UK Welcomes Restitution, Just not Anti-Colonialism

August 29, 2022 • View in browser

Good morning. 🌤️ We have a wide array of stories from around the world, so let’s get started.

Record-setting droughts in China have caused the waters of the Yangtze river to recede, revealing a 600-year-old Buddha statue. While in London, history is washing up on the shores of the Thames, and in New Mexico, a high-tech, experiential festival returns to staging live events.

And Dan Hicks responds to Arts Council England’s new restitution guidelines for museums. “The work of cultural restitution must be about what we give up, not just what or how we give back.”

We also have a report on an exhibition in Lower Manhattan about the Bill of Rights that just doesn’t work.

And the topic of PPP loans has been in the news recently, and we wanted to remind you about our report on who got loans in the art world back in 2020.

— Hrag Vartanian, editor-in-chief

UK Welcomes Restitution, Just not Anti-Colonialism

“The work of cultural restitution must be about what we give up, not just what or how we give back,” writes Dan Hicks in response to Arts Council England’s new restitution guidelines for museums. | Dan Hicks

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A once-submerged island has emerged from the Yangtze River, revealing a trio of 600-year-old Buddhist statues.

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ART & BOOKS

An Important Interactive Exhibition That Doesn't Work

The exhibition Shall Make, Shall Be at Manhattan’s Federal Hall wants to educate us critically about the Bill of Rights amendments, but nearly half of the installations are already dysfunctional. | Billy Anania

A New Mexico Arts Festival Goes Full Immersive

The site-specific, high-tech, experiential festival is coming back to the streets of Taos. | Steve Jansen

London’s History, Washed Up on the Shores of the Thames

Author Malcolm Russell's novel approach to history — finding it as it washes up on the riverbanks — makes the past seem very much alive. | Lauren Moya Ford

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