V&A Pulls Catalog Materials Due to Chinese Censorship Laws

The Victoria and Albert Museum (V&A) in London has admitted to removing maps and images from two exhibition catalogs following censorship demands from a Chinese printing firm. Documents revealed that C&C Offset Printing flagged content in the catalogs for the exhibitions "Music Is Black" and "Fabergé: Romance to Revolution" as violating Chinese law. The censored items included a 1930s map of British trade routes and a photograph of Vladimir Lenin, which the printer claimed could not be produced under Beijing’s strict regulations.

Major Corporate Sponsor Withdraws from Sydney Biennale, Citing Alleged Hate Speech

A major corporate sponsor, PwC, has withdrawn from the 25th Sydney Biennale following a police complaint alleging antisemitic hate speech by a participating DJ. The NSW Jewish Board of Deputies filed the complaint against US electronic music producer Zubeyda Muzeyyen (DJ Haram) over comments made during the opening night party, which the Board claims incited hatred against Jewish Australians.

What is Art Allowed to Do?

Was darf die Kunst?

German Minister of State for Culture Wolfram Weimer has sparked a heated debate over artistic freedom after excluding three bookstores from the German Bookstore Prize due to undisclosed intelligence reports. The controversy has escalated into a broader confrontation with cultural institutions, highlighted by the Berlin Volksbühne's public criticism and Weimer's subsequent refusal to participate in a scheduled panel discussion. This incident follows a string of high-profile disputes regarding political expression in the arts, particularly concerning the Berlinale and documenta fifteen.

‘We are trying to preserve the memory of our people’: archaeologists create map tracking damage to Iran heritage sites

Iranian archaeologists Sepideh Maziar and Mehrnoush Soroush have launched an interactive online map to document and geolocate cultural heritage sites in Iran damaged by military strikes. The map, hosted by the University of Chicago's CAMEL Lab, currently lists 69 verified sites, including the historic Sa'dabad Palace complex in Tehran, and is updated as new information becomes available.

Pete Hegseth Goes to War With Press Photographers

Pete Hegseth Goes to War With Press Photographers

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has banned press photographers from Pentagon briefings on the U.S.-Israeli military conflict with Iran. The reported reason for the ban is Hegseth's displeasure over "unflattering" photographs taken during a recent press address, with the Pentagon stating it will now release official photos online instead.