France and UAE announce summit on culture and terrorism

Our daily round-up of news from the art world

France and UAE to host summit on culture and terrorism at Louvre Abu Dhabi | In an effort led by François Hollande and UAE president Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, a high level international conference on the risks posed to cultural heritage by terrorism is to take place at the Louvre Abu Dhabi. According to The Art Newspaper, dates for the talks have yet to be confirmed, but are tentatively scheduled for December to coincide with the planned opening of the museum, which is designed by Jean Nouvel. President Hollande has previously expressed hope for the establishment of a global fund to protect endangered heritage sites (French language article.)

£30 million Cultural Protection Fund calls for applications | In related news, a £30 million cultural protection fund established by the UK’s Department for Culture, Media and Sport and the British Council is now open for applications. The initiative targets areas of the Middle East where political turmoil, looting and terrorism have placed heritage sites in a perilous position. The fund is offering small annual grants of up to £100,000, as well as funding for larger projects of up to £500,000. It is also possible to apply for grants as large as £3 million, stretching over several years. Applications for this first round of funding close on 31 August.

Turner Contemporary announces Clive Stevens as new chair | Margate’s Turner Contemporary gallery has appointed Clive Stevens as its new chair, following the resignation of Stephen Sunnucks. Stevens, a chartered accountant by training, has served as the institution’s vice Chair since 2008.

Woodward Gallery refutes collector lawsuit | Collector Nira Levine has filed a lawsuit against Manhattan’s Woodward Gallery, accusing the dealership of convincing her to put money towards a set of fake Andy Warhol prints. Levine claims that she agreed to split the $180,000 cost of 90 prints from Warhol’s ‘Space Fruit’ series (1979) with the gallery owners, but later discovered the series numbered only 76 prints. Co-owner Kristine Woodward has refuted Levine’s claims.

Update 8 July 2016: Woodward Gallery has released the following statement to Apollo:

Woodward Gallery emphatically refutes Nira Levine’s baseless and inflammatory allegations. The Spacefruit prints which Levine, an art dealer herself, purchased through the gallery, were authenticated with a rating of ‘A’ by the Andy Warhol Art Authentication Board. The Andy Warhol Foundation has just confirmed those findings. The original Certificates of Authenticity were transferred to Nira Levine when she took possession of the prints in 2014. The prints themselves are additionally stamped with the aforementioned ‘A’ numbers. Accordingly, there is no factual basis for her to now – or ever – claim that the prints are fake. It is shameful that Nira Levine would assert a dubious statement to the press when she in fact has obvious proof of her investment in hand.

Jean-Pierre Bertrand (1937–2016) | Artist Jean-Pierre Bertrand has died in Paris at the age of 79. (French language article.) Born in the French capital in 1937, Bertrand studied at the École Nationale de Photo-Cinéma, and though he would continue working with film throughout his career, his practice also took in drawing, painting and many other media. In 1995, he received a public commission for the opening of the Bibliothèque Nationale de France in Paris’s 13th arrondissement, and in 1999, he represented France at the 48th Venice Biennale.