December 5, 2000
CONTENTS:
- ALAN HOWARTH ANNOUNCES WORLD HERITAGE SITE STATUS FOR BLAENAVON IN WALES AND THE TOWN OF ST GEORGE IN BERMUDA
- Archeological thefts increase in Palestine
- Greek snub to British Museum over marbles
- The Art Newspaper, This week's top stories (DESTRUCTION OF LHASA, CZECH NATIONAL COLLECTIONS IN DISARRAY, CODE OF ETHICS FOR DEALERS)
Press release department for Culture, Media and Sport 2-4 Cockspur Street London SW1Y 5DH
http://www.culture.gov.uk ALAN HOWARTH ANNOUNCES WORLD HERITAGE SITE STATUS FOR BLAENAVON IN WALES AND THE TOWN OF ST GEORGE IN BERMUDA
The Blaenavon Industrial Landscape in South Wales and the Town of St George in Bermuda have been given World Heritage Site status by UNESCO's World Heritage Committee, Arts Minister Alan Howarth announced today. Announcing the decision, Arts Minister Alan Howarth said: "I am delighted that Blaenavon in Wales and the town of St George in Bermuda have been recognised as sites of outstanding universal value. They provide a vital insight into the way our history has been shaped and tell of the struggles and deprivations, the prosperity and enterprise that have contributed so much to the way we live today. "At Blaenavon the parallel development of coal mining and iron making represented one of the key dynamic forces of the Industrial Revolution which has self-evidently changed and moulded the way all peoples of the world now live. "St George is the oldest inhabited English settlement in the New World and shows the living architectural history of Britain's oldest overseas territory." Blaenavon and St George were among the 71 sites proposed by 43 countries that were considered by the Committee at its Annual meeting in Cairns in Australia. Their outstanding cultural importance means that they will be placed on the internationally renowned World Heritage List. And the UK, as a member of the World Heritage Convention, has pledged to care for the Sites as part of its commitment to protecting the nation's heritage. Environment Minister for Wales, Sue Essex said: "Blaenavon has earned its rightful place on the World Heritage List. Its importance to the coal mining and iron making industries can now be understood by future generations. I congratulate those who have worked so hard on the management plan which accompanied our nomination" Bermuda's Premier, the Hon. Jennifer Smith MP, commented: "There can be no doubt that the designation of the town of St George as a World Heritage Site will do much to promote interest in Bermuda's history, architecture and heritage throughout the world. In myriad ways, the town presents a unique opportunity for people to learn about and to experience Bermuda's culture, traditions and heritage. It will instil pride in all Bermudians and enhance immeasurably our status as a tourism destination of choice. I applaud the people of the town who have worked so diligently to achieve this notable success." This announcement brings the total of the UK's World Heritage Sites to twenty.
From: Dan Chure danchure@easilink.com
Subject: Archeological thefts increase in Palestine
The Jerusalem Post Internet Edition Wednesday, November 29 2000 11:04 2 Kislev 5761
http://www.jpost.com:80/Editions/2000/11/29/News/News.16491.html Territories closure increases archeological theft
By Arieh O'Sullivan
(November 29) - The continued closure of the territories, which prevents Palestinians getting to their jobs in Israel, has caused many of them to turn to smuggling ancient artifacts and rustling cattle as alternative livelihoods, the Antiquities Authority said yesterday.
"I don't know if it is out of hunger or not, but we are seeing dozens of them sneaking over the border now. Some are coming to steal cattle and some are pillaging ancient sites for artifacts," said Amir Ganor, the head of the authority's unit for the prevention of antiquity theft. "We haven't seen this sort of movement on the Green Line for a long time,"
Major targets for the robbers are archeological sites and ancient burial caves, said Ganor, who added that before the current wave of unrest his unit had identified two or three grave robbing attempts a month. "Now we have about 15 in a month," he said.
He went on to say that most of the pillaging is taking place along isolated stretches of the Green Line in the Judean hills, an area peppered with ancient sites, most dating to the Second Temple era. The Palestinians are mainly in search of burial caves where they hope to find ancient pots, coins, and oil lamps, which are sold to dealers.
Last weekend, authority agents and border policemen came across a group of men from the West Bank village of Idna near Beit Guvrin as they were digging up an ancient site. They captured one of the suspects, but the others fled. The robbers had been digging at a site called Hirbet Shem-Tov, causing irreparable damage to remains there and to adjacent terraces, dating to the Second Temple and Byzantine eras
Ganor said that the site, northeast of Moshav Amatzya, also included tunnels dating from the Bar Kochba revolt. The intruders had apparently been working for three nights before they were detected.
"This is one of the richest archeological areas in the country," he said. "We have caught some, but it is difficult. There are also fears that those crossing might be terrorists. We know there are terror cells in Idna and other villages just inside the West Bank." The suspected grave-robber was taken to the Kiryat Gat police station, where he was questioned and released on bail. If convicted, he faces up to three years in prison, but Antiquities Authority officials say the courts are often too lenient and often just fine offenders.
Greek snub to British Museum over marbles
Special report: the Elgin marbles
http://www.guardianunlimited.co.uk/elgin/
David Hencke Westminster correspondent Tuesday December 5, 2000
The Greek ambassador has snubbed the opening of the British Museum's new £100m Great Court by the Queen tomorrow because of a decision by the governors to hold a royal dinner in the galleries that house the Elgin marbles. Alexandros Sandis, the new ambassador, has declined an invitation to the opening and dinner, after pleading with the museum not to use the Duveen galleries which house the marbles for corporate entertaining. Greece wants the marbles, which it knows as the Parthenon sculptures, returned. The diplomatic dispute is the latest problem to mar the opening of Norman Foster's refurbishment of the Great Court following a row with English Heritage over the use of cheaper French instead of Portland stone to replace the demolished portico. A spokesman for the Greek embassy said: "We are upset and astonished that the British Museum has decided to use the Duveen galleries for this event. We think it is really insensitive of the museum, coming straight after revelations about the holding of corporate dinners there and a buffet lunch during a conference on the Parthenon sculptures last year. The ambassador has decided not to attend either the opening and the supper, as it would be discourteous to the Queen to arrive but leave before the supper took place." A British Museum spokesman confirmed it had received "a polite letter" from the ambassador declining the invitation. Some 1,500 dignitaries and VIPs will attend the opening of the new Great Court, which is now enclosed by a stylish glass roof over the historic British Museum Reading Room. After the opening 600 guests will sit down to dinner in three rooms, including the Duveen galleries. The opening is being attended by the Queen, the Duke of Edinburgh, Princess Margaret, and the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester. The duke, who is a trustee of the museum, will be the main royal guest at the supper. Buckingham Palace said that the Queen, who is travelling by train to Newcastle upon Tyne the following day, would not stay for the supper. The palace has had to allow extra time for the rail journey because of speed restrictions. The ambassador took the unusual step of writing to Buckingham Palace to explain why he could not attend. The Greek government is said to have been concerned that the Queen should not think this a personal snub. It is said also to have taken the opportunity to explain the dispute over the marbles and its concern about the sculptures being used as a centrepiece for dinner parties. A spokesman for the palace said it could not comment on private correspondence with other governments.
http://www.guardianunlimited.co.uk/uk_news/story/0,3604,406973,00.html
From: newsletter@theartnewspaper.com
Subject: The Art Newspaper, This week's top stories:
The Art Newspaper.com
http://www.theartnewspaper.com This week's top stories:
THE DESTRUCTION OF LHASA HONG KONG.
The Chinese government has significantly harshened its line on Tibet, reversing its policy on protecting cultural relics and widening its war against "splittism" [the movement to liberate Tibet from Chinese occupation] to include expressions of Tibetan culture.
http://www.theartnewspaper.com/news/article.asp?idart=4015 The destruction of Lhasa
Following this summer’s expulsion from the Tibetan capital of the Tibet Heritage Fund, Chinese authorities have fenced off the old city, apparently for demolition
By Jonathan Napack, j.napack@theartnewspaper.com
HONG KONG. The Chinese government has significantly harshened its line on Tibet, reversing its policy on protecting cultural relics and widening its war against “splittism” [the movement to liberate Tibet from Chinese occupation] to include expressions of Tibetan culture.
According to recent reports from Lhasa, capital of the Tibetan Autonomous Region or TAR (much of Tibet being already incorporated into the neighboring provinces of Qinghai, Yunnan and Sichuan), much of the area around Barkhor Square, the centre of the Tibetan city, has been fenced off, apparently but unconfirmably for demolition. Such destruction has already happened in much of the old town, although it is unclear whether this is due to corruption or official policy.
This follows the expulsion in August of the Tibet Heritage Fund, a non governmental organisation dedicated to the preservation of Tibetan architecture. The fund’s founder, André Alexander, and co-worker Pimpim de Azevedo were summarily deported, accused of “improper registration”, printing without a license (referring to their brochure) and not obtaining official approval for restoration work.
Two staff members, US and Japanese citizens, were allowed to remain to close down their office.
The fund was founded in 1996 and had cooperated with Lhasa’s Cultural Relics Bureau since 1997, restoring 76 buildings as old as the seventh century AD using traditional methods and materials. By employing 270 local craftsmen, they helped keep endangered skills alive (The Art Newspaper, No.101, March 2000). Its primary backer has been the German government, which provided DM500,000 ($230,000) in funding. Other donors include the French government and Britain’s Prince Charles.
Chinese officials have rebuffed high-profile interventions by US Ambassador Joseph Prueher and German ambassador Hans-Christian Überschär, seemingly sealing the fate of the fund. Meanwhile Indian-educated Tibetans have fallen victim to a large-scale purge of the tourist industry.
The impetus for the crackdown seems to have been the humiliating January 2000 defection of the Karmapa Lama, who had been the highest religious figure in Tibet. Frustrated by its failure to legitimatise its rule, Beijing has apparently reversed its previous policy of using restoration work to win over both foreigners and Tibetans. Many monasteries destroyed during the Cultural Revolution have been restored, often at great expense. Tibetans, of course, are less than grateful for this.
The strategy had been to make Tibet a touristic showcase while turning Tibetans themselves into a deracinated minority—similar to what the US, for example, did to Hawaii. But all signs indicate Beijing’s policy, oppressive at the best of times. is moving towards forced assimilation.
CZECH NATIONAL COLLECTIONS IN DISARRAY PRAGUE.
How seriously is Prague taking its designation as European City of Culture this year? With so many state collections in the city closed or in flux, one has to ask. The chaos may, in part, be determined by the lack of strong leadership at the helm of the National Collections which have had a new director almost every year since 1989, a situation which has not allowed for great stability or long-term planning. As we reach the end of the year these weaknesses are only too evident.
http://www.theartnewspaper.com/news/article.asp?idart=4014 Czech national collections in disarray
With so many museums in a seeming state of chaos, was this the year to honour Prague?
By Lucy Abel Smith
PRAGUE. How seriously is Prague taking its designation as European City of Culture this year? With so many state collections in the city closed or in flux, one has to ask. The chaos may, in part, be determined by the lack of strong leadership at the helm of the National Collections which have had a new director almost every year since 1989, a situation which has not allowed for great stability or long-term planning. As we reach the end of the year these weaknesses are only too evident.
The Sternberg Palace, heart of the 16th to 18th century collections, has just four rooms open, showing “highlights”. These include some of the magnificent paintings from the d’Este collection, and Dürer’s “Madonna of the Rose Garlands”, but not Rubens’s “Martyrdom of St Thomas” which has been deemed “too large to hang in a temporary setting”. The European collections are said to be reopening in the spring, but with fragments of fallen ceiling frescoes still visible on the floor it is difficult to imagine that the Palace will be ready by then.
The collections of Bohemian and Moravian art in the Convent of St George are much depleted, with few of the Mannerist and baroque canvases on show. Their important collection of early Bohemian sculpture and painting has been moved to the monastery of St Agnes, and in turn St Agnes’s collection of 19th-century art is to be moved in with the 20th-century art in the Veletrizni, the museum of modern art.
Just two rooms of the Decorative Arts Museum are open, with only a few costumes and pieces of glass on show, giving no hint of the richness of the rest of the collection. There is no advance warning of these limitations; the visitor must turn up and find out for himself.
It is true that at the Veletrizni the permanent collection of late 19th and 20th-century art has been reorganised. Perhaps this is because the new director of the National Galleries, Professor Milan Knizak is a conceptual artist himself. He is said to be in favour of breaking up old structures which he sees as socialist and “bad” and instead concentrating on individuals.
The new hang enables the viewer to study Czech painters such as Kupka, Filla and Gutfruned alongside Picasso, Braques and Gris. It would be even more exciting if the Cubist furniture and design were integrated with these canvases instead of being placed in little sections of their own.
The Czech contribution to 20th-century developments can now be reassessed and it stands up well. What a pity that this emphasis on the individual does not extend to the wonderful Czech contemporary glass makers, whose work is unlabelled.
The emphasis on the individual has produced another triumph with the new winter show “Vincenc Kramar: Old Masters to Picasso”, an exhibition of works collected by the director of the National Gallery in Prague from 1919 to 1939 both for himself and for the gallery.
As a committed communist, Kramar was removed from his post when the Nazis invaded. Privately, he collected Picasso, Braque and Gris and encouraged his fellow Czechs such as Filla, Kubista, Capek, Zrzavy and Spala. He also collected Old Master drawings.
This interesting mix of passions proved Kramar to be a fitting successor to the 18th-century founders of the National Collections. In his buying he included the work of the great International Gothic painters, the Mannerists of Rudolph’s Court and baroque painters of the quality of Brandl.
It was Kramar who bought Dürer’s “Madonna of the Rose Garlands” from the Strahov Monastery. He also went further afield adding great European canvases to the already rich collections. When he died in 1960, he left one-third of his Cubist collection, the best works, to the Czech State.
If the present uncertainties in Prague are going to result in more works of quality on show, then the present confusion will be worth it. But it is difficult to overcome the impression that the National Collections are overhoused. Should the restitution of St Georges Monastery follow? It is a pity that for the year 2000 Prague did not mount an exhibition of the quality or depth of the 1997 show about Rudolf II that drew the wealth of this great city together.
UNESCO LAUNCHES CODE OF ETHICS FOR DEALERS
LONDON.
In November, to mark its 30th anniversary, UNESCO finally launched the International Code of Ethics for Dealers in Cultural Property. The Code is not new, having been first published in 1994 and approved in November 1999 by the UNESCO General Conference, but now it will be communicated to dealers and dealer groups.
http://www.theartnewspaper.com/news/article.asp?idart=4012