south africa cancels gabrielle goliath gaza venice biennale 1234769311

South Africa selected a work by artist Gabrielle Goliath for its Venice Biennale pavilion, then rescinded the decision on January 2, just eight days before the finalization deadline. The culture ministry, led by Minister Gayton McKenzie, objected to a section of Goliath's "Elegy" series that included words by Palestinian poet Hiba Abu Nada, who was killed in an Israeli airstrike in 2023. The pavilion's selection committee publicly disagreed with the cancellation, calling it censorship and highlighting a history of mismanagement.

Architectural Competition for Louvre ‘New Renaissance’ Project Reportedly Set to Relaunch in May

The international architectural competition for the Louvre Museum's $778 million 'New Renaissance' renovation project is set to relaunch in mid-May, according to a report in Le Figaro. The jury will convene on May 13 to assess proposals from five shortlisted firms, ending a period of uncertainty and delays caused by staff unrest, leadership upheaval following a major jewel theft, and the French municipal elections. The project, championed by President Emmanuel Macron, aims to modernize the museum and reduce overcrowding.

national endowment for the arts cancels grants trump 1234740558

President Donald Trump's administration has canceled or withdrawn grant offers from the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) via email, affecting arts organizations nationwide. The NEA stated it is updating its grantmaking priorities to focus on projects that reflect the nation's artistic heritage as prioritized by the president, including historically Black colleges, Hispanic-serving schools, the 250th anniversary of American independence, AI competency, houses of worship, disaster recovery, skilled trades, military and veterans, Tribal communities, and Asian American economic development. Some affected grants supported artists of color, and the language appeared to conflict with the administration's prior push against DEI initiatives. Similar cancellations have occurred at the National Endowment for the Humanities and the Institute of Museum and Library Services.

Au Louvre, des directeurs de département entre responsabilités internes et rôle national

Maximilien Durand has been reappointed as head of the Department of Byzantine and Eastern Christian Arts at the Louvre Museum, a role that carries both internal museum responsibilities and national duties on behalf of the French state. Two decrees signed by Culture Minister Catherine Pégard formalize his renewal: one as head of the museum department, and another as head of the corresponding major heritage department, a status held by only nine of the Louvre's departments.

South Africa pavilion will be empty at 2026 Venice Biennale, culture ministry says

South Africa will not host a national pavilion at the 2026 Venice Biennale following a legal battle between the country’s Department of Sports, Arts and Culture (DSAC) and artist Gabrielle Goliath. The conflict began when Culture Minister Gayton McKenzie labeled Goliath’s planned project, which addressed violence in Gaza, as "highly divisive" and cancelled the exhibition after she refused to alter the content. A South African high court recently dismissed Goliath’s urgent application to overturn the cancellation, leading the government to abandon its participation in the prestigious international event entirely.

south africa venice biennale gabrielle goliath banned work exhibition 1234778846

South Africa’s official pavilion at the Venice Biennale will remain empty this year following the government's abrupt cancellation of artist Gabrielle Goliath’s planned exhibition. The controversy erupted when Culture Minister Gayton McKenzie pulled the project just days before the deadline, labeling Goliath’s work "highly divisive" due to its inclusion of a tribute to Palestinian poet Hiba Abu Nada. Despite the official ban and a failed court challenge by the artist and curator, the work, titled *Elegy*, will now be staged independently at the Chiesa di Sant’Antonin nearby.

south africa venice pavilion court 2745430

South Africa will not participate in the 61st Venice Biennale following a High Court ruling that dismissed an urgent application by artist Gabrielle Goliath. The dispute began in January when Culture Minister Gayton McKenzie canceled the planned exhibition, "Elegy," citing concerns over its references to Gaza and the killing of Palestinian poet Hiba Abu Nada. The court's decision, delivered just hours before the biennial's submission deadline, effectively leaves the South African pavilion empty for the 2024 edition.

south african culture mp denies censoring venice pavilion 1234769489

The South African Ministry of Sport, Arts, and Culture has denied censoring its 2026 Venice Biennale pavilion after canceling a proposed artwork by artist Gabrielle Goliath on December 2. The work, part of Goliath's "Elegy" series curated by Ingrid Masondo, addressed sexual assault, femicide, the killings of women and queer people in South Africa, colonial-era genocide in Namibia, and included a tribute to Palestinian poet Hiba Abu Nada. Culture minister Gayton McKenzie initially called the piece "highly divisive" and linked to a polarizing international conflict, but a January 10 statement reframed the cancellation as a safeguard against foreign interference, alleging a foreign country attempted to fund or purchase the work to use the pavilion as a proxy for a geopolitical message about Israel's actions in Gaza.

No money, more problems: 85% of US museums in urgent need of building repairs

A recent survey by the US Government Accountability Office (GAO) found that approximately 85% of US museums face a costly backlog of maintenance or building repairs, with 77% having at least one structural issue that puts their collections at risk. Based on a survey of around 300 museums and 17 site visits, the report reveals that institutions across the country struggle to keep buildings updated and safe due to a lack of funding, with challenges especially pronounced in rural and remote locations where shipping materials and finding skilled workers is prohibitively expensive. Many museums are housed in historic homes or sites that are part of their collections, adding further complexity, and smaller museums often lack the budget to address major problems like new roofs or HVAC systems.

Tate Liverpool receives £12m from UK government to support delayed revamp

Tate Liverpool has received a £12m grant from the UK government's Public Bodies Infrastructure Fund, bringing the Department of Culture, Media and Sport's total contribution to the gallery's redevelopment to £18.6m. The funding, combined with additional philanthropic donations from the Garfield Weston Foundation (£3m), the Wolfson Foundation (£1.25m), and the Ross Warburton Charitable Trust, plus a £10m award from the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, has raised a minimum of £32.85m toward the project, now costed at £35m. The gallery, closed since October 2023, had postponed its planned 2025 reopening to 2027 due to fundraising difficulties.

Louvre: Emmanuel Macron's Obstinacy

Louvre : l'obstination d'Emmanuel Macron

Emmanuel Macron, less than a year before leaving office, continues to push controversial projects that harm French historical monuments and museums, including the Louvre's Colonnade project. The article criticizes these initiatives as detrimental to cultural heritage, while noting that his only promising project, the Musée de l'Œuvre Notre-Dame, has been shelved. The piece also highlights the appointment of Christophe Leribault as director of the Louvre as a positive step, but argues that Macron's overall record on cultural heritage is damaging.

british architecture sexism toxic culture 1234758066

A report commissioned by the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA), titled the RIBA Build It Together report, reveals widespread sexism and toxic workplace culture in British architecture. Based on a survey of 635 industry workers conducted by the Fawcett Society, the report found that half of female respondents experienced bullying, one-third reported sexual harassment, and 83 percent said their career was hindered by having children. Many women described feeling humiliated, objectified, and traumatized, with 38 percent not reporting harassment for fear of consequences.

judge inclined to rule against institute of museum and library services shutdown 1234740351

A federal district court judge has indicated he is inclined to block the Trump administration's dismantling of the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS). The agency, which distributes federal funding to museums and libraries nationwide, was gutted last month by the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), with its entire 75-person staff placed on leave. A lawsuit seeking a preliminary injunction was filed by the American Library Association and the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees. Judge Richard J. Leon, appointed by George W. Bush, said in court he is inclined to grant a temporary restraining order and is expected to rule shortly.

In Venice, the Wagner Museum changes status

À Venise, le Musée Wagner change de statut

The Wagner Museum in Venice, currently a discreet institution housed within the Casino di Venezia in the Ca' Vendramin Calergi palace on the Grand Canal, is set to join the network of the Fondazione dei Musei Civici di Venezia (MUVE) by 2027. An agreement signed in March 2025, after thirty years of discussions, between MUVE, the Casino, and the Richard Wagner Association will make the museum the fourteenth institution under MUVE's management, alongside the Museo Correr, Ca' Pesaro, and the Museo Fortuny. The museum, established in 1995 in the rooms where Richard Wagner stayed and died in 1883, holds significant collections including the Josef Lienhart and Walter Just collections, making it one of the most important private Wagnerian collections outside Bayreuth, Germany.

Artist Gabrielle Goliath’s attempt to reinstate cancelled Venice Biennale pavilion dismissed by court

A South African high court has dismissed an urgent application by artist Gabrielle Goliath and curator Ingrid Masondo to reinstate their cancelled pavilion for the 2026 Venice Biennale. The project was scrapped by Sport, Arts and Culture Minister Gayton McKenzie after Goliath refused to remove a segment of her work 'Elegy' that referenced Hiba Abu Nada, a Palestinian poet killed in an Israeli airstrike. The minister labeled the content "highly divisive" and "polarizing."

Trump seeks to defund Institute of American Indian Arts

President Donald Trump's proposed 2026 federal budget seeks to eliminate all federal funding for the Institute of American Indian Arts (IAIA), the only four-year school dedicated to contemporary Indigenous arts. IAIA relies on federal funding for 75% of its operational costs and received $13 million in the prior two fiscal years; the budget also cuts over $500 million from the Bureau of Indian Education, which supports 37 tribal colleges including IAIA.

How Javier Milei’s war on history is threatening art spaces in Argentina

Argentina's President Javier Milei has escalated his campaign to rewrite the history of the country's 1976-1983 dictatorship by closing art and human-rights spaces on the grounds of the ESMA Museum and Site of Memory in Buenos Aires, a former clandestine prison turned memorial and UNESCO World Heritage Site. In January, the Haroldo Conti Cultural Centre was shuttered for 'internal restructuring,' with 50 of its 87 employees fired; in early April, the government halted operations at Espacio Memoria, suspending salary payments and funding pending an audit. Both centres are public institutions managed by the Human Rights Secretariat, which has undergone mass layoffs and changes under Milei's administration.

Syria, Ukraine and Gaza among countries to receive heritage funds from Aliph

ALIPH, the Geneva-based cultural heritage protection agency, has announced over $16 million in its latest funding round, with support directed to Syria, Gaza, Ukraine, Sudan, and a new focus on climate change impacts on heritage, primarily in Africa. Nearly a third of the funding ($5 million) goes to Syria, where the newly appointed Director General of Antiquities and Museums, Dr. Anas Haj Zeidan, aims to restore sites damaged during the war under former president Bashar al-Assad. ALIPH executive director Valéry Freland reported extensive damage from 14 years of war, the 2023 earthquake, and economic crises, but noted strong local determination to rehabilitate heritage, including Palmyra. The agency also committed $9 million to address climate threats, supporting 28 projects—22 in Africa—focused on earthen architecture, sacred forests, and local knowledge preservation.