Art Knowledge News - Keeping You in Touch with the World of Art...

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• The Vatican Museums ~ 9 Miles Of Galleries Containing Some Of The Most Famous Artworks Ever Created
• Salvador Dalí Retrospective coming to the National Gallery of Victoria (NGV)
• Great Art at Your Fingertips ~ The Art Fund Launches New "Art Saved" Resource
• International Participation Doubles for 3rd Edition of India Art Summit
• Malaga’s Centre for Contemporary Art features Solo Exhibition by Eric Fischl
• The John Jones Collection exhibits "Paperview" from Three Renowed Art Collections
• British Museum presents First Exhibition to Examine the Aztec Emperor, Moctezuma II
• Centro de Arte Contemporaneo Malaga opens Miquel Barceló ~ The African Work
• £2 Million Refurbished and Transformed Yorkshire Museum Reopens
• Michael Kane Book Launch
• Tony Oursler Shows His Media Installations at Kunsthaus Bregenz
• Collecting the New: Recent Acquisitions to the IMMA Collection
• Art Knowledge News Presents "This Week In Review"

The Vatican Museums ~ 9 Miles Of Galleries Containing Some Of The Most Famous Artworks Ever Created Posted: 05 Mar 2011 08:29 PM PST The Vatican Museums boast one of the world's greatest art collections, they are a gigantic repository of treasures from antiquity and the Renaissance, all housed in a labyrinthine series of lavishly adorned palaces, apartments, and galleries (9 miles long) leading to the Sistine Chapel. The Vatican Museums occupy a part of the papal palaces in the Vatican City enclave in Rome, built from the 1200s onward. From the former papal private apartments, the museums were created over a period of time to display the vast treasure trove of art acquired by the Vatican. The Vatican Museums trace their origins to one marble sculpture, purchased more than 500 years ago. The sculpture of 'Laocoön', the priest who, according to Greek mythology, tried to convince the people of ancient Troy not to accept the Greeks' "gift" of a hollow horse, was discovered 14 January 1506, in a vineyard near the basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore in Rome. Pope Julius II sent Giuliano da Sangallo and Michelangelo Buonarroti, who were working at the Vatican, to examine the discovery. On their recommendation, the pope immediately purchased the sculpture from the vineyard owner. The pope put the sculpture of Laocoön and his sons in the grips of a sea serpent on public display at the Vatican exactly one month after its discovery. Since then, the museums have grown and expanded, and now consist of a number of different buildings within the Vatican Enclave, including the Gregorian Egyptian Museum, Gregorian Etruscan Museum, the Pio-Clementine Museum, the Chiaramonti Museum, the Braccio Nuovo (New Wing), Gregorian Profane Museum, Pio Christian Museum (with the Christian and Hebrew Lapidary), Pinacoteca (picture gallery), Missionary-Ethnological Museum, Sacred Museum (formerly part of the Vatican Library), Vatican Historical Museum (Lateran Apostolic Palace) along with displays of tapestries, ceramics, miniature mosaics, and classical and modern religious arts in the Vatican Palaces and Chapels that are also open to the public. There are 54 galleries, or "salas" in total, with the famous Sistine Chapel, notably, being the very last sala within the Museum. Other highlights include paintings by Fra Angelico, Benozzo Gozzoli and Filippo Lippi in Room III; three of Raphael's most famous paintings (Coronation of the Virgin, 1503; Madonna of Foligno, 1511; Transfiguration, 1520) in Room III; a remarkable portrait of St. Jerome by Leonardo da Vinci (1480) in Room IX; Caravaggio's dramatic Descent from the Cross (1608) in Room XII; and Bernini's clay models in Room XVII. A Workshop for Restoring paintings, bronzes, marble, tapestries and other items, is part of the Museums, which also include a Scientific Research Laboratory. The Vatican Library is one of the oldest in the world and contains over 75,000 codices. The museums include restaurants and cafes, museum shops and even the Vatican post office. Over 4 and a half million visitors annually enjoy the Vatican Museums collections and facilities. Visit the museum's website at … http://mv.vatican.va/3_EN/pages/MV_Home.html The Vatican Museums collection is displayed throughout the different salas, which are laid out in the separate, but connected buildings. The Museo Pio-Clementino contains the Greek Cross Gallery (Sala a Croce Greca) with the porphyri sarcophagi of Constance and Saint Helen, daughter and mother of Constantine the Great. The Sala Rotonda, shaped like a miniature Pantheon, contains impressive ancient mosaics on the floors, and ancient statues lining the perimeter, including a gilded bronze statue of Hercules. The Gallery of the Statues (Galleria delle Statue), which as its name implies, holds various important statues, including 'Sleeping Ariadne' and the bust of 'Menander', it also contains the 'Barberini Candelabra'. The Gallery of the Busts (Galleria dei Busti), contains an impressive collection of Roman busts, while the Cabinet of the Masks (Gabinetto delle Maschere) is named from the mosaic on the floor of the gallery, found in Villa Adriana, which shows ancient theater masks. Along the walls, several famous statues are shown including the 'Three Graces'. The Sala delle Muse houses the statue group of Apollo and the nine muses as well as statues by important ancient Greek sculptors and the Sala degli Animali is named for the many ancient animal statues it contains. The Museo Chiaramonti is named after Pope Pius VII, who founded it in the early 19th century. The museum consists of a large arched gallery inside which are exhibited statues, sarcophaguses and friezes. The New Wing ("Braccio Nuovo") built by Raphael Stern, houses important statues like 'The Prima Porta Augustus' (which created some controversy in 2008 when the Vatican museum created a copy and painted it as research had indicated the original probably looked – art historian Fabio Barry described the results as looking "like a cross-dresser trying to hail a taxi") and John L. Stoddard's 'Old Father Nile',(sometimes called "Colossus of the Nile" ). Also in the Chiaramonti museum it the Galeria Lapidaria with more than 3,000 stone tablets and inscriptions, the world's greatest collection of its kind (generally not open to the public). The Museo Gregoriano Etrusco, founded by Pope Gregory XIII in 1836, has eight galleries housing important Etruscan pieces from archaeological excavations. The pieces include: vases, sarcophagus, bronzes and the 'Guglielmi Collection'. The Museo Egiziano, founded by Pope Gregory XVI, houses a grand collection of Ancient Egyptian material including papyruses, the 'Grassi Collection', animal mummies, and the famous 'Book of the Dead'. Amongst the other highlights spread across the various salas paintings by Caravaggio including the majestic 'Entombment', Leonardo da Vinci's portrait of 'St. Jerome in the Wilderness', works by painters Fra Angelico, Giotto, Raphael, Nicolas Poussin and Titian, the red marble papal throne, formerly in the Basilica di San Giovanni in Laterano, the Raphael Rooms with many works by Raphael and his workshop, including the masterpieces "The School of Athens" and "The Transfiguration", more modern works by van Gogh, Salvador Dali, Pablo Picasso, Paul Gauguin, Renato Guttuso, Marc Chagall, Henry Moore, Wassily Kandinsky and others, the Gallery of Maps (topographical maps of the whole of Italy, painted on the walls by friar Ignazio Danti of Perugia, commissioned by Pope Gregory XIII), the world's largest pictorial geographical study, the frescoes and other works in the Borgia Apartment (built for Pope Alexander VI), and of course, the Niccoline and Sistene chapels. The Vatican Museums program of temporary exhibitions currently includes "Rituals of Life: The Spirituality and Culture of Aboriginal Australians" which will be on display throughout 2011. Inspired by the canonization of Australia's only Saint, Mary Mackillop in 2010, "Rituals of Life" is a journey through the spirituality and culture of the Aboriginal people of Australia using pieces from the collection in the Ethnological Museum of the Vatican Museums. In the lead-up to the exhibition, Fr. Nicola Mapelli with Katherine Aigner; a representative of the National Museum of Australia who researched the collection, travelled extensively to Aboriginal communities, mainly in Western Australia and the Tiwi Islands to reconnect with the descendents of the Aboriginal people who sent their works to the Vatican almost a century ago as a gift to Pope Pious XI. On this journey of reconnection, Fr. Mapelli met ancestors of the artists who were very happy to see him and expressed their pride that these works of art were now cultural ambassadors at the Vatican Museums. The exhibition was inspired by the desire to honor Indigenous Australian Art, as being one of the oldest artistic expressions on our planet. These expressions embrace daily life in all its manifestations. The centrality of the indigenous art is strongly connected to their spirituality, and the heart of this spirituality is expressed through what is called The Dreamtime. The meaning of Dreamtime is complex. Dreamtime is used to describe a belief, a religion and a law. It is identified as a past moment in which the first ancestors began a journey around the world, creating all the features of the world itself. The spirits of these ancestral beings live on today, under the form of eternal forces, which are visible in every single manifestation of nature. This explains the strong spiritual bond between this population and the land of their birth, which they therefore consider sacred. The works of art on display, selected from the vast Vatican collection, range from the simple objects used in daily life to ceremonial decorations, from musical instruments to the spears used during hunting, from painting on portable stones to containers made of decorated egg shells all of which have in common a bond with the religious, spiritual and supernatural dimension. "The Way of the Sea" is a collection of sixty model vessels from all parts of the world displayed along the Helicoidal Ramp (the first time this exhibition area has been used). The models are displayed alongside black and white photographs taken by Catholic missionaries at the beginning of the twentieth century. ANNOUNCEMENT: Our Editor has been invited to visit Museums and cultural sites worldwide, and they are featured on our Home Page (center). Because of the Editor's travel we will be posting many interesting articles from our archives, some of the BEST Articles and Art Images that appeared in your magazine during the past six plus (6+) years . . and we are publishing current art news articles on the left hand side under RECENT NEWS .. Enjoy

Salvador Dalí Retrospective coming to the National Gallery of Victoria (NGV) Posted: 05 Mar 2011 08:28 PM PST MELBOURNE, AU - The first comprehensive retrospective of the work of Salvador Dalí ever to be staged in Australia is coming exclusively to the National Gallery of Victoria (NGV) as the sixth exhibition in the Melbourne Winter Masterpieces series. Salvador Dalí: Liquid Desire will bring together more than 200 stunning works by Salvador Dalí in all media including painting, drawing, watercolour, etchings, sculpture, fashion, jewellery, cinema and photography. This Dali Retrospective will open 13 June through 4 October, 2009.

Great Art at Your Fingertips ~ The Art Fund Launches New "Art Saved" Resource Posted: 05 Mar 2011 08:26 PM PST LONDON.- Leading independent charity The Art Fund has launched a new Art Saved section on its website. This exciting tool offers art lovers new ways to discover more about great works of art saved for the nation over the last century. Since it began in 1903, The Art Fund has helped to buy 860,000 works for over 600 museums and galleries around the UK , from Bronze Age artefacts in the British Museum to a portrait of Grace Jones currently on display in Inverness Museum and Art Gallery .  Now, for the first time, people can search all works the charity has bought for the nation with an in-depth search facility, then find out where they are with The Art Fund's Google map.

International Participation Doubles for 3rd Edition of India Art Summit Posted: 05 Mar 2011 08:25 PM PST NEW DELHI.- The 3rd Edition of India Art Summit™ –India's Modern and Contemporary Art Fair– is set to take place from 21-23 January 2011 in Pragati Maidan (ITPO), New Delhi. With 84 exhibiting galleries at this edition, and the inclusion of 34 leading international galleries (double the number that participated in 2009), India's importance as an emerging global centre for art is further confirmed. The 3rd Edition of India Art Summit will present galleries from 20 countries including Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Korea, Singapore, Spain, Switzerland, UAE, the UK and the USA, among others.

Malaga’s Centre for Contemporary Art features Solo Exhibition by Eric Fischl Posted: 05 Mar 2011 08:24 PM PST MALAGA.- CAC Málaga – the city of Malaga's Centre for Contemporary Art – is presenting the first ever solo exhibition in a Spanish museum by Eric Fischl who, along with Alex Katz, is one of the most eminent American figurative painters of the second half of the 20th century. On show there will be large-format paintings and watercolours forming part of this New York artist's first art of bullfighting, created after he attended Ronda's Goyesque bullfight in 2007. Corrida in Ronda, the title of the exhibition curated by Fernando Francés, summarises the rich language of the artist's painting. There are two things about his works that are particularly outstanding and unique in contemporary painting: the use of backlighting to depict the toreadors' passes and the way he imbues them with an emotive charge. On view through 4 April, 2010.

The John Jones Collection exhibits "Paperview" from Three Renowed Art Collections Posted: 05 Mar 2011 08:23 PM PST LONDON.- "Paperview" brings together works on paper from three renowned London based art collections, alongside a selection of emerging and established London based artists. At a time when many galleries are reducing their exhibition programmes, Paperview celebrates the humble medium of paper by bringing together works by 75 artists from around the world. The exhibition has been supported by John Jones to create an open discourse on both the passion and practicalities of collecting. In the current economic climate John Jones hopes to help galvanise the art market and inspire new collectors.

British Museum presents First Exhibition to Examine the Aztec Emperor, Moctezuma II Posted: 05 Mar 2011 08:22 PM PST LONDON.- Completing its series of exhibitions exploring power and empire, the British Museum focuses on the last elected Aztec Emperor, Moctezuma II. Moctezuma: Aztec Ruler is the first exhibition to examine the semi-mythical status of Moctezuma and his legacy today. Loans of iconic material from Mexico and Europe will be displayed, most for the first time in this country. The exhibition anticipates the anniversaries in 2010 of the Independence of Mexico (1810) and of the Mexican Revolution (1910). Moctezuma (reigned 1502-1520) inherited and then consolidated Aztec control over a politically complex empire that by the early 16th century stretched from the shores of Pacific to the Gulf of Mexico. On view 24 September, 2009 through 24 January, 2010.

Centro de Arte Contemporaneo Malaga opens Miquel Barceló ~ The African Work Posted: 05 Mar 2011 08:21 PM PST   Malaga, Spain - CAC Málaga presents 84 works from Miquel Barceló's African period. Málaga is the only Spanish city to host this exhibition, organised by the Irish Museum of Modern Art (IMMA) and curated by the museum's director, Enrique Juncosa. Scarcely a week before the artist unveils the dome at United Nations headquarters in Geneva, the exhibition Miquel Barceló: The African Work, featuring pieces from collections all over the world.  On view at CAC Málaga until the 15th of February 2009.

£2 Million Refurbished and Transformed Yorkshire Museum Reopens Posted: 05 Mar 2011 08:20 PM PST YORK.- The Yorkshire Museum – home to some of Britain's greatest treasures – reopened its doors on Sunday after a major two million pound refurbishment that has totally transformed its interior. The city's Roman heritage is the central theme for the new look museum, with major exhibitions also highlighting its strong medieval and natural history collections. Objects on show include the most complete Anglo Saxon helmet ever found in Britain, the exquisite Middleham Jewel, the most significant Viking Hoard to be found in 150 years and one of Britain's biggest Ichthyosaurs. Some of these treasures will have returned from the British Museum where they have been on display, the first time they have ever dedicated a gallery to a regional museum. In turn objects belonging to the British Museum from the classical will be on display in the Yorkshire Museum for the opening on August 1 (Yorkshire Day).

Michael Kane Book Launch Posted: 05 Mar 2011 08:18 PM PST   Dublin, Ireland - Michael Kane (b. 1935, Co. Wicklow) sees painting as a conductor of meaning in human experience. His work is uncompromisingly figurative. He does not particularly stress figure or ground but both seem larger and more mythical than ordinary reality. Kane's figures make exaggerated gestures, and are themselves fashioned by large painterly gestures - yet his visceral execution draws profoundly on the intellect.

Tony Oursler Shows His Media Installations at Kunsthaus Bregenz Posted: 05 Mar 2011 08:17 PM PST BREGENZ, AUSTRIA - Developed over a number of years in conjunction with the KUB, "LOCK 2,4,6" is designed for and inspired by the provocative building and galleries designed by Peter Zumthor. The concept of the installation is to capture a chain of events, frozen moments interlocking a number of systems: epistemological, social, anatomical and linguistic. Soliloquies, rituals, and performances are captured in video and projected into a three dimensional screen space. This combination of moving image and plastic mediums is played out in looped actions that continue throughout the galleries. On exhibition at Kunsthaus Bregenz though 17 January, 2010.

Collecting the New: Recent Acquisitions to the IMMA Collection Posted: 05 Mar 2011 08:14 PM PST DUBLIN.- An exhibition presenting artworks recently acquired for IMMA's Collection, marking the first occasion that these works have been shown at the Museum as part of that Collection, opens to the public at the Irish Museum of Modern Art on Wednesday 19 May 2010. Collecting the New comprises some 42 works which have, for the most part, been acquired since 2005, through purchase, donation and loans. Twenty-six Irish and international artists are represented, including Amanda Coogan, Patrick Hall, Stefan Kürten, Catherine Lee, Janet Mullarney, Makiko Nakamura, Hughie O'Donoghue, and Susan Tiger. The exhibition reflects the Museum's acquisition policy that the Collection should be firmly rooted in the present, concentrating on acquiring the work of living artists, but also accepting donations and loans of more historical art objects with a particular emphasis on work from the 1940s onwards.

Art Knowledge News Presents "This Week In Review" Posted: 05 Mar 2011 08:13 PM PST This is a new feature for the subscribers and visitors to Art Knowledge News (AKN), that will enable you to see "thumbnail descriptions" of the last ninety (90) articles and art images that we published. This will allow you to visit any article that you may have missed ; or re-visit any article or image of particular interest. Every day the article "thumbnail images" will change. For you to see the entire last ninety images just click : here . When opened that also will allow you to change the language from English to anyone of 54 other languages, by clicking your language choice on the upper left corner of our Home Page.  You can share any article we publish with the eleven (11) social websites we offer like Twitter, Flicker, Linkedin, Facebook, etc. by one click on the image shown at the end of each opened article.  Last, but not least, you can email or print any entire article by using an icon visible to the right side of an article's headline.

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