Painting swapped for grilled cheese in 1970s may today sell for US$27,000

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!

Swapped for a sandwich: Painting by Canadian folk artist Maud Lewis now at a hefty price 

In the 1970s in Canada’s Ontario, couple Irene and Tony Demas worked in their small restaurant and often traded their dishes for the talents of local bakers, craftspeople and artisans. In exchange for daily fresh flowers, for example, the couple would take soup and a sandwich to the florist next door. Once, for an English painter with a predictable palate, the couple struck a deal — they would get a selection of paintings from him and his friends in exchange for grilled cheese sandwiches. This deal unwittingly netted them a painting by the acclaimed Canadian folk artist Maud Lewis – a work that nearly five decades later is expected to net more than C$35,000 (US$27,000) when it goes to auction this month. Lewis, who lived most of her life in poverty, was known for her cheery paintings of life in rural Nova Scotia. She often repeated themes, including cats and ice skaters. The Guardian tells you more. 

Ukraine’s largest art museum reinstalls prized collection hidden from Russians 

Earlier this year, Ukrainian museums rushed to hide their collections for fear that invading Russian troops would steal or destroy the country’s cultural heritage. In some cases, those fears have been realized. But now, at least one important Ukrainian art museum is putting its prized possessions back on view as a gesture of resistance. The Borys Voznytskyi Lviv National Art Gallery in western Ukraine is reinstalling artworks across its 18 branches — some of which are open now, reports the New York Times. Gallery director Taras Voznyak, like other museum leaders in his position, stashed important museum-owned artworks in secret locations after Russia invaded Ukraine in February. It was no easy task: The largest art museum in Ukraine, the Lviv National Art Gallery maintains a collection of some 65,000 artworks, including pieces by Wojciech Gerson, Francisco Goya, and Peter Paul Rubens. Artnet News has all the details. 

Project ‘Looty’ in Nigeria seeks to reclaim African art in digital form 

A Nigerian creative designer and founder of Looty, 34-year-old Chidi, first came up with his unique idea following the growing conversations around non-fungible tokens (NFTs), which claim to provide public proof of the ownership of digital files. He thinks that rather than physically breaking into museums and carting away the works of art looted from African territories during the colonial era, they could be repatriated digitally. The process of repatriating the artwork starts with researching potential pieces for Looty, then going to museums to scan them using special apps on mobile phones. Afterwards, the images are downloaded onto laptops and the complicated process of converting them to 3D begins, using special apps and technology. Chidi hopes that viewing the artwork on Looty will not only inspire African artists at home, but also that the sale of the artwork will make funds available for local artists to advance their craft. NFTs of artwork on the website can be purchased only with cryptocurrency. BBC explains it all.  

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