Warsaw’s Neon Museum sparks revival of interest in cold war signs and aesthetic

Warsaw is experiencing a significant revival of interest in its Cold War-era neon signs, a movement spearheaded by the city’s Neon Museum. Founded in 2012 by photographer Ilona Karwińska and designer David Hill, the museum has rescued hundreds of historic illuminations that were once discarded as worthless relics of the communist past. Originally commissioned by Soviet-era authorities as a form of "socialist modernization," these signs were designed by leading artists of the Polish Poster School and have now transitioned from propaganda tools to beloved cultural icons.

'Cursed!': Toledo Museum of Art to host exhibit exploring the power of ancient magic in the Mediterranean world

The Toledo Museum of Art will host a major exhibition titled 'Cursed! The Power of Magic in the Ancient World' from March 21 to July 5. The show features 75 objects spanning two millennia, including Egyptian artwork, Mesopotamian sculptures, and Greek and Roman relics, exploring themes like protective magic, communication with gods, and magic in daily life.

MODERN MADE: Modern, Post-War & Contemporary Art, Design, Craft and Studio Ceramics

Lyon & Turnbull is presenting the 14th edition of its MODERN MADE sale, featuring a curated selection of modern and contemporary art, design, craft, and studio ceramics. Highlights include a private collection of early 2000s contemporary art, Modern British Art from Sickert to the post-war period, and works by European artists such as Klimt, Picasso, and Braque, alongside a rare wartime piece by Jankel Adler. The sale also emphasizes Kinetic and Light Art, design pieces led by an early Ettore Sottsass Carlton bookcase, and concludes with part two of the Y2K! collection featuring works by John Sonsini, Barnaby Furnas, and Elizabeth Peyton.

design davone tines julie dash film charleston

Opera singer Davóne Tines and filmmaker Julie Dash collaborated on the short film "HOMEGOING," commemorating the 10-year anniversary of the 2015 mass shooting at Mother Emanuel AME Church in Charleston, South Carolina. The film was created as part of the exhibition "MONUMENTS" at The Brick and MOCA in Los Angeles, curated by Hamza Walker, which interrogates American identity through historical relics. Tines and Dash discuss their shared Southern roots, the role of ritual in healing, and the emotional process of filming inside the historic church.

Christie’s Turns Pop Culture Into a Stadium Event With $94.5 M. Jim Irsay Sale

Christie's auction house achieved a record-breaking $94.5 million sale of the Jim Irsay Collection, a trove of pop culture memorabilia. The four-sale series set 28 world records, with every lot selling for a cumulative total nearly four times its low estimate. Top lots included David Gilmour's "Black Strat" guitar ($14.55M), Jack Kerouac's 'On the Road' typescript scroll ($12.1M), and Jerry Garcia's "Tiger" guitar ($11.56M).

titanic gold pocket watch sets auction record 1234763383

A gold pocket watch recovered from the Titanic wreck, owned by Isidor Straus, sold for £1.78 million ($2.33 million) at Henry Aldridge and Son Auctioneers in Devizes, England, setting a new auction record for Titanic memorabilia. The 18-carat Jules Jurgensen watch, engraved and given to Straus on his 43rd birthday in 1888, stopped at 02:20 when submerged. Straus, a Macy's partner and former U.S. Congressman, perished with his wife Ida on the Titanic in 1912. The sale also included other items totaling £3 million, such as a letter by Ida Straus and a Titanic passenger list.

ancient buddhist artifacts found in thailand 2644247

Workers installing a drainage system beneath Wat Dhammachak Semaram, a Buddhist temple in northeastern Thailand, discovered a cache of ancient relics buried just over a meter deep. The find includes 33 bronze, silver, and gold items such as rings, earrings, and two repoussé plaques—one gold depicting a seated Buddha in the teaching gesture, and one tin showing a standing Buddha with attendants. Archaeologists from Thailand’s fine arts department conducted a second phase of excavation, uncovering the plaques and a soil deposit embedded with metal sheets behind the temple’s famous 40-foot reclining Buddha.

Pelham Art Center presents ‘Relics: Ancient to Modern,’ a teen-curated exhibition, from May 7 through May 31

Pelham Art Center will host 'Relics: Ancient to Modern,' a teen-curated exhibition organized by its Teen Artist Council, from May 7 through May 31. The show opens with a public artist talk on May 7 and a reception on May 9, featuring works by over 50 artists from the United States and abroad, including Pakistan. The council, composed of high school students, developed the theme, issued an open call, and curated the final selection under the guidance of Gallery and Teen Programming Coordinator Fiona Agababian.

Conroe artist debuts paintings containing Titanic coal at anniversary exhibition

Conroe-based artist Dirk Strangely is set to debut a new series of portraits titled "Souls of the Titanic" during a commemorative exhibition and dinner in Texas. The artworks are created using a unique process the artist calls "Artifactism," which incorporates authenticated coal recovered from the Titanic wreckage in 1994. By grinding the coal into a pigment through levigation, Strangely has produced watercolor paintings of notable figures such as Captain Edward John Smith and Molly Brown, accented with 24k gold leaf and 1912-era paper.

Admiring memories and more in Rollins museum’s ‘Souvenir’

The Rollins Museum of Art has unveiled "Souvenir," a new exhibition that explores the intersection of physical objects and personal or collective memory. Featuring works such as Cruz Castillo’s "Loss Came First"—a piece constructed from discarded lottery tickets—the show examines how everyday items, from kitsch keychains to historical relics, serve as vessels for nostalgia and reminders of the past.

‘Fragile Earth’ art exhibit brings environmental awareness and activism to Livermore

Livermore Valley Arts has opened 'Fragile Earth: A Call to Action,' a new exhibition at the Bankhead Theater that blends visual art with scientific understanding and grassroots advocacy. Featuring local and regional artists such as Denson Karin, Maureen Langenbach, Bernice LaRosa, and Caroline Powers-Robinson, the show presents diverse media including painting, sculpture, photography, and interactive installations. A partnership with Quest Science Center adds 'Style Transfer,' an interactive photo booth using machine learning, alongside work from the Tri-Valley Youth Climate Action Program. The exhibition runs through Oct. 19.

One of the last surviving Union flags from the Battle of Trafalgar to come up for sale at Treasure House Fair

A Union flag from the Battle of Trafalgar, flown on the Royal Sovereign under Admiral Cuthbert Collingwood, is being offered for sale at the Treasure House Fair for £450,000. The flag, newly identified by expert Martyn Downer, is one of only three known Union flags from the battle and is believed to be the most important such relic still in private hands. It was previously sold for a few hundred pounds in 2003 due to confused provenance.

A Titanic life jacket sold for a record price

Un gilet de sauvetage du Titanic vendu à un prix record

A life jacket worn by a survivor of the Titanic's 1912 sinking was sold at auction for nearly €800,000, setting a new record price for an artifact from the doomed ocean liner. The sale was conducted by the British auction house Henry Aldridge & Son, which specializes in Titanic memorabilia.