This month in our regular roundup of news you may have missed, we have fine art controversies, television honors, musical passings, and a criminal misstep by a corporate art collector.æ
Salvador Dali Ordered Exhumed in Paternity Case. æIn a case of life being more surreal than art, a Spanish tarot card reader has brought a suit claiming she is the daughter of Salvador Dali äóñ and has successfully convinced a judge to exhume the artistäó»s remains. Though Dali never had children with his lifelong love Gala, the tarot reader claims she was conceived when her mother had an affair with Dali. The exhumation is now scheduled for 8pm Thursday, July 20th.
If her suit is succesful, the plaintiff would have the right to use Dali’s name, and could claim a portion of his estate.
Celebrated Florida Collector Estelle Berg Passes Away. Estelle Berg and her husband Paul started collecting art in the late 1960s, quickly becoming the heart of the South Florida art scene äóñ at a time when that sort of support was even more vital than it is now. Estelle passed away at age 76 on June 27th, and the Miami Herald has a vital retrospective.
Emmy Nominations Announced. The nominations for the years best television were led by HBOäó»s Westworld and NBCäó»s Saturday Night Live, with more than 20 nominations each. Other notable nominations include The Handmaidäó»s Tale, Atlanta, Silicon Valley, and House of Cards. A full list can be found here.
Broady Cityäó»s Abbi Jacobson has a New Fine Art Podcast. Produced in collaboration with WNYC, the show willæexplore modern art with the help of offbeat guests from Hannibal Buress to RuPaul. Itäó»s called äóìA Piece of Work,äó and the first episode dropped July 10th on iTunes and other podcast platforms.
Hobby Lobby Smuggled Artifacts From Iraq.æIn easily the oddest arts news of the last month (and yes, I’m including Dali being exhumed), the craft chain Hobby Lobby was caught buying ancient cuneiform tablets and other objects that had been illegally smuggled out of Iraq. The acquisitions were part of the companyäó»s commitment to collecting Biblical artifacts, but the Department of Justice has said the company had plenty of warning about the objectsäó» suspect origins.
As a recent Washington Post contributor pointed out, smuggling of artifacts often funds terrorism in unstable regions, while eroding the cultural heritage of some of the most important civilizations in human history. The chain has now been slapped with a $3 million fine and has to return the items.
Chelsea Manning Mounts DNA Portraiture Show.æThe former government leaker, recently released from prison, will be the subject/collaborator of a series of sculpturesæshowing at New Yorkäó»s Fridman Gallery starting August 2nd. During her time in prison, Manning sent cheek swabs and hair clippings to the artist Heather Dewey-Hagborg, who used them äóñ exactly how isnäó»t totally clear äóñ to make a series of 3-D portraits of Manning.
Linkin Part Frontman Chester Bennington Dead at 41.æBennington reportedly took his own life after struggling with depression. He was the frontman of one of the biggest nu-metal bands of the 1990s and early 2000s. He also, for a short while, fronted grunge pioneers Stone Temple Pilots.
