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!
Margareth Menezes appointed as the culture minister by Brazilian president
The Brazilian president-elect Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, known as “Lula”, has revealed that the Bahian singer Margareth Menezes has been appointed the minister of culture of his incoming administration. The announcement follows Lula’s campaign promise to reinstate the ministry of culture, which the former president Jair Bolsonaro dissolved on the first day of his presidency in 2019. Menezes is a Grammy-nominated musician who rose to fame in the late 1980s. She is the founder and president of the Associação Fábrica Cultural, a non-profit based in Bahia that works to promote cultural and educational projects. She also serves as the director of the Mercado Iaô, a cultural production firm in the state, and is an ambassador for the IOV-Unesco, an international committee that promotes the preservation of cultural heritage. Read more at MENAFN.
Oldest pair of Levi\’s jeans auctioned for $114,000
Someone paid $95,000 for this pair of jeans recovered from 1857 shipwreck. Work pants (most likely early Levi\’s) were recovered from wreck of the SS Central America https://t.co/yLjGQK7RBf
— Jennifer Ouellette (@JenLucPiquant) December 6, 2022
Vintage bank notes, gold nuggets, and jewelry were among 550 treasures from the 1857 S.S. Central America shipwreck that went to auction with Holabird Western Americana Collections in Reno this month. Final prices across their multi-million-dollar sale ranged from $48 for a collection of books about treasure (estimated $80–$100) to $1,080,000 for gold from the vessel’s treasure box (estimated $1,800,000–$2,500,00). However, a salvaged pair of miner’s pants from Mexican-American war veteran, merchant, and possible gold rusher John Dement stole the show, pulling in a total of $114,000—more than double their $50,000 estimate. Holabird said the trousers could be the earliest known example of Levi Strauss craftsmanship. Gold from the S.S. Central America has appeared at auction before, but this is the first time its artifacts have been sold. Details on Artnet News.
Ai Weiwei handed out free artworks to support Global Refugees and protestors in China
10 December 2022 is Human Rights Day. I will be signing blank A4 sheets of paper with invisible UV ink from 2-4pm at Speakers’ Corner in Hyde Park, London.#Ai4paper #A4paper #Aiweiwei #aiww #Refugeesinternational #freedomofspeech #humanrights #chinaprotest #covidprotest pic.twitter.com/oz99Z5e3TQ
— 艾未未 Ai Weiwei (@aiww) December 4, 2022
Scores of fans and supporters lined up in London’s Hyde Park in the chilly afternoon on Saturday to obtain a free artwork from Chinese artist-activist Ai Weiwei, who staged the event to raise funds for refugees. Titled A4, the work involves a piece of blank A4 paper with Ai’s autograph signed in UV ink, which can only be seen under ultraviolet light. For those who couldn’t attend the free launch in London, the work is also available for sale on platform Maybe.Art for £100 ($123) until December 20, with 100 percent of the proceeds going to Refugees International. The artist has tweeted a video about the making of the artwork, signing “freedom of speech” using UV ink on a piece of blank paper. Read more at Artnet.
