The city council in Bend has spent $1,500 to remove googly eyes from seven out of eight sculptures, according to Rene Mitchell, the city's communications director. The sculptures, made of bronze and steel, are being treated with a process that may require repainting for one piece, specifically the Phoenix Rising sculpture.
https://www.geo.tv/latest/580722-oregon-city-asks-residents-to-stop-sticking-googly-eyes-on-art-piecesA unique exhibition titled "Imaginary Books" is currently on view at the Grolier Club in Midtown Manhattan, showcasing a curated selection of fictional books that exist only as references within other literary works. The exhibit was organized by Marisa Charpentier and features an installation of these imaginary tomes, inviting viewers to engage with them as if they were real.
https://www.theartnewspaper.com/2024/12/20/grolier-club-exhibition-imaginary-lost-books-reid-byersThe Vasari Corridor, a secret passageway built in 1565 by architect Giorgio Vasari for the Medici family to move through Florence undetected, has reopened after an eight-year restoration project costing €10 million. The 700-meter-long corridor runs above the Ponte Vecchio and offers stunning views of the city centre, a UNESCO World Heritage site. It connects the Uffizi Galleries to the Pitti Palace across the Arno river and features 73 windows with unrivalled views of the city. The restoration included new disability access, emergency exits, toilets, energy-efficient lighting, and video surveillance. Italian Culture Minister Alessandro Giuli hailed the reopening as a "masterpiece within a masterpiece" for Florence and Italy.
The Vasari Corridor, a historic passageway in Florence named after the 16th century architect Giorgio Vasari, has reopened to the public after a three-year restoration project costing 11 million euros. The corridor, which was built in 1565 and had been closed since 2016, now allows groups of up to 25 people at a time to walk through it from the Uffizi museum to the Pitti's Boboli Gardens, crossing over the Arno river via the Ponte Vecchio bridge. The restored corridor is now empty of paintings, but visitors can view its historic architecture and then visit the Uffizi museum, which houses an outstanding collection including works by Giotto, Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo, Titian and Botticelli. Tickets for a combined visit to the corridor and the Uffizi must be booked in advance and cost 43 euros.
https://www.brecorder.com/news/40338902/florences-landmark-passageway-over-ponte-vecchio-reopens-to-publicArtist Alex Da Corte's summer show at Public Gallery featured a collection of "cosmological paintings" that explored themes of inner space and spirituality. The works were informed by Buddhist philosophy, mysticism, meditation, and the artist's own dreams, creating an immersive experience for viewers.
https://www.juxtapoz.com/news/magazine/features/christian-quin-newell-a-dream-sequence/The Drift Museum in Amsterdam is being transformed from a former railway factory into an art museum that aims to generate more energy than it uses. The museum's sustainability features include a heating system that stores summer warmth for use during the winter months, located at the Van Gendt Hallen on a windswept Amsterdam quayside.
https://www.theartnewspaper.com/2024/12/20/amsterdams-drift-museum-aims-to-create-more-energy-than-it-usesDelaware-based arts organization is aiming to create a stable environment for opera singers to work and build a home life, with the goal of developing future leaders in the industry. According to the organization's representative, nearly all professional opera singers in America engage in side hustles due to the unstable nature of their profession, with approximately 95% working outside of performing.
https://whyy.org/articles/operadelaware-salary-singers-program/A Monet Water Lilies painting has been sold on the Chinese social media app Xiaohongshu, sparking online discussion among luxury shoppers. The sale was posted by Gao Zhen-yu, owner of Gao's Gallery in Avignon, France, who claimed that the 1908 Nymphéas painting had seven previous owners and had been included in five exhibitions. The post went viral on Xiaohongshu, with some users expressing skepticism about the authenticity of the sale.
https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts-culture/article/3291630/monet-water-lilies-sale-chinese-social-media-app-goes-viral-gallery-silent-details?module=top_story&pgtype=sectionA painting by Vincent van Gogh, "Portrait of Dr Gachet", sold for $US82.5 million at a Christie's auction in Manhattan on May 15, 1990, setting the record for the most expensive work of art ever sold at auction. The painting was completed just weeks before Van Gogh's death by suicide and depicts his physician, Dr Paul Gachet, in his garden.
https://www.smh.com.au/world/europe/the-search-for-van-gogh-s-lost-masterpiece-20241220-p5l01e.html