Art News. Vasari Codex

article policy schedule Jul 22, 2025 visibility 6 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.

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gavel restitution schedule Jul 3, 2025 visibility 4 link 2 artists

mfa boston returns benin bronze robert owen lehman 1234746813

The Museum of Fine Arts Boston has returned two Benin Bronzes—a 16th/17th-century terracotta and iron Commemorative Head and a 16th-century bronze Relief Plaque—to the Kingdom of Benin. The works were looted by British soldiers during the 1897 attack on Benin City, later acquired by collector Robert Owen Lehman Jr., and donated to the MFA in 2013 and 2018. The repatriation ceremony took place on June 27 at Nigeria House in New York, with the items handed over to Prince Aghatise Erediauwa and Ambassador Samson Itegboje. The MFA closed its Benin Kingdom Gallery in April and noted that three other Benin works donated by Lehman remain in its collection pending further provenance research.

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person people schedule Jul 2, 2025 visibility 2 link 1 artist

ford foundation heather gerken next president 1234746580

The Ford Foundation has appointed Heather Gerken, dean of Yale Law School, as its next president. She will succeed Darren Walker and become the 11th president of the foundation, as well as the second woman to lead the organization in its nearly 90-year history. Gerken will officially assume the role on November 1, following a national search launched after Walker announced his departure after 12 years.

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article policy schedule Jun 20, 2025 visibility 4 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.

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article news schedule Jun 10, 2025 visibility 5 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.

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article policy schedule Jun 9, 2025 visibility 3 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.

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trending_up market schedule Jun 9, 2025 visibility 3 link 1 artist

frances most famous antiques collector hoping elon musk buys his napoleon collection at sothebys 1234744515

Pierre-Jean Chalençon, described as France's most famous antiques collector, is selling around 100 lots of Napoleonic memorabilia at Sotheby's Paris on June 25. The collection includes Napoleon's bicorne hat, coronation sword, stockings, and camp bed. Chalençon has publicly expressed hope that Elon Musk will buy the entire collection to keep it together, calling Musk "the new Napoleon." The sale comes as Chalençon reportedly faces pressure to repay a €10 million loan from Swiss Life Banque Privée, which he used to finance his purchases and the acquisition of Palais Vivienne, his Parisian mansion turned Napoleon shrine.

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gavel restitution schedule May 19, 2025 visibility 3 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.

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article news schedule May 19, 2025 visibility 5 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.

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gavel restitution schedule May 5, 2025 visibility 3 link 1 artist

jewels buddha auction sothebys hong kong piprahwa gems 1234740600

Sotheby’s Hong Kong will auction a collection of several hundred ancient Indian gem relics linked to Buddha’s mortal remains, known as the Piprahwa Gems, on May 7. The gems, dating to the Mauryan Empire (circa 240–200 BC), were unearthed in 1898 by British engineer William Caxton Peppé in Piprahwa, India, and have been held in a private British collection for over a century. The sale is estimated at HK$100 million (about $12.9 million USD).

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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."

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article policy schedule May 1, 2025 visibility 4 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.

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article news schedule May 5, 2026 visibility 5 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.

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article policy schedule Apr 16, 2026 visibility 9 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.

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person people schedule Apr 9, 2026 visibility 11 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.

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article local schedule May 6, 2026 visibility 7 link 2 artists

The Sports Are Just the Tip of the Iceberg. Here’s What Else to Expect From the 2028 Olympics.

Los Angeles is preparing a comprehensive Cultural Olympiad for the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games, led by LA28 senior vice president Dwayne Jones and executive director Nora Halpern. The program will feature free sports movie screenings, live music, food experiences, art installations, community events, and special exhibitions at local museums. Sixteen local artists have been commissioned to create posters honoring the games, with a dedicated gallery exhibition planned for July 2027. A new digital calendar and mapping tool will help residents and visitors navigate the cultural offerings, and institutions like LACMA, the LA Philharmonic, and the Museum of Latin American Art have already expressed support.

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museum exhibitions schedule Apr 8, 2026 visibility 4 link 3 artists

parties metropolitan museum vanguard dinner

The Metropolitan Museum of Art hosted its 2026 Vanguard Council dinner, celebrating the institution's youngest patrons. The evening featured a Chinese-inflected menu developed by James Beard Award-nominated wine bar Lei, remarks from Met CEO Max Hollein and Vanguard Council co-chair Arielle Patrick, and a crowd of New York tastemakers including dealer Lucas Zwirner, patron Laila Blavatnik, and designer Isabel Wilkinson Schor. Guests departed with custom tote bags as parting gifts.

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museum exhibitions schedule Jun 12, 2025 link 1 artist, 3 galleries

tribeca film festival mierle laderman ukeles

Filmmaker Toby Perl Freilich has created a documentary titled "Maintenance Artist" about the pioneering artist Mierle Laderman Ukeles, known for her 1969 "Manifesto for Maintenance Art" and her decades-long role as the unsalaried artist-in-resident at the New York City Department of Sanitation. The film, which premieres at the Tribeca Film Festival, features archival footage, interviews with art historians and family, and documents Ukeles's process of curating her archives for the Smithsonian Archives of American Art, highlighting her iconic projects like "Touch Sanitation" (1979-80) and her ongoing work on Freshkills Park.

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article news schedule May 6, 2026 visibility 6 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.

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article news schedule Apr 30, 2026 visibility 10 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.

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gavel restitution schedule Apr 30, 2026 visibility 9 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.

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trending_up market schedule Apr 17, 2026 visibility 11 link 3 artists

Rare Winnie-the-Pooh Drawings Surface for the First Time

Two previously unseen preliminary drawings of Winnie-the-Pooh by illustrator E.H. Shepard have surfaced for the first time on the centenary of the children's classic. Brought forward by Shepard’s family, the pencil sketches depict scenes from A.A. Milne’s original 1926 book that were never fully realized or published. These rare works, along with several other preliminary sketches that did make it into print, are currently on display and for sale at Peter Harrington Rare Books in London before traveling to the New York International Antiquarian Book Fair.

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article news schedule Apr 14, 2026 visibility 9 link 4 artists

Beloved CUNY Social Practice Art Program to Shut Down

Social Practice City University of New York (SPCUNY), an artist-led initiative supporting social justice-minded art across the CUNY system, will cease operations in February 2027. Founded in 2021 by artists Chloë Bass and Gregory Sholette with support from the Mellon Foundation, the program distributed over $535,000 in fellowships to 129 faculty and student fellows. The closure is prompted by the departure of both co-directors from their academic positions at Queens College, leaving the independent project without a clear institutional pathway for leadership transition.

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museum exhibitions schedule Mar 26, 2026 visibility 11 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.

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article policy schedule Mar 6, 2026 visibility 9 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.

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museum exhibitions schedule Feb 9, 2026 visibility 7 link 2 artists

judy baca los angeles other art fair 2611411

Judy Baca, a pioneering Los Angeles muralist known for her socially engaged public art, is participating in the Other Art Fair for the first time. She is showcasing a new 10-by-22-foot painting, *The 1968 East L.A. Walkouts*, which is the latest addition to her monumental, decades-long project *The Great Wall of Los Angeles*. The fair has commissioned a printed reproduction of the work for exhibition and will donate it to a community center afterward.

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trending_up market schedule Dec 9, 2025 visibility 7 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.

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article policy schedule Nov 24, 2025 visibility 3 link 1 artist

triqueti campbell sculpture export bar 2718656

The U.K. government has imposed a temporary export bar on a mid-19th century marble sculpture by Henri-Joseph-François de Triqueti, depicting sisters Florence and Alice Campbell. The work, valued at £280,000 ($367,000), sold for £117,700 at Lyon and Turnbull auction house in January 2025. The Department for Culture, Media, and Sport (DCMS) intervened on the advice of the Reviewing Committee on the Export of Works of Art (RCEWA), citing the sculpture's rarity, outstanding aesthetic importance, and potential for scholarly study. The export license is deferred for three months, with a possible six-month extension, to allow a U.K. institution to acquire it.

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gavel restitution schedule Nov 19, 2025 visibility 3 link 1 artist

pascaline early arithmetic machine christies sale 2687208

Christie’s has halted the sale of a rare 17th-century Pascaline arithmetic machine, originally scheduled for auction on November 19, after the Administrative Tribunal of Paris suspended its export license. The machine, invented by Blaise Pascal and estimated at €2–3 million, was pulled from sale at the consignor’s request following pressure from French cultural campaigners who argue it should be classified as a National Treasure to prevent its departure from France.

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article policy schedule Jul 2, 2025 visibility 4 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.

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