Sydney Opera House fundraiser offers tiles for sale

Glaze ceramic tiles cover the roofs of the Sydney Opera House. Image by Hpeterswald. This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license.

Glaze ceramic tiles cover the roofs of the Sydney Opera House. Image by Hpeterswald. This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license.
Glaze ceramic tiles cover the roofs of the Sydney Opera House. Image by Hpeterswald. This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license.
SYDNEY (AFP) – The Sydney Opera House has come up with a novel new way to raise funds and boost the building’s profile by selling “virtual” ownership of the tiles on its tallest sail.

On Monday, 125,000 of the tiles went on sale, with Hollywood star Hugh Jackman among the first to put his money behind the initiative which hopes to raise Aus$15 million (US$13.7 million).

Under the promotion, people can buy a tile online for between Aus$100-$400 in a hi-tech campaign called Own Our House to help fund renewal of the building andensure more free events for the public.

They will not physically own a tile, but using laser mapping techology can personalize their virtual tile with a photo and message, form virtual tile communities, share it through social media and search for other “Housemates” to see what they have done.

“The Opera House is a World Heritage masterpiece that belongs to all of us,” said Jackman, who lives in Sydney.

“Own Our House is a great way for people to show their pride and affection for one of the world’s greatest icons.”

ADDITIONAL IMAGE OF NOTE

Glaze ceramic tiles cover the roofs of the Sydney Opera House. Image by Hpeterswald. This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license.
Glaze ceramic tiles cover the roofs of the Sydney Opera House. Image by Hpeterswald. This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license.

Turkey probes wave of state museum artifact thefts

State Art and Sculpture Museum in Ankara. Image by Husshho. This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported license.

State Art and Sculpture Museum in Ankara. Image by Husshho. This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported license.
State Art and Sculpture Museum in Ankara. Image by Husshho. This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported license.
ANKARA, Turkey (AFP) – Turkish police have launched an investigation after the theft of stolen paintings and artifacts worth an estimated $30 million, local media reported on Monday.

Police are hunting for about 40 paintings stolen from a state museum in Ankara after recovering another 30 major artworks in a raid in Istanbul last week.

Press reports said many of the artworks were believed to have been sold to art collectors, including a number of prominent figures.

Officials at the culture ministry and the museum were not immediately available for comment.

Tourism and Culture Minister Omer Celik said in a Twitter message on Saturday that some of the missing or stolen paintings had been recovered but the government was determined to find the rest.

“We will act with clear determination to recover these works of art which are the nation’s heritage,” he said.

Radikal newspaper said that according to a 2010 inventory at the State Museum of Art and Sculpture in Ankara, over 300 pieces had been stolen, including several dozen that had been replaced by fakes.

Last year, Turkey, which boasts a rich collection of Ottoman and Byzantine treasures, launched action to recover objects it claimed were illegally taken out of the country.

ADDITIONAL IMAGE OF NOTE

State Art and Sculpture Museum in Ankara. Image by Husshho. This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported license.
State Art and Sculpture Museum in Ankara. Image by Husshho. This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported license.