Hidden masterpieces unveiled in Tehran; in Brazil, woman swindles mother of over $100 mn in art

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!

Tehran museum unveils western art masterpieces hidden for decades 

Some of the world’s most prized works of contemporary western art have been unveiled for the first time in decades in Tehran. The Iranian president, Ebrahim Raisi, a hardline cleric, rails against the influence of the west. Authorities have condemned “deviant” artists for “attacking Iran’s revolutionary culture”. But contradictions abound in the Iranian capital, where thousands of well-heeled men and women looked at 19th- and 20th-century American and European minimalist and conceptual masterpieces on display this summer for the first time at the Tehran Museum of Contemporary Art. The government of Iran’s western-backed shah, Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, and his wife, the former empress Farah Pahlavi, built the museum and acquired the multibillion-dollar collection in the late 1970s, when oil boomed and western economies stagnated. The Guardian tells the story. 

Brazilian woman swindles own mother of more than $100 million in art 

Brazilian woman Sabine Coll Boghici (48) was arrested on Wednesday on allegations she was part of a bizarre scheme to defraud her 82-year-old mother, Genevieve Boghici, the wife of the late art collector Jean Boghici, out of money, artwork and jewelry totaling some 724 million reais ($142.42 million). Her arrest has exposed a disturbing web of fraud that police say lasted years and involved alleged psychics to swindle artwork by some of Brazil\’s most emblematic painters. Four other people were also arrested and two others, Diana Rosa Aparecida Stanesco Vuletic and Slavko Vuletic, are on the run. The scam began in 2020 when Genevieve was approached by a supposed psychic with prophecies of her daughter\’s imminent death. Reuters reports. 

Kashmiri women fight to keep alive centuries-old papier-mâché art  

Papier-mâché has been practiced for centuries by Kashmiri artisans, who make their living from the craft. But, in recent years, just as Kashmiri papier-mâché has gained recognition in museums across the world, the renowned and beloved art has faced extinction. The number of papier-mâché artisans has shrunk due to meager (and shrinking) wages, widespread health issues, and a lack of government support. Yet, a small group of practitioners in Kashmir is determined to ensure the craft survives. Many blame the Kashmir’s government both for its action and its inaction. Artisans said the measures taken by the government so far to preserve and promote the craft are nominal and insignificant. Moreover, this art has its physical costs as well. According to an academic study by Indian researchers analyzing 10 papier-mâché units in Kashmir in 2011, the majority of the artists suffer from health problems like eye irritation, musculoskeletal problems, allergies, respiratory problems, and general weakness. ART News has all the details. 

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