Disasters & destruction

Dealer Inge Baecker, a pioneer of the Fluxus movement, dies in German floods

The gallerist was ill at home in Bad Münstereifel, one of the worst-hit towns

German floods damage archives, soaking historic documents in mud

A team from the Cologne City Archive has sent emergency aid to Stolberg

Artist-run Dar Jacir Center in Bethlehem damaged

A newsletter issued by the cultural facility, founded by sisters Emily and Annemarie Jacir, says its office was ransacked and equipment was stolen

Gazanews

At an art school in Gaza, creation prevails amid destruction

Bombings have halted classes in the city’s only accredited arts academy, but its founder keeps hope alive

A fatal Mafia bombing shook Florence in 1993—now the Uffizi is fixing damage to its famous Vasari corridor with memorials of the attack

Work on the 760m-long Renaissance passageway, which has been closed for safety since 2016, will be completed in May next year

Beirutnews

France gives €500,000 towards reconstruction of Beirut's blast-hit Sursock Museum

French aid will restore the stained-glass windows and Arab salon of the historic villa, which was severely damaged in port explosions last August

Fire destroys the ‘Sistine Chapel of the Purépecha Plateau’ in Mexico

Art historian who knew the building best says the Indigenous community who worshipped in the unique 16th-century church should decide what will replace it

Ethiopian heritage under attack as reports of massacre emerge

Eyewitnesses say Eritrean military stormed an Ethiopian Orthodox Church in Axum, killing hundreds

A year after fire, Museum of Chinese in America launches digital platform with Google to celebrate its historical treasures

Viewers can track the recovery after the blaze and view hundreds of images of the New York museum’s artefacts

New hope that ancient Palmyra will be rebuilt after Isis damage

Deal between the Syrian government and Russian masonry body builds on country’s research into state of archaeological site

Clearing the 'voice' of Notre Dame: Paris cathedral's great organ meticulously removed for refurbishment

Huge operation to hoist the instrument out of the fire-ravaged building has taken four months

Finally, rebel experts come to the rescue of Unesco’s failing World Heritage programme

New organisation, Our World Heritage, is putting Unesco's feet to the fire

Historic churches of Naples are at risk from sinkholes

Researchers have identified nine buildings that require a “quick response” and a further 57 places of worship that could suffer from future cavity collapses

Attacker sprays oil in Berlin museums, damaging sarcophagi, sculptures and frames

Sixty-three objects were sprayed with an oily liquid on 3 October at the Pergamon, Neues Museum and Alte Nationalgalerie

Museum of Memory dedicated to victims of state violence wins prize in Nicaragua

While its physical location was closed by the combined impact of government reprisals and the global pandemic, the museum lives on as a digital space

Vandals smash statue of Mary Magdalene in French chapel—apparently because she is naked

A note was left at the scene by the perpetrators saying they “did not accept” that the saint should be “represented in such a way”

Beirutnews

Unesco, Icom and Louvre rally to help Beirut as museums tackle extensive explosion damage

A coalition of international museums and heritage organisations are working to provide expertise to Lebanese institutions

Hannah McGivern. with additional reporting by Gareth Harris
MaXXInews

MaXXI to open new museum in earthquake-ravaged L'Aquila in October

Contemporary art outpost of Rome museum will be housed in an 18th-century palace rebuilt with Russian government funds

Beirut's art world mourns widespread death and destruction following explosions

With homes, galleries and studios entirely destroyed, Lebanese artists respond in the aftermath of Tuesday’s carnage

Huge explosion in Beirut decimates city and leaves art scene in disarray

Several galleries and museums have been destroyed or severely damaged following the blast and fire that shook the Lebanese capital on Tuesday

Snap! Tourist takes a selfie on a 19th-century Canova sculpture—and breaks off two toes

Concerns raised about how the visitor gained access to the Paolina Bonaparte cast

Rescue and assessment efforts underway for gutted Brazilian museum

Maintenance was under par at Museum of Natural History and Botanical Gardens of the University of Minas Gerais

The unluckiest museums in the world? Croatia faces string of natural disasters

Zagreb was hit by an earthquake in March at the height of Covid-19, and now by a severe storm

Security questions remain after Nantes cathedral blaze: 'There's no European country where church fires are this common'

An arson investigation has been launched into the fire at the Gothic St Peter and St Paul Cathedral in western France

Controversiesinterview

With demolition of Oslo's Picasso-Nesjar murals imminent, Norwegian sculptor’s daughter speaks out

Carl Nesjar’s daughter talks about the Norwegian sculptor’s long collaboration with the Modern master and shares exclusive images of the pair

Podcastspodcast

The destruction of Australia’s ancient Aboriginal heritage

Plus, art under threat in Putin's Russia and George Shaw on Thomas Jones. Produced in association with Christie's

Hosted by Ben Luke. with guest speaker Sophia Kishkovsky. Produced by Julia Michalska, David Clack and Aimee Dawson