MKG Hamburg Makes Entire Collection Available for Free Download

Our daily round-up of news from the art world

Hamburg’s MKG Offers Free Image Use | As of yesterday, the Museum für Kunst und Gewerbe Hamburg has put images of every work in its collection that is out of copyright online, for free download – making it the first museum in Germany to do so. The files can be put to any type of use. The MKG’s supremely generous gesture is in keeping with its founding ethic of public service, and with any luck, will rattle more major institutions into following suit. Browse the MKG images here.

Argentina Proposes Extension for Image Copyrights | Argentina’s government, however, do not see things the same way. According to EFF, lawmakers of the ruling Front for Victory Party have proposed to prolong the copyright of a photographic image from 20 years after publication to 70 years after the photographer’s death. The proposal, which is hotly contested by digital rights organisations, would also work retroactively. Can it possibly be implemented?

Jailed Cuban Artist to be Freed ‘Within 15 Days’ | Artist Danilo Maldonado Machado, who was arrested by Cuban authorities last December after daubing the words ‘Raul’ and ‘Fidel’ onto two pigs, has ended a month-long hunger strike after hints were made about his imminent release. Amidst pressure from Amnesty International, the Cuban authorities have pledged to set him free ‘within 15 days’. Will they stick to their word?

Northern Irish Arts Sector Faces Severe Cuts | Thirty two arts organisations in Northern Ireland face immediate funding cuts of seven per cent from the Arts Council, reports the BBC. NI Arts Minister Carál Ní Chuilín has said she regretted the decision, but had ‘no alternative’. This will come as small consolation to the institutions affected, which include Belfast’s Grand Opera House, the Cathedral Quarter Arts Festival and the MAC theatre and gallery.

Hepworth Wakefield Announces Major New Sculpture Prize | The Hepworth Wakefield has announced a £30,000 prize for UK-based sculptors. The biennial prize will be awarded for the first time next October, and will apparently cover sculpture ‘in its broadest definition’. The question is: does the UK really need another art prize?

Academy Museum Opening Delayed | Los Angeles’s Academy Museum of Motion Pictures has announced that its opening will be put back by six months, reports the Los Angeles Times. The delay to the launch of the $300 million museum are reportedly down to local concerns about traffic congestion. How very cinematic.

Douglas Druick to Step Down from Art Institute of Chicago | Douglas Druick, President and Director of the Art Institute of Chicago, is to step down from his position after 30 years at the institution, reports the Chicago Tribune. Druick, who has been at the helm of the AIC since 2011, is to depart as soon as his replacement is found.