National Trust cleared
Plus: Record-breaking JPEG and a forest comes to Somerset House
maxwell museums friday briefing - 12 March 2021
Happy Friday. And a big party-popping happy birthday to the Whitechapel Gallery which turns 120 today. One of London’s best, and here’s to another 120. Read a birthday message from it’s Director here.
Today also marks exactly one month until people in England will be able to get to their art-fix in the actual flesh, as commercial art galleries reopen on 12 April. I’ve already booked my (free) tickets to see the new Gilbert and George show at White Cube and I’ve got my eye on a few more. I cannot wait, as I’m sure you can’t either.
I’d love to know more about the situation with museums and galleries outside of the UK. To my many international readers: reply to this email to let me know the situation where you are. I’ll try and do a global round-up. Thanks!
For now, happy reading.
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The week’s top story
The UK’s Charity Commission has found that the National Trust did not breach charity law by publishing a report that made links between 93 Trust properties and Britain’s history of colonialism and slavery. The report had stirred a furious backlash amongst Conservative MPs and some media outlets, placing the National Trust at the very heart of the ‘culture wars.’ But they were fully exonerated by the charity regulator, which said that it acted legally and responsibly at all times. The Guardian
Why it matters
Was the verdict ever going to go the other way? No, I think it is safe to say. Vocal complaints against the Trust’s report had more of an eye on generating headlines than any realistic concern for a breach of regulations. (That’s not to say people weren’t troubled by the publication and the Trust itself admit they received “genuine concern for some supporters.”) But the fact that the complaints did generate those negative headlines, and got lots of people hot under the collar (on both sides), shows that it’s a tactic that works. It probably won’t be the last time the Charity Commission will be called in to investigate an organisation’s work.
The week’s other news
The future? A JPEG file - the eagle-eyed amongst you will realise this is not an actual real-life physical thing - has just become one of the most expensive artworks ever sold. The hammer went down at Christie’s online auction for a staggering $69.3 million. It makes its creator, Beeple, the third most valuable living artist. Staggering, I think is the word. New York Times
If you go down to the woods. A forest of 400 trees, actual trees, will be planted at the courtyard of Somerset House this summer. The new forest is the brainchild of brilliant artist Es Devlin and is for the London Design Biennale. Expect lots of folklore-inspired snaps on your insta in June. dezeen
In other flora news. Kew Gardens is planning to “completely change” the information provided on some plants to take into account their role in colonialism and the slave trade. They’ve also said they want more diversity among senior staff. The Times
Silver screen spending. Peter Jackson’s WWI documentary They Shall Not Grow Old was such a big hit that it’s generated a £2m windfall for the Imperial War Museum who commissioned the film. They’ll spend the cash funding 20 brand new artist commissions which will go on show around the UK. Evening Standard
“The tonic we all need.” English Heritage will be opening 60 of its sites at the end of this month as we inch out of lockdown, hurrah! Let’s hope the weather is on our side. The Mirror
Mon dieu. The breathtaking “twisting” new building by iconic architect Frank Gehry will open in June. It’ll house art exhibitions and plenty more, and is the centrepiece of a vast new cultural quarter Luma Arles in the South of France. You definitely should take a look. The Art Newspaper
Good evening, Europe. An Icelandic fishing town of 2,300 people plans a new Eurovision Song Contest Museum. Why this tiny town? Because it was the setting of Will Ferrell’s Netflix Eurovision spoof The Story of Fire Saga. Reuters
Trip to Tinseltown? The Academy Museum of Motion Pictures - or the Oscars Museum if you prefer - has unveiled more details of the A-List exhibits visitors will see when it opens in LA in September. But, they also promise it will “not shy away from” examining controversies from cinema’s history, including the #OscarsSoWhite backlash. maxwell museums
All the content in this newsletter is provided to you for free. Why not buy me a digital coffee if you enjoyed it?