Cash-Strapped Hong Kong Arts Hub Saved—Plus a Rundown of the Latest in Asia’s Art World
Hong Kong's financially struggling West Kowloon Cultural District, a major arts hub, has been rescued from its cash crisis. This development was part of a broader Asia art world update that also included leadership changes at Japan's Art Collaboration Kyoto and the announcement of a new art fair in Shenzhen.
The Smithsonian Institution has been forced to close its 21 museums in Washington, D.C., indefinitely due to a continuing U.S. government shutdown that began on October 1. The National Gallery of Art had already closed the previous weekend. The Smithsonian had initially used its own funds to stay open, first planning to close on October 6 and then extending operations through October 11, but the ongoing shutdown—stemming from disagreements between Democrats and Republicans over health care policy—has now made closure unavoidable. The shutdown also threatens upcoming programming, including a planned Grandma Moses survey at the Smithsonian American Art Museum and a portraiture competition exhibition at the National Portrait Gallery, which has already been postponed.
President Donald Trump had lunch with Lonnie G. Bunch III, secretary of the Smithsonian Institution, on Thursday, according to the New York Times. This meeting comes amid ongoing tensions between the Trump administration and the Smithsonian, including a White House list denouncing specific artworks—such as a painting of refugees at the US-Mexico border and Amy Sherald’s portrait of a Black trans woman as the Statue of Liberty—and an executive order claiming the institution has been influenced by “divisive, race-centered ideology.” Trump has also called for a legal review of Smithsonian displays, though his authority over the institution is unclear. The lunch was described as “productive and cordial” by a White House spokesperson, but no details of the discussion were released.
The White House published an article on its website denouncing a range of artworks, exhibitions, and objects at the Smithsonian Institution, continuing President Donald Trump's protest against the museum network. The list included previously criticized shows, such as one about sculptures as signifiers of power at the Smithsonian American Art Museum, and the National Museum of African American History and Culture's displays on 'white dominant culture.' It also named new targets: a painting of a Black trans woman as the Statue of Liberty by Amy Sherald (which was pulled from a National Portrait Gallery show due to alleged censorship), Rigoberto A. González's 2022 painting 'Refugees Crossing the Border Wall into South Texas,' a stop-motion portrait of Anthony Fauci commissioned by the National Portrait Gallery, and a papier-mâché Statue of Liberty from a workers' rights protest. The administration also objected to wall texts at the National Museum of the American Latino and the National Museum of American History's LGBTQ+ History display.
The Smithsonian Institution has addressed the removal of a display at the National Museum of American History that mentioned President Donald Trump's two prior impeachments. The display, which had been on view since 2021 alongside references to Andrew Johnson, Bill Clinton, and Richard Nixon, was altered to a 2008 version that predated Trump's presidency. The Smithsonian stated the display will be updated in the coming weeks to reflect all impeachment proceedings in U.S. history, denying any external pressure from the Trump administration. The controversy follows earlier tensions, including Trump's firing of National Portrait Gallery director Kim Sajet and artist Amy Sherald's cancellation of her traveling survey due to staff fears of political pushback.
The British Museum faced criticism from archaeologists and online commentators after posting AI-generated images on its Instagram and Facebook accounts. The posts, which featured a young AI-generated woman in various cultural outfits gazing at museum objects, were removed within hours after a wave of negative feedback. The museum stated it does not post AI-created images and removed the content due to its sensitivity.
US President Donald Trump claimed on his Truth Social platform that he has fired Kim Sajet, director of the National Portrait Gallery (NPG), alleging she is a "highly partisan person" and a supporter of diversity, equity, and inclusion programs. Sajet, who became the first woman to lead the NPG in 2013, has not commented, and the Smithsonian declined to comment. It remains unclear whether Trump has the legal authority to fire Smithsonian employees, as the institution is governed by a board of regents and receives partial federal funding.
The British Museum faced significant criticism from archaeologists and the public after posting images containing A.I.-generated content on its Instagram and Facebook accounts. The posts, which featured a young woman contemplating exhibits, were tagged to an A.I. model and a marketing agency. Following a wave of negative comments, the museum removed the posts approximately six hours later and reportedly unfollowed critics on social media.
French police conducted a raid on the Institut du Monde Arabe in Paris as part of an investigation into its former president, Jack Lang, and his daughter, Caroline Lang. The probe, led by the National Financial Prosecutor's Office, focuses on suspicions of aggravated tax fraud and money laundering linked to their names appearing in the newly released Jeffrey Epstein files. Lang, a former culture minister, resigned from the institute to protect its reputation, denying all allegations.
The board of trustees of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts voted on Thursday to add President Donald Trump's name to the institution, renaming it "The Donald J. Trump and The John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts." The vote was described as unanimous by spokeswoman Roma Daravi, but Democratic Representative Joyce Beatty, an ex-officio board member, disputed this, claiming she was muted when trying to voice opposition. The move has been met with disapproval from members of the Kennedy family and legal experts who argue it violates a federal stipulation from 1963. The name change has already been reflected on the institution's website and façade, following a year of turmoil that included Trump being booed at a performance and a Washington Post exposé on staff turmoil and declining ticket sales.
A campaign group called Freedom in the Arts (FITA) has threatened to sue the University of Leicester in the UK over its “Trans-Inclusive Culture” guidelines for museums and galleries, demanding their removal. The guidelines, published two years ago by the university’s Research Center for Museums and Galleries (RCMG), aim to help cultural institutions create inclusive spaces for transgender people. FITA, co-founded by choreographer Rosie Kay and former Arts Council England staffer Denise Fahmy, argues the guidance misrepresents the legal definition of “sex” under the Equality Act 2010, following a UK Supreme Court ruling that “woman” and “sex” refer only to biological women and biological sex. The group claims the guidelines could encourage unlawful policies, such as allowing toilet access based on gender identity, and discriminate against staff with gender-critical beliefs.
UNESCO has granted World Heritage status to Murujuga, an ancient Aboriginal rock art site in Western Australia's Pilbara region, despite concerns about its vulnerability to emissions from nearby gas and fertilizer plants. The site contains over 1 million petroglyphs, including the oldest known depiction of a human face, dating back up to 50,000 years. Indigenous groups campaigned for two decades for protection, and the Australian government nominated the site in 2023. However, the Karratha Gas Plant, operated by Woodside Energy, sits on the nominated land, and ICOMOS had warned that emissions pose a risk to the rock art. The UNESCO designation was unanimous, but an amendment was added requiring Australia to continue monitoring industrial impact.
Manchester Museum in the UK is asking visitors whether the mummified remains of Asru, an Egyptian woman who lived around 2,700 years ago, should remain on display. The public consultation, running until the end of August, invites comments online or in a box next to her case. The museum notes that Asru's body was acquired in the early 1800s by the sons of a man who profited from slavery, shipped to Manchester, and unwrapped in 1825.
Following the UK Supreme Court's 16 April ruling that the terms "woman" and "sex" in the Equality Act refer only to biological sex, UK museums are publicly reaffirming their support for transgender communities. The Museum of Transology, which houses the world's largest collection of trans, non-binary, and intersex artefacts, had recently marked its tenth anniversary with the exhibition Transcestry at Central Saint Martins' Lethaby Gallery. Smaller institutions like London's Vagina Museum quickly posted statements of solidarity, while larger bodies such as Arts Council England await a revised code of practice from the Equality and Human Rights Commission.