Kim Kardashian: Believe It or Not
Plus: Hockney's biggest ever picture
Happy Friday, and Happy May.
The biggest museum story of the week involved Kim Kardashian, believe it or not. It also featured Marilyn Monroe, Anna Wintour and a whole host of controversy. Which can only mean one thing: it was the Met Gala.
ICYMI: Kim K attended the glitzy annual bash in the exact dress that Marilyn Monroe wore in 1962 to perform ‘Happy Birthday’ for President John F. Kennedy. There was uproar from textile conservators and fashion curators who were appalled that such an historic item was being put at risk by being brought out of the ‘archives’ in this way. “We just don’t wear archived historic pieces” one conservator told the Los Angeles Times.
But while the ethics are certainly questionable, the problem is, the dress is not owned by a museum. It is owned by Ripley’s Believe It or Not who despite styling their 29 global ‘attractions’ as such, are absolutely not. Ripley’s is just one division of the Jim Pattison Group, a Canadian conglomerate that is the country’s second largest privately held company. Their aim is profit, not protection. So the truth is they can do what they want with their own property. (And they probably feel that quite strongly after shelling out nearly $5m for the dress). To me, this story just reiterates the absolute value of public and non-profit museums and galleries as the only organisations who are going to look after objects properly for future generations. So if you are ever lucky enough to have something important to humanity’s story knocking about your attic, consider donating it to a proper museum. There is of course also the question of whether the Met knew Kim was going to wear this item to a night that raises money for the Museum’s Costume Institute which does looks after some of the world’s most important clothing in perpetuity, but that’s perhaps for another day. And don’t get me started on Ripley’s giving Kardashian a lock of Monroe’s hair as a keepsake…
Now on to the rest of this week’s news!
Maxwell
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This week’s news
Tate Modern has revealed it is changing its approach to blockbuster exhibitions, with their upcoming Cézanne show supposedly going to be the last of its kind. Frances Morris, Tate Modern’s director, said the costs of securing big-ticket loans coupled with the environmental impact were “reshaping” exhibition policy so that they would only produce them from now on in partnership with other organisations. They’ll also only take loans from single venues where possible. The Times
The Smithsonian Institution is adopting a new “ethical returns policy” that will allow its museums to repatriate items that were acquired in a manner that could be considered unethical by modern standards. The new policy will allow each of the 19 institutions to establish their own criteria for handling unethical acquisitions, but the Smithsonian’s board retains the right to intervene if it feels necessary. The Art Newspaper
David Hockney’s biggest ever picture has just gone on display in Yorkshire. The 90m long artwork is being shown for the first time in the UK, and it is made from some of the 220 iPad works Hockney created in lockdown in 2020. The Salt Mills gallery, who are displaying the work, call it “genuinely uplifting and staggeringly beautiful.” The Yorkshire Post
A painting by Egon Schiele - depicting the artist’s uncle and legal guardian - has been rediscovered after being missing for more than 90 years. It was found within a Viennese private collection and will go on public display for the first time at the Leopold Museum in Austria, which houses the largest and most eminent collection of works by the great expressionist. The Guardian
Two-time Mercury Prize winner PJ Harvey has donated a poem to her local museum (maybe she read my intro). The musician, who was born in Bridport, Dorset, wrote the narrative poem Orlam in her local dialect and the Dorset Museum said it was "thrilled" with the gift. BBC News
A previously unseen portrait of HM the Queen captured in a relaxed moment has been unveiled to mark her Platinum Jubilee. The shot, which was undiscovered for 19 years before being released, was taken by the photographer Rob Munday who said it showed she had a “twinkle in the eye.” The Times
And finally
Some bloomin-excellent news for London and the city’s cultural scene: the Elizabeth Line has an opening date! The £18bn new railway will be a big boost for getting visitors back. Here’s the Observer’s verdict on the mind-blowing architecture of this vast project.
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