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What is art for? Science shows it’s in the eye—and brain—of the beholder

The Nobel Prize-winning neuro-psychiatrist Eric Kandel explains what happens when we look at art

Furious response to V&A ban on sketching in some exhibitions

A necessary restriction or a betrayal of everything the museum stands for?

Isil rampage: a threat to cultural heritage that belongs to all

James Cuno, the president of the Getty Trust, says the world must find ways to intervene and protect antiquities when nation-states cannot do so <br>

Location, location, location: the real estate lessons to be learned from Ace Gallery’s bankruptcy

How Los Angeles dealer Douglas Chrismas leveraged his property to attract artists, reassure clients, and generate income—even while facing financial disaster

Further exploration at Herculaneum could ‘stagger the imagination’

But some archaeologists argue for conserving what is already uncovered

Sigmund Freud: snubbed by science, embraced by art

The father of psychoanalysis may have fallen from favour in his own field, but today’s artists remain fascinated by his work, 160 years after his birth. Two academics and an artist explain why

Letters to the editor, May 2016

Repercussions of the Knoedler Gallery case

The strange and illogical development of England's national art museums

As the Tate and National Gallery consider the limits of their collections, Giles Waterfield on the latest in a 200-year wrangle between institutions <br>

We should consider a Millennial Society to protect the past

In seeking to carve out our own architectural identity, we are in danger of destroying the precious work of previous generations

The lessons of Palmyra: Islamic state and iconoclasm in the era of clickbait

Anyone with a Facebook profile should consider the images of destruction they share on social media

Will China’s art market go the way of Japan’s?

Despite some similarities between the two, a broader collector base and stronger political will should help China ride out its storm

Expanded horizons: looking beyond building projects

New buildings grab attention, but they are not always the best way of increasing a museum’s influence and audiences

The Met gets a second chance to get contemporary art right

After 75 years of fumbling, the New York museum can use the Breuer building to play to its strengths and explore art-making across time

Sharjah discusses meaning of art in the time of Isil and Hezbollah

Anna Somers Cocks attended the annual March Meeting and found it did not shy away from the pain, extremism and corruption of the world today

Heritagecomment

Lighten the bureaucracy so India’s heritage can flourish

Its rich store of treasures deserves better, and that requires unburdening private collectors and welcoming in business

In the beginning: women kickstart South Asia scene

Female artists, collectors, curators and philanthropists are playing a leading role in developing the arts scene in South Asia

What is the government’s new plan for the future of the arts?

A forthcoming White Paper aims to set out the most far-reaching strategy for 50 years

Ten questions gallerists should be asking themselves now

Is gallery space still worth paying rent for or will Instagram replace it all? Art Basel director Marc Spiegler gives us the answers

Knoedler fakes trial could be a game-changer for the art market

It should provide guidance on who is responsible when forgeries are sold

Artcomment

Matthew Collings on his heady days with David Bowie

The superstar art lover backed the British critic's first forays into book publishing

The 21st-century Tate is a commonwealth of ideas

Museums must widen the ways in which they serve their audiences to reflect new forms of social interaction

The artists who flopped (and triumphed) in 2015

Who was hot and who was not this year, featuring Anish Kapoor, Rachel Rose and Chris Ofili

Artcomment

Kenny Schachter on Peggy Guggenheim’s one-woman fight to champion artists

In her lifetime, the art collector’s personal reputation was shredded, but, as Lisa Vreeland’s film shows, her influence on the art world was astonishing

How the Venice Biennale made social practice cool

Why political works continued to dominate this year