Indian artist breaks \’huge\’ record; Wikipedia says NFTs are NOT 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!

The impact of Wikipedia’s classification of NFTs as ‘not art’

A recent vote by Wikipedia editors introduced a new type of gatekeeping — the popular online encyclopedia has decided not to classify NFTs as art. Many creators and collectors of digital art found this decision to be overstepping and short-sighted. The basis for this sentiment is the observation that NFTs, while not always used for art, can be another artistic medium, like paint or ceramics. And even more than that, the idea that any person or institution would try to put rules on what is allowed to be deemed art feels problematic to many, with real implications on the lives of artists. Forbes.com delves deep into the development.

 

Rajasthan artist break Guinness World Record

Setting a Guinness World Record (GWR) is no mean feat in itself. Ravi Soni from Rajasthan’s Udaipur set out to do just that with his mammoth artwork, which now holds the GWR record of being the “largest drawing by an individual”. Drawing on the humongous canvas of 629.98 sq m (6781.04 sq ft), the 42-year-old artist broke the record previously held by an Italian artist’s doodle measuring 568.47 sq m created in 2020. Drawn on a huge black-back PVC canvas, created by numerous flexes stuck together — Soni completed the “Tree of Life” painting in 24 hours and 33 minutes, spread over five days. How did he get here? The Indian Express tells you all.

 

Nazi-looted Pissarro’s fate in hands of US Supreme Court

For decades, the 1897 painting by impressionist Camille Pissarro titled Rue Saint-Honoré in the Afternoon, Effect of Rain graced the walls of the Cassirer family homes in Berlin and Munich after it was bought directly from Pissarro’s art dealer. In 1939, as escalating Nazi oppression made it clear the prominent Jewish family would have to leave Germany or risk death — for a visa, the family would have to hand over its prized Pissarro painting. More than 40 years later, her grandson Claude discovered that the painting was on display at Madrid’s Thyssen-Bornemisza museum. After Spain rebuffed his request for its return, he sued in his home state of California, setting off a legal battle that has rumbled on for more than 15 years. What happens next? The Guardian outlines the details.