lincoln center mural kicks off project improve access damrosch park

Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts has unveiled a new large-scale mural titled "The Future We Create" by Spanish artist Vanesa Álvarez and local artist Derval Fairweather. Installed on construction fencing along Amsterdam Avenue, the vibrant public artwork was produced in collaboration with the nonprofit ArtBridge. The design was informed by community workshops involving local residents and students, transforming a temporary urban barrier into a celebratory visual narrative.

Nikyle Begay Resurrects Century-Old Diné Weavings

Nikyle Begay, a Diné shepherd and weaver based in the Navajo Nation, is revitalizing ancestral weaving techniques that were historically marginalized by the colonial trading-post economy. By breeding Navajo Churro sheep and mastering complex twill patterns once used for functional saddle blankets, Begay bridges the gap between traditional agricultural practice and contemporary fine art. Their work involves the entire lifecycle of the medium, from shearing and processing wool to reconstructing intricate designs that fell out of favor when commercial markets prioritized specific regional styles for non-Native buyers.

france national assembly vote bill looted artifacts

The French National Assembly has unanimously passed a landmark bill designed to streamline the restitution of cultural artifacts looted during the colonial era between 1815 and 1972. This legislative framework aims to replace the previous requirement for individual laws for every return, fulfilling a long-standing pledge by President Emmanuel Macron to restore African heritage. While the vote was unanimous, the debate was contentious, with critics arguing over the omission of the word "colonialism" to avoid far-right backlash regarding national "repentance."

Rome’s Colosseum Gets a New Pedestrian Plaza

Rome has unveiled a newly restored pedestrian plaza at the southern façade of the Colosseum following a four-year construction project. Led by Stefano Boeri Interiors, the renovation features a travertine-paved square that recreates the original floor level and footprint of the ancient amphitheater. The design uses stone plinths to mark the locations of long-lost columns, allowing visitors to visualize the massive scale of the structure as it appeared nearly 2,000 years ago.

‘Yellowstone’ Creator Taylor Sheridan to Direct 4D Film for New Alamo Museum

Taylor Sheridan, the creator of the hit television series Yellowstone, has been tapped to direct a 4D film for the upcoming Alamo Visitor Center and Museum in San Antonio. The film will serve as the centerpiece of a $185 million museum revamp, which includes a state-of-the-art theater designed to be the most technologically advanced of its kind. Sheridan, a Texas native, will chronicle the 1836 siege and battle that remains a foundational event in Texan history.

After a Decade of Delays, a 5th-Century Church in Glasgow Will Become a Museum

The Govan Heritage Trust is moving forward with a $6 million redevelopment of Govan Old, a historic 5th-century church site in Glasgow, following a decade of financial and pandemic-related delays. The project, designed by jm architects, will transform the late 19th-century building into a self-sustaining cultural complex featuring a museum, tourist attraction, and commercial business spaces.

Colosseum Facelift Restores Ancient Southern Entrance to Its Former Glory

Rome’s Colosseum has unveiled a major four-year restoration of its southern entrance, a project led by Stefano Boeri Interiors in collaboration with the Colosseum Archaeological Park. The renovation lowered the surrounding piazza to its original Roman-era height, reintroduced travertine flooring sourced from ancient quarries, and installed seating blocks that mark the locations of long-lost marble columns. During the excavation process, archaeologists recovered a wealth of historical artifacts, including ancient coins, statues, and gold jewelry, while leaving a specific section untouched to showcase the arena's complex hydraulic foundations.

Keir Starmer is no Neville Chamberlain | Brief letters

The Guardian's obituary of architect Desmond Williams has highlighted a notable connection within the British architectural world. Williams, known for his ecclesiastical designs, studied at the University of Manchester School of Architecture alongside Donald Buttress, who eventually served as the surveyor of the fabric of Westminster Abbey.

Roar materials: the ‘uncanny’ art of dinosaur puppetry – in pictures

The Australian puppetry company Erth is preparing for a new immersive dinosaur show at the Sydney Opera House. The article provides a behind-the-scenes look at their workshop in Marrickville, where a team of artists and designers hand-craft highly realistic, large-scale dinosaur puppets using animatronics, 3D printing, and traditional craftsmanship.

Plan to build border wall along the Rio Grande in Texas threatens prehistoric rock art, locals warn

Plans to extend the US-Mexico border wall through Val Verde County, Texas, threaten to damage or destroy hundreds of prehistoric rock art murals in the Lower Pecos region. Archaeologists and local landowners warn that construction vibrations could destabilize the rock surfaces housing these ancient paintings, some of which are over 5,700 years old and span up to 100 feet in length.

A Holy Week procession, white pelicans and apricot blossoms: photos of the day – Tuesday

The Guardian's picture editors curated a selection of global photographs for Tuesday, March 31, 2026. The images include a Holy Week procession by the Trabajo y Luz brotherhood in Granada, Spain; white pelicans at Lake Çavuşçu in Turkey; apricot blossoms in Gilgit-Baltistan, Pakistan; and scenes from California, Lebanon, India, Israel, Ukraine, the West Bank, and France, capturing moments of nature, conflict, displacement, and commemoration.

‘Every child wants to find joy’: the scheme designing playground equipment for disaster zones

Photographer Alexander Meininger, inspired by his children and the war in Ukraine, has launched the charity Playrise. The organization designs and produces flatpack, modular playground equipment made from iroko hardwood for children living in refugee camps and disaster zones. Its first set will be sent to the Aysaita refugee camp in Ethiopia next month.

From car parks to piers: the 2026 Australian Urban Design awards celebrate utilitarian architecture

The 2026 Australian Urban Design Awards have been announced, celebrating projects that prioritize pragmatic, community-focused design over sculptural spectacle. Winners include the Campbelltown station commuter car park in Sydney, praised for its civic dignity and greenery; the St Kilda pier redevelopment in Melbourne, which balances engineering with tourism and penguin habitat protection; and Balam Balam Place in Brunswick, a cultural landscape honoring Indigenous history.

Meet the First Cohort of Haystack’s Artist Grant Initiative

The Haystack Mountain School of Crafts, supported by the Windgate Foundation, has announced the eight recipients of its inaugural Artist Grant Initiative. Each emerging artist received an unrestricted $10,000 grant and participated in an online mentorship program with artists Vivian Chiu and Cedric Mitchell. The 2025 cohort, selected by jurors Curtis Arima and Annie Evelyn, includes Aminata Conteh, David Gutierrez, Payton Harris-Woodard, Celina Hernandez, Jason McDonald, Alex Paat, David Vuong, and Tzyy Yi (Amy) Young.

Trump's White House Ballroom Proposal Faces Criticism Over Scale

trumps white house ballroom proposal too big

President Donald Trump has proposed a massive 90,000-square-foot addition to the White House, featuring a 22,000-square-foot ballroom designed to host 1,000 guests. While the administration argues the space is necessary to replace temporary tents for state functions, the project has already led to the demolition of the East Wing and sparked significant backlash from federal planning commissions and preservation groups.

belarus free theatre venice biennale collateral event

The Belarus Free Theatre (BFT), an underground performance group currently in exile, has announced its first major visual art exhibition titled "Official. Unofficial. Belarus." as a collateral event for the 61st Venice Biennale. Staged at the historic La Chiesa di San Giovanni Evangelista, the show features site-specific works by exiled artists including Sergey Grinevich, Vladimir Tsesler, and Nicolai Khalezin. The installations range from paintings functioning as altar panels to a massive sphere of banned books and a crucifix made of CCTV cameras, all designed to critique the surveillance and censorship of the Lukashenko regime.

nonprofits sue trump administration national parks

Six national nonprofit organizations have filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration, alleging the illegal censorship and removal of educational signage across U.S. national parks. The legal challenge, filed in the U.S. District Court of Massachusetts, targets the Department of the Interior and the National Park Service for stripping displays related to climate change, slavery, and the history of marginalized groups. The plaintiffs argue these actions violate federal mandates requiring parks to reflect diverse cultural backgrounds and current scientific research.

unt faculty open letter victor quinonez exhibition cancelation

Faculty at the University of North Texas's College of Visual Arts and Design have issued an open letter protesting the abrupt and unexplained cancellation of a solo exhibition by artist Victor "Marka27" Quiñonez. The letter, addressed to university leadership, argues the removal violates UNT's own policies on academic freedom and non-discrimination based on content, and demands an explanation for the decision.

wang contemporary ying alexander wang

Designer Alexander Wang and his mother Ying Wang have acquired the historic 58 Bowery building in New York's Chinatown for $9.5 million, marking its first Chinese American ownership. They are transforming the former bank into a cultural venue named Wang Contemporary, which will host exhibitions, performances, and festivals focused on Asian and Asian American creatives, with its inaugural exhibition curated by the art collective MSCHF.

Volunteer Restorer Accused of Painting PM Giorgia Meloni's Face into Angel on Church Fresco

church fresco giorgia meloni

A volunteer restorer in Rome, Bruno Valentinetti, has been accused of altering a church fresco to make an angel bear the likeness of Italy's Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni. The fresco, in the Basilica of San Lorenzo in Lucina, was restored after water damage, and the angel holding a map of Italy now appears to resemble the political leader. Valentinetti denies the likeness, claiming he faithfully followed the original design.

ai da architecture denmark

Ai-Da, the world's first robot artist, has debuted a retro-futuristic architecture concept at the Utzon Center in Aalborg, Denmark, as part of the exhibition "I'm not a robot." The design, a smooth-edged pod with sweeping curved windows, imagines a space-age co-living space for humans and humanoids. Ai-Da, created by British gallerist Aidan Meller in 2019, uses A.I. to generate her works, and the building concept emerged from discussions between the robot and her team. The exhibition runs through October 18, and Ai-Da's designs will also be shown in London later this year.

secret mall apartment documentary mall artists netflix

The 2024 documentary film "Secret Mall Apartment," directed by Jeremy Workman, was released on Netflix on Friday. The film recounts the true story of artist Michael Townsend and seven others, many of them former students from the Rhode Island School of Design, who secretly built and lived in a hidden apartment inside the Providence Place mall from 2003 to 2007 as a protest against gentrification and consumer culture. The group was discovered in 2007, and Townsend was charged with trespassing, receiving probation and a lifetime ban from the mall. Originally released in theaters in March 2024, the documentary had been available on Amazon Prime Video and Apple TV before its Netflix debut.

iranian artists killed in anti government protests advocacy groups report

At least four Iranian artists have been killed by police and militias during anti-government protests that began in December, according to Artists at Risk Connection (ARC). The victims include sculptor Mehdi Salahshour, filmmaker Javad Ganji, fashion designer Rubina Aminian, and hip-hop artist Soroush Soleimani. ARC condemned the extrajudicial killings, internet blackouts, and suppression of dissent, while the Iranian Independent Filmmakers Association (IIFMA) reported over 2,000 civilian deaths and called for international intervention.

charli xcx sound sculpture amanda camenisch

The article reports that Charli XCX plays a sculptural harp by artist Amanda Camenisch in the film *100 Nights Of Hero*, which premiered at the Venice International Film Festival. The instrument, titled *Elemental Harp: Fire* (or "Fire Harp"), was commissioned by the London Brent Biennial in 2022 and is part of a series of five sound sculptures representing elemental forces. Camenisch, a London-based photographer, filmmaker, and performer, creates hand-forged sonic sculptures designed for participatory rituals and vibrational healing.

huge persepolis destruction

The article recounts the Sack of Persepolis in 330 B.C.E., when Alexander the Great and his Macedonian forces pillaged and destroyed the Achaemenid capital. It describes Persepolis as a marvel of ancient architecture, including the 31-acre limestone terrace, the Apadana hall with 36 columns, and the palace of Xerxes I. Ancient sources like Diodorus of Sicily and Plutarch offer conflicting accounts of the destruction—whether it was spontaneous, premeditated, or fueled by alcohol—while modern historians view it as a political act of retribution for Xerxes' attack on Athens.

victims of communism memorial canada

A memorial to 'Victims of Communism' in Ottawa, Canada, will no longer be inscribed with the names of individuals after a government report found that more than half of the proposed 550 names were linked to Nazism or fascist groups. The decision, announced by the Department of Canadian Heritage, follows concerns raised by Jewish groups and Canadian media outlets like Ricochet and The Maple. Instead, the Wall of Remembrance will feature only thematic content reflecting the memorial's broader commemorative and educational purpose. The memorial, first approved in 2009, has a budget of about $5.4 million, with $4.36 million from public funds, and faced earlier criticism over its design.

bayeux tapestry canterbury mealtime reading

A new study by University of Bristol historian Benjamin Pohl, published in the journal *Historical Research*, proposes that the Bayeux Tapestry was originally designed as mealtime reading for monks in the refectory of St. Augustine’s Abbey in Canterbury. Pohl argues that the tapestry’s moralistic episodes, inclusion of Aesop’s fables, and simple Latin text align with Benedictine rules requiring silent dining accompanied by edifying readings. The theory builds on earlier speculation that the tapestry once hung in a private school’s refectory, but Pohl provides documentary and archaeological evidence for the Canterbury location.

bianca censori furniture design performance art

Bianca Censori, known for her revealing fashion and as Ye's wife, debuted her first performance art piece titled "BIO POP (The Origin)" on December 12-13 at Layer 41 in Seoul, South Korea. The 14-minute performance features Censori in a maroon bodysuit preparing an object at a kitchen island before revealing furniture intertwined with female contortionists styled as her duplicates, all made from discarded mobility devices. A related jewelry line inspired by medical devices also launched the same day.

cartier into the wild miami

Cartier has opened a theatrical pop-up exhibition titled "Into the Wild" in Miami during Art Week, showcasing its archive of animal-themed jewelry and objets. The exhibition guides visitors through five staged "worlds" featuring the iconic Panthère motif alongside other fauna and flora, with vintage pieces from the 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s, and a finale by Berlin-based artist Clare Celeste. The experience concludes with golf carts transporting guests to Cartier's newly renovated Miami flagship boutique.

brussels nativity scene stolen baby jesus

Belgian police are investigating the theft of the infant Jesus figure from a controversial Nativity scene at a Brussels Christmas market. The installation, created by German artist Victoria-Maria Geyer, features faceless cloth figures intended to allow all Catholics to identify with the biblical story, but it sparked a national scandal and political backlash, with critics calling the design zombie-like and the €65,000 cost exorbitant. The figure was stolen from its manger in the early hours of November 29, and authorities have since replaced it with a new model.