Do you dig the Dig?
Plus: Mark Wahlberg at the Uffizi and Damien Hirst takeover
maxwell museums friday briefing - 12 February 2021
Happy Friday. Did you have snow? The UK has been hit with an icy blast this week and has seen record low temperatures. Wouldn’t it have been lovely to escape to a nice warm gallery this week? (Although admittedly most galleries feel arctic at the best of times).
Some slightly worrying news for museums this morning, as the Times newspaper splashes on plans that masks and social distancing could be in place in England at least until the Autumn and potentially until the end of the year. This means strict caps on the number of visitors are likely to remain for months and so museums (particularly those that rely on ticket sales) are going to have significant pressure on their revenue even after they open. Some might decide reopening in 2021 is just not economical.
Let’s get into this week’s news.
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The week’s top story
New Netflix film the Dig is a hit, at least judging by a surge in interest in Sutton Hoo. Online visitors have flocked to find out more about the Anglo-Saxon treasures - the British Museum (where the treasures are kept) has seen website traffic triple, over 800,000 views on a Sutton Hoo YouTube video and a blog post crash under the weight of interest. The Guardian
Why it matters
We don’t know how many people have viewed the film as Netflix is famously cagey about its figures, but the online interest is mirrored (or perhaps fueled) by HUGE press coverage. It’s definitely created a massive buzz. While the film is based on a 2007 novel, it’s success perhaps shows that stories behind real-life historical treasures are an untapped source for new big-budget content. With the streaming giants needing to produce staggeringly large numbers of new films and TV shows (at a blistering rate) in order to fuel constant subscriber growth, perhaps business-minded museums and galleries should think about what IP they can offer, in case any deep-pocketed streamers come knocking.
Perpignan protest. A far-right mayor in France defied the central government by reopening his city's museums, contravening the national coronavirus rules. Of the virus, he said people need to “get used to it.” France24
Collecting Marky Mark. A piece of street art featuring Mark Wahlberg grabbing his crotch alongside photos of Gilbert and George has been acquired by Italy’s Uffizi Gallery. What would Botticelli think? The Guardian
Rent-a-painting. The Spanish government will rent the collection of one Madrid’s most popular museums to stop masterpieces being removed. They’ve agreed to pay nearly €100 million to keep the works on show at the Thyssen-Bornemisza National Museum for the next 15 years. The deal also allows their owner to avoid paying tax in Spain. The Times
Playtime over? Pollock’s Toy Museum - one of London’s quirkiest museums - is under threat of closure due the coronavirus pandemic. Camden New Journal
Digital design. If you haven’t yet had your fill of lockdown virtual museums, you can now search 1.2 million objects from the V&A’s collection. Their newly launched Explore the Collections platform makes it much more user-friendly to hunt out their treasures. Harper's Bazaar
Fit for a Queen. The National Trust has been given £3m to fund conservation work on dozens of objects that need urgent care. They include a 400-year-old portrait painted on top of an abandoned picture of Mary Queen of Scots. The i
Grayson’s guests. Kitchen Disco queen Sophie Ellis-Bextor, iconic photographer David Bailey, and chef-superstar Nigella Lawson have been revealed as guests on the second series of Grayson’s Art Club which returns to Channel 4 this month. Tatler
Hirst takeover. Gagosian is one of my favourite commercial galleries, and they’ve revealed that titan of British art Damien Hirst will be taking over their Britannia Street gallery in London FOR A WHOLE YEAR. Financial Times
New in New York. Exciting news from NYC. The Frick Collection will open in the Breuer building as the Frick Madison next month, for a two-year stay while it’s main site is renovated. New York Times
Love museums? Then you’ll love my newsletter. I send a round up of museum news every Friday, and every two weeks a jam-packed edition of original features including interviews. Subscribe to get the next edition.