Stop Press

A compilation of media articles on heritage topics. Obviously, these all reflect the viewpoints of the authors.

30 March

• Letters: Back the world ban on looting
  The Independent, United Kingdom
  The March 2003 invasion of Iraq by a coalition led by the US and the UK failed to prevent the immediate and appalling looting of museums, libraries, archives and art galleries, followed by years of looting of archaeological sites across the country.

29 March

• China vows to regulate forgery-filled relics market
  People Daily, China
  State Administration of Cultural Heritage (SACH) is highly concerned with chaotic cultural relics market in China, an SACH official said Wednesday, vowing to intensify supervision and management.

28 March

• Au Louvre, sainte Anne ressuscitée
  Le Monde, France
  C'est une rencontre d'exception, une redécouverte aussi, à laquelle convie le Musée du Louvre, à Paris, autour d'une œuvre, joyau de l'histoire de l'art, la "Sainte Anne, l'ultime chef-d'œuvre de Léonard de Vinci".

27 March

• Nelson Mandela's life in a digital museum, courtesy of Google
  Los Angeles Times, United States
  For a look at the future of digital museums, check out the Nelson Mandela Centre of Memory's new digital archive composed of thousands of scanned documents from the African leader's life.

26 March

• L'opposition syrienne demande à l'Unesco d’agir pour préserver le patrimoine des attaques de l'armée
  Le Journal des Arts, France
  Le 23 mars, le Mouvement du changement national syrien a appelé l'Unesco à « agir immédiatement pour protéger les sites historiques de la Syrie attaqués par les forces du régime ». La Syrie, dont la capitale Damas est l’une des plus anciennes villes du monde, possède un important patrimoine archéologique et historique, aujourd’hui en péril.

23 March

• Mozart piano composition uncovered in Austria
  BBC, United Kingdom
  A previously unknown piece by Mozart, believed to have been written when he was as young as 10, has been uncovered in Austria.

21 March

• Cultural heritage of Turkey now in 3-D
  Hürriyet Daily News, Turkey
  Company titled 3DLocationEarth.com aims to reflect the cultural and historical heritage of Istanbul by putting Istanbul’s and Turkey’s monuments on Google Earth.

• New Getty initiative aims to boost preservation of modern architecture
  Los Angeles Times, United States
  The Eames House in Pacific Palisades, built in 1949 by the husband-and-wife designers Charles and Ray Eames, was never simply a single-family residence. It was also Case Study House No. 8, among the best-known products of a campaign by the editors of Arts & Architecture magazine to commission stylish and modestly sized prototypes for postwar living. Now, thanks to the Getty Conservation Institute, the house is poised to become a case study all over again -- this time in the service of historic preservation.

20 March

• Dutch museum says research has dispelled doubts about authenticity of a Van Gogh still life
  Washington Post, United States
  It was, it wasn’t, it is: A still life once thought to be by Vincent van Gogh but later downgraded to being the work of an anonymous artist is indeed by the tormented Dutch impressionist himself, researchers announced Tuesday.

19 March

• Metal thieves 'using Google Earth' to target heritage sites
  The Telegraph, United Kingdom
  Metal thieves are using Google Earth and other online resources to target Britain's historic buildings, English Heritage claims.

• 75,000 'heritage crimes' committed in a year
  The Telegraph, United Kingdom
  More than 200 crimes a day are being committed against Britain’s historic sites, a report warns today, prompting fears that “irreversible harm” is being done to the country’s heritage.

14 March

• Le rêve artistique peut-il transformer l'Afrique ?
  Le Monde, France
  Je suis entrée au paradis !" Les mots ont du mal à sortir, d'autant que la voix est toute timide. Dix ans à peine, un immense sourire sur les lèvres, la frêle Mpemboura, petite Camerounaise, vient de passer quelques minutes dans l'installation d'un immense artiste américain, James Turrell : une bulle où les enfants pénètrent pour se laisser irradier par un arc-en-ciel de lumière.

12 March

• Art experts find 'possible' Leonardo Da Vinci fresco
  BBC, United Kingdom
  Researchers in Italy say they may have found traces of a Leonardo Da Vinci work hidden under a Florentine fresco.

10 March

• J. Paul Getty Museum in Los Angeles returns three ancient marble fragments to Greece
  Art Daily
  Three ancient marble fragments from the collections of the J. Paul Getty Museum in Los Angeles have been repatriated to Greece following a deal last year.

9 March

• Treasure Hunting in the 21st Century
  Huffington Post, United States
  A centuries-old shipwreck may cause Spain to sacrifice future recoveries and reopen colonial wounds.

5 March

• IBM au service du Louvre pour le rendre "plus intelligent"
  France Soir
  Le géant informatique IBM met sa puissance au service du musée du Louvre, dans le but de l'aider à mieux protéger encore ses oeuvres d'art, économiser l'énergie et rester toute l'année ouvert à ses millions de visiteurs.

3 March

• Despite Libya's scars, its rich history provides hope for the future
  CNN, United States
  Libya today is a free Libya, but also a Libya plagued by a sad and violent history, a Libya that has not been able to progress for 42 years. Basic education, health care and infrastructure are integral to Libya's success and its future. But art and culture can be and should be a huge part of the healing process as well as future development.

• Una petizione europea per inserire la ricerca sul Patrimonio Culturale in Horizon 2020, in gioco 80 miliardi
  Il Sole 24 Ore, Italy
  Sul piatto 80 miliardi di euro che verranno erogati dall'Ottavo Programma Quadro di Ricerca e Innovazione della Comunità Europea Horizon 2020.

2 March

• Demolition for quake-hit Christchurch cathedral
  BBC, United Kingdom
  Officials have confirmed that Christchurch cathedral will be demolished after the 2011 earthquake rendered it beyond repair.

1 March

• Archaeologists Protest 'Glamorization' of Looting on TV
  Science, United States
  Archaeologists are mounting a campaign against two new cable TV shows that they say encourage and glamorize looting of American archaeological sites.

updated on: 3 April, 2012