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Roundup: Trump and the arts, antiquities and Islamic State, dissident artist arrested in Havana

At his meeting with President Obama in the Oval Office, a painting by Norman Rockwell hung prominently over President-elect Donald Trump's shoulder.
(Pablo Martinez Monsivais / AP)
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The president-elect and the worlds of art and design. A Cuban artist arrrested. And antiquities and the Italian mafia. Plus, updates on museum expansions and a profile of the fashion mogul opening a Los Angeles museum. With synapses still redolent of turkey and tryptophan, here’s the Roundup:

— A series of graphic political posters depicting Fidel Castro’s revolution, in Cuba and abroad. New York Times

— Dissident Cuban artist Danilo Machado, a graffiti artist known as “El Sexto,” has once again been arrested in Havana. Artnet

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Italian mafia groups trading arms for antiquities with Islamic State militants, according to an investigation published by an Italian newspaper. The Art Newspaper

— When President-elect Donald Trump met President Obama in the Oval Office on Nov. 10, a painting of the Statue of Liberty by Norman Rockwell hung behind him. Rockwell’s granddaughter, Abigail Rockwell, mulls the significance of the work given the political moment. Huffington Post

— Trump’s pick for education secretary, Betsy DeVos, has art-world connections. She is a founder of the art contest Michigan ArtPrize. Artnet

— Critic Ben Davis picks through Breitbart to find out what sorts of views Trump adviser Stephen Bannon might have on the art world. “There is precious little that is positive here,” he writes, “and it is all presented in an alt-right fun-house mirror.” Artnet

— Plus: Architecture critic Oliver Wainwright looks at the legacy of Trump architecture. The Guardian

— And since we’re on the subject of Trump and design: A brief examination of the work of interior designer Angelo Donghia, who designed Trump’s townhouse in the ‘80s. Even

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— How will art contend with the era of Trump? It might be instructive to look at how the Latin American artists of the ’70s created work that was fierce and full of resistance. A good place to start? The exhibition of 1970s Chilean art at Harvard University. Boston Globe

— Also instructive: The trio of exhibitions about the Black Panthers in the Bay Area. Daily Serving

— With a one-vote margin, the proposed Guggenheim Helsinki in Finland inches forward in city board proceedings. But Finnish architect Juhani Pallasmaa, who for several years served as a juror for the Pritzker Prize, says the project is “ruthless business presented as a cultural project” — and says the plan should be scrapped. Yle Uutiset, the Architects’ Journal

A file photo shows a model for the winning design for the Guggenheim Helsinki by French architecture firm Moreau Kusunoki.
A file photo shows a model for the winning design for the Guggenheim Helsinki by French architecture firm Moreau Kusunoki.
(Heikki Saukkomaa / Lehtikuva via AP )

— The Detroit Institute of Art will be adding more contemporary art to its programming mix. Detroit Free Press

— Architect Norman Foster has been chosen to create an extension for the Prado Museum in Madrid. New York Times

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— And the L.A.-based firm Johnston Marklee will be overseeing the redo of the Museum of Contemporary Art in Chicago. New York Times

— A profile of Maurice Marciano, who is about to launch a new museum in Los Angeles of his collection at the old Scottish Rite Masonic Temple on Wilshire. Interesting fact: Marciano has held on to some of the artifacts he found inside the temple — including lots of wigs. Wall Street Journal

The former Scottish Rite Temple on Wilshire Boulevard in Los Angeles will become a private art museum.
The former Scottish Rite Temple on Wilshire Boulevard in Los Angeles will become a private art museum.
(Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times )

— Critic Jen Graves has a good piece on “moderating” Marina Abramovic. The Stranger

— A good long read: The European company that makes sophisticated 3-D facsimiles of famous works of art — including King Tut’s tomb. New Yorker

— A recently restored mural by Emigdio Vasquez in Orange, which records the area’s Mexican history, is to be included in next year’s Pacific Standard Time exhibitions. OC Register

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— An exhibition at the Depart Foundation in West Hollywood explores the complicated history of Edward Curtis’ historic portraits of American Indians. LA Weekly

— And last but not least: Coagula Curatorial is holding an astrology seminar for artists in the new year. Hopefully they will be able to tell us what our uncertain future holds. Coagula

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Find me on Twitter @cmonstah.

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