Zilkens' News Blog

Zilkens‘ News Blog 15 2025

The American president is now raging through the cultural institutions. People who did not encounter any obstacles in the previous woke zeitgeist in leading positions of museums and institutions have to fear for their positions. The director of the National Museum of Afro American History and Culture, Kevin Young, has now been suspended from his position, Blake Lives Matter is disappearing from the streets and some artists, like Neil Young, fear no longer being able to enter their own country because they are critical of the current government. It's a real cross to bear. While the president, with wild tariffs, causes shocks on the global economy, his clean-up consultant Musk dreams of duty-free trade between America and Europe. Perhaps he hopes for mercy from European consumers for his data-collecting road vehicle. I try to be cautious when it comes to the inflationary use of the term fascism – but what is currently going on in the USA does bear a strong resemblance to fascism: nationalism, Gleichschaltung (enforced conformity), arbitrariness, undermining of constitutional principles, expulsion of unpopular people, restriction of freedom of the press... But unlike 1933, a clear majority voted for the president and his party - including Black people and Hispanic people.

Since 2023, Anthropolis (a five-part play) by Roland Schimmelpfennig using Sophocles, Euripides and Aeschylus has been showing at the Deutsches Schauspielhaus in Hamburg, directed by Karin Beier. Great theatre with great acting performances in three days. It is also about power, gods, guilt and law over six generations, with Thebes representing communities. Ancient history is told in a very topical way and unfortunately with the suggestion that little has changed in 2500 years in the nature of human beings.

In Munich, the director-general of the Staatliche Gemäldesammlungen has been relieved of his duties. Prof. Bernhard Maaz can now devote himself to other tasks. However, the reasons for the dismissal remain unclear – this is now to be clarified externally.

Art Düsseldorf begins on Thursday. The online catalogue is now available. If you want, you can get an impression. Ultimately, however, it is the original that counts. By the way: Vienna's Ziwna Gallery is now offering a new Turner (British painter J. M. W. Turner) for 38 million. According to the FAZ, there are a few strange things about this: the gallery has so far only dealt with art after 1945 and not necessarily with the really big names. Turner expert Ian Warrel has not managed to view the work in Vienna since 2022 (!) due to the pandemic. In 2022, we had a normal travel season again – and that's when the Russians invaded Ukraine. An unknown Persian prince gave the painting to one of the previous owners, a Mr Delarue, and if you know French you can translate easily where he comes from. In the list of previous owners, F A Cokayne also appears, who is only known as a coin collector. It might help to pronounce the name, to clear the fog. As nice as it is to dream of big money in the art trade, the industry can't need another Beltracchi case.

Have a good start to the week,

Stephan Zilkens and the team at Zilkens Fine Art Insurance Broker GmbH in Solothurn and Cologne