Arts Council Issues Heightened Alert Warning for UK Museums

Our daily round-up of news from the art world

UK Museums on Heightened Alert Against Thieves | Arts Council England have issued an alert warning of a ‘severe and imminent’ threat of attack on UK museums, reports The Art Newspaper. Though the language might suggest a terrorist threat, the warning has been put in place to encourage museums to heighten security against thieves. It is the first time the Arts Council has issued such a warning. The question is: why now?

Iwan & Manuela Wirth Top ArtReview’s Power 100 | Swiss dealers Iwan & Manuela Wirth have taken pole position at the top of ArtReview’s annual ‘Power 100’ list, an attempt to collate the art world’s most influential figures. Hot on the Wirths’ heels are Ai Weiwei (who topped the list in 2011), David Zwirner, the Serpentine Gallery’s Hans Ulrich Obrist and Julia Peyton-Jones and Tate’s Nicholas Serota. Few art watchers will be surprised.

Wave of Restitutions as Subhash Kapoor Trial Continues | An increasing number of museums around the world are returning objects bought from antiquities dealer Subhash Kapoor, reports The Art Newspaper. Kapoor, who is currently standing trial in India, is charged with smuggling looted artefacts worth in excess of $100 million. Institutions that have returned works acquired through Kapoor include the National Gallery of Australia, Stuttgart’s Linden Museum and the Asian Civilizations Museum in Singapore. Mr Kapoor denies all charges.

Ai Weiwei Granted German Visa | Good news for Ai Weiwei. The artist has been granted a three-year German visa, allowing him to take up his post at Berlin’s University of the Arts. Ai was originally appointed to the university in 2011, but was unable to travel to Berlin after Chinese authorities confiscated his passport.

‘Fantastic’ Sculpture may be Lost Donatello | Experts believe that a wooden sculpture of a cherub bought by dealer Andrew Butterfield in 2012 may well be the work of Renaissance master Donatello, reports the New York Times. Scholars have been aware of the piece for some time, but until now have disregarded the attribution. Judge for yourself when the sculpture goes on show at Moretti Fine Art on 30 October.

Guggenheim Announces Shortlist for Hugo Boss Prize 2016 | The Guggenheim Foundation has named the six finalists for the 11th edition of the biennial Hugo Boss Prize. The artists nominated are Tania Bruguera, Mark Leckey, Ralph Lemon, Laura Owens, Wael Shawky and Anicka Yi. The winner of the award, which grants the laureate $100,000 and a distinctive tetrahedral trophy, will be announced next autumn.

Extension to Norwegian Museum will Span River | The plans for an extension to the Kistefos museum in Jevnaker, Norway, are certainly unconventional. Developer Bjarke Ingels Group has unveiled designs for a glass-encased gallery that stretches over the Randselva river, doubling as a bridge. Regardless of its practicality, the proposal rather puts London’s contentious ‘Garden Bridge’ project into the shade.