Museums
The Metropolitan Museum of Art released a statement opposing the Trump Administration’s decision to pull the United States out of UNESCO. [ARTnews]
“A museum in China this week removed a photography exhibit, which juxtaposed images of wild African animals with black African people, after complaints that the display was racist.” [The New York Times]
The directors of the Peabody Essex Museum on the Berkshire Museum’s plan to sell works from its collection to fund facilities improvements and shift its focus to science and history: “The people of Pittsfield, the Berkshires, the Commonwealth and the nation deserve better than this from the Berkshire Museum and its leadership.” [WBUR]
The Guggenheim Bilbao is toasting its 20th anniversary with a light show on its Frank Gehry-designed building. “We are very proud and lucky to have a building that is a masterpiece,” the museum’s director said. [The Art Newspaper]
As the Market Churns
How is the auction business changing? Ted Loos takes a look. Says Oliver Barker, chairman of Sotheby’s Europe: “Increasingly, I’m having to get used to a button flashing in front of me, which demonstrates that there is a client now trying to transact a bid over the internet—a major change.” [The New York Times]
Melanie Gerlis reports in her art-market column: “Crates containing art worth about $1.1 million have been reported stolen from the Johannesburg studio of South African artist Nicholas Hlobo.” [Financial Times]
Criticism
Jason Farago: Ai Weiwei “has endured frequent gripes that his activism has got the better of his art. I’ve always found that gripe to be unfounded.” [The New York Times]
Barbara Pollack on the Guggenheim’s “Art and China After 1989” exhibition: “This is a show worth seeing multiple times, with many artists overdue for recognition by American audiences.” [4Columns]
And More
U.S. Secretary of the Interior Ryan Zinke has a special flag flown at the department’s offices when he is in residence. [The Washington Post]
Here are some photographs of Niele Toroni’s current show at the Museum für Gegenwartskunst Siegen in Germany to enjoy. [Contemporary Art Daily]