The Art Newspaper reveals most popular exhibitions and museums of 2011

Filed under: Arts and Culture
The folks over at the Art Newspaper have just released some interesting stats about the art world of 2011. Collecting a huge amount of data from hundreds of museums and galleries, they've discovered some important trends.

First off, the big shows are getting bigger. The top ten most popular art shows back in 1996, the first year they gathered figures, averaged 3,000 visitors a day. Last year's top ten shows averaged almost 7,000 visitors a day.

For total attendance in 2011, the Louvre in Paris was way ahead with 8,880,000 visitors. Number two was the Met in New York City with slightly over 6,000,000 visitors. Paris and London dominated the top ten. Three Parisian museums made the top ten: the Louvre (#1), Centre Pompidou (#8), and Musée D'Orsay (#10), with a combined total of 15.2 million visitors. London boasts the British Museum (#3), National Gallery (#4), and Tate Modern (#5), with a combined total of 16 million.

For top exhibitions, last year had several blockbusters, with "The Magical World of Escher" coming out on top with 573,691 visitors. It was free at the Centro Cultural Banco do Brasil. The most popular paid exhibition was "Kukai's World: The Art of Esoteric Buddhism" at the Tokyo National Museum with 550,399 tickets sold.

There's a lot more data in the report giving lots of insight into the booming world of major art exhibitions. It should be interesting to see what trends this year's figures show.


Photo of the Louvre courtesy Ivo Jansch.The Art Newspaper reveals most popular exhibitions and museums of 2011 originally appeared on Gadling on Sat, 24 Mar 2012 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | Email this | Comments

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Restaurant: Bistro Union, London SW4

The neighbourhood restaurant is a notoriously difficult concept to get right. Does Adam Byatt pull it off at his latest venture?The neighbourhood restaurant is a hard thing to master ? harder than it looks. Adam Byatt is a talented chef who has been on something of a journey in that respect. He mastered it with his first restaurant, Thyme, a serious eatery of about 10 years ago with one of the worst imaginable locations, on Clapham Park Road opposite the exit from Sainsbury's car park. He cooked multi-small-course menus at decent prices to happy locals, and was always busy. Then came a mistake: Byatt relocated Thyme to Covent Garden. Same food, higher prices, no more regular and local customers; this turns out not to be a formula for success. So he moved back to Clapham, to a restaurant by the common that, in its previous incarnation as The Polygon, was a strong candidate for the worst restaurant in London.I live nearby and used to give The Polygon a go at roughly one-year intervals. The last time we went, my wife took an 18-inch-long strand of hair out of her seared tuna. We looked over to the open-plan kitchen. There was a white rasta with 18-inch-long dreadlocks plating up food at the pass. We vowed never again. Then Byatt moved back to Clapham and The Polygon reopened as Trinity, and joy has been unconfined.Byatt is still cooking at Trinity, but he has now opened Bistro Union on Abbeville Road, a different take on the local restaurant. Where Trinity has tablecloths and fairly formal service (though in a friendly and informal atmosphere), Bistro Union has zinc tables and bar snacks. Trinity's is the kind of food that could (and should) have a Michelin star; Bistro Union's is the kind where the question doesn't seem relevant ? it's a place you might go for a glass of wine and a pickled quail's egg, or pork scratchings, or a fish finger sandwich, or steak and chips. They do high tea, and they do a children's meal between 5pm and 6pm: I'll be interested to see if that catches on.The chef at Bistro Union is Karl Goward, who was for some years head chef at Fergus Henderson's St John Bread & Wine in Spitalfields. That pedigree might lead you to expect an emphasis on British ingredients and recipes ? and you'd be right: that's exactly what they're doing here. The menu is a long list of things that are fun to eat, from radishes with smoked cod's roe for �3 to smoked sardines for �1.50 to ham and eggs for �6 and toad in the hole for �11.It sounds as if it should be perfect, for a neighbourhood place. It isn't yet, though, and I say that with some surprise, since Trinity is pretty much my favourite restaurant. The execution of the good ideas is competent, but not more than that. The toad in the hole, for instance, is a good quality Cumberland sausage set down on an agreeable batter in a hot skillet; that's all fine, but then a small boat of gravy is poured over, which sizzles to dramatic effect, but makes the batter soggy. Guinea fowl Kiev is a nice idea, on the basis that anything Kiev is so uncool it's swung all the way back around to being cool again. But the dish arrives as a large, sausage-shaped thing in a heavy, breaded coating, and really is so weighty that it isn't all that great to eat. Baked aubergine is served with mint and a cow's curd that, thanks to its dressing, ends up too sweet, without the cooling, sour twist you want. Chips are strong on potato flavour but a tad dry and heavy.Other dishes that have worked well: a rich, pretty and very satisfying fish pie; a dead simple but still lovely piece of bream, baked in paper and served with a fennel salad on the side (a trick there, since when you see bream and fennel on the menu, you assume they'll be cooked together); knickerbocker glory, the English apotheosis of jelly and ice-cream together, looks gorgeous and ticks all its sweet boxes. If the pace of Bistro Union were to pick up a little, and the kitchen does its best work more of the time, this place will be a real boon for its neighbourhood, but it hasn't yet hit its stride. I say again, the neighbourhood restaurant is hard.? Bistro Union, 40 Abbeville Road, London SW4, 020-7042 6400. Open all week, lunch Mon-Sat, 11am-3pm, dinner Mon-Sat, 6-10.30pm, Sun brunch 11am-4pm. Three courses with wine and service, from �40 a head.LondonUnited KingdomRestaurantsFood & drinkJohn Lanchesterguardian.co.uk © 2012 Guardian News and Media Limited or its affiliated companies. All rights reserved. | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds

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Skier Hits Tree and Dies at Wolf Creek

Pagosa Springs, CO - A 19-year-old Kansas man collided with a tree and died while skiing at Wolf Creek Ski Area near Pagosa Springs on Saturday.



Garrett Austin Spencer, of Hesston, was a Kansas State University student. He was skiing a beginner run with friends shortly before 10 a.m. on Saturday when the incident occurred. The resort?s ski patrol evacuated Spencer to a clinic on site, where he could not be revived, according to the Mineral County coroner?s office. He was reportedly not wearing a helmet.
Saturday?s incident marked the 17th ski and snowboard fatality in Colorado but the first in-bounds death at Wolf Creek this winter. An autopsy to determine the cause of death is planned for today.

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Strange Planet: Air Crab

Submitted to National Geographic’s Your Shot by Leena Roy, who writes: “The shot was taken underwater at the end of a morning dive in Djibouti when the surface was flat calm.� I held my breath to avoid my air bubbles disrupting the op so the clouds could be seen.� These crabs free swim near the…

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#FriFotos: Spring Fever

This week’s�#FriFotos*�theme is�SPRING, and it’s definitely in the air. And has been for some time in many places around the world. We’re not the only ones who’ve noticed. 2012′s unusually warm weather has thrown the world’s creatures for a loop, causing bears, bats, and other hibernators to rouse early and prompting some migratory birds to…

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Tories may be on the final approach to a U-turn on Heathrow third runway

Vote blue to go green, the Tories said. But lobbyists for a third runway at Heathrow are now hoping for a policy shiftIf vote blue, go green, was the throwaway slogan that epitomised the transformation of the Conservatives into an eco-friendly party, then junking a third runway at Heathrow airport in favour of high-speed rail was the political substance behind the spin.Now, a carefully choreographed about-turn appears to be underway. Political opponents might characterise the new slogan as: Vote blue, go via a new terminal in the south-east.It began with George Osborne's last autumn statement. The chancellor signalled that new runways at Stansted and Gatwick were a possibility as he pledged the government would "explore all options for maintaining the UK's aviation hub status, with the exception of a third runway at Heathrow".According to an aviation source, the pointed reference to a third runway was agreed at the last minute between Osborne and David Cameron, with no input from the transport department.Then, 48 hours before the budget, the prime minister said he was "not blind to the need to increase airport capacity, particularly in the south-east". Osborne followed this on budget day with a pointed call to "confront" the lack of runways in the London area. The Department for Transport (DfT) said there was "no change" in the coalition's policy on a third runway. Yet this was a policy that had ruled out expansion at Stansted and Gatwick ? which were now both firmly in the "all options" camp."You can see something is shifting, you can see the shift started with Osborne's autumn statement," said the aviation source. "If you want to  change a major policy pledge you want to avoid a massive, sudden U-turn. You prepare the ground for it and that's what they have been doing these past five months."Other well-placed sources believe that a debate is underway within government on whether the call for evidence on hub airports, due to be published in the summer, along with the basic outlines of a new aviation policy, will include the option of a third runway. Second runways at Gatwick and Stansted are expected to be mooted, along with a new hub airport in the Thames estuary area and improved use of regional airports.One source familiar with all the political wrangling, said that the third runway probably would be included as  an option. But, the source added, don't get carried away with the nods and hints.Simon Buck, chief executive of the British Air Transport Association, which represents Heathrow airlines, including British Airways, Virgin Atlantic and bmi, said: "It is just premature to say that the government is changing its mind on Heathrow. I think the government doesn't know what the solution is yet. If I was a betting man I would be surprised if they did not have some sort of Heathrow option in the consultation document that they are preparing."Other options include developing nearby RAF Northolt, 13 miles away, as a Heathrow satellite.The most unlikely Tory figures are breaking ranks over Heathrow now. Tim Yeo, chair of the energy and climate change select committee, said this weekend he had "completely changed" his mind on Heathrow and that he believed now that a third runway had to be built.Prominent business figures such as Willie Walsh, chief executive of the BA parent International Airlines Group, ratcheted up their public campaign for a Heathrow U-turn as they smelled weakness in the government's position.They have argued that failure to expand Heathrow, which has all but run out of spare take-off and landing slots, would cut the UK off from expanding markets, such as China, India and Russia, and would dissuade international businesses from setting up in Britain and even nudge multinationals to leave the country."The government has found itself in a bit of a fix," said Buck. "It was very much a political decision to reverse the decision of the previous government and rule out new runways. Inevitably, the economic situation is piling the pressure on government and they are seeing a lot of pressure from people they see as Conservative party supporters."The aviation industry hopes that the government policy will not last beyond this parliament and that the Tories will campaign on new runway policy in 2015.There is even a get-out on the environmental side. The committee on climate change, the government's advisory panel on global warming, inadvertently made the case for a third runway by admitting that British airports could handle up to 140 million more passengers a year by 2050 yet still adhere to UK emissions targets.This remains heresy for many, however. Zac Goldsmith, the environmental campaigner-turned-Tory-MP, told the Guardian's Open Weekend festival that he would resign as an MP if the party did such a U-turn.The Labour party is scathing. Lord Adonis, the last transport secretary under Gordon Brown, said: "David Cameron is paying the price for playing Nimby party politics with Heathrow before the last election. It has been stark staring obvious for years that a third runway at Heathrow was in the national interest, to safeguard jobs and new investment from abroad."It is also consistent with environmental policies. But when Labour proposed this, [Cameron] took the Nimby course and is now trying to find a way out. Let's hope the economic damage is not irreparable before the government discovers a credible aviation policy."Aside from the business lobby, much of the credit for the weakening of the Tory position is due to one of the party's stars ? Boris Johnson. As London mayor Johnson has made the need for new airport capacity one of his main policy issues and, in the face of stern opposition from parliamentary colleagues at first, he has gained traction. Ever the contrarian though, on Sundayhe rejected a third runway, saying it would be an "environmental disaster". Which leaves Stansted, Gatwick, or a new site on the Thames estuary.This is all viewed with scepticism by a lauded veteran of the anti-third runway campaign ? John Stewart, chair of the HACAN campaign group that opposes expansion. He says a third runway will never happen: too many voters live under Heathrow flight paths and too many Tory MPs are implacably opposed to expansion, including the transport secretary, Justine Greening, who campaigned vociferously against a new runway as MP for Putney, London. "At the end of the day I think it is dead in the water," said Stewart.But many opponents watching the government's awkward manoeuvres will be dusting down their protest banners to prepare for another fight.Heathrow third runwayAirline industryTravel and transportLondonHeathrowAir transportConservativesTransport policyTransportDan Milmoguardian.co.uk © 2012 Guardian News and Media Limited or its affiliated companies. All rights reserved. | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds

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