Ai Weiwei on Censorship

The art world mourns the passing of Celeste Dupuy-Spencer, a prominent artist and activist known for her politically charged paintings and human rights advocacy, who died at the age of 46. Simultaneously, dissident artist Ai Weiwei has released a new book titled 'On Censorship,' which reflects on his career-long struggle against state persecution and the nuances of freedom of expression. Other notable developments include Gagosian's announcement of a new Upper Manhattan space dedicated to Marcel Duchamp and the detention of artist Criselda Vasquez’s father by ICE.

Required Reading

This week’s roundup of essential art reading highlights a diverse range of global initiatives, from the development of a new arts center in Compton by formerly incarcerated painter Mr. Wash to a mural project for displaced children in Lebanon led by artist Abed Al Kadiri. The report also covers a guerrilla projection protest at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, where activists criticized the institution for laying off staff members of color despite a massive endowment, and a poignant look at medical students graduating amidst the ongoing crisis in Gaza.

Lost for More Than a Century, the First ‘Sci-Fi’ Film Ever Made Resurfaces

Lost for More Than a Century, the First ‘Sci-Fi’ Film Ever Made Resurfaces

A lost 1897 silent film by pioneering French director Georges Méliès, "Gugusse et l'Automate," has been rediscovered and digitally restored. The 45-second slapstick short, featuring a magician battling a robot, was found in a collection of early film reels passed down through a family of traveling showmen and has now been preserved in 4K by the Library of Congress.

LIKE A DUET. In Conversation with Anne Imhof by Tyler Mitchell

Artists Anne Imhof and Tyler Mitchell engage in a cross-disciplinary dialogue reflecting on their recent solo exhibitions, "Wish You Were Gay" at Kunsthaus Bregenz and "Wish This Was Real" at C/O Berlin. The conversation explores the intersection of performance, photography, and the choreography of space, with both artists discussing how they manipulate the viewer's physical and emotional presence within an installation.

‘Let Us Gather In a Flourishing Way’ Convenes 58 Artists to Survey Contemporary Latinx Painting

A major exhibition titled 'Let Us Gather In a Flourishing Way' has opened at the Buffalo AKG Art Museum, featuring 58 artists in a comprehensive survey of contemporary Latinx painting. The show, curated by Andrea Alvarez over several years, is organized into seven thematic sections and is designed as a fluid, conversational space that celebrates community and cultural convergence.

Bodies in Motion, Bodies at Rest: Ali Cherri in Conversation with Kaelen Wilson-Goldie

This article presents a conversation between artist Ali Cherri and writer Kaelen Wilson-Goldie, marking the second installment of a collaborative series between TextWork by Fondation Pernod Ricard and Mousse Magazine. The series features in-depth dialogues between artists from the TextWork program and magazine contributors, expanding on the traditional interview format, and is set to continue until 2027.

The Egyptian Modernist Inji Efflatoun gains international exposure with new biographical collection

The article profiles Egyptian Modernist artist and activist Inji Efflatoun, detailing her life from her birth in 1924 in Cairo to her political activism, arrest in 1959, and four-and-a-half-year imprisonment. It highlights a new biographical collection, *The Life and Work of Inji Efflatoun*, which includes her translated memoirs and critical essays, offering a comprehensive view of her art and revolutionary life.

louvre to restore empress eugenie crown

The Louvre Museum in Paris will restore Empress Eugénie's crown, which was severely damaged during a $102 million heist on October 19, 2025. Thieves broke into the museum, used an angle grinder to cut through a display case, and stole crown jewels, but dropped the crown in their escape. The lightweight, diamond-and-emerald crown was deformed, with four of its eight decorative palmettes broken off and one gold eagle missing. However, all 65 emeralds and most of the 1,354 diamonds remain intact. The museum has opened a bidding process for an accredited restorer, overseen by an expert committee chaired by Louvre director Laurence des Cars, to reshape and fully restore the piece for display in the Galerie d'Apollon.

louvre heist surveillance footage

Newly released surveillance footage shows masked thieves breaking into the Louvre's Apollo gallery in October 2025, using disc cutters to slice open display cases and steal France's crown jewels. The heist occurred under staff observation, with no security guards present, and police have since identified five suspects via DNA evidence, arresting four, though the jewels remain missing. The footage was broadcast on French TV on January 18, 2026, as the museum faces its third staff strike in over a month.

louvre installs bars on heist window

The Louvre Museum has installed security bars on the French window of the Apollo Gallery, the entry point used by thieves in a $102 million jewel heist on October 19. The museum announced the measure on X, showing workers installing the bars before dawn. Additional security upgrades include a mobile police base, distancing devices on the Quai François Mitterrand, and plans for 100 new perimeter cameras by 2026. These steps are part of a $92 million security master plan. Ticket prices for non-E.U. visitors will rise 45% to $37 starting January 14, 2026, to help fund the improvements. The museum also revealed that a 2018 audit sponsored by Van Cleef and Arpels had flagged the balcony's vulnerability, but then-director Jean-Luc Martinez did not act. Louvre president Laurence des Cars offered to resign after the security failures came to light but was asked to stay.

louvre director grilled in senate hearing

Louvre president Laurence des Cars faced a contentious Senate hearing on Wednesday, where lawmakers pressed her about ignored security warnings that preceded the October theft of $102 million in imperial jewels from the Apollo Gallery. Audits from 2017 and 2018 had flagged structural vulnerabilities, but Des Cars claimed she was not informed until after the theft. She defended the museum's response, citing new cameras, increased security training budgets, and an imminent senior security coordinator appointment. Conservative senators Jacques Grosperrin and Max Brisson demanded her resignation, with Brisson walking out when she declined to answer. Former president Jean-Luc Martinez also testified, saying he had not reinforced windows or balcony due to fire-safety concerns, a rationale security experts rejected.

louvre security cameras captured heist but guards werent watching

French investigators have revealed that security cameras at the Louvre did capture the $102 million jewelry heist on October 19, 2025, contradicting earlier claims by museum director Laurence des Cars that no video existed. The footage was discovered during a Senate hearing on December 10, showing that the control room lacked enough screens to monitor all cameras simultaneously, so guards did not see the break-in in real time. By the time they switched to the relevant feed, nearly eight minutes later, the thieves had already escaped. The investigation also found that security guards and police arrived just 30 seconds too late because staff miscommunicated the exact location of the break-in within the Apollo Gallery. All four members of the heist commando group have been arrested.

how louvre thieves evaded police senate hearing

A French Senate hearing revealed that Louvre security failures allowed thieves to steal $102 million in French crown jewels from the Apollo Gallery in October, with officials stating that the escape could have been prevented if exterior camera footage had been monitored in real time. Noël Corbin of the General Inspectorate of Cultural Affairs and Pascal Mignerey of the Security, Safety and Audit Mission testified that a 2019 security audit by Van Cleef & Arpels identifying gallery weaknesses was not transmitted to new leadership under director Laurence des Cars, contributing to the heist.

louvre museum raises ticket prices for non european foreigners

The Louvre Museum board has voted to raise ticket prices by 45% for visitors outside the European Economic Area, effective January 14. The price will increase from €22 ($25) to €32 ($37), affecting tourists from the United States, Britain, and Russia. The move is part of a broader effort to fund infrastructure upgrades and security improvements following a high-profile heist in October in which thieves stole nine pieces of jewelry worth an estimated $102 million from the Apollo Gallery. The museum's director, Laurence des Cars, acknowledged that the institution has "very inadequate" and "outdated" security systems, and a full overhaul is not expected until 2032.

louvre security report

A 2018 security audit commissioned by the Louvre from Van Cleef and Arpels identified critical vulnerabilities in the museum's Apollo Gallery, including a balcony accessible via a lift platform—the exact entry point used by thieves in a daring October 19, 2025 heist. The audit, which included diagrams highlighting a window facing Quai François-Mitterrand as a major weakness, was not passed on to current Louvre president Laurence des Cars when she took over in 2021. The museum only discovered the document after the theft, prompting an internal review and referral to France's General Inspectorate of Cultural Affairs. French authorities have since arrested four more suspects, bringing the total to eight, as the investigation continues into the theft of eight valuable pieces including Napoleon Bonaparte's emerald-and-diamond necklace.

suspected fourth gang member behind louvre heist arrested

On Tuesday, four more suspects were arrested in connection with the theft of the French crown jewels from the Louvre in Paris last month. One of the men, arrested in Laval, is suspected of being the fourth gang member involved in the heist, which occurred on October 19 when robbers used a cherry picker and angle grinder to steal nine pieces of jewelry worth an estimated $102 million from the Apollo Gallery. The other three previously charged suspects were identified as Ayed G, Slimane K, and Abdoulaye N. Three relatives of the new suspect were also taken for questioning. One of the stolen pieces, a crown belonging to Empress Eugénie, was recovered outside the museum.

four more suspects arrested louvre museum heist

Four additional suspects—two men and two women aged 31 to 40—have been arrested in connection with the theft of the French crown jewels from the Louvre Museum in Paris last month. The arrests follow four earlier arrests, with one suspect still believed to be at large. The thieves used a cherry picker and angle grinder to steal nine pieces of jewelry worth an estimated $102 million from the Apollo Gallery in under eight minutes. One piece, a crown belonging to Empress Eugénie, was later recovered outside the museum.

cousin of suspected robber in louvre museum heist speaks out

A cousin of one of the suspected robbers in the Louvre heist has spoken out in an interview with ABC News. The man, identified as Mehdy, told ABC News' James Longman on "Impact x Nightline" that his cousin was a low-income worker who sold fruit and had children. Four suspects have been arrested in connection with the heist, which occurred on October 19 when robbers used a cherry picker and angle grinder to steal nine pieces of jewelry worth an estimated $102 million from the Louvre's Apollo Gallery. One suspect remains at large, and a crown belonging to Empress Eugénie was later recovered outside the museum.

louvre heist suspect is former museum guard social media influencer

Four suspects have been arrested for allegedly stealing the French crown jewels from the Louvre Museum last month. One suspect, identified as 39-year-old Abdoulaye N., is a former security guard at the Centre Pompidou and a social media influencer known for motocross stunts under the name Doudou Cross Bitume. His DNA was found at the crime scene, and he is suspected of breaking into the museum's Apollo gallery through an unsecured window before escaping on a motorbike. He has a prior criminal record including a 2014 jewelry store robbery conviction, and was due in court for a separate case. The stolen jewels have not yet been recovered.

french state auditor report released louvre museum insufficient security

A French national audit report, the Cour des Comptes, has revealed severe security deficiencies at the Louvre Museum, finding that only 39% of its rooms had cameras as of 2024 and that a security upgrade begun in 2015 only resulted in a tender at the end of last year, with completion not expected until 2032. The report was released shortly after a theft of crown jewels from the museum, and it criticizes the Louvre for prioritizing acquisitions and post-pandemic projects over essential security investments. Louvre director Laurence des Cars acknowledged the museum's "very inadequate" and "outdated" security systems during a Senate hearing, though she stated alarms functioned during the heist. Four suspects are in custody for the October 19 robbery.

louvre heist suspects arrested

Two suspects have been arrested in connection with the theft of French crown jewels from the Louvre on October 19. Paris prosecutor Laure Beccuau announced the arrests on Sunday, with one man detained at Charles de Gaulle Airport while preparing to board a flight to Algeria. The heist, captured on a 36-second video, involved two thieves escaping with $102 million worth of Napoleonic jewelry using a furniture lift. Nine artifacts were taken from the Apollo Gallery, but one crown was dropped in the haste. The stolen jewels were not privately insured, meaning France will not be reimbursed if they are not recovered.

german company launches viral ad campaign for louvre heist lift

A family-run German company, Böcker, launched a viral advertising campaign on Facebook and Instagram featuring the furniture lift used in a recent Louvre jewel heist. The ad, with the tagline "When you need to move fast," depicts the Agilo furniture elevator that thieves used to enter the Louvre's Apollo Gallery, stealing approximately $102 million worth of Napoleonic jewelry in seven minutes. The company's marketing chief, Julia Scharwatz, said the campaign was inspired by the widespread circulation of a photo showing the lift at the scene, and that the response has been overwhelmingly positive, reaching 1.7 million views compared to their usual 15-20,000.

investigators look to dna analysis video footage to identify louvre thieves

On October 19, 2025, thieves broke into the Louvre Museum's Apollo Gallery in Paris, using a cherry picker and an angle grinder to steal nine pieces of jewelry worth an estimated $102 million in under eight minutes. One piece was recovered outside the museum. Approximately 100 investigators are now analyzing DNA evidence found on a helmet and gloves at the scene, as well as video footage captured by a bystander showing two suspects escaping on scooters. The museum reopened the day after the heist, but the Apollo Gallery remains closed due to the ongoing investigation.

louvre museum reopens despite crown jewel heist investigations

The Louvre Museum reopened on Wednesday, October 22, 2025, after a dramatic jewel heist on Sunday, October 19, in which robbers used a cherry picker and angle grinder to steal eight pieces of jewelry worth an estimated $102 million from the Apollo Gallery in just seven minutes. The second-floor gallery housing France’s crown jewels remains closed as investigations continue, and the museum’s security systems—deemed outdated and inadequate in a prior official report—are under heavy scrutiny. Museum director Laurence des Cars was booed by staff and is expected to address questions in a hearing later Wednesday, while the thieves remain at large.

nada new york

NADA New York returns for its 11th edition with significant changes, including a new venue at the Starrett-Lehigh Building in West Chelsea. The fair, organized by the New Art Dealers Alliance (NADA), will feature 111 exhibitors from 19 countries, with 54 first-time participants. A highlight is the sixth edition of the TD Bank Curated Spotlight, organized by Owen Duffy of Asia Society Texas, which spotlights nine galleries and artists from Texas and Mexico, fostering dialogue between the two regions. The fair runs May 7–11, 2025.

A Journey Through the Work of Lucía Pizzani on the Occasion of Her First Institutional Exhibition in London

UN RECORRIDO POR LA OBRA DE LUCÍA PIZZANI A PROPÓSITO DE SU PRIMERA MUESTRA INSTITUCIONAL EN LONDRES

Venezuelan artist Lucía Pizzani presents her first institutional exhibition in the United Kingdom, titled "Faunal Succession," at Focal Point Gallery in London, running through May 30. The show features new works created in collaboration with artists Cecilia Bonilla, Jaime Gili, and Javier Weyler, as well as community groups and local schools, reimagining the Essex coastline through the concept of deep time. The exhibition links geological transformation with contemporary issues such as climate change, migration, and social change, as explored in an interview with curator Inês Costa.

art taina cruz whitney biennial

Taína Cruz, a 26-year-old New York-born artist, is gaining significant attention for her paintings of ghoulish, grimacing figures. She secured gallery representation with Berlin's Kraupa-Tuskany Zeidler before graduating from Yale's MFA program and has been selected for two major New York exhibitions this spring: the Whitney Biennial, where she is the youngest artist, and the Greater New York quinquennial at MoMA PS1. Her practice spans video, sculpture, and painting, incorporating 3D animation. At the Whitney, she created a billboard above Gansevoort Street featuring one of her haunting young girls, with additional paintings inside the museum.

parties hamptons summer burberry guggenheim

CULTURED magazine documents a series of summer social events in the Hamptons, blending art, fashion, and luxury lifestyle. Highlights include the Guggenheim’s lemonade-fueled festivities, Burberry’s poolside pop-up at Topping Rose House, an intimate luncheon hosted by CULTURED and Italian brand Eleventy at collectors Christine and Richard Mack’s Bridgehampton home, and the Southampton Arts Center Summerfest gala honoring Christine Mack. Other events include Roman+Williams’ Hamptons Issue launch with artists Isaac Mizrahi and David Salle, and a Marina Music Series with DJ Oli Benz at the Montauk Yacht Club.

art alex foxton salon 94 dior interview

Alex Foxton presents his latest exhibition, “Knight of the Sorrowful Countenance,” at New York’s Salon 94 in partnership with Galerie Derouillon, opening September 10. The show features a new series of monumental canvases exploring modern masculinity, inspired by moments such as Volodymyr Zelensky’s suitless visit to the White House, British royalty, fascist armies, and prep school students. Foxton, trained in fashion design at Central Saint Martins and formerly at Louis Vuitton, Bottega Veneta, Maison Margiela, and Dior, employs a limited color palette drawn from military and 19th-century male dress norms, balancing desire and discipline. The exhibition includes works referencing figures like Yukio Mishima and bullfighter Manolete.

art hilma af klint nature studies moma

The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) is presenting "What Stands Behind the Flowers," an exhibition centered on Hilma af Klint's "Nature Studies" portfolio of 46 works on paper acquired in 2022. Completed from 1919 to 1920, these precise botanical renderings include abstract diagrams, and the show features over 50 additional pieces contextualizing the series within the Swedish artist's broader practice, including earlier works like her 1889 mushroom studies and "The Atom Series" from 1917.