London Mayor Defends Free Museums, Met Rehabilitates Galliano, Fake Amphitheater Scam
In a guest piece for LBC, London Mayor Sadiq Khan advocated for free entry to museums, asserting that access to culture is a fundamental right. He highlighted that visitor numbers increased following the introduction of free admission in 2001, particularly benefiting individuals from disadvantaged backgrounds. Meanwhile, Andy Battaglia in ArtNews revealed that the Metropolitan Museum of Art will host an exhibition on John Galliano in 2027, which will confront his previous antisemitic comments. Anna Gritz, writing for Frieze, examined the "Wo ich wohne" anniversary exhibition at Haus am Waldsee, which emphasizes memory and support for Berlin's artists. T. J. Clark explored Chauvet cave paintings in the London Review of Books, while Zachary Fine paid tribute to Fairfield Porter in the New Yorker. In Italy, a man was found guilty of constructing a fake ancient theater, potentially costing the community between 300,000 and 500,000 euros for demolition.
Key facts
- London Mayor Sadiq Khan defended free museum entry in a guest article for LBC, calling it essential and a right, not a privilege.
- The Metropolitan Museum of Art plans a 2027 Costume Institute exhibition dedicated to John Galliano, despite his 2011 antisemitic remarks.
- The Met held discussions with Jewish leaders, including the Anti-Defamation League, and with Galliano before announcing the exhibition.
- Anna Gritz, director of Berlin's Haus am Waldsee, discusses the anniversary exhibition 'Wo ich wohne (Where I Live)' in Frieze.
- T. J. Clark interprets the Chauvet cave paintings as a form of thinking beyond language in the London Review of Books.
- Zachary Fine praises Fairfield Porter as 'perhaps the most significant American artist of the century' in the New Yorker.
- A man in Italy built a fake ancient theater in Arcugnano and sold it as a historical site; he is now in prison.
- The demolition of the fake amphitheater could cost between 300,000 and 500,000 euros, burdening the small municipality.
- The fake theater was built in 2016 with modern materials and marketed with invented stories.
- The operator, a 69-year-old man, was convicted of illegal construction, landscape protection violations, and art forgery.
Entities
Artists
- Sadiq Khan
- John Galliano
- Andrew Bolton
- Rabbi Rick Jacobs
- Kanye West
- Anna Gritz
- T. J. Clark
- Fairfield Porter
- John Ashbery
- Zachary Fine
- Andy Battaglia
- Chloe Stead
- Simone Cuomo
Institutions
- LBC
- Metropolitan Museum of Art
- Costume Institute
- Anti-Defamation League
- ArtNews
- Haus am Waldsee
- Frieze
- London Review of Books
- New Yorker
- Art Students League
- La Repubblica
Locations
- London
- United Kingdom
- Berlin
- Germany
- Chauvet
- France
- Arcugnano
- Italy
- Vicenza