Modern art stirs up British Museum

Supermodels may come and go, but the iconic status of Britain's most famous fashionista has been immortalized in a new work of art.
Worth 1.5 million pounds, the solid 18-carat gold sculpture of Kate Moss is the focal point of the British Museum's first exhibition to feature modern art in nearly a decade.
Entitled Statuephilia, the exhibition brings together works by leading Brit sculptors, including Damien Hirst and Antony Gormley. Nestled among the museum's ancient artefacts, their nods to the contemporary culture are intended to illustrate how modern art is influenced by its ancient equivalent.
It opens with Gormley's Case for an Angel I, a sculpture with an 8.5 meter wingspan. It was created in 1989-10 years before his well-known Angel of the North. Hirst's Cornucopia comprises 200 spin-painted plastic skulls created for the exhibition.
Under an imposing statue from Easter Island lies Ron Mueck's Mask II, an oversized self-portrait of the artist asleep. Tim Noble and Sue Webster's Dark Stuff is a new work, inspired by the museum's Egyptian collection and crafted from various mummified animals.
Moss's 88x65x50cm likeness, by Marc Quinn, is the largest gold statue to be created since the days of the Ancient Egyptians and weighs 50kg-almost the same as the model herself.
Called Siren, after the mythical Greek seductresses, it depicts the model contorted into a pretzel-like yoga position-feet tucked behind her head-and was inspired by the famous gold death mask of Egyptian boy pharaoh, Tutankhamun.
"Like the mask, Siren is an image that glows and gives out love and light but remains completely implacable and silent. I think of both of them as sculptures of a cultural superego," Quinn has said of his creation.
Waldemar Januszczak, co-curator of the exhibit, said it was a chance for the artists to pay their dues. "Statuephilia brings together a group of modern sculptors, all of whom have prowled through the corridors and display cabinets of the British Museum in their formative years, looking at sculpture and feeling its unmatched international potency. The British Museum helped me to make these artists what they are. Now they are seeking to return the favour."
Statuephilia is open until January 25. For a virtual tour of the sculptures, and a look at some of the artists' previous works, click on the thumbnails in the gallery below.
by Kourtney Geers- MSN News Reporter
October 14 2008
Worth 1.5 million pounds, the solid 18-carat gold sculpture of Kate Moss is the focal point of the British Museum's first exhibition to feature modern art in nearly a decade.
Entitled Statuephilia, the exhibition brings together works by leading Brit sculptors, including Damien Hirst and Antony Gormley. Nestled among the museum's ancient artefacts, their nods to the contemporary culture are intended to illustrate how modern art is influenced by its ancient equivalent.
It opens with Gormley's Case for an Angel I, a sculpture with an 8.5 meter wingspan. It was created in 1989-10 years before his well-known Angel of the North. Hirst's Cornucopia comprises 200 spin-painted plastic skulls created for the exhibition.
Under an imposing statue from Easter Island lies Ron Mueck's Mask II, an oversized self-portrait of the artist asleep. Tim Noble and Sue Webster's Dark Stuff is a new work, inspired by the museum's Egyptian collection and crafted from various mummified animals.
Moss's 88x65x50cm likeness, by Marc Quinn, is the largest gold statue to be created since the days of the Ancient Egyptians and weighs 50kg-almost the same as the model herself.
Called Siren, after the mythical Greek seductresses, it depicts the model contorted into a pretzel-like yoga position-feet tucked behind her head-and was inspired by the famous gold death mask of Egyptian boy pharaoh, Tutankhamun.
"Like the mask, Siren is an image that glows and gives out love and light but remains completely implacable and silent. I think of both of them as sculptures of a cultural superego," Quinn has said of his creation.
Waldemar Januszczak, co-curator of the exhibit, said it was a chance for the artists to pay their dues. "Statuephilia brings together a group of modern sculptors, all of whom have prowled through the corridors and display cabinets of the British Museum in their formative years, looking at sculpture and feeling its unmatched international potency. The British Museum helped me to make these artists what they are. Now they are seeking to return the favour."
Statuephilia is open until January 25. For a virtual tour of the sculptures, and a look at some of the artists' previous works, click on the thumbnails in the gallery below.
by Kourtney Geers- MSN News Reporter
October 14 2008
Olympic celebration parades through London

Team GB's Olympics and Paralympics champions received a heroes' welcome on Thursday during their long-awaited victory parade through the streets of London.
Twelve floats, led by triple gold-winning cyclist Chris Hoy, cut a swath through cheering crowds from Mansion House to Trafalgar Square in celebration of Britain’s record medal haul in Beijing.
Double gold-winning swimmer Rebecca Adlington, 13-year-old double gold Paralympic swimmer Eleanor Simmonds and 14-year-old diver Tom Daley were among the athletes who appeared.
London Mayor Boris Johnson addressed the flag-waving crowd of thousands at the event’s climax in Trafalgar Square. "People on the telly have been asking why we are holding this parade now, in Mid-October, when the leaves are falling and the shares are crashing," he said, prompting laughter. "The answer, of course, is that there is never a wrong time to celebrate the greatest achievement by a British Olympic and Paralympic team since 1908."
Team GB earned 19 gold, 13 silver and 15 bronze medals at the 2008 Olympics, proudly placing them fourth in the final tally. The country continued its success at the Paralympics, sweeping up a total of 102 medals—42 gold, 29 silver and 31 bronzes — and placing them second to only China.
The parade reflected the successes of this year’s games and served as a rallying cry for 2012, when it will be London’s turn to host the Olympics.
"I know sceptics will say that we can’t match the Chinese or deliver a fantastic Olympics in a recession, and I say to them it is precisely because of that downturn that we must seize the chance to renovate and rejuvenate the part of east London that has been neglected for decades with all the potential that brings for jobs and growth," Johnson said, to cheers from the crowd. "I have no doubt that in 2012 this extraordinary team will do as well, if not better!"
by Kourtney Geers- MSN News Reporter
October 17 2008
Twelve floats, led by triple gold-winning cyclist Chris Hoy, cut a swath through cheering crowds from Mansion House to Trafalgar Square in celebration of Britain’s record medal haul in Beijing.
Double gold-winning swimmer Rebecca Adlington, 13-year-old double gold Paralympic swimmer Eleanor Simmonds and 14-year-old diver Tom Daley were among the athletes who appeared.
London Mayor Boris Johnson addressed the flag-waving crowd of thousands at the event’s climax in Trafalgar Square. "People on the telly have been asking why we are holding this parade now, in Mid-October, when the leaves are falling and the shares are crashing," he said, prompting laughter. "The answer, of course, is that there is never a wrong time to celebrate the greatest achievement by a British Olympic and Paralympic team since 1908."
Team GB earned 19 gold, 13 silver and 15 bronze medals at the 2008 Olympics, proudly placing them fourth in the final tally. The country continued its success at the Paralympics, sweeping up a total of 102 medals—42 gold, 29 silver and 31 bronzes — and placing them second to only China.
The parade reflected the successes of this year’s games and served as a rallying cry for 2012, when it will be London’s turn to host the Olympics.
"I know sceptics will say that we can’t match the Chinese or deliver a fantastic Olympics in a recession, and I say to them it is precisely because of that downturn that we must seize the chance to renovate and rejuvenate the part of east London that has been neglected for decades with all the potential that brings for jobs and growth," Johnson said, to cheers from the crowd. "I have no doubt that in 2012 this extraordinary team will do as well, if not better!"
by Kourtney Geers- MSN News Reporter
October 17 2008
Cool crowd chills at city snowfest

London's Battersea Power Station may have been shut down in 1983, but it's getting a jolt of energy this weekend by playing host to Freesports on 4 Freeze-a snow sports and music festival.
The area has been transformed into a fully functioning ski resort. The only catch is that you have to be a world-class skier or snowboarder to hit the slopes of the largest real snow jump ever built in the UK.
On Friday, crowds surrounded the giant slope, which sprouts incongruously out of the pavement, cheering on their favourite extreme sports stars including Danny Kass, Hampus Mosesson, and Burton Pro Chris Sorman. After spectacular displays of 1080 and 900 degree mid-air turns, fans can pour into a 10,000 capacity tent to feast their ears on the music of The Enemy, Cypress Hill, Annie Mac and more.
Friday, October 24 features the Freestyle Ski Airbag Finals where the world's top ski stars are fighting for a 12,500 pound prize. Following the ski competition, the big show of the weekend is the LG London Big Air Event, part of the LG FIS (International Ski Federation) World Cup.
The official kick-off for the Northern Hemisphere's winter sports season, the event -on October 25- is part of the LG FIS World Cup for snowboarders and has lured some of the sport's biggest names to the unlikely location next to the Thames. The top prize is 15,000 pounds and a step closer to becoming a world champion.
Despite the decidedly off-piste location, the unique combination of snow, music and food has already provided a big lure. London Freeze runs until October 26. To see the pros taking on the snow, click on the thumbnails in the gallery below.
by Kourtney Geers- MSN News Reporter
October 24 2008
The area has been transformed into a fully functioning ski resort. The only catch is that you have to be a world-class skier or snowboarder to hit the slopes of the largest real snow jump ever built in the UK.
On Friday, crowds surrounded the giant slope, which sprouts incongruously out of the pavement, cheering on their favourite extreme sports stars including Danny Kass, Hampus Mosesson, and Burton Pro Chris Sorman. After spectacular displays of 1080 and 900 degree mid-air turns, fans can pour into a 10,000 capacity tent to feast their ears on the music of The Enemy, Cypress Hill, Annie Mac and more.
Friday, October 24 features the Freestyle Ski Airbag Finals where the world's top ski stars are fighting for a 12,500 pound prize. Following the ski competition, the big show of the weekend is the LG London Big Air Event, part of the LG FIS (International Ski Federation) World Cup.
The official kick-off for the Northern Hemisphere's winter sports season, the event -on October 25- is part of the LG FIS World Cup for snowboarders and has lured some of the sport's biggest names to the unlikely location next to the Thames. The top prize is 15,000 pounds and a step closer to becoming a world champion.
Despite the decidedly off-piste location, the unique combination of snow, music and food has already provided a big lure. London Freeze runs until October 26. To see the pros taking on the snow, click on the thumbnails in the gallery below.
by Kourtney Geers- MSN News Reporter
October 24 2008
Venice submerged by worst floods in 20 years

Italy's famed "City of Water" awoke on Monday to find its historic centre submerged after winds and heavy rain pushed the waters of Venice five feet above their normal levels.
More than 95% of the picturesque Renaissance centre, including St. Mark's Square, was swamped in the worst flooding to hit the city in 20 years.
Tourists and locals found themselves stranded when the elevated walkways were swept away by rapidly rising waters. The situation was made worse by a transport strike effecting the famous 'vaporetto' water ferries and the mayor has advised anyone hoping to visit the city to "think again."
Rising sea levels and climate change have long posed a threat to the World Heritage site, which has flooded 50 times between 1993 and 2002. The worst occurred in November 1966, when the city was submerged under almost two metres of water, forcing 5,000 to flee their homes. For images of the latest flood, click on the thumbnails in the gallery above.
by Kourtney Geers- MSN News Reporter
December 1 2008
More than 95% of the picturesque Renaissance centre, including St. Mark's Square, was swamped in the worst flooding to hit the city in 20 years.
Tourists and locals found themselves stranded when the elevated walkways were swept away by rapidly rising waters. The situation was made worse by a transport strike effecting the famous 'vaporetto' water ferries and the mayor has advised anyone hoping to visit the city to "think again."
Rising sea levels and climate change have long posed a threat to the World Heritage site, which has flooded 50 times between 1993 and 2002. The worst occurred in November 1966, when the city was submerged under almost two metres of water, forcing 5,000 to flee their homes. For images of the latest flood, click on the thumbnails in the gallery above.
by Kourtney Geers- MSN News Reporter
December 1 2008