Gormley 'sex toy' sculptures removed
Plus: six empty director jobs at Smithsonian
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Till next time!
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This week’s top story
A titan of global museums, the Smithsonian Institution in Washington DC, is currently looking for six - SIX! - new directors, including for the jewel in the crown National Air and Space Museum which is going through a $1 billion renovation. Two of the six are for brand new yet-to-be-built museums: the National Museum of the American Latino and the American Women’s History Museum. The Smithsonian has never searched for this many top jobs simultaneously before. Washington Post
Why it matters
These new directors will reshape the famous institution for generations - and at a time of financial crisis due to the pandemic and as Americans grapple with social issues. They will set the tone for their museums and all eyes will be on who gets these jobs. People will be very keen to see if the hires address calls for social justice, diversity and equity and if they can meet the future challenges facing a post-pandemic 21st century museum (read: make cash and embrace digital). Having so many top jobs up for grabs at such an influential institution offers a big opportunity, but also creates high expectations. One - or six - to watch.
This week’s other stories
Lots of news lines within a new interview this week with the head of the Royal Academy. Axel Rüger told the Evening Standard that while tickets for their new David Hockney are selling fast, they’ve still lost £2.5 million by members quitting during the pandemic. He also said 27% of the workforce has been axed, and that top executives are still on a 20% pay cut. And he fully ruled out selling their star Michelangelo to raise cash. Well worth a read. Evening Standard
Remember those Sir Anthony Gormley sculptures which were placed on a beach in East Suffolk and local residents thought they looked like sex toys? Well now the artist himself has complained about them, so they’re going to be removed. Mail Online
The stunning Ghent Altarpiece by the Van Eyck brothers has been given a €30m new home within St Bavo’s Cathedral. The new case - and it’s bullet proof glass - looks like a major piece of engineering. The Guardian
A 13th-century “form of medieval meme” depicting a human figure emerging from a snail shell is one of the many new treasures to have been discovered across the UK. The new finds were revealed by the British Museum who also said that a third of finds in 2018 had been acquired by museums. Irish News
The Serpentine has dropped the Sackler name from one of it’s London galleries. They’ve said it’s not connected to the controversy that has engulfed the Sackler family following the US opioid crisis. The Art Newspaper
Germany has begun discussions about the future of the Benin bronzes in its museum collections. The focus has been on those in the collection of the new Humboldt Forum: it’s Director has said that restitution has not been formally decided and that they may still go on display in Berlin. ArtNet News
The hugely anticipated new M+ Museum in Hong Kong has removed a photograph by Ai Weiwei. The artist has said a refusal to show his photo would be a clear indication of Hong Kong’s new political and cultural environment. The Times
HRH the Prince of Wales attended the official reopening ceremony of the National Gallery in Athens, as part of his visit to Greece marking the country’s bicentenary. The €60m renovation of the Gallery is a decade in the making, and will open to the public later this year. Xinhua
Classifieds
Past Caring is a new podcast that uses the history of nursing to explore how we think about health and care today. Delivered by the Royal College of Nursing Library and Archive, hear from nurses, historians and artists about what it means to care.
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Taking you on a journey of discovery, The Big Travel Podcast explores fascinating lives through the medium of travel; Bill Bailey, India Hicks, Jane Garvey, John Simpson and many more authors, journalists, stars of stage, screen and sports.
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Love museums? Then you’ll love this newsletter! Get the next edition sent direct to your inbox. It’s the easiest way to stay up-to-date with the world of museums.