Among the top visual arts headlines today: The Metropolitan Museum of Art returns the gilded Coffin of Nedjemankh to Egypt; Artadia announces its finalists for the 2019 Los Angeles Awards; the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art plans to sell Mark Rothko’s work for the establishment of a new endowment fund for future acquisitions and to diversify its collection; and a missing Banksy artwork reappears in Liverpool, England, years after it went missing. Met Museum Returns Coffin to Egypt The Metropolitan Museum of Art has delivered the gilded Coffin of Nedjemankh, for return to the Government of Egypt by the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office. The museum took this action after it learned that the artifact was looted from Egypt in 2011. It had purchased the coffin of a priest of the ram-god Heryshef, Nedjemankh, in July 2017. According to the museum, “all of the acquisitions of ancient art undergo a rigorous vetting process in recognition of the 1970 UNESCO treaty, in adherence to the Association of Art Museum Director’s Guidelines on the Acquisition of Ancient Art and Archaeological Materials, and in compliance with federal and state laws.” On learning about the looting, The Met has fully complied with the investigation of the District Attorney’s Office. Investigations have revealed that the Museum received a “false ownership history, fraudulent statements, and fake documentation including a forged 1971 Egyptian export license for the coffin.” It was looted from Egypt in 2011. The centerpiece of the exhibition, “Nedjemankh and His Gilded Coffin,” which opened in July 2018, the coffin was taken off view last week. Artadia Names 6 Finalists for 2019 Los Angeles Awards Artadia, the national nonprofit organization, has announced it's 2019 Los Angeles Awards finalists. They were selected by jurors Pavel Pyś, Curator of Visual Arts, Walker Art Center, Minneapolis; Erin Christovale, Assistant Curator, Hammer Museum, Los Angeles; and artist Zina Saro-Wiwa. Finalists and award recipients are selected through a two-tier jury review process. Two awardees receive an unrestricted grant of $10,000. This year, Artadia has introduced the Marciano Artadia Award in partnership with the Marciano Art Foundation (MAF), where the third winner receives an unrestricted grant of $25,000.The awards are open to visual artists who reside and work out of Los Angeles County for over two years. The six finalists are Eddie Aparicio, Carmen Argote, Ron Athey, Diedrick Brackens, Gelare Koshgozaran, and Jennifer Moon. This is the fourth chapter of Artadia’s Los Angeles Awards. SFMOMA to Auction a Mark Rothko Work at Sotheby’s The San Francisco Museum of Modern Art plans to sell Mark Rothko’s “Untitled,” 1960. “Proceeds from the sale will be used to purchase works for the museum’s collection as well as to establish a new endowment fund for future acquisitions,” the museum says. The work will be sold at Sotheby’s Contemporary Art Evening Auction, in New York on May 16. This work has not been exhibited at the museum since 2002. The primary goal of the museum with this deaccession and sale is “to broadly diversify its collection, enhance its contemporary holdings, and address art historical gaps.” SFMOMA has previously deaccessioned works in the past. It acquired Rothko’s “Untitled, No. 14,” 1960, from the funds it generated through the deaccession of Claude Monet’s “The Seine at Argenteuil,” 1875. Two other works were also deaccessioned in 2012, to acquire Dorothea Tanning and Romare Bearden’s artworks. Missing Banksy Artwork Reappears in Liverpool A Banksy painting, which was removed a few years ago, has reappeared in Liverpool city center. The famous “Loves Plane,” has been repainted on the wall at the Western Approaches on Rumford Street, the Liverpool Echo reports. The work was painted by Banksy in 2011 and became the artist’s best-known work in Liverpool. In 2016, the artwork was removed for display at a street art gallery. The gallery was never created and the artwork went missing. A hooded figure was noticed painting the walls and the new painting shows the plane carrying a black banner with the words “I’m Back” written inside. It is not yet confirmed whether the artwork belongs to Banksy, “as the artist only confirmed his previous Liverpool works by posting images on his social media pages,” the website adds.
Banksy 's famous ' Love Plane ' painting seems to have reappeared in Liverpool city centre . The anonymous UK street artist 's 2011 piece , which shows a plane drawing a love - heart in skywriting , was removed from the wall of the Liverpool Approaches museum on Rumford Road in 2016 to be displayed in a street art exhibition , which never materialised . However , a hooded figure was observed painting a new plane over the same spot with the words " I 'm Back " written inside . The authenticity of the work has not been questioned however , as Banksy usually posts his work on his social media .