The Château de Boutemont: An Architectural Gem to Discover in Normandy

Il Castello di Boutemont: un gioiello architettonico da scoprire in Normandia

The Château de Boutemont in Ouilly-le-Vicomte, Normandy, has reopened for its new season running through November. Now in its sixth year under owners Johanna Wistrøm-Monnier and Bruno Monnier, the property has seen steady growth in visitors thanks to investments in its gardens and the opening of three castle rooms. Bruno Monnier founded Culturespace in the 1990s, a private company that manages museums such as the Palais des Papes in Avignon and the Ateliers des Lumières immersive art centers. Johanna Wistrøm-Monnier, formerly director of the Dan Graham Foundation, now dedicates herself full-time to the estate, which features gardens designed by famed landscape architect Achille Duchêne.

Venice, the island of San Giacomo becomes the new home of the Sandretto Foundation

Fondazione Sandretto Re Rebaudengo opens a new headquarters on the island of San Giacomo in the northern lagoon of Venice on May 7, 2026. The project combines contemporary art, historic rehabilitation, environmental sustainability, and research, featuring exhibitions, permanent installations, and public programs. The island was purchased in 2018 by Patrizia Sandretto Re Rebaudengo and Agostino Re Rebaudengo from Cassa Depositi e Prestiti and transformed into a center for cultural production and ecological experimentation, with free admission and universal accessibility.

ICOM Exhibitions opens registrations and call for proposals for Momentum 2026

ICOM Exhibitions has opened registrations and a call for proposals for its 2026 annual conference, Momentum 2026, titled "Museums, Exhibitions, and Disruptions – How Far Dare We Go?" The event will take place from October 4 to 8 at the Musée de la civilisation in Québec City, Canada, and will gather around 150 museum professionals globally. The programme includes keynote presentations, workshops, visits to local cultural institutions such as the Monastère des Augustines and the Musée national des beaux-arts du Québec, and a behind-the-scenes look at a new pavilion dedicated to artist Jean Paul Riopelle. Proposals are due by May 22, with formats ranging from roundtables to lightning presentations.

Today’s war, tomorrow’s loot: attempts at stemming the illicit trade in art

The article examines the ongoing challenge of preventing the illicit trade in cultural property looted from conflict zones. It discusses the Hague Convention of 1954 and its protocol, which require signatory countries to prevent theft and pillage during armed conflict and to seize and repatriate unlawful exports. However, the protocol only applies to situations of 'occupation,' leaving a gap for looting that occurs in the chaos of war beyond formal occupation. The article also notes UN Security Council Resolutions that restrict unlawfully removed cultural property from Iraq and Syria, but no similar consensus exists for countries like Afghanistan, Libya, Ukraine, Lebanon, Yemen, Sudan, and Iran. EU Regulation 2019/880 is highlighted as a measure that prohibits introducing goods removed unlawfully from their place of origin into the EU, though its scope has expanded beyond its original anti-terrorist financing purpose.