A man has been charged with causing criminal damage after allegedly ripping Picasso’s Bust Of A Woman (1944). The painting, which was on display at Tate Modern depicts the surrealist photographer Dora Maar, whose own work is currently on show at the gallery. According to The Guardian, a gallery spokesperson stated that the vandalised painting has since been taken down for assessment by conservators but did not comment on the condition of the painting. Londoner Shakeel Ryan Massey, 20, appeared at Camberwell Green Magistrates Court last week where he was denied bail. Massey will remain in custody until a pre-trial hearing at Inner London Crown Court on 30 January.
PEN America, an international network of literary centres that advocate for the freedom of expression, released a statement calling for the release of Chinese artist Yang Licai who was arrested on 11 December for inciting disruption. Although still unclear, it is thought that Yang’s online posts in support of Hong Kong protesters brought on the charges. Fellow outspoken artist Ai Weiwei also posted details of the arrest on his Instagram page. Yang’s work and continued protests against the government have made him a frequent target such as when he was placed on house arrest in 2010 after signing Charter 08, a manifesto that was pushing for changes to China’s political system. PEN America emphasised that the recent arrest is part of the Chinese government’s ongoing effort to silence artists and activists. If convicted, Yang faces up to five years in prison.
Italian artist Monica Bonvicini has been named the winner of the 2020 Oskar Kokoschka Prize, which is awarded biennially. The prize comes with a €20,000 cash sum and is amongst one of Austria’s most important awards for contemporary art, honouring Austrian and international artists for outstanding work in the field. Past winners have included John Baldessari, Yoko Ono and Gerhard Richter.
Organisers of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics have revealed the event’s official art posters, which have been designed by manga artists, painters, calligraphers and photographers from Japan and around the world. The artists include Naoki Urasawa, Shoko Kanazawa, Takashi Homma, Chris Ofili and Viviane Sassen. There are 20 posters in total (12 for the Olympics and eight for the Paralympics), which will be displayed throughout the capital. The posters will be on display in an exhibition hosted by the Museum of Contemporary Art Tokyo from 7 January – 16 February.
Canberra’s National Gallery of Australia shut this weekend amid worsening air quality, caused by the bushfire crisis that has blighted the country, The Art Newspaper has reported. On Monday morning it remained closed, with the gallery’s director Nick Mitzevich saying the decision was made to protect the public, staff and gallery’s collection, and that any consideration of the gallery reopening would be reviewed on a ‘day-by-day basis’.
Egyptian curator Tarek Abou El Fetouh will organise the art programme for Expo Dubai 2020. As part of the programme, El Fetouh will also commission twenty artists to create public art in and around the Expo venue, some of which will become permanent installs. The Expo is set to take place from 20 October 2020, through 10 April 2021.
