Vasari Art Codex

article policy schedule Jan 30, 2026 visibility 20 link 15 artists, 107 galleries

art galleries join anti ice national strike 1234771368

A significant number of New York art galleries, including major players like Pace Gallery, David Zwirner, and Marian Goodman, will close on January 30 to join a nationwide general strike protesting expanded Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) operations. The strike is a response to allegations of federal overreach, including the use of deadly force against protestors and the detention of Native Americans, which have fueled widespread outrage.

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article policy schedule Jun 4, 2025 visibility 1 link 1 artist, 2 galleries

uk museums defend corporate funding 1234744286

A group of officials overseeing major UK cultural institutions, including the British Museum, the Victoria and Albert Museum, and the National Gallery, have signed a public letter defending corporate sponsorship. Published in the Financial Times, the letter calls for an end to "relentless negativity" around private sector partnerships and is backed by ten organizations, including the Science Museum Group. It follows protests over Baillie Gifford's sponsorship of literary festivals due to its ties to fossil fuels and Israel, which led nine festivals to end partnerships in 2023.

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article policy schedule Jul 7, 2025 visibility 6 link 3 artists, 1 gallery

mps to debate whether sponsorship and advertizing by fossil fuel companies should be banned in uk 1234746884

On Monday, the UK Parliament will debate whether to ban sponsorship and advertising by fossil fuel companies, following a petition with over 100,000 signatures. The petition specifically cites the £50 million partnership between BP and the British Museum, arguing that such deals allow fossil fuel giants to greenwash their reputations. While the government has no current plans to restrict fossil fuel advertising, cultural institutions like the National Portrait Gallery, Tate galleries, and Royal Opera House have already ended sponsorship deals with BP. The British Museum has defended its BP deal, with director Nicolas Cullinan stating the funding helps keep the museum free to the public.

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article policy schedule Sep 5, 2025 visibility 3 link 2 artists

museums association code of ethics fossil fuel sponsorships 1234750996

The Museums Association (MA) in the United Kingdom has proposed a new code of ethics that, for the first time, explicitly mentions fossil fuel companies. The guidelines recommend that museums transition away from sponsorship by organizations involved in environmental harm, human rights abuses, or other activities misaligned with museum values, and instead seek ethical funding that serves community interests. MA members will vote on ratifying the changes from September 15 until the annual conference on October 7, with the last code updated in 2015.

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article policy schedule Nov 27, 2025 visibility 7 link 5 artists

museums in crisis takeaways 2717463

Artnet News published its 'Museums in Crisis' series, a global investigation into pressures facing cultural institutions. Key takeaways include: Western museums face a funding and political crisis, with U.S. institutions losing hundreds of millions in federal support (including $428 million from the National Endowment for the Humanities) and European museums like those in Berlin facing cuts of €130 million. Corporate sponsorship is increasingly risky due to ethical scrutiny, with the U.K.'s Museums Association urging institutions to avoid ties to fossil fuels or human rights abuses. China's private museums are at risk of downsizing or disappearing due to economic slowdown and lack of public funding.

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article policy schedule Apr 21, 2026 source 2 sources visibility 17 link 4 artists

Barbara Chase-Riboud Speaks Out on Declining US Biennale Pavilion

Sculptor and author Barbara Chase-Riboud has publicly declined an invitation to represent the United States at the 2026 Venice Biennale, stating it was "not the moment" for her to do so. She was among the artists initially considered by the newly formed American Arts Conservancy (AAC), which is organizing the US pavilion after both she and photographer William Eggleston turned down the opportunity.

newspaper Hyperallergic Also: Artforum open_in_new Read original

article policy schedule Mar 12, 2026 visibility 17 link 5 artists

venice biennale russia pavilion eu funding 2752812

The European Union has threatened to withdraw a €2 million grant from the Venice Biennale following Russia's decision to return to the international exhibition for its 61st edition. The EU Commission warned that providing a platform for a Russian national pavilion risks legitimizing figures connected to the Kremlin and violating sanctions, while Biennale organizers have defended the move as a commitment to artistic freedom and a rejection of censorship.

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article policy schedule Feb 17, 2026 visibility 4 link 1 artist

cuban cultural leaders international aid open letter 1234773638

More than 100 Cuban artists, curators, and cultural workers, including the nation's Culture Minister and prominent intellectuals, have issued an open letter titled "Cuba is Not a Threat" appealing for international intervention. They argue the US economic embargo, particularly restrictions on oil and fuel shipments, has crippled the island's infrastructure and exacerbated a severe humanitarian crisis, making stabilization efforts impossible.

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article policy schedule Jun 2, 2025 visibility 3 link 2 artists

ancient rock art australia woodside energy burrup peninsula 1234744046

The Australian government has conditionally approved a 40-year extension for Woodside Energy's North West Shelf gas plant on the Burrup Peninsula (Murujuga), home to an estimated one million petroglyphs dating back 50,000 years. Environment Minister Murray Watt announced the decision on May 28 after a six-year review, imposing strict conditions on air emissions and cultural heritage management, though the specific conditions remain confidential. Archaeologist Benjamin Smith of the University of Western Australia has warned that pollutants from the extended operations pose a grave risk to the rock art, which includes the world's earliest depictions of human faces.

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article policy schedule Jun 26, 2025 visibility 4 link 1 gallery

Why the new EU law aimed at stopping antiquities trafficking may hamper museum loans

A new EU regulation (2019/880) taking effect on 28 June aims to prevent trafficking of looted antiquities by requiring importers to provide extensive provenance records and export permits for cultural goods over 200 years old or worth more than €18,000. While the law includes an exemption for temporary exhibitions, implementing rules limit this exemption to loans from museums outside the EU, excluding private collectors. Museum directors and art fair officials warn that the administrative burden may discourage private lenders from participating in temporary exhibitions, potentially reducing the diversity of cultural offerings in the EU.

newspaper The Art Newspaper open_in_new Read original

article policy schedule Mar 16, 2026 visibility 8

Closure of UNT art show points to larger climate of fear on college campuses

The University of North Texas recently shuttered an on-campus art exhibition shortly after its opening, marking a significant escalation in campus censorship. This incident follows a pattern of administrative interference, including the removal of pro-Palestinian student work and the resignation of a museum director at Pepperdine University over the alteration of politically sensitive artworks. These actions are part of a broader national trend where university administrations are increasingly intervening in artistic expression to avoid political controversy.

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article policy schedule Feb 9, 2026 visibility 3

‘These are dirty funds’: Indigenous Brazilian leader slams Science Museum for oil sponsorship ahead of climate show

Indigenous Brazilian leader Ninawa Huni Kui has condemned the Science Museum in London for accepting sponsorship from BP on the eve of its new exhibition, *Water, Pantanal, Fire*, which highlights climate breakdown in Latin America. The exhibition focuses on the Pantanal wetland, a threatened ecosystem spanning Brazil, Paraguay, and Argentina. Huni Kui called BP's sponsorship "dirty funds stained with blood," and was joined by activists from 350.org and Culture Unstained in criticizing the museum for partnering with a major fossil fuel company while presenting a show about climate impacts.

newspaper The Art Newspaper open_in_new Read original