Fakes, Forgeries, and Tributes
The Syrian director general of museums and antiquities revealed that nearly 70 percent of seized artifacts traveling out of the country are fakes, included among them mosaics, manuscripts, and coins that were pulled from the black market. [The Art Newspaper]
In the wake of the major earthquake that struck the Lazio and Marche regions of Italy, killing dozens, the Basilica of San Francesco in Assisi, which contains frescoes by Giotto and several other artists, has not been damaged. [The Art Newspaper]
Noah Charney questions the relationship between digital reproduction and forgery in terms of masterworks. [Smithsonian Magazine]
Jonathan Jones talks about ruins, preservation, and the controversial undertakings of Eugène Viollet-le-Duc. [The Guardian]
Upcoming
Comedian Vic Reeves will re-stage a Dada piece at the original Cabaret Voltaire, which will be aired on BBC Four as part of its “BBC Four Goes Conceptual” series. [BBC]
The curator of the ever-fascinating first Antarctic Biennale, Defne Ayas, has left the project over disagreements about entry requirements, among other things. [Artforum]
Cocktail umbrella installations and more party supply–related art from the Dutch artist collective We Make Carpets, who will be participating in the upcoming show, “Dream Out Loud” at the Stedelijk Museum in Amsterdam. [The New York Times]
Photography
A slideshow of photos from “Fifty Years After,” an exhibition at James Barron Art dedicated to the work of Gordon Parks, as well as other black photographers, including Carrie Mae Weems and LaToya Ruby Frazier. [W Magazine]
Extras
Negar Azimi on art, apology, and the “performance of good politics.” [Frieze]
A fascinating look into the design history and future of T.G.I. Friday’s, and the rise of the minimalist interiors in chain restaurants. [The Atlantic]