Amsterdam museum settles with Belgian magazine on new name H'ART

The Hermitage Museum in Amsterdam has reached a settlement with the Belgian HART magazine about the museum’s future name. The museum announced it would change its name to H’ART Museum on September 1, after breaking ties with the Russian Hermitage Museum. The art magazine filed a legal objection. They’ve now decided in “good consultation” that the magazine would also change its name, AD reports.

The two parties did not reveal any further details about the settlement. “The consultation between the parties has led to the art magazine guaranteeing the independence of the editors by changing its name itself,” the parties said in a joint press release. What the magazine’s new name will be is not yet clear.

Museum director Annabelle Birnie said she is happy to have reached an agreement allowing both parties to focus on their future. “Our summer is all about a transition in which we move from Hermitage to H’ART Museum in phases.”

Magazine chief editor Kathleen Weytz said: “Over the past few days, we have been able to make good agreements with the museum that guarantee the independence of both parties. I am pleased that we were able to avoid the interim injunction and that we can now focus positively on the publication of the first international issue of our art magazine.”