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.

the view from jonathan crockett

Jonathan Crockett, deputy chairman of Phillips in Asia, reflects on the auction house's 10-year journey in the region, from a small Hong Kong office to a major presence in the West Kowloon Cultural District. He recounts his career path from Christie's and Sotheby's to founding his own advisory firm, then joining Phillips to launch its Asian operations, overcoming brand confusion and building a robust client network.

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.

beowolff capital artnet takeover

Investment group Beowolff Capital has announced a voluntary takeover offer for Artnet, valuing the company at approximately €65 million ($73.7 million). Beowolff Capital, a U.K.-registered firm led by CEO Andrew Wolff, has already secured 65% of Artnet's shares and plans to delist the company from the Frankfurt Stock Exchange. The deal includes the purchase of a 29.99% stake from Weng Fine Art AG, ending a long-running control struggle. Artnet's management supports the offer, which is expected to close on May 30, 2025.

venice biennale koyo kouoh 2026 in minor keys

The Venice Biennale will proceed with its 2026 edition despite the unexpected death of its curator, Koyo Kouoh, earlier this month. The Biennale announced on Tuesday that it will realize Kouoh's exhibition, titled "In Minor Keys," which she had already begun planning before her passing. Kouoh had selected artists, developed commissions, and established the central concept. The show will be carried forward by a team of five advisers she personally chose: curators Gabe Beckhurst Feijoo, Marie Helene Pereira, and Rasha Salti; critic Siddartha Mitter as editor; and Rory Tsapayi as assistant. The exhibition remains scheduled to open on May 9, 2026, with the full support of Kouoh's family.

napoleon sword could fetch 1 million auction

A ceremonial saber commissioned by Napoleon Bonaparte in 1802 sold for €4.6 million ($5.2 million) at Giquello auction house in Paris on May 22, far exceeding its estimate of €700,000–€1 million. The sword, made by master armorer Nicolas-Noël Boutet, was given to Marshal Emmanuel de Grouchy on the eve of the Battle of Waterloo in 1815 and remained in his family ever since. It features a curved Damascus blade, gold-plated silver mounts, and a stingray-skin sheath, with classical imagery including Medusa, Hercules, and Mars. The sale was part of a 20-lot auction at Hôtel Drouot that also included a 15th-century sword, a Gabonese mask, and a 17th-century tapestry.

who took famous napalm girl photo

A documentary film titled *The Stringer* has sparked a controversy over the authorship of the iconic 1972 Vietnam War photograph known as "Napalm Girl" (officially *The Terror of War*). Both the Associated Press and World Press Photo conducted investigations into whether the credited photographer, Nick Ut, actually took the image. While the AP decided to maintain Ut's credit due to insufficient evidence to the contrary, World Press Photo stripped his authorship, concluding that the level of doubt is too significant to keep the existing attribution. The organization found that two other photographers—Nguyen Thanh Nghe and Huỳnh Công Phúc—were also present and could have taken the shot, but it could not definitively reassign authorship.

protect stonehenge from future development wiltshire council

Wiltshire Council has launched a public consultation on a new planning document aimed at protecting Stonehenge from future development, less than a year after the controversial A303 tunnel project was canceled. The draft supplementary planning document, created with input from Historic England, the National Trust, and the English Heritage Trust, will guide decisions regarding the Stonehenge and Avebury World Heritage Site, with a public comment deadline of June 17 and potential adoption in October 2025.

extreme mold damage denmark

A newly discovered mold species, aspergillus section restricti, is damaging artworks and cultural objects across Denmark. Detected in 12 museums including the National Museum of Denmark and Skagens Museum, the fungus thrives in dry environments—the very conditions used to preserve artifacts. Conservators describe it as an "epidemic" that also poses health risks to visitors. The National Museum is relocating affected works to a new warehouse near Copenhagen, but no solution has been found yet. Preliminary studies are underway at 150 additional cultural sites to assess the spread.

tod lippy trump voters portraits independent

Artist and editor Tod Lippy, stunned by Donald Trump's 2024 presidential election win, embarked on an obsessive two-day search for voters who had publicly supported Trump. Finding 50 individuals through op-eds and news interviews, Lippy—who had never painted before—created a series of portraits titled *My Fellow Americans*. The works debut as a site-specific installation at Independent New York. Over several months, Lippy painted nearly one portrait a day using acrylic gouache, immersing himself in the process and studying each subject's face in detail.

art market minute may 5

The article reports that at the 100-day mark of Trump's second presidency, his economic policies—particularly tariffs—are disrupting the art world. While artworks remain exempt, antiques and design objects are not, causing concern for dealers, including those preparing for Tefaf New York. Changes to de minimis rules have lowered the customs processing threshold from $2,500 to $800, triggering widespread shipping delays. Additionally, Frieze has been sold to Hollywood powerbroker Ari Emanuel, and auction veteran Alex Rotter has been tapped as Christie's new global president.

frieze sale ari emanuel

Endeavor Group Holdings has sold Frieze, the company behind the influential art magazine and several international art fairs, to a new company formed by former Endeavor CEO Ari Emanuel. The deal, valued at nearly $200 million, is expected to close by the third quarter of this year. Frieze's current leadership, including CEO Simon Fox, will remain in place. The sale follows Endeavor's full privatization by Silver Lake and marks the end of a long-rumored ownership transition. Notably, two tennis tournaments initially bundled in the negotiations—Miami Open and Madrid Open—are not included in this deal.

new arrests drents museum heist romanian gold artifacts

Dutch police arrested two more suspects, a 20-year-old and an 18-year-old from Heerhugowaard, in connection with the January 2025 theft of Romanian gold artifacts from the Drents Museum in Assen. The stolen items include the golden helmet of Coțofenești and three gold bracelets from 450 BCE, valued at over €5.8 million. The suspects were identified via security camera footage from a hardware store where they purchased tools similar to those used in the heist. Police searched properties in Heerhugowaard and Opmeer, seizing digital evidence, but the artifacts remain missing.

Calls for Artists: April 2026

Multiple open calls for artists and grants have been announced for April 2026 deadlines. The 2027 Creative Capital Open Call offers unrestricted project grants up to $50,000 for artists across all 50 states, while also selecting recipients for the new State of the Art Prize, which grants $10,000 to one artist from each state and territory. Delfina Foundation, in partnership with the Jorge M. Pérez Collection, is offering four fully funded residencies for Latin American and Caribbean artists, with two spots available in this round. The Ogden Museum of Southern Art is accepting submissions for its Louisiana Contemporary 2026 statewide juried exhibition, and the Handweaver’s Guild of America has issued calls for entries for its Convergence 2026 fiber art exhibitions.

Dolce Vita is Over

Dolce Vita war gestern

Andrea Modica's new photobook "Italian Story" collects four decades of photographs taken in Italy, beginning with her first trip there in the late 1980s. Born in 1960 to a family with roots in Sicily and Naples, Modica received a Fulbright scholarship to travel to Sicily and photograph the origins of the Catholic imagery, gender roles, and family structures she experienced growing up in New York. The book, however, is not a documentary of her heritage; instead, it presents dreamlike, surreal images—motionless bodies in water, dead fish, figures behind mosquito nets, Madonna statues—that resist clear narrative or identity politics. Modica works with an 8x10 large-format analog camera and prints using the historic platinum-palladium process, giving the images a timeless, collaborative quality.

Nasan Tur Collects Contributions for 'Archive of Feelings' for Manifesta 16

Nasan Tur sammelt Beiträge für "Archiv der Gefühle" zur Manifesta 16

Berlin-based artist Nasan Tur is calling on people from the Ruhr region and beyond to submit contributions to his "Archive of Feelings" via an online portal. The project is part of his commissioned work for the 16th edition of the nomadic biennial Manifesta, which opens on June 21 across several cities in the Ruhr area. Tur's installation, titled "Elevation," will be housed in St. Gertrud Church in Essen, where excerpts from anonymous submissions—expressing hopes, fears, wounds, ideas, wishes, and everyday observations—will be carved into old church pews.

Monopol Gives Away 5 x 2 Tickets for Photo Exhibition at Museum Rietberg

Monopol verlost 5 × 2 Tickets für Foto-Ausstellung im Museum Rietberg

The Museum Rietberg in Zurich is presenting the exhibition "Fast ein Paradies" (Almost a Paradise), which critically examines colonial-era photography as an instrument of power. The show juxtaposes historical photographs with contemporary artworks that recontextualize this material, featuring artists like Sasha Huber, Sammy Baloji, Raphaël Barontini, and Andrea Chung, who intervene in the archival images to challenge colonial narratives and restore agency to the subjects.

"Suddenly it was a completely different world"

"Es war plötzlich eine ganz andere Welt"

Margot Pilz, a pioneer of the feminist avant-garde, is reviving her historic 1982 art intervention "Kaorle" for the Klima Biennale in Vienna. Originally conceived as Europe's first urban beach, the installation transformed Vienna's Karlsplatz by depositing tons of sand and installing a palm tree, deck chairs, and a synthetic whale in a pond to create a surreal coastal escape in the city center.

Treated as Cannon Fodder

"Als Kanonenfutter behandelt"

Artist Mario Pfeifer has created a new film, "Wutame / Caché," which portrays two men from Cameroon who fought for Russia in the war against Ukraine before deserting. The film is currently featured in the "Tirailleurs" exhibition at Berlin's Haus der Kulturen der Welt (HKW). Pfeifer's work focuses on the men's personal accounts of being deceived, poorly treated, and used as "cannon fodder," employing anonymized voices and altered imagery to protect their identities while allowing their stories to unfold.

Regional exhibition of Ohio Collage Society opening May 29 at Coburn Art Gallery

The Coburn Art Gallery at Ashland University in Ashland, Ohio, will host a regional exhibition featuring 70 works by members of the Ohio Collage Society from May 29 through July 24. The free opening reception takes place on May 29 from 6 to 7:30 p.m., showcasing two-dimensional and three-dimensional collages that explore diverse materials and techniques. Featured artists include Anita Burgess, Nancy S. Sotka, Mary Ann Sedivy, and others.

Tate St Ives to host first UK museum exhibition of groundbreaking artist

Tate St Ives will present the first UK museum exhibition of Aleksandra Kasuba, a Lithuanian American artist (1923–2019), from May 2 to October 4, 2026. The show spans seven decades of her career, featuring early paintings, mosaics, sculptures, and public artworks, including the spatial environment *Spectrum: An Afterthought* and a recreation of her *Live-In Environment*. Works are drawn from the Lithuanian National Museum of Art's collection, where Kasuba donated her pieces.

Young artists demonstrate their art pieces within Painting Week [PHOTOS]

The Azerbaijan Artists' Union recently hosted a children's art exhibition and competition titled "My Favorite Theme" as part of the national Painting Week. Held at the Fine Art Gallery of the Children-Youth Development Palace No. 1 in Baku, the event showcased 51 artworks by 48 young participants across two age categories. Winners were selected by a jury of professional artists, with top honors going to Naomi Ahmadi and Nuray Babayeva for their respective thematic interpretations.

Local talent shines: Rust-en-Vrede Portrait Awards exhibition at KZNSA Gallery

Two KwaZulu-Natal artists, Senzelw’umusa Mathe and Gary McIver, are among the top 40 finalists in the Rust-en-Vrede Portrait Awards, a biennial South African competition. Their works, along with those of other finalists and winner Malik Mani, will be exhibited at the KZNSA Gallery in Durban from February 11 to March 1, 2026, as part of a national tour. Mathe's entry, "Bazali Bami," is a tapestry crochet portrait of her parents, while McIver's "At the Louvre" is an oil painting inspired by his students' reenactment of a neoclassical artwork.

aspen summer activities season guide

This article from Cultured magazine features a series of short interviews with several art-world figures about their favorite summer activities in Aspen, Colorado. Participants include jewelry designer Jenna Blake, gallerist Marianne Boesky, collector Lesley Slatkin, art advisor Meredith Darrow, and gallerist Richard Edwards, who share personal recommendations for hikes, restaurants, spas, and the unique lifestyle Aspen offers during the summer season.

$450 Million Worth of Newhouse Trophies Come to Christie’s

Christie’s will hold a special evening sale in May featuring 16 artworks from the collection of the late Condé Nast chief S.I. Newhouse Jr., valued at a combined $450 million. The works are considered museum-quality trophies from one of the most significant private collections assembled in recent decades.

At a Difficult Time, a Minnesota Museum Offers Respite to Somalis

The Somali Museum of Minnesota has emerged as a vital cultural sanctuary and community hub for Somali immigrants in Minneapolis. By preserving traditional nomadic artifacts, textiles, and contemporary artworks, the museum provides a space for the diaspora to reconnect with their heritage and find solace amidst social and political challenges.

Introducing the Etnia House of Arts Residency Program

Etnia Eyewear Culture, the cultural arm of Etnia Barcelona, has launched the Etnia House of Arts residency program in Venice. Housed in the restored Chiesa dell’Abbazia della Misericordia, the contemporary art space invites artists to create site-specific works during two-week residencies, using eyeglasses as a conceptual starting point to explore vision, identity, and representation. The first two residents, Conxi Sane and Greta Pllana, have already produced interventions—Membrane and The Shape I Kept—that expand the symbolic possibilities of the object.

The Musée d’Ixelles at the Crossroads of Different Perspectives

Le Musée d’Ixelles à la croisée de différents regards

The Musée d’Ixelles in Brussels, closed for eight years for expansion and renovation, is nearing completion of its architectural transformation with a reopening scheduled for spring 2027 (March 19). Founded in 1892 in a former slaughterhouse, the museum has grown through successive donations and a continuous acquisition policy, now holding over 15,000 works spanning Belgian art from the 19th century to the contemporary period. Director and curator Claire Leblanc, who has led the institution since 2006, emphasizes a participatory approach that integrates diverse public perspectives, including a project called "Musée comme chez soi" during the closure where locals hosted artworks in their homes.

Marcos Kueh in Turbulent Seas

Artist Marcos Kueh presents his solo exhibition 'Smooth Sailing' at ESEA Contemporary in Manchester. The show features new sculptures, tapestries, and a large-scale installation that reflect on the histories of Chinese labour and migration, particularly to northwest England, drawing inspiration from 19th-century trade union banners found in Manchester's People's History Museum.

‘As If’ by Isabel Waidner, Reviewed

Isabel Waidner’s latest novel, 'As If', follows the surreal intersection of two actors, Lewis and Korine, who share an uncanny resemblance and wives with the same name. After meeting in a Central London sublet, the pair decide to swap lives: the younger Korine takes over a high-stakes audition for the grieving Lewis, while Lewis assumes Korine’s domestic and financial burdens. Set against the brutalist backdrop of London’s Barbican and Golden Lane estate, the narrative uses this identity swap to explore the thin line between performance and reality.