Louvre director not sacked, yet
News: Science Museum goes net zero, more Yayoi Kusama exhibitions announced
Today’s maxwell museums is presented with the Wonder House.
It’s Friday - how’s your week been?
Commercial galleries reopened on Monday and I was delighted to visit the new Damien Hirst show at London’s Gagosian gallery - my first IRL art in months. I sort of liked it. The critics definitely didn’t (“a mess” and “unspeakably boring” said the Evening Standard). I’ve got more shows to see this weekend, plus a haircut. Best. Weekend. Ever.
If you haven’t got any exhibitions booked yourself but still fancy an art-fix, then why not head to a town which is one big outdoor gallery? Now that you’re allowed to travel within the UK it’s the perfect time. Folkestone has been used by artists as their ‘canvas’ since 2008 with work by big names dotted all over the place. I interviewed the man who helped bring many of these wonderful pieces to the town in my newsletter earlier this week. If you missed it, you can catch up here.
For now, here’s this week’s news!
Your new podcast should be The Wonder House, a series that inspires and empowers people working in the cultural sector. Hosted by Sushma Jansari, each episode features an interview on ground-breaking work that resonates beyond museums. Recent interviewees include Claire Madge, the founder of Autism in Museums, and Abira Hussein, who is pioneering a new, more thoughtful approach to technology and the Somali diaspora. The latest episode is with leadership coach and author, Fiona Buckland, talking about how to challenge imposter syndrome.
The Science Museum Group - which includes London’s Science Museum and York’s National Railway Museum - has announced a target to achieve net zero carbon emissions across all five of its sites by 2033. Museums Association
Five more bridges across the Thames have been transformed into light installations as part of London’s Illuminated River project. It’s the longest public art commission in the world dontyouknow. My London
The embattled director of the Musée du Louvre, Jean-Luc Martinez, is staying in post - for now. He’s been named "interim" director while President Macron decides if he should continue as head of the Paris institution. Not exactly a vote of confidence is it. The Art Newspaper
Meanwhile Macron has also promised that the Notre-Dame Cathedral will reopen three years TODAY. He climbed the roof this week (the photos make him look like he’s the new lead of an ITV detective drama) to mark two years since the devastating fire, and reiterated it will be finished in time for the Paris 2024 Olympics. The Telegraph
An image of a single grey pixel has just been sold by Sotheby’s - for $1.36 million. If you hadn’t guessed, it’s the latest eye-popping figure for an NFT. All totally normal I’m sure you’d agree. Al Jazeera
Yayoi Kusama is literally taking over the world. She’s going to jointly exhibit new paintings from her iconic My Eternal Soul series in three cities this June, all at the same time. They’ll appear in New York, Tokyo and at Victoria Miro in London. (She’s already got major work on show in NYC, and the Infinity Rooms are coming to Tate Modern soon, plus a retrospective is planned for Berlin…wow.) Time Out New York
The permanent collection of Madrid’s Prado Museum now boasts the earliest documented work of Francisco Goya. The $3.3m painting was donated to the museum in commemoration of the 40th anniversary of the Friends of the Prado Foundation. Art News
An exact replica - except 10-times lighter - of Michelangelo’s David is heading to Dubai to represent Italy at the 2021 Expo. Yahoo News
Next week’s Oscars will see a number of the original song nominees performed from the rooftop of the new Academy Museum of Motion Pictures, in order to plug the much delayed new venue. See, you can find a link to museums anywhere. Variety
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