May 2003 CAA News
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NEWS PHOTO CREDIT: ANTONIO QUATTRONE, COURTESY OF THE BARGELLO NEWSLETTER OF THE COLLEGE ART ASSOCIATION Volume 28, Number 3 MAY 2003 Andrea del Verrocchio, David (ca. 1465) Detail: head of Goliath before restoration. HIGH MUSEUM CAA STATEMENT ON IRAQ LOOTING TO SHOW n April 16, 2003, the Executive Committee of the CAA Board of Directors unanimously approved the following statement regarding the looting and RESTORED DAVID destruction of cultural institutions in Iraq, which was then sent to President OGeorge W. Bush: hen the fifteenth-century David by Andrea del Verrocchio is The College Art Association registers its outrage at the failure of government and mili- exhibited outside Italy for the Wfirst time this fall, it will look different. tary forces, including those of the United States, to protect the National Museum and National Library of Iraq. These institutions housed the artistic and cultural heritage not The bronze will be dark brown, with touches of gold leaf on the figure’s head, only of the people of Iraq, but also of the world. We call upon you to take immediate garment, and boots. A reconstruction of action to prevent further looting, to protect the remaining artistic and archeological sites the original sword will substitute for the of Iraq, and to initiate an aggressive campaign to restore the contents of the National familiar blade, itself a replacement. Most Museum and other cultural institutions to the people of Iraq. startling, Goliath’s head will be next to As the largest association for visual arts professionals, the College Art Association David’s left foot instead of wedged promotes the highest levels of creativity and scholarship in the practice, teaching, and between his feet. interpretation of the visual arts. These dramatic changes are the result of a collaboration between the Museo Nazionale del Bargello in Florence and the High Museum of Art in Atlanta. The exhibition, Verrocchio’s David Restored: ARTSPACE IN ACTION A Renaissance Bronze from the National Museum of the Bargello, Florence, will RTspace at the 2003 CAA Annual be on view at the High Museum from Conference in New York was energetic, November 15, 2003, to February 8, 2004. dynamic, moving, riveting and full of amaz- Gary M. Radke, professor of fine arts at Aing presentations. Beginning with coffee each morn- Syracuse University in Syracuse, NY, is ing, and with videotapes to view throughout the day guest curator. from the University of California, Los Angeles’s The restoration is being done at the AIM: Art in Motion III, the annual festival of digital Bargello by the conservator Ludovica and time-based artwork, ARTspace in New York Nicolai, under the supervision of the proved to be another successful juncture of art and Opificio delle Pietre Dure, an autonomous institute of the Italian PHOTO CREDIT: LARRY BARNS artists, surprises and discussion, and activism and Ministry for Cultural Heritage. A new Shirin Neshat. Tooba Series, 2002. 3 toned silver networking. gelatin prints. 31 x 38" © 2002 Shirin Neshat. laser technology has been used to remove Courtesy Barbara Gladstone Following a dynamic panel led by Ted Berger of dirt and black varnish from the statue— the New York Foundation for the Arts on “Freedom which is 47 inches high and weighs more of Expression: Now More Than Ever?”, and in some ways a linked thread, Moukhtar than 300 pounds—without damage to the Kocache of the Lower Manhattan Cultural Council (LMCC) talked about his organiza- gold leaf. tion’s artist residency projects after the World Trade Center disaster and LMCC’s outreach CONTINUED ON PAGE 22 to other locations, as well as some of the issues artists are addressing in these residencies. On a lighter note, in the afternoon, five “Irony Chefs” concocted theories and lectures in IN THIS ISSUE a hybrid of an academic panel and the popular cooking show. (Loved that sock monkey!) Paul Tschinkel and Jo Ann Wein presented issues about video and film interviews with 2003 Annual Conference artists and their value as educational (in the larger sense) tools. Then the first ever “Open 3 Wrap-Up Laptop Social”—where conference attendees were invited to showcase their work on their New Board Members Elected CONTINUED ON PAGE 22 8 2005 Call for Session 11 Proposals INSIDE: CAA RESPONDS TO IRAQ. See Page 2 Organization) convened a meeting of Iraqi FROM THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR and international cultural experts in Paris on April 17, and issued the following state- s I write Mesopotamian Archaeology at the Oriental ment: “The meeting deplores and is deeply this in mid- Institute, University of Chicago. Gibson shocked by the extensive damage to and April 2003, has been extensively quoted in the press looting of the cultural heritage of Iraq Athe news of the and has been particularly active in seeking caused by the recent conflict. It calls on wholesale looting of to protect institutions, monuments, and the coalition forces to observe the princi- the National sites in Iraq from damage during the war. ples of the 1954 Hague Convention for the PHOTO CREDIT: ANDREI RALKO Museum of Iraq and The focus of the task force was for- Protection of Cultural Property in the Susan Ball, CAA the burning of the ward-looking. As a community, our most Event of Armed Conflict and its two Executive Director National Library and pressing responsibility is to identify posi- Protocols.” This was followed by a list of National Archives of tive steps to ameliorate this despicable sit- six recommendations consistent with those Baghdad is still fresh. By the time CAA uation. The task force established immedi- made by the Heritage Emergency National members receive this issue of CAA News, ate priorities: “1) communicate with Task Force. (The full text and a list of par- events will have progressed further. Al- cultural-heritage professionals in Iraq to ticipants can be found at www.collegeart. though the exact scale of the loss is not yet obtain a list of their needs and priorities; org and www.unesco.org.) known (and may never be fully known), 2) call for the immediate protection of cul- Several international organizations, we do know that the world has lost many tural resources and assets located in Iraq; such as the International Council of thousands of cultural artifacts, works of 3) call for the inclusion of cultural-heritage Museums (ICOM), have issued statements art, manuscripts, and documents, as well as needs in the U.S. Agency for International warning art dealers, auction houses, collec- records of the history of archaeology and Development’s (USAID) program of tors, and museums against acquisition of other vital sources of the history and cul- reconstruction activities for Iraq [see www. objects that belong to the Iraqi heritage ture of Mesopotamia, Iraq, and Islam. usaid.gov/iraq/activities. html; culture (see www.icom.museum). Following the Like many other organizations, CAA was not included in the initial request for 1991 Gulf War, objects from thirteen loot- has drafted a formal letter of protest and proposals from the U.S. government for ed museums later showed up on the inter- concern in response to this terrible destruc- Iraq’s reconstruction, nor were NGOs or national art market. Interpol has been alert- tion, addressed to the president of the nonprofit organizations allowed to bid]; ed to the current situation, and both the United States (see front page). We are, and 4) identify private, business, and gov- U.S. State Department and Secretary of however, committed to do more than just ernment funding to support the cultural- Defense Donald Rumsfeld have pledged to register our distress. I wish to report to you heritage reconstruction work in Iraq.” assist in returned stolen objects to Iraq. now on our preliminary plans to assist in Several organizations reported that AAM and Heritage Preservation are the efforts to preserve what remains of the work has already begun in these areas, by coordinating the efforts of the task force Iraqi national collections, the vulnerable identifying a team of specialists to travel to and will soon reassemble the group to archaeological sites, and museums and Iraq, as well as compiling databases of administer assignments. In the meantime, institutions in other cities in Iraq. stolen and missing objects to aid Interpol task-force members are gathering informa- On April 16, 2003, I attended a meet- and customs officials in an effort to trace tion about recovery projects and related ing of the Heritage Emergency National them. During our meeting, a representative websites. Organizations are speaking out, Task Force in Washington DC, convened from the Getty Conservation Institute issuing statements that contain the four by the American Association of Museums announced that that organization will lend points listed above, and each is lending its (AAM) and Heritage Preservation. Two intellectual and financial help to establish a own expertise to the communal effort. We days after the news from Iraq, more than repatriation website, and the Columbia will link to each other’s statements and thirty representatives of the scholarly, University libraries, with the support of the coordinate our efforts through the task archaeological, museum, library, archival, provost’s office, have offered to help digi- force. More information about CAA’s role, and history communities assembled, tize images for help in recovery. as well as links to the important work of including Gustavo Araoz, executive direc- Organizations that wish to participate in other organizations, can be found on our tor of the United States National this funding effort should contact AAM at website, www.collegeart.org. We will con- Committee of the International Council on 202/289-1818. tinue to post information as it is issued. Monuments and Sites (US/ICOMOS), After the meeting, Araoz circulated a —Susan Ball, CAA Executive Director Sharon Flescher, executive director of the draft letter to President George W.