On Tuesday, Italy officially welcomed 600 antiquities from the United States, worth a collective $65 million, that were looted years ago and scattered in the holdings of museums, galleries, and collectors. The trove includes ancient gold coins, mosaics, manuscripts, and bronze statues, all of which were recovered during an extensive criminal investigation. The items were...
A group of workers at the Wing Luke Museum in Seattle led a walkout last week, accusing a current exhibition at the institution of falsely comparing antisemitism to anti-Zionism. On social media, the workers, posting as a collective entity under a Palestine-themed account, said the show exemplified the “significant negative impact that platforming Zionist ideology has on...
The FBI is investigating the sale of hundreds of items on eBay suspected to be stolen and missing artifacts from the British Museum, according to a new report published by BBC News. The law enforcement agency assisted the Metropolitan Police with the recent return of 268 items from a collector in Washington, D.C. The FBI also contacted a buyer in...
Look closely at Impressionist paintings in museums compared with photos of them taken 50 years ago, and you might notice something odd: some are losing their bright yellow hues. Take the dramatic sunset in Edward Munch’s famous painting “The Scream.” Portions of the sky that were once a vivid orangish yellow have faded to off-white. Likewise,...
The inaugural edition of the Contemporaine de Nîmes triennial pairs young talents with established artists to create a dialogue with the city. The Contemporaine de Nîmes initiated by the City of Nîmes in 2024, is a timely arrival. It recalls the enduring ties of this city, also known as the French Rome, to the forefront of modernity....
How politics, new tax and anti-money laundering regimes, and AI copyright will affect the art trade in 2024 At the start of 2023, there was considerable optimism that the year ahead was going to be one of stabilization, following a challenging period with the fallout from COVID-related lockdowns, the reduction of frictionless trade through Brexit,...
This Thursday, the Dallas Art Fair (DAF), which was launched in 2009, will welcome VIPs to its 2024 edition. The same day, and just across the street, the newer Dallas Invitational will open its second edition at the Fairmont Hotel. The Invitational, which features just 14 exhibiting galleries (versus DAF’s 91), is the latest boutique art event to stake...
With the evolution of artificial intelligence comes discussion of the technology’s environmental impact. A new study has found that for the tasks of writing and illustrating, AI emits hundreds of times less carbon than humans performing the same tasks. That does not mean, however, that AI can or should replace human writers and illustrators, the...
Nigerian singer Síkírù Àyìndé Barrister (1948-2010) pioneered fújì, a Yorùbá genre of popular dance music. In February 2024, historian Saheed Aderinto’s documentary on the musician’s life and times premiered. The Conversation Africa’s Wale Fatade asked Aderinto about the film and the music it brings to our attention. What is fújì music? Fújì fuses Islamic philosophy...
He will unveil a monumental new tapestry at Art Basel Hong Kong Sometimes it takes a village to make an artwork – or rather, a group of highly skilled artisans from your hometown. This is the case for Tsherin Sherpa’s installation Stairways to Heaven (2024), soon to be unveiled in the Encounters sector at Art Basel in...
