ISIS Executions in Palmyra

Our daily round-up of news from the art world

ISIS Perform Executions in Palmyra | Horrific scenes have been reported in Palmyra, where ISIS militants have reportedly executed three prisoners by tying them to ancient columns, which they then blew up. If reports prove valid, it can only be hoped that this does not mark a terrifying new strategy in the so-called Islamic State’s systematic destruction of the UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Egypt: Project Launched to Scan Pyramids | Egypt’s Ministry of Antiquities has announced an ambitious plan to conduct a thorough 3D scan of the country’s pyramids, reports The Art Newspaper. The aim of the international effort is to probe the ancient structures for hidden spaces without inflicting damage on their fragile interiors. 3D scanning has recently been used successfully to help conserve the tomb of Pharaoh Tutankhamun.

Rare 8th-Century Brooch ‘At Risk of Leaving UK’ | Following news that Rembrandt’s Portrait of Catrina Hooghsaet may remain in the UK after all, the UK Culture Ministry has placed a temporary export bar on a rare Anglo-Saxon brooch. If a domestic buyer cannot be found to match the £8,460 asking price by the time the export bar expires at the end of January, the artefact may well leave British shores.

Njideka Akunyili Crosby Awarded Studio Museum Prize | The Studio Museum in Harlem has named Nigerian-born artist Njideka Akunyili Crosby as the winner of its $50,000 Wein Prize, reports the New York Times. The award, which celebrates African American art, is not the only prize the Studio Museum has been involved with of late. Last week, director Thelma Golden was named winner of the Bard Curatorial Award. Happy days.

Chun Kyung-Ja (1924–2015) | Korean painter Chun Kyung-ja has died from ‘chronic illness’ at the age of 91, reports ArtAsiaPacific. Chun, who staged her first solo exhibition in 1946, was one of South Korea’s most respected artists. She had been in retirement since 1991.