Missing Masterpieces, the exhibition organized by Samsung and visible online, gathers a selection of 12 stolen artworks. The aim of the initiative is to involve the public in the search for masterpieces.
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Is it possible to organize an exhibition with lost masterpieces? If digital technologies are used, the answer is "yes, we can": Samsung is harnessing the power of technology to connect people in the search for 12 lost masterpieces. Virtually showcasing the stolen paintings by great artists such as Vincent van Gogh, Paul Cézanne and Claude Monet, Missing Masterpieces exhibition is available on Samsung's website, from 12 November till 10 February 2021.
As our lives have become more virtual, the power that technology has to bring people together has never been clearer. Thus, the aim of the initiative is not only to feature pieces that cannot be physically seen anywhere, but also to find them through the involvement of the web audience, creating a sort of word-of-mouth to build clues and evidence.
"Samsung invites art lovers and aspiring detectives to share any suggestion, theory or clue on Instagram, tagging @samsungitalia and using the hashtag #MissingMasterpieces to help collect all possible evidence"
This unheard-of exhibition has been curated by Noah Charney, art crime expert and founder of the Association for Research into Crimes Against Art (ARCA), who has selected the 12 lost artworks: Garden of the Rectory in Nuenen in Spring, Portrait of Dr Gachet and The Painter on the Road to Tarascon by Vincent van Gogh, White Duck by Jean Baptiste Oudry, View of Auvers-sur-Oise by Paul Cézanne, Universal Judgement by William Blake, Summer by David Teniers the Younger, Charing Cross Bridge and Waterloo Bridge by Claude Monet, Landscape by József Lampérth Nemes, Mythological Scene with a Young Bacchus by Jacob Jordaens and Chloe & Emma by Barbora Kyslikova. They are currently sought by international law enforcement agencies for Missing Masterpieces.
Dr Noah Charney, Founder of ARCA, said, “Before you get to work on a puzzle, you want to gather all the pieces, right? It’s the same with a crime or a mysterious loss. From contradictory media reports to speculation in Reddit feeds – the clues are out there, but the volume of information can be overwhelming. This is where technology and social media can help by bringing people together to assist the search. It’s not unheard of for an innocuous tip posted online to be the key that unlocks a case.”
So, have a look here at the Missing Masterpieces exhibition, and start your search!
Cover image: The Painter on the Road to Tarascon by Vincent van Gogh.
Written by Giulia Cami
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