The Centre Pompidou in Paris has acquired 18 NFTs, and the Los Angeles County Museum of Art has accepted a gift of 13 digital artworks, the largest acquisition of this kind in the United States. The Pompidou brought in works that defined the beginning of the NFT movement, including Greg Solano’s Crypto Punks #110, which became a symbol of the 2021 NFT craze. The donation to LACMA includes not only artworks on blockchain, but the first decentralized book created on Ethereum.
Greece is changing a law regarding exhibiting the nation’s antiquities in other countries. The law allows five of Greece’s most important museums to create satellite branches outside Greece instead of loaning antiquities to other institutions. Several archeologists state they will attempt to block the law in court, as it could allow artifacts to be exhibited overseas for decades.
Turkey and Syria continue to need your help. Artist Nazim Ünal Yilmaz is organizing a benefit exhibition to open on March 3rd. Ünal Yilmaz will put his own works up for sale and is also soliciting donations from fellow artists. Each artwork is priced at 1000 euros, and the artist of the works sold will decide which organization should receive the funds.
There’s a new competition reality TV show. In it, artists compete to show their work at the Hirshhorn Museum in Washington, D.C. The show The Exhibit: Finding the Next Great Artist features 7 emerging artists who compete by making work responding to a weekly theme, judged by the institution’s director, Melissa Chiu.
The 14th edition of the India Art Fair in South Delhi wrapped up on Sunday, and emerging collectors made their presence known. Despite the absence of blue chip galleries like David Zwirner or White Cube, the fair is cultivating young buyers. The Young Collectors Program features experimental works such as videos and street art, and the prices are rarely over $3000.
In Russia, the director of Moscow’s State Tretyakov Gallery, Zelfira Tregulova, has been removed from her position following Vladimir Putin’s complaint that the museum was not adhering to “traditional Russian spiritual and moral values.” The art historian has been publicly sceptical of Russian elites’ extreme patriotism since the country’s invasion of Ukraine. She will be replaced by Elena Pronicheva, the daughter of one of Putin’s top military officials.
A 7.8 magnitude earthquake hit southeast Turkey and northwest Syria on February 6, destroying large parts of the countries’ architecture, infrastructure, and historic ruins, and leaving a climbing death toll that now sits at 20.000 people. In Turkey, all arts events are suspended, and galleries and museums are closed. Here’s what artists and art institutions are doing to provide relief, and here’s how you can help:
https://twitter.com/refikanadol/status/1622623521104089090
Media artist Refik Anadol has set up an ETH wallet to fundraise for AFAD Turkey, the Ministry of Interior Disaster and Emergency Management Authority.
Turkish rock star Haluk Levent and the charity organization Ahbap have set up a multi-signature wallet on BNB Chain to solicit crypto donations for earthquake victims. Digital artist Murat Pak donated 100ETH to Ahbap through the wallet and has launched an NFT platform to continue soliciting donations to aid those impacted by the disaster.
https://www.instagram.com/p/Cob2RE9MwWn/
https://www.instagram.com/ihtiyacharitasiofficial/
Institutions like the Istanbul Foundation for Culture and Arts are using their spaces to collect supplies to send to the areas most affected by the earthquake. They are still accepting donations, and you can find the daily list of supplies they are requesting on their Instagram page.
https://instagram.com/ashkal_alwan?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=
The Non-profit Beirut-based organization Ashkal Alwan is raising funds for Syria and Turkey through Instagram. Visit their profile to see which organizations and funds they are highlighting and how you can support people in these regions during this emergency.
The organization Molham is also soliciting donations for people affected by the earthquake in both Turkey and Syria. Based in Turkey, the organization is not only helping to raise funds for earthquake victims but is providing on-the-ground help that can respond to the community’s needs in real time.