Vast V&A job cuts due
Plus: government summons heritage bodies, and new secret of Munch's Scream
maxwell museums friday briefing - 26 February 2021
It’s feeling positively spring like in London right now. And with a tentative (if controversial, see below) opening date for England’s museums, this week feels like there is light at the end of the tunnel. However, as I tweeted this week, with museums not able to open for another 3 months, many are not even halfway through this particular closure period yet. Something to ponder.
Make sure you look out for my magazine edition of this newsletter next week as I have a fascinating interview with Somerset House’s Head of Engagement & Skills, Dhikshana Turakhia Pering. We’ll be discussing anti-racism at the organisation, and their new project helping young people break into the cultural sector. Oh, and don’t forget to tune in to the brand new series of lockdown TV treat Grayson’s Art Club which kicks off at 8pm tonight on Channel 4.
Happy reading.
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The week’s top story
25 of the UK’s biggest heritage bodies, museums and art galleries were invited to meet with the Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden this week, so as to discuss the government’s policy of “retaining and explaining” controversial statues and monuments. The Secretary of State is said to be concerned by a “poor understanding” of Britain’s imperial past and he urged the organisations “not to skew the public understanding of British history” by removing objects from public display. The Times
Why it matters
The meeting has been hugely controversial. While some have been enthusiastic supporters of the government’s stance (Tim Newark in the Daily Express said Dowden is “to be commended for reminding our lefty dominated institutions that it is the patriotic majority who keep their museum doors open”), many others believe it demonstrated that the independence of museums and galleries was under threat. The Museums Association called it government "interference" and said that “it is not for ministers to dictate what constitutes a legitimate subject for investigation." Yet, writing in the Daily Telegraph, Sir Ian Blatchford who attended the meeting as Director of the Science Museum Group, said that he was “happy to report that the importance of independence was underlined, not undermined at the meeting.” Of course at this stage, only the attendees know the content of the discussions, but many people are in disagreement about what it all means. Dowden tweeted that the group had agreed to establish guidelines to put the retain and explain policy into practice, which hints that this is a story that is going to rumble on (and on).
“It is just nuts.” The other big story of the week was the unveiling of the government’s planned road map out of lockdown restrictions in England, which stated that museums could reopen no earlier than 17 May. BUT, that is a whole 5 weeks after commercial art galleries, which count as non-essential shops, can open again. Museum leaders say the timetable ‘makes no sense.’ The Guardian
Sweeping job losses. Grim news has emerged from the Victoria and Albert Museum, as insiders claim vast staff cuts are imminent, particularly in the curatorial and conservation teams. The Museum is looking to plug a £10m covid-blackhole in it’s budget, and staff are expecting to hear news of redundancies within days. The Guardian
Not happy. Former Tate boss Sir Nicholas Serota has hit out at the Louvre over an ‘affront’ to a Cy Twombly ceiling painting after the gallery it’s in was redecorated. Serota said “If this is not an ‘affront’ to one of the great painters of the twentieth century, I don’t know what would be." The Telegraph
Tech’s giant handout. The rise and rise of TikTok continues. In Germany, it’s offering 50 cultural institutions including museums and galleries a total of €5 million - or €10,000 each - to create content for the platform. It’s only going to grow as a power player so if UK museums aren’t already looking to sign up to the app, they should be. ArtNet News
“The market is raging.” A third of American museums say they are facing permanent closure due to the covid pandemic. But commercial galleries in the US are booming. Capitalism hey? Bloomberg Businessweek
*screams*. One of my favourite artworks continues to divulge secrets, even after a century. Research has confirmed that a mysterious inscription about a ‘madman’ hidden on Edvard Munch's the Scream was actually made by the artist himself. ITV News
Unveiled. A painting of a Parisian street scene by Vincent van Gogh will be seen in public for the very first time next month ahead of a sale at Sotheby’s. Associated Press
Vincent van (Le)Gogh. Meanwhile, van Gogh’s magnificent Starry Night painting is being turned into a - wait for it - FIFTEEN HUNDRED PIECE LEGO set. It looks incredible, and will definitely keep you occupied for the rest of lockdown. designboom
Très chic. The Mona Lisa, the Palace of Versailles and the Eiffel Tower take a starring roles in a new La La Land-inspired in-flight safety video from Air France. Have a watch below if you’re missing La France. Mail Online
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