CNN’s series often carry sponsorship originating from the countries and regions we profile. However, CNN retains full editorial control over all of its reports. Our sponsorship policy.
The devastating coronavirus pandemic that has claimed more than 14,000 lives has cut a trail of destruction through culture industries.
A rapid succession of concerts, museums, festivals, and theaters have shut down across the world to mitigate the threat of the virus, from the Glastonbury Festival to the Guggenheim.
The 14th edition of Art Dubai, the Emirate’s flagship art show that typically draws tens of thousands of visitors, was set to join the casualty list when organizers announced it would be postponed.
But after further deliberation it was decided that the show would go ahead – or at least a version of it.
Visitors to the Art Dubai festival in 2018. Credit: Tom Dulat/Getty Images Europe/Getty Images
Digital display
Art Dubai launches a digital-only edition on March 23, incorporating an online gallery of more than 500 works, videos from performance artists, and a “Newshour Special” featuring leading lights of the art world discussing the pandemic and its implications.
“Adapting to a digital program enables us to uphold our mission to support galleries and nurture Dubai’s arts ecosystem, even in these challenging circumstances,” Art Dubai directors Chloe Vaitsou and Pablo del Val told CNN in a joint statement.
Many scheduled performances and events have been canceled, and the directors are “realistic” about prospects for sales this year.
But staging the festival online opens up a larger potential audience, and transitioning to digital serves as a test case that could prove useful in future events.
“People still tend to prefer physical art consumption,” the directors said. “But if initiatives such as online catalogues and platforms do prove popular it may demonstrate how digital and online ventures can potentially become a growing addition to how art fair and gallery programs are transmitted in future.”
An oasis for artists in the desert
Adapting to crisis
The performance art program, which will be available to stream through the Art Dubai website, has the prescient theme of “Healing.”
Featured artists include Beirut-based Bahar Noorizadeh delivering a “desktop-lecture-performance” on the stormy US-Iran relationship, and Brazilian Tiago Sant’Ana on colonial legacies in his home country.
Curator Marina Fokidis says much of the show was already planned to address threats to humanity whether military, environmental, or economic.
“I am a specialist for adapting to crisis,” she says, recalling the devastation of her native Greece following the 2008 financial crash.
Fokidis suggests that artists have a responsibility to adapt and find solutions that will allow the creative industries to continue in the era of social distancing.
“At this moment we must be aware of what we are missing and find ways to create collectivity and moments of togetherness,” she says.
Art Dubai’s approach could become increasingly normalized in the coming months. The government of Dubai has announced that its major museums will be available for virtual tours, and galleries such as Alserkal Avenue are organizing online exhibitions.
Similar experiments are also taking place around the world. Art Basel is making its Hong Kong fair accessible through online “viewing rooms,” and the British Museum is successfully promoting digital experiences.
No one can predict when the public will be able to physically attend cultural events again. But the creative industries are determined to keep the flame alive until then.
LONDON (AP) — With a few daubs of a paintbrush, the Brontë sisters have got their dots back.
More than eight decades after it was installed, a memorial to the three 19th-century sibling novelists in London’s Westminster Abbey was amended Thursday to restore the diaereses – the two dots over the e in their surname.
The dots — which indicate that the name is pronounced “brontay” rather than “bront” — were omitted when the stone tablet commemorating Charlotte, Emily and Anne was erected in the abbey’s Poets’ Corner in October 1939, just after the outbreak of World War II.
They were restored after Brontë historian Sharon Wright, editor of the Brontë Society Gazette, raised the issue with Dean of Westminster David Hoyle. The abbey asked its stonemason to tap in the dots and its conservator to paint them.
“There’s no paper record for anyone complaining about this or mentioning this, so I just wanted to put it right, really,” Wright said. “These three Yorkshire women deserve their place here, but they also deserve to have their name spelled correctly.”
It’s believed the writers’ Irish father Patrick changed the spelling of his surname from Brunty or Prunty when he went to university in England.
Raised on the wild Yorkshire moors, all three sisters died before they were 40, leaving enduring novels including Charlotte’s “Jane Eyre,” Emily’s “Wuthering Heights” and Anne’s “The Tenant of Wildfell Hall.”
Rebecca Yorke, director of the Brontë Society, welcomed the restoration.
“As the Brontës and their work are loved and respected all over the world, it’s entirely appropriate that their name is spelled correctly on their memorial,” she said.
In a case that has sent shockwaves through the Vancouver Island art community, a local art dealer has been charged with one count of fraud over $5,000. Calvin Lucyshyn, the former operator of the now-closed Winchester Galleries in Oak Bay, faces the charge after police seized hundreds of artworks, valued in the tens of millions of dollars, from various storage sites in the Greater Victoria area.
Alleged Fraud Scheme
Police allege that Lucyshyn had been taking valuable art from members of the public under the guise of appraising or consigning the pieces for sale, only to cut off all communication with the owners. This investigation began in April 2022, when police received a complaint from an individual who had provided four paintings to Lucyshyn, including three works by renowned British Columbia artist Emily Carr, and had not received any updates on their sale.
Further investigation by the Saanich Police Department revealed that this was not an isolated incident. Detectives found other alleged victims who had similar experiences with Winchester Galleries, leading police to execute search warrants at three separate storage locations across Greater Victoria.
Massive Seizure of Artworks
In what has become one of the largest art fraud investigations in recent Canadian history, authorities seized approximately 1,100 pieces of art, including more than 600 pieces from a storage site in Saanich, over 300 in Langford, and more than 100 in Oak Bay. Some of the more valuable pieces, according to police, were estimated to be worth $85,000 each.
Lucyshyn was arrested on April 21, 2022, but was later released from custody. In May 2024, a fraud charge was formally laid against him.
Artwork Returned, but Some Remain Unclaimed
In a statement released on Monday, the Saanich Police Department confirmed that 1,050 of the seized artworks have been returned to their rightful owners. However, several pieces remain unclaimed, and police continue their efforts to track down the owners of these works.
Court Proceedings Ongoing
The criminal charge against Lucyshyn has not yet been tested in court, and he has publicly stated his intention to defend himself against any pending allegations. His next court appearance is scheduled for September 10, 2024.
Impact on the Local Art Community
The news of Lucyshyn’s alleged fraud has deeply affected Vancouver Island’s art community, particularly collectors, galleries, and artists who may have been impacted by the gallery’s operations. With high-value pieces from artists like Emily Carr involved, the case underscores the vulnerabilities that can exist in art transactions.
For many art collectors, the investigation has raised concerns about the potential for fraud in the art world, particularly when it comes to dealing with private galleries and dealers. The seizure of such a vast collection of artworks has also led to questions about the management and oversight of valuable art pieces, as well as the importance of transparency and trust in the industry.
As the case continues to unfold in court, it will likely serve as a cautionary tale for collectors and galleries alike, highlighting the need for due diligence in the sale and appraisal of high-value artworks.
While much of the seized artwork has been returned, the full scale of the alleged fraud is still being unraveled. Lucyshyn’s upcoming court appearances will be closely watched, not only by the legal community but also by the wider art world, as it navigates the fallout from one of Canada’s most significant art fraud cases in recent memory.
Art collectors and individuals who believe they may have been affected by this case are encouraged to contact the Saanich Police Department to inquire about any unclaimed pieces. Additionally, the case serves as a reminder for anyone involved in high-value art transactions to work with reputable dealers and to keep thorough documentation of all transactions.
As with any investment, whether in art or other ventures, it is crucial to be cautious and informed. Art fraud can devastate personal collections and finances, but by taking steps to verify authenticity, provenance, and the reputation of dealers, collectors can help safeguard their valuable pieces.
