On 14 May 2004 at 9:40, V. Jullien wrote: > Below is the translation of the message from ICOM-Guatemala. This translation was made by J.P. > Jouanny from the Interpol Headquarters. > > For your information, I received from ICOM-Guatemala photos and Object ID descriptions of the 3 > objects. All information was sent yesterday to Interpol and others institutions. The Museum Security > Network might put them on its web site. Object ID fact sheets about these thefts are available on line at: http://www.museum-security.org/antigua.pdf > > > Sincerely, > > Valérie Jullien > Communication Officer > ICOM secretariat > > _________________________ > > > > The Association of Guatemala Museums rejects the facts of violence > > that has been bestowed on the Colonial Art Museum. > > The Association of Guatemala Museums / Guatemalan Committee of the > > International Council of Museums which joins all public and private > > Guatemala museums, rejects and laments the attack against the > > Cultural Heritage and the loss of Human Life committed at the > > Colonial Art Museum in Antigua Guatemala on Sunday 2nd May 2004. > > It shows once again the lack of protection of the National Cultural > > Heritage held at the Guatemalan Museums while at the same time it > > shows the risk of violence at those Cultural Centres. The loss of a > > cultural worker, Mr. Jorge Luis Morán Santizo, Security Officer of > > the Museum, who died in the line of duty defending the transcendental > > values of Guatemala will not be forgotten. > > During this deplorable criminal act the following works of art were > > stolen from the Colonial Art Museum: "La Virgen al pie de la cruz" > > (Virgin at the foot of the Cross) 53cm high x 23 cm large; "El Cristo > > de la agonia" 74 cm. high x 30 cm. large (Both Works-Art are carved > > in wood and decorated with gold and cloth); one painting on canvas by > > Cristobal Villalpando of XVIII Century named "El Sueño del Papa > > Gregoriano" (The dream of the Gregorian Pope) 300 cm high x 300 cm > > large. This painting was taken away by cutting it from its frame. The > > pictures of those works of art have already been put on the Internet. > > Neither Cultural Treasure nor loss of Human Life can be replaced. > > Criminal impoverished Guatemala, despoiling their Historical-Cultural > > goods and at the same time a family in mourning and a cultural > > sector threatened by such criminal acts. > > We express our disdain for those terrible events and we declare our > > sadness to the family of Mr. Jorge Morán and to all persons who gave > > their life defending the Heritage. We would like to show our > > solidarity with the competent Authorities, especially with the > > Colonial Art Museum Director Mrs. Betancourt. > > We ask the representatives of the competent institutions to ensure > > that the facts do not go unpunished and that an investigation be > > opened to identify and arrest the offenders. At the same time, we > > request an improvement of the security inside the areas where our > > national cultural treasures are held and protected. > > Museums are places where culture spreads out and where visitors are > > put in contact with reality through the exhibits. Museums are also an > > evident support of education. Today, there is a climate of insecurity > > and uncertainty in these places because of the poor conditions of the > > installations. This fact demonstrates the vulnerability of the > > installations. > > We also remember the guards of the cultural heritage of the central > > regions of Guatemala who have given their lives for the protection of > > this heritage and also the workers who, every day, expose their life > > to the threats emanating from the looters of the two most important > > patrimonial values: the material testimony of the culture of our > > ancestors and of the present civilisation. > > > > > > > > > > > > > > archive of the list: > > <http://msn-list.te.verweg.com/> http://msn-list.te.verweg.com/ > > _______________________________________________ > Join us in Seoul, ICOM General Conference, Oct. 2-8, 2004. > Theme : Museums and Intangible Heritage > http://icom.museum/general-conference2004.html > > > > - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - > > Change ICOM-L subscription options, unsubscribe, and search the > archives at: http://home.ease.lsoft.com/archives/icom-l.html _____________________________ http://www.museum-security.org http://www.cpprot.net http://www.adviesconsortium.net All our outgoing mails are checked for viruses. ________________________ - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Change ICOM-L subscription options, unsubscribe, and search the archives at: http://home.ease.lsoft.com/archives/icom-l.html