Russia’s pavilion at Venice Biennale will be closed if it features propaganda, city’s mayor says

Luigi Brugnaro, the mayor of Venice, has stated that Russia's pavilion at the upcoming Venice Biennale will be closed if it engages in propaganda. This declaration comes amid controversy over Russia's planned participation, its first since the 2022 invasion of Ukraine, and internal disputes between Biennale president Pietrangelo Buttafuoco and Italy's culture minister, Alessandro Giuli, who has threatened to withdraw ministry support.

Story of Max Peiffer Watenphul, the Bauhaus painter who found his new homeland in Italy

Storia di Max Peiffer Watenphul, il pittore del Bauhaus che trovò in Italia la sua nuova patria

A major retrospective titled "Max Peiffer Watenphul. Pittore del Bauhaus" has opened at the Galleria Nazionale d'Arte Moderna e Contemporanea (GNAMC) in Rome, curated by Gregor H. Lersch, director of the Museo Casa di Goethe. The exhibition explores the complex artistic journey of Max Peiffer Watenphul (1896–1976), a German Bauhaus-trained painter who found a second home in Italy. It highlights his multidisciplinary approach, his troubled painting style marked by unusual materials and scratched surfaces, and his deep connection to Italy, where he fled after Nazi persecution and where he lived until his death.

Monuments & Weapons: How Public Space Prepares Us for War Without Us Even Realizing It

Monumenti&armi. Così lo spazio pubblico ci prepara alla guerra senza che neppure ce ne rendiamo conto

Public squares and urban spaces are densely populated with war-related monuments that condition society to accept conflict as a historical inevitability. A study by Philadelphia’s Monument Lab reveals that nearly 60% of U.S. monuments focus on war themes, outnumbering themes of peace thirteen-fold, while Italy maintains over 12,000 memorials dedicated solely to World War I. These structures often prioritize military hierarchy and territorial conquest over themes of care, gender equality, or social diversity.

Weekend of Art, Artists and Open Studios in Riebeek Valley

Solo Studios returns to the Riebeek Valley from October 24 to 26, 2025, featuring over 60 artists opening their studios in Riebeek Kasteel and Riebeek West. The weekend includes curated exhibitions such as LANDscape[s] at Die Kunshuis, showcasing works from Modern Art Projects South Africa (MAPSA), and a display of Ardmore Ceramics at EcoPlace, a home built from recycled materials. Other highlights include Red Hot, Pink Spot, a group show of 13 female artists from Kommetjie, and FEAST, a Porterville artist exhibition. Talks on art collecting and live music complement the open studios.

Spain’s galleries are protesting against high taxes—can Arco Madrid help voice their concerns?

The 45th edition of Arco Madrid, Spain’s premier contemporary art fair, is set to host 206 galleries from 36 countries at the Ifema convention centre. While the fair remains a vital commercial hub, it is currently overshadowed by a nationwide protest from Spanish galleries against the country's 21% VAT on art purchases. This tax rate is among the highest in Europe, significantly outpacing neighbors like Portugal and France, leading to concerns about international competitiveness and the classification of contemporary art as a luxury elite product.

Photographer "Drift" Arrested at His Exhibition Opening

Photographer Isaac “Drift” Wright was arrested at his own solo exhibition opening at Robert Mann Gallery in Chelsea, New York, on Thursday night. NYPD officers charged him with third-degree trespassing, with an undercover officer reportedly present at the event. Wright, a former Army paratrooper known for climbing skyscrapers and restricted sites to capture high-altitude photographs, had previously served jail time in 2020 for evading police. His first solo show, titled "Coming Home," was intended to mark a fresh start, but the arrest occurred just two hours into the opening.

Giant glacier painting disappears from Argentina’s presidential palace after new law passes loosening protections for these icy regions

Days before Argentina’s Congress approved an amendment to the glacier law that weakens protections for glacial regions to facilitate mining, President Javier Milei’s government removed a monumental painting of the Perito Moreno Glacier from the Casa Rosada presidential palace. The work, Helmut Ditsch’s photorealist *The Triumph of Nature* (2006), had been on loan and on display since 2012. The government cited “maintenance reasons” and “structural damage,” but the artist says he was not notified and has contacted lawyers. A portrait of Juan Domingo and Evita Perón was also removed the same day, with the same vague explanation.

Stonewall Monument Named Among Most Endangered Sites in the US

The Stonewall National Monument in Manhattan has been named one of the most endangered places in the US by the National Trust for Historic Preservation, marking the first time the site has appeared on the annual list. The designation comes amid the Trump administration's efforts to control LGBTQ+ history, including the National Park Service's removal of references to transgender individuals from the monument's official website and the removal of the rainbow pride flag from the site. Activists and the Gilbert Baker Foundation fought back, with the foundation filing a lawsuit that led to a settlement allowing the pride flag to be flown again, though the NPS has not restored the original website text.

Israeli organisation threatens legal action against Canadian Museum for Human Rights over Palestine exhibition

The Israeli organization Shurat Hadin has threatened legal action against the Canadian Museum for Human Rights (CMHR) in Winnipeg over its upcoming exhibition "Palestine Uprooted: Nakba Past and Present," scheduled to open on June 27. The group sent a legal letter to the museum's board and leadership, alleging the exhibition promotes a one-sided narrative that could fuel antisemitism and violate Canadian federal law, and calling for an independent review. The CMHR is reviewing the letter but declined further comment, while supporters like Independent Jewish Voices argue the museum is right to tell the story of the Nakba from the perspective of Palestinian victims.

Israel’s Artist Reportedly Pressured Venice Biennale Before Jury’s Resignation

Artist Belu-Simion Fainaru, Israel’s representative at the Venice Biennale, reportedly pressured the exhibition’s organizers before the five-person jury abruptly resigned last week. The jury, tasked with selecting Golden Lion winners, had stated it would not consider nations charged with crimes against humanity by the International Criminal Court—applying to Israel and Russia. According to Italian news agency Adnkronos, Fainaru alleged “racial discrimination” and “antisemitism,” threatened to take his claims to the European Court of Human Rights, and the Biennale warned jury members they could be held personally liable for damages. Hyperallergic confirmed the threats of legal action, and a Biennale spokesperson acknowledged the reports were true.

Finland Pulls Back Venice Biennale Presence Over Return of Russian Pavilion

Finland’s political leadership has announced it will boycott the Venice Biennale if the Russian Pavilion proceeds with its planned exhibition. While Finnish public officials will still attend to support their own national artists, the Ministry of Education and Culture stated that Russia should be excluded as long as the war in Ukraine continues. This move follows an open letter from 22 European nations and a warning from the European Commission regarding potential sanctions violations.

European Commission Tells Venice Biennale to ‘Clear Its Name’ Regarding Russian Pavilion or Risk Losing $2.3 M. Grant for 2028

The European Commission has issued a 30-day ultimatum to the Venice Biennale, threatening to withdraw a €2 million ($2.3 million) grant for the 2028 edition unless the organization addresses concerns regarding the Russian Pavilion's inclusion in 2026. The Commission alleges that hosting a government-funded delegation violates EU sanctions and provides a cultural platform for Russian state interests amidst the ongoing war in Ukraine. The Biennale's president, Pietrangelo Buttafuoco, must respond by May 11, just two days after the exhibition's public opening.

Institute of Museum and Library Services Saved from Defunding After Legal Challenge

The American Library Association (ALA) and the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) have reached a settlement with the U.S. Department of Justice to halt the Trump administration’s efforts to dismantle the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS). The agreement ensures the federal agency will continue its operations, reinstates previously terminated grants, and reverses staff reductions. This legal victory follows a period of significant uncertainty where the agency's budget was slated for a 98% reduction, threatening its role as the primary federal supporter of museums and libraries.

Finnish up! Claire Aho’s colour revolution – in pictures

A new exhibition titled 'Colour Me Modern: Claire Aho and the New Woman' is being presented at the Hundred Heroines Museum in Stroud, UK. The show celebrates the pioneering work of Finnish photographer Claire Aho, highlighting her vibrant, cinematic, and witty use of color in postwar fashion, advertising, and portrait photography.

Plan to build border wall along the Rio Grande in Texas threatens prehistoric rock art, locals warn

Plans to extend the US-Mexico border wall through Val Verde County, Texas, threaten to damage or destroy hundreds of prehistoric rock art murals in the Lower Pecos region. Archaeologists and local landowners warn that construction vibrations could destabilize the rock surfaces housing these ancient paintings, some of which are over 5,700 years old and span up to 100 feet in length.

Centuries-old pottery firm Denby set to call in administrators

The 217-year-old British pottery firm Denby has called in administrators, putting nearly 600 jobs at risk and threatening the closure of the historic Derbyshire manufacturer. The company, which also owns the Burleigh brand, struggled with soaring gas costs, higher labor expenses, tighter financial markets, and softening consumer demand for its premium homeware, leading to a 17% sales drop in its most recent accounts.

Hidden Underground Railroad Passage Discovered at New York Museum Faces Development Threat

The Merchant's House Museum in New York discovered a hidden passageway within a set of drawers, used to conceal people escaping slavery via the Underground Railroad. The find, linked to the home's original abolitionist owner Joseph Brewster, has significantly increased public interest in the historic site.

scholars and mps slam uk museums as unethical and sacrilegious for holding vast collections of human remains

A major investigation has revealed that UK museums and universities hold more than 263,000 human remains, including at least 37,000 sourced from overseas and former British colonies. The findings indicate that many institutions lack proper documentation, with thousands of items stored anonymously in cardboard boxes or mixed together, often in violation of government guidelines regarding respectful handling and transparency.

Israeli Authorities Plan to Seize Major Archaeological Site in West Bank, Sparking Outrage

sebastia west bank archaeological site israel palestinians

Israeli authorities have announced plans to seize a 182-hectare archaeological site in the West Bank town of Sebastia, the largest such land seizure for an archaeological project since 1967. The plan includes building a visitor center, parking lot, and a fence that would separate the site from the Palestinian town, cutting off local access to both the ruins and surrounding olive groves. The move has been denounced by Palestinian residents and officials as an aggression that threatens livelihoods and erases Palestinian identity.

san diego comic con bans ai art

San Diego Comic-Con (SDCC) has banned AI-generated art from its 2026 Comic-Con Art Show, reversing a previous policy that allowed AI art if marked not-for-sale and clearly identified. The change came after artists including Karla Ortiz, a plaintiff in a lawsuit against AI companies, condemned the old policy on social media as a disgrace to human artists. The new guidelines state that material created by AI, either partially or wholly, is not allowed, with the Art Show coordinator serving as the sole judge of acceptability.

smithsonian internment unjust self censorship

The Trump administration has intensified pressure on the Smithsonian Institution, setting a deadline for compliance with a review of its content and plans to align with the president's executive order "Restoring Truth and Sanity to American History." According to reports in the New York Times and the Guardian, Smithsonian staff are already engaging in self-censorship, including removing the word "unjust" from a proposed exhibition label about the internment of Japanese Americans, fearing it might appear partisan. This comes after Trump called for purging "anti-American ideology" from the institution's 19 museums in 2025.

us antiques and decorative arts hit hard by trump tariffs

Import tariffs imposed by the Trump administration on October 14 are causing unintended harm to the international trade of antiques and decorative arts. The executive order, signed on September 29, placed 25 percent tariffs on wood imports and products like upholstered furniture and kitchen cabinets, with further increases scheduled for January 1, 2026. While painting, sculpture, and fine art are exempt under the 1977 International Emergency Economic Powers Act, collectibles such as antique furniture, watches, wine, and classic cars are not protected. Dealers like Millicent Ford Creech and Michael Pashby report that the costs are unpredictable and largely absorbed by businesses, with shippers struggling to quote rates amid constant fluctuations.

family of israeli graffiti artist who died in hamas captivity demands return of her body after ceasefire

As part of the recent ceasefire deal brokered by the Trump Administration, Hamas returned 20 living hostages and four bodies of deceased hostages to Israel on Monday, but failed to return all 28 bodies as agreed. Among the deceased is Israeli graffiti artist and art student Inbar Haiman, known as “Pink,” who was abducted at age 27 from the Nova Music Festival on October 7. Her family is demanding the return of her remains, with her aunt Hannah Cohen emphasizing the need for closure. The Hostages and Missing Families Forum condemned the incomplete return as a violation of the agreement, and Israel has threatened consequences if the remaining bodies are not handed over.

yemen national museum damaged israeli air strikes

The National Museum of Yemen was damaged during Israeli airstrikes on Sanaa on Wednesday, according to the Houthi Ministry of Culture. The bombardment, part of escalating regional tensions linked to the Gaza war, killed 45 people and injured 165. Video footage shows the museum courtyard littered with rubble, and its windows and doors destroyed, though the building remains standing. The museum had only reopened in May 2023 after a decade-long closure due to Yemen's civil war.

gaza artifacts removed school building

Archaeological treasures from Gaza's five main archaeological sites were evacuated from the French Biblical and Archaeological School of Jerusalem's storehouse in Gaza City, following an Israeli order to vacate the building before a threatened military strike. The operation, described by school director Olivier Poquillon as a "high-risk" and "last-minute rescue," involved improvised transport and logistics in a context where almost no international actors remain on the ground. The relics include artifacts from a fourth-century monastery designated as a UNESCO World Heritage site.

wetransfer changes terms licensing rights ai

WeTransfer, the cloud-based file transfer company widely used by art institutions, updated its terms of service on July 14 to include a clause granting the company a perpetual, royalty-free license to use uploaded content for training machine learning models and creating derivative works, which it could monetize without compensating users. After widespread criticism from the art community, including post-production professional Ashley Lynch, who noted conflicts with non-disclosure agreements, WeTransfer removed the controversial language and issued a statement assuring users that it does not use their content to train AI or machine learning models.

trump administration violated law withholding institute of museum and library services funds

The Government Accountability Office (GAO) issued a decision on Monday finding that the Trump administration violated the Impoundment Control Act of 1974 by withholding congressionally appropriated funds from the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS). In March, President Trump signed an executive order calling for the elimination of the IMLS, and in April the agency was gutted by the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), placing its entire 75-person staff on leave. The GAO determined that the IMLS ceased performing its legal duties and withheld funds intended for museums and libraries, and that the administration could not justify the withholding.

looted antiquities sold facebook marketplace palmyra syria

Thieves in Syria are looting ancient artifacts from archaeological sites like Palmyra, a UNESCO World Heritage city dating back to the 3rd century BCE, and selling them on Facebook Marketplace. The looting has surged since the overthrow of former president Bashar al-Assad in December, with traffickers listing funerary gold, statues, and mosaics alongside ordinary secondhand goods. The Antiquities Trafficking and Heritage Anthropology Research (ATHAR) Project reports that nearly one-third of its 1,500 Syrian cases occurred in December alone, and sales are happening faster than ever—mosaics that once took a year to sell now move in two weeks.

eu import regulations

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.

peru halves protected area near nazca lines

Peru's Culture Ministry has reduced the protected area surrounding the Nazca Lines by nearly half, from approximately 2,162 square miles to 1,235 square miles. The move shrinks the Nazca Archaeological Reserve, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and archaeologists warn it could expose the ancient geoglyphs to exploitation by informal miners seeking to legitimize their operations amid a global surge in precious metal prices.