[CPProt.net] The Art Newspaper newsletter

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Japanese shows get top visitor numbers 


The 2001 semi-privatisation of centrally funded institutions has led to a
string of blockbusters at one end, and museum closures at the other- By Kay
Itoi 


Exhibitions in Japan have shot to the top of The Art Newspaper's annual
ranking of global exhibition attendance. The most visited show of 2004 was
"Treasures of a sacred mountain" at the Tokyo National Museum which was seen
by an average of 7,638 visitors a day, while another exhibition at the
institution, "Treasures of Chinese art" has also made it into the top 10. In
the 10 years we have compiled this list, this is the first time that seven
Japanese exhibitions have made it into our top 100. 
go to article <http://www.theartnewspaper.com/news/article.asp?idart=11728> 




US snipers on Samarra's spiral minaret


The US military says "military necessity" takes precedence over the
safeguarding of this Islamic landmark- By Lucian Harris 


US army snipers have been positioned at the top of the great spiral minaret
of the 9th century al-Mutawakkil mosque in Samarra. The 172-foot-high
minaret, known as the Malwiya (spiral in Arabic), has a commanding view of
the surrounding area, and the US army says that positioning snipers at its
summit has drastically reduced the number of roadside bombs targeting
military vehicles. However, their presence has raised concerns for the
safety of one of the most important buildings in the history of Islamic
architecture, of such significance for Iraqis that it is depicted on the new
250 dinar banknote. 
go to article <http://www.theartnewspaper.com/news/article.asp?idart=11727> 




Former Yugoslav general sent to jail for shelling Dubrovnik


Damage to cultural heritage a central charge - By Lucian Harris 


The International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia (ICTY) in the
Hague has sentenced Pavle Strugar, former General of the Yugoslav Peoples'
Army (JNA), to eight years in prison for his role in the shelling of the
historic old town of Dubrovnik, a Unesco World Heritage Site, on 6 December
1991. The sentence was pronounced on 31 January. Strugar was found guilty of
attacks on civilians and of the destruction of historical monuments, two of
the six counts on which he was indicted. This latest sentencing follows a
seven-year sentence handed out last year to Admiral Miodrag Jokic of the
Yugoslav navy who pleaded guilty to the same charges and subsequently
testified against his former colleague. A third defendant is awaiting trial
on similar charges. 
go to article <http://www.theartnewspaper.com/news/article.asp?idart=11726> 




Saatchi Britart sell-off continues


Ron Mueck works consigned to New York dealer- By Roger Bevan 


Further evidence that Charles Saatchi is continuing to dismantle his fabled
collection of British "Sensation" artists in favour of his new taste for oil
paint comes with the revelation that he has sold, or is presently offering
for sale, a group of four major sculptures by Ron Mueck. The artist's
dealer, James Cohan, placed Angel (1997) and the self-portrait Mask (1997),
left, with American collectors for undisclosed prices at the end of last
year; and now Pinocchio (1996) and Dead Dad (1996-97) have been consigned to
New York dealer Larry Gagosian. 
go to article <http://www.theartnewspaper.com/news/article.asp?idart=11725> 




FBI sets up first national art theft squad in US


The eight-member team will model itself on similar units in Italy, France
and Spain- By Jason Edward Kaufman 


The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has set up the first national art
theft unit in the US. The eight-member Rapid Deployment National Art Crime
Team (ACT) consists of two agents in New York, two on the West Coast, one in
Philadelphia, and three in the middle of the country. Each will oversee
cases in an assigned region, collaborating as necessary, with investigations
coordinated from headquarters in Washington, DC. 
go to article <http://www.theartnewspaper.com/news/article.asp?idart=11723> 




Claim to Liz Taylor's Van Gogh is dismissed 


Claimants asserted painting was lost to "Nazi persecution"- By Martha Lufkin



A federal court here has thrown out a claim against the actress Elizabeth
Taylor seeking a painting by Van Gogh, which the claimants broadly asserted
was lost to "Nazi persecution" without, however, claiming that it ever fell
into Nazi hands. The ruling, issued by US District Judge R. Gary Klausner of
the federal trial court for Los Angeles on 2 February, dismissed the claim
as time-barred. The plaintiffs had also sought to test recent federal and
California laws as giving new grounds to sue to recover Nazi-looted art.
They were rejected. 
go to article <http://www.theartnewspaper.com/news/article.asp?idart=11722>