Gulag Museum rebrand marks latest phase in Kremlin’s assault on free speech

The Kremlin is systematically erasing the memory of Soviet repression under Joseph Stalin from Russian museums. The Gulag Museum in Moscow, which documented Stalin-era crimes, has been rebranded as a "Museum of Memory" focused on Nazi war crimes, with its entire website replaced and exhibitions packed up. Simultaneously, Russia's supreme court banned Memorial, a human rights organization founded to document Stalin-era atrocities, labeling it an "anti-Russian" extremist group. The Yeltsin Presidential Center in Yekaterinburg has also removed references to Memorial from its walls, and the Sakharov Center in Moscow was disbanded and evicted from its facilities.

composer philip glass withdraws symphony kennedy center

Composer Philip Glass has withdrawn his Symphony No. 15, a commissioned work honoring Abraham Lincoln, from the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts ahead of its scheduled premiere by the National Symphony Orchestra in June. Glass informed the center in a letter on Tuesday, stating that the Kennedy Center's current values are in direct conflict with the symphony's message, calling the decision an obligation. He joins soprano Renée Fleming in severing ties, while the Washington National Opera has already relocated due to low attendance. The center's board voted to add President Donald Trump's name to the institution in December, a move questioned for its legality and opposed by Kennedy family members and Democratic Representative Joyce Beatty.

damascus university bans nude models

Damascus University in Syria has begun strictly enforcing a 1974 ban on nude models in its fine arts departments—sculpture, painting, engraving, and printmaking—threatening students with a failing grade if they use nude figures. Fine arts dean Fouad Dahdouh issued the directive, citing ethical and societal values, despite being a practicing artist who himself has created artworks depicting nude figures. Students have pushed back, calling the policy a violation of academic freedom and organizing a peaceful protest.

Major, International Touring Exhibition ‘Treasures of the Pharaohs’ Coming to the Kimbell Art Museum in 2027

The Kimbell Art Museum in Fort Worth, Texas, announced it will host the major international touring exhibition 'Treasures of the Pharaohs' from March 14 to September 19, 2027. Featuring 130 artifacts from the Egyptian Museum in Cairo and the Luxor Museum, the exhibition spans 3,000 years of ancient Egyptian history, including royal treasures, newly discovered objects from the 'Golden City' in the Valley of the Kings, and works from Dynasty I to the Ptolemaic period. The exhibition is currently on view at the Scuderie del Quirinale in Rome and will travel to the de Young museum in San Francisco before arriving at the Kimbell.

Marianne Vitale exhibition and performance in Pittsburgh

The Pittsburgh Cultural Trust presents "Marianne Vitale: On Liberty: A Summoning," an exhibition and performance project at SPACE gallery in downtown Pittsburgh, running from May 1 to October 11, 2026. Guest curated by Benjamin Tischer of New Discretions, the project explores the layered social and cultural history of the 818 Liberty Avenue building, a former hub of nightlife, performance, and queer gathering. Vitale's work incorporates sculpture, painting, film, and live activations, using decommissioned locomotive parts and industrial debris to engage with post-industrial America. The exhibition transforms into a functioning club during select Final Fridays, drawing on the site's history as home to venues like Pegasus Lounge, a key LGBTQ+ space during the AIDS crisis.

São Paulo pop-up exhibition spotlights spherical home by architect Eduardo Longo

The fifth edition of Aberto has launched in São Paulo, transforming the iconic Casa Bola—a spherical, sustainable home designed by architect Eduardo Longo in the 1970s—into a temporary art and design hub. Co-curated by Kiki Mazzucchelli and Claudia Moreira Salles, the exhibition features over 50 artists and six major galleries, including Gladstone Gallery and Mendes Wood DM. The show spans the futuristic residence and an adjacent warehouse, showcasing newly commissioned works that dialogue with Longo’s counterculture architectural vision.

Chicago's cultural affairs department hits crisis point

Chicago's Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events (DCASE) is in crisis, with at least 18 staff members—about 25% of the department—leaving since Mayor Brandon Johnson appointed former legislative director Clineé Hedspeth as commissioner last year, replacing Erin Harkey (who became CEO of Americans for the Arts). Multiple formal complaints have been filed against Hedspeth alleging bullying, and staff report a lack of communication and strategic direction amid funding challenges. A new advocacy group, Artists for Chicago, delivered a letter with 270 signatures to the mayor on April 14, expressing concerns about dysfunction and unmet needs in the arts sector.

Cultural Institutions Warn Against AfD's Cultural Policy Plans

Kulturinstitutionen warnen vor AfD-Plänen zur Kulturpolitik

Nearly 30 cultural institutions in Saxony-Anhalt, including the Bauhaus Dessau Foundation and the Saxony-Anhalt Museum Association, have issued a joint warning against the AfD party's new government program. The political platform proposes a "patriotic cultural policy" that would prioritize funding for art contributing to "German identity" while criticizing the state's focus on modernism and the Bauhaus as a "sign of identity disorder." The institutions argue these plans threaten artistic freedom, pluralism, and the democratic culture of remembrance regarding Germany's Nazi past.

Galleries condemned, bones exploding… The National Museum of Natural History is in a serious state of disrepair, warns its president

Galeries condamnées, ossements qui explosent… Le Muséum national d’Histoire naturelle est dans un grave état de vétusté, alerte son président

The president of the Muséum national d’Histoire naturelle in Paris, Gilles Bloch, has issued a public alarm about the institution's severe state of disrepair. He warns that 74% of the museum complex is in grave danger, with urgent repairs costing an estimated €500 million needed to prevent collapse and reopen closed galleries. The deterioration includes mold-infested herbariums, flooded archives, and mineralized bones exploding due to heat and humidity, threatening the museum's world-class collection of over 70 million specimens.

Sylvie Retailleau explains how she saved the Palais de la Découverte

Sylvie Retailleau explique comment elle a sauvé le Palais de la Découverte

Sylvie Retailleau, a physicist, former president of Paris-Saclay University, and former Minister of Higher Education, has been president of Universcience since January 2026. In an interview, she explains how the Palais de la Découverte, housed within the Grand Palais, nearly disappeared during the Grand Palais renovation. Intense debates over whether to dedicate the renovated space entirely to classical culture threatened the science museum. Retailleau negotiated a compromise: the Palais de la Découverte ceded one gallery (1,200 m²) to the Grand Palais for about €30 million in revenue over ten years and is lending another gallery (350 m²) until June 2030 for Centre Pompidou exhibitions. In return, Universcience gains full control of the programming for the Palais des Enfants. The Palais de la Découverte is set to reopen in March 2027.

Brooklyn Museum Plans $13 Million Overhaul for New African Art Galleries

The Brooklyn Museum has announced a $13 million renovation project to create new Arts of Africa galleries, set to open in Fall 2027. The 6,400-square-foot space on the museum's third floor will display 300 works from its 4,500-piece collection, spanning from antiquity to the present day. The project, led by architectural firm Peterson Rich Office, will repurpose latent storage space and reconnect galleries architecturally.

Joel Meyerowitz on Photographing Giorgio Morandi’s Studio

Photographer Joel Meyerowitz, renowned for his street photography, has a book of images documenting the preserved studio of painter Giorgio Morandi being re-released this spring. The book, "Morandi’s Objects: The Complete Archive of Casa Morandi," features over 130 new photographs of the artist's humble objects and workspace, capturing the essence of his still-life practice.

"Hier darf laut gelacht werden"

During the opening week of the Venice Biennale, multiple reports detail controversies surrounding the Israeli and Russian pavilions. According to Hyperallergic, artist Belu-Simion Fainaru of the Israeli pavilion threatened legal action against the Biennale after the jury sought to exclude Israel and Russia from prizes over alleged human rights violations, citing antisemitism and nationality-based discrimination. This may have prompted the jury's sudden resignation. Meanwhile, taz reports that Russia's pavilion is a macabre 'dance of death' blending techno and political denial, while Israel's pavilion faces a 'silent boycott' and social ostracism. Zeit describes protests by Pussy Riot and Femen outside the Russian pavilion as a defining image, with activists chanting 'blood sticks to the art of this country.'

Under pressure, the jury of the 61st Venice Biennale will exclude Russian and Israeli pavilions from the awards

Sous pression, le jury de la 61e Biennale de Venise exclura les pavillons russe et israélien du palmarès

The 61st Venice Biennale, titled "In Minor Keys" and running from May 9 to November 22, 2026, has been embroiled in political controversy after organizers decided to reinstate the Russian pavilion, which had been excluded since Russia's 2022 invasion of Ukraine. Under pressure from the European Commission, which threatened to suspend a €2 million grant, the jury announced it will exclude artists from the Russian and Israeli pavilions from winning prizes, citing that leaders Vladimir Putin and Benjamin Netanyahu face International Criminal Court charges for crimes against humanity. The Russian pavilion will remain closed to the public but open for VIP press previews, while the Israeli pavilion stays open to the public. Italian Culture Minister Alessandro Giuli has refused to attend the opening ceremony in protest.

The Frigos in Danger

Les frigos en danger

The article reports on the deteriorating condition of Les Frigos, a historic artist studio complex in Paris that has been left neglected and abandoned. Once a vibrant hub for contemporary artists, the site now faces an uncertain future due to lack of maintenance and institutional support.

Venice Biennale jury ‘will not award artists from countries facing war crimes charges’

The jury of the Venice Biennale has announced it will not award prizes to artists from countries whose leaders face charges of crimes against humanity by the International Criminal Court, a decision widely seen as targeting Russia and Israel. The five-member jury, appointed by the late curator Koyo Kouoh, stated its commitment to human rights and will exclude artists from nations whose governments are under ICC investigation when selecting winners of the Golden and Silver Lion awards for the 2026 edition, which opens on 9 May. The move follows controversy over Russia’s participation in the biennale, with the European Commission threatening to suspend a €2m grant due to Russia’s involvement, and Italy’s far-right government opposing the decision.

Grimes joining LinkedIn is artwashing at its most brazen. I should know – I released my new film on there

Artist Alan Warburton critiques the migration of creative professionals to LinkedIn, sparked by musician Grimes' recent pivot to the platform to promote her appearance at an Nvidia tech conference. Warburton, who recently released his AI-focused film 'Image Empire' on the site, describes the move as a desperate response to the 'enshittification' of traditional creative platforms like Twitter and Vimeo, which have been overrun by bots and AI-generated content.

reindeer hunting facility found in melted ice norway

Melting ice in Norway has revealed a 1,500-year-old reindeer hunting facility, preserved beneath centuries of snow and ice. Archaeologists from the University Museum of Bergen and Vestland County uncovered wooden mass-capture fences, marked antlers, iron spearheads, arrow shafts, wooden spears, a crafted antler brooch, and a mysterious decorated pine oar at the site on the mountain plateau of Aurlandsfjellet. The trap, composed of hundreds of tree branches stacked into two fences, was likely used around the middle of the 6th century at the start of a cold period, when year-round snow and ice made it unusable yet ideal for preservation.

mellon foundation emergency funding state councils neh cuts

The Mellon Foundation, the largest funder of the arts and humanities in the U.S., announced $15 million in emergency funding to the Federation of State Humanities Councils (FSHC). The funds will be distributed to state councils in all 50 states and six jurisdictions, with each council receiving a $200,000 one-time grant totaling $11.2 million, plus $2.8 million in challenge grants requiring local matching. This comes after the Trump administration cut $65 million from the National Endowment for the Humanities budget that was earmarked for these councils, threatening severe deficits or closures. The cuts were justified by the federal government as necessary for fiscal priorities, with $17 million redirected to a Trump-designated National Garden of American Heroes.

suffering life models in florence are threatening legal action over working conditions

Life models at the Accademia di Belle Arti di Firenze (Florence Academy of Fine Arts) are threatening legal action and a potential nude protest over poor working conditions. They complain of exhausting work, insufficient breaks, and renewable annual contracts offering 500 hours over 11 months with no insurance, holidays, sick leave, or timecards. The models argue that a 2024 Italian ministry law requiring permanent contracts for those with three years of service does not apply to them because the academy claims they were hired under simplified procedures. Union president Giancarlo Iacomini met with academy director Gaia Bindi on April 9 to seek a resolution, calling the situation "deeply contradictory."

Open Letter in Support of the Artist Asel Kadyrkhanova

An open letter initiated by members of the Kazakhstani and international art community protests the removal of artist Asel Kadyrkhanova's work *Machine* (2013) from the Kazakhstan pavilion at the 2026 Venice Biennale. The mixed-media installation, which addresses Stalinist repression through a vintage typewriter, arrest warrants, and red threads, was dismantled on May 5, 2026, reportedly by order of Kazakhstan's Ministry of Culture and Information, just before the pavilion's opening. The artist and curator were allegedly pressured to alter the work beforehand, and the ministry initially cited restrictions from the Italian side, but the Italian Ministry of Defense denied involvement.

EU Cuts Venice Biennale Funding Over Russia Involvement

The European Commission has withdrawn a $2.3 million grant from the Venice Biennale, following through on a threat made last week. The funding cut is a direct response to the Biennale's decision to readmit Russian artists as a government-funded delegation for its 2026 edition, which the EU argues violates sanctions and provides Russia a cultural platform during its war against Ukraine.

'Epic in scale': APY Lands exhibition opens at NGA after three-year delay

The National Gallery of Australia has officially opened 'Ngura Puḻka — Epic Country,' a landmark exhibition featuring 30 large-scale paintings by 49 First Nations artists from the APY Lands. The show, which features works predominantly measuring three-by-three meters, highlights the Tjukurpa (lore and ceremony) of the Aṉangu Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara regions. The opening follows a significant three-year delay caused by an independent investigation into allegations of improper interference by non-Indigenous staff.

parties artists and mothers gala wsa

Over 250 supporters gathered at downtown creative hub WSA on Sunday for the first annual gala of the nonprofit Artists & Mothers, a sold-out fundraiser for the organization’s hallmark $25,000 childcare grants supporting artists with children under three. The event featured interactive installations by Ei Arakawa-Nash, Lisa Alvarado, and Maia Ruth Lee, performances by DJ Cardamami, Sophie Becker, Zeena Parkins, and others, and was attended by co-founders Julia Trotta and Maria De Victoria, incoming First Lady of New York Rama Duwaji, numerous artists, curators, patrons, and gallerists.

Ahead of Romania’s re-run presidential election, its art scene remains vigilant

Romania is set to hold a re-run presidential election on May 4, 2025, after the original election was annulled due to allegations of Russian interference favoring far-right candidate Călin Georgescu. With Georgescu barred, another far-right candidate, George Simion, leads polls, sparking protests and online debates over nationalism, LGBTQ rights, and foreign relations. The political turmoil has affected the art scene, with gallery founder Suzana Vasilescu reporting a standstill in art sales and tension among collectors, though the scene remains resilient. Upcoming events like the RAD art fair and Art Encounters Biennale are proceeding, but art professionals express vigilance against potential nationalist pressures.

Lawsuit Alleges DOGE Cancelled $349,000 HVAC Grant to Museum after ChatGPT Flagged It As DEI

Lawsuit Alleges DOGE Cancelled $349,000 HVAC Grant to Museum after ChatGPT Flagged It As DEI

The High Point Museum in North Carolina had a $349,000 federal grant to replace its HVAC system canceled after staff at the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) used ChatGPT to evaluate the proposal. According to a federal lawsuit, the AI chatbot flagged the climate-control project as related to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives, leading to its termination, despite the grant's stated purpose of preserving the museum's collection.

Canadian Museum of Human Rights Threatened With Legal Action Over Palestinian Nakba Show

The Canadian Museum for Human Rights in Winnipeg has been threatened with legal action by Shurat HaDin – Israel Law Center over an upcoming exhibition titled "Palestine Uprooted: Nakba Past and Present," scheduled to open June 27. The exhibition focuses on the 1948 expulsion of approximately 750,000 Palestinians, known as the Nakba, and features video testimonies, photography, visual art, and text exploring human rights violations and forced displacement. Shurat HaDin's letter, sent to the museum's board and senior leadership, argues the exhibition omits Jewish historical ties to the region, politicizes history, and could fuel hostility against the Jewish community. The organization demands the museum halt work on the show, commission an independent review, and retract statements about Israeli human rights violations, threatening litigation if the museum does not respond within 14 days. The museum has confirmed the letter is under review but stated the exhibition is still expected to open as scheduled.

LA’s Getty Center to Close for Renovations Beginning in 2027

The Getty Center in Los Angeles has announced a year-long closure for extensive renovations, scheduled to begin in March 2027. This marks the first major modernization of the Richard Meier-designed campus since its opening in 1997. The project will focus on updating the galleries, the Welcome Hall, and the tram system, while also introducing new artist commissions and improving infrastructure like HVAC systems and digital connectivity.

Demise of world's largest mangrove forest inspires Bangladeshi artist Soma Surovi Jannat's new works

Bangladeshi artist Soma Surovi Jannat has opened her first UK exhibition, 'Climate Culture Care,' at the Ashmolean Museum in Oxford. The show features around 20 paintings and drawings created largely during a 2023 residency, drawing inspiration from the endangered Sundarbans mangrove forest and the museum's own collections. Her works fuse human, animal, and mythological imagery to depict the region's ecological and social struggles.

de young museum lawsuits workplace culture

Security guards at the de Young Museum in San Francisco have leveled serious allegations against the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco (FAMSF) and their union, SEIU 1021, citing a decade of workplace toxicity. Multiple lawsuits detail a culture of whistleblower retaliation, wrongful termination, and harassment, including claims of religious discrimination where a guard was allegedly called a "terrorist" and threatened with gun violence by management. To date, the city has paid out over $1 million to settle seven different lawsuits from security staff, with more litigation reportedly on the horizon.