Art News. Vasari Codex

article news schedule Dec 30, 2025 source 2 sources visibility 13 link 1 artist

istanbul biennial ends early curator resigns

The current Istanbul Biennial, titled "The Three-Legged Cat," will end prematurely after its first leg because curator Christine Tohmé resigned due to personal circumstances. The biennial was conceived as a three-part show spanning three years, with an academic program planned for 2026 and a second exhibition set for 2027. The first exhibition ran from September 20 to November 23 across eight venues in Istanbul, attracting over 600,000 visitors. The Istanbul Foundation for Culture and Arts (IKSV), which manages the event, announced the conclusion and stated that planning for the 19th Istanbul Biennial in 2027 will begin soon, with a curator announcement expected in 2026.

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article news schedule Oct 29, 2025 visibility 9 link 2 artists

bust of egyptian goddess satala turkey

Archaeologists excavating the ancient Roman military stronghold of Satala in northeastern Turkey have unearthed a bronze bust of the Egyptian goddess Isis. The eight-inch-tall sculpture, found in a necropolis, dates to the 2nd or 3rd century CE and depicts Isis atop a circular base with calyx-shaped leaves. The discovery was led by Elif Yavuz Çakmur of Karadeniz Technical University and marks the first sculpture found at the site since the Satala Aphrodite was unearthed in 1872.

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article news schedule Jul 2, 2025 visibility 11 link 1 artist

ancient ceramics found preserved in shipwreck turkey

Hundreds of ancient ceramics from the Late Hellenistic-Early Roman Period have been discovered perfectly preserved in a shipwreck off the coast of Adrasan, Turkey. The cargo ship, dating back approximately two thousand years, contained plates, trays, and bowls stacked inside one another with raw clay, which protected their original colors and patterns. Turkish Minister of Culture and Tourism Mehmet Nuri Ersoy visited the site and announced the finds as part of the ministry's 'Heritage of the Future' project, which aims to accelerate archaeological excavations.

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article news schedule May 13, 2026 visibility 19 link 18 artists

Art Biennale: artists reject the popular jury

Fifty-two artists and curators, along with sixteen National Participants of the 61st Venice Art Biennale, have withdrawn from the newly introduced 'Lions of the Visitors' (People's Prizes) competition. The boycott follows the resignation of the jury appointed by artistic director Koyo Kouoh, who died in 2025, and is a protest against the inclusion of Russia and Israel in the prize—countries initially excluded by the international jury. The controversy escalated after Italian Minister of Culture Alessandro Giuli publicly opposed the Biennale president Pietrangelo Buttafuoco's decision to allow Russia's participation, drawing in the European Commission and even Ursula von der Leyen, who warned of potential sanctions violations. The signatories include artists and curators from France, Belgium, Luxembourg, Turkey, Switzerland, Spain, the Netherlands, and several other nations.

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article news schedule Apr 23, 2026 visibility 9 link 1 artist

Azerbaijan Destroys Armenian Holy Mother of God Church in Artsakh

Satellite imagery obtained by Caucasus Heritage Watch (CHW) confirms that the Azerbaijani regime has demolished the Holy Mother of God Church in Stepanakert, the former capital of the Republic of Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh). The church, consecrated in 2019 after 12 years of construction, was destroyed within the last eight weeks, as evidenced by Sentinel-2 satellite images from March 3 and April 2. The Artsakh Tourism and Cultural Development Agency announced the destruction on April 21, three days before the 111th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide. This demolition follows a pattern of damage to Armenian religious and cultural sites since the forced displacement of over 130,000 Armenians in September 2023.

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article news schedule May 8, 2026 visibility 19 link 11 artists

Historic Strike Disrupts Biennale as Thousands March in Venice

On May 8, 2026, artists and cultural workers staged the first strike in the 131-year history of the Venice Biennale, disrupting the pre-opening of the international exhibition. At least 27 of the 100 national pavilions were partially or fully shut down, and thousands marched through Venice to the Arsenale, which was barricaded by Italian riot police. The strike, organized by the Art Not Genocide Alliance (ANGA) and local activist groups, was a 24-hour action for Palestine and workers' rights, with some artists altering or draping their works in the main exhibition, "In Minor Keys."

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article news schedule Jan 12, 2026 visibility 21 link 7 artists

israel pavilion venice biennale belu simion fainaru protest

Israel will officially participate in the 2026 Venice Biennale, two years after its pavilion closed amid protests. The pavilion will be located in the Arsenale rather than its usual Giardini site, which is under construction. Representing Israel is sculptor Belu-Simion Fainaru, a Haifa-based artist and Israel Prize winner, who previously represented Romania at the 2019 Biennale. His pavilion, titled "Rose of Nothingness," will feature an installation about water inspired by poet Paul Celan's concept of black milk, with 16 pipes dripping black water into a pool. The pavilion is curated by Sorin Heller and Avital Bar-Shay. However, the Art Not Genocide Alliance (ANGA) has renewed its protest, calling the pavilion the "Genocide Pavilion" on Instagram and demanding Israel's exclusion from the Biennale.

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article news schedule Jul 2, 2025 visibility 14 link 7 artists

gordion royal tomb king midas

Archaeologists from the Penn Museum and Ankara Hacı Bayram Veli University have discovered an 8th-century B.C.E. royal tomb in Gordion, Turkey, containing 88 well-preserved objects including bronze cauldrons, vessels, and iron tools. The tomb, located near the famous Midas Mound, suggests a connection to the legendary King Midas or his family, and its cremation burial method predates previous evidence of elite cremation in the region by over a century.

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article news schedule Mar 10, 2026 visibility 12 link 1 artist

Dirimart on Its London Move and What Comes Next

Istanbul gallery Dirimart has opened a new space in London's Mayfair district, marking its first expansion outside Turkey. The gallery, founded in 2002, will present a program of international artists alongside its established roster of Turkish and regional names, beginning with a solo show by Turkish artist Burhan Doğançay.

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article news schedule Apr 22, 2025 visibility 8 link 2 artists

Turkish artists face pressure amid government crackdown on opposition

A government crackdown on Turkey’s opposition following the arrest of Istanbul mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu has ensnared members of the culture community, including Mahir Polat, head of the municipality’s cultural heritage department, and photographer Murat Germen. Mass protests have erupted across the country, with hundreds of thousands marching against what they see as rising authoritarianism under President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. Artists and cultural figures face censorship, detention, and prosecution for expressing political views, while independent institutions bear the risk of critical discourse.

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article news schedule Mar 31, 2026 visibility 15 link 2 artists

A Holy Week procession, white pelicans and apricot blossoms: photos of the day – Tuesday

The Guardian's picture editors curated a selection of global photographs for Tuesday, March 31, 2026. The images include a Holy Week procession by the Trabajo y Luz brotherhood in Granada, Spain; white pelicans at Lake Çavuşçu in Turkey; apricot blossoms in Gilgit-Baltistan, Pakistan; and scenes from California, Lebanon, India, Israel, Ukraine, the West Bank, and France, capturing moments of nature, conflict, displacement, and commemoration.

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article news schedule Jan 13, 2026 visibility 12 link 1 artist

unusual medusa carving discovered archaeological site turkey

Archaeologists excavating a Roman forum near the ancient city of Amastris (modern-day Amasra) in Turkey have uncovered a marble Medusa carving with an unusual smiling expression. The relief was found atop decorative columns that once formed a covered walkway (stoa) in the forum. Excavations began three years ago after historical remains were discovered during school construction in 2017. The project, overseen by Bartin University’s Archaeology Application and Research Center and supported by the Turkish Ministry of Culture’s “Heritage of the Future” initiative, has so far reconstructed three columns across the 30,000-square-foot site.

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article news schedule Oct 9, 2025 visibility 13 link 1 artist

ancient egyptian iconography roman bathhouse sagalassos turkey

Archaeologists have identified ancient Egyptian iconography on a marble lintel in a Roman-era bathhouse at Sagalassos, Turkey. The carving depicts the sphinx god Tutu, flanked by two human figures wearing the crowns of Upper and Lower Egypt, along with deities Horus and Sobek. Dating to the reign of Emperor Augustus (27 BCE–14 CE), the panel was found in the frigidarium and was sourced from marble quarried over 124 miles away in the Afyonkarahisar region.

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article news schedule Jan 19, 2026 visibility 8

art basel qatar uncertainty

Art Basel Qatar is set to proceed as scheduled in early February despite heightened Gulf tensions following U.S. and U.K. troop reductions near Doha. Dealers and visitors remain cautious, with some delaying travel plans, while Iran's temporary airspace closures have disrupted flights. Organizers say they are continually evaluating the security environment and remain committed to delivering a successful inaugural edition.

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