Competition to design Notre-Dame spire announced

Our daily round-up of news from the art world

Competition to design Notre-Dame spire announced | The French government has launched an international architecture competition to create a new spire for Notre-Dame cathedral in Paris, after the existing spire was destroyed by fire on Monday (15 April). The French prime minister, Edouard Philippe, said the competition will decide the question of whether to build a spire identical to that which was lost in the fire, or whether to crown the cathedral with a new design, ‘adapted to the techniques and challenges of our times’.

Arts Council England reports £390m growth in culture sector | Arts Council England (ACE) has published its annual report on the contribution of the arts and culture industry to the UK economy, finding that the sector added £10.8bn to the economy at the last count in 2016, up by £390m from the previous year and overtaking the contribution of the agriculture sector. The survey also found that 74 per cent of arts and culture organisations had been affected by funding cuts. Nicholas Serota, chair of the ACE, has called for greater funding for the arts.

Gagosian art advisory firm launched in New York | Larry Gagosian has announced the establishment of an art advisory business. Gagosian LLC, which will operate independently of the art dealer’s gallery business, will offer conservation and collection management advice to collectors and institutions. Laura Paulson, a former executive at Christie’s, has been named director.