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https://theconversation.com/vale-leon-paroissien-the-first-director-of-the-museum-of-contemporary-art-who-shaped-how-australians-experience-art-243255>
"In 1975 when Gough Whitlam opened the
Manet to Matisse exhibition at the Art
Gallery of New South Wales, which had come to Australia from the United States,
he proudly proclaimed it was only possible as the Australian government had
indemnified the owners of the works comprising the exhibition against loss
or damage to a total amount of US$70 million. Without this support the
exhibition would very likely have not been possible because of the
prohibitive cost of normal insurance cover.
In 1975, US$70 million was the equivalent of A$100 million. A Sydney tabloid
newspaper ran a double page spread showing some of the great art to show their
readers “What $100 million looks like”.
European art of this quality had never previously been seen in Australia. The
queue to see the exhibition stretched all the way down Art Gallery Road to St
Mary’s Cathedral.
Four years later the Art Indemnity Scheme was formalised. It is the policy that
makes exhibitions like Magritte and Pharaoh possible.
Leon Francis Parossien, who negotiated with Whitlam, Lionel Murphy and the
American lenders to the exhibition to create a new way of protecting art in
transit, died on November 5 after a long illness.
Parossien was one of the great enablers of our creative landscape. He imagined
a better future, then made it happen."
RIP,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
