London's Southbank Centre to receive £10m government funding boost

The UK government has announced a £10 million funding boost for London’s Southbank Centre as part of a broader £128 million investment package for 130 cultural venues nationwide. Administered by Arts Council England, the grant is earmarked for urgent infrastructure repairs, including fixing leaking roofs and modernizing rigging systems, coinciding with the center's 75th anniversary. Other major beneficiaries of the Creative Foundations Fund include the Baltic Centre for Contemporary Art and Firstsite gallery.

trump orders national park remove scourged back photograph 1234751971

Donald Trump has ordered a national park to remove a famous 1863 photograph of an enslaved man known as 'The Scourged Back,' which shows his scarred back from brutal whippings. The Washington Post reported the order on September 15, citing anonymous sources, and noted that multiple national parks are affected by directives targeting signs and exhibits related to slavery. The specific park impacted was later identified as Harpers Ferry National Historic Park in West Virginia, with the President's House Site in Philadelphia also potentially affected. The order follows a broader crackdown on what the Trump administration calls 'corrosive ideology' in American museums, including a March executive order targeting Smithsonian-run institutions.

new european union law antiquities trafficking june 28 1234746250

A new European Union law, Regulation 2019/880, aimed at preventing the sale of looted antiquities, is set to go into effect on June 28. The law imposes heightened due diligence requirements on anyone importing cultural goods from outside the EU, including fine arts, antiquities, and decorative arts. It categorizes cultural goods into three groups, with the strictest rules for archaeological items over 250 years old, which require an import license and proof of legal export. Non-compliance could lead to seizures or criminal consequences for art dealers, collectors, and professionals. While there is a partial exemption for temporary exhibitions, it primarily benefits museums outside the EU, leaving private collectors without the same protections.

eu import regulations 2653480

The European Union's Regulation 2019/880, aimed at combating illicit trafficking and terrorism, will take effect on June 28, imposing stricter import controls on antiquities and artworks over 200 years old and valued above €18,000 ($19,500). The regulation requires importers to provide evidence that an object was lawfully exported from its country of origin, even for items exported decades ago when such documentation was not required. This reverses the presumption of innocence, placing the burden of proof on importers. Dealers and experts express concern that the rules are not based on market realities, as importers must be registered within the E.U., forcing non-E.U. dealers to rely on third-party agents or shippers. The regulation also poses challenges for ancient objects, where borders and export controls may be historically ambiguous.

new regulation around eu import law promises art market shakeup 1234744257

A new European Union regulation, Regulation (EU) 2019/880, will take effect on June 28, requiring thorough provenance documentation for cultural objects over 200 years old (or 250 for archaeological items) imported into the EU. Importers must provide material evidence proving lawful acquisition from the country of origin, including the object's origin, export date, and chain of ownership, or face potential seizure. The rule builds on a 2019 anti-trafficking law and has sparked concern among EU-based dealers, who warn it could stifle the market for antiquities and non-European art.

Antisemitic art may upset British Jews, but is it illegal? - analysis

British artist and critic Matthew Collings has sparked intense legal and ethical debate with his exhibition "Drawings Against Genocide" at Joseph Wales Studios in Margate. The show features graphic imagery, including depictions of Jewish figures consuming infants and denials of sexual violence committed on October 7, 2023. Despite calls from Israeli officials and Jewish community members for legal intervention, Kent Police have stated that no criminal offenses were identified, as the work is currently classified as political criticism rather than a direct incitement of racial hatred.

The Savvy Balancing Act of the 'Bern 2026' Regional Sites

Le savant dosage des sites régionaux « Bern 2026 »

The French Heritage Foundation (Fondation du patrimoine) has announced the 2026 list of 18 emblematic regional sites selected for the 'Loto du patrimoine' (Heritage Lottery) funding initiative. The sites, chosen from 650 endangered candidates, include religious buildings like the Chapelle Notre-Dame du Kreisker in Saint-Pol-de-Léon and the Antana-Bé Mosque in Mayotte, forts and castles such as the Royal Castle of Senlis and Fort Boyard, as well as industrial, rural, and residential ensembles like the Beaufonds sugar factory in La Réunion. The selection balances architectural significance, state of decay, project maturity, and potential for revitalization.