Gitte Zschoch wird Generalsekretärin des Goethe-Instituts

Gitte Zschoch has been appointed as the new Secretary General of the Goethe-Institut, taking over the role and chairmanship of the board on July 18. She succeeds Johannes Ebert, who has held the position since 2012 and will now lead the institute's regional office in Athens. Zschoch, currently Secretary General of the Institute for Foreign Cultural Relations (ifa), previously worked for the Goethe-Institut in various roles, including founding director of its branch in the Democratic Republic of Congo. The appointment was confirmed by German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul and approved by the institute's presidium.

Opening of Berlin Modern postponed to 2030

L’ouverture du Berlin Modern repoussée à 2030

The opening of the Berlin Modern museum has been delayed to 2030 due to construction setbacks and cost overruns. According to German media outlet Monopol, the project has been plagued by humidity issues, including mold, algae, and bacteria on new surfaces, caused by winter dampness, concrete sensitivity, and faulty ventilation. Originally launched in 2019 with a planned opening in mid-2020, the museum's completion has been repeatedly pushed back, with costs soaring from an initial €200 million to over €500 million, making it the most expensive museum ever built in Germany. The building, designed by Swiss firm Herzog & de Meuron, is located at the Kulturforum and will house 20th-century art collections from the Nationalgalerie, the Marx Collection, the Pietzsch Collection, and holdings from the Kupferstichkabinett and the Kunstbibliothek.

Seoul Museum of Craft Art opens two exhibitions centered on brief but ambitious Korean Empire

The Seoul Museum of Craft Art opens two special exhibitions on Tuesday, both centered on the Korean Empire (1897-1910), a brief period when Korea sought to modernize through craft and industrial innovation. The larger exhibition, “The Hybrid,” marks 140 years of diplomatic relations between Korea and France, gathering 24 objects from European collections—23 from France and one from Germany—some not displayed in Korea in over 120 years. The second, “Folded Time, Unfolded Memory: Andong Palace,” focuses on the royal women who lived on the museum’s grounds, particularly Empress Sunjeonghyo and Princess Kim Deok-su. Museum director Kim Soo-jung described the two shows as “almost like an omnibus,” connected through the Korean Empire period.

thomas kellein kunsthalle basel chinati foundation dead 1234753427

Thomas Kellein, a curator and art historian known for leading museums in Europe and the US, died in Berlin at age 70 following a serious illness. He directed the Kunsthalle Basel (1988–1995), organizing shows for Cindy Sherman, Mike Kelley, and Rachel Whiteread, and later led the Kunsthalle Bielefield (1996–2010) with exhibitions of Caspar David Friedrich, Jeff Koons, and others. He briefly directed the Chinati Foundation in Marfa, Texas (2010–2012) before resigning, and subsequently led the Written Art Collection in Germany, commissioning text-based works by Lawrence Weiner, Jenny Holzer, and Qiu Zhijie.

‘Final spurt’: decades-long rebuilding of Dresden’s Royal Palace nears completion

The decades-long reconstruction of Dresden's Royal Palace (Residenzschloss), a project costing €400 million, is nearing completion after beginning in 1985. The palace, which was reduced to a burnt-out shell by Allied bombing in February 1945 and remained a ruin through much of East Germany's history, will see its final phases unfold from autumn 2024 through 2027. These include a new installation in the former picture galleries, the rebuilt Schlosskapelle (palace chapel) opening in November, a Rüstkammer installation in the ballroom in early 2026, the completion of the Grosser Schlosshof courtyard in 2027, and a new exhibit in the Gothic Hall chronicling the palace's history. The palace now houses major collections of the Staatliche Kunstsammlungen Dresden (SKD), including the Grünes Gewölbe, Kupferstich-Kabinett, and Rüstkammer.

Artists and scholars respond to White House’s list of Smithsonian grievances

Over the weekend, artists, scholars, and concerned citizens responded to the White House's list of objectionable Smithsonian Institution exhibits and texts, released under the heading 'President Trump Is Right About the Smithsonian.' The list includes bullet points targeting exhibits on white culture, LGBTQ+ history, Afrofuturism, and works by artists such as Ibram X. Kendi, Ayana V. Jackson, Hugo Crosthwaite, Rigoberto A. Gonzalez, and Amy Sherald. Those singled out defended their work, with some comparing the administration's actions to Jim Crow-era censorship or Nazi Germany's 'degenerate art' campaigns, while others expressed pride in being included and vowed to continue making political art.

Harta Space's 'A Third Eye' exhibition pays tribute to late multi-dimensional artist Askandar Unglehrt

Harta Space in Penang is hosting 'A Third Eye', an exhibition paying tribute to the late multi-dimensional artist Askandar Unglehrt. Born in Germany, Unglehrt studied at the Sorbonne in Paris during the 1960s, where he was influenced by Dadaism and surrealist poet Jean Hans Arp. He later settled in Malaysia, taught at Universiti Sains Malaysia, and developed a distinctive artistic practice rooted in collage, assemblage, and the concept of a 'third eye' that synthesizes Eastern and Western perspectives. The exhibition explores his humorous, esoteric works and his lifelong questioning of art's seriousness.

Documenta unveils first all-woman curatorial team for 2027

Documenta has announced the first all-woman curatorial team for its 16th edition, set to take place in Kassel, Germany, from June 12 to September 19, 2027. Artistic director Naomi Beckwith, deputy director and chief curator of the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, selected four curators—Carla Acevedo-Yates, Romi Crawford, Mayra A. Rodríguez Castro, and Xiaoyu Weng—to develop the exhibition, publications, and programming. Each curator brings distinct expertise: Acevedo-Yates focuses on diaspora and cultural production; Crawford on race and American visual culture; Rodríguez Castro on writing and editing; and Weng on globalization, feminism, and decolonization.

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Naomi Beckwith, deputy director and chief curator of the Guggenheim Museum, has announced her four-person artistic team for Documenta 16, set to open in Kassel, Germany, in June 2027. The team includes Carla Acevedo-Yates, Romi Crawford, Mayra A. Rodríguez Castro, and Xiaoyu Weng, who will collaborate on the exhibition, publication, and programming for the quinquennial.

Forged Picasso prints sold at Stuttgart auction recovered as part of international police operation

Two forged Pablo Picasso prints from his Suite Vollard series, sold at a Stuttgart auction house, have been recovered as part of an international police operation led by Italian authorities. The Baden-Württemberg State Criminal Police Office (LKA) announced that an Italian national, believed to be a professional art restorer, is suspected of consigning four forged works to the auction house over several years. Two prints were recovered—one in Germany's Rhineland region and one in Austria—while two others were seized before delivery. The operation, code-named "Minotauro bis," began in 2022 and has led to the seizure of 104 fake contemporary artworks, the dismantling of a forgery laboratory in Rome, and the freezing of bank accounts and vehicles. Forgers used complex methods including fake watermarks, scanned images, and aging paper with coffee or tea.

Seoul According to Artist Etsu Egami

Japanese-born artist Etsu Egami, known for large-scale abstract paintings exploring language and communication barriers, has been chosen to inaugurate Korea's new OAR Contemporary Museum in Gyeongju with a solo exhibition titled "Egami Etsu: Echoes of the Earth." The show, running until September 21, features site-specific works inspired by the city's ancient tombs and the museum's architecture. Egami, who was raised across Washington, DC, Paris, and Japan and studied in Germany, Beijing, and New York, has previously exhibited at the Guggenheim in New York, Grand Palais in Paris, and Mori Art Museum. She first showed in South Korea in 2022 at Tang Contemporary in Seoul, and her work has gained recognition among Korean curators and collectors.

three men convicted celtic gold coins theft germany 1234748543

Three men were convicted for stealing 483 ancient Celtic gold coins from the Kelten Römer Museum in Manching, Germany, in November 2022. The coins, dating to the 3rd century BCE and valued at several million euros, were discovered in 1999 near Manching. The thieves cut off telephone and internet service to the entire town to prevent the museum from contacting authorities. A court in Ingolstadt sentenced the men to prison terms ranging from four years and nine months to 11 years for gang robbery; a fourth defendant was acquitted of the museum heist but convicted for other thefts. DNA evidence linked the group to a string of robberies across Germany and Austria since 2014, and some coins were melted down, with 70 lost.