Art News. Vasari Codex

article news schedule May 7, 2026 visibility 22 link 21 artists, 1 gallery

A Venice Biennale in Protest

Hundreds of protesters, led by the Art Not Genocide Alliance, blocked the entrance to the Israeli pavilion at the Venice Biennale on May 6, waving Palestinian flags and accusing Israel of operating a "genocide pavilion." Activists from Pussy Riot and FEMEN also staged a pink smoke-filled protest against Russia's participation. Meanwhile, the Biennale jury suddenly resigned, and Israeli pavilion artist Belu-Simion Fainaru made legal threats against the Biennale alleging antisemitism and discrimination. The article also covers exhibitions in Upstate New York, a tribute to Beat Generation icon Jack Kerouac, and obituaries for performance art champion Steven Durland, artist Georg Baselitz, cartoonist Nicole Hollander, and arts patron Doris Fisher.

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article news schedule May 6, 2026 visibility 24 link 17 artists, 1 gallery

Art Workers Plan Venice Biennale Strike

Cultural workers, labor unions, and grassroots groups are planning a strike at the Venice Biennale on Friday, May 8, organized by the Art Not Genocide Alliance and others. The action, described as the first organized strike within the Biennale, aims to protest Israel's inclusion in the event, with participants withholding their labor and calling to "shut down the genocide pavilion." The article also covers other art news, including exhibitions in Los Angeles, a profile of nonagenarian artist Mohammad Omer Khalil, and memes about the Met Gala.

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candle obituary schedule Apr 29, 2026 visibility 31 link 17 artists, 1 gallery

Remembering Raghu Rai, Jack Thornell, and Jarvis Rockwell

Hyperallergic's weekly 'In Memoriam' column honors eight recently deceased figures from the art world, including Indian photojournalist Raghu Rai (1942–2026), Argentine abstract painter Ides Kihlen (1917–2026), Israeli painter and activist Yair Garbuz (1945–2026), British photographer Mark Gerson (1921–2026), Japanese art collector Kurt Gitter (1937–2026), Danish antiquities dealer Ittai Gradel (1965–2026), indigo textile artist Leigh Magar (1968–2026), and Kenyan muralist Patrick Mukabi (1967–2026). Each entry summarizes their life, career highlights, and contributions to visual art and photography.

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article news schedule Apr 6, 2026 visibility 33 link 6 artists, 1 gallery

Art and Springtime in Upstate NY

This regional update highlights a diverse array of developments, ranging from the seasonal art circuit in Upstate New York to significant human rights actions. Lebanese artist Ali Cherri, a former Venice Biennale Silver Lion winner, has filed a formal war crimes complaint against Israel following a strike in Beirut that killed his parents. Simultaneously, a new report reveals systemic staffing crises within POC-led arts organizations in the Northeast, where over a third of institutions operate without a single full-time employee.

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article news schedule May 8, 2026 source 2 sources visibility 18 link 10 artists

The week around the world in 20 pictures

This photo essay from The Guardian presents 20 images capturing global events from the past week, including a protest by Femen and Pussy Riot activists against Russia's participation at the Venice Biennale art show, Israeli strikes in Gaza, the hantavirus outbreak, and Emma Chamberlain at the Met Gala. Other images document the war in Ukraine, with scenes of Russian military rehearsals in Moscow, damaged monuments, and drone strike aftermath, as well as a political protest in Nashville where Democratic state representative Justin J Pearson was removed from the house gallery during a redistricting protest.

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article news schedule Sep 19, 2025 visibility 25 link 14 artists, 3 galleries

The Art World This Week, 19 September 2025

Ocula's weekly briefing reports strong sales at viennacontemporary with 15,000 visitors and six-figure results for Galerie Zimmermann Kratochwill. Sotheby's announced $248 million in pre-tax losses for 2024 but achieved $100 million from the Karpidas collection sale and consigned the Pritzker and Lauder collections for November. Haegue Yang was appointed chair of the executive board at Kunst-Werke Berlin. Yemen's National Museum in Sanaa was damaged by Israeli airstrikes. Gallerist Sebastian Gladstone opened a new Los Angeles space, while L.A. Louver closed its Venice Beach gallery after 50 years. Taymour Grahne Projects opened in Dubai. Samia Halaby won the MUNCH Award, Jennifer Packer and Marie Watt received Heinz Family Foundation awards, and the Henry Moore Foundation distributed £100,000 to UK sculptors.

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museum exhibitions schedule May 11, 2026 visibility 14 link 2 artists

Delayed by War in Iran, Paul Klee Painting from Israel Finally Joins New York Show

A long-delayed loan of Paul Klee's painting *Angelus Novus* (1920) has finally arrived at the Jewish Museum in New York, completing the exhibition "Paul Klee: Other Possible Worlds." The work, on loan from the Israel Museum in Jerusalem, was stuck in Israel due to the ongoing war in Iran, which began with joint US-Israeli bombardments on February 28. Until its arrival, the painting was represented by an authorized facsimile with a note citing transport delays. The exhibition, which opened March 20, focuses on Klee's final decade and runs through July 26.

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article news schedule May 11, 2026 visibility 16 link 13 artists

More than 70 Venice Biennale artists withdraw from awards

More than 70 artists participating in the 2025 Venice Biennale have withdrawn from consideration for the Golden Lion awards, which this year will be decided by public vote. The artists, including Walid Raad, Laurie Anderson, and Yto Barrada, signed a statement published on e-flux on May 9, withdrawing in solidarity with the entire prize jury that resigned last month over a dispute regarding the participation of Israel and Russia. The Biennale management replaced the traditional jury-selected awards with a new "Visitor Lion" system where ticket holders can vote, but the Biennale has acknowledged that if any of the withdrawing artists win, they will not collect the award.

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museum exhibitions schedule May 8, 2026 visibility 21 link 13 artists

Venice Biennale Special 2026—podcast

This episode of The Art Newspaper's podcast is a Venice Biennale special, covering the opening week of the 2026 edition. Host Ben Luke, along with Louisa Buck and Jane Morris, reviews the main exhibition "In Minor Keys," curated by the late Koyo Kouoh and realized by five collaborators. The podcast features interviews with artists Gabrielle Goliath, whose work for the South African pavilion was cancelled and is instead staged in a Venice church, and Lubaina Himid, showing in the British pavilion. It also includes conversations with writer Saidiya Hartman and Daniella Kaliada of Belarus Free Theatre about their collateral projects. The episode concludes with a focus on two restored Tintoretto paintings at the Basilica of San Giorgio Maggiore, funded by Save Venice.

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trending_up market schedule Apr 21, 2026 visibility 24 link 1 artist, 2 galleries

The Iran War Is Already Tanking Luxury Sales in the Gulf—Could Art Be Next?

Escalating military conflict between the US, Israel, and Iran, which has included strikes on Gulf states, is disrupting the region's burgeoning art market. Major events like Art Dubai have been postponed and scaled back significantly due to exhibitor withdrawals, and planned fairs like Frieze Abu Dhabi face uncertainty. The instability has also caused a sharp spike in shipping and insurance costs for artworks moving through the region.

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article policy schedule Mar 25, 2026 visibility 18 link 4 artists

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The Venice Biennale is facing intense international backlash following its decision to allow Russia to return for the 2026 edition after a hiatus caused by the invasion of Ukraine. High-ranking politicians from 22 European nations, along with thousands of artists and curators, have signed open letters condemning the move as a platform for state-directed cultural diplomacy and war-crime whitewashing. The Biennale has defended its stance by claiming a policy of non-censorship, asserting that it accepts any nation recognized by the Italian government.

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article policy schedule Mar 19, 2026 visibility 18 link 1 artist

British Museum did not remove Palestine from labels due to pressure campaign, museum sources say—as backlash continues

Over 200 cultural figures, including musician Brian Eno and writer Laleh Khalili, have signed an open letter condemning the British Museum for allegedly removing the word "Palestine" from labels in its Ancient Levant gallery. The letter, published in March, accuses the museum of historical revisionism and links the action to pressure from the advocacy group UK Lawyers for Israel, while also criticizing the museum's broader ties to Israel.

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person people schedule Mar 9, 2026 visibility 14 link 2 artists

art gallery of ontario julian cox departure 1234776349

Julian Cox, the deputy director and chief curator of the Art Gallery of Ontario (AGO), will step down from his position this April after an eight-year tenure. While the museum's official statement praised Cox for expanding the collection and establishing the Department of Global Africa & the Diaspora, it offered no specific reason for his departure, and Cox himself was not quoted in the announcement.

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article policy schedule Feb 16, 2026 visibility 13 link 1 artist

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The Museo Reina Sofía in Madrid is seeking an investigation after security officers removed three visitors displaying Stars of David and an Israeli flag from the museum. Video of the incident, published by a conservative Spanish outlet, went viral, showing officers stating other visitors were "bothered" by the symbols. The museum has stated it is investigating the actions of its security team.

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article news schedule Jan 26, 2026 visibility 17 link 2 artists

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A trustee at the Art Gallery of Ontario (AGO), Judy Schulich, advised the museum's acquisitions committee not to acquire a Nan Goldin video installation, *Stendhal Syndrome* (2024), due to Goldin's pro-Palestine statements and criticism of Israel's war in Gaza. The AGO had planned to purchase the work jointly with the Vancouver Art Gallery and the Walker Art Center, but the AGO withdrew after internal concerns were raised. The controversy led to the resignation of two committee members and one curator, and the museum promised a review of its acquisition process.

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article news schedule Jan 22, 2026 visibility 18 link 3 artists

art gallery of ontario nan goldin acquisition gaza comments 1234770493

The Art Gallery of Ontario (AGO) chose not to acquire Nan Goldin's 2024 video "Stendhal Syndrome" due to the artist's comments on Israel's war in Gaza, according to a report by the Globe and Mail. The work, which shows blurred images of semi-nude figures and sculptures, was instead purchased by the Vancouver Art Gallery and the Walker Art Center in Minneapolis. An AGO acquisitions committee voted against the acquisition, with internal memos citing Goldin's past statements—including her description of the war as a "genocide" and her criticism of weaponized antisemitism—as the reason. The decision led to the resignation of curator John Zeppetelli and two unnamed committee members, and prompted director Stephan Jost to call for a review of the committee's processes.

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article news schedule Jan 22, 2026 visibility 17 link 9 artists

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Nan Goldin used the opening of her retrospective “This Will Not End Well” at Berlin’s Neue Nationalgalerie to deliver a forceful 14-minute speech condemning the Israel-Gaza war and criticizing Germany’s censorship of pro-Palestinian voices. She called for a phone-free moment of silence for the dead in Palestine, Israel, and Lebanon, and framed her exhibition as a test case for artistic freedom. The event drew a large crowd, police presence, and was widely shared on social media by figures like Ai Weiwei and Wolfgang Tillmans.

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article policy schedule Jan 16, 2026 visibility 22 link 9 artists

collectors donate art england taxes degas bill brandt 1234770108

Arts Council England announced the results of the 2024-25 Cultural Gifts Scheme and Acceptance in Lieu initiatives, through which 32 artworks valued at nearly $80 million entered public collections. Highlights include Edgar Degas's pastel *Danseuses roses* (ca. 1897–1901) donated to the National Gallery, paintings by Max Liebermann and Max Pechstein given to the Ashmolean Museum, a historic desk used by Prime Ministers Benjamin Disraeli and Winston Churchill acquired by the National Trust, and 77 photographs by Bill Brandt donated to Tate. The report covers transfers from April 2024 to March 2025.

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article policy schedule Jan 10, 2026 visibility 19 link 7 artists

south africa cancels gabrielle goliath gaza venice biennale 1234769311

South Africa selected a work by artist Gabrielle Goliath for its Venice Biennale pavilion, then rescinded the decision on January 2, just eight days before the finalization deadline. The culture ministry, led by Minister Gayton McKenzie, objected to a section of Goliath's "Elegy" series that included words by Palestinian poet Hiba Abu Nada, who was killed in an Israeli airstrike in 2023. The pavilion's selection committee publicly disagreed with the cancellation, calling it censorship and highlighting a history of mismanagement.

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person people schedule Jan 5, 2026 visibility 18 link 1 artist

suzanne landau step down as director israel museum 1234768721

Suzanne Landau, 80, will step down as director of the Israel Museum in Jerusalem, having informed staff at the museum’s end-of-year party. She has served as director since September 2023, initially as acting director after Denis Weil resigned amid board disagreements. The museum’s search for a new CEO is in advanced stages, and Landau will assist during a transition period. Her tenure included the installation of Anselm Kiefer’s "Ages of the World" and a restructuring that saw Dganit Sanker-Lange appointed deputy director.

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article culture schedule Dec 8, 2025 visibility 13 link 9 artists

art bites facts holiday small talk 2711443

Artnet News offers a lighthearted holiday guide with seven art-historical conversation starters designed to deflect awkward family small talk. The article reveals quirky facts such as a secret apartment atop the Eiffel Tower, the Surrealists' party game 'Exquisite Corpse,' Leonardo da Vinci's role as a wedding planner for Milan's nobility, Marcel Duchamp paying his dentist with a fake check, and Frank Lloyd Wright inspiring Lincoln Logs.

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article news schedule Nov 17, 2025 visibility 14 link 4 artists

stolen banksy print recovered thief sentenced 2536351

A judge at London's Kingston Crown Court sentenced Larry Fraser to 13 months in jail for stealing a Banksy print of the iconic *Balloon Girl* image from Grove Gallery in September 2024. Fraser, who pleaded guilty, used a hammer to break a glass door and stole the print in 36 seconds, hoping to pay off a drug debt. The Metropolitan Police's Flying Squad recovered the artwork within days after Fraser and accomplice James Love stashed it on the Isle of Dogs. Love was acquitted by a jury, claiming he was unaware of the theft until after the fact.

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museum exhibitions schedule Oct 31, 2025 visibility 18 link 5 artists

canceled samia halaby exhibition recreated qatar 1234759416

Mathaf: Arab Museum of Modern Art in Qatar has mounted a presentation of seven works by Palestinian artist Samia Halaby that were originally slated for a canceled survey at Indiana University’s Eskenazi Museum of Art in December 2023. The university cited “safety reasons” for the cancellation, which Halaby criticized as occurring amid the massacre of Palestinians in Gaza. The works are displayed in the first gallery of the exhibition “we refuse_d,” curated by Vasif Kortun, which also includes pieces by other artists whose shows were canceled, such as Jumana Manna. Halaby’s paintings span 1980 to 2024 and include the previously unseen “Worldwide Intifadah” (1989) and “Massacre of the Innocents in Gaza” (2024).

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museum exhibitions schedule Sep 26, 2025 visibility 17 link 8 artists

lawrence abu hamdan munch museum exhibition golan heights 1234753861

Lawrence Abu Hamdan's exhibition "Zifzafa" has opened at the Munch Museum in Oslo, featuring a politically charged exploration of sound as both a celebration of life and a tool of displacement. The show centers on a forensic audio investigation into the impact of 31 wind turbines planned for the Israeli-occupied Syrian Golan Heights, or Jawlan. Key works include the video projection *Wind Ensemble* (2024) featuring saxophonist Amr Mdah, CGI animations *Tilting at windmills i, ii & iii* (2024), and the 45-minute film *Zifzafa: Livestream Audio Essay* (2025), which uses a video game walkthrough format to simulate the sonic pollution that will affect local homes—some as close as 115 feet from the turbines. The game incorporates field recordings by local composer Busher Kanj Abu Saleh and turbine noise from Germany, highlighting the sounds of daily life and resistance.

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article culture schedule Aug 6, 2025 visibility 16 link 11 artists

the right influential art historian victoria coates project esther 1234748703

The article profiles Victoria Coates, an art historian and former Trump administration official, who is leading 'Project Esther,' a conservative initiative aimed at taking over US higher education and targeting progressive organizations. Named after the biblical queen, the project accuses critics of Israel of anti-Semitism and seeks to dismantle what it describes as a 'terrorist support network.' Coates, who previously served as Deputy National Security Advisor and worked on Rumsfeld's memoirs, has a long history of attacking academia from within, including as an anonymous blogger behind 'Elephants in Academia.'

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article news schedule Jul 24, 2025 visibility 12 link 13 artists

berlin biennale evasive palestine paul klee angel histor 1234747787

The 13th Berlin Biennale opened amid controversy over its handling of the Gaza conflict. In a tense press conference, curator Zasha Colah faced questions about whether any invited artists had withdrawn in solidarity with the Strike Germany campaign, and whether she had experienced state repression for addressing the genocide in Gaza. Colah acknowledged one artist’s withdrawal but denied experiencing state repression, while the biennial’s title, “passing the fugitive on,” and its theme of “the fox” were criticized as evasive. The article describes the event as a case study in how German cultural institutions navigate political pressure and censorship.

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article news schedule Jul 10, 2025 visibility 11 link 1 artist

nan goldin israel gaza rencontres darles talk 1234747158

Photographer Nan Goldin publicly addressed Israel’s war in Gaza during a talk at the Rencontres d’Arles photography festival in France. She appeared on stage with novelist Édouard Louis, who read a statement about the conflict. An audience member shouted at Goldin, who responded by citing civilian death tolls and questioning whose lives matter. Goldin also criticized the conflation of anti-Zionism with antisemitism, calling it a weapon to silence critics of Israeli government actions.

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article news schedule Jul 2, 2025 visibility 16 link 4 artists

khaled sabsabi reinstated for venice biennale 1234746757

Creative Australia has reinstated Lebanese-born artist Khaled Sabsabi and curator Michael Dagostino as the representatives for Australia's pavilion at the 2026 Venice Biennale, following an independent review and months of public backlash. The pair were initially removed in February after a column in The Australian criticized Sabsabi's 2007 video installation "You," which includes manipulated footage of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah, accusing the artist and curator of favoring boycotts of Israel. The abrupt removal prompted resignations from senior Creative Australia staff and board members, widespread condemnation from the art community, and an open letter from shortlisted pavilion candidates demanding reinstatement.

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article news schedule Jun 24, 2025 visibility 15 link 5 artists

israeli us strikes iran jeopardize cultural heritage 2660032

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.

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article news schedule Jun 3, 2025 visibility 24 link 36 artists

whitney museum paused independent study program censorship 2651955

The Whitney Museum of American Art has suspended its storied Independent Study Program (ISP) for the 2025–2026 academic year, following widespread outcry over the censorship of a performance titled "No Aesthetic Outside My Freedom: Mourning, Militancy, and Performance" by artists Fadl Fakhouri, Noel Maghathe, and Fargo Tbakhi. The performance, scheduled for May 14, was canceled by museum leadership after reviewing a video in which Tbakhi made demands that supporters of Israel or America leave the venue. Director Scott Rothkopf informed the ISP community of the pause in an email, citing the need to search for a new director. The museum also confirmed that Sara Nadal-Melsió, hired in 2024 as the ISP's first associate director, will not retain her position. The cancellation drew condemnation from free speech advocates, including the National Coalition Against Censorship (NCAC), which likened the museum's actions to an authoritarian approach.

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