To receive Morning Links in your inbox every weekday, sign up for our Breakfast with ARTnews newsletter.
The Headlines
OPEN HOUSE. It might be time to book that ticket to Italy! After 20 years of renovations, the sumptuous House of the Vettii has reopened in the doomed city of Pompeii. The ancient Roman home—sometimes referred to as the Sistine Chapel of Pompeii, due to its remarkable paintings—was owned by two formerly enslaved men (maybe brothers, maybe not) who ended up minting a fortune trading agricultural products, like wine, BBC New reports. Sex work apparently occurred at their place, too. The Guardian has some impressive photos, as does Smithsonian magazine, but this is clearly a marvel to be experienced in person. “This is the house which tells the story of Roman society,” Gabriel Zuchtriegel, Pompeii’s director, told the Guardian.
ARTISTS SPACE. Photographer Che Onejoon, whose now-running exhibition at Hakgojae Gallery in Seoul looks at the African diaspora in South Korea, was profiled by the Korea Times. Stan Douglas is displaying his meticulously constructed photos of political unrest at Remai Modern in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, and talked with Maclean’s about how he makes them. And East Village legend Anton van Dalen, who currently has a show at P.P.O.W. in New York, spoke about his inimitable art—and caring for pigeons—with Artnet News. “Every late afternoon, I go up on my roof and bring them their food, spend some time with them, and bring fresh water,” he said.
The Digest
A foundation selling Banksy prints to support humanitarian efforts in Ukraine said that it faced “hostile attacks from Russian IP addresses.” That disruption has caused delays with completing the project, the Legacy of War Foundation said, but it is still going forward with the effort. [The Guardian]
Columnist Carolina A. Miranda examined the curious situation at the Orange County Museum of Art, which opened its $94-million new home last year before it was finished. Later this month, the California museum will close for a few weeks later to complete the work. Miranda writes, “My advice: Take the time to get it done right.” [Los Angeles Times]
The latest grants from the National Endowment for the Humanities total $28.1 million and will go toward projects at the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures in Los Angeles, the International Center of Photography in New York, and some 200 other institutions. [The New York Times]
The secretariat of South Korean’s National Assembly took down a show of art satirizing President Yoon Suk-yeol right before it was scheduled to open in an office building used by the legislature’s members. It maintains that some of the pieces are potentially slanderous. [South China Morning Post]
Archaeologists with the Museum of London Archaeology discovered a ritual site near Northampton, England, that has been dated back 4,000 years. It is believed to have been in use for more than two millennia, and both Bronze Age and ancient Roman artifacts have been found at the location. [BBC News]
Billionaire mega-collector Bernard Arnault, the richest man in the world and the CEO of luxury giant LVMH, has tapped his daughter Delphine to run Dior. His eldest son, Antoine, was recently promoted to vice chairman of the holding company that the family uses to control the LVMH empire. [Bloomberg]
The Kicker
MEMENTO MORI. Just when you think you have seen it all, an artist dreams up something new. In England, Simon Le Boggit has created a very, very tiny sculpture of Stonehenge using his kidney stones, BBC News reports. Le Boggit told the outlet that he sees the piece as “a stark reminder of the delicate nature of our normality, health, and mortality.” Hard to argue with that. [BBC News]