Latest news with #ArtExplora
The Guardian
13-05-2025
- The Guardian
School visits to UK museums hit by ‘shortage of means', philanthropist says
Smaller UK museums are suffering from a 'shortage of means' that leaves them lagging behind their European counterparts, according to a philanthropist who is funding museum trips for thousands of British schoolchildren. Frédéric Jousset, a French philanthropist who made waves when he founded a mobile museum onboard a €32m catamaran, said British children were missing out on access to the arts because of a lack of investment. 'The public spending to support cultural institutions is just higher [in France],' said Jousset. 'There's a shortage of means, especially at smaller UK museums in areas of higher deprivation, and they just can't afford to finance the school visits.' A report released last year by the University of Warwick and the Campaign for the Arts pressure group showed that while Britain has cut back its total culture budget by 6% since 2010, France has increased its spending by 25%. Jousset's non-profit, Art Explora, launched its latest project called Time Odyssey at the British Museum, aiming to partially plug the funding gap. The philanthropist will fund an estimated 100,000 museum visits, including school transport costs, for children around the UK. Last year the organisation ran a pilot scheme involving the Yorkshire Museum in York; the Royal Albert Memorial Museum, Exeter; the Great North Museum: Hancock, in Newcastle upon Tyne; Manchester Museum; and South Shields Museum and Art Gallery. It also conducted research that found 60% of UK teachers said they had not taken their class to a museum on a school trip in the last 12 months, while 14% of teachers had never taken a class to a museum on a school trip. Of the 4,500 students who attended the pilot, 60% had not visited a museum in the past year. Jousset said a key part of the project was to demystify museums and make them seem more accessible, especially for children from lower socioeconomic backgrounds. 'Sometimes museums are too intimidating,' he said. 'You need to have some education and some background to be able to experience this. It's like a church. Children cannot mess up. They can't run, they can't touch the sculptures.' Jousset's passion for art was fuelled by his mother, who was a chief curator at the Centre Pompidou in Paris. He launched Art Explora in 2019 and has been a donor to the arts in France. At 35, after making millions via his call-centre business Webhelp, he donated €1m to the Louvre. Time Odyssey is Jousset's latest art-based intervention in Britain, a country he made his home 15 years ago. In 2023, Art Explora partnered with Tate Liverpool to create a mobile art gallery featuring work by JMW Turner, Barbara Hepworth and Claude Cahun, which made its way around sites in Merseyside. Jousset has also taken accessible art to the waves. In 2021, he announced Art Explora, a 46m-long, 300-tonne boat with capacity for 2,000 visitors that toured the Mediterranean accompanied by pop-up pavilions on shore, arranged with local cultural institutions. Time Odyssey has added National Museums Liverpool, Danum Gallery, Library and Museum in Doncaster, and Tees Valley Museums to its list of participating institutions, while the British Museum is also partnering. Bernard Donoghue, the director of the Association of Leading Visitor Attractions, which tracks visitor numbers to UK institutions, said: 'School group visits to attractions have recovered very well since the pandemic … [but] the cost of travel and the hire costs of coaches especially are the greatest barrier to more schools undertaking visits to attractions.'
Yahoo
15-02-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
The home of Albania's late communist dictator is now hosting what he despised most: Free thinkers
TIRANA, Albania (AP) — In a historical twist, the home of Albania's late communist dictator Enver Hoxha is hosting international artists fascinated by the long-ruling leader's library, the country's history of isolation and its unique traditions. The metamorphosis of Villa 31 — where the Hoxha family lived for decades until his regime was toppled in 1990, five years after his death — encapsulates Albania's radical transformation from one of the world's most hermetic countries into the modern society it is today. The sprawling, 4,000 square meter (43,000 square foot) house with more than 100 rooms, built in the 1970s in the capital of Tirana, was a heavily guarded place of power where Hoxha both ruled and feared his own people. Albania's ruler was known for his paranoid behavior and saw enemies everywhere. See for yourself — The Yodel is the go-to source for daily news, entertainment and feel-good stories. By signing up, you agree to our Terms and Privacy Policy. Now surrounded by high-rises, trendy bars, posh restaurants and pulsating nightclubs, the villa itself has undergone a transformation, complete with a fresh coat of paint — though the ostentatious downstairs hall with marble floors is still there. Gone are the heavy curtains that blocked sunlight. Long silent walls will from now on echo with poetry readings, experimental theater, film screenings and contemporary art exhibits. The rooms offer workshops and shared areas for 23 artists from 15 countries. The villa's rebirth stems from a pledge by Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama to visiting French President Emmanuel Macron in October 2023 to turn it into an artists' center — 'something that would make Enver Hoxha roll in his grave.' Closed off to the public until now, the villa has welcomed artists, residing there since late January, and hopes to soon see tourists too. 'This is what I believe is the power of art, to deal with a past and a painful past, like the one that this villa symbolizes,' said Nita Deda, manager of Art Explora, a French-based foundation that spearheaded the building's transformation. Inside the studios that replaced once labyrinthine apartments, visiting artists have the freedom to 'express everything, from fury to anger, to betrayal, to ambivalence, to the absurd ... exactly his (Hoxha's) worst nightmare,' said Ukrainian artist Stanislava Pinchuk. Pinchuk, 37, says she is happy to come to Albania, the 'last puzzle piece' of former communist countries, though she finds it difficult to sleep at the villa. She is baffled by Hoxha's library, which holds books by his communist idols — Karl Marx, Friedrich Engels, Joseph Stalin and Vladimir Lenin — to books about the French Revolution and students' protests in the former Czechoslovakia and Hungary in the 1950s and 1960s. There are also books on sex, which ordinary Albanians were banned from reading at the time. The library was a testament to 'an ideology refusing to die," Pinchuk said. Reading 'Kanun,' a book on Albanian customs, Italian artist Genny Petrotta, 34, marveled at the practice of sworn virgins — a centuries-old tradition in which women declared themselves to be men so they could enjoy the same rights within the society that men enjoyed, though they did not considering themselves transgender. 'It's a story about power," Petrotta said, adding that she was 'impressed by the analytical way' the book described the phenomenon. The villa's underground tunnels, built as shelters in case of an attack, also fascinated the visiting artists. Their exhibit will open in April, and Albanians, no longer fearful of the late dictator, will be able to view the art. Under Hoxha's repressive regime, some 100,000 Albanians were imprisoned, sent to internment camps or executed during the 46 years of his repressive regime. Albania today has seen its economy and society develop rapidly, and 10 million tourists visited the country last year. Some, however, disagree with Villa 31's transformation, and say it should have stayed untouched, a history lesson for the tourists and generations born long after Hoxha's regime collapsed. Xhevdet Lani, a taxi driver and an older resident of Tirana, said the villa is 'historic evidence of what the dictatorship once was.' 'It would have been better if it had remained for generations so that our children and grandchildren could learn from it,' he said.
The Independent
15-02-2025
- Entertainment
- The Independent
The home of Albania's late communist dictator is now hosting what he despised most: Free thinkers
In a historical twist, the home of Albania's late communist dictator Enver Hoxha is hosting international artists fascinated by the long-ruling leader's library, the country's history of isolation and its unique traditions. The metamorphosis of Villa 31 — where the Hoxha family lived for decades until his regime was toppled in 1990, five years after his death — encapsulates Albania's radical transformation from one of the world's most hermetic countries into the modern society it is today. The sprawling, 4,000 square meter (43,000 square foot) house with more than 100 rooms, built in the 1970s in the capital of Tirana, was a heavily guarded place of power where Hoxha both ruled and feared his own people. Albania's ruler was known for his paranoid behavior and saw enemies everywhere. Now surrounded by high-rises, trendy bars, posh restaurants and pulsating nightclubs, the villa itself has undergone a transformation, complete with a fresh coat of paint — though the ostentatious downstairs hall with marble floors is still there. Gone are the heavy curtains that blocked sunlight. Long silent walls will from now on echo with poetry readings, experimental theater, film screenings and contemporary art exhibits. The rooms offer workshops and shared areas for 23 artists from 15 countries. The villa's rebirth stems from a pledge by Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama to visiting French President Emmanuel Macron in October 2023 to turn it into an artists' center — 'something that would make Enver Hoxha roll in his grave.' Closed off to the public until now, the villa has welcomed artists, residing there since late January, and hopes to soon see tourists too. 'This is what I believe is the power of art, to deal with a past and a painful past, like the one that this villa symbolizes,' said Nita Deda, manager of Art Explora, a French-based foundation that spearheaded the building's transformation. Inside the studios that replaced once labyrinthine apartments, visiting artists have the freedom to 'express everything, from fury to anger, to betrayal, to ambivalence, to the absurd ... exactly his (Hoxha's) worst nightmare,' said Ukrainian artist Stanislava Pinchuk. Pinchuk, 37, says she is happy to come to Albania, the 'last puzzle piece' of former communist countries, though she finds it difficult to sleep at the villa. She is baffled by Hoxha's library, which holds books by his communist idols — Karl Marx, Friedrich Engels, Joseph Stalin and Vladimir Lenin — to books about the French Revolution and students' protests in the former Czechoslovakia and Hungary in the 1950s and 1960s. There are also books on sex, which ordinary Albanians were banned from reading at the time. The library was a testament to 'an ideology refusing to die," Pinchuk said. Reading 'Kanun,' a book on Albanian customs, Italian artist Genny Petrotta, 34, marveled at the practice of sworn virgins — a centuries-old tradition in which women declared themselves to be men so they could enjoy the same rights within the society that men enjoyed, though they did not considering themselves transgender. 'It's a story about power," Petrotta said, adding that she was 'impressed by the analytical way' the book described the phenomenon. The villa's underground tunnels, built as shelters in case of an attack, also fascinated the visiting artists. Their exhibit will open in April, and Albanians, no longer fearful of the late dictator, will be able to view the art. Under Hoxha's repressive regime, some 100,000 Albanians were imprisoned, sent to internment camps or executed during the 46 years of his repressive regime. Albania today has seen its economy and society develop rapidly, and 10 million tourists visited the country last year. Some, however, disagree with Villa 31's transformation, and say it should have stayed untouched, a history lesson for the tourists and generations born long after Hoxha's regime collapsed. Xhevdet Lani, a taxi driver and an older resident of Tirana, said the villa is 'historic evidence of what the dictatorship once was.' 'It would have been better if it had remained for generations so that our children and grandchildren could learn from it,' he said.
Associated Press
15-02-2025
- Entertainment
- Associated Press
The home of Albania's late communist dictator is now hosting what he despised most: Free thinkers
TIRANA, Albania (AP) — In a historical twist, the home of Albania's late communist dictator Enver Hoxha is hosting international artists fascinated by the long-ruling leader's library, the country's history of isolation and its unique traditions. The metamorphosis of Villa 31 — where the Hoxha family lived for decades until his regime was toppled in 1990, five years after his death — encapsulates Albania's radical transformation from one of the world's most hermetic countries into the modern society it is today. The sprawling, 4,000 square meter (43,000 square foot) house with more than 100 rooms, built in the 1970s in the capital of Tirana, was a heavily guarded place of power where Hoxha both ruled and feared his own people. Albania's ruler was known for his paranoid behavior and saw enemies everywhere. Now surrounded by high-rises, trendy bars, posh restaurants and pulsating nightclubs, the villa itself has undergone a transformation, complete with a fresh coat of paint — though the ostentatious downstairs hall with marble floors is still there. Gone are the heavy curtains that blocked sunlight. Long silent walls will from now on echo with poetry readings, experimental theater, film screenings and contemporary art exhibits. The rooms offer workshops and shared areas for 23 artists from 15 countries. The villa's rebirth stems from a pledge by Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama to visiting French President Emmanuel Macron in October 2023 to turn it into an artists' center — 'something that would make Enver Hoxha roll in his grave.' Closed off to the public until now, the villa has welcomed artists, residing there since late January, and hopes to soon see tourists too. 'This is what I believe is the power of art, to deal with a past and a painful past, like the one that this villa symbolizes,' said Nita Deda, manager of Art Explora, a French-based foundation that spearheaded the building's transformation. Inside the studios that replaced once labyrinthine apartments, visiting artists have the freedom to 'express everything, from fury to anger, to betrayal, to ambivalence, to the absurd ... exactly his (Hoxha's) worst nightmare,' said Ukrainian artist Stanislava Pinchuk. Pinchuk, 37, says she is happy to come to Albania, the 'last puzzle piece' of former communist countries, though she finds it difficult to sleep at the villa. She is baffled by Hoxha's library, which holds books by his communist idols — Karl Marx, Friedrich Engels, Joseph Stalin and Vladimir Lenin — to books about the French Revolution and students' protests in the former Czechoslovakia and Hungary in the 1950s and 1960s. There are also books on sex, which ordinary Albanians were banned from reading at the time. The library was a testament to 'an ideology refusing to die,' Pinchuk said. Reading 'Kanun,' a book on Albanian customs, Italian artist Genny Petrotta, 34, marveled at the practice of sworn virgins — a centuries-old tradition in which women declared themselves to be men so they could enjoy the same rights within the society that men enjoyed, though they did not considering themselves transgender. 'It's a story about power,' Petrotta said, adding that she was 'impressed by the analytical way' the book described the phenomenon. The villa's underground tunnels, built as shelters in case of an attack, also fascinated the visiting artists. Their exhibit will open in April, and Albanians, no longer fearful of the late dictator, will be able to view the art. Under Hoxha's repressive regime, some 100,000 Albanians were imprisoned, sent to internment camps or executed during the 46 years of his repressive regime. Albania today has seen its economy and society develop rapidly, and 10 million tourists visited the country last year. Some, however, disagree with Villa 31's transformation, and say it should have stayed untouched, a history lesson for the tourists and generations born long after Hoxha's regime collapsed. Xhevdet Lani, a taxi driver and an older resident of Tirana, said the villa is 'historic evidence of what the dictatorship once was.' 'It would have been better if it had remained for generations so that our children and grandchildren could learn from it,' he said.
