Artwork looted 50 years ago surfaces at its origin at Staten Island’s Historic Richmond Town\” Insights from the art world

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!

Major photography fair in September 2023 at Javits Centre, New York

Photofairs, Asia’s largest photography fair, will make its debut in New York next year. Event organizer Creo has announced the first Photofairs New York will take place from September 8–10, 2023 at the Javits Center, just next door to the Armory Show. Held in partnership with Angus Montgomery Arts, the fair will showcase photography, film, and virtual reality works, spotlighting about 100 international galleries. Exhibitor applications are now open. “We have great admiration for the Armory Show and its long-standing track record,” Creo CEO Scott Gray told Artnet News. “Bringing the unique offerings of the two fairs together under one roof will be mutually beneficial.” The Javits Center, he said, is “a purpose-built exhibition center well suited to the requirements of galleries and visitors alike.” Read more on Artnet News.

Benin bronzes online database goes live with looted artefacts

A highly anticipated new online database listing works of art looted from the Kingdom of Benin has launched, shining a light on more than 5,000 looted objects housed at more than 100 museums worldwide. The timely new digital catalogue Digital Benin, described as the first “comprehensive database of the Benin bronzes” in a Financial Times report, could accelerate the restitution of the ancient African artefacts from institutions and collections worldwide. The so-called Benin bronzes have become a touchstone to test European museums’ readiness to restitute heritage looted from Africa in the colonial era. After the violent 1897 plunder and devastation of the Royal Palace of Benin by British troops, at least 3,000 artefacts were dispersed internationally. Digital Benin currently includes object data from 131 institutions across 20 countries that hold 5,246 historic Benin objects, which the website defines as “objects looted by British forces from the Kingdom of Benin (now Edo State, Nigeria) in February 1897 and distributed in its immediate aftermath”. Detailed entries include a type-name in the Edo language, the English language title of the work, provenance information and date provided directly by participating museums such as caption text and size. Details on Art Newspaper.

Early American portrait back to its origin after 50 years

Over half a century after its theft, an early American portrait will soon be back in its rightful place at Staten Island’s Historic Richmond Town. Just shy of 52 years ago, on November 9, 1970, a cleaner at what was then called Richmondtown Restoration showed up for work and discovered that the museum had been robbed. Someone had broken in through a basement window and stolen a number of artifacts, including a pair of 1834 portraits of husband and wife Ann and John Totten by the artist John Bradley. The two other stolen paintings were a portrait of a young girl named Christine Kip Hopper and a woman identified as Marion (Bruce) Price. The burglar also made off with three clocks, a selection of silver shoe buckles and jewelry, and number of historic plates and glassware from England and Asia. More on Artnet News. 

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