Calder's Final Work, Mountains And Clouds, Restored For $12 Million

(MENAFN- USA Art News) Alexander Calder's posthumously completed final work, Mountains and Clouds (1976), has been restored following its dismantling in 2014, with the effort costing $12 million. The New York Times reported that the monument was taken down after concerns emerged about damage from a 2011 earthquake. Installed in 1986, the sculpture was designed for the nine-story atrium of the Hart Senate Office Building in Washington, D.C.

The restoration involved replicating the vast black plates of carbon fiber composite, which form the clouds that once rotated around the work's 51-foot peak. The removal of these elements had disrupted the sculpture's compositional balance and original meaning. The remobilization of the clouds, powered by a new motor, is expected to be completed in November.

UK National Museums Retain Free Entry Policy

In other news, Lisa Nandy, the UK's culture secretary, confirmed earlier this week that national museums in the country will maintain their long-standing policy of universal free entry. This decision concludes a prolonged debate and upholds a policy first introduced by the Labour party in 2001. The continuation of free admission impacts 15 national museums, including prominent institutions such as the Tate, the National Gallery, the Victoria and Albert Museum (V&A), and the British Museum.

Economist John Maynard Keynes's Art Influence Explored in Play

A new West End play, The Standard of Living by James Graham, brings attention to the influential economist John Maynard Keynes's connection to the bohemian Bloomsbury Group. Keynes was a friend and sponsor of the group, and the play features members including his former lover Duncan Grant, painters Vanessa Bell and Dora Carrington, and art critic Clive Bell. The production utilizes projected paintings from the era in its staging. The script highlights how Keynes's appreciation for the arts informed his efforts to improve lives, including his role in founding the Arts Council, an institution Graham emphasizes the need to protect.

Sacha Jafri's Charity Pledge Unfulfilled After Record Sale

A 2021 art world headline has come under scrutiny following an investigation by The Fence magazine. Artist Sacha Jafri reportedly set a Guinness World Record for the largest painting, The Journey of Humanity, which sold for $62 million to crypto billionaire André Abdoune. The sale also positioned Jafri as the fourth-most-expensive living artist at the time. Proceeds from the sale were intended for charity, but UNICEF has stated that it has not yet received any of the promised funds. The in-depth investigation by The Fence raises questions about several of Jafri's other claims.

Doris Salcedo's Fragmentos Honors Colombian Peace Agreement

During a recent visit to the Artbo fair in Bogotá, the city's artistic landmarks included Fragmentos, an installation and art gallery created by Doris Salcedo in 2018. This work commemorates Colombia's 2016 peace agreement. The FARC guerrilla group surrendered thousands of firearms to the United Nations, many of which Salcedo and a team of women survivors of sexual violence at the hands of guerrilla groups melted down and hammered into floor tiles for the installation. An accompanying video reportedly emphasizes the therapeutic and hopeful aspects of this project.

Source: Artnet News

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