Chairman of US Commission of Fine Arts Attends ‘Russian Davos,’ Joins Roundtable With Russian Envoy Responsible for Venice Biennale Participation
ARTnews reports that Rodney Mims Cook Jr., chairman of the US Commission of Fine Arts, attended the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF)—often called “Russian Davos”—becoming the first US official to participate in nearly a decade, according to reports. The four-day forum prepared to open June 3 amid reports that Ukrainian drones struck oil and military targets near St. Petersburg, and on June 2 Senator Dick Durbin asked Secretary of State Marco Rubio to explain US officials’ presence; Rubio said he was “not aware” of it. Cook led a US delegation, joined a Thursday roundtable titled “Russia-USA: dialogue of cultures,” and spoke at Friday’s plenary session, telling Vladimir Putin, “You have a beautiful hometown,” and relaying “a good hello from your friend, President Trump,” according to Reuters. The roundtable was moderated by Russian cultural envoy Mikhail Shvydkoy (described as key to Russia’s participation in this year’s Venice Biennale) and included actor Steven Seagal, State Hermitage Museum director Mikhail Piotrovsky, and culture minister Olga Lyubimova; Cook also reiterated his long-standing support for Russian arts and noted that many attendees had been his friends for decades.
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This story was covered in Reopenings, Strikes, and Art’s Political Crossfire