NATIONAL GALLERY OF VICTORIA PRESENTS EXHIBITION OF RON MUECK'S WORKS

THE NATIONAL GALLERY OF VICTORIA, MELBOURNE, PRESENTS A MAJOR EXHIBITION OF THE WORK OF INTERNATIONALLY RENOWNED SCULPTOR RON MUECK. KNOWN FOR HIS EXTRAORDINARY LIFE-LIKE CREATIONS, THE EXHIBITION FEATURES TWELVE SCULPTURES BY MUECK INCLUDING FOUR NEW WORKS. THIS IS THE LARGEST AND MOST COMPREHENSIVE MUECK EXHIBITION EVER TO BE HELD IN AUSTRALIA. DAVID HURLSTON, CURATOR AUSTRALIAN ART, SAID RON MUECK'S POIGNANT SCULPTURES ILLUSTRATE TIMELESS HUMAN CONDITIONS FROM BIRTH TO DEMISE. THE EXHIBITION DRAWS FROM AUSTRALIAN AND INTERNATIONAL COLLECTIONS, HIGHLIGHTS INCLUDE: 'MASK II 2001/02', 'MAN IN A BOAT, 'OLD WOMAN IN BED', 'WILD MAN', 'TWO WOMEN', 'IN BED', AND THROUGH THE GENEROSITY OF A PRIVATE COLLECTOR FROM THE UNITED STATES, THE ICONIC WORK 'DEAD DAY'. IN ADDITION TO THESE THERE ARE A NUMBER OF NEW WORKS CREATED SPECIFICALLY FOR THE EXHIBITION WHICH WERE UNVEILED FOR THE FIRST TIME IN MELBOURNE.
IN HIS EARLY CAREER MELBOURNE-BORN MUECK WORKED AS A PUPPET MAKER, HOWEVER SINCE 1997 HE HAS BEEN ENTIRELY DEVOTED TO MAKING SCULPTURE. IN 1996, HE WAS 'DISCOVERED' BY THE BRITISH ADVERTISING GURU CHARLES SAATCHI, WHO INCLUDING MUECK'S 'DEAD DAD' AS PART OF THE HISTORY MAKING SENSATION EXHIBITION THE FOLLOWING YEAR. MUECK WENT ON TO REPRESENT AUSTRALIA AT THE 2001 VENICE BIENNALE, CAPTURING WORLDWIDE ATTENTION FOR HIS 4.5 METER SCULPTURE, 'CROUCHING BOY'. SINCE THEN, HE HAS BECOME ONE OF THE MOST SIGNIFICANT FIGURES IN THE CONTEMPORARY ART WORLD.

GEORGIA ART MUSEUMS COLLABORATE TO SHARE RESOURCES AND COLLECTIONS ACROSS STATE

THE HIGH MUSEUM OF ART, ATLANTA, IN COLLABORATION WITH FOUR GEORGIA MUSEUMS, HAS ESTABLISHED THE GEORGIA ART MUSEUM PARTNERSHIP INITIATIVE, THE FIRST OF ITS KIND IN THE STATE THAT WILL ALLOW FOR THE SHARING OF RESOURCES AND COLLECTIONS AMONG MUSEUMS IN GEORGIA AND THE SOUTHEAST. THE FIVE PARTNERING MUSEUMS ARE THE HIGH MUSEUM OF ART, THE ALBANY MUSEUM OF ART, THE COLUMBUS MUSEUM, THE TELFAIR MUSEUM OF ART (SAVANNAH) AND THE GEORGIA MUSEUM OF ART (ATHENS). FOR THIS THREE YEAR PILOT INITIATIVE, THESE PARTNERS WILL DRAW ON EACH OTHER'S RESOURCES FOR EXHIBITIONS AND LOANS OF INDIVIDUAL OBJECTS, PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT WORKSHOPS AND CONSULTATIONS AND COLLECTION STORAGE. 'THIS NEW PROGRAM WILL BENEFIT THE PEOPLE OF GEORGIA AND WILL BE MUTUALLY VALUABLE TO THE HIGH AND ITS PARTNERS', SAID MICHAEL E SHAPIRO, THE HIGH'S NANCY AND HOLCOMBE T GREEN, JR DIRECTOR. 'JUST AS WE'VE SEEN GREAT SUCCESS FROM OUR PAST PARTNERSHIPS WITH RENOWNED MUSEUMS INCLUDING THE LOUVRE AND THE MUSEUM OF MODERN ART, WE HOPE TO CREATE A FULL ECOLOGY OF PARTNERSHIPS HERE IN GEORGIA. TOGETHER, WE WILL WORK TO ENGAGE A WIDER AUDIENCE WITH GREAT ART AND EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMMING, INSPIRE COLLABORATION AND STRONGER RELATIONSHIPS WITH PARTNER INSTITUTIONS AND ENHANCE ART MUSEUMS AND THEIR COMMUNITIES ACROSS THE REGION.' DURING THE INITIATIVE, THE PARTNERING MUSEUMS WILL NOT ONLY DRAW ON EACH OTHER, THEY WILL ALSO PARTICIPATE IN CUSTOMIZED WORKSHOPS. WORKSHOP TOPICS INCLUDE FUND-RAISING, PUBLIC RELATIONS AND MARKETING, EXHIBITION DESIGN AND COLLABORATION BETWEEN CURATORS AND EDUCATORS. THESE MEETINGS WILL CREATE OPPORTUNITIES FOR COLLEAGUES TO SHARE IDEAS, RECEIVE FEEDBACK AND RELAY SUCCESSES. THE GEORGIA ART MUSEUM PARTNERSHIP WILL PROVIDE STAFF MEMBERS FROM EACH INSTITUTION ACCESS TO A STATEWIDE SUPPORT SYSTEM, WHICH WOULD INCLUDE PROFESSIONAL CONSULTATIONS AND CURATORIAL RESIDENCIES.

JAMIE HAYON RE-DESIGNS FABERGE GENEVA BOUTIQUE

DESIGNER JAMIE HAYON HAS RE-DESIGNED THE NEW FABERGE BOUTIQUE IN GENEVA, GIVING IT A STUNNING NEW LOOK. HAYON LEFT NO STONE UNTURNED TO CREATE THE STORE IN THE EPITOME OF SHEER LUXURY AND BEAUTIFULLY ADDED GLAMOR REMINISCENT OF THE ART DECO PERIOD. THE ELEGANT AND LUXURIOUS SHOP FOR THE UBER-RICH OVERPOWERS YOU WITH THE FULL HEIGHT INTERCONNECTING DOORS WITH TINTED GLASS OF CUT OUT GEM-SHAPED PANELS. THE GEM PATTERN ALLOWS THE NATURAL DAYLIGHT TO BE RETAINED AND ENHANCE THE BEAUTY OF THE CLASSIC INTERIORS. THE FINISHES ARE DONE USING A COMBINATION OF EXQUISITE MATERIALS SUCH AS CARRARA MARBLE, RARE WOODS, AND SILK DRAPES. THE MAIN VIEWING SALON REFLECTS THE FEEL OF AN INTIMATE AND INVITING LIVING ROOM WITH DELICATELY COLOURED SEATING ARRANGEMENTS AND A MIRRORED CEILING ADDING THE FINISHING TOUCH TO THE ELEGANTLY REFURBISHED BOUTIQUE.

EXPERTS MAY HAVE FOUND BONES TO ENGLISH PRINCESS EADGYTH

SHE WAS A BEAUTIFUL ENGLISH PRINCESS WHO MARRIED ONE OF EUROPE'S MOST POWERFUL MONARCHS AND DAZZLED SUBJECTS WITH HER CHARITY AND CHARM. NOW A TEAM OF BRITISH AND GERMAN EXPERTS SAY THEY THINK THEY'VE FOUND THE BODY OF PRINCESS EADGYTH (PRONOUNCED EDITH), A 10th CENTURY NOBLEWOMAN WHO HAS BEEN COMPARED TO PRINCESS DIANA. 'SHE WAS A VERY, VERY POPULAR PERSON', SAID MARK HORTON, AN ARCHAEOLOGY PROFESSOR AT BRISTOL UNIVERSITY IN WESTERN ENGLAND. 'SHE WAS SORT OF THE DIANA OF HER DAY IF YOU LIKE, PRETTY AND FULL OF GOOD WORKS.' HORTON IS ONE OF A TEAM OF EXPERTS WORKING TO VERIFY THE IDENTITY OF SOME BONES FOUND BUNDLED IN SILK IN MAGDEBURG CATHEDRAL IN GERMANY. SHOULD THE SKELETON BE POSITIVELY IDENTIFIED AS BELONGING TO EADGYTH, IT WOULD BE THE OLDEST REMAINS OF ANY ENGLISH ROYAL DISCOVERED SO FAR. EXPERTS SAY HER CLOSEST COMPETITORS, THE VARIOUS SAXON ROYALS IN WINCHESTER CATHEDRAL IN SOUTHERN ENGLAND, ARE SO HOPELESSLY JUMBLED TOGETHER THAT NO SINGLE PERSON CAN BE IDENTIFIED. THE SKELETON WAS UNCOVERED AS PART OF A WIDER RESEARCH PROJECT INTO MAGDEBURG CATHEDRAL, ABOUT 90 MILES WEST OF BERLIN. THE ELABORATE 16th CENTURY MONUMENT IN WHICH HER BODY WAS FOUND WAS LONG THOUGHT TO BE EMPTY. WHEN ARCHAEOLOGISTS OPENED THE MONUMENT IN 2008, THEY FOUND A LEAD COFFIN BEARING HER NAME AND CARRYING A NEARLY COMPLETE SET OF BONES WRAPPED IN SILK. HORTON SAID THE SKELETON BELONGED TO A WOMAN BETWEEN 30 YEARS AND 40 YEARS OF AGE. BUT THERE IS SOME DOUBT IT IS THE LATE ROYAL: HISTORIANS BELIEVE EADGYTH'S BODY WAS MOVED AT LEAST ONCE, AND MAY HAVE REPLACED IN THE TOMB WITH THOSE OF ANOTHER PERSON. TESTS WILL NOW BE PERFORMED TO FIGURE OUT THE AGE OF THE BONES AND WHERE THEY CAME FROM.
EADGYTH GREW UP AT THE DAWN OF THE 10th CENTURY, A PERIOD DURING WHICH HER HALF BROTHER ATHELSTAN EXTENDED HIS RULE OVER ALL OF ENGLAND AND DREW ON HIS SISTERS TO CEMENT HIS INFLUENCE AMONG FOREIGN RULERS. EADGYTH WAS DESTINED FOR DUKE OTTO OF SAXONY, A WARLORD'S SON WHO WOULD EVENTUALLY RISE TO BECOME THE FIRST RULER OF THE HOLY ROMAN EMPIRE. TRADITION HOLDS THAT SHE AND HER YOUNGER SISTER ADIVA WERE BOTH PRESENTED TO OTTO, WHO WAS INVITED TO PICK WHICH ONE HE LIKED BEST. EADGYTH'S LOOKS AND CHARM WON OUT OVER HER SISTER'S YOUTH.

BBC ORDERS AUCTION HOUSE TO REMOVE NEO-CLASSICAL PAINTING IN CASE NIPPLE OFFENDS VIEWERS

BBC BOSSES RECENTLY ORDERED AN AUCTION HOUSE TO REMOVE A NEO-CLASSICAL OIL PAINTING OF A SEMI-NAKED WOMAN IN CASE HER EXPOSED NIPPLE MAY OFFEND VIEWERS. AUCTIONEER ALAN ALDRIDGE WAS BEING FILMED FOR FLOG IT!, BBC2'S DAYTIME ANTIQUE PROGRAM, WHEN THE PRODUCTION TEAM ASKED HIM TO TAKE DOWN THE 19th CENTURY OIL PAINTING. IT FEATURES THE MYTHICAL GREEK GODDESS ARIADNE HOLDING A GOBLET OF WINE WITH HER LEFT BREAST EXPOSED. ALDRIDGE WHO RUNS ALDRIDGE AUCTIONEERS IN DEVIZES, WILTSHIRE, OFFERED TO COVER THE OFFENDING NIPPLE, BUT WAS STILL TOLD TO TAKE THE CANVAS DOWN. HE SAID: 'IT IS ABSOLUTELY RIDICULOUS. THIS IS A 19th CENTURY NEO-CLASSICAL WORK OF ART. I CAN'T IMAGINE ANYONE GETTING OFFENDED OVER A NAKED NIPPLE THESE DAYS. I TRIED PUTTING A POST-IT NOTE OVER THE OFFENDING PART OF HER ANATOMY, BUT THAT WASN'T GOOD ENOUGH APPARENTLY.' FLOG IT! PRESENTER PAUL MARTIN, WHO LIVES IN NEARBY SEEND AND USED TO RUN AN ANTIQUES SHOP, DEFENDED THE DECISION SAYING VIEWERS WOULD COMPLAIN. HE SAID: 'YES, THEY HAD TO HAVE THE PAINTING MOVED. IT WASN'T A BIG DEAL BUT THEY DO GET COMPLAINTS ABOUT THIS SORT OF THING. YOU'D BE SURPRISED.' THE CREW WERE FILMING FOR AN EPISODE OF FLOG IT! WHICH IS DUE TO BE AIRED IN THE SPRING. VIEWERS OF THE 30-MINUTE PROGRAM, WHICH INVOLVES MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC TRYING TO MAKE MONEY OUT OF THEIR ANTIQUES, WILL HOWEVER SEE A SINGLE STRAND OF ELVIS PRESLEY'S HAIR BEING SOLD FOR £350. DURING THE SHOW A COLLECTION OF FOOTBALL PROGRAMS ALSO SOLD FOR £670.

600 YEAR OLD PIRATE SKULL STOLEN FROM GERMAN MUSEUM

A 600 YEAR OLD SKULL BELIEVED TO BE THAT OF A LEGENDARY GERMAN PIRATE HAS BEEN STOLEN FROM A MUSEUM IN HAMBURG, GERMANY, THE MUSEUM'S DIRECTOR SAID WEDNESDAY. KLAUS STOERTEBEKER WAS THE MOST FAMOUS GERMAN PIRATE OF THE MIDDLE AGES. HE IS BELIEVED TO HAVE BEN BEHEADED BY AUTHORITIES IN 1400 IN HAMBURG, TOGETHER WITH 30 OF HIS FOLLOWERS. THE HEADS WERE NAILED ON PILLARS AT THE ENTRANCE OF THE HAMBURG HARBOUR IN AN EFFORT TO DETER WOULD BE PIRATES. THE SKULL WAS STOLEN FROM THE MUSEUM FOR HAMBURG HISTORY ON 8.JANUARY, BUT THE MUSEUM DIDN'T IMMEDIATELY ANNOUNCE THE THEFT SO AS NOT THE HAMPER THE INVESTIGATION. IT WASN'T CLEAR HOW THE EXHIBIT WAS STOLEN, OR WHY. THE SKULL, WHICH IS PERFORATED BY A MASSIVE NAIL, WAS FOUND DURING BUILDING WORK IN 1878 ON THE SITE WHERE THE EXECUTION IS SAID TO HAVE TAKEN PLACE. SINCE 1922, IT HAS BEEN AT THE HISTORY MUSEUM, WHERE IT WAS PRESENTED BEHIND GLASS BESIDE A RECONSTRUCTION OF STOERTEBEKER'S FACE. HE AND HIS FOLLOWERS ARE SAID TO HAVE OPERATED IN THE NORTH AND BALTIC SEAS IN THE 14th CENTURY.

PRINCE WILLIAM SHOWS OFF HIS SHOOTING SKILLS IN AUSTRALIA

PRINCE WILLIAM RECENTLY DEMONSTRATED THAT HE IS A TRULY FORMIDABLE SHOT. HE PARTICIPATED IN A LIVE AMMUNITION FIRING EXERCISE ON THE OUTSKIRTS OF SYDNEY THAT LEFT MORE EXPERIENCED SOLDIERS FULL OF ADMIRATION FOR HIS SKILLS. THE PRINCE SCORED A RATING DESCRIBED AS 'EXCELLENT' BY ONE OF THE SENIOR OFFICERS EVEN THOUGH, UNDER PRESSURE FROM THE WORLD'S MEDIA, HE WAS USING A RIFLE THAT HE HAD NEVER FIRED BEFORE. PRINCE WILLIAM, WHO WAS WEARING CIVILIAN CLOTHES AND USING PROTECTIVE EAR PLUGS, LAY ON THE GROUND TO FIRE REAL BULLETS AT A TARGET 100 METERS AWAY AT THE HOLSWORTHY ARMY BARRACKS. HE SCORED A RATING OF 104 WHICH REPRESENTED THE AVERAGE SPREAD IN MILLIMETERS BETWEEN ALL THE BULLETS FROM HIS FOUR FIVE-ROUND GROUPS. EACH OF THE ROUNDS WAS FIRED INTO A CIRCULAR, WHITE TARGET AS THE SOUND OF GUNFIRE ECHOED ALL AROUND THE FIRING RANGE, LT COL TRENT SCOTT, THE COMMANDING OFFICER OF THE PARAS FROM THE 3rd BATTALION OF THE ROYAL AUSTRALIAN REGIMENT, WAS TOLD THE SCORE BY THE PRINCE. 'THAT'S GOOD, THAT'S EXCELLENT', HE REPLIED, CLEARLY HUGELY IMPRESSED. PRINCE WILLIAM WHO WAS ON HIS FOURTH DAY OF HIS FOREIGN TOUR REPRESENTING THE QUEEN, FIRED AN F-88 AUSTEYR PERSONAL RIFLE, USED BY THE REGIMENT'S SOLDIERS WHO SERVED IN AFGHANISTAN IN 2008. HE ALSO FIRED A F-89 MINIMI MACHINE-GUN. THERE WAS NO SCORE FOR THIS EXERCISE BUT HE HIT HIS TARGET WITH ALL THE 100 ROUNDS FIRED FROM THE 'BELT'. THE YOUNG PRINCE POSED FOR A GROUP PHOTOGRAPH WITH THE UNIFORMED SOLDIERS, WHO THEN PRESENTED HIM WITH A BROWN 'SLOUCH HAT' TO PROTECT HIM FROM THE SCORCHING SUN. HE FLEETINGLY PUT IT ON AND WAS ASKED IF IT FITTED. 'NOT QUITE, NO. BUT IT'S THE THOUGHT THAT COUNTS!', HE REPLIED.