In Brief
London Activists Fly a "Boris Blimp" to Mock UK's New Prime Minister
A nine-foot "Boris Blimp," inspired by by the bloated "Baby Trump" balloon, was flown in the skies of London during an anti-Brexit march.
London
In Brief
British Museum Workers Issue Statement in Support of Trustee Who Resigned
Members of the Public and Commercial Services (PCS) Union Culture Group have expressed their solidarity with Ahdaf Soueif, who recently resigned from the board and cited the museum’s endorsement of the oil company BP, its silence on the restitution of cultural artifacts, and labor issues as reasons
In Brief
British Museum Trustee Resigns, Citing Oil Funding and Restitution Inaction
In a public resignation letter, Egyptian-British novelist Ahdaf Soueif named the museum's endorsement of the oil giant British Petroleum (BP) and its inaction on the issue of artifact restitution as some of the reasons for her resignation.
News
78 Prominent Artists Demand National Portrait Gallery End its Relationship with BP
Signatories, including artists Antony Gormley, Anish Kapoor, and Rachel Whiteread, want the museum to end its relationship with the oil company.
Art
A Sexual Fantasy Concocted Around an Ancient Perfume Bottle
For Sunday Fantasy Zoe Williams collaborated on a film with three co-authors and friends to create a fictionalized story enacted by different actresses united in playing distinct interpretations of a singular character: Veronica Malaise.
In Brief
Protesting BP Sponsorship, Mark Rylance Resigns as Royal Shakespeare Company’s Associate Artist
“We are all together in this crisis and we all must change," Rylance said in an opinion article published in the Guardian. "I am resigning to lend strength to the voices within the RSC who want to be progressive, and to encourage my fellow associates to express themselves, too.”
Art
Tate Britain Hangs a Diverse Display of Women Artists Out of Its Permanent Collection
The collection of 60 women artists from Tate's permanent collection, on view through April 2020, tackles the tricky terrain of museum representation.
Art
How Mohamed Melehi Helped Forge a Colorful, Moroccan Form of Modernism
New Waves at the Mosaic Rooms illustrates how Melehi’s painted waves spread across Morocco to create a cultural scene that celebrated tradition.
News
Anti-Oil Activists Block Entrance of National Portrait Gallery to Protest BP Sponsorship
Dozens of protesters blocked entry to the gallery for guests of the ceremony, linking arms and chaining themselves to the gallery gates. Guests were forced to climb over the wall with the assistance of security in order to enter the gallery.
Art
The Colorful Waves Generated by Mohamed Melehi and the Casablanca Art School
Artists in postcolonial Casablanca created a specifically Moroccan form of Modernism, merging the influences of Pop art and Hard-edge painting with the rich tradition of abstraction in Berber craft and architecture.
In Brief
Report Says that While Women Artists' Representation in Public Institutions Slowly Increases, Commercial Galleries Lag Behind
According to the Freelands Foundation, the public sector has achieved "incremental improvements" in gender parity compared to past years, but the chances for career success are still skewed against women artists.
Art
A History of Writing, from Hieroglyphs to Squiggles
An exhibition at the British Library powerfully delves into the personal and political complexities of writing, driving home that it's not only one of humanity’s greatest inventions, but born out of the strongest human motivations.