5 cultural destinations that tell the story of los angeles

Los Angeles boasts a dense museum landscape that reflects the city's unique architectural history and commitment to contemporary art. This guide highlights five essential cultural destinations, including The Broad, which houses the expansive postwar collection of Eli and Edythe Broad within its innovative 'veil and vault' architecture, and Frank Lloyd Wright’s Hollyhock House, a UNESCO World Heritage site that pioneered California's indoor-outdoor living aesthetic.

Gerhard Richter Supports New Admission Fee for Cologne Cathedral

gerhard richter cologne cathedral admission fee

Cologne Cathedral, Germany’s most-visited landmark and a UNESCO World Heritage site, has announced it will begin charging tourists an admission fee starting this fall. The decision comes as the institution faces rising operating costs and depleted financial reserves following the pandemic, despite its recent surge in popularity on platforms like TikTok.

15 museum shop gifts were loving

Artnet News has curated a selection of 15 unusual and art-themed gifts available at museum shops worldwide, ranging from a snake-embroidered brooch inspired by Cartier at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London to a 'Souls in Purgatory' magnet from the Morgan Library & Museum in New York, a traditional palm-leaf fan from Al Ain Museum in Abu Dhabi, a gilded sewing kit from the Neue Galerie in New York, and a CD of a Hanne Darboven composition from the Dia Art Foundation. Each item is presented with its price, source museum, and a brief explanation of its appeal, often tying back to specific exhibitions or artworks.

food bukahra biennial recipes broken hearts diana campbell

The article reports on the inaugural Bukhara Biennial in Uzbekistan, titled "Recipes for Broken Hearts," which opened in the historic 16th-century Khoja Gavkushon complex. Curated by Diana Campbell, the biennial features over 70 projects spanning 500 meters of public space, including works by artists Subodh Gupta, Laila Gohar, and Carsten Höller. The exhibition embraces the local environment—sun, wind, and dust—as collaborators, rejecting the sterile white cube model. Food is a central theme, with communal plov parties, performative cooking sessions, and installations like Gohar's edible rock sugar pavilion. The biennial runs through November 20.

saudi arabia art scene athr gallery interview

ARTnews interviews Mohammed Hafiz, co-founder of Athr Gallery in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, as part of its Newsmakers series. Hafiz discusses the evolution of the Saudi art scene since Athr's founding in 2009, the gallery's expansion into multiple locations and a foundation offering grants and residencies, and the role of grassroots patrons and collectors before the Ministry of Culture's involvement in 2018. The interview, conducted at the Athr Foundation in Riyadh during the first annual Art Week Riyadh, also touches on Hafiz's personal history with art, including buying his first artwork in high school in the 1990s, and challenges misconceptions that the Saudi art scene began only recently.

golestan palace tehran damaged us israel bombing

The Golestan Palace, a UNESCO World Heritage site in Tehran, has sustained damage following US-Israeli airstrikes targeting the Iranian capital. According to Iran’s cultural heritage minister, Reza Salehi-Amiri, the Qajar-era complex suffered damage to its historic windows, doors, and mirrors due to blast shockwaves and debris. The escalation of the regional conflict has further impacted cultural hubs across the Middle East, with debris falling near Abu Dhabi’s Saadiyat Island and major institutions in Qatar and the UAE temporarily closing their doors.

reefline underwater art project miami beach leandro erlich

The Reefline, a non-profit eco-art initiative, has launched its first phase of a seven-mile underwater sculpture park and artificial reef along Miami Beach. The project debuted with 'Concrete Coral' by Argentinian artist Leandro Erlich, a submerged sculpture depicting a traffic jam designed to provide a habitat for marine life. Future phases include works by Carlos Betancourt, Alberto Latorre, and Petroc Sesti, all overseen by the architecture firm OMA and founder Ximena Caminos.

Still in 'war mode': Tehran Museum of Contemporary Art reopens with exhibitions about conflict

The Tehran Museum of Contemporary Art (TMoCA) has reopened with a weekly rotating post-ceasefire program called 'Art and War,' following weeks of bombardment that forced its closure and prompted emergency efforts to protect its collection. The program began with works by American Pop artists James Rosenquist, Roy Lichtenstein, and Robert Indiana, and this week features three works from Pablo Picasso's Weeping Woman series, focusing on Spain. Museum director Reza Dabirinezhad described the challenges of safeguarding the collection during US-Israeli strikes, including removing 80% of the oil from Noriyuki Haraguchi's installation 'Matter and Mind' (1977) to prevent fire risk, and protecting outdoor sculptures by Henry Moore, René Magritte, and Max Bill.

cattelan gold toilet theft businessman sentencing

A British businessman, Frederick Doe, has received a 21-month suspended sentence at Oxford Crown Court for his role in the 2019 theft of Maurizio Cattelan's solid-gold toilet artwork "America" (2016), valued at $6 million. The toilet was stolen from Blenheim Palace, a UNESCO World Heritage site and former home of Winston Churchill, where it was installed as part of a Cattelan exhibition. Doe acted as a middleman, convicted of conspiring to transfer criminal property after being recorded offering to sell the 227-pound, 18-karat-gold toilet. Two other men, Michael Jones and James Sheen, were found guilty of planning the theft and are due to be sentenced next month. The gold has never been recovered and is believed to have been broken up and sold.

An Alexander Calder Retrospective in Paris Underscores His Inventiveness

A major retrospective of Alexander Calder's work is currently on view at the Fondation Louis Vuitton in Paris, marking the 100th anniversary of the artist's arrival in the city. The exhibition, running through August 16, 2026, presents a comprehensive overview of his career, featuring sculptures, drawings, archival material, and jewelry that highlight his innovative fusion of engineering and abstraction.

dealer michael ward charged by manhattan da

Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg has charged veteran New York antiquities dealer Michael Ward with criminal facilitation following an investigation into the illicit trade of cultural property. Ward, who operated his Upper East Side gallery for nearly forty years, was convicted in September for his role in facilitating the sale of stolen artifacts, including a 1st-century gilded bronze plaque. Court documents reveal a broader pattern of misconduct involving 40 objects stolen from Italy, Greece, and Turkey, with a total value reaching into the millions.

tehran galleries close israel air strike iran

Galleries across Tehran have begun closing their doors indefinitely following Israel's Friday air strike on the Iranian capital's nuclear and military facilities. Iran retaliated with dozens of missiles toward Israeli territory, calling the strikes a 'declaration of war.' Shirin Gallery postponed two exhibitions, including 'Uncollective Memories' by Leila Yaghoubi and 'Endless Joy' by Mazyar Tahouri. Laleh Gallery postponed its group show 'New Saghakhaneh,' while Moshen Gallery, Hoor Gallery, and Bavan Gallery announced closures until further notice. Ab-Anbar, a Tehran-rooted gallery now based in London, instead opened its doors for a community lunch. The Israel Museum in Jerusalem and the Tel Aviv Museum of Art also closed indefinitely citing national security guidelines.

Paris Judge Rejects Bid to Suspend the Replacement of Notre-Dame’s Windows

A Paris judge has rejected a bid to suspend the removal of six 19th-century stained-glass windows by Eugène Viollet-le-Duc from Notre-Dame Cathedral, clearing the way for their replacement with contemporary works commissioned by the French government. The Paris Administrative Court ruled that the project does not constitute an irreversible alteration because the new windows, designed by artist Claire Tabouret and produced by glassmakers Simon-Marq, could be removed in the future, and the original windows will be preserved. The judge did not rule on the legality of the project, which had previously been vetoed by the National Commission of Patrimony and Architecture, leaving the door open for further legal challenges.

From monumental glass sculptures to a lagoon in the sky: what to see beyond the Venice Biennale pavilions

The article highlights several must-see exhibitions and installations beyond the main Venice Biennale pavilions. Patrizia Sandretto Re Rebaudengo's redevelopment of the island of San Giacomo opens on 7 May, transforming abandoned Napoleonic-era powder magazines into exhibition spaces with a solo show by British artist Matt Copson and a group show from her collection. American artist Melissa McGill presents 'Marea', a street-spanning installation of 100 paintings created with local residents and students, addressing climate change and rising sea levels. Dale Chihuly returns to Venice with 'Chihuly: Venice 2026', featuring monumental glass installations along the Grand Canal, including 'Gold Tower' (2025). Wallace Chan unveils titanium sculptures at the Chapel of Santa Maria della Pietà, with a parallel exhibition at the Long Museum in Shanghai.

Jennifer Gilbert Consigns Blue-Chip Works to Sotheby’s to Fund Detroit Arts Space

Philanthropist Jennifer Gilbert is consigning a selection of blue-chip postwar artworks to Sotheby’s this spring to fund Lumana, a new arts nonprofit in Detroit. The auction highlights include Joan Mitchell’s 'Loom II', estimated at $5 million to $7 million, and a significant target-style painting by Kenneth Noland that could set a new auction record for the artist. The collection also features works by George Rickey and Harry Bertoia, emphasizing a cohesive blend of midcentury abstraction and design.

What We Miss When We Talk About Giacometti

This article explores a critical reevaluation of Alberto Giacometti’s career, specifically focusing on the decade between 1935 and 1945. While Giacometti is globally recognized for his spindly, post-war 'Existentialist' figures, art historian Joanna Fiduccia’s new book, *Figures of Crisis*, argues that his mid-career departure from Surrealism to study human likeness was not a mere transition but a profound response to the political crises and nationalism of interwar France.

This French Castle Is Crowdfunding Its Own Restoration

The Château de Chambord, a UNESCO World Heritage site and the second-most visited castle in France, has launched a €30 million ($35 million) crowdfunding campaign to fund urgent structural restorations. Decades of flooding and drought in the Loire Valley have severely compromised the foundations of the François I Wing, leading to warped walls and a 2023 incident where 20 visitors fell through a collapsing floor. Director General Pierre Dubreuil has initiated a three-phase plan to shore up the masonry, modernize accessibility, and create new educational facilities.

epstein files leon black antiquities smuggler douglas latchford

Newly released documents from the Jeffrey Epstein files suggest a direct link between billionaire collector Leon Black and the disgraced late antiquities dealer Douglas Latchford. An inventory titled "Leon Black/ Narrows South East Asian Art Inventory" found in Epstein’s emails lists 12 Southeast Asian works purchased by Black for $23.85 million. Among these is a $7 million bronze Shiva that matches the description of a piece featured in Latchford’s 2004 book, raising significant questions about the provenance of Black's collection.

Claire Tabouret’s Stained-Glass Windows for Notre-Dame Divide French Society, with a Legal Threat Looming

French contemporary artist Claire Tabouret has been commissioned to create six new stained-glass windows for the Notre-Dame de Paris cathedral, replacing six existing 19th-century grisaille windows designed by architect Eugène-Emmanuel Viollet-le-Duc. The project, announced by President Emmanuel Macron and the Archbishop of Paris as a "contemporary gesture" following the 2019 fire, has sparked a major public and institutional controversy, with a petition against it gathering over 335,000 signatures.

Homework till midnight and ‘one breakdown a week’: the mysterious art school keeping a forgotten style alive

The École Van der Kelen-Logelain, a unique and mythologized painting school in Brussels founded in 1892, continues to operate under strict, traditional methods. Students endure a rigorous six-month winter course, adhering to rules like mandatory white lab coats, silence, and no phones, to master specialized decorative painting skills, most notably the art of trompe l'oeil, or illusionistic painting.

Endemic leaking problems at Frank Lloyd Wright's Fallingwater finally come to an end

A three-year, $7 million conservation project at Frank Lloyd Wright's Fallingwater is scheduled for completion in April, finally addressing the building's endemic leaking problems and structural vulnerabilities. The project focuses on replacing waterproofing assemblies, repairing roofs, exterior walls, terraces, windows, and doors to protect the house from water infiltration and a changing climate, all while preserving its original aesthetic.

Trump Arts Impact 2025

trump arts impact

The Trump administration has initiated a sweeping overhaul of the American cultural landscape, marked by aggressive oversight of the Smithsonian Institution and the termination of numerous National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) grants. Key actions include the disbanding of the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS), the removal of leadership at the National Portrait Gallery, and the implementation of content audits to remove references to Trump's impeachments and information regarding slavery from federal sites. These moves are part of a broader effort to eliminate Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives and enforce 'American values' in cultural programming ahead of the nation's 250th anniversary.

guggenheim bilbao urdaibai expansion scrapped

The Guggenheim Bilbao has scrapped plans for a €100 million satellite expansion in Spain's protected Urdaibai biosphere reserve after nearly two decades of legal challenges and local opposition. The museum's board of trustees, including the Basque regional government and the Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundation, voted to halt the project due to insufficient public support and scientific objections. The two-site expansion would have placed cultural facilities in Gernika and Murueta, but environmental groups argued that up to 140,000 annual visitors would damage wetlands crucial for migratory birds.

frank lloyd wright usonian home jackson mississippi

The Mississippi Museum of Art (MMA) has acquired Fountainhead, a Frank Lloyd Wright-designed Usonian home in Jackson, Mississippi, for $1 million. The residence, built in 1954 for oilman J. Willis Hughes, is one of only four Wright homes in the state and the only one listed on the National Register of Historic Places. It was sold by the estate of late architect Robert Parker Adams, who had restored the property after purchasing it in 1980. The museum plans to preserve the home and open it to the public as a cultural destination.

art detective arthur brand netherlands national archives

Arthur Brand, a self-proclaimed art detective, recovered 25 documents stolen from the Netherlands National Archives in 2015. The trove includes items on UNESCO’s Memory of the World Register, such as a 1602 report of the Dutch East India Company’s first meeting, a 1700 report of a visit to Mughal India’s Emperor Aurangzeb, and a ship’s log by 17th-century admiral Michiel de Ruyter. Brand was contacted after a person clearing an attic found the box and showed it to a former history professor. Brand took possession on condition of returning the documents to the National Archives, which had been unaware the items were stolen.

israeli us strikes iran jeopardize cultural heritage

Israeli and U.S. military strikes on Iran, occurring since June 13, 2025, have threatened significant damage to the country's cultural heritage. Israeli bombings targeted the headquarters of the Iranian state broadcaster (IRIB) in Tehran, a major work of Modern architecture designed by the firm of renowned Iranian architect Abdol Aziz Farmanfarmaian. U.S. bombings over the weekend struck a nuclear complex near Isfahan, one of Iran's most historically significant cities, though its historic landmarks appear unscathed. The Tehran Museum of Contemporary Art (TMoCA), designed by Kamran Diba and home to a major collection of modern Western art, is also a source of concern.

centre pompidou brazil satellite

The Centre Pompidou will open its first South American satellite in Foz do Iguaçu, Brazil, in November 2027, backed by Paraná state officials. Designed by Paraguayan architect Solano Benítez, the museum will feature exhibition galleries and research facilities, highlighting South American artists alongside works from the Pompidou’s permanent collection of around 150,000 objects. This expansion comes as the Paris flagship closes for five years starting September 2024 for a $280 million renovation.

smithsonian teams up with saudi arabias alula project

The Smithsonian’s National Museum of Asian Art (NMAA) has signed a formal partnership agreement with Saudi Arabia’s Royal Commission for AlUla (RCU), formalizing two years of behind-the-scenes collaboration. Signed by NMAA director Chase Robinson and RCU chief executive Abeer Al Akel, the deal covers joint archaeological research, exhibition loans, curatorial exchange, and professional development, with a focus on the ancient site of Dadan, a key stop on the Incense Road. The partnership is part of Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 plan to rebrand the kingdom as a global cultural destination.

Frank Lloyd Wright’s Fallingwater Has a New, Waterproof Roof

The Western Pennsylvania Conservancy has completed a comprehensive three-year, $7 million restoration of Frank Lloyd Wright’s architectural masterpiece, Fallingwater. The project focused on critical structural vulnerabilities, including moisture degradation of interior finishes, leaking windows and doors, and the installation of a new waterproof roof. Experts addressed specific design flaws inherent to Wright’s original 1935 construction, such as the lack of through-wall flashing and the use of river pebbles in concrete aggregate, which had exacerbated the building's battle against the elements.

‘Everyone can talk about a cabinet or a chair’: Ryan Preciado on his show at Hollyhock House in Los Angeles

Artist Ryan Preciado has launched a new exhibition titled "Diary of a Fly" at Frank Lloyd Wright’s historic Hollyhock House in Los Angeles. The show features a mix of high-gloss steel sculptures, woven tapestries, and furniture that Preciado calls "insecure sculptures"—objects that blur the line between functional craft and fine art. By placing these contemporary works within the UNESCO World Heritage Site, Preciado creates a dialogue between his own carpentry-based practice and Wright’s iconic Modernist architecture.