Some of the stories, debates and discussions we’ve spotted this week
Should the Culture Secretary be a connoisseur?
‘It is a category error to expect politicians to have natural empathy with, or relevant experience in their fields’. Writing in The Guardian, Polly Toynbee has hit back at ‘snooty’ art world critics of the new culture secretary Sajid Javid.
Richard Dorment defends Tate Britain’s director
The Telegraph’s Richard Dorment has offered his support to Tate Britain’s director Penelope Curtis after Waldemar Januszczak called for her to be sacked. He argues that her rehang of the permanent galleries has been excellent.
The Frick Collection allows photography
The Frick Collection has decided to allow visitors to take photographs of its permanent collection – as long as they are ‘courteous to other museum goers by not blocking their view.’
Van Dyck self-portrait to stay in the UK
Van Dyck’s last self-portrait has been saved for the UK following an extended fundraising campaign.
Ai Weiwei’s work removed from an exhibition in Shanghai
The Chinese artist Ai WeiWei’s work has been removed from an exhibition in Shanghai, ‘15 years of Chinese Contemporary Art Award’, allegedly because of his previous criticism of the government.
Lost Andy Warhol works recovered from floppy disks
In 1985, Andy Warhol produced a number of artworks on an Amiga 1000 computer: decades later, they’ve finally been recovered from the obsolete floppy disks which stored them.
Gallerist Helly Namad sentenced for one year in prison over gambling ring
Hillel ‘Helly’ Nahmad has been sentenced to one year and one day in prison over gambling charges to which he pleaded guilty..
50 Royal Mummies found in Luxor
At least 50 royal mummies have been discovered in the Valley of the Kings in Luxor by a Swiss-Egyptian team.
Mark Kermode on Joanna Hogg’s Exhibition
The film critic called Joanna Hogg’s most recent film, about the relationship between two artists, ‘an honest depiction of the ebb and flow of a long-term relationship between two people whose passions affix to objects other than one another’.
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