National Gallery director Ron Radford to retire

After ten years in the post, National Gallery of Australia (NGA) director Ron Radford is to retire. The announcement comes as gallery embroiled in scandal over a freshly repatinated Dancing Shiva statue that was bought for $5 million  from Subhash Kapoor. Radford in an interview not long ago said on camera that said he was still not convinced the Shiva was stolen. “I think it is by no means clear yet,” he said. “I think we just have to wait for the outcome of the courts in that regard". According to Chasing Aphrodite:

Radford’s stumbling performance and reality-defying denials already have some leading experts questioning his ability to lead Australia’s premiere national museum. “The gallery’s council must surely question whether the director can remain in place,”  University of Sydney law professor Duncan Chappell told the Australian.

Mr Radford however is 65 and it is reported that for long he had been planning to retire in September. In any case, he leaves his successor with a problem, the NGA is now suing the dealership in a New York court, seeking the return of the money it paid for the Shiva statue, but in fact it is one of 21 works purchased by the gallery from Kapoor between 2002 and 2011.