Latest news with #TheMet
Scottish Sun
a day ago
- Scottish Sun
Legendary TV detective reveals unsolved Scots case that still haunts him
A COP who snared serial killer Levi Bellfield and was portrayed by Martin Clunes on telly has revealed an unsolved Scots case still haunts him. DCI Colin Sutton, 64, solved more than 30 murders during his legendary career with The Met and rarely failed to find justice for victims and their families. 4 Colin Sutton still hopes to find justice for families who don't have answers. 4 Private James Collinson died while stationed at the Royal Logistic Corps headquarters. Credit: PA 4 Sutton helped catch serial killer Levi Bellfield. Credit: PA 4 Martin Clunes as DCI Colin Sutton in Manhunt. Credit: ITV The detective was an integral part of the operation that nailed evil Bellfield, 57 — now serving two whole life terms for the murders of Marsha McDonnell, Amelie Delagrange and schoolgirl Milly Dowler. But it was the unsolved death of army recruit James Collinson, from Perth, who was shot dead at Deepcut Barracks in Surrey aged 17, that the top cop regrets not solving. Colin, whose incredible detective work was turned into ITV series Manhunt starring Doc Martin favourite Clunes, 63, said: 'When I was working in Surrey Police in the early 2000s, I started the reinvestigation into the death of four soldiers at Deepcut Barracks. 'It's a difficult situation. We were never able to prove one way or the other conclusively what had happened. And part of that was because the original investigation really was so poorly done. 'There are various parents now that have gone to their graves not knowing what happened to their son or daughter. 'And that's what you want to try to save, it's not always about nailing somebody and banging somebody up behind bars. 'Sometimes there's a kind of a justice — I never say closure, because I don't think it exists — but you can give some sort of peace to victims' families or at least help them to learn how to live with the loss better if they know exactly what happened and they feel that justice has been done.' Collinson was one of four teenagers to die from shootings at the base between 1995 and 2002. Privates Sean Benton and Cheryl James lost their lives in 1995, followed by Pte Geoff Gray in 2001 and the young Scot a year later when he was found with a single gunshot wound to the head during a routine guard duty shift. A fifth victim, Pte Anthony Bartlett, was only revealed two decades after his death from an alleged drug overdose. Three more women claiming to be Levi Bellfield victims come forward after ITV Manhunt, detective Colin Sutton, played by Martin Clunes, reveals An inquest into Collinson's death ended with an open verdict and his parents finally dropped calls for an inquiry in 2020 due to the emotional strain. Colin added: 'There were a lot of assumptions made, assumptions of suicide. And it might be that they were suicides. I'm not saying they weren't. 'But there's a difference between them being suicides and proving that they were suicides. The non-commissioned officers (NCOs) were lending money at ridiculous rates of interest to the young recruits. And when they couldn't pay it back, because they were 17 years old and hopeless at managing their budgets, they could make life hell for them. 'And I think that got to the stage where it made life such hell for some of them that they saw that as the only way out. 'I think that's the most likely answer to what went on. But I can't put my hand on my heart and say the evidence was there to prove that because the initial steps that were taken in the investigation didn't preserve those things that might have been proved wrong. 'Without being conspiratorial about it, you had two big, powerful organisations — the British Army and the British Police Service. 'When you've got big organisations like that, they tend to close ranks and they tend to try to sort of make things go away. I think there was an element of that, which was what riled me enough to want to carry on talking about it.' The first TV series of Manhunt, screened in 2019, focused on Bellfield's arrest in 2004 on suspicion of the murder of Delagrange and the painstaking efforts to charge him with the subsequent killings. Meanwhile, the second instalment was an account of the ex-cop's efforts in apprehending 'Night Stalker' rapist Delroy Grant in 2009 after a 17-year terror spree. Colin then fronted his own documentary series called The Real Manhunter where he looked back at his most important cases and how they were solved. The crime expert will now be taking his incredible tales on tour — with his Makings of a Murderer 2 gigs coming to Glasgow's Pavilion Theatre on June 2 and Dunfermline's Alhambra Theatre on June 12. And he still can't believe people are so keen to hear such grisly stories from his career. He said: 'It's overwhelming, the amount of interest there is. It all started just because I wanted to write a book about the Bellfield investigation because I thought my team had done so well that it would all get lost in history if nobody wrote it down. 'I think it gives people a safe window into a world they know exists but don't want to be part of. 'The interesting thing for me about it is when I first started doing true crime stuff, I wasn't entirely happy with the way that it was done. It was done in a bit of a sensationalist way. It was a bit sort of perpetrator-focused. 'I really thought that it would be much better if we were to focus on victims, on the officers and on the investigations. And that can be just as interesting, just as enthralling, but it doesn't give the kind of attention and publicity to these horrible people that do it.' And while Colin isn't sure whether Clunes will attend any of his tour dates, he's counting on those in attendance to keep asking the big questions. He added: 'The tour is so much fun. It's hard work because I'm all over the place and driving lots and lots of miles. 'But when you're writing a book or making TV, there's no audience. Whereas now I've got real-life people who are reacting to the things I'm saying. And the best part for me is, I do the sort of meet and greet at the end and I get to talk to people and they ask me questions. 'There's absolutely no doubt many of the people in the audience have a far more wide-ranging knowledge about true crime than I do. 'I know a lot about my cases and about the cases that I've made programmes about, but their knowledge is phenomenal and that comes through when they speak to you.' The Makings of a Murderer 2 is at Glasgow's Pavilion Theatre on June 2, for and for the June 12 show at Dunfermline's Alhambra Theatre, log onto
Time Out
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Time Out
First look: This historic wing of The Met just got a major update
After a four-year renovation, The Metropolitan Museum of Art has reopened its galleries dedicated to the arts of Africa, the Ancient Americas and Oceania. These historic galleries, housed within the Michael C. Rockefeller Wing, are packed with 1,800 artworks spanning five continents and hundreds of cultures. To celebrate the opening, the Upper East Side museum is hosting a daylong festival on Saturday, May 31 with performances, live music, art making and more. It's free with museum admission—which is always pay-what-you-wish for New Yorkers. Max Hollein, The Met's CEO, described the 40,000-square-foot Rockefeller Wing's reopening as 'much more than a renovation.' Instead, he said at a grand opening event, 'it's a re-envisioning of one of the museum's most important spaces.' Inside the galleries, you'll find several objects on view for the first time, including new acquisitions of contemporary African works and new commissions by Indigenous artists for the Oceania galleries. Also don't miss a gallery dedicated to light-sensitive ancient Andean textiles, which is the first of its kind in the United States. It's a re-envisioning of one of the museum's most important spaces. New features, such as documentary films, audio commentary, artist bios and expanded wall text, help to provide contemporary perspectives and offer deeper engagement with the work. As for the design, expect brighter galleries with a custom-designed sloped glass wall adjacent to Central Park and a dramatic entryway where curved ceilings arch above carved wooden ancestor poles made by artists in West Papua. Inside the sprawling wing, you'll find a vast exploration of cultures. For example, you can learn about manifestations of faith in the western Sahel's communities, then discover funerary carvings from New Ireland. See a golden staff from Ghanian royalty dating back to the 1930s, as well as a collection of ornate ear flares dating back to to the 1300–1400s in Peru, to name a few. To update the galleries, the museum team worked with collaborators across the globe. Signage in the galleries points out the provenance (or chain of custody) of the pieces. All of the works at The Met were acquired from private individuals who obtained the pieces in the region or through the intentional art market. Or the museum purchased the pieces from commercial galleries or public auctions. The new space was designed by WHY Architecture in collaboration with Beyer, Blinder, Belle Architects LLP and with The Met's Design Department. Each gallery's look is meant to pay homage to the architectural vernaculars of each featured region. The Rockefeller Wing first opened in 1982, beginning as the personal collection of Nelson Aldrich Rockefeller. It helped to expand the worldviews of the art inside The Met's walls. 'You will see human ingenuity and cultural ingenuity,' Hollein said. 'It's a celebration of the richness of culture, of global artistic expression and how everything is connected.' Highlights from each gallery Arts of Africa Explore The Met's collection of sub-Saharan African art through 500 works highlighting major artistic movements and living traditions from across the subcontinent. The new galleries present original creations spanning from the Middle Ages to the present, including a 12th-century fired clay figure shaped in Mali's Inner Niger Delta and the fiber creation Bleu no. 1 by acclaimed innovator Abdoulaye Konaté. A quarter of the works are on display at The Met for the first time. Arts of the Ancient Americas These galleries feature 700 works exploring the artistic legacy of Indigenous artists from across North, Central and South America and the Caribbean prior to 1600. The new galleries include monumental stone sculptures and exquisite metalwork and also include refined ceramic vessels; shimmering regalia of gold, shell, and semiprecious stone; and delicate sculptures of wood. Don't miss the new gallery devoted to ancient American textiles and featherwork, which frames a 3,000-year history of achievements in the fiber arts. Arts of Oceania Discover more than 500 years of art from this expansive region, newly framed by Indigenous perspectives. The galleries house 650 works, drawn from over 140 distinct cultures in a region of astonishing diversity. These include monumental artworks from the large island of New Guinea and the coastal archipelagos that stretch beyond its shores to the north, central, and eastern Pacific, as well as the two neighboring regions of Australia and Island Southeast Asia, whose Indigenous communities all share a common ancestry. New acquisitions broaden the collection to include the work of women, especially fiber work by senior female artists from Australia and New Guinea.
Forbes
23-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Forbes
The Art Of The Met's Digital Storytelling
For over a century, The Metropolitan Museum of Art has stood as a symbol of cultural authority, curating over 5,000 years of art and history. But in today's digital-first world, relevance requires more than preservation — it demands participation. And right now, that participation is happening on TikTok. By leaning into digital storytelling early, The Met positioned itself as a cultural leader online, using creative formats to captivate audiences and connect its rich history to the present. The Magic of The Met Gala More than a glamorous red carpet, the Met Gala marks the opening of the Costume Institute's annual spring exhibition. This year, the exhibit "Superfine: Tailoring Black Style" set the tone for both the gallery's and the Gala's theme. The event became a cultural catalyst, with #metgala generating over 937.2K TikTok posts and sparking months of conversation around Black style, culture, and identity. By leaning into TikTok, The Met is creating space for new voices, new narratives, and a broader cultural dialogue. Year after year, it transforms a single night into a worldwide conversation about fashion, culture, and the power of art to inspire. Now that the iconic night has passed, let's explore The Met's digital evolution, and the strategy that has turned a historic institution into a dynamic, global storyteller. 2025 Theme The 2025 Met Gala placed Black excellence in fashion at the forefront. This year's spring exhibition, Superfine: Tailoring Black Style, explored the pivotal role of sartorial expression in shaping Black identity and culture. The event brought together a powerhouse group of co-chairs — Colman Domingo, Lewis Hamilton, A$AP Rocky, Pharrell Williams, and Anna Wintour — with LeBron James serving as honorary chair. A diverse Host Committee further reflected the theme's celebration of individuality and influence. The dress code, Tailored for You, paid tribute to the exhibition's focus on suiting and menswear. Building Hype for This Year's Event The Met's compelling TikTok presence isn't accidental. It's a masterclass in digital storytelling, designed to engage a global audience through diverse formats. Key approaches include: Through its focus on rich storytelling, educational content, and high-quality formats, The Met effectively maintains its authority as a key cultural institution while increasing its relevance by tapping into the energy of the fashion zeitgeist in the digital space. Creators Amplify Anticipation The Met's official TikTok account provides expert insights and historical context, but much of the Met Gala excitement is fueled by TikTok's creator community through content such as: The Metropolitan Museum of Art is rewriting the playbook on cultural relevance. By embracing platforms like TikTok and others, it has transformed The Met Gala from a one-night event into a months-long digital conversation. TikTok, in turn, has become the virtual red carpet — a global stage where creators, commentators, and fans engage in real time. But The Met Gala is just one part of a broader strategy. The Met is using digital platforms to democratize culture, foster deeper engagement, and make art and fashion more accessible to audiences everywhere — staying part of the cultural conversation long after the red carpet is rolled up. To learn more about building a digital-first event strategy, visit TikTok's Publisher Insights Hub.
Time Out
22-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Time Out
The Met is throwing a big, free day party to celebrate the museum's new wing
This May, The Met is going big—and you're invited. On Saturday, May 31, the Metropolitan Museum of Art will throw a massive, all-day festival to celebrate the reopening of The Michael C. Rockefeller Wing, which has been closed since 2021 for a sweeping renovation. Now, after four years, the galleries for the Arts of Africa, the Ancient Americas and Oceania are back—and they're debuting with a bang. Kicking off with a ribbon-cutting ceremony from 9 to 10:30 am, the museum will transform into a global cultural playground from noon to 6 pm. Expect a full sensory overload: traditional music and dance from Senegal to Tahiti, live art-making workshops, Indigenous film screenings and food you won't find anywhere else in the city. The Queens Night Market will pop up on-site with a rare culinary twist, serving made-to-order meals inspired by pre-colonial recipes from Peru, Hawaii, Sierra Leone and more. Think of it as edible anthropology. Meanwhile, mosaic artist Manny Vega will lead a collaborative project on the Met's plaza, turning visitor-made emblems into a giant diasporic art piece that speaks to the city's cultural intersections. If you want to get even more hands-on, you can try drum-making, weave alongside master artisans from Oceania and the Andes or help paint a community mural. Outside, a lineup of cultural orgs like CCCADI and the Pacific Island Film Festival will showcase how the city's creative communities keep ancestral traditions alive. Inside, curators, artists and scholars will guide guests through the new galleries, which have been redesigned to better reflect the cultural legacies they represent. Expect rich storytelling and cutting-edge displays, including tech innovations and architectural elements rooted in regional traditions. Later in the day, the lead architect behind the redesign, Kulapat Yantrasast, will chat with Met director Max Hollein about the project's vision. All outdoor events are free; indoor activities are free with museum admission, no registration required. With bold new design, global rhythms and food for thought (and the stomach), this won't be your average museum visit.
Al Etihad
20-05-2025
- Business
- Al Etihad
New York's Metropolitan Museum of Art returns sculptures to the Republic of Iraq
20 May 2025 09:44 ABU DHABI (ALETIHAD)The Metropolitan Museum of Art announced Monday that it is returning three ancient works of art to the Republic of Iraq: a Sumerian vessel made of gypsum alabaster, and two Babylonian ceramic sculptures—a head of a male and a head of a female. The works range in date from the third to second millennium repatriation follows the launch of The Met's Cultural Property Initiative, which includes undertaking a focused review of works in the collection. The Met earlier initiated the repatriation of a third-millennium BCE Sumerian sculpture to the Republic of Iraq in 2024, after provenance research by Met scholars established that the work rightfully belongs to Iraq."The Met is committed to the responsible collecting of art and the shared stewardship of the world's cultural heritage and has made significant investments in accelerating the proactive research of our collection," said Max Hollein, The Met's Director and CEO."The Museum is grateful for our ongoing conversations with Iraq regarding future collaborative endeavors, and we look forward to working together to advance our shared dedication to fostering knowledge and appreciation of Iraqi art and culture," he Vessel supported by two rams (ca. 2600–2500 BCE) and the Head of a female (ca. 2000-1600 BCE) were gifted to the Met Museum in 1989 by the Norbert Schimmel Trust; the Head of a male (ca. 2000-1600 BCE) was purchased by the Museum in Head of a male, and the Vessel supported by two rams, were at one point sold by disgraced London dealer Robin Symes. Both the Head of a male, and Head of a female sculptures, are thought to be from Isin, an archaeological site in Iraq. While the Vessel supported by two rams is not known to be associated with a particular site in Iraq, it appeared on the Baghdad art market, was purchased by Swiss dealer Nicolas Koutoulakis by 1956 and later acquired by Cecile de the Museum's cooperation with the Manhattan DA's office, and as a result of its investigation into Robin Symes, the museum recently received new information that made it clear that the works should be repatriated, resulting in a constructive resolution. Cultural Property InitiativeIn spring 2023, The Met announced a suite of initiatives related to cultural property and collecting practices that include undertaking a focused review of works in the collection; hiring additional provenance researchers to join the many researchers and curators already doing this work at the Museum; further engaging staff and trustees; and using The Met's platform to support and contribute to public discourse on this topic. The Met engages with countries around the globe as part of its commitment to the shared stewardship of the world's cultural heritage and has established a number of key international this year, following collaborative research, The Metropolitan Museum of Art and The Hellenic Republic of Greece announced the return of a 7th century BCE Bronze Head of a Griffin to Greece, which will be loaned back to The Met for an exhibition in recent agreements include the transfer of ownership of two stone sculptures to the Republic of Yemen, which resulted in a historic custodial agreement stating that The Met will care for and display the stone sculptures until Yemen wishes to have them returned. Following that agreement, 14 ancient sculptures that were voluntarily repatriated to the Republic of Yemen from the Hague family collection located in New Zealand were loaned to The Met by the Republic of Yemen, who requested that the objects be held at the Museum, where they will be studied and catalogued, until Yemen requests their return. As part of a commitment to transparency, The Met has launched object webpages for all restituted works of art, specifying that the object has been returned and to what country. The Museum has also embraced a New York State law passed in August 2022 that requires museums to publicly identify any artworks in their collection that changed hands in Europe during the Nazi era (1933–1945) due to involuntary means, with more than 50 updated object labels now installed.
