British Museum did not remove Palestine from labels due to pressure campaign, museum sources say—as backlash continues

Over 200 cultural figures, including musician Brian Eno and writer Laleh Khalili, have signed an open letter condemning the British Museum for allegedly removing the word "Palestine" from labels in its Ancient Levant gallery. The letter, published in March, accuses the museum of historical revisionism and links the action to pressure from the advocacy group UK Lawyers for Israel, while also criticizing the museum's broader ties to Israel.

The Angel of History Is Stuck in Jerusalem

The Jewish Museum in New York's exhibition 'Paul Klee: Other Possible Worlds' is missing its central artwork, Paul Klee's 'Angelus Novus' (1920). The original, owned by Walter Benjamin and normally housed at the Israel Museum in Jerusalem, is absent due to "current conditions affecting international transport," a likely reference to the Israel-Hamas war. A reproduction stands in its place, alongside Benjamin's famous 'Angel of History' text, which interprets the angel as a figure witnessing the catastrophic pile-up of history.

London gallery cancels controversial art show over antisemitic imagery

An exhibition titled 'Drawings Against Genocide' by British artist Matthew Collings, scheduled to open at Delta House Gallery in Wandsworth, London, has been cancelled after complaints from UK Lawyers for Israel (UKLFI) about antisemitic content. The show, planned for May 2026, included graphic drawings depicting Jews with horns, devouring babies, and denying Hamas's October 7 attacks, and had previously sparked outrage at a Margate gallery. Gallery owners Pineapple Corporation and Delta House Studios Ltd confirmed the cancellation after UKLFI warned of legal risks under the Public Order Act 1986.

Culture Senator under pressure due to Court of Audit report

Kultursenatorin wegen Rechnungshofberichts unter Druck

Berlin's Court of Audit has issued a scathing report accusing Culture Senator Sarah Wedl-Wilson (independent) of serious legal violations in the allocation of €2.6 million in anti-Semitism prevention grants for 2025. The audit found that the selection process was arbitrary, lacked transparent criteria, and violated state budget regulations. Six of the 13 funded projects—receiving €2 million—were deemed ineligible for the specific budget line, and some recipients were newly founded entities that were not properly vetted. The report warns that the grants may need to be repaid.

Kent art exhibition slammed as antisemitic and reported to police

Artist and former art critic Matthew Collings has sparked intense controversy with his exhibition 'Drawings Against Genocide' at Joseph Wales Studios in Margate. The show features provocative imagery, including a Star of David juxtaposed with Nazi symbols and depictions of IDF soldiers, which critics argue cross the line into antisemitism. The backlash intensified after Sunday Telegraph columnist Zoe Strimpel reported a hostile confrontation with the artist, leading to public condemnation from figures such as Dover MP Mike Tapp and Israel’s charge d’affaires, Daniela Grudsky.

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The Biennale of Sydney has officially denied allegations of discrimination and bias following claims from Australia’s Jewish community that the exhibition's selection process favored anti-Zionist artists. The controversy intensified when the NSW Jewish Board of Deputies declined a preview invitation, citing "objectionable social media activity" by participating artists rather than the artworks themselves. In response, the Biennale maintained that its selection process is based strictly on artistic merit and that the organization maintains a zero-tolerance policy toward all forms of racism, including antisemitism and Islamophobia.

Ai Weiwei faced vote about his Royal Academy of Arts, London membership after Gaza tweet

Chinese artist and activist Ai Weiwei faced a vote by the Royal Academy of Arts in London on whether to revoke his membership as an international Royal Academician. This followed a controversial tweet he posted in late 2023 about the Israel-Hamas conflict, which he later deleted and which led his gallery, Lisson Gallery, to postpone a show of his work. The RA's General Assembly ultimately voted to retain his membership.

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Three Jewish groups issued an open letter to the Kunstakademie Düsseldorf, a prominent German art school, calling for the cancellation of a lecture by Palestinian artist and filmmaker Basma Al-Sharif, scheduled for January 21. The groups alleged, without providing proof, that Al-Sharif's past events and social media posts—including one referring to Israel as a "Zionist entity" and stating "The lie of #neveragain is over"—trivialized terrorism and constituted antisemitism. The Kunstakademie Düsseldorf declined to cancel the event, affirming its commitment to free dialogue and noting that Al-Sharif was invited based on her CV, while also condemning the Hamas terrorist attack as a grave crime.

Flowers laid after Bondi terror attack will form new work of art at Sydney Jewish Museum

Floral tributes left at Bondi Beach after a deadly terrorist attack on a Hanukkah celebration in December 2024 have been collected and will be transformed into an art installation at the Sydney Jewish Museum. Jewish Australian artist Nina Sanadze, born in Georgia and based in Melbourne, is working with volunteers to dry and process the flowers in a Sydney warehouse, experimenting with resin, bronze casting, and composted materials to create a work that may depict beachgoers fleeing the attack. The museum, currently closed for redevelopment, plans to feature the installation in a special exhibition when it reopens in 2027.

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YouTube star Rachel Accurso, known as Ms. Rachel, announced an exhibition and fundraiser titled "Colors That Survived" featuring artworks created by children in Gaza. The show opens Tuesday at Caelum Gallery in New York's Chelsea neighborhood, with limited-edition prints priced at $200 each available through January 30 via the nonprofit Artists Support. All proceeds will go to young Palestinian artists. Accurso, who has over 18 million YouTube subscribers, became an advocate for children in Gaza after participating in a Save the Children fundraiser in May 2024, and has faced backlash from Zionist groups including StopAntisemitism, which falsely accused her of receiving funds from Hamas.

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New York's The New School is offering voluntary retirement and severance programs to a large group of faculty and staff as part of a radical restructuring to address a $48 million deficit. The American Association of University Professors (AAUP) reported that 40 percent of full-time faculty, about 169 staffers, received the offers, calling it the largest attempted firing of faculty currently taking place in the nation. The school is also eliminating over thirty programs, primarily in social sciences and humanities, and plans to combine several schools into a two-college structure, including Parsons School of Design. The school faces declining enrollment and has been warned by the Department of Education over campus protests related to the Israel-Hamas conflict.

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The Louvre was forced to close on Monday after staff launched strike action demanding urgent building renovations, improved security, increased staffing, and protesting a planned 45% ticket price increase for non-EU visitors. The strike follows a turbulent period for the museum, including a daylight theft of French crown jewels worth $102 million, a water leak damaging hundreds of documents, and safety concerns closing galleries. Meanwhile, Banksy's Walled Off Hotel in Bethlehem has reopened for the first time since 2023, after closing following the Hamas attacks of October 7, 2023, and the ensuing Israel-Hamas war. The hotel, which opened in 2017, sits opposite the West Bank barrier and features original Banksy works, positioning itself as a cultural platform for peace and Palestinian artists.

Banksy’s Bethlehem hotel, closed following 7 October attacks, reopens as ‘cultural platform that carries the narrative of Palestine’

Banksy's Walled Off Hotel in Bethlehem, which closed after the Hamas attacks on October 7, 2023, and the subsequent Israel-Hamas war, has reopened. The hotel, originally launched in 2017, faces the West Bank barrier and was designed to bring tourism to the area while exposing guests to life under the wall. Manager Wisam Salsaa says the hotel now serves as a cultural platform amplifying Palestinian voices, with over 20 original Banksy works still on display. Room prices range from $70 for a bunkbed to $495 for the presidential suite.