Vasari Art Codex

gavel restitution schedule Dec 10, 2025 visibility 4 link 2 artists

san francisco asian art museum returns sculptures thailand 1234766049

Four ancient bronze sculptures illegally removed from Thailand in the 1960s have been repatriated from San Francisco’s Asian Art Museum to their original home in Thailand, following an investigation led by the US Department of Homeland Security. The works, which were featured in the museum’s 2024 exhibition “Moving Objects: Learning from Local and Global Communities,” were linked to convicted antiquities trafficker Douglas Latchford and had been acquired by the museum’s founding collector Avery Brundage. The Asian Art Commission unanimously approved the return after a two-stage voting process that began in September 2024 and concluded in April 2025.

newspaper ARTnews open_in_new Read original

article news schedule Nov 17, 2025 visibility 3 link 2 artists

jeffrey epstein emails show art buying plans studio visits 1234761935

Newly released documents from the House Oversight Committee reveal Jeffrey Epstein's involvement in the art world, including emails from February 2017 in which Epstein and associates Etienne Binant and Darren Indyke discussed buying art directly from emerging artists, bypassing galleries and fairs. Binant proposed a strategy to "have an impact on the ecosystem" by supporting artists early, and Indyke confirmed $1 million was available for purchases. Separate emails show Epstein commenting on the disputed painting *Salvator Mundi*, claiming it was worth only $1.5 million and linking its sale to Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman via Dmitry Rybolovlev.

newspaper ARTnews open_in_new Read original

article news schedule Oct 13, 2025 visibility 3 link 1 artist

canterbury cathedral jd vance elon musk artist responds 1234756764

Artist Alex Vellis responded to criticism from conservative commentators, including Elon Musk and US Vice President JD Vance, over a graffiti-style art installation at Canterbury Cathedral. The installation, titled “HEAR US,” features questions posed to God, such as “What is the architecture of heaven?” and “Why are you indifferent to suffering?” Created through workshops with marginalized communities—including the Punjabi, black and brown diaspora, neurodivergent individuals, and the LGBTQIA+ population—the work uses spray-paint-like lettering but was not actually painted onto the historic building. Vance called the installation “ugly,” while Musk accused it of being “anti-Western propaganda.” Vellis responded on Instagram with a crude retort and the hashtag #freepalestine.

newspaper ARTnews open_in_new Read original

gavel restitution schedule Oct 8, 2025 visibility 4 link 6 artists

ancient rome new orleans tombstone 1234755754

A 2nd-century Roman gravestone inscribed for a sailor named Sextus Congenius Verus was discovered in March 2025 by Daniella Santoro and Aaron Lorenz while doing yard work at their New Orleans home. University of New Orleans archaeologist D. Ryan Gray, working with colleagues at the University of Innsbruck and Tulane University, traced the stone to a missing object from a museum in Civitavecchia, Italy. Researchers believe it was brought to the U.S. as a souvenir by a member of the 34th division of the Fifth Army after the liberation of Rome in 1944. The FBI’s Art Crime Team is now involved in repatriating the headstone to Italy.

newspaper ARTnews open_in_new Read original

article news schedule Oct 3, 2025 visibility 5 link 2 artists

trump epstein statue dc returns national mall 1234755268

A controversial 12-foot-tall statue depicting President Donald Trump and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein has returned to Washington, D.C.'s National Mall after being removed by the National Parks Service late last month. Originally titled *The Secret Handshake*, the work was created by anonymous artists to "celebrate" Trump's ties to Epstein during Friendship Month, and features plaques with a message Trump allegedly wrote to Epstein. The National Parks Service cited the statue's height as non-compliant with its permit, and the artists accused the Trump administration of suppressing free speech. The statue has since been repaired and retitled *Why Can't We Be Friends?*.

newspaper ARTnews open_in_new Read original

article news schedule Sep 30, 2025 visibility 5 link 1 artist

statue egypt saqqara archaeology grave robbers 1234754881

Archaeologists working at the Gisr el-Mudir enclosure in Saqqara, Egypt, discovered an unusual limestone statue left behind by grave robbers. Unearthed in 2021 but detailed only recently by Zahi Hawass and Sarah Abdoh in the Journal of Egyptian Archaeology, the statue depicts a nobleman, his wife, and their young daughter. The daughter is carved in bas-relief rather than fully in the round, a stylistic departure from typical Old Kingdom family statuary.

newspaper ARTnews open_in_new Read original

gavel restitution schedule Sep 25, 2025 visibility 3 link 2 artists

forged polish painting returns to the national museum in poznan poland 1234753722

A painting long attributed to Polish Realist painter Józef Pankiewicz and held by the National Museum in Poznań has been revealed as a forgery. The work, titled 'Vegetable Market at Żelaznej Bramy Square in Warsaw' and dated 1888, was awarded a silver medal at the 1889 Universal Exposition in Paris and acquired by the museum in 1948. In 2017, scholar Michał Haake noticed discrepancies between the museum's version and historical reproductions, prompting an investigation. Conservators removed overpainting and found that the canvas, pigments, and composition differed from the original, with Pankiewicz's signature added after completion. The forgery, now attributed to an unidentified early 20th-century artist, is back on display alongside a photo of the original in the exhibition 'Succumb to Illusion.' The original painting has been missing since 1890.

newspaper ARTnews open_in_new Read original

article news schedule Sep 24, 2025 visibility 4 link 2 artists

donald trump jeffrey epstein statue removed dc 1234753489

A statue of President Donald Trump and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, titled *The Secret Handshake*, was removed from a public park in Washington, D.C., early Wednesday morning after going viral online. The anonymous artists claim they had a legal permit for the 12-foot-tall sculpture, which depicted the two men smiling and dancing together, but that National Parks Service officials toppled and destroyed it without the 24-hour notice they were promised. The Department of the Interior said the removal was due to the statue exceeding the permit's six-foot height limit.

newspaper ARTnews open_in_new Read original

article local schedule Sep 18, 2025 visibility 4 link 2 artists

red hook warehouse fire artist studios 1234752681

A fire broke out late Wednesday in a 19th-century warehouse at 481 Van Brunt Street in Red Hook, Brooklyn, destroying dozens of artist studios and damaging the building's roof and fourth floor. Over 250 FDNY members battled the blaze for more than seven hours, with two firefighters sustaining minor injuries. The warehouse housed a large artist cooperative, woodshops, furniture makers, and small businesses, and many artists lost work prepared for the upcoming Red Hook Open Studios event.

newspaper ARTnews open_in_new Read original

gavel restitution schedule Aug 26, 2025 visibility 1 link 1 artist

france returns colonial era human remains to madagascar 1234749964

France has returned three colonial-era human skulls to Madagascar, including one believed to belong to King Toera, a Malagasy king executed by French troops in 1897. The skulls were handed over to Malagasy representatives at the French Culture Ministry on Monday, after being held in Paris’s National Museum of Natural History. French Culture Minister Rachida Dati called the return “historic,” while her Malagasy counterpart Volamiranty Donna Mara described it as healing an “open wound” after 128 years.

newspaper ARTnews open_in_new Read original

article policy schedule Aug 4, 2025 visibility 3 link 1 artist

confederate general monument reinstalled trump 1234748889

The National Park Service announced it will reinstall a statue of Confederate General Albert Pike in Washington, D.C., after it was toppled and burned by protesters during the 2020 Black Lives Matter demonstrations. The agency shared an image of the bronze work being cleaned of corrosion and graffiti, citing federal historic preservation law and recent executive orders to restore pre-existing statues in the nation's capital. The statue is expected to return to public view in October, with site preparation beginning soon to repair its damaged masonry plinth.

newspaper ARTnews open_in_new Read original

article policy schedule Aug 1, 2025 visibility 3 link 1 artist

senator john fetterman proposes bill to apply anti money laundering protections to us art market 1234748148

On July 23, U.S. Senator John Fetterman introduced the Art Market Integrity Act, a bill that would apply anti-money laundering (AML) and counter-terrorism financing regulations to art dealers, auction houses, galleries, advisers, consultants, custodians, museums, collectors, and other intermediaries in the art market. The legislation amends the Bank Secrecy Act, requiring these entities to conduct client due diligence, maintain records, and report suspicious transactions. It exempts artists selling their own work, nonprofits, and businesses with under $50,000 in annual art transactions. The bill is co-sponsored by Senators Chuck Grassley, Sheldon Whitehouse, Bill Cassidy, Andy Kim, and David McCormick.

newspaper ARTnews open_in_new Read original

article policy schedule Jul 22, 2025 visibility 4 link 1 artist

trump to withdraw us from unesco for second time 1234747976

President Donald Trump has announced the United States will withdraw from UNESCO for the second time, effective at the end of 2026. The State Department cited the organization's focus on "divisive social and cultural causes" and its alignment with the UN's Sustainable Development Goals as contrary to America First foreign policy, as well as "anti-Israel rhetoric" within UNESCO. This follows a pattern of Trump pulling the US from multilateral bodies, including the UN Human Rights Council and the World Health Organization, and continues a fraught history: the US stopped funding UNESCO under Obama over Palestine's membership, left in 2017 under Trump, and rejoined under Biden in 2023.

newspaper ARTnews open_in_new Read original

article policy schedule Jun 20, 2025 visibility 3 link 2 artists

trump administration violated law withholding institute of museum and library services funds 1234745552

The Government Accountability Office (GAO) issued a decision on Monday finding that the Trump administration violated the Impoundment Control Act of 1974 by withholding congressionally appropriated funds from the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS). In March, President Trump signed an executive order calling for the elimination of the IMLS, and in April the agency was gutted by the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), placing its entire 75-person staff on leave. The GAO determined that the IMLS ceased performing its legal duties and withheld funds intended for museums and libraries, and that the administration could not justify the withholding.

newspaper ARTnews open_in_new Read original

article news schedule Jun 10, 2025 visibility 4 link 1 artist

jerry gogosian winds down instagram hilde lynn helphenstein 1234744817

Hilde Lynn Helphenstein, the creator of the popular Instagram account Jerry Gogosian, announced she is winding down the project after seven years. The account, known for its sharp and often acerbic commentary on the art market, amassed 151,000 followers since its launch in 2018. Helphenstein initially ran the account anonymously, revealing her identity in 2020, and used it to mock dealer Larry Gagosian, comment on auction records, and document her experiences at art fairs. The account also had real-world impact, including prompting Gagosian gallery to drop a director after Helphenstein urged people to come forward with sexual harassment allegations. Helphenstein, who previously ran her own gallery in Los Angeles, said she has 'grown out' of the project and is looking toward her next endeavor.

newspaper ARTnews open_in_new Read original

article policy schedule Jun 9, 2025 visibility 2 link 1 artist

institute of museum and library services restraining order overturned 1234744651

A federal judge has declined to extend a temporary restraining order that would have prevented the Trump administration from dismantling the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS). The ruling, issued on Friday, allows the administration to proceed with mass layoffs and budget cuts that have already placed the agency's entire 75-person staff on leave. The IMLS, which distributes federal grants to museums and libraries nationwide, was targeted by the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) in April. The case, ALA v. Sonderling, was brought by the American Library Association and AFSCME, and will continue in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia.

newspaper ARTnews open_in_new Read original

gavel restitution schedule May 19, 2025 visibility 2 link 1 artist

manhattan da office repatriates artifacts peru 1234742639

The Manhattan District Attorney’s Office returned eight artifacts to Peru during a ceremony at the Peruvian consulate in New York on May 15. The repatriated items include funerary objects illegally taken from tombs in northern Peru during the 1960s and ’70s, a copper mask believed to represent the Moche deity Ai Apaec (circa 300 BCE) from the looted Loma Negra site, and a ceramic portrait vessel from the Chavín culture (1000–700 BCE). This is the second time New York officials have returned a group of works to Peru.

newspaper ARTnews open_in_new Read original

article news schedule May 19, 2025 visibility 4 link 1 artist

world press photo foundation suspends the terror of war attribution 1234742611

The World Press Photo Foundation has suspended the authorship attribution of the iconic 1972 photograph 'The Terror of War' (also known as 'Napalm Girl') from Associated Press photographer Nick Út. The decision follows new research presented in the documentary 'The Stringer' (January 2025) by the VII Foundation, which suggests that the image was more likely captured by stringer Nguyễn Thành Nghệ or Huỳnh Công Phúc. An independent investigation by forensic analysts and media experts, along with separate inquiries by AP and World Press Photo, found insufficient evidence to definitively confirm the original credit, leading to the suspension until authorship can be conclusively determined.

newspaper ARTnews open_in_new Read original

article policy schedule May 2, 2025 link 1 artist

institute of museum and library services shutdown stopped in federal court 1234740426

A federal court issued a temporary restraining order blocking the Trump Administration's dismantling of the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS). The order came in response to a lawsuit filed by the American Library Association (ALA) and the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME), who sought to prevent the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) from laying off nearly all of IMLS's 75-person staff. The layoffs were scheduled to take effect on May 4, 2025, following an executive order by President Trump that deemed IMLS "unnecessary."

newspaper ARTnews open_in_new Read original

article policy schedule May 1, 2025 visibility 1 link 3 artists

judge inclined to rule against institute of museum and library services shutdown 1234740351

A federal district court judge has indicated he is inclined to block the Trump administration's dismantling of the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS). The agency, which distributes federal funding to museums and libraries nationwide, was gutted last month by the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), with its entire 75-person staff placed on leave. A lawsuit seeking a preliminary injunction was filed by the American Library Association and the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees. Judge Richard J. Leon, appointed by George W. Bush, said in court he is inclined to grant a temporary restraining order and is expected to rule shortly.

newspaper ARTnews open_in_new Read original

article news schedule May 5, 2026 visibility 3 link 2 artists

1,000-year-old archaeological site bulldozed during construction of Mexico-US border wall

On 24 April, a Department of Homeland Security contractor bulldozed a 1,000-year-old intaglio—a 280ft by 50ft etching in the desert sand—during construction of the US-Mexico border wall in Arizona's Cabeza Prieta National Wildlife Refuge. The site, sacred to local Indigenous communities including the Hia-Ced O’odham, was part of a UNESCO biosphere and contained over 3,000 petroglyphs. Despite warnings from tribal members and refuge staff, the contractor destroyed a 70ft stretch of the fish-shaped intaglio, which elders and archaeologists describe as an irreplaceable cultural and archaeological treasure.

newspaper The Art Newspaper open_in_new Read original

article policy schedule Apr 16, 2026 visibility 7 link 5 artists

‘The extremely happy part of the crowd’: Hungarian arts figures hope for change after 16 years of Orbán rule

The 16-year tenure of Viktor Orbán has come to an end following a landslide victory for Péter Magyar’s Tisza Party in the 2026 Hungarian parliamentary election. The shift in power has sparked widespread celebration among Hungary’s progressive art community, which has long felt stifled by Orbán’s nationalist and socially conservative agenda. Figures from major Budapest galleries and the contemporary art scene report a profound sense of relief, signaling a potential departure from the "illiberal democracy" that dominated the country for nearly two decades.

newspaper The Art Newspaper open_in_new Read original

person people schedule Apr 9, 2026 visibility 9 link 6 artists

Robilant and Voena gallery founders part ways to start separate ventures with their children

Edmondo di Robilant and Marco Voena, the founders of the prominent gallery Robilant + Voena (R+V), have announced the dissolution of their 22-year partnership to launch two separate family-run firms. The split results in the creation of 'Robilant' and 'Voena,' with both founders bringing their children into senior leadership roles to ensure long-term succession. Michele di Robilant will serve as director of Robilant, while Edoardo and Virginia Voena will take on director and sales director roles respectively at Voena.

newspaper The Art Newspaper open_in_new Read original

article news schedule May 6, 2026 visibility 1 link 5 artists

Hundreds Protest Israel’s “Genocide Pavilion” at Venice Biennale

On May 6, 2026, the first day of previews at the Venice Biennale, hundreds of pro-Palestine activists led by the Art Not Genocide Alliance (ANGA) blocked the entrance to the Israeli pavilion, demanding its immediate closure. Protesters waved Palestine flags and banners reading "No Artwashing Genocide" and "No Genocide Pavilion at Biennale," chanting accusations of genocide against Israel. The demonstration temporarily shut down access to Belu-Simion Fainaru's exhibition "Rose of Nothingness" for about half an hour. The protest followed a letter signed by over 200 artists urging the Biennale to exclude Israel, which instead moved the pavilion to an alternative location in the Arsenale due to renovations. Separately, Pussy Riot and FEMEN rallied outside the Russian pavilion, which will only open during preview days due to sanctions. Venice cultural workers plan a 24-hour strike on May 8 in solidarity with Palestinians, potentially disrupting the Biennale's schedule.

newspaper Hyperallergic open_in_new Read original

article news schedule Apr 30, 2026 visibility 6 link 1 artist

What Biennials Reveal About the Art World

Ben Davis and Jo Lawson-Tancred of Artnet News have published complementary projects analyzing global art biennials. Davis compiled data from major biennials including Istanbul, Gwangju, São Paulo, Sharjah, and Venice over the past four years, tracking which artists have been shown most frequently worldwide since the 2022 Venice Biennale. Lawson-Tancred examined the upcoming Venice Biennale, titled "In Minor Keys" and curated by the late Koyo Kouoh, comparing the demographics of its artists to previous editions to trace shifts in the global art conversation.

newspaper Artnet News open_in_new Read original

gavel restitution schedule Apr 30, 2026 visibility 6 link 2 artists

U.S. Returns Hundreds of Looted Antiquities to Italy

U.S. officials formally returned 337 looted antiquities, archival materials, and artworks to Italy during a ceremony at Rome’s La Marmora barracks. The objects, spanning from the Villanovan era (900–700 B.C.E.) through the Hellenistic period (323–31 B.C.E.), include Etruscan, Greek, Italic, and Egyptian artifacts. The repatriation was coordinated by Italy’s Carabinieri Command for the Protection of Cultural Heritage, the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Department of Homeland Security, and the office of Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg Jr. Key items include a marble head of Alexander the Great, a bronze sculpture from Herculaneum, and Egyptian basalt sculptures. Some 221 objects were recovered via the Manhattan DA, while the remaining 116 were secured with help from Christie’s.

newspaper Artnet News open_in_new Read original

museum exhibitions schedule Mar 26, 2026 visibility 10 link 1 artist

NYU Steinhardt Presents 2026 MFA Thesis Exhibitions

NYU Steinhardt's Department of Art and Art Professions is presenting its 2026 MFA Thesis Exhibitions in two parts at the 80WSE Gallery in Greenwich Village. The first exhibition, titled 'Hoodwinked,' runs from April 1 to April 18 and features works by Nicholas Koby, Richard Medina, Roselynn Sadaghiani, Mario Saponaro, and Brooke Schneider. The second, 'Eggshells,' runs from May 6 to May 23 and showcases artists Ariel Barish, Christopher Chan, Mélanie Dumas, Roxie de Là, and Fan Qi.

newspaper Hyperallergic open_in_new Read original

article policy schedule Mar 6, 2026 visibility 7 link 2 artists

trump freedom truck exhibition 2749780

President Donald Trump has launched the 'Freedom Truck' fleet, a series of six mobile exhibitions traveling across the United States ahead of the nation’s 250th anniversary. Funded by a $14.1 million grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS), the project features interactive displays, AI-powered historical figures, and artifacts provided by Glenn Beck’s American Journey Experience. The tour, organized by conservative groups like PragerU and Hillsdale College, focuses on a patriotic narrative of American independence and sovereignty.

newspaper Artnet News open_in_new Read original

trending_up market schedule Dec 9, 2025 visibility 6 link 1 artist

kansas church tiffany window sale 2725402

First Presbyterian Church in Topeka, Kansas, is selling one of its ten Tiffany stained-glass windows at Sotheby's Design sale on December 10. The Jonathan Thomas Memorial Window, a rare medallion window designed by Louis Comfort Tiffany himself in 1910, carries an estimate of $1.5 million to $2 million. The church cites the high cost of maintaining its historic building and the Tiffany windows—sending just one window for repair cost over $50,000—as the reason for the sale. The auction also features a magnolia floor lamp designed by Agnes Northrup, estimated at $2 million to $3 million.

newspaper Artnet News open_in_new Read original

article policy schedule Jul 2, 2025 visibility 3 link 3 artists

germany colonial restitution conduct 1287815

Germany's culture minister Monika Grütters has released a 130-page code of conduct for museums, titled "Guide to Dealing With Collection Goods From Colonial Contexts," which outlines methods for identifying and confronting colonial-era artifacts in German collections. The guidelines, published by the German Association of Museums, include best practices for provenance research, a list of former and current colonies, and alternatives to full restitution such as long-term loans and joint custody agreements. The release coincides with the Prussian Cultural Heritage Foundation's official ceremony returning nine artifacts to Indigenous Alaskan communities, and follows increased pressure from public outcry over the Humboldt Forum and similar restitution efforts by French president Emmanuel Macron.

newspaper Artnet News open_in_new Read original