The Louvre’s new director is inheriting a troubled, traumatised museum—can he repair the damage?

Christophe Leribault has been appointed as the new director of the Musée du Louvre, taking over an institution reeling from a major security breach. The theft of the crown jewels in October exposed severe systemic failures, including neglected security upgrades and a management culture criticized as autocratic under his predecessor, Laurence des Cars. The museum has also been plagued by strikes, ticket fraud scandals, and damaging parliamentary reports.

Iran’s arts community and heritage suffer as US-Israeli attacks continue

The US-Israeli bombardment of Iran, beginning in late February, has severely disrupted the country's cultural life and art scene. The typically busy Nowruz (Persian New Year) period was marked by fear, travel restrictions, and internet blackouts, leading to the evacuation of museum collections, the closure of galleries, and artists being unable to work in their studios.

Comment | Museums must be the leaders in a moral revolution

Dutch historian Rutger Bregman, in his 2025 BBC Reith Lectures and book 'Moral Ambition,' argues that Europe risks becoming a stagnant, museum-like relic and calls for a moral revolution to counter societal decline driven by unserious leadership. He positions museums, with their high public trust and status as democratic civic spaces, as crucial leaders in this revolution, urging them to move beyond passive neutrality and actively establish ethical standards, combat misinformation, and engage with urgent societal issues like authoritarianism and climate crisis.

Demise of world's largest mangrove forest inspires Bangladeshi artist Soma Surovi Jannat's new works

Bangladeshi artist Soma Surovi Jannat has opened her first UK exhibition, 'Climate Culture Care,' at the Ashmolean Museum in Oxford. The show features around 20 paintings and drawings created largely during a 2023 residency, drawing inspiration from the endangered Sundarbans mangrove forest and the museum's own collections. Her works fuse human, animal, and mythological imagery to depict the region's ecological and social struggles.

artforum tina rivers ryan rachel wetzler daniel wenger 1234773160

Artforum announced the departure of editor-in-chief Tina Rivers Ryan at the end of February. She will be replaced by executive editor Rachel Wetzler and editor Daniel Wenger, who will serve as co-editors, with the editor-in-chief title being retired.

mfa boston layoffs 1899379

The Museum of Fine Arts, Boston has laid off 57 employees, with an additional 56 staff members taking voluntary retirement. The cuts are a direct response to the severe financial impact of the museum's extended closure due to the public health crisis, which has led to massive losses in revenue from admissions, events, and retail.

british museum treasure hunter stolen antiquities recovery 2734597

The British Museum is hiring a dedicated treasure hunter to recover hundreds of stolen antiquities, including gold jewelry and semi-precious stones allegedly taken by former curator Peter Higgs. Since the theft of some 1,500 objects was revealed in 2023, over a third have been recovered, but the museum is racing to find the remaining pieces before they are destroyed or melted down. The new role will focus on liaising with an international network of dealers, auction houses, and collectors, while also using open-source investigation and AI tools to track down items scattered globally.

national museum of damascus heist missing artifacts search 1234761025

The National Museum of Damascus temporarily closed this week after a theft of artifacts from its classical department. Six gold ingots and six Hellenistic marble statues were reportedly stolen, with a broken door discovered Monday morning. Several employees and guards were detained and interrogated before being released. Damascus police chief Brig. Gen. Osama Atkeh confirmed the theft and stated an investigation is underway. The museum had only reopened in January after being closed since December 7, 2024, when anti-Assad forces approached the capital.

coumba samba abstractions intimacy lost in translation 1234745070

Coumba Samba, an artist born in Harlem and raised in Senegal, presented a 2024 exhibition titled "Dress Code" at Empire, a small gallery near the United Nations in New York. The show featured painted poles referencing national flags, green carpeting, and livestreams of UN General Assembly meetings, exploring how color and power intersect in international diplomacy. Samba also exhibited works at Arcadia Missa in London, including painted radiators that evoke Russian Suprematism while commenting on global energy politics and supply chains.

us regional arts organizations decry nea cuts 1234741453

Regional arts organizations across the United States are speaking out against recent cuts by the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA). The Trump administration proposed budget cuts that would effectively eliminate the agency by 2026, prompting the NEA to cancel many of its 2025 grants. A collective of U.S. Regional Arts Organizations issued a joint statement urging Congress to restore grant funding and maintain bipartisan support for the NEA. The cancellations also affect humanities councils in 56 states and jurisdictions, which expected about $65 million from the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) out of its $210 million annual budget. Three humanities organizations are currently suing the NEH and the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) over the dismantling.

Total Museum's 'Somebody Has to Collect It' examines collecting as a responsibility

The Total Museum of Contemporary Art in Seoul has opened "Somebody Has to Collect It," an exhibition featuring works from the collection of French art collectors Catherine and Renato Casciani. Running from April 30 to May 31, the show marks the couple's first major presentation in Korea and inaugurates the museum's new "Collector/tion" project, which reframes collectors not as buyers but as actors at the intersection of capital, memory, and value-making. The exhibition includes 22 artists and collectives, with a focus on video art addressing themes such as precarious labor, state violence, colonial inheritance, climate crisis, and queer intimacy. It is also an official program of the 140th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Korea and France.

Media Artist Transforms Climate, AI Data into Immersive Art

Media artist Kang Lee-Yeon delivered an immersive lecture at the TED 2026 main stage in Vancouver, using a 30-meter screen to visualize climate change and AI data. She then opened her solo exhibition 'Illumination' at Fondation Fiminco in Paris for the 140th anniversary of Korea-France relations, while also debuting works at Milan Design Week and the Loop Plus media art fair in Busan. Her projects include 'Passage of Water', created with Google and NASA, which translates satellite data into an immersive experience about Earth's freshwater crisis.

Meriem Bennani, the artist who went viral during the pandemic

Meriem Bennani, a New York-based artist known for her shape-shifting practice of videos, installations, and immersive environments, gained viral fame during the COVID-19 lockdown in March 2020. She co-created the animated series '2 Lizards' with fellow artist Orian Barki, which depicted surreal, humorous conversations between anthropomorphic reptiles navigating the first weeks of the pandemic in New York City. The series, posted on Instagram, resonated widely and led to eight episodes. Bennani's broader work, including 'Life on the CAPS' (2018–2022) and 'Mission Teens' (2019), blends digital animation, live-action footage, and cultural critique, often exploring themes of diaspora, post-colonialism, and migration through dystopian, supernatural narratives.

Major world -class exhibition launches in Skipton this weekend

The Aesthetica Art Prize is launching a major touring exhibition across four venues in North Yorkshire, starting in Skipton Town Hall this weekend. The exhibition, celebrating the prize's 20th anniversary, features works by 50 contemporary artists, including environmental artist Steve Messam, and is split into four thematic parts across different galleries until September.

LETTER | Wires crossed on art museum crisis

A local resident has criticized the Nelson Mandela Bay municipality and local media for their delayed response to the deteriorating state of the historic NMB Metropolitan Art Museum. The critique highlights significant factual errors in recent reporting regarding the museum's history, specifically correcting the timeline of its construction phases which date back to 1927, rather than the 70-year history recently cited by officials.

Art museum paints a picture of despair

The Nelson Mandela Metropolitan Art Museum in Gqeberha is facing a catastrophic institutional collapse due to years of municipal neglect and a 64% staff vacancy rate. A recent report reveals that the museum’s priceless collection—which includes works by George Pemba, Gladys Mgudlandlu, and LS Lowry—is being threatened by leaking roofs, spreading mold, and failing fire and security systems. While the galleries have been closed to the public for over a year, the facility currently lacks a qualified conservator to address the mounting damage to its historical and contemporary holdings.

Must-See Museum Exhibits in New Orleans This April

New Orleans is set to host several major museum exhibitions this April, highlighting the city's deep artistic roots alongside its famous festival season. Key highlights include "I Am the Face" at the Ogden Museum of Southern Art, which explores the evolution of Southern photographic portraiture from the early 20th century to today, and a significant retrospective of Louisiana native Robert Gordy at the New Orleans Museum of Art.

London National Gallery’s deficit bombshell, Simon Schama on birds and art, Vilhelm Hammershøi—podcast

The National Gallery in London has announced unexpected and significant budget cuts, including potential staff reductions, due to a projected deficit of £8.2 million for the upcoming year. This financial crisis comes as a surprise following the recent completion of a major building project and the announcement of another ambitious expansion planned for the 2030s.

Two Museum Exhibitions Reframe Amazon Civilizations

Two museum exhibitions, one at Americas Society in New York and another at the Musée du quai Branly – Jacques Chirac in Paris, are reframing perceptions of Amazon civilizations by centering the artistic and cultural traditions of the region's Indigenous peoples. The New York show, "Amazonia Açu" (on view through April 18, 2026), features works by artists including Sara Flores, Sheroanawe Hakihiiwe, PV Dias, and the film collective Colectivo Tawna, blending mediums and challenging Western distinctions between art and craft. The Paris exhibition, "Amazônia – Indigenous Creations and Futures" (through January 18), presents the Amazon as a culturally rich, inhabited ecosystem rather than a pristine wilderness.

Iranian galleries close amid protests and communications blackout

Iranian galleries have closed or altered their hours as nationwide protests, sparked by economic turmoil and a crashing currency, escalated into violent unrest. The protests began on 28 December among bazaar traders and spread to artists and gallerists, with many shutting their doors or canceling exhibitions, some under public pressure. A government-imposed internet and communications blackout on 8 January has severely limited information, though one gallerist speaking anonymously described the closures as a unified act of solidarity across society, not merely a response to safety concerns. The gallerist noted that the economy is in its worst condition, with basic necessities unaffordable and even bubble-wrap prices fluctuating wildly. Another gallery founder confirmed that all projects are on hold, and staging exhibitions risks public backlash. Instagram account Galleryinfo.ir faced online criticism for promoting exhibitions during the crisis, while Bavan Gallery reversed its initial stance of "resilience is an art form" and announced it would hold no exhibitions.

Humid Traces

Humid Traces, curated by Federico Pérez Villoro, is an exhibition at an unnamed New York venue that examines how bodies of water are weaponized as borders amid climate change and extreme weather. The show features international artists—including Dele Adeyemo, Natalia Lassalle-Morillo, Zishaan A Latif, Caio Reisewitz, Susan Schuppli, Marisa Srijunpleang, Studio Folder, and Leonel Vásquez—whose works in installation, sound, photography, video, and data visualization reveal the violent effects of migration-control technologies and water's material memory.

Storied media arts centre launches emergency fundraising appeal to avoid closure

Vivo Media Arts Centre, a storied media arts centre in Vancouver, has launched an emergency fundraising appeal to avoid closure after five decades of operation. The centre faces a 30% rent increase imposed by the city of Vancouver, which consumes all of its operating revenue from the city, leaving nothing for staff or programming. It has raised nearly C$9,500 of the C$50,000 needed by the end of the year to sustain operations through early 2026.

Superchief, Beloved LA Arts Hub, Fights to Stay Open

Superchief Gallery, a longtime hub for LA’s underground art and photography scene, is fighting to stay open amid mounting financial challenges. Founder Bill Dunleavy is exploring alternative revenue models like crowdfunding to save the space, which has operated since 2014 in downtown LA and later moved to a 10,000-square-foot warehouse in South LA. The gallery has faced setbacks including a fire in 2020 and declining art sales and corporate sponsorships, despite its popularity for anti-elitist, community-focused programming.

A tome accompanying the Lahore Biennale is a celebration of authenticity

The second Lahore Biennale took place in early 2020 across Lahore, Pakistan, with installations at historic sites such as the Badshahi Mosque, Lahore Fort, Tollinton Market, and Bradlaugh Hall. Artists like Barbara Walker and the Pak Khawateen Painting Club presented works addressing colonial erasure, sexuality in an Islamic Republic, and water scarcity. Skira has published the "Lahore Biennale 02 Reader," edited by Sheikha Hoor al Qasimi and Iftikhar Dadi, which compiles essays and reflections from the biennial's academic forum, including contributions from the Ajam Media Collective and anthropologist Seema Golestaneh on Sufism and state power in Iran and Pakistan.

As an Emily Kam Kngwarray survey opens at Tate Modern this week, contemporary Indigenous artists are finally taking centre stage in the UK

Tate Modern opens its first major exhibition of Indigenous Australian artist Emily Kam Kngwarray (c. 1914–96), featuring over 70 works including early batiks and vast late-career paintings. The show, adapted from a presentation at the National Gallery of Australia, is co-curated by Hetti Perkins and Kelli Cole, who emphasize presenting Kngwarray's work within its Anmatyerr cultural context rather than through a Western abstraction lens. Concurrently, London's Camden Art Centre hosts an exhibition of Duane Linklater and his family, and a Manchester show features Santiago Yahuarcani, signaling a broader UK focus on contemporary Indigenous artists.

From Africa to the Arctic Circle, this public artwork is stampeding into cities with a cry for climate action

A mobile public artwork called *The Herds* is traveling from the Congo Basin through Africa, Europe, and up to the Arctic Circle, featuring life-sized animal sculptures made from recyclable materials. The project began in April in Kinshasa and will pass through eighteen cities including Lagos, Marrakech, Madrid, London, and Copenhagen, culminating in Trondheim, Norway on July 30. Created by South Africa-based artists and led by artistic director Amir Nizar Zuabi, the herd grows as local species are added in each region, engaging communities through parades, performances, and workshops.

After the Heists: Securing Museums Without Closing Them Off

Museums worldwide are grappling with the escalating need for heightened security measures following a series of high-profile thefts, including a recent bold robbery at the Louvre. Institutions are forced to re-evaluate their surveillance protocols and physical barriers to protect priceless cultural heritage from increasingly sophisticated criminal tactics.

In Seine-Saint-Denis, the clever housing for migrants by architect Patrick Rubin

En Seine-Saint-Denis, les logements futés pour les migrants de l’architecte Patrick Rubin

Architect Patrick Rubin of the firm Canal has transformed the former National Road Information Center, known as Bison Futé, in Rosny-sous-Bois (Seine-Saint-Denis) into a housing complex for 169 migrants. The project, commissioned by social landlord Batigere Habitats Solidaires, preserves the original 1986 half-moon building by Ludwik Peretz and Gilbert Delecourt, adding a new floor and a rear half-crown structure. Rubin used 79 prefabricated modules (17–25 m² each), built in workshops near Lyon, each equipped with a bed, kitchenette, bathroom, and window. Inspired by ship cabin manufacturing in Dunkirk and traditions of tiny houses and capsule hotels by Charlotte Perriand, Herman Hertzberger, and Shigeru Ban, the modules were craned into place. The project faced delays due to differing tolerances between concrete and wood construction, pushing delivery from early 2026 to late 2026.

Seattle Art Museum Workers Announce Unionization

More than one hundred employees at the Seattle Art Museum (SAM) announced their intent to unionize on May 13, delivering a letter to museum director and CEO Scott Stulen. Organizing as Seattle Art Museum Workers United (SAMWU) under the Washington Federation of State Employees/AFSCME Council 28, the staff—spanning over twenty departments—cited unsustainable wages, subpar health benefits, and top-down decision-making as key issues. They filed for an election with the National Labor Relations Board but will withdraw the petition if the museum voluntarily recognizes the union by May 27. Stulen acknowledged receipt of the letter and committed to good-faith negotiations.

Antony Gormley and Brian Eno donate works to auction for Gaza health workers

A coalition called Health Workers 4 Palestine has organized an art auction, Seeds of Solidarity, to support medical professionals in Gaza. Taking place on 1 February at the Savoy hotel in London, the auction features works donated by 21 visual artists including Antony Gormley, Brian Eno, Mona Hatoum, Lisa Brice, Caroline Walker, and Hassan Hajjaj. Proceeds will benefit the Gaza Medics Solidarity Fund, which provides stipends to doctors, supports mobile clinics, and helps reconstruct maternity wards in the enclave. The sale is curated by Zayna Al-Saleh, known for her Voices of Palestine auctions that have raised over $1.4 million.