873b130bcef"></span></p> <p dir="ltr">The Cold War gadgets included the likes of a ‘dead drop rat’, in which messages could be hidden, a covert camera inside a cigarette packet, an exploding martini glass and even a pigeon with its own spy camera.</p> <p dir="ltr"><img src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/2022/09/cia-display.jpg" alt="" width="1280" height="720" /></p> <p dir="ltr"><em>A pipe radio receiver is among the hundreds of items on display in the museum. Image: Getty Images</em></p> <p dir="ltr">Some artefacts have never gone on display before, such as a model of the sunken Soviet K-129 submarine created for the expedition the CIA embarked on with billionaire Howard Hughes to recover the ship.</p> <p dir="ltr">That mission was only partially successful since the submarine broke apart while a ship called the Gomar Explorer was trying to bring it up from the ocean’s depths.</p> <p dir="ltr">"Most of what they found aboard that submarine is still classified to this day," Robert Z Byer, the museum’s director, told the BBC.</p> <p dir="ltr"><span id="docs-internal-guid-36956bbb-7fff-426e-b622-1531a77f9952"></span></p> <p dir="ltr">The mission also marked the creation of an iconic phrase the CIA still uses; after news broke of the mission before the rest of the submarine could be extracted, officials were told to say they could “neither confirm nor deny” what had happened.</p> <p dir="ltr"><img src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/2022/09/cia-display1.jpg" alt="" width="1280" height="720" /></p> <p dir="ltr"><em>A model of the K-129 submarine was created by the CIA during the mission to recover the sunken Soviet vessel and has never been displayed before. Image: Central Intelligence Agency</em></p> <p dir="ltr">Others have only been declassified recently, including a model of the compound where al-Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri was killed earlier this year. The model was used to brief President Joe Biden on the proposed mission.</p> <p dir="ltr">Though the museum moves chronologically through the CIA’s successes and failures, including the failed Bay of Pigs mission to overthrow Fidel Castro, some of the agency’s more controversial acts are less visible, such as the 1953 joint operation with Mi6 to overthrow a democratically-elected government in Iran, or recent involvement in the torture of terrorist suspects after 9/11.</p> <p dir="ltr">The museum’s visitors are restricted to CIA staff and official visitors, with Mr Byer saying it serves to educate CIA officers on the agency’s history.</p> <p dir="ltr">"This museum is not just a museum for history's sake. This is an operational museum,” he explained. </p> <p dir="ltr">“We are taking CIA officers [through it], exploring our history, both good and bad," says Mr Byer. </p> <p dir="ltr">"We make sure that our officers understand their history, so that they can do a better job in the future. We have to learn from our successes and our failures in order to be better in the future."</p> <p dir="ltr">While the public isn’t allowed to visit it currently, officials say some exhibits will be available to view online.</p> <p dir="ltr">Images of the museum are also expected to be shared on social media, with the aim being that members of the public are given the chance to unscramble the various coded messages displayed on the museum’s ceilings.</p> <p dir="ltr"><span id="docs-internal-guid-3a1e4815-7fff-5d89-765c-c4112d2ebddb"></span></p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image: Getty Images</em></p>

International Travel

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State-run German museums disclose works acquired during Nazi era

<p dir="ltr">A Munich-based foundation that oversees the art collections of museums located throughout the titular German state is set to publicly disclose the origins of over 1,000 works acquired during the Nazi rule.</p> <p dir="ltr">The Bavarian State Painting Collections is launching an extensive database that includes information regarding over 1,200 paintings that researchers have found were acquired during the National Socialist period, or had ownership links to Nazi officials.</p> <p dir="ltr">There are a series of artworks that were given to museums and galleries during this time that are often subject to legal claims from descendants of persecuted Jewish families.</p> <p dir="ltr">Operating since 1999, a specialised unit dedicated to origin research has been reviewing all the ownership records of each and every artwork in the Bavarian State Paintings Collections that were created before 1945, and have been acquired since 1933. </p> <p dir="ltr">Throughout the database notes, a statement will accompany each artwork to alert people of its proper origins. </p> <p dir="ltr">This protocol is in keeping with the 1998 Washington Principles and the 1999 Joint Declaration of the Federal Government, both of which mounted calls for greater transparency surrounding the provenances of artworks believed to be subject to restitution claims.</p> <p dir="ltr">Other initiatives have been put into practice around the world, with <a href="https://oversixty.com.au/entertainment/art/new-york-museums-now-required-to-acknowledge-art-stolen-under-nazi-rule">museums and galleries in New York</a> now now legally required to acknowledge art stolen under the Nazi regime. </p> <p dir="ltr">The new state law requires New York museums to display signage alongside works of art from before 1945 that are known to have been stolen or forcibly sold during the Nazi rule.</p> <p dir="ltr">According to legislation and expert testimony, the Germans looted 600,000 works of art during World War II. </p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image credits: Getty Images</em></p>

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New York museums now required to acknowledge art stolen under Nazi rule

<p dir="ltr">Museums and art galleries in New York are now legally required to acknowledge art stolen under the Nazi regime. </p> <p dir="ltr">The new state law requires New York museums to display signage alongside works of art from before 1945 that are known to have been stolen or forcibly sold during the Nazi rule.</p> <p dir="ltr">According to legislation and expert testimony, the Germans looted 600,000 works of art during World War II. </p> <p dir="ltr">As well as the new public recognition law, works that were created before 1945 that changed ownership in Nazi Europe are now required to be registered in the <a href="https://www.artloss.com/about-us/">Art Loss Register</a>, a private database of more than 700,000 works of lost, stolen and looted art. </p> <p dir="ltr">Over the last few decades, museums in New York have been at the centre of discussions of who has rightful ownership of artworks that changed hands during the Nazi era.</p> <p dir="ltr">Both the Guggenheim and the Metropolitan Museum of Art have gone a step further, and returned artworks stolen by the Nazis to surviving members of the families who owned them before they were looted during World War II.</p> <p dir="ltr">Despite this, several New York museums have also successfully fought to keep allegedly looted art from the Nazi era in their halls. </p> <p dir="ltr">In 2021, a federal appeals court ruled that the Metropolitan Museum of Art can keep a $100 million Picasso painting that the family of the previous owner says was sold to fund the owner's escape from Nazi Germany. </p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image credits: Getty Images</em></p>

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A list of must-see museums in Florence

<p dir="ltr">If there’s one thing that Italy has in abundance, it is art, culture and a rich history. </p> <p dir="ltr">While the capital of Rome is home to a lot of incredible galleries and museums, the city of Florence is full of galleries that house some of the most important artworks in the world. </p> <p dir="ltr">With museums showcasing original works from Da Vinci, Botticelli and Michelangelo, as well as the iconic Statue of David, these are the galleries that are not to be missed in Florence.  </p> <p dir="ltr"><strong>Uffizi Gallery</strong></p> <p dir="ltr">This three-storey museum is home to one of the largest collections of both Middle Age and Renaissance art in the world. </p> <p dir="ltr">The U-shaped building is filled with paintings, sculptures, drawings, and archives, as well as boasting extraordinary architecture. </p> <p dir="ltr">You can see some early works from Da Vinci and Michelangelo, as well as Botticelli’s iconic The Birth of Venus.</p> <p dir="ltr">Uffizi also boasts an impressive rooftop cafe which showcases stunning views of Florence. </p> <blockquote class="instagram-media" style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/CVfnsqdNgnD/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"> </div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"> <div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style="width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"> </div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CVfnsqdNgnD/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by Gallerie degli Uffizi (@uffizigalleries)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p dir="ltr"><strong>Accademia Gallery</strong></p> <p dir="ltr">Located on a quiet street near the city centre, the Accademia Gallery, or Galleria dell'Accademia di Firenze, is where you will find the incredible Statue of David by Michelangelo.</p> <p dir="ltr">Known for its stunning collection of Renaissance art, the Accademia Gallery is a must visit gallery to discover the wonders of Italian art history. </p> <p dir="ltr">Thousands flock to the gallery everyday to observe the sheer wonder and beauty of the Statue of David, along with other lesser known (but still as extraordinary) marble works by the same artist. </p> <p dir="ltr">This understated gallery is definitely one to make time for.</p> <blockquote class="instagram-media" style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/CdbEEsGqosu/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"> </div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"> <div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style="width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"> </div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CdbEEsGqosu/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by Galleria Accademia Firenze (@galleriaaccademiafirenze)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p dir="ltr"><strong>Palazzo Vecchio</strong></p> <p dir="ltr">The Palazzo Vecchio is the town hall of Florence, which holds a replica of the Statue of David in the city centre. </p> <p dir="ltr">The gallery offers Roman ruins, a Mediaeval fortress and amazing Renaissance chambers and paintings for visitors to travel through time via the astonishing works on offer. </p> <p dir="ltr">As well as boasting an impressive art collection, the Palazzo Vecchio also showcases a series of secret routes and tunnels underneath the building that have huge archeological importance to the history of Italy. </p> <blockquote class="instagram-media" style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/CeLXDYNjk5i/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"> </div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"> <div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style="width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"> </div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CeLXDYNjk5i/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by Loris Fiasconi 📷 (@lorismaker)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p dir="ltr"><strong>Palazzo Medici Riccardi</strong></p> <p dir="ltr">The Palazzo Medici Riccardi showcases the impressive history of the Medici family, who were a political dynasty in Florence during the first half of the 15th century. </p> <p dir="ltr">All the artworks on show were once collected by the family, before being donated to the public. </p> <p dir="ltr">As well as the permanent collection of Renaissance works, the gallery also often showcases a series of temporary exhibits to help expand the knowledge of art history in Italy. </p> <blockquote class="instagram-media" style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/CaVEDQULm9-/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"> </div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"> <div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style="width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"> </div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CaVEDQULm9-/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by italia_in_art (@italia_in_art)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p><em>Image credits: Getty Images</em></p>

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Woman steals artwork then WEARS it back to the museum

<p dir="ltr">A 72-year-old French woman has been arrested after stealing an art installation from a museum. </p> <p dir="ltr">Catalan artist Oriol Vilanova exhibited a blue jacket filled with postcards visitors could remove and examine at the Musée Picasso in Paris.</p> <p dir="ltr">However, the elderly woman took the interactive exhibit one step further by taking the entire jacket and walking out with the garment. </p> <p dir="ltr">The woman returned to the museum a few days later wearing the jacket, which she had tailored to fit her properly. </p> <p dir="ltr">She was arrested by the police upon her return, who happened to be at the museum collecting evidence at the time. </p> <p dir="ltr">While in custody, the retiree – who was reportedly “passionate” about art – confessed immediately to taking the jacket, according to local news outlet Le Parisien, but claimed she did not know it was an artwork.</p> <p dir="ltr">After hours of interrogation, the public prosecutor’s office let the woman off with a warning and dropped the case. According to Le Parisien, the woman had been placed under guardianship.</p> <p dir="ltr">The artwork, titled Old Masters, involved filling the pockets of a blue jacket with postcards depicting artworks by major figures in art history. </p> <p dir="ltr">At the Musée Picasso, the jacket was filled with postcards purchased at flea markets and museum shops, all with images of Picasso’s work.</p> <p dir="ltr">“When the museum told me the work had been stolen, I was surprised, but it was impossible to envisage the story that followed,” Vilanova told Artnet News.</p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image credits: Le Parisien</em></p>

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Ukraine launches online “museum” to preserve the nation’s art

<p dir="ltr">Ukraine has launched a unique NFT museum to preserve the “statehood and history of Ukraine” while supporting artists struggling from the Russian invasion. </p> <p dir="ltr">Ukraine’s Deputy Minister of Digital Transformation Alex Bornyakov announced plans for the website, titled “<a href="https://metahistory.gallery/">Meta History: Museum of War</a>,” on <a href="https://twitter.com/abornyakov/status/1507341599394746410?s=20&amp;t=935nfhKtmG8B1WABTQJA5w">Twitter</a>. </p> <p dir="ltr">The site also includes a “<a href="https://metahistory.gallery/warline">warline</a>,” a timeline of events, each of them accompanied by a corresponding NFT.</p> <p dir="ltr">Each NFT features a tweet from a significant moment in the war, with a corresponding illustration by various Ukrainian artists. </p> <p dir="ltr">For example, one NFT features a tweet from NATO calling on Russia to halt the invasion on Day 3 of the war at 4:40pm Ukrainian time. The accompanying graphic depicts a compass with a bullhorn attached illustrated by artist Alina Kropachova.</p> <p dir="ltr">The NFTs are now on sale, with all proceeds going directly to the Ministry of Digital Transformation. </p> <p dir="ltr">The Meta History twitter describes the project as one that fights against Russian dissemination of fake news and propaganda using the permanent ledger that is the blockchain.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Disinformation is used by Russia on a par with deadly military weapons in Ukraine. The NFT-museum is based on a deep intention to keep the memory of real wartime events via blockchain and raise charitable donations to support Ukraine,” reads one <a href="https://twitter.com/Meta_History_UA/status/1508150728572952586?s=20&amp;t=ICoQhq8aZtNSu_VUtAHStQ">tweet</a>.</p> <p dir="ltr">The unique project follows a number of successful fundraising campaigns in the war-torn country through the use of NFTs, or non-fungible tokens. </p> <p dir="ltr">The <a href="https://www.ukrainedao.love/">UkraineDAO</a> NFT project has raised over $5 million, which is just one of the many ways people are raising money for the people of Ukraine. </p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image credits: Getty Images</em></p>

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British Museum unveils female spiritual beings exhibit

<p dir="ltr">A unique exhibition is set to open at the British Museum later this year that celebrates how femininity has been perceived across the globe through history. </p> <p dir="ltr">The exhibit, titled <em>Feminine power: the divine to the demonic</em>, is the first of its kind to be showcased in the British museum. </p> <p dir="ltr">The figures on display range from a Hindu goddess considered the master of death, to a magical Greek enchantress, as the exhibit explores women in both world belief and mythological traditions. </p> <p dir="ltr">The exhibition includes representations of Lilieth, a character from Jewish mythology thought to be the first wife of Adam and later the consort of Satan, as well as Guanyin, the Chinese goddess of mercy.  </p> <p dir="ltr">The idea behind the exhibit is to bring together ancient sculptures, sacred artefacts and contemporary art from six continents to explore how femininity has been portrayed, and how it influenced the way we view women and their power today. </p> <p dir="ltr">For the first time, the British Museum has invited special guest contributors to respond to the themes in the exhibition, sharing their personal and professional viewpoints.</p> <p dir="ltr">The special guests include doctors, professors, activists, authors, lawyers and former members of the British Army, who will share their own stories of feminism, and how they have fought for the rights of women. </p> <p dir="ltr">Muriel Gray, Deputy Chair of Trustees of the British Museum, said, “The Citi exhibition <em>Feminine power: the divine to the demonic</em> is brimming with magic, wisdom, fury and passion.”</p> <p dir="ltr">“I am very proud that through the breadth and depth of the British Museum's collection, alongside special loans, we can tell such powerful and universal stories of faith and femininity from the most ancient cultures to living traditions around the world.</p> <p dir="ltr">Following the display at the British Museum, the exhibition will be seen internationally, starting at the National Museum of Australia in Canberra.</p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image credits: The Trustees of the British Museum</em></p>

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Ukraine museums scramble to save Russian art

<p dir="ltr">As Russia continues its invasion of Ukraine, museums and art galleries are taking extraordinary measures to secure valuable artworks. </p> <p dir="ltr">Staff at the main museum in Kharkiv have been racing to get priceless artworks to safety, many of them by Russian artists.</p> <p dir="ltr">The ornate building remains standing in Kharkiv, unlike many others that have fallen victim to Russian air strikes, although the windows have all been blown in with the surrounding streets being covered in debris. </p> <p dir="ltr">"There are over 25,000 items in our collection," said Maryna Filatova, head of the foreign art department at the Kharkiv Art Museum, adding that it was one of the biggest and most valuable in the country.</p> <p dir="ltr">"It is simply irony of fate that we should be saving Russian artists, paintings by Russian artists from their own nation. This is simply barbarism," she told Reuters last week.</p> <p dir="ltr">While many Ukrainians have fled their war-torn country, many have stayed to defend their home, which has included many of the irreplaceable culture hubs. </p> <p dir="ltr">In the town of Odessa on the southern coast, a monument to Duc de Richelieu, a governor of the city in the early 19th century, has been protected by sandbags piled around the plinth and statue up to its shoulders.</p> <p dir="ltr">One of the most prized works at the Kharkiv museum is a version of the imposing work by renowned Russian painter Ilya Repin called Reply of the Zaporozhian Cossacks, which has been removed from the wall and safely stored away.</p> <p dir="ltr">"Basically, it should not be moved," said Filatova of the painting. "Any movement should be avoided. We treat it with great care."</p> <p dir="ltr">While the museum curators are working tirelessly to protect the historical works, they say the extent of the damage won’t be known for some time. </p> <p dir="ltr">"The real damage we will only be able to assess in peaceful times, when it is calm.</p> <p dir="ltr">"Workers, women that are still in town, we will work and do our best to save it all. We are taking the paintings down and will hide them," Filatova said, without specifying where. "We are doing our best to preserve them."</p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image credits: Getty Images</em></p>

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Museum calls on Dutch government for a $270 million helping hand

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The Dutch government is backing an expensive venture by Amsterdam’s Rijksmuseum to purchase a $270 million Rembrandt self-portrait. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The painting, known as </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">The Standard Bearer (1636)</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;">, is one of the last masterpieces by the Dutch artist still in the hands of a private collector. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The artwork is going up for sale by the Rothschild family, who have had the painting in their possession since 1844, after it belonged to the King of England. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Financial pledges have come from </span><span style="font-weight: 400;">The Rembrandt Association, the Rijksmuseum Fund, the Dutch state and the museum’s acquisition fund in order to afford the artwork’s hefty price tag. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">According to the Rijksmuseum director Taco Dibbits, the organisation has been trying to procure the painting for almost five years. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">In a statement, the museum said that the 22 works by Rembrandt in the Hague’s collection provide an “overview of the artist’s life,” and that the present work, being “one of the first paintings that Rembrandt made after he established himself as an independent artist in Amsterdam … has so far been the missing link in this overview.”</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">While the sale has yet to be closed, Dutch officials are already celebrating the new addition to the world-famous collection.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Ingrid van Engelshoven, the Dutch minister of education, culture, and science, said in a statement, “After a journey of centuries, </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">The Standard Bearer</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;"> is now returning home for good.” </span></p> <p><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">Image credits: Getty Images</span></em></p>

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Barbados announces new museum of slavery

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Just days after cutting ties with the British monarchy, Barbados has announced plans to build a major new heritage site dedicated to the history of the transatlantic slave trade.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The museum is set to house the largest </span><span style="font-weight: 400;">collection of British slave records outside of the United Kingdom, as well as a research cebtrew and a memorial adjacent to a burial ground where the remains of 570 enslaves West African men, woman and children were discovered. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“Barbados is authentically enshrining our history and preserving the past as we reimagine our world and continue to contribute to global humanity. It is a moral imperative but equally an economic necessity,” Barbados’s Prime Minister Mia Amor Mottley said in a statement.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Construction of the museum is set to begin on November 30th 2022, on the first anniversary of Barbados becoming a parliamentary republic. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The site will be located outside of the country’s capital city, next to the Newton Enslaved Burial Ground Memorial, a former sugar plantation and the site of the island’s largest and earliest slave burial ground.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Upon its completion, the district will be the first of its kind in the Caribbean, as it will combine research and extensive documentation from the existing Barbados Archives. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The new archive will “enable Barbados to authoritatively map its history in lasting, healing and powerful ways,” Mottley said. “It will unearth the as-yet-untold heritage embedded in centuries-old artifacts, revealing both Barbados’ history and trajectory into the future.”</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">According to a statement from David Adjaye, the site’s architect, the design for the district “draws upon the technique and philosophy of traditional African tombs, prayer sites and pyramids.”</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">In order to commemorate the victims of the slave trade, the grounds above the grave will feature 570 individual timber beams, capped with brass plates and angled towards the sun. </span></p> <p><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">Image credits: Getty Images</span></em></p>

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Antarctica without windchill, the Louvre without queues: how to travel the world from home

<p>SpaceX’s recent <a href="https://theconversation.com/spacexs-historic-launch-gives-australias-booming-space-industry-more-room-to-fly-139760">Falcon 9 rocket launch</a> proves humanity has come leaps and bounds in its effort to reach other worlds. But now there’s a quicker, safer and environmentally friendlier way to travel to the centre of the galaxy – and you can do it too.</p> <p><a href="https://chandra.harvard.edu/photo/2020/gcenter/">NASA</a> has co-developed a free virtual reality (VR) adventure providing 500 years of travel around the black hole at the centre of the Milky Way. The experience is available to download from two major VR stores, <a href="https://store.steampowered.com/app/1240350/Galactic_Center_VR/">Steam</a> and <a href="https://www.viveport.com/21f8b24c-783b-4af2-8e81-a63a14553721">Viewport</a>, in a non-collapsed star system near you.</p> <p>And this kind of spacefaring may be the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the potential of virtual travel and tourism.</p> <h2>The virtual travel bug</h2> <p>Simply speaking, VR refers to technology that immerses users in a computer-generated world that removes them from reality. Augmented Reality (AR), however, aims to superimpose virtual imagery over a user’s view of the real world. Pokémon Go is a popular AR game.</p> <p><span>VR-based tourism has a longer history than you might think. In the 1850s, it involved staring at </span><a href="https://www.loc.gov/pictures/collection/stereo/background.html">stereographs</a><span> with a </span><a href="https://www.smithsonianmag.com/innovation/sterographs-original-virtual-reality-180964771/">stereoscope</a><span>. With this invention, viewers looked at slightly different images through each eye, which were then assembled by the brain to make a new image providing the illusion of spatial depth (in other words, a 3D effect).</span></p> <p>A century later, 1950s <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cinerama">Cinerama</a> widescreen viewing inspired cinematic travel though its large, curved screens and multiple cameras.</p> <p>The 1960s <a href="https://www.engadget.com/2014-02-16-morton-heiligs-sensorama-simulator.html">Sensorama</a> foretold a shiny future of multimodal immersive cinematic experiences, playing 3D films with sound, scents and wind to immerse users. In <a href="https://www.vrs.org.uk/virtual-reality/history.html">VR circles</a>, Ivan Sutherland became famous for inventing the head-mounted display, as well as augmented reality (AR).</p> <p>Travel restrictions under COVID-19 <a href="https://www.ft.com/virtualtravel">present an opportunity</a> for virtual reality travel to finally take off.</p> <p>In an era of lockdowns and social distancing, we could use VR to travel to remote, distant or even no longer existing places. Remote tourism is here (the <a href="https://www.remote-tourism.com/">Faroe Islands</a> offers a great example), and interest in VR tourism is <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/solrogers/2020/03/18/virtual-reality-and-tourism-whats-already-happening-is-it-the-future/#5b39a26228a6">blossoming</a>.</p> <h2>VR comes in many forms</h2> <p>The word “virtual” can refer to an immersive 3D experience, but also 360° panorama photographs and movies (a <a href="https://wiki.panotools.org/Panorama_formats">cylinder, sphere or cube of photographs</a>).</p> <p>What is deemed “virtual” varies greatly across different devices and platforms. Let’s look at some of the ways this term is applied.</p> <p><strong>Desktop virtual environments</strong>: these are computer-based 3D environments on a flat screen, without the spatial immersion of VR platforms.</p> <p><strong>Cinematic VR</strong>: these are phone-based panoramic environments. Many desktop experiences of 360° movies or images can be conveyed in low-cost <a href="https://arvr.google.com/cardboard/">stereoscopic VR through smartphones</a>. Google Street view can be viewed in <a href="https://www.blog.google/products/google-vr/get-closer-look-street-view-google-earth-vr/">Google VR</a> on Android and <a href="https://3g.co.uk/guides/what-smartphones-work-with-virtual-reality">some Apple</a> smartphones, but it’s not real VR.</p> <p><strong>Head-mounted displays</strong>: HMDs such as <a href="https://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-make-Google-Cardboard/">Google Cardboard</a> and <a href="https://arvr.google.com/daydream/smartphonevr/">Google Daydream</a> are what many people think of when they hear “virtual reality”. Some HMDs are self-contained, not requiring connection to a computer or console. Arguably, the market is <a href="https://3dinsider.com/oculus-vs-htc-vive-vs-psvr/">dominated</a> by the Oculus range owned by Facebook, the HTC Vive range, and PlayStation VR.</p> <h2>VR in a pandemic</h2> <p>In a post-coronavirus age, device sharing is problematic. HMDs aren’t easy to clean and VR software can quickly become obsolete, with new headsets sometimes not running two-year-old software. Users also have to deal with costly updates, eyestrain, and having to share displays that sat on someone else’s face.</p> <p>Developing and sharing content across different devices can be a nightmare but there are increasingly <a href="https://www.vrtourviewer.com/">simple</a> and effective ways to create <a href="https://www.pocket-lint.com/ar-vr/news/google/142054-google-arcore-android-s-equivalent-to-apple-arkit-explained">AR</a> and VR content, despite a bewildering range of platforms and equipment (there are more than <a href="https://www.archives.gov/files/applied-research/ncsa/8-an-overview-of-3d-data-content-file-formats-and-viewers.pdf">140 3D file formats</a>).</p> <p>Despite this, many VR projects are not preserved – including <a href="https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/11/8/2425">virtual heritage</a>projects! Even for the largest HMD companies, supplies can be <a href="https://www.theverge.com/2020/3/20/21177442/half-life-alyx-vr-headset-compatible-valve-oculus-rift-quest-htc-steamvr-available">limited</a>.</p> <h2>Places you can virtually visit now</h2> <p>Nonetheless, there are plenty of VR programs available to help relieve lockdown boredom, with many sites <a href="https://www.digitaltrends.com/virtual-reality/best-virtual-reality-apps/">offering</a> <a href="https://www.lifewire.com/virtual-reality-tourism-4129394">lists</a> of their favourite picks.</p> <p>The Street View app for Google Daydream and Cardboard provides a “virtual tour” of <a href="https://chernobyl-city.com/virtual-tour/">Chernobyl</a>. <a href="https://earth.google.com/web/@-10.50049963,35.75744511,1062.93460117a,116.59974009d,35y,0h,0t,0r/data=CisSKRIgMzczNGFmOTk5MTIzMTFlOTliOTNjYmE2MDYxMWYzYzMiBXNwbC0w">Google Earth</a> and <a href="https://earth.google.com/web/@-10.50049963,35.75744511,1062.93460117a,116.59974009d,35y,0h,0t,0r/data=CgQSAggB">Google Earth Voyager</a> feature travel sections, too.</p> <p><a href="https://arvr.google.com/earth/">Google Earth VR</a> is available on the <a href="http://store.steampowered.com/app/348250/Google_Earth_VR/">HTC Vive</a> and <a href="https://www.oculus.com/experiences/rift/1513995308673845/">Oculus Rift</a>. <a href="https://www.vrfocus.com/tag/tourism/">VRfocus</a> also has an interesting travel section. You can virtually explore <a href="https://grandtour.myswitzerland.com/">Switzerland</a> or <a href="https://www.virtualyosemite.org/">Yosemite</a>.</p> <p>Or you may want to stay in Australia. Australian company <a href="http://whitesparkpictures.com.au/">White Spark Pictures’</a>Cinematic/360 experience of <a href="https://www.dneg.com/antarctica_vr/">Antarctica</a> tours museums. Melbourne-based company <a href="https://www.lithodomosvr.com/">Lithodomos</a> brings “the ancient world to life” and <a href="https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=no.hallingdata.hiddenar&amp;hl=en_AU">Hidden AR</a> offers mythical augmented reality.</p> <p>Other links to check out include:</p> <ul> <li>the Guardian’s <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/travel/2020/mar/23/10-of-the-worlds-best-virtual-museum-and-art-gallery-tours">review</a> of the world’s best virtual museum and art gallery tours</li> <li><a href="https://artsandculture.google.com/">Google Arts and Culture’s</a> virtual tours and online exhibits from myriad <a href="https://artsandculture.google.com/partner?hl=en">museums and galleries</a>, as well as scavenger hunts – including at <a href="https://artsandculture.google.com/project/virtual-tours">the British Museum</a></li> <li>the Louvre’s <a href="https://arts.vive.com/us/articles/projects/art-photography/mona_lisa_beyond_the_glass/">Mona Lisa: Beyond the Glass</a></li> <li>the <a href="https://store.steampowered.com/app/515020/The_VR_Museum_of_Fine_Art/">VR Museum of Fine Art</a>.</li> <li>Europeana’s <a href="https://teachwitheuropeana.eun.org/stories-of-implementation/implementation-of-vintage-vr-soi-hr-109/">vintage stereo VR</a> and <a href="https://pro.europeana.eu/data/vintage-stereoscope-cards">examples</a> of how to create stories and <a href="https://teachwitheuropeana.eun.org/learning-scenarios/vintage-vr-ls-es-14/">lessons</a> with stereosonic VR prints</li> <li>The Smithsonian’s <a href="https://naturalhistory.si.edu/visit/virtual-tour">virtual tour</a> and downloadable <a href="https://3d.si.edu/">3D artefacts</a>, including a tour of a <a href="https://airandspace.si.edu/vrhangar">hangar</a> from the National Air and Space Museum</li> <li><a href="https://sketchfab.com/museums">Sketchfab</a>’s cultural heritage section which can be accessed through <a href="https://sketchfab.com/virtual-reality">VR headsets or Google Cardboard-enabled smartphones</a>. There’s also a places and travel <a href="https://sketchfab.com/3d-models/categories/places-travel?date=week&amp;sort_by=-likeCount">section</a>.</li> </ul> <p><em>Image credits: Getty Images</em></p> <p><em>This article was originally published on <a rel="noopener" href="https://theconversation.com/antarctica-without-windchill-the-louvre-without-queues-how-to-travel-the-world-from-home-140174" target="_blank">The Conversation</a>. </em></p>

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Austrian museums takes their art to OnlyFans

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">After being censored on their official social media accounts, an art gallery in Austria has started an OnlyFans account. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The Natural History Museum of Vienna has had the account set up by the city’s tourism board, where suggestive works from the Viennese institutions are now displayed to paying customers. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">OnlyFans is an app where viewers can pay a subscription fee to access exclusive content, which is often of an erotic or sexual nature, that is not available anywhere else.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">In July, the Albertina Museum’s TikTok account was suspended for displaying erotic artworks by Nobuyoshi Araki, before the Leopold Museum’s account was flagged for “potentially pornographic” content by Facebook’s algorithms. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The Head of Media Relations at the Vienna Tourist Board Helena Hartlauer explained that Vienna’s museums move to OnlyFans was helping to “start a conversation” about the problems associated with social media. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">While museums have expressed their frustration with social media, individual artists have also voiced their concerns about online guidelines, as they often use social media sites as promotional tools.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“This kind of censorship does not exist in a digital vacuum,” Haynes wrote, describing the deletions as homophobic, racist, fatphobic and misogynistic.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The Viennese museums’ move to OnlyFans is not the first time galleries have tried to move to different platforms. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">This past summer, Pornhub started a service called Classic Nudes, an app that allows users to find images of nudes in the world’s most renowned art institutions. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The Louvre in Paris and other European museums responded very poorly to this initiative, as they all tried to sue the service for their unauthorised recreations. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">In contrast, Vienna’s tourism board said it was making no pretensions about the sexuality and nudity of artworks in its collection. “We also wanted to do this to show solidarity with artists who are censored,” Hartlauer said. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“If you can’t show your artwork on social media this can really be an obstacle to your communications efforts, and even to your career.”</span></p> <p><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">Image credits: Getty Images / OnlyFans</span></em></p>

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With commercial galleries an endangered species, are art fairs a necessary evil?

<p>Although record numbers of people are flocking to exhibitions in the major public art galleries, foot traffic into commercial art galleries is dwindling at an alarming rate. Embarrassed gallery directors of well-established and well-known commercial art galleries will quietly confess that frequently they scarcely get more than a dozen visitors a day. Outside the flurry of activity on the day of the opening, very little happens for the duration of the show.</p> <p>This is not a peculiarity of the Australian art scene, I have heard similar accounts in London, Manhattan and Paris. The art public has largely ceased visiting commercial art galleries as a regular social activity and art collectors are frequently buying over the internet or through art fairs. In fact, many galleries admit that most of their sales occur via their websites, through commissions or at art fairs, with a shrinking proportion from exhibitions or their stockroom by actual walk-in customers.</p> <p>The commercial art galleries have become an endangered species and their numbers are shrinking before our eyes. Leaving aside China and its urban arts precincts, such as <a href="http://www.798district.com/">798 Art Zone in Beijing</a>, again this is a trend that can be noted in much of Europe, America and Australasia.</p> <p>At the same time, the art market is relatively buoyant, albeit somewhat differently configured from the traditional one. The art auction market in many quarters is thriving and, as persistent rumours have it, not infrequently auction houses leave their role as purely a secondary market and increasingly source work directly from artists’ studios. This seeps into their lavish catalogues.</p> <p>The other booming part of the art trade is the art fairs. Here I will pause on a case study of the <a href="http://www.artfair.co.nz/">Auckland Art Fair 2019</a>. Started by a charitable trust about a dozen years ago and run as a biennial, in 2016 the fair, with new sponsorship and a new management team of Stephanie Post and Hayley White, was reorientated. As of 2018, it has become an annual art fair with a focus on the Pacific Rim region. It remains the only major art fair in New Zealand.</p> <p>Situated in The Cloud, a scenic setting on Queens Wharf in central Auckland, this location also limits its size to create an intimate, friendly, human-scale fair, unlike the vast expanses of the <a href="http://www.expochicago.com/">Chicago Art Fair</a> or even <a href="http://www.sydneycontemporary.com.au/">Sydney Contemporary</a> in the Carriageworks.</p> <p>The nuts and bolts of the Auckland Art Fair is that galleries from the Pacific Rim region can apply to exhibit and a curatorial committee of four curators, two from public galleries and two from commercial ones, select about 40 galleries for participation. The event, which is held over five days, attracts about 10,000 visitors and generates between $6-7 million in art sales.</p> <p>The fair costs about $1 million to stage with 90% of this sum raised from sponsorship, ticket sales and gallery fees and the rest a grant from Auckland Tourism, Events and Economic Development. The public pays an admission fee of between $25-30, depending on when they book.</p> <p>Art fairs are popular with local governments as they invariably attract people and businesses into the city. In Auckland Art Fair 2019, held in the first week in May, there were 41 galleries participating, almost 30 from various parts of NZ, the rest from Sydney, Melbourne, Hobart, Shanghai, Jakarta, Rarotonga (Cook Islands) and Santiago.</p> <p>According to Stephanie Post, a major purpose of the fair is to build a new art audience and, by extension, a new generation of art collectors. The fair is designed to fill the gap between the primary and secondary art markets. For this reason, there is a whole series of “projects” that generally promote new art, frequently by emerging artists, many currently without representation by a commercial art gallery. In 2019 there were ten of these non-commercial projects at the fair.</p> <p>These projects, for the past three art fairs, have been curated by Francis McWhannell, who now plans to step aside to be replaced by a new set of curatorial eyes. There are also various lectures, talks, panel discussions and related exhibitions. This year, most notably, there is “China Import Direct”, a curated cross-section of digital and video art from across China with some stunning and quite edgy material by Yuan Keru, Wang Newone and Lu Yang, amongst others.</p> <h2>A mixed bag</h2> <p>Predictably, art at the Auckland Art Fair 2019 is a mixed bag, but the stronger works do outnumber those that are best passed over in silence. In terms of sales, within the first couple of hours quite a number of the big-ticket items were sold, such as work by the Australians Patricia Piccinini and Dale Frank.</p> <p>Looking around this year’s fair, some of the highlights included Seraphine Pick at Michael Lett; Robert Ellis at Bowerbank Ninow; Max Gimblett at Gow Longsford Gallery; Anne Wallace and Juan Davila at Kalli Rolfe; Christine Webster at Trish Clark; Daniel Unverricht and Richard Lewer at Suite, Toss Woollaston at Page Blackie Gallery, Dame Robin White and Gretchen Albrecht at Two Rooms; Robyn Kahukiwa at Warwick Henderson Gallery; Geoff Thornley at Fox Jensen McCrory; Simon Kaan at Sanderson; James Ormsby at Paulnache and Kai Wasikowski at the Michael Bugelli Gallery.</p> <p>This selective list of names, to which many others can be added, indicates something of the spread and diversity of the artists being presented at the fair – not only in style and medium, but in the whole range of languages of visualisation and conceptualisation. Although there are a few deceased artists included, like Mirdidingkingathi Juwarnda Sally Gabori and Colin McCahon (neither represented by a particularly strong work), like most art fairs there is a predominance of well-established blue chip artists, a scattering of art market darlings plus a few unexpected newcomers.</p> <p>A criticism of art fairs is that they are an expensive market place with high overhead costs, which discourage too much experimentation with “untested” emerging artists. Despite the welcome initiatives of the “projects”, Auckland in this respect falls into line with the pattern of most fairs.</p> <p>The oft-repeated claim that they create a new art audience is also difficult to quantify. Although anecdotal evidence suggests that many who go to fairs may not have ever entered a commercial art gallery before, this does not appear to be followed up by a conversion of this audience into regular gallery goers.</p> <h2>A spectacle</h2> <p>Art fairs and blockbuster exhibitions in public art galleries have become popular people magnet events. They are a form of entertainment that is becoming more of a surrogate for consuming art than some sort of conduit for a return to more traditional patterns of art appreciation and acquisition. They are noisy, crowded and colourful spectacles – more like a party than a quiet arena for the contemplation of art.</p> <p>Is this such a bad thing? Observing the spectacle in Auckland, I was struck by the youthfulness of the thousands of visitors. For many, it seemed the idea that they could afford to purchase an original artwork came as a revelation. Perhaps this was not a $100,000 painting by a major artist, but something more modest and frequently more to their tastes. Nevertheless, new buyers are being introduced to original art and this in itself has to be a positive development.</p> <p>Art fairs globally are breeding a cult of dependency with some “commercial” art galleries increasingly divesting themselves of a physical existence and living from fair to fair. For a while, this was a complete no-no and fairs insisted that participant galleries had a bricks-and-mortar existence, but in many instances the borders are fudged and to be a gallery you need only be an established art trading entity.</p> <p>Art fairs are here to stay; the future of commercial art galleries is far more problematic.</p> <p><em>Image credit: Getty Images</em></p> <p><em>This article first appeared on <a rel="noopener" href="https://theconversation.com/with-commercial-galleries-an-endangered-species-are-art-fairs-a-necessary-evil-116680" target="_blank">The Conversation</a>. </em></p>

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