The Guardian has commissioned an artwork in response to Brexit. Artist Anish Kapoor has been beavering away to depict a huge gash down the middle of the nation. Describing it as a “gory rip”, the Guardian’s critic clearly moans and whinges about the UK pulling out of the EU, but does say of the interesting artwork that “like a black hole of melancholy, something about this bottomless pit is alluring.” Kapoor’s work is not a labia of love…
The artist has given the piece the title “A Brexit, A Broxit, We All Fall Down.” Guido can think of quite a few other names for it that might be more apt…
Who knew?
The police were investigating Banksy’s stunt:
“We’ve received a number of complaints about an offer of a free Banksy print to people living in six Bristol constituencies in exchange for them voting in a certain way in the forthcoming election and we can confirm we’re investigating the offer. It is a criminal offence under the Representation of the People Act 1983 for any voter to accept or agree to accept a gift or similar in return for voting or refraining from voting. Any person participating in an offer to receive a gift is at risk of being prosecuted.”
Still, now he’ll be able to flog them at higher prices now they are contraband. Good capitalist that he is…
Did DCMS and the V&A know about this 2011 Guardian article by one Tristram Hunt?
“while it is free to visit the V&A, the British Library and Museum, an entrance fee is set to be charged in Stoke. Across the country, eye-watering cuts to local authority budgets mean that councils are either closing museums or ratcheting up charges. Last week, artist Anish Kapoor accused the Tories of having a “castration complex” about the arts. Yet, in the midst of this, the teeming London museums continue to enjoy a state subsidy to retain free admission…
while American tourists and continental mini-breakers have no problem paying €6.50 to wonder at the majesty of Lorenzetti in the Uffizi and €8 to feast on Velázquez at the Prado, in London it is all gratis. At New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art, there is a de facto $20 entrance fee for adults, so why not a fiver for London’s great galleries? Would it really undermine our cultural competitiveness?…
A truly equitable cultural policy might begin to think about reintroducing charges for our national museums.”
Oops!