The Press: Adornment for UNESCO

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From Paris last week came word that UNESCO has commissioned six of the world's leading artists to adorn its new headquarters. One of the biggest commissions, for a conference room mural covering 1,100 sq. ft., was by no means likely to please some of UNESCO's more vociferous U.S. critics; it went to Millionaire Communist Pablo Picasso.

In all. the artists' contribution to the curved concrete structure in Paris will be as international as UNESCO. Britain's Sculptor Henry Moore will do a figure for the main piazza, and French Jean Arp will do a bas-relief for the library. Spain's Joan Miro will also do a mural, and Manhattan's Isamu Noguchi will contribute a couple of oriental gardens complete with his own abstract sculptures and an Alexander Calder mobile. In addition, two leading designers, Herbert Bayer of the U.S. and Nizzoli of Italy, have been commissioned to handle interior design, with an area of supervision extending from wall colors down to letterheads.

Strangely enough, only one of the fine artists involved (Moore) ever got a public commission before.