The Mummy… returns! Sarcophagus unearthed below France’s Notre-Dame to be opened

A SUMMARY OF THE MOST EXCITING ART NEWS FROM AROUND THE GLOBE

While we focus on Indian art, we can’t obviously function in a vacuum. It’s a small world and everything is connected, especially on the web. So, let’s train our spotlight across the world map to see what’s going on — from art trends to socio-political issues to everything that affects the great aesthetic global consciousness. Or, let’s just travel the world and have some fun!

Mysterious sarcophagus discovered beneath Notre-Dame set for exhumation 

A sarcophagus made of lead discovered in the depths of the Notre-Dame Cathedral among an ancient graveyard will soon be opened, French archaeologists said on Thursday. The sarcophagus was found amid several tombs “of remarkable scientific quality” 65 feet below the central spot where the transept crosses the 12th century Gothic church’s nave, France’s Culture Minister, said last month. The discoveries were made during excavation work in anticipation of the reconstruction of the church’s iconic spire, which collapsed in a 2019 fire. The graveyard was found below a layer of the church floor dating to the 18th century, but researchers believe it is much older, likely dating to the 14th century. Researchers inserted an endoscopic camera inside the sarcophagus for a peek of its contents, revealing parts of skull, a pillow of leaves, fragments of textiles, and several objects. ART News has all the details. 

Logistics companies scared of China, refuse to touch ‘Pillar of Shame’  

Last December, a statue made in 1997 by the Danish artist Jens Galschiøt that acknowledges the Tiananmen Square Massacre was quietly removed from the University of Hong Kong campus, where it had stood for two decades, by workers in the middle of the night. Now, the artist behind the ‘Pillar of Shame’ has said the sculpture was turned away by many logistics companies as he prepared to transport it out of Hong Kong.  Galschiøt said the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Denmark, as well as two shipping companies and lawyers, have been ready to transport the artwork out of HK.  But he had reached out to at least 10 logistics companies, all of which refused to ship the sculpture to the pier for fear of retaliation from the Chinese authorities.  The Standard reports. 

Anish Kapoor brings blood red and Vantablack to the Venice Art Biennale

The Venice Art Biennale 2022 has officially opened. One show not to miss this time round is British artist Anish Kapoor’s takeover of Gallerie dell’Accademia and Palazzo Manfrin. The two-part exhibit named ‘Anish Kapoor in Venice’ combines retrospective elements with never-before-seen pieces, and messy blood red installations with precise Vantablack sculptures. The extensive solo show includes around 60 works in total and it is the first time a British artist has been honored with a major exhibition at the Gallerie dell’Accademia. It also celebrates the Anish Kapoor Foundation’s recent acquisition of the 18th century Palazzo Manfrin, which had sat empty for many years. Designboom takes you through what all to expect.

Over 140 artists from 70 countries to take part in 2023 Sharjah Biennial  

Organizers of the Sharjah Biennial have released the names of more than 140 artists participating in the event’s hotly anticipated 2023 iteration, conceived by the late Okwui Enwezor and curated by Hoor Al Qasimi, director of the Sharjah Art Foundation, which oversees the biennial. Artists from over 70 countries will be represented across 16 venues scattered around the city, including a former kindergarten, a vegetable market, and a power station. The event is slated to take place February 7–June 11, 2023. Delayed two years by the Covid 19 crisis, the biennial is widely seen as representing the last project by the highly respected Enwezor, who died in 2019. Admission will be free and open to the public. Artforum tells you more. 

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