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•• 018 Museums:TAN 200 18/2/09 14:21 Page 18 18 Museums THE ART NEWSPAPER, No. 200, MARCH 2009 France President Sarkozy’s pledges to the arts Bonnard museum to Free entry to under 25s and teachers; most museums against the move open in his home town Around 100 works in collection LONDON. Fifty French national museums are set to introduce free entry for visitors aged under 25 LE CANNET. Cagnes has the from all European countries as Renoir Museum, Nice has part of President Nicolas Matisse, Picasso is in Antibes, Sarkozy’s sweeping new plans Léger in Biot—and now, Le for the museum and heritage sec- Cannet, north of Cannes on the tors. Teachers at French state French Riviera, will join the fold schools will also be granted free with a Bonnard Museum slated to admission from early April. open in 2010. Bonnard The move will affect institu- (1867–1947) bought a house tions such as the Musée d’Orsay there in 1926, which became his and the Louvre in Paris, which primary home in 1939. The mod- charges an adult entry fee of nine est villa Le Bosquet, on a hillside euros. French press reports state overlooking Cannes, became the that most museums are against setting for many of the 200 works the policy, estimated to cost he painted in Le Cannet (a num- Bonnard, Vue du Cannet, 1927 around €26m, which they say ber of which are in the exhibition will drain their resources. The of his late interiors at the and long-term loans from other director of the Louvre, Henri Metropolitan Museum in New national museums. Loyrette, and the director of the York until 19 April). The growing collection, focus- Musée d’Orsay, Guy Cogeval, “Every big town on the Côte ing on Bonnard’s Mediterranean declined to comment. d’Azur has a museum except Le period, now consists of 83 works, However, a government Cannet,” said Michèle Tabarot, including 6 paintings, 1 sculpture, spokesman said: “Museums deputy in the French National and drawings, posters and pho- will be compensated for the Assembly for the French Alpes tographs. The Pompidou has loss in revenue. Estimated fig- “this [policy] will not kill muse- Jeff Koons at Versailles in 2008, supported by President Sarkozy Maritimes constituency and agreed to long-term loans and the ures will be calculated from the ums. On the contrary, young mayor of Le Cannet. She said the Musée d’Orsay is lending its Vue 2008 visitor admissions and a people who frequent museums attendance has risen over 50% ported the recent controversial museum is expected to draw du Cannet, acquired at Christie’s readjustment will be made at will return as adults and will since free admission was intro- exhibition of works by US artist 50,000 visitors annually, compa- London in June 2008 for £3.4m. the end of the year.” then bring their children.” His duced in 2001. The French gov- Jeff Koons at the Palace of rable to other museums in the The museum also acquired Mr Sarkozy emphasises that model is the UK, where museum ernment introduced a free-entry Versailles outside Paris: “I under- region. The museum will be Baigneurs à la fin du jour, 1945, pilot scheme at 14 museums stand that people were ‘for’ or housed in a four-storey building from Galerie Bellier in Paris. In France and Singapore to share collections early last year. ‘against’ the Koons show. But I’m acquired by the municipal author- addition to rotating displays from Another proposal put forward for…dare I say it, mixing things ities in 1999 for €2m. the permanent collection, the PARIS. France and Singapore have signed a cultural cooperation agree- by President Sarkozy involves up, tolerance, for adding to things Renovation begins this spring museum will have two changing ment that incorporates a collection-sharing arrangement between major the creation of a new Museum of rather than taking them away.” with a budget of €5m, including shows a year devoted to Bonnard. French and Singaporean museums. A spokesman for Singapore French History that “could take Another delicate subject funds for acquisitions, provided Ms Tabarot says the town Ministry of Arts said: “Many Singaporeans enjoyed the [2008] exhibi- the form possibly of a federation broached by the President is the by the town (50%), the province council approved an operating tion of Greek masterpieces from the Louvre at the National Museum of of museums and monuments that Louvre’s plan to open an outpost (30%) and the federal govern- budget of €500,000 per year, Singapore. This new agreement will facilitate more of such exchanges work together with major inter- in Abu Dhabi by 2012-13 on ment. The project has been desig- which will rise to €1m when the in the future. Correspondingly, the agreement will also facilitate the national institutions”. The Saadiyat Island. French museum nated a Musée de France which museum opens. presentation of artefacts by Singapore museums to museums in Paris planned institution would be built professionals condemned director affords it access to federal funds Jason Edward Kaufman and other French cities.” The agreement was recently signed in Paris in a “particularly significant” Henri Loyrette’s decision to by Thomas Grenon, director of the government agency Réunion des location, he added. receive an endowment fund of Louvre to show Iranian artefacts in 2013 Musées Nationaux, and Michael Koh, chief executive of Singapore’s The President has also argued €400m from the emirate’s gov- National Heritage Board. An exhibition on Peranakan artefacts drawn for a “dialogue” between contem- ernment, but President Sarkozy LONDON. A major exhibition of Iranian artefacts is set to be held at the from Singapore’s Peranakan Museum, to be held at Paris’s Musée du porary art and France’s traditional supports the move. “Do we want Louvre in Paris, overseen by Iran’s Cultural Heritage, Handicrafts and Quai Branly in 2011, is under discussion as part of the project. D.B. art schools, saying that he sup- to be closed, like certain coun- Tourism Organisation. “The arrangements have been made to hold the tries, or open? [This is] an essen- show in 2013,” Mohammad Reza Mehrandish, a curator at Tehran’s tial project that could unite Islam National Museum, has said. The announcement follows a series of and the modern world,” he said. important loan exhibitions of treasures from Iran at London’s British Gareth Harris Museum, including the current Shah’Abbas show (until 14 June). G.H. Spain Niemeyer Centre may include new port Project seen as boost to European Capital of Culture bid BARCELONA. As the €30m Oscar Niemeyer International Cultural Centre in Avilés—a coastal city in Asturias, northern Spain— inches closer to completion in summer 2010 (The Art Newspaper, April 2008, p13), the Asturian councillor of culture Mercedes Alvarez has said that it will be “an important asset” in the city’s candidacy for European Capital of Culture in 2016. The 50,000 sq. m complex is being constructed on a former industrial site, and Francisco González, the Asturian councillor of infrastructure, territorial The Niemeyer Cultural Centre is due to open in summer 2010 politics and housing, has said that it will also include a port for celebration of the 25th anniver- mittee is partially composed of cruise ships—although this has sary of the Prince of Asturias past recipients of the Prince of yet to be approved, according Awards (given for science, the Asturias Prize. to Pedro Zuazua, director of arts and public service). Mr Grueso, currently the communications at the centre. Niemeyer, a winner in 1989, foundation’s director general, The project is funded jointly cited his long-standing fear of will become the director of the by the governments of Spain flying (he is now 101 years old) Niemeyer Cultural Centre. A and the Asturias region, but Mr and politely declined. “I’m not a graduate in law and internation- Zuazua told The Art Newspaper professor or someone who al relations, he has previously that the annual operating budget speaks at conferences,” he said. worked as director of interre- has yet to be approved. More “What I do is design buildings. gional cooperation programmes Consignments now invited than one million visitors a year I’m an architect.” And, with a at the European Commission. are anticipated. thick felt pen, he made an Mr Grueso was appointed Amiraplatz 3 “There will not be any per- impromptu sketch of the com- directly by the president of the 80333 Munich, Germany manent exhibitions. They will plex and offered the design as a Asturian government. Spring Auctions Phone +49 89 22 18 65 all be on rotation and comple- gift to the Asturian government. The artistic management www.karlandfaber.com mented with music, theatre, cin- The idea was quickly approved committee will include film ema and open-air activities and Niemeyer finalised the director Woody Allen, author 27/28/29 May 2009 related to each exhibition,” said design free of charge. Paulo Coelho, astrophysicist Representative New York Mr Zuazua. In order to see the project Stephen Hawking and computer Valeska von Bonin The complex was conceived through to completion, the scientist Vint Cerf. Actor and From our Anniversary Auction: Emil Nolde, Chinese Sea with sailing boat Phone +1 212 879 6752 spontaneously in 2006, when Niemeyer Foundation was creat- theatre director Kevin Spacey, and smoking barge. Watercolour on Japan. (C. 1913), c. 24,5 : 28 cm. Signed Natalio Grueso—then director ed with the support of the who will not be on the commit- Sold for 57.400,- € (result includes buyer’s premium) [email protected] of international relations at the Spanish and Asturian govern- tee, will collaborate with the Prince of Asturias Foundation— ments, as well as the Avilés civic theatre programme, as will play- went to Rio in an attempt to con- authorities and various private wright Wole Soyinka.

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