In politics, the discovery of a Renoir at a flea-market in Maryland illustrated the controversy over
museum care of donated collections. The relative
of a donor to the Baltimore Museum of Art not only was disappointed that some
of the entrusted paintings were not on display but also discovered that at
least one painting had been stolen and missing from the museum for over fifty
years. On a positive note, Yale returned the last of the artifacts from Machu Picchu in a process of repatriation that lasted
almost two years.
In a crossover of
politics and economics, Reuters reported
on the “Occupy Museums” movement, which questions the cultural security of the
art market in the face of high-end collectors bidding up the prices of “high-end”
works with a seeming disregard for artistic or aesthetic merit. In the interest
of cultural security, Dubai hosted an architectural conservation conference in the interest of protecting cultural heritage and
identity during development in the Middle East.
In a crossover of
politics and security, a media initiative
by the government in Beijing to promote Chinese culture and economy abroad aims
to increase China’s soft power, while Joseph Nye remains skeptical of the changes
for success in light of a repressive domestic policy.
In economics, major
auctions houses, Poly International Auction and China Guardian Auctions, from
China planned debuts in Hong Kong to coincide with annual auctions by Sotheby’s and
Christie’s. Coincidentally, an article
in South China Morning Post examined a
range of information sources and investment vehicles to mitigate risk in the
art market. In Egypt, on-line venues are starting to provide local collectors with access to affordable
works and enable new local artists to market works globally, and India
endeavored to create awareness of and access to local art with a fifth India Art Fair. Reportedly,
Russian collectors prefer to acquire works in London, while galleries in Moscow
are closing. Despite a stalling art market, the combined sales of post-war and contemporary
art by Sotheby’s and Christie’s in New York totaled close to $1 billion in the past week.
In a crossover of
economics and security, the success of the market for contemporary art in Istanbul has drawn criticism from the conservative
Muslim majority in Turkey. In Australia, new regulations on insurance and
storage for artworks in super funds have lowered the appeal for investors.
In security, an article
in Foreign Policy provided history on
calls by Islamists to demolish ancient Egyptian monuments. An article
on BlouinARTINFO provided background
on available evidence that suggests that trafficking in fine art and antiquities
intersects with organized crime and perhaps funds terrorist groups. Meanwhile, the
success of forgers in copying 20th-century abstract and expressionist
artists has increased the risk of litigation for professionals and foundations that authenticate works. On
positive note, the return of a mummified Maori head from Canada to New Zealand reflected efforts of the past
twenty-five years to repatriate human remains for proper burial by the Maori.
For similar news, visit Cultural Security News.
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