From Van Gogh to Mona Lisa: Now, immerse yourself in the world\’s most mysterious smile

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!

Now, get the Mona Lisa immersive experience in France

First it was van Gogh, then Monet and now, it’s Leonardo da Vinci’s Mona Lisa that will have its own immersive installation. An experience themed around the iconic painting is headed to the Palais de la Bourse in Marseille, France. The immersive installation is co-organized by the Louvre and Grand Palais Immersif, and the show will open on March 10. The immersive show will have six components covering different themes, according to a Grand Palais blog post: the iconic status of the portrait, the 1911 theft of the Mona Lisa and how it was found, the influence of the Mona Lisa on other works, the technique that Leonardo employed to make the famous painting, and a component on the life of the artist himself. ART News leaves no mystery in the details.

 

Hidden image emerges beneath Botticelli\’s $40 million artwork

Due to be auctioned at Sotheby’s on January 27 — with a guarantee of $40 million — Botticelli’s rediscovered Man of Sorrows has been in private hands since the 19th century. But now, technical analysis undertaken by the auction house in preparation for the sale has already revealed one unexpected discovery: an image of a Madonna and Child, buried beneath the paint layers. Chris Apostle, the senior vice president and director of Old Master paintings at Sotheby’s in New York, believes it to be an abandoned composition of a \”Madonna of tenderness\” (a type derived from Greek icons), in which the Madonna intimately cradles the head of the baby Christ against her own, cheek to cheek. The Art Newspaper delves into the discovery.

 

Taiwan pulls Sakuliu Pavavaljung from Venice Biennale over #MeToo allegations

Artist Sakuliu Pavavaljung will no longer represent Taiwan at the upcoming Venice Biennale after multiple women came forward accusing the artist of sexual assault. The move comes weeks after Documenta suspended the artist from participating in the Kassel event. The Taipei Fine Arts Museum (TFAM), which commissions Taiwan‘s pavilion in Venice, said the decision was made in order to protect the international diplomatic image and reputation of Taiwan, as the news had already traveled outside of the island. Other artists have been dropped from major exhibitions in recent years after sexual misconduct allegations came to light. Artnet News unravels the report.