Art Outlook: 7 August

Some of the stories and discussions we’ve spotted online this week:

Would Scottish independence spell trouble for its cultural institutions?

UK funding bodies are ‘watching and waiting’ to assess the impact of the Scottish referendum on some of the country’s cultural projects, the Art Newspaper reports.

The Bayerische Staatsgemäldesammlungen rejects restitution claim

The German museum has refused to return a painting by Jacob Ochtervelt to the descendants of banker Carl Hagen, arguing that there’s no evidence of it having been unlawfully acquired by the Nazis.

Controversial closure: MOCA moves out of North Miami

The Museum of Contemporary Art and the city of North Miami have been at loggerheads for some time; this week, the museum finally decided to move elsewhere.

Stephanie Rosenthal will direct the next Sydney Biennale

The Hayward Gallery is set to close next September for renovation, but its chief curator won’t be stuck for things to do. Rosenthal takes the helm of the 2016 Biennale of Sydney, and will be looking for a smoother ride than this year…

Haunting memorial: a pillar of light pierces the London skyline

spectra, Ryoji Ikeda’s temporary sound and light installation in Westminster, commemorates the outbreak of the First World War.

Children in museums are ‘a total waste of time’

Jake Chapman courted controversy expertly this week with his blunt dismissal of people who take their children to art galleries. Do you think children should be banned from museums?

Marina Abramoviç and money

Abramoviç has sold her New York apartment for just over $3 million. That’s $350,000 more than she paid for it last year, but it doesn’t look like the profits will be put towards paying the staff at her new institute…

Not very nice? It’s Nice That respond to Fabrice Le Nezet’s fake art

Last week, It’s Nice That were fooled by the artist Fabrice Le Nezet into reporting on an installation that didn’t actually exist. Here’s their interesting response…

eBay and the Élysée Palace

Historic furniture from the Élysée Palace in Paris has shown up on eBay. It’s thought the items were given away as gifts.

Techie Tortoises in Aspen: art or animal abuse?

The Aspen Art Museum has been forced to defend its use of iPad-wielding tortoises in a new art installation…