This n' That: Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow
Photo by Adli Wahid on Unsplash
Hagia Sophia status transitions to Mosque
On July 10 a Turkish court declared that Hagia Sophia, a historic cultural site located in Istanbul, would no longer function as a museum but return to its prior function as a mosque. The announcement was supported by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who issued a decree that the historic landmark in Istanbul would reopen to Muslim worshippers. Built to be a Greek Orthodox cathedral in the sixth century under the Byzantine emperor Justinian, Hagia Sophia became a mosque in the 15th century after the Ottoman Turks defeated the Greek emperor in Constantinople and renamed the city Istanbul. It remained that way until the 1930s when Kemal Ataturk, founder of modern Turkey, declared the site a museum in a symbolic decree underscoring Turkey’s commitment to secular society. The recent decision means that the management of the site will be transitioned from the Ministry of Culture to the Presidency of Religious Affairs. Although presidential spokesman, Ibrahim Kalin, confirmed that this change would not keep tourists from entering the site, there are concerns that the site’s new status will require certain premier Byzantine frescos to be covered, in keeping with religious guidelines.
© QUEER|ART
New grant announced celebrating the contributions of black trans women artists
A new grant called the Illuminations Grant was announced by QUEER|ART this past week. The $10,000 grant is specifically aimed at spotlighting the achievements of Black trans women as visual artists. The goal of the grant is to illuminate a pre-existing body of work, hence its name. The New York City-based non-profit developed the grant in collaboration with photographer Mariette Pathy Allen, writer and consultant Aaryn Lang, and multidisciplinary artist Serena Jara. It will be awarded yearly to an artist who identifies as a Black trans woman or trans femme working in the United States. Applications will be accepted through August 30 before being judged by a panel comprised of Studio Museum director Thelma Golden and artists Juliana Huxtable, Texas Isaiah, and Kiyan William. The inaugural grant will be awarded this November.
Photo by Marian Zazeela, © 1993, Courtesy MELA Foundation.
Dream House Gallery announces potential closure due to financial strain
The decades-old sound installation, Dream House, located in New York City, is at risk of closure due to serious financial strain, artists La Monte Young and Marian Zazeela announced. Dream House, which first opened in the 1970s, has long been regarded as a haven for followers of avant-garde sound and installation art. Dream House administrators Young and Zazeela and the MELA Foundation as well as director and collaborator Jung Hee Choi owe $150,000 in back rent on their Lower Manhattan space, which they have occupied for nearly 60 years. The installation, which visitors access by ringing the doorbell on the first floor of the three story walk up, is an open environment covered with white carpet and pillows basked in magenta light; a continuous microtonal electronic-music composition plays throughout the space. Young and Zazeela have set up a GoFundMe campaign in an attempt to raise the $150,000 owed for the sake of sustaining Dream House for future audiences.
Photo by Jamison McAndie on Unsplash
Increased interest in PPP loans acquired by mega-galleries and museums
Last Monday, the Trump administration released information denoting complete data for the 4.9 million groups that will receive small business loans from the U.S. government as part of its Paycheck Protection Program (PPP). The program is meant to retain workers by providing companies with loans subsidizing workers’ paychecks. Classed into five tiers, businesses can receive up to $10 million in funding. Among the list of art world recipients include the Museum of Modern Art, Hauser & Wirth, and Jeff Koons’ studio. Facing the prospect of layoffs and major financial losses, many institutions’ leaders have been transparent about needing the loan money to continue business amid the pandemic. That said, a number of art world individuals have spoken out in frustration regarding the acquisition of PPP loans by mega-galleries and museums. Many museums that have acquired PPP loans have done so while implementing major staff layoffs and furloughs.
