Germany passes controversial Cultural Property Protection Law

Our daily round-up of news from the art world

Germany passes new cultural protection law | The upper house of the German parliament today passed the Cultural Property Protection Law, a controversial new bill intended to combat the trafficking of art and antiquities, and to safeguard national treasures. The law has proved unpopular with art dealers, many of whom believe the strict import and export policies it entails could be disastrous for business. ‘The damage is already enormous and cannot be reversed,’ wrote 11 former museum directors in an open letter to the upper house. Culture minister Monika Grütters, however, has described it as ‘imperative.’ Read our forum piece on the implications of the new law here.

Michael Simpson wins John Moores Painting Prize | Michael Simpson has been awarded the top award at this year’s John Moores Painting Prize for his oil painting Squint (19). Simpson’s work was chosen from a shortlist of five whittled down from more than 2,500 entries. Ansel Krut, one of the judges, praised the painting as a ‘wonderfully understated, conceptually elegant work’. The biennial prize, hosted by Liverpool’s Walker Art Gallery, was set up by the eponymous Littlewoods tycoon in 1957.

Valeria Napoleone to exhibit collection in travelling exhibition | Collector and philanthropist Valeria Napoleone is to show her collection in an exhibition that will travel to UK regional museums. Napoleone is notable for collecting only works by female artists. The exhibition, entitled ‘Going Public: the Napoleone Collection’, will open at the Graves Gallery in Sheffield on 15 July, before travelling to Touchstones Rochdale in December. For more on the collection, read our interview with Napoleone here.

Peter Doig sued for denying authorship of painting | Peter Doig is facing a lawsuit brought against him by a retired corrections officer Robert Fletcher after the former refused to acknowledge a painting in the latter’s collection. According to the New York Times, Fletcher believes Doig painted the work while serving time in a Canadian detention centre in the 1970s, where he claims to have worked as his parole officer. Doig, however, disagrees, and says he does not recognise the work, and has never spent time in prison. ‘This case is a scam, and I’m being forced to jump through hoops to prove my whereabouts over 40 years ago,’ Doig said.

Timothy Taylor to open US gallery | London dealer Timothy Taylor has announced that he plans to open a gallery in New York, reports The Art Newspaper. Taylor aims to do something ‘different’ and ‘unexpected’ with the gallery, which is located in Manhattan’s Chelsea. The space will open in September with a show dedicated to the Mexican architect Luis Barrágan.