– Do the Dishes: A U.S. marshal marched into the offices of public art organization Creative Time to retrieve a set of dinner plates that once belonged to Saddam Hussein. The New York organization had purchased them on eBay on behalf of artist Michael Rakowitz, who used them in a culinary-political performance piece at the Park Avenue Autumn restaurant. The plates were taken out of the country illegally, according to officials, but yesterday were returned to the Iraqi prime minister, who was visiting the president in Washington, D.C. [NYT]
– Ai Takes Second Place: Chinese dissident artist and former detainee Ai Weiwei was chosen as one of the runners-up for TIME magazine's Person of the Year, an award that ended up going to "the protester" (with a cover design by Shepard Fairey). Also under consideration: Kate Middleton and Wisconsin representative Paul Ryan. [Daily Mail]
– Susan Sarandon Supports Sotheby’s Teamsters: The actress appeared outside Sotheby’s Manhattan headquarters earlier this fall and was photographed with a placard reading, “Stop the War on Workers.” The auction house’s art handlers have been locked out since August. According to Bloomberg, the labor dispute has cost the company some $2.4 million. [Bloomberg]
– Stanford University Chooses Architect for Anderson Collection: Following a donation of contemporary American art earlier this year, Stanford University has announced plans for a $30.5 million museum, with New York City's Ennead Architects designing the space. The museum will house the Anderson Collection, which includes major works by Jackson Pollock and Willem de Kooning. [LAT]
– Berlin's Gemäldegalerie to House Modern Art: A stone's throw from the Neue Nationalgalerie, the Gemäldegalerie, which is currently dedicated to old masters, is to become a museum devoted to art of the 20th century. The transformation is partly spurred by a gift from collectors Ulla and Heiner Pietzsch including works by Magritte, Pollock, and Ernst, and valued at €120 million ($156 million). [TAN]
– In Bed with Saatchi: Beginning next January, the Saatchi Gallery will provide three exhibitions to London's Hyatt Regency, creating a "cultural playground" for guests. A limited edition "Saatchi Gallery suite" hung with a selection of works from the collection will also be available from February to April. [ITCM]
– Public Art Project Terminated: Artist Fred Wilson’s sculpture of a freed slave holding a flag representing the African Diaspora was officially withdrawn Tuesday as public art intended for installation in downtown Indianapolis. “The biased, late-19th-century image of an African-American in no way honored the progress of African-Americans in Indianapolis and the United States," said the president of the Central Indiana Community Foundation. Modern Art Notes interviewed Wilson after the announcement. [Indy Star]
– National Arts Club Battles Ex-President: The National Arts Club is planning a countersuit against O. Aldon James Jr., the club’s eccentric former president, who sought an injunction against the board to stop his expulsion from the club. James has been accused of commingling the detritus of his hoarding habit with the site’s fine art and antiques, “attracting vermin and creating fire hazards.” [NYT]
– How Painters Trick You: Scientific American explores what makes photorealistic paintings work. The trick? The eye perceives colors in relation to one another, and we focus more on figurative subjects than abstract. [Scientific American]
– Iraq Museum Deals With Looters, Directly: The Slemani Museum in northern Iraq is offering cash to looters for the return of stolen items of historical and artistic value. Stuart Gibson, director of the UNESCO Sulaimaniya Museum, has called the unusual move “difficult” and “very courageous.” [CNN]
– Art Student Sues Over Sexist Abuse: A graduate art student claims Washington University refused to award her a degree after she complained that her advisor insisted that her artwork consist of “blood, guts, and pussy.” She is suing the university for punitive damages for violation of the Missouri Human Rights Act. [Courthouse News]
– A Look at the Fussy Side of Ingmar Bergman: A sale of letters written by the Swedish filmmaker at a Stockholm auction reveals a string of squabbles his housekeeper, Anita Hagloef. Apparently the director of “Fanny and Alexander” was peeved by “boring cheese.” A more cheerful note thanks Hagloef for “scaring away ghosts.” [Telegraph]
– Shortlist for the Guerlain Contemporary Drawing Prize: Marcel Dzama, Marc Bauer, and Jorinde Voigt have been selected for next year's €15,000 ($19,500) award. The winner will be announced in March, during the Salon du Dessin in Paris. The winner's drawings will be donated to the Centre Pompidou. [Connaissance des Arts]
– Come One, Come All: Tania Bruguera’s Immigrant Movement International, an artist-initiated political movement, is planning to join the Occupy Wall Street march this Sunday, December 18, in support of immigrant rights.