Art Industry News: Macron Has Unveiled France’s Official Guidance on Restitution + Other Stories

Plus, the Prado is hosting a writer's residency and Venus Over Manhattan decamps for Noho.

France's President Emmanuel Macron visits the exhibition "Benin Art of yesterday and today: from Restitution to Revelation" at the Marina Palace of Cotonou on July 27, 2022, as part of his official visit in Benin. - The exhibition features Beninese contemporary artists pieces and the twenty-six royal treasures looted by the French colonial soldiers recently returned by France. Photo: Ludovic Marin/AFP via Getty Images

Art Industry News is a daily digest of the most consequential developments coming out of the art world and art market. Here’s what you need to know on this Thursday, April 27.

NEED-TO-READ

National Gallery of Australia Investigates Indigenous Art – The museum has ordered an independent review of the provenance of 28 Indigenous works due to be exhibited in the upcoming show “Ngura Pulka—Epic Country,” featuring artists from the remote Anangu Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara Lands. The investigation was launched following allegations published in The Australian, which suggested that non-Indigenous art workers were involved in making the works to be shown at a show that’s billed as “one of the largest and most significant First Nations community-driven art projects to have ever been developed.” (Sydney Morning Herald)

U.K. Prize Highlights Artist Mothers – A total of 21 artists have been selected for the fourth Mother Art Prize, dedicated to women and non-binary visual artists who have caring responsibilities. Their works are on show at London’s Zabludowicz Collection until June 25. (Guardian)

France Unveils Guidelines for Restitution – The long-awaited restitution policy outlined in a report drafted by former Louvre director Jean-Luc Martinez and commissioned by President Emmanuel Macron is unveiled today. Martinez said the report recommended a pragmatic approach to returning cultural properties. A bill concerning art spoilations during World War II will be discussed by the Senate on May 23, and two further laws are expected to be passed in the coming months. (The Art Newspaper)

The Prado and LOEWE Announce Writer’s Residency – The Prado Museum and Loewe Foundation have joined hands to launch residency Writing the Prado, a new series inviting writers to spend up to two months with the museum and develop literary text in response to the museum’s collections, architecture, and building. (Press release)

MOVERS & SHAKERS

Berlin’s Preis der Nationalgalerie is Split Between Four – The prestigious prize has been handed out to four artists for the first time. Winners are Hanne Lippard, James Richards, Daniel Lie, and Pan Daijing. They will produce new works for a new show to take place at the Hamburger Bahnhof from April to September 2024. (Monopol)

Venus Over Manhattan Heads for Noho – Adam Lindemann’s gallery is heading downtown, trading its Upper East Side digs for a spot on Great Jones Street in Noho, a stone’s throw from Andy Warhol’s old studio and apartment. “I didn’t think we needed to be in Chelsea, it’s already full of galleries, and when I looked at Tribeca it’s even further away,” the dealer said. (ARTnews)

Carly Whitefield appointed Senior Curator of LAS Art Foundation – Whitefield will join the Berlin-based foundation following her role serving as assistant curator at Tate Modern. She will helm the foundation alongside director Betinna Kames and help facilitate collaborative projects within the art and technology realms. (Press release)

FOR ARTS SAKE

Michael Lin’s Joyous Flowers Brighten Up Brutalist Cafe – Commissioned by London’s Hayward Gallery, the Taiwanese artist’s latest work macule (2023) has been installed in the gallery’s cafe as part of Southbank Centre’s ongoing public art initiative. Lin draws on the plum blossom motif found in traditional Taiwanese, Chinese, and Japanese textile designs while investigating in wallpaper making. “I was interested in making visible the printing process,” the artist said in a statement. The work, backed by the support from the Taiwan’s Ministry of Culture, remains in the cafe for up to two years. (Press release)

Michael Lin Hayward

Installation view of Michael Lin, macule, 2023. Photo: Rob Harris. Courtesy of the artist and Hayward Gallery.

Michael Lin Hayward

Installation view of Michael Lin, macule, 2023. Photo: Rob Harris. Courtesy of the artist and Hayward Gallery.


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