Rachida Dati Resigns as French Minister of Culture to Run for Mayor of Paris

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Rachida Dati has announced her resignation as France’s Minister of Culture to launch a bid for the Mayor of Paris in the upcoming March elections. Appointed in 2024 under President Emmanuel Macron, Dati’s tenure was marked by controversy and criticism from outlets like Le Monde, which characterized her term as a series of publicity stunts that failed to address critical reforms in public broadcasting and institutional issues at the Louvre.

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Artnet News senior reporter and columnist Katya Kazakina has won the Newswomen’s Club of New York’s 2025 Front Page Award for specialized reporting in arts and entertainment for the second consecutive year. The award recognizes her July story “Keeping Up With the Clients: The Art World Lifestyle Can Be Dangerously Alluring,” which investigated how dealers and advisors overextend themselves financially and legally to maintain social ties with wealthy patrons. The piece grew out of her earlier scoop on dueling lawsuits between ultra-high-end art advisors Barbara Guggenheim and Abigail Asher.

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The Imperial War Museum (IWM) in London has permanently closed its long-running Victoria Cross gallery, which housed over 200 medals loaned by Lord Ashcroft since 2010. The closure, which occurred in June 2025, coincided with the launch of a new virtual tour titled "Refracted Histories: Exploring LGBTQ+ Stories in Times of Conflict." Lord Ashcroft, a Conservative peer and donor who contributed £5 million to establish the original gallery, criticized the museum for sidelining military gallantry in favor of contemporary themes, claiming he was not informed in advance of the decision.

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The Louvre Museum in Paris was forced to close on Monday after approximately 400 employees went on strike to protest deteriorating working conditions. The strike, organized by unions CGT, CFDT, and Sud, blocked the museum's iconic pyramid entrance. Workers cited a brazen $102 million theft of French crown jewels in October 2025 as evidence of deep operational dysfunction, and they accused management of failing to address longstanding security and staffing issues. The closure follows a turbulent year that included a leaked memo from director Laurence des Cars warning of water leaks and overcrowding, a wildcat strike in June, and the closure of the Sully wing due to structural weaknesses.

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The Guggenheim Museum has announced a new biennial art prize, the Jack Galef Visual Arts Award, endowed by the estate of Jack Galef with a $50,000 honorarium. The first recipient is Catherine Telford Keogh, a sculptor whose work explores found materials, environmental contamination, and the global economy. Keogh plans to use the award to support projects examining microbial life in Brooklyn's Gowanus Canal and a solo exhibition in Portland tracing the history of instruments that regulate eating.

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The New-York Historical Society has announced a major gift from H.M. Agnes Hsu-Tang and Oscar L. Tang to fund its new Tang Wing for American Democracy, a $175 million expansion set to open in 2026. The 80,000-square-foot wing, designed by Robert A.M. Stern, will add exhibition and classroom space, and will house the American LGBTQ+ Museum on its top floor. Alongside the announcement, the institution is rebranding as the New York Historical, dropping both the hyphen and the word 'Society' to signal a more inclusive identity.

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The Museum of Fine Arts (MSK) in Ghent has refused to return Gaspar de Craye's Nazi-looted *Portrait of Bishop Triest* to the heirs of its original owner, Samuel Hartveld. An independent commission found the painting was sold under duress after the German occupation of Belgium in 1940, but concluded that Hartveld and his family were later financially compensated by the city, leading MSK to retain the work. Jewish groups EJA and JID are contesting the decision, arguing that international principles mandate restitution regardless of compensation.

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Former U.K. Prime Minister Liz Truss and right-wing group Great British Pac have sent a letter to current Prime Minister Keir Starmer, Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy, and British Museum trustees, threatening legal action against an alleged "covert" deal to return the Parthenon Marbles to Greece. The letter, signed by 34 individuals including historian David Starkey, claims the British Museum is engaged in an "accelerating campaign" to remove the sculptures and warns of seeking an injunction to halt negotiations. The British Museum confirmed receipt of the letter but stated that discussions with Greece about a Parthenon partnership are "ongoing and constructive."

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MIT mechanical engineering student Alex Kachkine has developed a new AI technique that could dramatically speed up the restoration of aged or damaged paintings. The method uses a high-resolution scan of the artwork, an AI algorithm to identify cracks and missing patches, and a digitally printed polymer film—called a "digital mask"—that is overlaid onto the painting and sealed with varnish. The mask can be removed without trace using conservators' solvents. Kachkine tested the process on a 15th-century oil-on-panel painting by the Master of the Prado Adoration of the Magi, where the AI identified 5,612 damaged sections and the restoration took just 3.5 hours—66 times faster than conventional hand inpainting.

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An illuminated manuscript from 1505, *The Primer of Claude of France*, has had its original nude depictions of Adam and Eve digitally restored after a former owner crudely painted clothing over them. The restoration was achieved using an algorithm developed by Cambridge University's Department of Applied Mathematics and Theoretical Physics, which stripped away the overpaint without damaging the original page. The manuscript is currently on display at the Fitzwilliam Museum in Cambridge, England, as part of the exhibition “Colour: The Art and Science of Illuminated Manuscripts.”

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A shooting outside the Capital Jewish Museum in Washington, D.C., on Wednesday night killed two Israeli embassy staff members, Yaron Lischinsky and Sarah Milgrim, in what authorities have called an antisemitic attack. The gunman, Elias Rodriguez of Chicago, opened fire as the victims exited a diplomatic event hosted by the American Jewish Committee, then entered the museum where he was detained by security. Police reported that Rodriguez shouted “free, free Palestine” after being taken into custody. The museum expressed heartbreak and condemned the violence, while the Israeli embassy mourned the loss of the couple, who were engaged to be married.

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New York's Spring Break Art Show has returned to its namesake season, opening alongside Frieze New York after abruptly canceling its Los Angeles edition due to January's devastating fires. Founded by artist duo Andrew Gori and Ambre Kelly, the fair is now held in a former book printing office on Varick Street, featuring offbeat emerging art and boundary-pushing installations. Roughly a third of the presentations were already planned under the theme "Paradise Lost and Found," but the accelerated timeline led to last-minute additions, with some artists joining just the night before. Standout works include Louis Sarowsky's carved stone food sculptures, Kate Rusek's zero-waste porcelain pieces molded from trash, and Colin J. Radcliffe's ceramic sculptures reimagining queer figures in classical iconography.

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The inaugural Aral Culture Summit (ACS) took place in Nukus, Uzbekistan, organized by the Uzbekistan Art and Culture Development Foundation (ACDF). The summit brought together around 500 attendees to explore how arts, cultural heritage, and design can support environmental regeneration in the Aral Sea region, which has suffered catastrophic ecological collapse due to Soviet-era river diversions for cotton farming. Speakers included Ivana Živković of the UNDP, Elena Kan of KIVA Center for Agroinnovations, Kazakh biodesigner Dana Molzhigit, and Belgian landscape architect Bas Smets, who discussed afforestation, climate resilience, traditional knowledge, and microclimate design.

He’s behind you! The best of Photo London – in pictures

Photo London, the UK's leading photography fair, launches its 11th edition at a new venue, Olympia in Kensington, London, running from 13–17 May 2026. The fair features a diverse array of exhibitors, including debutants like Agony and Ecstasy gallery, which showcases nostalgic works of Ibiza by Oriol Maspons and Walter Rudolph, and Hackney-based Guest Editions, presenting Laura McCluskey and Thomas Duffield. A new 'Focus' section highlights galleries from Latin America and Central and Eastern Europe, such as Ungallery (Argentina) and Galeria Monopol (Poland). Notable presentations include vintage prints by Japanese master Daido Moriyama at Akio Nagasawa Gallery, and Ketaki Sheth's series 'Twinspotting' at Photoink, which pairs Patel twins in the UK with those in India.

GEORGE FEBRES: TRADUCCIÓN, IRONÍA Y LIBERACIÓN. UN ARTISTA ECUATORIANO EN LA DIÁSPORA

George Febres (Guayaquil, 1943 – New Orleans, 1996) was an Ecuadorian artist whose work blended pop art, neo-surrealism, and Southern U.S. culture, shaped by his experience as a migrant and queer individual. The article traces his life from a privileged but unstable childhood in Ecuador to his migration to the United States, where he was drafted during the Vietnam War and eventually settled in New Orleans. Febres used bilingualism and ironic appropriation of tropical imagery to create a hybrid, irreverent body of work that challenges the official historiography of Ecuadorian art.

LA LECHUZA DE MINERVA

The Círculo de Bellas Artes in Madrid, founded in 1926 by a small group of artists, has launched a centenary exhibition titled "La lechuza de Minerva" (The Owl of Minerva). Curated by Isabella Lenzi, the project revisits the institution's most disruptive exhibition, "El sueño imperativo" (1991), curated by Mar Villaespesa, which invited twelve artists to intervene in both exhibition spaces and transit areas, challenging traditional display logic. The new exhibition features works by artists including Dagoberto Rodríguez, Elo Vega, Rogelio López Cuenca, Isidoro Valcárcel Medina, Itziar Okariz, Los Carpinteros, María Salgado, Pedro G. Romero, Regina Silveira, Silbatriz Pons, and Tino Sehgal, who activate hidden and unexpected corners of the building through visual and sound actions. The project also restores Nancy Spero's 1991 intervention "Minerva, Sky Goddess," which had largely disappeared, through archaeological research led by restorer Rocío Casasus.

CARTIER FOUNDATION. A THIN LINE BETWEEN EXTRACTIVISM AND CULTURAL RECLAMATION

FUNDACIÓN CARTIER. UNA DELGADA LÍNEA ENTRE EXTRACTIVISMO Y REIVINDICACIÓN CULTURAL

The Cartier Foundation inaugurated its new Paris headquarters on October 25 with the exhibition "Exposition Générale." The curatorial approach and, most notably, the labyrinthine architectural design by Jean Nouvel have drawn criticism from the specialized press, described as disappointing and patchwork. The new space, a dense black cube in central Paris, represents a radical departure from the foundation's previous luminous, glass-walled hall, forcing a complete rethinking of how to present its 40-year collection.

Lévy Gorvy Dayan Recreates the Dazzle of 1980s New York

Lévy Gorvy Dayan has opened "Downtown/Uptown: New York in the Eighties," a sweeping survey staged at its Beaux-Arts townhouse on East 64th Street. Organized in collaboration with legendary dealer Mary Boone, the exhibition brings together a stellar roster of artists whose careers defined the decade, including neo-expressionists like Keith Haring, Jean-Michel Basquiat, and Julian Schnabel, as well as appropriation and conceptual artists such as Cindy Sherman, Barbara Kruger, Andy Warhol, and Jeff Koons. The show explores the era's dual currents—raw painterly energy versus critical media interrogation—while acknowledging the AIDS epidemic, Reagan-era excess, and the rise of the art star. Immersive staging, a custom disco soundtrack, and works spanning multiple floors evoke the decade's theatricality and volatility.

The Best Art Exhibitions To Visit In Hong Kong This July

This article highlights three must-see art exhibitions in Hong Kong for July 2025. At Alisan Fine Arts, local artist Cherie Cheuk presents her first solo show, 'A Wrinkle In Time,' blending traditional Chinese ink painting with pop culture motifs like Super Mario and Pac-Man. At Villepin, 'Worlds Within' unites works by four migrant-influenced artists, including a debut Hong Kong showcase for Spanish-Filipino modernist Fernando Zóbel and a record-breaking painting by Lê Phổ. Ben Brown Fine Arts hosts 'Wish You Were Here,' a group show curated by Jie Xia featuring artists such as Gerhard Richter and Hilary Pecis, exploring themes of travel, paradise, and nostalgia.

A New Show Explores the Cutting-Edge Designs of Fashion’s Mad Scientist, Iris van Herpen

Iris van Herpen's mid-career retrospective "Iris van Herpen: Sculpting the Senses" has opened at the Brooklyn Museum, marking the designer's first major museum presentation in the United States. Originally mounted at the Musée des Arts Décoratifs in Paris in 2023, the exhibition features over 140 haute couture looks alongside artworks, design objects, fossils, videos, and natural specimens. The show begins with a water-themed section and includes garments made from materials such as glass bubbles, bioluminescent algae, and 3D-printed polyamide, exploring themes of skeletal structures, primordial fear, and cosmic movements. A centerpiece room, the Atelier, displays swatches, prototypes, and experimental materials, highlighting van Herpen's scientific approach to fashion design.

How Does an Art Fair Stand Apart? TEFAF NY Has an Answer.

TEFAF New York returns to the Park Avenue Armory from May 15-19, featuring 88 dealers and galleries from 14 countries across four continents. The fair distinguishes itself from competitors like Frieze, NADA, and Independent by offering an unusually broad range of works—from Modernist paintings and contemporary sculpture to ancient artifacts, fine jewelry, and design. Notable exhibitors include Gagosian showing Kathleen Ryan’s bejeweled fruit sculptures, Thaddaeus Ropac presenting newcomer Eva Helene Pade, and Belgian dealer David Lévy pairing Keith Haring with Willem de Kooning. Design is a particular highlight this year, with galleries such as Sarah Myerscough, Gomide&Co, and Modernity Stockholm showcasing everything from Shaker-inspired chairs to Brazilian modernist furniture and Scandinavian classics.

Venice’s Chicest Invite This Week? A Pizza Party Where the Artists Chose the Ingredients

Diana Campbell, Chomwan Weeraworawit, and Paris-based art advisors Samy Ghiyati and Nicolas Nahab of NG Partners organized a pizza party called Pizzalo Mundo during the Venice Biennale. Each artist contributed an ingredient from home: Rirkrit Tiravanija brought a Penang coconut base, Precious Okoyomon added flowers, Daria Kim wild honey, Tarek Atoui za'atar on hummus, Miet Warlop artichoke hearts, Tori Wrånes self-grown potatoes, and Alexa Kumiko Hatanaka fig leaf oil with yuzu salt. The event drew a crowd of curators, directors, and collectors from institutions including Tate, Musée d'Orsay, Guggenheim Abu Dhabi, MoMA, and Centre Pompidou.

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Alex Da Corte, known for his dreamlike installations such as the Big Bird piece on the Met's roof, is taking on a new role as curator. He is co-organizing the Whitney Museum's upcoming Roy Lichtenstein exhibition with Meg Onli, the largest Lichtenstein show in New York since 1993. In a Q&A for Cultured's 2026 CULT100 honorees, Da Corte discusses his influences, including poet Miyó Vestrini and filmmakers Len Lye and Todd Haynes, and reflects on his six-year preparation for the show.

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Philanthropist Sonya Yu made headlines in December by funding universal admission to MoMA PS1, making the Queens institution the largest free museum in New York. Based on the West Coast, she serves on the boards of SFMOMA and the Hammer Museum. In this interview, Yu discusses her influences, her views on the art industry, and her personal philosophy, touching on topics like stagnation, curiosity, and the importance of world-building over algorithm-chasing.

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Tschabalala Self, the Harlem-born artist known for vibrant paintings and sculptures of everyday life, discusses her upcoming public commission "Lady in Blue" for the Fourth Plinth in London's Trafalgar Square. In an interview with Cultured, she reflects on her childhood, her love of storytelling, and her recent move to upstate New York, while also citing influences like Oliver Stone and Quentin Tarantino.

parties whitney art party artists downtown

The Whitney Museum of American Art hosted its sold-out 2026 Art Party, a fundraiser organized by the Whitney Contemporaries and co-chaired by comedian Ego Nwodim, artists Martine Gutierrez and Emma Safir, patrons Steven Beltrani and Alexander Hankin, and stylist Micaela Erlanger. The event transformed the museum's ground floor into a dance floor with DJ sets by the Dare and artist Raúl de Nieves, attracting a crowd that included First Lady of New York Rama Duwaji, Martha Stewart, artists Sasha Gordon and Frank WANG Yefeng, and curators Chrissie Iles and Christiane Paul.

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Cindy Sherman is reviving her annual holiday party after a five-year hiatus, introducing a new line of kitschy Christmas cards featuring five works created with face-tuning A.I. algorithms that distort her face in a Picasso-esque style. The cards are part of the newly founded Cindy Sherman Legacy Project, curated by Lumi Tan, and all proceeds will benefit Transanta, a trans-led mutual aid project supporting unhoused or unsupported trans youth, founded by Chase Strangio, Indya Moore, and Kyle Lasky. The cards are available through Sherman's website, Hauser & Wirth's New York bookstore, and a launch party on Dec. 9 at Jean's in New York.

design fashion black bourgeois aesthetic rob franklin

The article is a personal essay by a writer reflecting on the play "Purpose" and its depiction of a Black political family's home, which triggers memories of his own childhood in the Morehouse College president's residence. He observes a recent surge in popular culture's portrayal of Black bourgeois aesthetics, citing examples like the Met Gala exhibition "Superfine: Tailoring Black Style," Ralph Lauren's Oak Bluffs collection, and the HBO series "And Just Like That…" with its focus on the Todd Wexley family's art-filled apartment.

paul leong ugly painting young collectors

Paul Leong, a Hawaii-born finance executive and co-chair of Friends at the Foundation for Contemporary Arts, discusses his provocative art collection in an interview with Cultured. Leong favors challenging, conceptual works that he describes as "ugly painting," including pieces by Merlin Carpenter, Jana Euler, Matt Browning, Claire Fontaine, Michael E. Smith, Rayan Yasmineh, and Stefan Tcherepnin. He credits art advisor Thea Westreich with teaching him to prioritize meaning over appearance, and recounts the hard-won acquisition of a Jana Euler work from a 2020 show at Artists Space in New York after persistent engagement with her galleries.

moca gala art performance party

The Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles (MOCA) held its annual gala, presented by BVLGARI, at the Geffen Contemporary space in Little Tokyo. The evening introduced a new format called MOCA Legends, honoring artist Theaster Gates, architect Frank Gehry, and philanthropist Wendy Schmidt. Guests included actors Jane Fonda, David Alan Grier, Sarah Paulson, director Ava DuVernay, and artists Andrea Bowers, Charles Gaines, Henry Taylor, and Olafur Eliasson, whose exhibition OPEN was on view. After a performance by the TAIKOPROJECT Japanese drum ensemble, House Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi surprised attendees by introducing Gehry. Rapper Tierra Whack performed during dinner, and the event raised $3.1 million for museum operations.